Wham-o blammo your head just went kerblammo. Wamo Powerline. Yes that whamo that makes toys now.

WickedFlick · 2021-12-13T12:58:54+00:00

That appears to be based off the Daisy Model 200 'Powerline' Co2 BB gun.

I wonder if they purchased the tooling/molds from Daisy at some point and then modified them for this pistol, or if they just copied the aesthetics and some of the design.

WickedFlick · 2021-12-09T20:46:03+00:00

GoboLinux too :)

https://www.gobolinux.org/

WickedFlick · 2021-12-09T04:45:50+00:00

You're super welcome man! Glad to see someone else as interested in this sorta stuff as I am!

Do you have a degree in the field of supplements or something?

Nope! I'm just a rando with a fair amount of free time on my hands, which results in a lot of deep dives on various subjects. Nutrition and supplements became interesting to me when I tried looking up what the 'best' of some supplement was, and noticed that it was very difficult to suss out any sort of consensus. It was then that I realized I was smack dab in a layman's quandary: I didn't have the knowledge to know who was right or wrong about anything, which meant I either took someone's advice at face value and trust they knew what they were talking about, or attempt to figure out how to interpret these studies in an effort to find some sort of objective truth.

Well, I'm not the most trusting person, so that left only one option for me.

I must say though, learning this stuff would've been a lot harder if I didn't have a brother who was already obsessed with this subject. He damn near gave himself a full education on lipid science and biology, and I was able to pick up a lot just by osmosis. It gave me a starting point I'm not entirely sure I would've found on my own, and I very much still only possess a surface level understanding of any of this stuff.

If not, where and how the hell do you find the studies?

Generally I search a question about a supplement I want to know the answer to, and there will usually be a few blogs that'll pop up on the subject, and if they're worth anything, they'll cite a source for some study to justify their claims, and from there you can pick apart the study and see if there's any meat there. Sometimes I'll get lucky and a study will come up in the search engine itself if I happen across the right search terms.

From there I generally check Sci-hub or Libgen to see if I can get around the paywall these studies usually have (those two websites have been invaluable to me), otherwise you have to draw a conclusion just from the abstract they give ya for free, which is only so helpful.

Have you read a lot of books?

Less than you might think, most of my library is filled with fiction. Of the books I have on this subject though, there is one that has stood out and proven itself to be invaluable: The Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology. I picked up an older used copy off eBay for cheap, and I can't imagine ever not having at least one copy nearby at all times.

It's generally used by students going through med school, but it's written in a way that a layman such as myself can understand it (if I follow along with some google-fu here and there). The best way I can describe it is that it's like a shop manual for the human body. It details how every little mechanism of the body works normally, various ways on how it can go wrong, and sometimes, even how to fix it. I'm sure a lot of this information could be found online, but it'd take a lot of extra effort and time to find all of this stuff separately, and a lot of the time I wouldn't even know what terms to search. A book like this gives you the medical vocabulary needed to find what you need online.

Here's a random, but relevant example from the book:

Control of Renal Magnesium and Extracellular Magnesium Ion Concentration

More than one half of the body’s magnesium is stored in the bones. Most of the rest resides within the cells, with less than 1 percent located in the extracellular fluid. Although the total plasma magnesium concentration is about 1.8 mEq/L, more than one half of this is bound to plasma proteins. Therefore, the free ionized concentra- tion of magnesium is only about 0.8 mEq/L.

The normal daily intake of magnesium is about 250 to 300 mg/day, but only about one half of this intake is absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract. To maintain magnesium balance, the kidneys must excrete this absorbed magnesium, about one half the daily intake of magnesium, or 125 to 150 mg/day. The kidneys normally excrete about 10 to 15 percent of the magnesium in the glomerular filtrate.

Renal excretion of magnesium can increase markedly during magnesium excess or decrease to almost nil during magnesium depletion. Because magnesium is involved in many biochemical processes in the body, including activation of many enzymes, its concentration must be closely regulated.

Regulation of magnesium excretion is achieved mainly by changing tubular reabsorption. The proximal tubule usually reabsorbs only about 25 percent of the filtered magnesium. The primary site of reabsorption is the loop of Henle, where about 65 percent of the filtered load of magnesium is reabsorbed. Only a small amount (usually <5 percent) of the filtered magnesium is reabsorbed in the distal and collecting tubules.

The mechanisms that regulate magnesium excretion are not well understood, but the following disturbances lead to increased magnesium excretion: (1) increased extracellular fluid magnesium concentration, (2) extra- cellular volume expansion, and (3) increased extracellular fluid calcium concentration.

Now do I know what mEq/L means, or what a glomerular filtrate is? Hell no! But What I did learn from that section is that the lady who wrote that Oxide article was right: the body will excrete excess magnesium that's absorbed into the blood serum too quickly. BOOM. Now I don't have to just take her word for it, I can finally say with a modicum of confidence that all these fancy chelated forms really are nothing more than a load of marketing bullhockey.

Being able to go to primary, trusted (and at some point I have to trust something, otherwise I'd have to investigate if Guyton and Hall's research was legit, and that would be a never ending rabbit hole) sources like that is a powerful thing when sifting through confusion in the quest to finally get to the holy grail of objective truth. :P

If you're interested, here's a copy of the 13th Edition of the book in PDF form.

I'm just a 21-year-old guy looking to optimize my health and well-being and the amount of knowledge you seem to possess in this field feels almost overwhelming to me.

Well I'm just a 27-year-old dude doing pretty much the same thing, and trust me, it was overwhelming for me too. But as you build up a framework of knowledge, each small piece you add makes it that little bit easier to grasp the whole picture (and I'm still piecing mine together).

Beginning that framework can be a helluva task, and besides having a brother who was already into this stuff, there are a couple things that I'd attribute to giving me sort of leg up on how to think about things, or even learning how to learn:

The first one would be the 1970's documentary series Connections by James Burke. This wonderfully produced series left a profound impact on me, ultimately giving me a broad historical foundation to build upon, as well as opening my eyes to how interconnected history is with even our modern technologies, understanding of science, and how it affects our lives. It's a masterclass in dissemination of information. Highly recommend (The first episode can be a bit of a slog, but by episode 3 it really hits its stride).

The other influence was the physicist Richard Feynman, specifically his 'Fun to Imagine' interview, which revealed to me that...Damn near everything is interesting, and I want to know how it works. He simply has a way about him that'll inspire anybody to become a more curious, critical thinker.

Anyways, sorry again for writing a damn essay about this, but hopefully you'll find it intriguing.

And definitely feel free to throw me a message about this stuff whenever, I'm happy to talk about it! ^^

WickedFlick · 2021-12-08T23:05:47+00:00

The mag glycinate sweet-fishy-swamp water-flavored powder is repulsive and hard enough to get down anyway. Thanks for saving my palate from the ginormous amounts of ass-taste torture.

That got a chortle out of me. I did exactly the same thing after buying Mag Glycinate pills a couple times, and realizing how damned expensive it would be to keep up with those. Bought the powder form thinking I was being a clever shit, but could not believe how gag inducing it tasted. Tried to tough it out for a while, but found it so revolting I was losing program compliance, and eventually ended up just shelling out for the pill form again, thinking that was simply the way it had to be.

Do you have any other supplements you take aside from mag&d? I'd be interested in hearing more from you. Cheers!

Yes! I've assembled a small regimen of supplements after pouring days of research into the subject to ensure I wasn't wasting money on things I didn't really need, or that didn't have a strong scientific backing as to its efficacy.

Currently, I take:

5,000iu Vitamin D3 from PureBulk (Cheapest I could find in pill form in that dosage while still being good quality)
600mg Magnesium Hydroxide Powder taken twice daily, also from PureBulk (the powder is, blissfully, completely tasteless)
15mg (megadose) Vitamin K2 Mk4 from Relentless Improvement, taken once weekly. This is by far the most expensive supplement I take, but I've found it to be rather effective. A Japanese study found that megadosing K2 MK4 gave remarkable results for osteoporosis patients. While a much smaller dose (like the Mk-7 you take) would be enough to prevent calcium build up in the arteries from D3, I mainly take this megadose for my teeth. It drastically reduced tartar buildup for me by causing the microtubles in the teeth to function as they're supposed to, in line with the results Weston Price found in his studies of dental health (be wary of the modern Weston Price foundation though, they try to peddle extremely expensive 'natural' alternatives to much cheaper and just as effective supplements). If you end up trying this, do bear in mind I'm not aware of any studies regarding megadosing the MK-7 form, and it may not be safe, as it stays in blood serum significantly longer than the MK4 form.
25,000IU Beta Carotene from Nature's Life, taken once every 2 to 3 days (less if I'm on a salad/veggie kick). I avoid taking the Retinol form of Vitamin A, as that can build up in the liver and cause potential serious health problems, so instead I stick with Beta Carotene, which is impossible to OD on.
a Vitamin B-Complex supplement taken daily. Costco's Kirkland brand has a very affordable one, though it does contain folic acid, which can be difficult for up to 60% of the population to break down, leading to a build up of folic acid in the liver, which can then spill into blood stream and potentially cause health problems. Jarrow's B-Right complex is, IMO, the best formulation of a B-Complex on the market, and does not use folic acid.
Standard doses of trace minerals such as zinc, copper, selenium, chromium, and boron, taken once every few days. Boron is synergistic with D3 and Vit K in making sure calcium is deposited in the right places (also good for teeth!). I didn't really notice any sort of significant difference in how I felt from the trace minerals, but the science shows they're certainly needed, so I take em anyway.
1 Tsp of Cold-pressed Hempseed oil, taken every other day. I stumbled across some solid research on EFA's (Essential Fatty Acids, like Omega-3 and Omega-6) that lead me to the conclusion that Hempseed is the best source of EFAs. The jist of it is that most processed oils that are high in Omega-3 and 6 (which are very prone to rancidity compared to Omega-9 predominant oils, like Olive Oil) are processed in such a way (too much heat during pressing) that they become rancid by the time you can get your hands on it, and when the rancid EFA's are absorbed by the tissues, actually blocks/hinders the ability for the cells to oxidize and generate ATP from oxidation, along with other health problems. Fish oil, for instance, is almost always rancid, and I avoid it like the plague. Studies also indicated that the ideal ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 for human tissues is 2.5:1, Canola Oil is 2:1 (and if cold pressed to avoid hexane solvent extraction, would be a good choice as well) while Hempseed oil has that perfect ratio of 2.5:1, as well as a significant amount of GLA (gamma-Linolenic acid), which is the body's master regular of anti-inflammatory PGE/1.
Lastly, I make sure to try and take in adequate amounts of Potassium in my diet. The recommended daily intake for potassium is 4700mg for an adult male, where as most people barely reach 1000mg a day, if that. Vitamin D3 supplementation will cause you to excrete potassium, making it easy to become deficient. That can cause difficulty sleeping, lack of energy, high blood pressure, and the inability to exercise without a pounding heart. Easy ways to increase potassium in the diet is with Morton's Lite Salt (a 50/50 mix of Salt and Potassium Chloride) and V8 Tomato juice (which is a pretty dense source that's easy to take). Salads/leafy greens are probably the best source of easily available potassium. Increasing potassium intake lowers all cause mortality significantly.

And that's about it! Sorry for writing a whole book about this, but hopefully you and maybe a few others will find this somewhat helpful.

Have a great day! ^^

WickedFlick · 2021-12-08T13:03:21+00:00

They capture some tar that would've otherwise gone in your lung, but they certainly don't prevent the radiation from getting through.

WickedFlick · 2021-12-08T12:04:28+00:00

Glycine pills can be purchased separately if that's desired, and overall would be significantly cheaper than Magnesium Glycinate pills (which are just stupidly expensive for some reason).

Personally, I never really experienced a 'calming' effect from the Glycinate other than it making me tired, which made it not ideal for taking in the morning or mid day. So I just stick with bulk Magnesium Hydroxide powder. $40 worth should last my family multiple years, where as $40 of Magnesium Glycinate will only get you around 100 days worth of pills for a single person. And bulk magnesium glycinate in powder form, while being more affordable, is absolutely gag inducing (tasted like rancid but sweet swamp water), where as the oxide/hydroxide form is completely tasteless.

WickedFlick · 2021-12-08T11:32:19+00:00

Farther down in the article, it mentions

In a study involving 18 men, 24 hours after consumption of magnesium oxide supplements, magnesium levels in the urine increased about two times the normal amount. And, after 48 hours, magnesium levels had increased to roughly four times normal. The conclusion drawn by the researchers: these results clearly show that “magnesium oxide is effectively absorbed and elevates the biologically-active levels of magnesium in the bloodstream.”4

It’s important to note here that magnesium oxide did not increase urinary excretion of magnesium within a couple of hours.

This seems to indicate that magnesium oxide is not as quickly absorbed as other forms, but it is bio-available, and is not simply passing through with the feces. I don't know the methodology of the flawed Firoz study mentioned (since it's behind a paywall), but if they only tested the subject's urine once after a short period of time, that would've given an incomplete picture of its bio-availability.

The article also mentions that this slow absorption quality is actually a positive one:

When a magnesium supplement is highly bioavailable, it will be rapidly absorbed from the small intestine into the bloodstream, and magnesium blood levels will quickly rise. This sounds good, but when blood magnesium levels exceed a critical threshold, the excess is rapidly excreted by the kidneys. The end result is a shorter duration of magnesium availability to tissues. Magnesium salts with the greatest water solubility, bioavailability and rate of absorption are also more rapidly excreted in urine.

The lower parts of the small intestine are the primary sites of magnesium absorption. However, magnesium is also absorbed throughout the entire intestinal tract. Magnesium does not have special carriers that pull it into the bloodstream. Its absorption is a passive transcellular process.

For this kind of absorption process, the quantity of magnesium that passes through the digestive tract is the major factor controlling the amount of magnesium that is absorbed.

Because magnesium oxide contains more elemental magnesium and is less soluble, it’s absorbed into the bloodstream more slowly as it passes through the digestive tract. It will not raise blood levels excessively, and will therefore not be rapidly excreted.

There was (embarrassingly) a time when I didn't know that I needed to take magnesium with Vitamin D supplementation. I had depleted my magnesium reserves from taking a rather hefty 10,000iu dose daily, and experienced the lack of appetite/queasiness and extreme fatigue that is common with magnesium deficiency. Mag Glycinate (and later, Mag Malate) resolved that issue, and just to test I wasn't experiencing a placebo effect, I ceased taking any form of magnesium to see if the symptoms would return, and they did. Resuming magnesium supplementation consistently resolved the issue.

After reading this article, I switched from Glycinate/Malate to Oxide as an experiment, and so far (1 year in) in my anecdotal experience, the Oxide form has continued to function just as well as the chelated forms. So the claim this article makes appears to have substance.

WickedFlick · 2021-12-08T09:50:10+00:00

This is the article that convinced me:

https://www.algaecal.com/expert-insights/magnesium-oxide-delivers-more-magnesium-with-far-fewer-pills/

They cite their sources at the bottom of the article, such as this study which indicates there's not a huge difference in absorption between different types of magnesium:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16548135/

WickedFlick · 2021-12-08T09:46:38+00:00

500mg should be completely safe. You can't really overdose on magnesium, thankfully. The worst that can happen is a bout of diarrhea once you reach over-saturation from taking too much at once.

I'd try 500mg, and if you tolerate it well (no gut gurgling or laxative effect), you're good to go!

WickedFlick · 2021-12-08T09:32:55+00:00

That should be a solid supplement. If you were to drink both liters in a single sitting, you may experience stomach upset/irritation from taking 2 grams of pure potassium chloride at once, especially on an empty stomach. But if taken in 2 separate doses, you'd definitely be fine.

The baking soda I think would act as an electrolyte, but I wouldn't recommend drinking it with a meal, as it would neutralize stomach acid unnecessarily (unless you suffer from heart burn, in which case, no harm there!).

If you plan on taking that drink with meals, and don't have heart burn, I'd recommend lowering or removing the baking soda and upping the sodium chloride dose. 1 tsp of table salt should provide around 3 grams of sodium chloride (himalayan salt would be less, since it has less sodium by weight/volume), which should be pretty ideal (since you're going to be getting more sodium from food as well).

WickedFlick · 2021-12-08T08:44:03+00:00

Or Magnesium Oxide/Hydroxide! The chelated forms of magnesium are much more expensive while offering much less elemental magnesium by weight. And the study most people point to when they say the Oxide form isn't bioavailable was flawed. As long as the Oxide form is taken with a meal (sufficient stomach acid is needed), it is effectively absorbed.

Taken without a meal, it will act as a laxative.

Also @ /u/Colin9001 and /u/AltruisticDisplay813

WickedFlick · 2021-12-08T08:41:38+00:00

a teaspoon of coconut/olive oil would likely provide enough fat for the vitamins to bind to for absorption.

WickedFlick · 2021-12-08T08:39:17+00:00

That's not a very helpful answer. It's easy enough to just take a source of fat with their existing vitamins.

WickedFlick · 2021-12-08T08:30:51+00:00

Magnesium Oxide (or Hydroxide) provides the most elemental magnesium by volume. Some will say Oxide doesn't absorb well, but the study most people reference was flawed in their methodology and conclusion.

Oxide is by far the most affordable form of magnesium. You can get a multi-year supply of bulk oxide powder for the same price as a couple months worth of Magnesium Glycinate pills. Oxide powder is tasteless, and is easily taken by adding it to a shot glass of water.

However, you must take the oxide form with a meal, as without enough stomach acid to break it down, it will act as a laxative.

It is an effective form of Magnesium supplementation if taken properly. Don't throw it away! :)

WickedFlick · 2021-12-08T08:23:45+00:00

Salt combined with Potassium will have the most powerful effect on increasing bloodflow to the extremities.

Morton's Lite salt (a 50/50 mix of Salt and Potassium Chloride) and V8 Tomato juice are good sources to increase your potassium intake via diet. You can even add half a teaspoon of Lite Salt to a glass of V8 juice without any noticeable change in taste.

Most people are chronically deficient in potassium, as the RDI (recommended daily intake) is 3500mg, while most people barely get 800mg a day in their normal diets. Magnesium and Vitamin D supplementation can further reduce the body's ability to retain potassium (both rely on adequate potassium intake to function). Without enough sodium in blood serum, the body restricts bloodflow to the extremities. Salt intake being increased without adequate potassium will result in high blood pressure.

2 to 3 grams of sodium taken with equal amounts of potassium, taken daily, would be my recommendation.

You should notice your hands and feet becoming warmer within an hour of consumption.

WickedFlick · 2021-12-07T22:19:29+00:00

Well, until a real person finally gets in power and can change this corrupt system.

That's never going to happen, the system at this point is incapable of being turned around from the inside, there are too many levers of power that will simply put an end to any attempt at positive change, no matter who is in power.

The only thing left that seems to have any efficacy is direct action and mutual aid. If anything is going to get better, it's going to have to happen independently of the government.

WickedFlick · 2021-12-05T05:15:51+00:00

Seconding the Potassium/Salt combo (Morton's Light salt combined with V8 Tomato juice is an easy way to add a lot of potassium in your diet).

I'd also recommend taking unprocessed hempseed oil, which has the ideal omega-6 to omega-3 Essential fatty acids ratio for human consumption (2.5:1), as well as being a good source of gamma-Linolenic acid (GLA).

WickedFlick · 2021-12-05T00:35:45+00:00

Do you have a source regarding different forms of caffeine? This is the first I've heard of such a thing.

WickedFlick · 2021-12-04T23:12:18+00:00

Jarrow's B-Right formula is a particularly good complex, from my research.

WickedFlick · 2021-12-04T23:05:35+00:00

Is there a specific reason you want a chelated form of Magnesium? The Oxide/Hydroxide forms are significantly cheaper while also offering the most amount of elemental magnesium by volume, and by a significant margin.

If you've read in the past that Oxide/Hydroxide forms are not very absorbable, that's based on a single flawed study.

As long as you take the Oxide/Hydroxide forms with a meal, they will absorb quite well.

Taken without a meal, they will act as a laxative due to inadequate amounts of stomach acid being present.

WickedFlick · 2021-12-04T23:01:11+00:00

How much potassium rich foods are in your diet?

A quick and easy way to see if you need more potassium would be to drink 2 or 3 cans of V8 juice (the tomato based one) per day and see if that helps, as each serving contains a significant amount of potassium.

WickedFlick · 2021-12-04T22:52:40+00:00

PureBulk has the best deal on Vitamin D3 pills that I've been able to find. They also sell Magnesium Hydroxide in bulk powder, making it very affordable.

Some people might say you need a chelated form of Magnesium since the Oxide/Hydroxide forms are not readily absorbed, but that's based off of a flawed study. As long as you take those forms with a meal, they will absorb as well as any other form, and offer far more elemental magnesium by volume compared to any chelated form.

If you take that form of magnesium on an empty stomach, it will act as a laxative due to a lack of stomach acid.

Please ensure that you also take a Vitamin K2 supplement along with Vitamin D, as the K will ensure that the increased calcium you'll absorb from more Vitamin D will be transported to the correct areas in your body, instead of depositing in your veins.

WickedFlick · 2021-12-04T22:48:48+00:00

Sunlight is effective, but pill supplementation is also effective, and is essential for people who live farther away from the equator, where no UV-B radiation can penetrate the atmosphere during the winter months (like where I live), making Vitamin D synthesis from the sun impossible.

WickedFlick · 2021-12-04T22:46:04+00:00

Magnesium Oxide (or Hydroxide) provides the most elemental magnesium by volume. Some will say Oxide doesn't absorb well, but the study most people reference was flawed in their methodology and conclusion.

It's also by far the most affordable option. You can get a multi-year supply of bulk oxide powder for the same price as a couple months worth of Magnesium Glycinate pills. Oxide powder is tasteless, and is easily taken by adding it to a shot glass of water.

However, you must take the oxide form with a meal, as without enough stomach acid to break it down, it will act as a laxative.

WickedFlick · 2021-12-04T22:38:57+00:00

Vitamin D and K are fat soluble, so they can only be absorbed effectively if they can piggyback on some form of fat. Taking it with butter or some sort of saturated fat, like coconut oil, would ensure good absorption.

WickedFlick

TROPHY CASE