I just put a book review of "Going Rogue" up at BNN...
One of the harshest criticism in the book is when she calls someone a "falafel lady".
I was going to say we don't have falafel here in the Philippines, but last week, I noticed a vendor at the mall selling pita stuffed sandwiches...didn't check if they include hummus, but they looked good... so I guess we are really sophisticated here in the Provinces now.
But if you need a recipe on how to make falafel, check HERE.
FINEST KIND CLINIC AND FISHMARKET.... Discussing medicine, culture, and the joys of cooking Pansit.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Stuff below the fold
Prague Radio remembers "Silver Sunday" and the persecution of the church under communism.
----------------------
Could an ingredient found in marigolds help macular degeneration?
-----------------------
A visitor has photos of Kasgar, in far western China.
------------------
Maine National Guard will visit home for Christmas before going to Afghanistan, thanks to Steven King and his wife.
----------------------------
A Mobius strip cut will produce a mathematically correct bagel.
cream cheese optional.
-------------------------
photo by lukechanchan
the happiest food picture of the day from Epicute, who adds:
----------------------
Could an ingredient found in marigolds help macular degeneration?
-----------------------
A visitor has photos of Kasgar, in far western China.
------------------
Maine National Guard will visit home for Christmas before going to Afghanistan, thanks to Steven King and his wife.
----------------------------
A Mobius strip cut will produce a mathematically correct bagel.cream cheese optional.
-------------------------
photo by lukechanchan
the happiest food picture of the day from Epicute, who adds:
And if that’s not enough cute for you, try this. Followed with a bite of this. And maybe two of these. Oh, and maybe this. Yknow, just for good measure.
Hero Rats
"...The idea occurred to Weegens as he realized that rats were both easy to train and had an excellent sense of smell...He founded APOPO, which is a non-profit organization, the aim of which is to train up African Giant Pouched Rats and to deploy them in the field. Not only would the rats be a cheaper alternative to mine clearance methods already in use – he figured that they would be considerably more efficient as well. ...The rats move up and down an area the size of a squash court and when they locate a mine they usually sit still and scratch themselves. After that the mines can be detonated by their human helpers.
headsup NotCot
Image Credit
Headlines below the fold
Our lovely president Gloria was absent for much of the discussion on Martial Law, and older news stories say she is supposed to go to Copenhagen with the Philippine delegation...what gives?
GMATV reports she has been in the hospital "for a checkup"...the last time this happened, she had a biopsy of a breast and groin lump, and sarcastic stories leaked she was just getting her breast implants changed.
She is in our prayers...
GMATV reports she has been in the hospital "for a checkup"...the last time this happened, she had a biopsy of a breast and groin lump, and sarcastic stories leaked she was just getting her breast implants changed.
She is in our prayers...
How to do CPR
To do proper CPR, you have to do it fast enough to keep the blood pressure up but slow enough for the heart to refill with blood between beats.
So how to learn the proper rate without a metronome? sing a song to get it right. And scientists say it works:
Their findings, published online in the British Medical Journal, confirmed Nellie – already used by some trainers – was the more effective song...
the problem? The song might distract those doing CPR, so the scientists
..called for research into other songs that might work, including Another One Bites the Dust by Queen or Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus.
A previous study by the University of Illionois medical school found the Bee Gees disco anthem Stayin' Alive was, at 103 beats per minute, close to the ideal rhythm.
So how to learn the proper rate without a metronome? sing a song to get it right. And scientists say it works:
Their findings, published online in the British Medical Journal, confirmed Nellie – already used by some trainers – was the more effective song...
the problem? The song might distract those doing CPR, so the scientists
..called for research into other songs that might work, including Another One Bites the Dust by Queen or Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus.
A previous study by the University of Illionois medical school found the Bee Gees disco anthem Stayin' Alive was, at 103 beats per minute, close to the ideal rhythm.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
King William V?
The UKMail notes:
Another censored section, stressing the key role for William, says that ‘from next year, it is expected that HRH The Prince William will spend a significant part of his time on official engagements . . . we need to put the necessary provisions in place in anticipation of that’.
The leak will add to speculation that the Queen believes William, rather than Charles, represents the best long-term interests of the monarchy
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1235375/Prince-William-share-Queens-duties-Treasury-document-reveals-secret-plan-make-Shadow-King.html#ixzz0ZYpsvec0
(headsup Cacciaguida)
News you can Use
Quirky Signs at DRB blog...
I don't know about the other signs, but this one is real: Moon township is near the Pittsburgh Airport.
----------------
Podcast on history of santa HERE.
-------------------------
British schoolboy suspended for selling....ordinary potato chips to students.
related item:
I don't know about the other signs, but this one is real: Moon township is near the Pittsburgh Airport.
----------------
Podcast on history of santa HERE.
-------------------------
British schoolboy suspended for selling....ordinary potato chips to students.
related item:
Frosty the NanoSnowman
the world's smallest snowman, measuring just 0.01mm across - one fifth of the width of the average human hair.
GIve me money
from the Politico, a US political website.
COPENHAGEN –Iranian Prime Minister Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe plan to address negotiators at international climate talks in Copenhagen next week.
The three leaders are listed in a line-up of more than 180 government officials published in a United Nations schedule of speakers. Each head of state will have up to three minutes to address roughly 700 delegates, reporter, observers and civil society groups....
but guess where the money is going?
Red Cross is asking for $32 million for food aid to the poor who can't afford to buy food in Zimbabwe.
But Zim is sending two delegations to Copenhagen...
"Robert Mugabe will next week take a 59-member delegation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark, while Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's delegation will comprise 19 people putting a further strain on the country's financial resources....
This comes at a time when Finance minister, Tendai Biti, when presenting the 2010 budget decried the country's total expenditure on foreign trips which was put at US$28 million at the end of November..."
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Playstation into Supercomputer
From StrategyPage:
The Cell Processor on the PlayStation 3 (PS 3) is also a GPU, and that GPU alone was used to built several of the fastest supercomputers on the planet. But military researchers were quick to note that some versions of the PS 3 could be tweaked to run Linux, and the software required to produce supercomputer results from the PS 3s Cell processor. Since the PS 3 is sold below cost (so buyers will purchase lots of very profitable games), the U.S. military has bought thousands of PS 3s and used them as inexpensive supercomputers.
The Cell Processor on the PlayStation 3 (PS 3) is also a GPU, and that GPU alone was used to built several of the fastest supercomputers on the planet. But military researchers were quick to note that some versions of the PS 3 could be tweaked to run Linux, and the software required to produce supercomputer results from the PS 3s Cell processor. Since the PS 3 is sold below cost (so buyers will purchase lots of very profitable games), the U.S. military has bought thousands of PS 3s and used them as inexpensive supercomputers.
Flowers
Evergreen trees and mistletoe are used to decorate for Christmas season, but the Hallowed Yew is a lesser known evergreen that has positive and negative folklore associations: as the Tree of life, because it is an evergreen, and as a tree of death, associated with the Roman Furies, because it is so poisonous.
-------------------
The world's smallest Orchid...discovered by accident.
more orchid photos HERE
Photograph courtesy Lou Jost at NatGeo
Friday, December 11, 2009
Stuff below the fold
ImprobableResearchBlog reports:
"Two of this year’s crop of Ig Nobel Prize winners are among the “noteworthy notions of 2009″ celebrated in the New York Times Magazine’s “Year in Ideas” feature.... Cows With Names Make More Milk and Empty Beer Bottles Make Better Weapons."
--------------------------------
Problems of storing energy is discussed with Congress.
One underdiscussed problem of "Green" wind and solar power is that they need to be stored to be useful.
Related article: Bacteria make liquid fuel.
----------------
Harry at AICN loves "The Lovely Bones" but not "2012"...
-------------------
What has women's education and the pill have to do with defeating Islamic terrorism?
StrategyPage explains.
Spengler agrees.
it is a complicated mix of modernity and culture change, and both articles are worth reading.
--------------------------------------
The Trouble with Tatoos...
---------------------------
Free Online Chinese phrase book.
----------------
"Two of this year’s crop of Ig Nobel Prize winners are among the “noteworthy notions of 2009″ celebrated in the New York Times Magazine’s “Year in Ideas” feature.... Cows With Names Make More Milk and Empty Beer Bottles Make Better Weapons."
--------------------------------
Problems of storing energy is discussed with Congress.
One underdiscussed problem of "Green" wind and solar power is that they need to be stored to be useful.
Related article: Bacteria make liquid fuel.
----------------
Harry at AICN loves "The Lovely Bones" but not "2012"...
-------------------
What has women's education and the pill have to do with defeating Islamic terrorism?
StrategyPage explains.
Spengler agrees.
it is a complicated mix of modernity and culture change, and both articles are worth reading.
--------------------------------------
The Trouble with Tatoos...
---------------------------
Free Online Chinese phrase book.
----------------
Quote of the day
'Mr. Winston Churchill, sir, to what do you attribute your success in life?' and he said without hesitating: 'Economy of effort. Never stand up when you can sit down, and never sit down when you can lie down.'
Science headlines of the week
Illegal Philippine kidney sales by the poor are down, after an effort to stop the exploitation of the poor, but now the government hopes to encourage cadavar organ donations, which are rare.
--------------------
54 Children in Nigeria die, poisoned by "contaminated" medicine.
Uh, when the medicine contains 17%--21% DEG by weight it's not contamination, it's criminal fraud. More HERE and HERE
it's not the only poison in third world products: The Manila Bulletin reports high lead content in Filippine paint.
---------------------
New clay tablets may shed light on Assyrian Empire, who moved huge numbers of people around to stay in power
-------------------
Population bomb redux by global warming priesthood.
Author points to China's oppressive "one child" policy as the reason for their prosperity, but fails to notice India's growing prosperity. Economies compared HERE.
--------------
"MiniTransplant" of donor matched blood forming stem cells from peripheral blood could help Sickle Cell Disease.
And Skin stem cells act like "embryonic stem cells" and can be programed to make fat, skin and nerves.
-----------------
Hops lower your risk of prostate cancer.
Bad news:you need to drink 17 beers a day
--------------
Nobel Prizes to to a record five women this year.
now, if they only would award it to Rosalind Franklinposthumously...
-----------------
and the Science Headline of the day:
Abstaining Boobies Get "Sexier"
--------------------
54 Children in Nigeria die, poisoned by "contaminated" medicine.
Uh, when the medicine contains 17%--21% DEG by weight it's not contamination, it's criminal fraud. More HERE and HERE
it's not the only poison in third world products: The Manila Bulletin reports high lead content in Filippine paint.
---------------------
New clay tablets may shed light on Assyrian Empire, who moved huge numbers of people around to stay in power
-------------------
Population bomb redux by global warming priesthood.
Author points to China's oppressive "one child" policy as the reason for their prosperity, but fails to notice India's growing prosperity. Economies compared HERE.
--------------
"MiniTransplant" of donor matched blood forming stem cells from peripheral blood could help Sickle Cell Disease.
And Skin stem cells act like "embryonic stem cells" and can be programed to make fat, skin and nerves.
-----------------
Hops lower your risk of prostate cancer.
Bad news:you need to drink 17 beers a day
--------------
Nobel Prizes to to a record five women this year.
now, if they only would award it to Rosalind Franklinposthumously...
-----------------
and the Science Headline of the day:
Abstaining Boobies Get "Sexier"
Headline of the day
Photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times
President Obama accepts Nobel Peace Prize.
Heh...his speech is even praised by SarahBaracuda.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Surf's up!
Can't afford to come to Boracay?
Well, just catch the wave near your home.
Surf Alaska!
the trick is having the right clothing and equipment.
Well, just catch the wave near your home.
Surf Alaska!
the trick is having the right clothing and equipment.
Musical interlude for the day (taketwo)
I usually only post one musical video on a day, but this was so lovely I had to share it...
headsup via theAnchoressBlog
For Christians, it is the season of Advent, the time of long waiting and trust that joy will return. It is also the season of the pregnant Mary, traveling wearily but knowing she carries Hope inside.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)