FINEST KIND CLINIC AND FISHMARKET.... Discussing medicine, culture, and the joys of cooking Pansit.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
History stuff below the fold
lost languages link
They are still trying to figure out who are the Etruscans, but there are other lost languages awaiting a rosetta stone...
-----------------
they found Trajan's palace in Romania...
--------------------
and the most important article of the day:
The Evolution of the HouseCat
sc
LOL cat of the day
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
and no, our cats haven't figured out how to catch our Koi...they are still working on getting into our birdcage for a snack...
Blame Mega Maid
Your "we're all gonna die" headline of the day:
a new study says the sun is slowly "stealing" our atmosphere—and at a greater rate than on Mars or Venus.
Sun Stealing Earth's Atmosphere
a new study says the sun is slowly "stealing" our atmosphere—and at a greater rate than on Mars or Venus.
A Lesson from Noah
Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark . .ONE: Don't miss the boat.
TWO: Remember that we are all in the same boat.
THREE: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
FOUR: Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
FIVE: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
SIX: Build your future on high ground.
SEVEN: For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
EIGHT: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
NINE: When you're stressed, float awhile.
TEN: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
ELEVEN: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.
your email of the day from TiaMaria
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Flores de Mayo
Ruby was in two Flores de Mayo celebrations. This one is representing McDonald's kiddie crew at Waltermart here.
In this one, she represented us in Cabanatuan.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Viva Les Schtroumpfs
The original name for the Smurfs is Les Schtroumpfs.
They were 50 years old last September, and don't show their age a bit.
Their home page is HERE
they even have their own version of the Magic Flute
But don't let them fool you. This article in Das Spiegel claims they are selling a Marxist, sexist utopia to our kids...
Stuff below the fold
Well, GM is going broke, North Korea says it wants to restart the Korean War, and every flu death is a headline.
But what the hey, let's look at the really important things that you might have missed on the internet.
------------------
(photo UKTelegraph)
No, he didn't forget his deodorant. It's the item that won the "Stinkiest Cheese contest" in the UK.
"...The pungent cheese, made by Charles Martell of Martell and Son in Gloucestershire, was described as smelling like a rugby club changing room..."
--------------------------
Ay yay yay yay: The Smurfs are coming! the Smurfs are coming!
Photo: REX
Also from the UKTelegraph:
A smurf gathering in Komin, Croatia, Feb 2008. A total of 395 smurfs attempted to break the world record but unfortunately failed
-----------------------------------
and check out Webecoist who has a bunch of photos of beautiful mountains.
--------------------------------
Finally, when he's not busy fisking heretics, Father Z always has photos of birds at his feeder on his blog.
Ah, but now he has run into a problem. The squirrels have wrecked his birdfeeder, and he has put up a stronger one....but uh oh...
Yup, the squirrels are fighting back..
his webcam is HERE
-------------------------
But what the hey, let's look at the really important things that you might have missed on the internet.
------------------
(photo UKTelegraph)No, he didn't forget his deodorant. It's the item that won the "Stinkiest Cheese contest" in the UK.
"...The pungent cheese, made by Charles Martell of Martell and Son in Gloucestershire, was described as smelling like a rugby club changing room..."
--------------------------
Ay yay yay yay: The Smurfs are coming! the Smurfs are coming!
Photo: REXAlso from the UKTelegraph:
A smurf gathering in Komin, Croatia, Feb 2008. A total of 395 smurfs attempted to break the world record but unfortunately failed
-----------------------------------
and check out Webecoist who has a bunch of photos of beautiful mountains.
--------------------------------
Finally, when he's not busy fisking heretics, Father Z always has photos of birds at his feeder on his blog.
Ah, but now he has run into a problem. The squirrels have wrecked his birdfeeder, and he has put up a stronger one....but uh oh...
Yup, the squirrels are fighting back..
his webcam is HERE
-------------------------
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Gift item of the day
Are you stressed out?
Try taking a nice long bubble bath...
EHow tells you how to do it correctly...
make your own recipes HERE..."Some essential oils are known to be relaxing and soothing. The most popular include lavender, sandalwood, marjoram, frankincense, myrrh, rosewood and chamomile. These essential oils will calm you down, relax you and help you go to sleep."
and don't forget your
AM/FM Floating Mood Duck Radio
and no, we don't have baths here in the Philippines. We only have showers in our house...
Headlines below the fold
StrategyPage has details about why so many battles in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Summary: The troops are hitting the drug labs that fund the Taliban in Afghanistan, and the Pakistanis are angry at the Pashtuns causing trouble in the lowlands..
more HERE and here
--------------
Noisy Wind turbans: could shape shifting help?
----------------------
The trouble with growig up in a Fundamentalist family is that you never meet people or ideas to challenge your religious assumptions. An excerpt from a new book: excerpt in Das Spiegel
----------------------------
Novak from Johnstown takes a potshot at the Euroweenies at the Vatican.
-------------------------------
Want to save the earth? Paint your roof white...
--------------------------
CNN discusses Sotomayor's "Type One Diabetes"...
If she really has type one diabetes since age 8, it means she has had it for 40+ years...the article gives some information, but read this one too... the dirty little secret is that her kidneys should be giving way any time now...
#
# The risk of complications relates to diabetic control. With good management, patients can expect to lead full, normal, and healthy lives. Nevertheless, the average life expectancy of a child diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus has been variously suggested to be reduced by 13-19 years, compared with their nondiabetic peers.
however, her diabetes may explain why she is childless...
Summary: The troops are hitting the drug labs that fund the Taliban in Afghanistan, and the Pakistanis are angry at the Pashtuns causing trouble in the lowlands..
more HERE and here
--------------
Noisy Wind turbans: could shape shifting help?
----------------------
The trouble with growig up in a Fundamentalist family is that you never meet people or ideas to challenge your religious assumptions. An excerpt from a new book: excerpt in Das Spiegel
----------------------------
Novak from Johnstown takes a potshot at the Euroweenies at the Vatican.
-------------------------------
Want to save the earth? Paint your roof white...
--------------------------
CNN discusses Sotomayor's "Type One Diabetes"...
If she really has type one diabetes since age 8, it means she has had it for 40+ years...the article gives some information, but read this one too... the dirty little secret is that her kidneys should be giving way any time now...
#
# The risk of complications relates to diabetic control. With good management, patients can expect to lead full, normal, and healthy lives. Nevertheless, the average life expectancy of a child diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus has been variously suggested to be reduced by 13-19 years, compared with their nondiabetic peers.
however, her diabetes may explain why she is childless...
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Gift Item of the day
Is your Barbie doll tired of her long blond hair?
Well, just get her a wig.
This one is from the Georgian period, complete with ship...
And check out the style period dolls for sale HERE....
and yes, I had a doll collection as a kid, with dolls in all sorts of dresses and styles...
However, I preferred playing war with the boys in the neighborhood...I usually played the medic who bandaged them up when they got "hurt".
News you can use
Beer Beer Beer
DRB has them all LINK
and don't miss DRB's play with your food link...
---------------------------
Freedom for Mullet wearing jocks!
Story here
(viaDaveBarry)
----------------
Nanny state of the UK alert:
Farmers now must wear earmuffs when feeding pigs.
----------------------------
Guess who is on Facebook now??
Ratz's FACEBOOK
Ratz's other links
---------------------
and yes, we're on Facebook but I'm still trying to get it set up.
Midway!
The Battle of Midway was in early June, 1942...DarkRoastedBlend blog had a link to this film of the battle of Midway, as filmed by director John Ford...it's 18 minutes long...
From Wikipedia:The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle widely regarded as the most important of the Pacific Campaign of World War II.[4][5][6] It took place between 4-7 June, 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. The United States Navy decisively defeated an Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) attack against Midway Atoll, inflicting irreparable damage on the Japanese navy and seizing the strategic initiative.
From Wikipedia:The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle widely regarded as the most important of the Pacific Campaign of World War II.[4][5][6] It took place between 4-7 June, 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. The United States Navy decisively defeated an Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) attack against Midway Atoll, inflicting irreparable damage on the Japanese navy and seizing the strategic initiative.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
There goes Starbucks
No, it's not terrorism but someone just bombed a Starbucks in Manhattan.
Maybe they didn't like the Latte...
or maybe it's a pattern:
The authorities said that investigators were trying to determine whether Monday’s blast was linked to three others that occurred at similar times of day around Manhattan. The previous attacks were on the Times Square military recruiting station in 2008; on the Mexican Consulate at 27 East 39th Street in 2007; and on an office building housing the British Consulate at 845 Third Avenue in 2005.
Maybe they didn't like the Latte...
or maybe it's a pattern:
The authorities said that investigators were trying to determine whether Monday’s blast was linked to three others that occurred at similar times of day around Manhattan. The previous attacks were on the Times Square military recruiting station in 2008; on the Mexican Consulate at 27 East 39th Street in 2007; and on an office building housing the British Consulate at 845 Third Avenue in 2005.
lesson for today
I just read This, so I figure we all need an LOL cat illustration of the editorial...
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
Medical headlines under the fold
The NYTimes has an article on death in childbirth in Africa...
sounds like things haven't changed much in the 30 years since I worked there, except that (after I left) the CSections were done by RN's not Physician assistants...
----------------------------]
PinoyCentric has an article on the diarrhea vaccine against Rotavirus...More information HERE.
the older vaccine had some problems and was taken of the market for a rare side effect, but in the third world, where half a million kids die of simple diarrhea each year, the vaccine saves lives.
The problem is intesusseption. where the intestine ravels inside itself like your sleeve does when you take off a sweater. The anti vaccine types are hysterical about the vaccine, but the vaccine might not cause it, and the numbers are a lot smaller than those who die of the disease:
Before it was licensed, RotaTeq was tested in a clinical trial involving 70,000 children, where half received the vaccine and half received a placebo. No significant increase of intussusception risk was found. For instance 6 cases occurred in the RotaTeq patients and 5 in the placebo group.
------------------
ScienceInsider explains why it takes time to make a new flu vaccine...
again, expect hysteria from the clueless who want to know why it takes so long, and from the antivaccine types on Oprah finding a side effect to fuel their conspiracy theories.
sounds like things haven't changed much in the 30 years since I worked there, except that (after I left) the CSections were done by RN's not Physician assistants...
----------------------------]
PinoyCentric has an article on the diarrhea vaccine against Rotavirus...More information HERE.
the older vaccine had some problems and was taken of the market for a rare side effect, but in the third world, where half a million kids die of simple diarrhea each year, the vaccine saves lives.
The problem is intesusseption. where the intestine ravels inside itself like your sleeve does when you take off a sweater. The anti vaccine types are hysterical about the vaccine, but the vaccine might not cause it, and the numbers are a lot smaller than those who die of the disease:
Before it was licensed, RotaTeq was tested in a clinical trial involving 70,000 children, where half received the vaccine and half received a placebo. No significant increase of intussusception risk was found. For instance 6 cases occurred in the RotaTeq patients and 5 in the placebo group.
------------------
ScienceInsider explains why it takes time to make a new flu vaccine...
again, expect hysteria from the clueless who want to know why it takes so long, and from the antivaccine types on Oprah finding a side effect to fuel their conspiracy theories.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Science headlines below the fold
via Instapundit: ideas for a rotating space elevator.
--------------------------------
Are people really getting sick from various sources of radiation/microwaves/electric fields?
Does it affect the immune system or is it all hysteria?
Most cases I've seen are hysteria (i.e. women who had little or no actual exposure), but I remember treating an AF Sargent who worked with radar/microwave equipment used for defense, and he said there were others with the same type of lymphoma who did similar work...of course, that was back in the late `1960's, before lymphona/Hodgkins was considered curable...
-----------------------
Children born with hip dysplasia often are treated with a "frog position" brace to prevent dislocation and arthritis.
Dogs can get the problem too,...
And HelloKitty Hell reports you can get a HelloKitty hip dysplasia brace for your dog.
--------------------------------
Are people really getting sick from various sources of radiation/microwaves/electric fields?
Does it affect the immune system or is it all hysteria?
Most cases I've seen are hysteria (i.e. women who had little or no actual exposure), but I remember treating an AF Sargent who worked with radar/microwave equipment used for defense, and he said there were others with the same type of lymphoma who did similar work...of course, that was back in the late `1960's, before lymphona/Hodgkins was considered curable...
-----------------------
Children born with hip dysplasia often are treated with a "frog position" brace to prevent dislocation and arthritis.
Dogs can get the problem too,...
And HelloKitty Hell reports you can get a HelloKitty hip dysplasia brace for your dog.
Using Facebook in elections
Post moved to BNN.Iran is holding an election...AFP has the background HERE.
Tehran Photo Blog has photos of rallies HERE and HERE held in support for opposition leader Mousavi.
The photo on the right is one of his from the rally where Khatami threw his support behind Mousavi.
The internet in Iran is widely used, and now reports are that the candidate's Facebook pages have been blocked.
IslamOnLine has an article about Mousavi's wife, who is compared to both her namesake Fatemeh Al-Zahra and Michele Obama.
Family news
Yesterday they held the Flores de Mayo/Santa Cruzen celebrations...which means it's time for the beauty contests and more procession/parades.
More information HERE.
it's hot, so Lolo and I went to the 5:30 am mass to avoid the crowds for the procession at the 7 AM mass...
At the San Lorenzo chapel, they held it after the 5pm mass...alas too dark for photos.
But the Mall also held their own celebration...each business had a banner, and a child dressed up like a princess, with her young escort.....Ruby represented the McDonald's Kitty Crew, and all the businesses had banners and young ladies (with escorts) in the parade through the parking lot and up to the meeting area in front of the hardware store. They then had some dancing and singing before giving out awards.
One little girl about 3 years old kept dancing and breaking the soap bubbles floating around when she was supposed to be standing still on stage...she won the "cutest princess" award. This time, Ruby didn't win any awards.
I'll post photos later.
More information HERE.
it's hot, so Lolo and I went to the 5:30 am mass to avoid the crowds for the procession at the 7 AM mass...
At the San Lorenzo chapel, they held it after the 5pm mass...alas too dark for photos.
But the Mall also held their own celebration...each business had a banner, and a child dressed up like a princess, with her young escort.....Ruby represented the McDonald's Kitty Crew, and all the businesses had banners and young ladies (with escorts) in the parade through the parking lot and up to the meeting area in front of the hardware store. They then had some dancing and singing before giving out awards.
One little girl about 3 years old kept dancing and breaking the soap bubbles floating around when she was supposed to be standing still on stage...she won the "cutest princess" award. This time, Ruby didn't win any awards.
I'll post photos later.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
PomPoms!
Futuregirlblog has a link to Martha Stewart Crafts tissue paper pompoms that can be used as decorations...
However, you don't need the kits: Her site has the instructions HERE
NezumiworldBlog has instructions on how to make ordinary (fuzzy) type pompoms out of wool (the type you put on your baby's shoes).
And if you want to make those huge cheerleader pompoms out of your garbage bags, check this out:
How to Make Cheerleading Pom Poms -- powered by eHow.com
Memorial day
First Lt. Alex Bobuck checks equipment during a dry run at Exeter Airfield prior to D-Day (National Archives).Destination Normandy
...History net publishes an excerpt from Excerpted from Tonight We Die As Men by Ian Gardner and Roger Day
-------------------
Another country, another Memorial day:
From the InternationalHeraldTribune:
The Iraqi government declared May 16 as Mass Grave Day to commemorate the day when the first such grave was uncovered near the Shiite town of Mahaweel, about 56 kilometers (35 miles) south of Baghdad.
Human rights organizations estimate that more than 300,000 people, mainly Kurds and Shiite Muslims, were killed and buried in mass graves before Saddam was overthrown by U.S. forces in 2003.----
and AFP reports that they just found the 49th mass grave in Najaf province...
(headsupGatewayPundit)
----------------------------
An amateur is busy mapping North Korea, and finds a lot of information, including what they believe are mass graves created in the 1995-98 famine that killed an estimated two million people
-------------------------
Most of the US Memorial day will be about World War II or more recent wars. But the horrors of the Great War are also in the news:
The ....and a French priest is busy finding the victims shot by Hitler in the Ukraine...and Slovenia just discovered the graves of post war executions by the communists.
But the graves go on forever:
The Brits are trying to identify commonwealth soldiers whose bodies were found...this is from one World War I battle...
The number of missing-in-action from that war is staggering: `165,000 from the Commonwealth, but 2.5 missing from Russia, 1 million from Germany and 2 million from Austria-Hungary.
----------------
and all the above doesn't cover the lost graves in Asia or Africa....
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Science headlines below the fold
An old Malaria treatment was methylene blue (yes, the stain you used in high school biology).
Now one study shows that it increases the cure rate when combined with another antimalarial drug and cuts down the rate of resistance....
--------------------
does getting the dead flu vaccine lead to more hospitalizations for kids with flu?
and is it vaccine related, or only because we tend to give the vaccine to the kids most at risk for complications?
--------------
Earlier studies suggested stem cells might help the dying heart (using patient's own stem cells) but now it's been found a simple injection of bone marrow helps too...
does it cause new muscle cells to grow, or change the destruction by other immune cells?
--------------
David Warren suggests that you retain less from browsing the internet than reading a newspaper.
Yes, that's what I've found.
And why I buy books or print out things that I want to think about.
I wonder if there's a scientific study to show why....
Now one study shows that it increases the cure rate when combined with another antimalarial drug and cuts down the rate of resistance....
--------------------
does getting the dead flu vaccine lead to more hospitalizations for kids with flu?
and is it vaccine related, or only because we tend to give the vaccine to the kids most at risk for complications?
--------------
Earlier studies suggested stem cells might help the dying heart (using patient's own stem cells) but now it's been found a simple injection of bone marrow helps too...
does it cause new muscle cells to grow, or change the destruction by other immune cells?
--------------
David Warren suggests that you retain less from browsing the internet than reading a newspaper.
Yes, that's what I've found.
And why I buy books or print out things that I want to think about.
I wonder if there's a scientific study to show why....
Quote of the day
A reader of FatherZ sent in this quote:
"Those who listened unwarily to that voice could seldom report the words that they heard; and if they did, they wondered, for little power remained in them. Mostly they remembered only that it was a delight to hear the voice speaking, all that it said seemed wise and reasonable, and desire awoke in them by swift agreement to seem wise themselves. When others spoke they seemed harsh and uncouth by contrast; and if they gainsaid the voice, anger was kindled in the hearts of those under the spell. For some the spell lasted only while the voice spoke to them, and when it spake to another they smiled, as men do who see through a juggler’s trick while others gape at it. For many the sound of the voice alone was enough to hold them enthralled; but for those whom it conquered the spell endured when they were far away, and ever they heard that soft voice whispering and urging them. But none were unmoved; none rejected its pleas and its commands without an effort of mind and will, so long as its master had control of it."
"Those who listened unwarily to that voice could seldom report the words that they heard; and if they did, they wondered, for little power remained in them. Mostly they remembered only that it was a delight to hear the voice speaking, all that it said seemed wise and reasonable, and desire awoke in them by swift agreement to seem wise themselves. When others spoke they seemed harsh and uncouth by contrast; and if they gainsaid the voice, anger was kindled in the hearts of those under the spell. For some the spell lasted only while the voice spoke to them, and when it spake to another they smiled, as men do who see through a juggler’s trick while others gape at it. For many the sound of the voice alone was enough to hold them enthralled; but for those whom it conquered the spell endured when they were far away, and ever they heard that soft voice whispering and urging them. But none were unmoved; none rejected its pleas and its commands without an effort of mind and will, so long as its master had control of it."
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Roman France
NYTimes travel article at above link
Photo is the PontDuGarde
photo Ed Alcock for The New York Times
Slideshow HERE
Headsup FR-GGG Forum
Headlines below the fold
About half of influenza cases are the new swine flu...but why are the kids getting sick? Did adults have it earliers and are resistent?
----------------------
86,000 people a year seek medical help in emergency rooms, "five times the number of emergency room visits caused by unintentional gunshots".
Call the NRA!
Whoops, call the SPCA...because the injuries are from tripping over Fluffy...or Fido...
----------------------------
Yes, Dan Brown is anti Catholic and the NYTimes editorial says Brown likes dumb Catholics anyway.
------------------
Is your kid spending too much time playing video games?
Well, it's valuable training...
--------------
Nearly everyone missed it, but in his NotreDame speech, the president said he was planning to recraft the "conscience" clause for medical workers to make it more "scientific" and "ethical".
You see, with the promotion of the "morning after" pill, certain "scientists" and "ethicists" are now claiming that life begins at implantation of the embryo, so that early abortion is now called "contraception".
It's like the old saying: If you call a tail a leg, how many legs does a dog have?
Answer: Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it so...
----------------------
86,000 people a year seek medical help in emergency rooms, "five times the number of emergency room visits caused by unintentional gunshots".
Call the NRA!
Whoops, call the SPCA...because the injuries are from tripping over Fluffy...or Fido...
----------------------------
Yes, Dan Brown is anti Catholic and the NYTimes editorial says Brown likes dumb Catholics anyway.
------------------
Is your kid spending too much time playing video games?
Well, it's valuable training...
--------------
Nearly everyone missed it, but in his NotreDame speech, the president said he was planning to recraft the "conscience" clause for medical workers to make it more "scientific" and "ethical".
You see, with the promotion of the "morning after" pill, certain "scientists" and "ethicists" are now claiming that life begins at implantation of the embryo, so that early abortion is now called "contraception".
It's like the old saying: If you call a tail a leg, how many legs does a dog have?
Answer: Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it so...
Oh NO! NOT KITTY!
You know that the politicians are IQ challenged when they use Hello Kitty Credit cards as a prop.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Gertrude and Heathcliff
Heathcliff, as acted by Lawrence Olivier, is a romantic hero.
But this Heathcliff the Seagull is also famous.
Did you know I can't find any real Red Skelton on You tube? Sigh.
---------------
Oh my....he's not on Youtube but Internet archives has some of his old shows to download. LINK
But this Heathcliff the Seagull is also famous.
| Heathcliffe: | Tell me Gertie, What's a polygon? |
| Gertrude: | A polygon is a dead parrot. |
| Heathcliffe: | I heard Peter Rabbit went to the dentist to get a tooth pulled, and they wouldn't give him any Novocain. |
| Gertrude: | Because Peter Rabbit is an Ether bunny! |
Did you know I can't find any real Red Skelton on You tube? Sigh.
---------------
Oh my....he's not on Youtube but Internet archives has some of his old shows to download. LINK
Spiking ACORN
The right wing blogs are salivating over a story that the NYTimes spiked a story that ACORN's vote getting branch (which by law is non partisan) was supporting Obama.
From the Philly Bulletin:
From the Philly Bulletin:
What, me worry?
The world is worried about swine flu....8000 cases so far...
but what about Dengue?
essay on stopping Mosquitos and DDT moved to bloggernews...
but what about Dengue?
essay on stopping Mosquitos and DDT moved to bloggernews...
Germans one, Romans zero
The Rome podcast of the day is about the Varian disaster in the Teutoburg forest.
This September will mark the 2000th year anniversary of that battle...that occurred on 9/11....
that disaster made Rome decide that the Rhine made a nice boundary for them to stop expanding their empire northward...and prevented Rome from assimilating the German tribes as they did to the Celts in Gaul...
more HERE.
This September will mark the 2000th year anniversary of that battle...that occurred on 9/11....
that disaster made Rome decide that the Rhine made a nice boundary for them to stop expanding their empire northward...and prevented Rome from assimilating the German tribes as they did to the Celts in Gaul...
more HERE.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Can't we all get along?
George Weigel: the NotreDame kerfuffle is actually It's about the "Amchurch" (Liberal intellectuals) vs the bishops...AND OBAMA IS BACKING "AMCHURCH"
"...Politics aside, though, the crucial question remains this: just what Church are Notre Dame and its supporters “in,” anyway?"
------------------------
And Carolyn Glick says that Obama think those crazies in Iran don't really mean what they say when they say they plan to nuke Israel.
(Israelis perceive that)the Obama administration's apparent hostility toward Israel and its perceived preference for a nuclear-armed Iran over any concerted action by the United States or Israel to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. What the administration is signaling Israelis - and their government - is that Washington is no longer Israel's trusted ally...
"...Politics aside, though, the crucial question remains this: just what Church are Notre Dame and its supporters “in,” anyway?"
------------------------
And Carolyn Glick says that Obama think those crazies in Iran don't really mean what they say when they say they plan to nuke Israel.
(Israelis perceive that)the Obama administration's apparent hostility toward Israel and its perceived preference for a nuclear-armed Iran over any concerted action by the United States or Israel to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. What the administration is signaling Israelis - and their government - is that Washington is no longer Israel's trusted ally...
Stuff around the web
AssumptionGumptionBlog has a recipe for vegetarian Calzone
and no, we can't get mozerella in the Palenke here, nor black olives.
Usually Chano buys pizza and calzone in Sbarro when they visit Manila and brings it back for us...
-------------------------
TeaAtTrianon has a discussion of the prophecies of St Malachy...
Presumably the world will end in 2012...which of course is the same year that the Mayan predicted is doomsday...
-----------------------
But if you really want to worry about doomsday,
The CERN Comic book is on line...
yup. it's sort of a "how to make a black hole and blow up the earth for dummies" but simpler...
----------------------
Scribbit Blog has a list of clothing items she will never wear.
Such as bubble shorts...>
no, I don't think so either....
.
.
Mourning one's lost children
TokyoTimesblog has a photo and article on the Jizo statues seen in Japan...
the statues commemorate children who die before their parents.
wikipedia writes:
izō statues are sometimes accompanied by a little pile of stones and pebbles, put there by people in the hope that it would shorten the time children have to suffer in the underworld (the act is derived from the tradition of building stupas as an act of merit-making). The statues can sometimes be seen wearing tiny children's clothing or bibs, or with toys, put there by grieving parents to help their lost ones and hoping that Jizō would specially protect them. Sometimes the offerings are put there by parents to thank Jizō for saving their children from a serious illness. Jizō's features are also commonly made more babylike in order to resemble the children he protects.
,,more HERE and HERE
Sunday, May 17, 2009
I've heard of contented cows, but this is ridiculous
Ice cream maker flies in Italian tenor to sing to cows
Ice cream maker Frank Frederick has flown in an Italian opera tenor to sing to his herd of Friesian cows in the hope they will produce creamier milk.
-----------------------no, I won't bore you with boring opera singing...
my level of opera appreciation is about the same as PDQBach...LINK
or Anna Russell....LINK
Finnish Sammi
The Sword and the Sea blog is running a series on the Sami people, who live in the far north of Scandinavia and herd reindeer. They have their own customs.
photo from Wikipedia.
and they have a link to a French blog that has recipes for Finnish dishes...
well, at least the blog says they are "Finnish". Silly me, I thought macaroni and cheese was Italian...
Hisss....
well, I've heard about the hum of the Big Bang...
But now we are told that Earth hisses....
According to the new data, the hiss wave evolves from a more distant radio wave called chorus, so named because its discoverers thought it sounded like a rookery of birds heard from a distance.
Image courtesy NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Ancient Rome
Right now I'm listening to the history of ancient Rome...
Professor Pafford at the University of Berkeley
Mike Duncan podcast
One building that dates back to the Roman empire and is still intact is the Pantheon...Wikipedia article...
The Pantheon (pronounced /pænˈθiː.ən/ or /ˈpænθi.ən/,[1] Latin: Pantheon,[nb 1] from Greek: Πάνθειον, meaning "Every god") is a building in Rome which was originally built as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome, and rebuilt circa 126 AD during Hadrian's reign.
and it is now a church...this video has views of the inside...
Professor Pafford at the University of Berkeley
Mike Duncan podcast
One building that dates back to the Roman empire and is still intact is the Pantheon...Wikipedia article...
The Pantheon (pronounced /pænˈθiː.ən/ or /ˈpænθi.ən/,[1] Latin: Pantheon,[nb 1] from Greek: Πάνθειον, meaning "Every god") is a building in Rome which was originally built as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome, and rebuilt circa 126 AD during Hadrian's reign.
and it is now a church...this video has views of the inside...
It's ten o'clock. Do you know where your asthma inhaler is?
GPS chips embedded in Asthma inhalers so that snoops can figure out when and where the irritants/pollen/pollution that cause asthma is located.
The Sickle team along with SiliconSky GPS wanted to make a medical device that would allow tracking of asthma inhaler use trends, including exact time and geographic location of uses. The result was a GPS-enabled standard asthma inhaler. SiliconSky claims that it brought its engineering heritage to the table when designing the GPS-enabled inhaler.
--------
Megan McArdle quotes from an article on the new inhalers that use HFA instead of CFC
Studies show that HFA inhalers are as effective as CFC inhalers and have the same rate of side effects. But if they are not used properly, patients will not get adequate doses. There are three critical differences.
One: you have to pump them four times before you use them ( I presume they mean shake them to prime the pump).
Two: the spray is weaker, so people aren't sure it's there.
Three: You have to inhale deeper so that the stuff goes into the lungs and not just the mouth.
Medical world news has an article HERE about the problem
The Sickle team along with SiliconSky GPS wanted to make a medical device that would allow tracking of asthma inhaler use trends, including exact time and geographic location of uses. The result was a GPS-enabled standard asthma inhaler. SiliconSky claims that it brought its engineering heritage to the table when designing the GPS-enabled inhaler.
--------
Megan McArdle quotes from an article on the new inhalers that use HFA instead of CFC
Studies show that HFA inhalers are as effective as CFC inhalers and have the same rate of side effects. But if they are not used properly, patients will not get adequate doses. There are three critical differences.
One: you have to pump them four times before you use them ( I presume they mean shake them to prime the pump).
Two: the spray is weaker, so people aren't sure it's there.
Three: You have to inhale deeper so that the stuff goes into the lungs and not just the mouth.
Medical world news has an article HERE about the problem
Friday, May 15, 2009
How to make sugared Violets
OHappyDayBlog teaches how to sugar violets...
dip or paint with eggwhite and then add powdered sugar.
No, we don't have violets here in the Philippines but we used to have lots of them behind our house when we lived in the US.
Headlines below the fold
Move over, Miss California, another buxom beauty has been found:
"As one male colleague remarked, nothing has changed in 40,000 years," says Nicholas Conard, who reported the find and led the project.
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
On the other hand, this review of "Angels and Demons" is a bit snarky...
-----------------------------
We always drink ginger tea or eat ArrozCaldo when we are sick...
Now ginger has been proven to help with nausea associated with chemotherapy.
----------------------------
Venetia Phair has died:
Venetia Phair, who was 11 years old when she suggested Pluto as the name of the newly discovered planet, has died in England. She was 90.LINK2
however, the bad news:
The International Astronomical Union downgraded Pluto in 2006 to a dwarf planet -- based on the observation that Pluto was a large chunk in the Kuiper Belt of solar debris.
more about the Kuiper belt HERE
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Gladiator as Robin Hood?
well, at least unlike other Robin Hoods, he'll play the part with a British (actually Aussie) accent...
And no, he isn't going to wear tights.
... here is the funniest Non politically correct ditty about Robin Hood and his merry men.
Ah, Coffee
Did you know that they promote coffee here as a health drink, because of it's anti oxidant properties?
WebMD lists the health benefits of moderate coffee drinking...
and no, we don't have a Starbucks in town...although we usually visit it at the rest stop on the Northern Luzon expressway....and there is one across the street from Immigration, where I've spent many an hour.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Headlines below the fold
Blazars... typically emit energy when matter falls into the central black hole, but the processes behind it are still a mystery (Source: NASA)
----------------------
Dave Barry links to this headline:
Commander calls for 'fire-proof bras and panties'
it seems that helicopter pilots have had to wear men's fire proof underware.---------------------------------
yes, the hobbit will be one story in two parts, says a NZ paper
-------------------
DRB has an article with photos of Underground cities...
--------------------------
and the most useful link of the day comes from EpiLog:
What can you do with all those left over Peeps?
He suggests: Blue Peep Pie, Peep Waldorf Salad, Peeps de creme and Peeps stir fry.
You are what you eat
WebEcoist has a list of the most shocking ingredients in processed foods.
And (via NotCot) LINK is how they make hamburgers for McDonalds.
Actually, I'm not worried, since using animal parts and things like fine sand is "organic" and the alternative is chemicals...or cooking from scratch (like we do here...first hire a full time cook to shop daily, second, ignore the bugs in the rice, Third, don't worry about Reston Ebola in your pork...)
And (via NotCot) LINK is how they make hamburgers for McDonalds.
Actually, I'm not worried, since using animal parts and things like fine sand is "organic" and the alternative is chemicals...or cooking from scratch (like we do here...first hire a full time cook to shop daily, second, ignore the bugs in the rice, Third, don't worry about Reston Ebola in your pork...)
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Science news below the fold
All the anti Catholic conspiracy theories of Dan Brown are well known, but I always wondered why he had to use "anti matter" to blow up the Vatican when nine KG of plutonium would do the same thing.
The Film blog of the UKTelegraph looked into it and found some problems...like they don't have that much anti matter and you'd need a magnetic bottle the size of a house to store it in...
---------------
Discover magazine has an article on Murry Gell-Mann, who discovered and named quarks...and he found the name from a poem in Finnegan's Wake.
----------------
The Film blog of the UKTelegraph looked into it and found some problems...like they don't have that much anti matter and you'd need a magnetic bottle the size of a house to store it in...
---------------
Discover magazine has an article on Murry Gell-Mann, who discovered and named quarks...and he found the name from a poem in Finnegan's Wake.
----------------
Mother's Day story of the year
Mothers who chose to have disabled children...
and since doctors offer few options, how the moms are forming support groups to help each other, and how perinatal hospices are being started in some cities.
and since doctors offer few options, how the moms are forming support groups to help each other, and how perinatal hospices are being started in some cities.
Photo of the day
via NatGeonews:
The May 4, 2009, parting shot captured a planetary nebula known as Kohoutek 4-55, which contains the outer layers of a red giant star. The layers were ejected into interstellar space during the star's dying throes.
The nebula's glow comes from ultraviolet radiation emanating from the remaining hot core of the star.
The colors seen in the image represent different gases emitted by the star—red shows nitrogen, green shows hydrogen, and blue shows oxygen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)