This week's compendium

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

1. treehugger.com quoted an Australian report concluding increased energy efficiency could deliver 65% of worldwide carbon cuts by 2020, i.e. almost twice renewable energy, nuclear power and clean coal combined [1]. So surely this is the way to go, world.

2. in a US court, 91 Israeli civilian victims of the 1996 Second Lebanon War, filed a US$91.2B lawsuit against al-Jazeera claiming it intentionally reported realtime coverage of rocket strike locations in Israel, so Hezbollah could more accurately aim its rockets [2]. The Israelis must have good evidence. Time will tell.

3. the Age reported that Melbourne researchers who’ve developed a revolutionary treatment for Alzheimer’s, are having trouble raising A$1.5M of the A$3M needed for a clinical trial [3]. The Victorian Government wastes A$50M+ on the Grand Prix. Each year.

4. Grammar Girl's topic was ‘When to use Female Nouns’ [4]. I like her summary: 'What matters is getting across the massages you want to send, and trying to block those you don't'.

5. an HonestReporting item revealed a Lancet multi-article series on Palestinian health that’s scandalously and unequivocally biased [5]. It’s okay if the Lancet wants to be a political journal. But it shouldn’t masquerade as a medical journal.

6. the Archives of Internal Medicine published a 6-year prospective study finding a correlation between low vitamin D levels and the onset and progression of cognitive decline [6]. A chicken-and-egg scenario. But there’s no downside to ensuring one’s vitamin D level’s normal.

7. treehugger.com reported on a London urban orchard [7]. It’s terrific, but not as salubrious as the Artist as Family’s Food Forest in Sydney.

8. speaking of which, AaF’s Food Forest Plant-in Day last Saturday got some great media [8]. Well done, AaF.

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. talking about the Australian F1 Grand Prix, this article says it’s ‘surrounded by…the ocean’ [1]. It’s a lake, stupid. Stick to selling Cheap Used Cars.

2. Concord Massachusetts, where Walden Pond is, became the first US town/city to ban bottled water sales [2a]. Last September Bundanoon in NSW became the first town in the world to do it [2b].

3. the newly crowned Miss America – 24-year-old Arab American Rima Fakih, a Lebanese immigrant – was shown to have strong family links to Hezbollah [3a, 3b]. A Hezbollah official commented ‘The criteria through which we evaluate women are different from those of the west [3c]’. Yessir.

4. in the NSW parliament, a private member’s bill to ban the burqa on grounds of security and women’s rights, was voted down [4a]. That’s not stopping France, though [4b].

5. the Get-Fit Guy told us what to eat before, during and after exercise [5]. It’s practical and thus useful advice.

6. aiming for everyone to borrow or lend everything [6a], along came thingloop.com [6b]. It extends the concept of sharedearth.com which I wrote about last week [6c].

7. darling Emily alerted me to this wonderful blog site mapping feral fruit trees in Melbourne [7]. She said the site made her think of me. Why so, I wonder.

8. Sweetheart Vivienne spent the week at Varuna, the Writers’ House, in the Blue Mountains [8a]. I hope she did justice to the god Varuna [8b].

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

farmdoc's blog post number 566

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…
1. Movember began [1]. I’m not growing a mo this Movember. It's not that I don't think men’s health is a good cause. It's just that don’t go in for herd activities.
2. a study revealed that women with masculine names were more successful in their careers than other women. And on average the more masculine the name, the more successful its owner [2]. I apologise to my daughters. That’s one more thing they can blame me for.
3. Victoria’s church-going Governor David de Kretser risked the wrath of fundamentalist Christians by declaring he doesn’t believe the Bible’s account of how God created mankind [3]. Derrrrrrr.
4. in Melbourne a Mr Gappan was handed a $172 fine by tram ticket inspectors in September. Why? Because the tram’s ticket validating machines weren’t working, and so he’d been unable to validate his pre-paid multi-trip ticket. [4] He’s refusing to pay the fine, on the basis he did nothing wrong, i.e. it’s not his responsibility if the validating machines don’t work. Good on you, Mr Gappan.
5. an Age article described how a Murray River farmer’s fertilising his paddocks using his tractor’s exhaust fumes [5]. Big breakthroughs can, and do, occur anywhere.
6. over in the Land of Meg, Bike Week ended. After it did, I came across these items for making bikes and bike riders more visible [6]. You can never be too visible when you’re riding your bike.
7. the Israeli navy seized a ship containing hundreds of tons of weapons en route to the Hezbollah in Lebanon. It took 32 trucks to transport them all from the ship. Yet the Hezbollah and Syria denied the ship was carrying weapons [7]. These people couldn’t tell the truth even if Allah commanded them to.
8. Sweetheart Vivienne continued her media odyssey with aplomb. She’s great interview talent. So congenial and confident. Now for The Launch next Thursday.
Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.