farmdoc's blog post number 559

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…
1. Bernie Ecclestone’s resumed bleating about how the Australian F1 Grand Prix should be a night race. As the Herald-Sun editorial says: ‘Butt out, Bernie’ [1].
2. the Lebanese President accused Israel of firing a Katyusha rocket from South Lebanon into Israel [2]. Hopefully his minders won’t forget again to give him his medication.
3. research results reveal that during CPR, focusing on uninterrupted chest compressions nearly doubled the odds of survival [3]. Current best practice in Australia is two breaths after every 30 chest compressions.
4. the Nutrition Diva wrote that the tannins in (green and black) tea inhibit the absorption of iron [4]. To maximize iron absorption, don’t drink tea with or soon after meals.
5. a consumer survey found that to US car buyers, fuel economy is now more important than the number of cup holders [5]. It’s sad it was ever otherwise. In the previous survey, four years ago, it was the other way around.
6. I learnt that in the 56 Islamic nations there’s no university in the top 500 world universities; Israel has six. The Islamic nations spend under 0.02% of GDP on scientific research; Israel spends 2.53%. There are 1.3 billion Muslims and 14 million Jews, i.e. 100 times more. In the last 100 years Jews have won 180 Nobel Prizes; Muslims have won nine. [6] No comment’s needed.
7. Prime Minister Rudd’s wife, Therese Rein, co-led a rally supporting Burma’s detained opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi [7]. Ms Rein hasn’t been elected to public office. It’s fine for her to do things in the public arena as a private citizen. But she has no right to do so in her role as the Prime Minister’s wife.
8. Sweetheart Vivienne did brilliantly in her radio interviews [8]. I’m biased, so don’t take my word for it. Rather, take heed of the avalanche of congratulations emails and SMSs she’s received.
Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.