This week's compendium

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

1. the Zephyr unmanned solar plane set a record of 14 days 24 minutes aloft, thanks to its photovoltaic panels and lithium-sulphur batteries [1]. Go, Zephyr.

2. Blade Electric Vehicles [2a], Australia’s leading electric car manufacturer blasted the federal government for choosing an imported model to be our first electric trial fleet – even though Blade’s car’s better, cheaper and had been developed with federal government funding [2b]. Ho hum.

3. the effectiveness of so-called Hands-Only CPR, i.e. with heart compression only, was found no less than CPR that also includes respiratory assistance [3a, 3b]. It’s easier too, of course.

4. I learnt of the GrowFood website that matches farmers with potential paid or volunteer farmworkers [4a, 4b]. Pity it’s currently limited to US farms.

5. Nutrition Diva told us how to store half an avocado [5]. Yep.

6. Get-It-Done Guy offered advice on how to respond to important emails [6]. You’ve no excuses from now on.

7. Australian airlines said they have no policy to deal with overweight or obese passengers – even though the public wanted one [7]. As weight affects aircraft fuel consumption, lighter passengers should get a bigger baggage allowance – and vice versa.

8. the Age’s Jason Koutsoukis wrote that ‘Israeli troops removed several trees on the Lebanese side of the border fence that separates the two countries without incident’ [8]. The fence’s 200-300 metres on the Israeli side of the border. Even UNIFIL said so – as Koutsoukis wrote at the end of his article. Yet again Koutsoukis didn’t let the truth spoil a good story. He’s an apologist – not a journalist.

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

farmdoc's blog post number 643

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

1. the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs issued a list showing as at 20.1.10 – eight days after the Haiti earthquake – the Saudi Arabian and Iranian governments hadn’t contributed even a brass razoo to the relief effort [1]. No comment needed.

2. I saw, and appreciated, this item which points out that the international agencies who condemn Israel for its ‘disproportionate response’ when it’s attacked are not mentioning Israel's disproportionate response to the human suffering in Haiti [2]. Ho hum.

3. A week ago, the BMJ reported that angiotensin receptor blocking drugs are associated with a significant reduction in both the incidence and progression of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia [3]. That’s welcome news indeed.

4. Grammar Girl explained the origin of ‘brouhaha’ [4] What a super word.

5. I saw on the UK Real Bread Campaign’s website a page about ‘Community Supported Baking’ [5]. I’d love to get involved in CSB. Maybe when I stop working.

6. Australia’s main domestic airlines announced they won’t force obese people to pay for two seats despite the adoption of that policy by Air France-KLM [6]. I don’t know it that’s a good or bad thing. Maybe neither.

7. my weekly ‘ostrich award’ goes to General Motors senior executive Bob Lutz who slammed scientists and environmentalists, saying global warming has little to do with humans and more to do with solar flares and sunspots [7]. Self-interest rears its ugly head. Shame on you, sir.

8. family-wise darling Meg celebrated her birthday, and darling Indi joined the blogosphere. Also last weekend Alzheimer’s: a Love Story was reviewed in the Hobart Mercury, and today it’s reviewed in the Age.

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