"Israeli researchers discover shrub that can treat diabetes."
Israeli researchers have found that a plant that grows in Israel, as well as in other parts of the Middle East, is effective in treating diabetes.
Dr. Jonathan Gorelick of the Judea Research and Development Center will present the results of his study of Chiliadenus iphionoides (sharp varthemia), an aromatic shrub that grows in Israel and throughout the Middle East, at the 25th Judea and Samaria Research Studies Conference in Ariel University on Thursday.
Dr. Gorelick and his team, who published the results of their study of sharp varthemia in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in October 2011, found that consumption of the yellow-flowering plant increased sugar absorption in skeletal muscle and fat cells and reduced blood sugar levels in animals.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Sunday, June 07, 2015
It Doesn't Take Sherlock Holmes...
...to follow this trail:
Three burglary suspects were arrested by police in Mt. Morris, New York after police followed a macaroni salad trail the crooks left during their getaway.
Three burglary suspects were arrested by police in Mt. Morris, New York after police followed a macaroni salad trail the crooks left during their getaway.
Thursday, June 04, 2015
Meanwhile, In McConnell, NC....
...we have the Parham-McCoy Feud:
A McConnells woman has been arrested and charged Tuesday after she allegedly hit her 81-year-old neighbor with a shovel.
Patsy Parham, 65, was charged with assault and entry onto another person’s lands or pasture after notice charges after she had allegedly hit her rural western York County neighbor, Joe Mack McCoy, 81, with a shovel two weeks prior.
The feud between Parham and McCoy has been ongoing for 20 years and both parties initially didn’t press charges against the other, according to a police report.
A McConnells woman has been arrested and charged Tuesday after she allegedly hit her 81-year-old neighbor with a shovel.
Patsy Parham, 65, was charged with assault and entry onto another person’s lands or pasture after notice charges after she had allegedly hit her rural western York County neighbor, Joe Mack McCoy, 81, with a shovel two weeks prior.
The feud between Parham and McCoy has been ongoing for 20 years and both parties initially didn’t press charges against the other, according to a police report.
Tuesday, June 02, 2015
Jean Ritchie, 1923-2015: R.I.P.
She helped keep the tradition of the Appalachian Dulcimer alive, and was a wonderful preserver of old folksongs.
I acquired a dulcimer in my senior year of high school - - 1980 - - and there were very few books on the instrument back then, among them was Jean Ritchie's, which I think I still have in my library somewhere. Haven't touched the dulcimer in years, it sits in its case atop my dresser, made by Dorsey Williams of Jefferson City, Tennessee.
I acquired a dulcimer in my senior year of high school - - 1980 - - and there were very few books on the instrument back then, among them was Jean Ritchie's, which I think I still have in my library somewhere. Haven't touched the dulcimer in years, it sits in its case atop my dresser, made by Dorsey Williams of Jefferson City, Tennessee.
I'll Be Masturdating This Weekend
According to the UK Telegraph, anyway.
via Ann Althouse.
The night will end, of course, when I make a pass at myself and myself slaps myself in the face...
via Ann Althouse.
The night will end, of course, when I make a pass at myself and myself slaps myself in the face...
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Ty Cobb Not a Notorious Racist?
A new biography makes the case that Cobb was libelled by a previous biographer, Al Stump.
And a review of the new biography by The Boston Globe can be found here.
The new biography is Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty.
And a review of the new biography by The Boston Globe can be found here.
The new biography is Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
It's Not Dead...
...it's just resting.
I'm not feeling particularly motivated these days. Other than sharing crap on Facebook and the odd reply on Twitter, I'm withdrawing into myself even more than usual. Nothing I really want to talk about, but I wanted to note the lack of postings.
I may post occasionally again or even cheer up and start posting daily again. Then again, maybe not. Expect me when you see me, as Gandalf said.
I'm not feeling particularly motivated these days. Other than sharing crap on Facebook and the odd reply on Twitter, I'm withdrawing into myself even more than usual. Nothing I really want to talk about, but I wanted to note the lack of postings.
I may post occasionally again or even cheer up and start posting daily again. Then again, maybe not. Expect me when you see me, as Gandalf said.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
This Could Cause Carpal Tunnel
Worked on a belt today. I've made belts before with limited tooling, but this was the first time I did all the tooling - - started with a leather strip, ended with a finished belt. It still needs a little keeper loop, I'll pick one of those up on Friday.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
They Don't Seem Very High...
...but they're high enough to be lethal to the unwary.
KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C. – A woman was died in a fall from Crowders Mountain on Saturday afternoon.
Rescuers said she fell about 150 feet from the King's Pinnacle Trail near the Gaston/Cleveland County line.
They haven't released details about what happened, but say she may have been taking pictures.
The park's superintendent said this is the first accident he can recall from that part of the trail.
I've hiked that particular trail when I was younger, and can vouch that it's certainly high enough at 150 feet (that's 15 stories up) to be lethal. That's the very summit of King's Pinnacle. Still, it's the first time I've ever heard of anyone falling from that particular mountain; most fatalities at Crowder's Mountain state park take place on Crowder's itself, where the rock climbing occurs. It's a beautiful place for a day hike, and I'd be tempted myself to camp at the summit of King's Pinnacle if it was a cool autumn evening.
KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C. – A woman was died in a fall from Crowders Mountain on Saturday afternoon.
Rescuers said she fell about 150 feet from the King's Pinnacle Trail near the Gaston/Cleveland County line.
They haven't released details about what happened, but say she may have been taking pictures.
The park's superintendent said this is the first accident he can recall from that part of the trail.
I've hiked that particular trail when I was younger, and can vouch that it's certainly high enough at 150 feet (that's 15 stories up) to be lethal. That's the very summit of King's Pinnacle. Still, it's the first time I've ever heard of anyone falling from that particular mountain; most fatalities at Crowder's Mountain state park take place on Crowder's itself, where the rock climbing occurs. It's a beautiful place for a day hike, and I'd be tempted myself to camp at the summit of King's Pinnacle if it was a cool autumn evening.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
The Wonder of the Internet
I purchased another antique belt buckle off of eBay:
Photos taken after polishing, by the way. The buckle still had its original varnish coat, and had a patina underneath. The markings on the back of the buckle intrigued me: a central star, with the name "Laurie" on one side and an obliterated area on the other, where a name or word had been removed with a grinder. Aha, a mystery, I though to myself. I pictured a cute blonde hippie chick named "Laurie" who had carved the wax model of the belt buckle.
I looked on the internet, and found that the cute blonde hippie chick was actually a man still alive, and his company was the Star Buckle Company of Spinnerstown, Pennsylvania. Apparently Mr. Laurie started his business with a buckle in the shape of a peace symbol, and it took off from there. He does other stuff now, of course, since hippie belt buckles had a limited popularity and eventually went out of fashion.
Still... to be able to dig out this information with just a few clicks on a keyboard... amazing. It would have taken a major investment in time and money to research this in pre-computer days.
Don't ever say we aren't living in the future.
Photos taken after polishing, by the way. The buckle still had its original varnish coat, and had a patina underneath. The markings on the back of the buckle intrigued me: a central star, with the name "Laurie" on one side and an obliterated area on the other, where a name or word had been removed with a grinder. Aha, a mystery, I though to myself. I pictured a cute blonde hippie chick named "Laurie" who had carved the wax model of the belt buckle.
I looked on the internet, and found that the cute blonde hippie chick was actually a man still alive, and his company was the Star Buckle Company of Spinnerstown, Pennsylvania. Apparently Mr. Laurie started his business with a buckle in the shape of a peace symbol, and it took off from there. He does other stuff now, of course, since hippie belt buckles had a limited popularity and eventually went out of fashion.
Still... to be able to dig out this information with just a few clicks on a keyboard... amazing. It would have taken a major investment in time and money to research this in pre-computer days.
Don't ever say we aren't living in the future.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Well, I Didn't See a Sign
There's adult humans in this country that are so ill-bred that they think nothing of entering a hotel dining room barefoot during breakfast and, when told that shoes are required, declare "Well, I didn't see a sign."
Monday, May 11, 2015
Subway Worker In Mississippi Fired For Praising Murder of MS Cops - - Got 'Er!
She went on Facebook to gloat over the murder of two Hattiesburg, MS cops, posing in her Subway uniform.
Twitter and Facebook outrage ensued, and she is no longer employed. Which is a mixed bag of good and bad. Good, in that she has now been punished for her stupidity, and bad because she made herself unemployable to a large segment of the population, and is more likely to suck on taxpayer-funded benefits as a result.
(according to comments on Facebook about the story, the two Laurel, MS Subway locations are feeding first responders (cops and fire) free this week to atone for the worker's stupidity.)
Twitter and Facebook outrage ensued, and she is no longer employed. Which is a mixed bag of good and bad. Good, in that she has now been punished for her stupidity, and bad because she made herself unemployable to a large segment of the population, and is more likely to suck on taxpayer-funded benefits as a result.
(according to comments on Facebook about the story, the two Laurel, MS Subway locations are feeding first responders (cops and fire) free this week to atone for the worker's stupidity.)
Thursday, May 07, 2015
One Lousy Bar? Arrrr.
Barry Clifford finds a bit of Captain Kidd's treasure:
Archaeologists in Madagascar believe they have discovered treasure belonging to the ruthless Scottish pirate William Kidd.
Divers brought a 50kg silver bar to the shore and soldiers have been guarding the suspected treasure at Sainte Marie Island, the BBC reports.
The silver bar was discovered just off the coast in shallow water by a team led by under water explorer Barry Clifford.
Not that a 50kg silver bar is anything to sneeze at, but it's just a fraction of the treasure haul that Kidd reputedly collected. This bar is probably one that was accidentally dropped overboard while transferring it from one ship to another.
Archaeologists in Madagascar believe they have discovered treasure belonging to the ruthless Scottish pirate William Kidd.
Divers brought a 50kg silver bar to the shore and soldiers have been guarding the suspected treasure at Sainte Marie Island, the BBC reports.
The silver bar was discovered just off the coast in shallow water by a team led by under water explorer Barry Clifford.
Not that a 50kg silver bar is anything to sneeze at, but it's just a fraction of the treasure haul that Kidd reputedly collected. This bar is probably one that was accidentally dropped overboard while transferring it from one ship to another.
Wednesday, May 06, 2015
That White Boy Crazy
"More Details Released in Court on Teen Shooting Police Officer."
Ferrell had been getting ready for prom on Saturday when he and his brother-in-law got into a big argument which led to police being called.
When officers responded to the scene, Ferrell came out of his bedroom wearing a bulletproof vest and holding a shotgun, according to Bruce Lillie, Mecklenburg prosecutor.
Ferrell then shot the gun at Police Lt. James Quattlebaum, Lillie said. Quattlebaum was shot in the stomach.
Lillie believes the attack was deliberate and that Ferrell poses a danger to both himself and other people, he said, asking for bond of $2 million for the teen.
Ferrell also showed lack of any remorse for his crime, according to Lillie, who said the teen was singing “I shot the sheriff” while in custody.
And his mama bought him a ballistic vest so he could use it as a Halloween costume. Ain't he the entitled little boy?
Ferrell had been getting ready for prom on Saturday when he and his brother-in-law got into a big argument which led to police being called.
When officers responded to the scene, Ferrell came out of his bedroom wearing a bulletproof vest and holding a shotgun, according to Bruce Lillie, Mecklenburg prosecutor.
Ferrell then shot the gun at Police Lt. James Quattlebaum, Lillie said. Quattlebaum was shot in the stomach.
Lillie believes the attack was deliberate and that Ferrell poses a danger to both himself and other people, he said, asking for bond of $2 million for the teen.
Ferrell also showed lack of any remorse for his crime, according to Lillie, who said the teen was singing “I shot the sheriff” while in custody.
And his mama bought him a ballistic vest so he could use it as a Halloween costume. Ain't he the entitled little boy?
Tuesday, May 05, 2015
Show & Tell, Tomahawk Edition
Apparently today is Show Off Your Tomahawk Day, or at least Old NFO got the ball rolling by showing off his, and a couple of others have joined in as well. Here's mine, a Cold Steel Trail Hawk with the factory paint removed, along with a Becker Knife and Tool BK-5 made by Ka-Bar, likewise with paint removed:
One of the commenters over at Old NFO's place mentioned the Cold Steel Spetsnaz shovel, I'd like to pick up one of those, the commenter was spot-on in his reasoning, that a shovel is easier to justify to police and judges than even a tomahawk is.
One of the commenters over at Old NFO's place mentioned the Cold Steel Spetsnaz shovel, I'd like to pick up one of those, the commenter was spot-on in his reasoning, that a shovel is easier to justify to police and judges than even a tomahawk is.
Sunday, May 03, 2015
Yard Improvement
When we first moved to the rental property we are in now, the yard was in bad shape. None of the previous tenants had cared for the yard, and a small piece along the driveway was actually becoming an erosion gully. After a couple of years of living here, we're starting to see improvement; here are the before and after photos:
I'm fairly pleased.
I'm fairly pleased.
Friday, April 24, 2015
Veterans Spat Upon By University of Florida Fraternity Students
Story.
Facebook statement from the University of Florida.
Statement from Zeta Beta Tau fraternity.
To all my fellow veterans: Mark down the date of the incident so that the next time some leftist prick tries to claim that the Left is patriotic and doesn't do such things (and didn't do them after Vietnam), you can point them to this story.
Facebook statement from the University of Florida.
Statement from Zeta Beta Tau fraternity.
To all my fellow veterans: Mark down the date of the incident so that the next time some leftist prick tries to claim that the Left is patriotic and doesn't do such things (and didn't do them after Vietnam), you can point them to this story.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Let Me Draw Your Attention...
...to the sidebar of my blog, where Marko Kloos's new Frontlines novel, Angles of Attack, is available for sale at Amazon. If it's as good as his first two novels in the series, it should be good indeed. It's a shame that the second one got caught in the crossfire between Social Justice Bullies and Sad Puppies, but that is the Balkanized country we find ourselves in.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
With a First Line Like That...
...there's no need to go further:
Wearing perfectly pressed trousers and shiny boots, Captain Maddox of Star Watch Intelligence flexed his bare chest. Muscles like strings of steel writhed upon his lean frame. He gripped a viper stick, swishing it back and forth, so the spectators murmured uneasily.
Luckily I didn't shell out any money for this (presumably) stinkeroo, but borrowed using Amazon's free Kindle lending library. For those of you who might wish to give it a try, it's called The Lost Starship by Vaughn Heppner.
Wearing perfectly pressed trousers and shiny boots, Captain Maddox of Star Watch Intelligence flexed his bare chest. Muscles like strings of steel writhed upon his lean frame. He gripped a viper stick, swishing it back and forth, so the spectators murmured uneasily.
Luckily I didn't shell out any money for this (presumably) stinkeroo, but borrowed using Amazon's free Kindle lending library. For those of you who might wish to give it a try, it's called The Lost Starship by Vaughn Heppner.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
