An academic study suggests that long-standing habits are difficult to break for a reason. It attributes this chronic and dangerous entity to physiology. This might, at least in part, explain why so many of us struggle to change recurring activities or rid ourselves from addictions.

Old habits don’t die. They hibernate.

Habitual activity–smoking, eating fatty foods, gambling–changes neural activity patterns in a specific region of the brain when habits are formed.

The following report was published yesterday:

DALLAS, Nov. 16 — Decaffeinated — not caffeinated — coffee may cause an increase in harmful LDL cholesterol by increasing a specific type of blood fat linked to the metabolic syndrome, hints a new study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2005.

Other items about coffee:

• Coffee Leads to Stress
• Coffee Beer

man was found to have cured himself of HIV, perhaps owing to his immune system. There appears to be no official confirmation, but doctors and researchers want the man for further tests. Understandably, the man declined the offers. The photo embedded in the BBC article rules out anonymity as a factor in his decision.

Doctors say they want to investigate the case of a British man with HIV who apparently became clear of the virus.

Andrew Stimpson, 25, was diagnosed HIV-positive in 2002 but was found to be negative in October 2003 by Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust.

This came just a couple of days after I had watched Constant Gardener, which is a strong and emotional film involving AIDS in Africa. The film can be rather cold and depressing, so it is most-suited for the faint-hearted. My negative reaction is amplified by the fact that I watched drama/comedy types at the cinema one week beforehand, namely Thumbsucker and Broken Flowers .

The local gym – photo captured in July

ODAY I decided to re-prioritise a few hobbies and activities in my life. Thus far things have gone rather well, but I was at times susceptible to pressure and found it hard to cope with the amount of work that came my way.

I have maintained a stringent habit of working out consistently for nearly 10 years. At the start, when I was only 14, I stuck to short sessions that verged the high frequency of 7 times a week (i.e. a brief daily routine). This soon was reduced to just 6 and around 2001 was altered again and became just 5. A few years ago this was already downed to 4 and a half and this week I have finally settled at 4. This trend is somewhat worrying, at least to me. I am certainly not at the point in my life where I ought to head ‘downhill’ although I admittedly reached a plateau. I still work out approximately 8 hours a week, but I find myself more bound to the Palm handheld throughout. I simply must record my thoughts. I soon realise that I must stay connected more often. That is truly what I enjoy, inevitably.

Earlier today there was an unusually nice atmosphere at the gym so I even fell asleep there. It is not the very rare exception, I might point out. The nice music that is played on the TV set and perhaps the lack of pressure led to this, not to mention the erratic sleep patterns which I have recently adopted. The workouts themselves appear to be getting easier, psychologically in particular, over the years. This may have plenty to do with the fact that I prevent self-imposed pressure and time-constraints. I learned from past mistakes, I presume, as pressure becomes a deterrent strong enough to discourage exercise altogether.

A week or so ago I notices a small swelling at the back of my neck. Such things are rather common, even among the healthy population, but they tend to draw my attention more than they should. This was not as worrying, however, as a similar tiny swelling near my bottom, which had me see my GP several months ago (in vain of course).

I came to the conclusion that I am overly obsessed with my health, even if all that there is are puny swellings that quickly fade away. Recently I was more paranoid about that abnormality near my neck, which has just disappeared. After all, unlike the other occurrence, it resides next to my second most-valued organ! [pun]

The least hideous photo snatched by my sister
(against my will, I am urged to point out)

INCE I rarely post items about my personal life, I decided to make an exception today. On my very recent vacation, I taught myself a valuable lesson in bowling — a lesson that cost me an entire game that was filled with gutter balls and oddities. It was a game of exploration and experimentation.

I decided that I wanted to master ball curling, thus hitting the pins much like the pros while spinning the ball elegantly. This ended up far more successfully than I had imagined and I would like to share tips based on my amateur experience.

• Firstly, I count my steps (approximately 4) as I walk backwards to identify a good starting position, ensuring that I throw as my left foot stomps forward
• I approach the track by treading across the left side rather close to the gutter. This turns out to be helpful as I am right-handed, hence I must spin to the left
• Bending of the wrist gives the ball its spin. The grip with the ball is rather steady when the wrist is perpendicular with respect to the forearm. I was once told that by a childhood friend who played in the leagues.
• The ball must be thrown in a sharp angle so that it nearly collapses onto the right gutter. Otherwise, it may spin to the left too early.
• To give the ball little time to travel before it changes direction, the throw must be fast. The speed also gives extra power, which is crucial.

My main problems were often too much of a spin or reluctance to let the ball approach the gutters. It is simply adverse to instincts. Ultimately, I managed to consistently hit the pins at almost 30 degrees (towards the end of the track) and I had almost no gutter balls. As bowling is very repetitive, I need more experience. Nonetheless, I hit a few admirable strikes and spares that day, all of which involved a sharp spin and very powerful impact.

Up until a week ago I hit the pins by chucking the ball straight down the middle. At the age of 16 or thereabouts I hit 140+ at my best. Without hitting the pins diagonally it is rather hard to achieve high scores. I look at my transition to the spin as a form of long-term ‘investment’. I also find it much more rewarding to practice and for others to observe.

Photo from around 1984

ORDS have leaked to my ear that I may have won this year’s rowing competition at the Midland Hotel health club. There is no official announcement yet, but I am rather excited to have heard it. I will definitely take a shot of the prize after the official ceremoney is held.

Having worked out consistently for 10 years, I am now managing to win a pleasant reward almost every year, which I am ecstatic about.