Many
headlines proclaim that GMO (Genetically Modified Organism)
produced food is bad for us, however science debunks that myth.
Sales of such GMO-free products are skyrocketing and they
represent about $16 billion in annual sales. GMOs currently on
the market provide ample cases of tangible benefit with
relatively negligible risk. In the US, 70% of the food in US
supermarkets contains GMO ingredients.
Organizations like the
National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, and the European Commission have
publicly proclaimed GMO foods to be safe to eat. A large 2013
study on GMOs found no "significant hazards directly connected
with the use of genetically engineered crops."
Other experts cite the
fact that practically all the food we eat today has been
genetically modified in some way; everything from corn to
watermelons have been selectively bred for thousands of years to
give us the traits we find desirable, like large amounts of
sweet, edible flesh, or small and fewer seeds. Brings to mind
the early ugly looking and untasty small kernel corn, tiny
potatoes, tomatoes, and purple carrots.
Thousands of years ago
when people simply gathered wild fruits and vegetables for food,
these plants were found naturally growing in the wild. Then,
about 10,000 years ago, people began to domesticate these wild
fruits and vegetables and eventually improve upon them.
For instance, potatoes
were domesticated about 10,000 years ago. Following centuries of
selective breeding, there are now over a thousand different
types of potatoes. Over 99% of the presently cultivated potatoes
worldwide descended from varieties that originated in the
lowlands of south-central Chile.
Selective breeding is
the process of developing a plant or animal based on selecting
desirable characteristics of the parent. For example, saving
seed for replanting from plants within a crop that have shown to
be particularly robust; or breeding a white dog with a black
patch over its eye via two parents that have the same trait.
Selective breeding is a form of genetic modification which does
not involve the addition of any foreign genetic material (DNA)
into the organism. It is the conscious selection for desirable
traits. GMO adds different genetic material into the organism,
in order to create desirable traits.
Incidentally, during
October 1995, the potato became the first vegetable to be
grown in space. NASA and the University of Wisconsin, created
the technology with the goal of feeding astronauts on long
space voyages, and eventually, feeding future space colonies.
Nov 11, 2016
A Different Election Perspective
Seems everyone likes to claim a victor as
their own. The Buchan Observer, based in Aberdeenshire,
Scotland, ran a presidential announcement with the headline:
"Aberdeenshire Business Owner Wins Presidential Election."
Donald Trump owns the Trump International golf course in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, which opened in 2011. He has visited the area several times, most recently earlier this year. Trump is also half-Scottish. His mother, Mary Macleod, grew up on the Isle of Lewis.
Speaking after the result became official, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon congratulated Trump on his victory and said it's time for all those who share "progressive values" to speak up loudly together.
Donald Trump owns the Trump International golf course in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, which opened in 2011. He has visited the area several times, most recently earlier this year. Trump is also half-Scottish. His mother, Mary Macleod, grew up on the Isle of Lewis.
Speaking after the result became official, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon congratulated Trump on his victory and said it's time for all those who share "progressive values" to speak up loudly together.
Oct 28, 2016
Happy Friday
Celebrate the delicious
fleeting flavors of life with all your heart.
I always savor the delicious flavors of a Happy Friday!
I always savor the delicious flavors of a Happy Friday!
Halloween
This
year Halloween is Monday October 31. Here is a Halloween Hack -
If you want your carved pumpkin to last longer, rub some
Vaseline on the cut parts. Boo!
Movember
It
began in 2003, and the Movember movement has grown to be a
global one, inspiring support from over 5 million Mo Bros and Mo
Sistas. Men can help by growing a mustache during the month of
November, then attending or throwing a party to raise funds for
men's health. It is a very worthy cause. My nephew participates
each year and has turned his group’s costume parties into major
events as well as fundraisers.
The Movember foundation says, "We’re the only charity tackling men’s health on a global scale, year round. We’re addressing some of the biggest health issues faced by men: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health and suicide prevention. We know what works for men, and how to find and fund the most innovative research to have both a global and local impact. We're independent of government funding, so we can challenge the status quo and invest quicker in what works. In 13 years we’ve funded more than 1,200 men’s health projects around the world. By 2030 we’ll reduce the number of men dying prematurely by 25%.
The Movember foundation says, "We’re the only charity tackling men’s health on a global scale, year round. We’re addressing some of the biggest health issues faced by men: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health and suicide prevention. We know what works for men, and how to find and fund the most innovative research to have both a global and local impact. We're independent of government funding, so we can challenge the status quo and invest quicker in what works. In 13 years we’ve funded more than 1,200 men’s health projects around the world. By 2030 we’ll reduce the number of men dying prematurely by 25%.
Exercise vs. Exorcise
Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between the
pronunciation of these two words and content of the rest of a
sentence is key to understanding. We exercise to stay fit, but we
also exercise to get rid of fat and we exercise to develop skills.
We exorcise demons to get rid of them.
Many people have a fear of public speaking, but we can both exercise (develop skills), and exorcise, to get rid of public speaking demons.
Many people have a fear of public speaking, but we can both exercise (develop skills), and exorcise, to get rid of public speaking demons.
Water and Toxins Myth
There is a myth that says water flushes out toxins
from our body. This popular misconception is that drinking
copious amounts of water will help magically cleanse our
innards.
Drinking adequate amounts of water ensures our body’s metabolism works correctly. Part of this is the natural detoxification process liver and kidneys conduct. They work fine as long as they are getting enough, but not too much liquid.
Additional water intake is not going to help. In fact, drinking too much water can actually prevent the detoxification process. It reduces the concentration of salt in our blood, which can damage kidneys and liver and prevent their normal functioning.
Drinking adequate amounts of water ensures our body’s metabolism works correctly. Part of this is the natural detoxification process liver and kidneys conduct. They work fine as long as they are getting enough, but not too much liquid.
Additional water intake is not going to help. In fact, drinking too much water can actually prevent the detoxification process. It reduces the concentration of salt in our blood, which can damage kidneys and liver and prevent their normal functioning.
DoS and DDoS
These letters mean Denial of Service and Distributed Denial of
Service. They are important, because last Friday was not so
happy for people trying to get into Amazon, Twitter, GitHub,
Heroku, Paypal, Etsy, Spotify, Soundcloud, Reddit, Crunchbase,
Netflix, BBC, CNN, The New York Times, HBO Now, Elder Scrolls
online, Yelp, Freshbooks, various Squarespace sites, Pinterest,
Twilio, NHL.com, Quora, Business Insider, Zillow, Box, tableau,
GrubHub, Overstock, Walgreens, Ruby Lane, Pixlr, PicMonkey, Ticketfly, and ironically,
outageanalyzer - plus more.
DDoS originate when multiple compromised devices or systems are used to target a single computer system. Victims of a DDoS attack are both the end targeted system and all systems maliciously controlled by hackers in the distributed attack. The incoming traffic flooding the victim originates from potentially hundreds of thousands to many millions of devices, including PCs, cameras, DVRs, and many smart devices, such as thermostats, etc. The wave of outages move from the East coast of the US to the West coast as the day progressed. It was reported that 145 thousand security cameras among other devices were part of the attackers causing the outages.
Incidentally, a way you can prevent your devices from being part of the problem is easily solved by changing the default password. Unfortunately many connected devices, such as thermostats, refrigerators, etc. do not provide a means to change the default password. Caveat Emptor.
DDoS originate when multiple compromised devices or systems are used to target a single computer system. Victims of a DDoS attack are both the end targeted system and all systems maliciously controlled by hackers in the distributed attack. The incoming traffic flooding the victim originates from potentially hundreds of thousands to many millions of devices, including PCs, cameras, DVRs, and many smart devices, such as thermostats, etc. The wave of outages move from the East coast of the US to the West coast as the day progressed. It was reported that 145 thousand security cameras among other devices were part of the attackers causing the outages.
Incidentally, a way you can prevent your devices from being part of the problem is easily solved by changing the default password. Unfortunately many connected devices, such as thermostats, refrigerators, etc. do not provide a means to change the default password. Caveat Emptor.
What's in a Name, Frank Hayes
Frank Hayes was a horse trainer and jockey
during the early 1900s. In 1923, at the age of 35, Hayes had an
opportunity to compete in a steeplechase in Belmont Park, New
York. He had never won a race before that. The horse that he was
going to race was named Sweet Kiss, a 20-1 underdog.
In spite of the long odds of winning, and despite the fact that Hayes had little experience as a jockey since he was a horse trainer by profession, Hayes and Sweet Kiss ended up victorious.
The owner of the horse, elated with the win, approached Hayes afterward only to find out that Hayes was dead. It appeared at some point during the middle of the race, Hayes suffered a heart attack and died. Sweet Kiss somehow managed to hop the final fence and cross the finish line ahead of everyone while carrying literal dead weight.
The track physician speculated that his death may have been caused by a pre-existing heart disease. Hayes is in the Guinness Book of Records as the first, and so far the only, deceased jockey to win a race.
In spite of the long odds of winning, and despite the fact that Hayes had little experience as a jockey since he was a horse trainer by profession, Hayes and Sweet Kiss ended up victorious.
The owner of the horse, elated with the win, approached Hayes afterward only to find out that Hayes was dead. It appeared at some point during the middle of the race, Hayes suffered a heart attack and died. Sweet Kiss somehow managed to hop the final fence and cross the finish line ahead of everyone while carrying literal dead weight.
The track physician speculated that his death may have been caused by a pre-existing heart disease. Hayes is in the Guinness Book of Records as the first, and so far the only, deceased jockey to win a race.
IKEA Size Fact
IKEA uses 1 percent of the planet’s lumber. That is about 530
million cubic feet of wood used to make IKEA furniture each
year.
Candied Bacon
If you love maple syrup and if you love
bacon, Bob Evans should be on your breakfast list of places to
visit. It is now serving a candied bacon appetizer.
“It's so crunchy, it doesn’t even feel like meat, but it tastes like meat,” said one taster. "It's sweet and savory and it's still crisp," said another satisfied taster. "It's God's food," said another of the pulcritudunous porcine product.
Health concerns, at least when it comes to bacon may not be much of a concern for the average American. According to the National Pork Board, ten pounds of bacon is sold annually per person, demonstrating the continuous popularity of pork.
The sweet and salt combo will the spot for breakfast, lunch, brunch, or dinner and every snack in between.
Incidentally, in May, a British man legally changed his name to Bacon Double Cheeseburger.
“It's so crunchy, it doesn’t even feel like meat, but it tastes like meat,” said one taster. "It's sweet and savory and it's still crisp," said another satisfied taster. "It's God's food," said another of the pulcritudunous porcine product.
Health concerns, at least when it comes to bacon may not be much of a concern for the average American. According to the National Pork Board, ten pounds of bacon is sold annually per person, demonstrating the continuous popularity of pork.
The sweet and salt combo will the spot for breakfast, lunch, brunch, or dinner and every snack in between.
Incidentally, in May, a British man legally changed his name to Bacon Double Cheeseburger.
Oct 21, 2016
Happy Friday
Sometimes we need less planning and more
doing.
Today I am already doing a Happy Friday!
Today I am already doing a Happy Friday!
Microsoft Word Tip
Did you open up your Microsoft Word document after having worked
on it all day and have trouble finding where you ended typing?
As soon as you open up your document, press SHIFT and F5. This will take you back to your last edit. In fact, if you press Shift-F5 repeatedly, it will take you through your last four edits. This feature disappeared briefly in version 2007, but is back in version 2010.
As soon as you open up your document, press SHIFT and F5. This will take you back to your last edit. In fact, if you press Shift-F5 repeatedly, it will take you through your last four edits. This feature disappeared briefly in version 2007, but is back in version 2010.
Honing vs. Sharpening
When most people at home use a honing steel or butcher's steel, or that long metal rod that comes in the center of a knife block, to sharpen their knives, what they are really doing is honing them.
The difference is that a honing steel straightens out the blade of a knife, making the edge straight, free of burrs, and ready to use. As you use a knife, the tip of the blade will eventually bend and curl so you don't get a real blade-on cut at the very tip. The best you can really do at home is to hone your knives regularly to keep the cutting edge straight. For most at-home cooks, this makes the knives feel sharper. To sharpen a blade, you need a knife sharpener, or stone. Attached is a video at Chow showing a visual description.
The difference is that a honing steel straightens out the blade of a knife, making the edge straight, free of burrs, and ready to use. As you use a knife, the tip of the blade will eventually bend and curl so you don't get a real blade-on cut at the very tip. The best you can really do at home is to hone your knives regularly to keep the cutting edge straight. For most at-home cooks, this makes the knives feel sharper. To sharpen a blade, you need a knife sharpener, or stone. Attached is a video at Chow showing a visual description.
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