11.15.06
Wild-salmon oil puzzle
The Wife and I each take 4000 mg (4 gm) of wild-salmon oil daily: two 1000 mg capsules at breakfast, two more at dinner. The omega-3 is the reason, naturally.
I was just looking to re-order, and I find two sources: Vitacost.com and Vital Choice Seafood. The first sells a bottle of 180 capsules, 1000 mg each, for $10.37. The second sells same quantity and amount, though specifically sockeye salmon, for $30 (if you buy 3 bottles—$35 otherwise). Both are wild-salmon oil.
I went with the lower price, but I keep wondering whether I’m missing something, or if Vital Choice Seafood just has a better marketing department…
Alert Reader, BTW, said that his lipids specialist in San Francisco explicitly recommended Trader Joe’s Omega-3 fish oil for his high triglycerides. He says, “I’ve been taking 1500 mg twice a day for several years. Can’t say post hoc, propter hoc, but my triglycerides have gone from over 900 (!) to their current 151.”
YMMV, of course, and we are not making any recommendations, promising any results, or in any other way practicing medicine or breaking the law.
Sophie, inscrutable
Maybe “inscrutable” isn’t the word. Ineffable? Indomitable? Incredible? Insomniac?
Skype 2.5 (beta) for Mac released
Now at last Mac users can make free video phone calls via Skype. I talk regularly with my (Windows) friend in Ohio, and the video aspect adds a lot, let me tell you. If you have a Mac, try Skype 2.5 beta.
Skype 2.5 for Mac with SMS and ten-way conference calling is currently a beta version. System requirements
* Mac computer with G4 800 MHz processor or faster
* Mac OS X v10.3.9 Panther or newer
* 512 MB RAM
* 40 MB free disk space on your hard drive
* Microphone
* Webcam: Suggested webcams include Apple iSight, Philips SPC900NC, or Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000. Drivers for the Philips and Logitech webcams can be downloaded from http://webcam-osx.sourceforge.net/.
* Internet connection (broadband is best, GPRS is not supported for voice calls, and results may vary on a satellite connection).
“Bipartisan” Bush: same as old Bush
Dan Froomkin today asked the question of the week: “Is Bush’s claim that he wants to work in a bipartisan manner a genuine change — or a ruse? Watch what he says — but even more so, what he does.” Good idea. And in the week since the election, what he’s done is nominate a number of far-right conservatives whom Dems strongly oppose. The point, of course, is to pick a fight.
I noted John Bolton and Ken Tomlinson earlier, but in case there was any doubt, take a look at the judicial nominees the Bush White House is sending back to the Senate.
After calling for bipartisanship, President Bush surprised Senate Democrats with plans to renominate a controversial list of judges — some of whom may be unacceptable even to a few Republican senators. “It’s an unfortunate signal,” said one senior Democratic Senate aide. […]
The White House action is viewed largely as an effort to appease the party’s conservative base. An administration official says there will be a formal White House announcement on the renominations later today. The president is in Moscow, having left Washington last night.
Lawmakers and others had been waiting to see whether Bush would renominate four particularly controversial appeals court candidates whose nominations had expired without Senate action. He did.
Consider some of the names Bush wants the Senate to approve and then tell me about the president’s commitment to working cooperatively with Dems.
Read the rest of this entry »
New version of Google Desktop
I use Google Desktop, and now a new version has been released. I just installed it (requires a reboot, but you can install it on top of the earlier version and it preserves you to-do, scratchpad, settings, etc.). Looks much better, but haven’t had a chance to use it yet. Says it’s tailored to work well with Firefox 2.0, so that’s nice.
Cute shoes!
They might not be suede, but these blue shoes are a perfect fit for “Elvis.”
The newly shod bird, seen here, is one of 18 “second chance” little penguins now living at the International Antarctic Centre in Christchurch, New Zealand. The penguins, also called blue or fairy penguins, were adopted from Marineland in Napier, New Zealand, which rescues sick or injured marine animals and sends some of those that can’t return to the wild to live at regional animal centers.
But not long after their September arrival in Christchurch, a few penguins started to develop calluses on their feet that could have led to infections. Such calluses are common for penguins in captivity, because the seabirds, which normally spend most of their time fishing at sea, occasionally get lazy and spend too much time waddling on land.
“When the penguins arrived … some developed sore feet, and this has proved quite tricky for us to treat,” International Antarctic Centre director Richard Benton said in a press release.
So the center’s staff began a rigorous treatment regime, including saltwater foot baths, ointment applications, and fashion footwear design. The special penguin shoes—available in blue and green—are tailored specifically for the little penguins and are made of breathable material with light rubber soles.
“We have seen a dramatic improvement,” Benton said, “and [we] expect that they will only be wearing their pretty shoes for a very short time.”
Joke, funny because it’s true
From Dan Froomkin today: Julie Mason blogs for the Houston Chronicle that this joke is in circulation:
“Q: How is Vietnam different from Iraq?
“A: Bush had a plan for getting out of Vietnam.”
Germany’s “universal jurisdiction”
Have you wondered why Germany is instituting the war-crimes lawsuit against Rumsfeld? So did I. Glenn Greenwald explains it all in a very interesting post, which I recommend.
Rahm Emmanuel’s failed strategy
The Democrats took back the House in spite of Rahm Emmanuel, not because of him. Though he’s been quick to take credit, the numbers don’t support it. Read this post for details.
UPDATE: Carville is being an idiot. For Rahm? Read and decide.
Take better photos with your cameraphone
Gina Trapani explains—clear explanation, as always, and good ideas.
George W. Bush: war criminal
The CIA has spilled the beans:
The Central Intelligence Agency has acknowledged for the first time the existence of two classified documents, including a directive signed by President Bush, that have guided the agency’s interrogation and detention of terror suspects.
The C.I.A. referred to the documents in a letter sent Friday from the agency’s associate general counsel, John L. McPherson, to lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union.
The contents of the documents were not revealed, but one of them is “a directive signed by President Bush granting the C.I.A. the authority to set up detention facilities outside the United States and outlining interrogation methods that may be used against detainees,” the A.C.L.U. said, based on its review of published accounts.
The second document, according to the group, is a Justice Department legal analysis “specifying interrogation methods that the C.I.A. may use against top Al Qaeda members.”
A.C.L.U. lawyers said they would urge public disclosure of the contents of the documents. “We intend to press for release of both of these documents,” Jameel Jaffer, a lawyer for the group, said in a statement. “If President Bush and the Justice Department authorized the C.I.A. to torture prisoners, the public has a right to know.” Read the rest of this entry »
Wild rice recipe sent by The Eldest
The Eldest: “Epicurious emailed this recipe to me, and it looked good. Would probably work well with many cooked grains. A good way to include almonds, and I’m always looking for ways to use my sherry vinegar, now that it isn’t gazpacho weather anymore…” It’s quite timely, because in cleaning out my kitchen cabinets, I came across a container of wild rice. 
You can view the complete recipe online.
WILD RICE WITH ROASTED PEPPERS AND TOASTED ALMONDS
1/4 lb shallots (about 4 medium), thinly sliced crosswise into rounds
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced crosswise
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups wild rice (11 oz), rinsed and drained
3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (28 fl oz)
3 1/2 cups water
2 red bell peppers
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup sliced almonds with skins (3 1/2 oz)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar
Cook shallots and garlic in oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, until it releases a nutty aroma, about 3 minutes. Add broth and water and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until rice is tender (grains will split open), about 1 1/4 hours.
Meanwhile, preheat broiler.
Halve bell peppers lengthwise, then discard stems and seeds. Put peppers, cut sides down, in 1 layer in an oiled shallow baking pan. Broil 2 inches from heat until charred and softened, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Cover and let steam 15 minutes. Peel, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
Melt butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, then add almonds and cook, stirring, until golden, 5 to 8 minutes.
Remove rice from heat and drain well, then return to pot. Stir in salt, pepper, red peppers, almonds, and vinegar. Transfer to a serving dish.
Cooks’ note: Rice can be cooked (without draining) and peppers roasted and diced 1 day ahead. Cool rice, uncovered, then chill rice and peppers separately, covered. Reheat rice in a heavy pot, covered over low heat, 10 to 15 minutes, then drain before adding seasonings, peppers, and almonds.
Gourmet, November 2006
UPDATE: The Eldest notes, “I’ve got to say, I don’t get why so many recipes are so wary of red bell pepper skin. Heck, I would just chop it, skins and all, and cook it a little with the almonds (after the almonds are toasted) to get rid of the raw bell pepper flavor. I’d rather eat the skin than pick off the charred skin. And it has fiber, too. As I said, I just don’t get it… “
I have to agree. Certainly I wouldn’t bother—not only is the skin okay, I would save having to clean a pan and a bowl. Does anyone know why pepper skins are such a big deal?
The arrogance of pundits
The Washington Elite include, at least in the view of pundits, the pundits. And they glory in their insiderness and give short shrift to anyone who questions their wisdom. Glenn Greenwald has an excellent post on this today. The pundit under his scalpel is Richard Cohen of the Washington Post, and it’s a cruel examination because Greenwald looks back at Cohen’s prior (embarrassingly wrong) pronouncements. And don’t miss this little link at the end of Greenwald’s post.
I have met quite a few people who believe that some things only the elite should know. Oddly enough, all of them thought themselves to be part of that elite. Coincidence? or blind, overweening arrogance?
Global warming: we’re running out of time
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the U.N. conference on climate change Wednesday that those who would deny global warming or delay taking action against it are “out of step” and “out of time.”
“Let no one say we cannot afford to act,” Annan declared, in a clear reference to those, such as the Bush administration, who contend that reducing global-warming gases would set back economies too much.
The U.N. chief lamented “a frightening lack of leadership” in fashioning next steps to reduce global emissions. “Let us start being more politically courageous,” he urged the hundreds of delegates from some 180 member nations of the 1992 U.N. climate treaty.
He later told reporters, “I would want leaders around the world to really show courage and to know that if they do, their people and the voters will be with them.”
Bush and his Administration believe that fighting global warming might hurt the economy, more or less ignoring the much greater damage to the economy caused by not fighting global warming. The Stern Report, published in the UK, estimates the economic damage in its main points:
· Carbon emissions have already increased global temperatures by more than 0.5ºC
· With no action to cut greenhouse gases, we will warm the planet another 2-3ºC within 50 years
· Temperature rise will transform the physical geography of the planet and the way we live
· Floods, disease, storms and water shortages will become more frequent
· The poorest countries will suffer earliest and most
· The effects of climate change could cost the world between 5% and 20% of GDP
· Action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the worst of global warming would cost 1% of GDP
· With no action, each tonne of carbon dioxide we emit will cause at least $85 (£45) of damage
· Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere should be limited to the equivalent of 450-550ppm
· Action should include carbon pricing, new technology and robust international agreements
Full text of the news story: Read the rest of this entry »
Shrink nanotubes to a more useful size
Nanotubes are too big for some applications, and now a guy has found how to shrink them without destroying them. The photo is of a computer simulation. The article describes how:
As it is, nanotubes are tiny. But researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have found a way to make these carbon structures even smaller. The size of the tubes, which are used in mass and chemical sensors as well as transistors and oscillators, imparts properties that allow for more exacting performance—for instance, the ability to oscillate at higher frequencies or improved conductivity. “We now have control of an important nanoscale building block, which we can now incorporate into all kinds of devices,” says Tom Yuzvinsky, a condensed matter physics graduate student, who is a co-author of the study.
Previous attempts to shrink nanotubes involved irradiating the tiny structures with electrons. This bombardment would cause defects due to mass loss–turning the smooth pipe effectively into Swiss cheese, Yuzvinsky explains. In the new method, the Berkeley researchers wanted to take advantage of this mass loss, so they heated a tube by “pumping tons of current through it,” according to Yuzvinsky, while simultaneously irradiating it. The amount of heat going through the nanotube—its temperature rising to thousands of degrees—nearly melts it into a liquid. Although defects are made in the walls of the structure, the atoms, being in a near-liquid state, rearrange to fill the spaces in a process called annealing. “You’re getting to a point when it can rearrange into its most stable shape,” Yuzvinsky says, “which is its strongest one.” The electrical contacts at either end of the nanotube are fixed and unharmed, and the scientists monitor progress using a transmitting electron microscope.
Go to the link to learn more, including uses of the tinier nanotubes.
Kid-friendly search engine
Via Lifehacker, Zoo.com is a kid-friendly search engine:
Search all the best search engines in one click. Zoo brings together search results from Google, Yahoo!, and Wikipedia, as well as the latest news from ABC, Fox and Yahoo! News. Zoo is the place to go when you want to find just about anything. Try a search and see for yourself!
Here at Zoo, we do our best to filter out sexually explicit web search results. We do not comprehensively filter any other content. Since all filters are not perfect, we ask for your help in telling us if you find any sexually explicit or mature material while searching at Zoo. Our goal is to continually improve the site, so we encourage your feedback— this is your site.
“Breast cancer” brings up links to various articles; “breast” brings up nothing. Nor does “boobs”.
Megs at rest
A couple of photos in which I caught Megs at rest. She’s calming down. At one time, the slightest sound from the camera would bring her running over to investigate. Now she ignores it totally. OTOH, the slightest sound associated with kibble still wakes her from the deepest sleep and brings her immediately into the kitchen. Cats: they know what they’re doing.
Wednesday morning shave
I decided to use Honeybee Sue’s Lilac shea butter shaving soap, which she made at my request. She makes a wide variety of fragrances, and also unscented, and the soaps make a great lather and a terrific shave. I used my new Plisson brush—the one from Paris, France?—and lathered on my face. Gillette Fatboy, though the last time the shave I got was only so-so. I checked, and it had a Derby blade. Hah! Discarded that (safely, in my little homemade blade safe) and put in a new Feather blade.
Really fine shave. Three passes, and on a whim rubbed a little glycerine into my wet beard before lathering for the last two passes. Carried through the Lilac theme (and the French theme—my Plisson brush is from Paris, France) by using Pinaud’s Lilac Vegetal aftershave. A flawless shave, if I say it myself.
