As a cook and historian, some topics pull double duty at striking my fancy. Mincemeat is one such topic. Anyone fond of old recipes, old stories, or who enjoys exploring the dustier and less-frequented shelves in the grocery store has surely had occassion to look askance at the term “mincemeat” and ask “what the hell?” Read the rest of this entry »
Mincemeat
March 13th, 2012Sleep Deprivation
February 20th, 2012Sleep deprivation is one of those things that inevitably (and wrongfully) fall into the “no big deal” category. Getting too little or poor quality sleep is so commonplace that most people consider a decent night’s sleep to be something of a luxury. Yet, insufficient sleep causes everything from accidents (though inattention, a more marked problem than most people realize) to high blood pressure, heart failure, obesity, and even depression and mood disorders. Read the rest of this entry »
Paraben-Free Preservatives
January 14th, 2012I’m going to admit, when I chose 12 topics to cover over the course of the year, some of them were not things I wanted to research and write about right-this-very-minute. Nevertheless. They were on the list and as randomness would have it, this month’s topic is: non-paraben preservatives. By way of introduction (and without offering up a thesis-length piece on the issue), several years ago there were concerns that the cosmetic preservatives methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben might post a cancer risk (parabens had been found in breast tumors, though whether they had caused the tumors or merely collected in them wasn’t determined). The FDA has since thoroughly declared these substances safe for human use, but some people avoid them anyway. Read the rest of this entry »
New Year’s Resolution
December 31st, 2011I’m still not big on resolutions (note the title is not plural), but have made one for 2012 and this website. Despite a busier-than-ever schedule (note the lack of any posts for three solid months at the end of 2011), I resolve to post something at least once a month. In the hopes of making this goal both feasible and entertaining, I have chosen 12 entirely unrelated topics and will draw one randomly at the beginning of each month. Maybe there will also be things about History this year, maybe there will be more book reviews. But there will certainly be a monthly post on randomly-selected topics. I’d gloomily predict that the novelty will wear off by March, but I really don’t think it will. (Of course, now I’ve just over-sold it.) Well, Happy New Year anyway.
Book Review – Kick Me by Paul Feig
December 31st, 2011I hadn’t expected to actually enjoy someone else’s reminiscings about their awkward childhood (my own was awkward enough, thank you very much), but this comedic memoir by Paul Feig was one of the best things I’ve read this year. I’m not sure if it was simply the entertaining prose or the fact that I identified with some of his miseries, but I started reading “Kick Me: Adventures in Adolescence” and finished it in under 10 days. (I’m not saying I usually read slow; I usually read 3 books at the same time, so for one to preempt the other two says quite a bit about its merit.) Read the rest of this entry »
QuickPress, quick note
September 20th, 2011I’m trying out a new WordPress feature (QuickPress) to see how it works, and to make note of the increase in spam traffic I’ve been getting. I’ve closed comments on older posts to cut back on spammers (because impatience is a virtue, too) and hope that does the trick.
Book Review – In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson
August 25th, 2011History has big names and big events that, rightly, fascinate us. But just as fascinating (if not as bombastic) are some of history’s smaller names, and subtler events. Erik Larson’s 2011 book, “In the Garden of Beasts” studies the efforts of American ambassador William Dodd, sent to Germany in 1933. Our investigation of history begins with “what happened?” – a question usually followed by Read the rest of this entry »
Book Review – Smart Soapmaking by Anne L. Watson
June 25th, 2011I’m a fan of history in just about all its forms whether that’s a college classroom, a living history museum, a good book, documentary, battle re-enactment, or even an exhibit of clothes in ghastly, out-dated fashions (yes, I have a spare closet which bears that description… you never know when you might need a chemise). I’m even a fan of weird, old-fashioned hobbies, or, you know, the sorts of householding chores that have become hobbies in the 21st century. To that end, I recommend Anne L. Watson‘s book “Smart Soapmaking” to anyone interested in learning how to make their own soap. Read the rest of this entry »
Lakes and levees, dams and locks
June 7th, 2011“Anadromous” is a word I learned about three years ago, and it’s about as much fun to spell as it is to pronounce. It’s the word used to identify fish that are born in fresh water that then migrate to salt water to live out their adult lives, but then return to spawn in fresh water. In the Pacific Northwest, anadromous fish are better known as salmon and steelhead trout. Particularly in the case of salmon, fish will return to the same river they came from and generally breed only with other fish who also return to the same river, at the same time of year. This has led to genetically different groups of salmon called ‘stocks.’ In the time before dams, there were 400 different stocks of anadromous fish in the Pacific Northwest. The construction of dams barred the way for returning fish, cutting them off from their spawning habitat. Even with the assistance of ‘fish ladders’ (stepped waterways allowing fish to bypass the dams on their upstream journey), young fish trying to reach the sea are often killed in dam turbines, or die in the warm and predator-filled reservoirs that their ancestors never had to contend with. Of the 400 stocks in the Northwest, there are now 214 left – 169 of those are endangered. (Source: Patrick McCully, “Silenced Rivers,” Zed Books, New Jersey, 1996, p. 41-42)
Title borrowed from Don Henley’s “Goodbye to a River.” Learn about wild salmon conservation at Save Our Wild Salmon.
Fair Trade Coffee
May 14th, 2012First off, let’s get through the definitions. ”Fair Trade” is a commercial brand, so talking about “Fair Trade” (proper noun) coffee and coffee that’s been fairly traded can get a little tricky. In the interests of time and sanity, I’ll tackle the aforementioned (proper noun) version as the example here. Because coffee is grown in many third world countries lacking niceties like minimum wage law, one can argue that the average American’s morning cup of coffee is a product of human misery. Enter the Fairtrade Foundation. Read the rest of this entry »
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