This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. 20-27 February to be exact, is DonateLife Week [1a] (nee Australian Organ Donor Awareness Week). I’m still mulling over whether to be a donor [1b].

2. Michael Danby, Federal MP for Melbourne Ports (which includes Albert Park) spoke in parliament against the Grand Prix [2]. Good on you, Michael.

3. I read in treehugger that in the US solar-powered homes sell twice as quickly at a higher price than equivalent grid-powered homes [3]. Here’s hoping it’s so here too.

4. JAMA reported that mobile phone use changes the metabolism in the part of the brain closest to the phone’s antenna [4]. The clinical significance of this remains unclear.

5. further to my 24 January post [5a] the government said the axing of limited practice rights for retired doctors was ‘to protect public health and safety’ [5b]. Let’s see the evidence, then, policy czars.

6. 31 of the 33 Chilean miners rescued from a collapsed mine last October landed in Israel on Wednesday for a week-long visit [6]. I wish them an enjoyable time.

7. the Internal Medicine Journal published Tasmanian research showing knee arthritis severity’s closely correlated with the severity of x-ray changes, and independently with pain severity [7]. Odd that this had never been shown before.

8. darling Kate, in her wondrous Foxs Lane blog [8a], introduced me to the ‘sweater curse’ It’s charming how the curse’s Wikipedia entry analyses it in scientific terms [8b].

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

The circus moves on. People remain

Last Friday in her Foxs Lane blog, darling Kate wrote ‘I am worrying about those communities trying to pick up the pieces of their lives after the floods. Like people have said all along, the recovery will be a marathon not a sprint, and we cannot forget about them now that the media circus has moved on’ [1]. Of course Kate’s a chip – the first chip – off my old block. But I couldn’t agree with her more. The floods are now old news; if they’re news at all. But that doesn’t reduce their devastation. It’s hard to describe this devastation in words. Pictures do the job much better. NearMap [2] is an Australian provider of high resolution aerial imagery. It images over 2% of Australia’s landmass – primarily capital cities and major regional towns. Its images are updated for 60% of Australia’s population every month [3]. This frequent updating has resulted in these remarkable pictures of Brisbane before and during the floods – made public courtesy of ABC News [4, 5]. (Moving your cursor from right to left across each one converts it from a ‘before’ image to a ‘during the flood’ one.) Whilst this shows the macro physical devastation, it doesn’t show inside homes and business premises. And of course it doesn’t show the psychological and social effects of the floods.

P.S. I’m still aghast at the opposition – especially from the political spectrum’s right wing – to a tax levy to fund infrastructure reconstruction in flood-affected areas [6, 7, 8]. Shame.

Horses for cushion covers

Horses for courses. This expression originated in England, in 1898 at the latest [1]. It means, of course (pun intended) we should stick to what we know, and do, best. Adjunctively, what’s suitable for one person or situation may be unsuitable for another. The news cycle – that insidious and pervasive modern invention – has moved on, leaving the Queensland floods in its wake (pun intended). For the mass communications media have neither soul nor conscience. But, fortunately, some members of our society do. Artists come readily to mind. As a group, artists tend to be sensitive to the human condition and its exigencies. So it’s unsurprising they’ve rallied into action to assist flood-affected Queenslanders. Also that darling Kate’s among them.. Using the finest quality wool, Kate has crocheted a superb cushion cover (or ersatz beanie – modelled by darling Brendon for the photograph) which she’s auctioning on her Foxs Lane blog [2, 3, 4, 5]. The bidding procedure’s here [6]. Bidding closes at 9 a.m. next Monday. The idea’s that the highest bidder donates the bid to the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal [7] (it’s a tax deduction too) after which Kate will post the prize. It’s a win-win-win-win situation: A win for the flood victims, the auction winner, our society at large; and not least Kate – who’s produced an item of artistic beauty whist helping the flood aftermath effort in the best way she knows. A true ‘horse for course’ contribution. Yet another reason I’m proud to be her dad. So proud.

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. the MJA published an Australian study showing bicycle helmets reduce the risk of serious head injury by 80% [1]. Thus the government should resist pressure to relax mandatory helmet legislation.

2. Steven Slater [2a] has a new job [2b]. Good for him.

3. Sweetheart Vivienne alerted me to an Age article emphasising the importance of heritage buildings in the city [3]. Yes – ‘when our heritage buildings are gone we can’t get them back’.

4. a meta-analysis in a Lancet paper concluded that steroid injection of tendon strains revealed a short-term benefit in tennis elbow, but otherwise no benefit [4]. So steroid injection should be used sparingly.

5. a US company introduced nail polish free of noxious chemicals [5]. A no-brainer. Hopefully it’ll be sold in Australia too.

6. Grammar Girl explained the difference between the meaning of ‘disinterested’ and ‘uninterested’ [6]. I hope you’re not uninterested in the difference.

7. Victorian premier Brumby promised a review of the Australian Grand Prix’s future beyond 2014 [7]. He said this eight days before an election. Ho hum.

8. darling Kate’s Foxs Lane blog [8a] jumped from the second-ranked blog in the world in the ‘Needlework’ category [8b], to number one [8c]. Naturally.

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. I liked this article titled ‘Strangest Australian town names’ [1]. Quirky, eh.

2. the journal Neurology published a paper showing greater amounts of walking are associated with greater brain gray matter volume, which is in turn’s associated with lower risk of cognitive impairment. [2]. The threshold’s 6-9 miles (i.e. 10-15 km) per week.

3. ethicalinvestor reported that Australia's big four banks financed over $5B worth of coal projects in the past five years while promoting their green credentials [3]. That’s over six times the amount they lent to renewable energy projects.

4. segueing along, moneymanager.com.au reported that in the last five years, the average annual return of Australian ethical investment share funds was 4.65%, i.e. 10% above the 4.21% yield of mainstream share funds [4]. Love the headline ‘Green is good’.

5. Embark, a non-profit organisation, was launched. It aims to accelerate the roll-out of community-funded renewable energy projects [5]. I wish it well.

6. more proof has emerged of Australia’s looming diabetes ‘tsunami’, along with signs that many of those affected ignore the seriousness of their disease [6]. Ho hum.

7. darling Kate’s Foxs Lane blog [7a] was rated by Wikio [7b] as the second-ranked blog in the world (!) in the ‘Needlework’ category [7c]. I’m not surprised. She deserves it. Her blog’s superb.

8. Sweetheart Vivienne’s ‘Feast and famine’ audiovisual presentation went up on ABC Northern Tasmania’s website [8]. I’s a profoundly beautiful piece.

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. Nutrition Diva reminded us chocolate’s good for us due to the flavanol content as well as the cacao percentage [1]. And cocoa beans from different countries have vastly different flavanol content.

2. Drew Ward, CEO of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, resigned. He said he’d achieved his objective of taking the event from a car race to a major entertainment event. And he denied being pushed out [2]. He didn’t because it isn’t. And he was.

3. a treehugger item showed off beautiful and cosy slippers made from recycled sweaters and leather jackets [3]. What about it, Foxs Lane?

4. 1,500 West Australians including Federal and State parliamentarians, stood up to support Israel [4a, 4b]. Good on them – every single one of them.

5. gizmodo convincingly and colourfully demonstrated that iPhone users have more sex [5]. Sweetheart Vivienne is an iPhone user. Ho hum.

6. the Annals of Internal Medicine published research showing high blood lipid levels in early adulthood are associated with increased coronary calcium 20 years later [6]. It’s never too soon to start healthy behaviours.

7. an Archives of Neurology study showed high accuracy diagnosing Alzheimer disease – based on protein patterns in the cerebrospinal fluid [7]. I don’t know if early diagnosis is worthwhile if there’s no effective treatment?

8. the WHO decreed that the H1N1 flu pandemic’s officially over [8]. And what a beat-up it was, too.

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

Yom HaShoah

Yesterday was Yom HaZikaron laShoah ve-laGvura (יום הזיכרון לשואה ולגבורה – literally Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day), known colloquially in Israel and abroad as Yom HaShoah and in English as Holocaust Remembrance Day [1]. It commemorates the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust, and also the heroic Jewish resistance in that period. In 2008 I wrote of it thus [2]. I feel the same now. Only more so.

Yesterday IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi (pictured) said: ‘…in the name of all the millions who never got to witness the realization of their dream, I stand here today as the commander of the Jewish defending force, the Israel Defense Forces, and pledge on behalf of us all: We shall never again stand defenceless and in the mercy of others. Never again will Jewish children stare in fear begging to be spared. Never again will we let our enemies determine the fate of the Jewish people. We will be able to protect our sons’. [3]

Yesterday over in Foxs Lane, darling Kate wrote of gratitude and she invited her readers to write of their top four reasons to be grateful [4]. Me? I’m grateful my birth in 1947 was in Australia and not Europe. I’m grateful Israel exists. I’m grateful the IDF is strong and brave. And I’m grateful Israel and the IDF will face down Iran when literally the entire rest of the world is too immoral and cowardly to do so.

Never again.

Amen.

farmdoc's blog post number 541

In Deloraine there are two real estate agencies next door to one another. On the face of it, that’s crazy. But on closer scrutiny it benefits both agencies. Because they’re adjacent, prospective customers are more likely to visit both. For the same reason, car dealerships are often cheek-by-jowl. And if you’re buying electronics in central London, Tottenham Court Road’s where you go. As it is with businesses, so it is with people. When those with like interests connect, their ideas and enthusiasm and inspiration are reinforced. Everything goes up a notch. Likely many notches. To the common good. In this internet age, connection’s easy. Including topic-specific blogs. Like darling Kate’s Foxs Lane blog dedicated to her love of craft. According to Foxs Lane profile: baking, crochet and sewing. But also drawing and screen-printing. And mothering. Judging by Foxs Lane’s comments, Kate’s craft interests are shared by lots of other people out there. And they’re kind and generous to, and supportive of, Kate. So everyone benefits. Foxs Lane began last 23 June. Since then – via the blog, but also by phone and in person – I’ve seen Kate blossom. She’s found herself. And how. As a result, she benefits. And so too does every one around her. It’s the bucket principle, of course. I feel blessed that Kate’s my daughter. If you don’t know why, just read any Foxs Lane post. And while you’re there, enter the giveaway. But hurry – you only have until 22 October.