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What IS Food?

The latest from the incresing celebrity of Michael Pollen. It is very long and very good.

It boils down to this:
"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

The Horrid Myth of Cow Tipping

Did you know that it is impossible for you to actually tip a cow over? Well, physically, it's true, especially now that the physics have been worked out. Researchers in British Columbia figured it out a few years ago.

My old friend Stu used to always point out how conveinent it was that people always knew people who had tipped a cow, but had never seen it in person.
This is because
A) cows sleep lying down and
B) when you push them, they move, much like people.

How to survive the cold

In the wake of that poor man freezing to death trying to save his family, the New York Times was awesome enough to print a guide to recognizing and protecting yourself from hypothermia.

How to avoid it:

When in the cold, stay dry: cold water accelerates heat loss 25-fold.
Have a windproof layer: wind will whisk the heat away from your body.
Keep old people in 70 degree heat: they, like babies don't have the ability to shiver and keep warm. Babies also have a high surface area to body mass ratio, making them extra volnerable.
Stay sober, alcohol is somehow bad, even though it may make you feel warm.
Mittens will keep your hands warmer than gloves.

How to recognize it:

Signs to look for include: confusion or sleepiness; slowed, slurred speech; shallow breathing; weak pulse; stiffness of the arms or legs; poor control of body movements; and slowed reactions.

What to do about it:

Tragically, there are other things to try before getting naked in a sleeping bag.
A person suffering from hypothermia must be gradually rewarmed, essentially from the inside out. Remove the victim's wet or cold clothing and wrap the person in layers of dry, warm clothes or blankets. Apply warm (not hot) compresses to the neck, chest wall and groin area.

Then, if nothing else is available, try transferring your body's heat to the victim: remove your clothes and lie naked against the naked victim, covering both of you with whatever is available. Be sure to cover the victim's head.

Do not use direct heat, like hot water, a heating pad or heat lamp, to warm the victim. Do not rub the victim's arms or legs, which can send cold blood to vital organs and make matters worse. If the person is conscious and able to swallow, provide something warm to drink. But never give beverages containing alcohol or caffeine, which can increase heat loss.

Keep the victim awake and handle the person gently. Avoid moving the victim except for safety reasons or to gain shelter.

And don't assume someone found motionless in the cold is already dead. Many victims of hypothermia can be revived.

If you do get stuck in a car in the cold, here is what to do (some of it makes no sense to me):

Remove anything you might need from the trunk and get back in the vehicle. While seated, move your arms and legs often to maintain circulation and generate warmth. Run the motor with the heater on for 10 minutes once every hour, leaving one window open slightly (but first make sure the exhaust pipe is not blocked).

There you have it. Be careful

Oh My God, a New Post

The New York Times is happy to report that, even though most women in the country are now single, educated women are doing better than our less fortunate, or focused, or just plain academic counterparts.

College educated women do marry, but just two years later than everyone else. Men, no longer seem inclined to "marry down," as in the past. And for their part, no education gap exists in singles, they all fear commitment and divorce.

And why do women marry later now? "While marriage used to be something you did before launching a life or career, now it is seen as something you do after you’re financially stable — when you can buy a house, say. The same is true for all classes. But the less educated may not get there."

In the end, they claim, it all comes down to money, "What’s becoming more powerful is the idea that economic resources are conducive to stable marriages. Women who have more money or the potential for more money are married to men who have more stable income.” So very strange.

Oh! The Woes of the Porn Industry

Apparently the porn industry has its panties in a bunch over HD TV. Becasue of all the detail, porn stars are lining up to have plastic surgery, heaven forfend their faithful minions realize they are actual women.

The biggest problem they find with the technological conversion? Razor burn.