farmdoc's blog post number 650

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

Wednesday – being the anniversary of the day in 1945 when Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated – was 'International Holocaust Remembrance Day' (in the UK, 'Holocaust Memorial Day') [1]. Never forgotten. Never again.

in its response to the Goldstone report, Hamas said it didn’t target civilians while firing hundreds of rockets at Israeli towns; it’s just that its rockets are unguided and they hit civilians by mistake [2]. I’m not surprised or disappointed by this. It’s what I expected from that lot.

Steve Jobs launched the iPad [3]. Some of the iJournalists and iTechies thought it’s the greatest thing since sliced iBread. Others looked down their iNoses at it and labelled it an iDud.

I came across this Queensland Health pdf file titled ‘Tooth friendly foods and tooth enemies’ [4]. It’s worth a quick read.

yesterday the Age published this article titled ‘How to deal with flight delays and travel hassles’ [5]. As it says, in the world of air travel, this is an age of lowered-expectations.

treehugger.com published this superb slideshow of the Passivhaus – which it calls ‘The Real Standard for a Real Green House’ [6]. I think they mean ‘a Really Green House’. But the pics are mouthwatering.

the Lancet published research concluding that in Type 2 diabetes, the most intensive glucose control is associated with increased risk for death [7]. I love research results that are counter-intuitive.

on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Sweetheart Vivienne and I had our annual State of the Union discussions. In diplomatic speak, they were cordial and fruitful. On Wednesday a certain Mr Obama borrowed our idea and gave his State of the Union Address [8a, 8b].

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

farmdoc's blog post number 552

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…
1. Sweetheart Vivienne’s wonderful book Alzheimers: A Love Story went into the book shops [1] and she began a round of promotional media engagements. I am so excited and pleased for, and proud of, her.
2. actress Mia Farrow, a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, was more impressed by the plight of Gaza’s children than Sderot’s children [2]. She has an inverted sense of morality. Plainly and unequivocally, the aggressor’s Hamas. The Gazan men should’ve considered the likely consequences before they fired their rockets. I doubt they care.
3. Microsoft launched Windows 7 [3]. My intuition tells me Microsoft’s best and most profitable days are in the past.
4. I learned that tea contains catechins, i.e. natural compounds which help prevent high blood pressure. And adding milk to tea renders the catechins inactive [4]. My blood pressure’s okay, so I’ll continue to add milk to my cuppa.
5. for the first time I heard about elder abuse. Each year some 4,000 Tasmanians aged over 65 experience some form of physical, emotional, financial or sexual abuse – usually at home. Tasmania’s the only Australian state without a prevention strategy for, and dedicated resources to treat, it [5]. Shame, Tasmania.
6. an opinion poll showed 2% of Palestinians still consider Yasser Arafat the Palestinian personality they trust most [6]. He died a mere five years ago – in November 2004. What else do you need to know?
7. the UN Human Rights Council endorsed the biased and fatally flawed Goldstone report. The UNHRC’s condemned Israel 26 separate times [7]. Human rights are vital, but only when they're unadulterated by politics.
8. is darling Pepper’s second birthday [8]. She's so sweet and gorgeous, and she has a wicked sense of humour. I wish her a happy day – and life.
Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.