This week's compendium

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

1. US health reform legislation was approved by the House of Representatives [1]. No-one knows the exact implications. But surely the outcome will be a massive improvement on the status quo ante

2. the latest estimate is that peak oil will occur around 2014, i.e. a decade earlier than previously predicted [2]. Good news – the environmental and geopolitical effects of fossil fuel use are catastrophic.

3. Australian F1 Grand Prix boss Ron Walker underwent brain surgery [3]. Eh?

4. regarding the GP circus which runs for four days ending in the race tomorrow, the media, acting out of altruism in the public interest (sorry, that’s a joke), continue to promote the unpromotable [4]. Attendance will be abysmal this year, again requiring a massive injection of public money.

5. the JAMA reported that women with normal food intake require 60 minutes per day of moderate-intensity physical activity to prevent significant weight gain [5]. This is a big increase over the previously-advocated figure of 150 minutes per week.

6. a Lancet article by Australian researchers concluded the placebo effect is under-recognised and under-used [6]. I agree. The placebo effect confounds the fundamentalism of Evidence Based Medicine – which can only be a good thing. The art of medicine mustn’t be removed.

7. UK supermarket chain Sainsbury, known for its environmental initiatives including electric vehicle charging stations and converting waste food into energy, is moving into another area that’s a supermarket first – beekeeping [7]. Sainsbury makes Australian supermarkets look positively neanderthal.

8. the amazing Daylesford Organics gained sixth place on Australian Traveller magazine’s list of ‘100 Greatest Australian Gourmet Experiences’ [8]. Kate Ulman and Brendon Eisner: I am just so proud of, and happy for, you. xxxxx

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

farmdoc's blog post number 568

How do you know when you’re really famous? Super famous? The answer, of course, is when people refer to you by your first name only. That’s how I know Beyonce (pictured) is really famous. Maybe it helps if your first name’s very unusual. I’ve never heard Beyonce sing, and I haven’t watched her on video. But I read here that as part of her 'I am...' world tour, she gave a concert in Egypt three days ago. And Islamic conservatives there called her show an ‘insolent sex party’ that threatens Egypt’s ‘social peace and stability’. They accused the Egyptian government of encouraging debauchery, and called for the concert’s cancellation. As it happens, these vocal fundamentalists belong to the opposition Muslim Brotherhood who, along with their hardline Muslim brothers, treat women as second – if not fifth – class citizens. So naturally they can’t tolerate let alone condone an independent, successful and thus wealthy woman – as I assume Beyonce is. If they want to live ascetic misogynistic lives, let them do so in Iran or Gaza or Saudi Arabia where women have almost no rights. If they choose to live in Egypt then they must abide by the standards of its government and thus most of its population. But they don’t, so it’s no wonder the Egyptian government’s been squeezing them with security crackdowns and administrative measures aimed at curbing their conservatism. I hope Beyonce’s Egyptian concert was successful beyond expectations. Show ‘em, Beyonce.