- Apples: They’re not just for dipping in caramel or baking into pies, no names named (cough…..Americans…..cough). Yes, apples are still good for you and according to a study conducted by researchers at Florida State University, women who eat apples daily experience improvements in cholesterol levels and markers of inflammation — suggesting a lower risk of heart disease — in a year's time. Researchers studied 160 women who were randomly assigned to eat about 2.7 ounces of dried apples or prunes (dried plums) daily. They conducted blood tests at the three-, six- and 12-month marks to measure heart-risk factors and after one years, the women who ate dried apples had lowered their total cholesterol by 14 percent and their levels of LDL (or "bad") cholesterol by 23 percent. Furthermore, their levels of HDL (or good) cholesterol had increased by about 4 percent AND they also experienced a 32 percent decline in C-reactive protein, an indicator of inflammation in the body and a risk factor for heart disease. The benefits for the apple-eating ladies were significantly higher than for those who ate prunes, said study author and FSU professor of nutrition Bahram H. Arjmandi. In returning the theme of America being far too FAT and in need of improved eating habits, the women in apple group lost about 3.3 lbs. on average even though the dried fruit added an extra 240 calories to their diets. Why study apples and their effects on humans when we all know and agree that they are a healthy food choice? Researchers explained their choice was based on inspiration from previous data from animal studies, which had suggested health benefits. For the nutritionally ignorant (again, most of America judging by our waistlines), apples are rich in pectin, a soluble fiber, which blocks cholesterol absorption and encourages the body to use, rather than store cholesterol. Eating apple peels along with the inner apple also helps, as peels are also packed with polyphenols — antioxidants that prevent cellular damage from free radicals. Maybe the idea of dried apples doesn’t sound appealing to you, but Arjmandi explained the study used them merely for convenience and hypothesized that fresh apples are likely to be even better. “Any varieties of apples are good," he said. Anyone who was at the always rave-tastic Experimental Biology conference in Washington, D.C. earlier this month already knew about this exciting study and those who weren’t……consider this your invitation to register early for next year’s conference…………
- Wait…….so marijuana isn't illegal in Jamaica? Seriously? Doesn’t every Jamaican wake and bake, take a few bong rips after breakfast and spend their entire day high? Apparently not, or top Jamaican government officials would not currently be reviewing recommendations to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal and religious use. The country is already the Caribbean's largest pot exporter to the U.S., but more of that supply could be staying in house if the new measures are approved. Six Cabinet ministers in Prime Minister Bruce Golding's administration will finally get around to evaluating a 2001 report by the National Commission for Ganja (quite possibly the most awesome commission ever to exist) on ideas for legalizing the chron. The commission is comprised of academics and doctors and was appointed by a government led by the current opposition. Its members made the brilliant argument that the drug was "culturally entrenched" in Jamaica and that moderate use had no negative health effects on most users. No government official has yet stepped up to explain why the decade-old report is only now being reviewed. Rev. Webster Edwards, who served on the commission a decade ago, spoke out Thursday on the government’s decision and expressed hope that legislators might eventually relax laws against marijuana. "There have been many persons who have been lifelong smokers of ganja who have not moved to harder drugs at all," Edwards said. "Decriminalizing very, very small quantities will allow persons not to get strikes against them in the justice system." Now THAT is what I like to hear. None of this, “Medicinal marijuana is beneficial in limited use” crap that so often is used to defend the chron in the U.S. Just admit that you want stoners to get their bong hits in and relax. For now, smoking marijuana remains illegal in Jamaica even though it is widely tolerated in public. Followers of the Rastafarian minority have long claimed it is a sacrament and brings them closer to the divine, while other Jamaicans brew ganja tea to alleviate aches. Previous efforts to legalize the hippie lettuce in Jamaica have failed because officials feared they would violate international treaties and bring sanctions from Washington. After all, the U.S. has worked with Jamaica for decades to burn marijuana fields and carry out other stoner-persecuting efforts. Decriminalization, even for personal use, would technically violate various treaties, including the 1988 U.N. Convention Against the Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, which Jamaica inexplicably signed. But the 2001 commission addressed these concerns in its report and urged the government to "embark on diplomatic initiatives ... to elicit support for its internal position and influence the international community to re-examine the status of cannabis." With widespread support in Jamaica for decriminalization of tree for private, personal use, there is at least hope for this dream to come true, even if any change in existing drug laws would have to be approved by Jamaica's Parliament. So stoners of the world, take a moment out of your very busy, very productive day and send some telepathic support Jamaica’s way if you want to see our collective dream of a stoner nation come true…………
- What do you do if you’re a fringe cable network looking to make your mark with original programming and compete with over-the-air, major networks with bigger budgets and more resources? You turn to a circus family, woolly mammoths and reptile rescuers, of course. Discovery Channel is fighting an uphill battle to retain viewers and has struggled mightily to that end this season, so the network, home to a string of popular adventure and nature shows, will roll out a TV schedule next year featuring four new series to join returning programs including "Storm Chasers" and "Deadliest Catch." The network presented its full lineup at its up front event and hopes to capitalize on the trend of TV advertising surging in recent months on demand from the automotive, retail and telecommunications categories. According to analysts, commercial rates could be up by 10 percent or more in this year's upfront market, when cable and broadcast networks sell the majority of their time for the next TV season. Broadcast networks NBC, CBS, Fox and ABC won't announce their lineups until next month, but Discovery Channel is seeking to seize the spotlight with its early up front. Discovery Communications, which owns Discovery Channel, also owns TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, Science and Discovery Fit & Health. Oh, and it is also partnering with Oprah Winfrey on the new OWN network, a female-oriented hodgepodge of lifestyle, advice and inspirational shows. OWN debuted in January and has already struggled to attract and retain viewers, a problem the network hopes to fix by introducing six new series in the upcoming season and returning "Our America With Lisa Ling," "Ask Oprah's All Stars," "Enough Already!" "In the Bedroom with Dr. Laura Berman" and "Oprah Presents Master Class." Discovery Channel will stick to its traditional modus operendai even with its new series, including "Penn & Teller's Secrets of the Universe," which will feature 10 hard-to-believe stories, only one of which is a fake. Other new series will be "Life on a Wire," a show following the Flying Wallendas, a circus family, "Swamp Brothers," with Robbie and Stephen Keszey working in their reptile sanctuary and "Best in the Business," which Discovery is pimping as "the ultimate battle of job-skill supremacy that celebrates the creme de la creme of the American workforce." Oh good, people doing boring jobs that no one is interested in, not even the people being paid to do them. That should work out verrrrrry well…………
- Summer hasn’t even arrived yet (some sections of the country are still waiting on spring at this point), but residents of western Texas are already in mid-summer mode. For these hard, tough individuals, mid-summer means little to no rain and trying to figure out how to get their crops to grow and their lawns to be anything other that patches of dirt occasionally broken up by a small gathering of brown, dead blades of grass. If the Archdiocese in San Angelo has its way, Texas will have some extra help from the Almighty in that battle this spring and summer. The archdiocese sent out a request to mayors and local officials all across western Texas, asking them to proclaim Sunday, April 17, as a day to pray for rain. One such request was sent to Big Spring, where Mayor Tommy Duncan received it warmly, received for the city council’s blessing and received issued his proclamation Tuesday. Mayor Duncan also asked all of the city’s churches and all communities in the area to join in the effort this Sunday. For anyone doubting the effect this sort of effort could have, look no further than a gathering of Howard County one month ago, wherein joined together to pray for rain and widespread thunderstorms crossed the area a few days later, bringing much needed precipitation. One round of showers isn't nearly enough, though, to help crops grow, stave off deadly wildfires, replenish reservoirs and recharge regional aquifers. Praying to the good Lord for rain twice in the first few months of the new year might seem like a lot to ask for, but it definitely seems like a better option that watching helplessly as your crops die and wildfires burn your town to the ground…………
- Finally…..Major League Baseball is catching up with the rest of the sports world - sort of. With even Little League Baseball relying heavily on replays to get calls correct (radical idea!), MLB has consistently lagged behind and limited instant replay to home run calls - until now. Word on the street is commissioner Bud Selig and Co. are leaning toward expanding replay for the 2012 season to include trapped balls and fair-or-foul rulings down the lines. Selig and a group of umpires discussed the extra video review at spring training and amazingly, they all agreed to expand replay’s role in games. Reaction from players has varied, with some in support of the idea and other vehemently against it. "Yeah to all of them, oh yeah," St. Louis reliever Ryan Franklin said. "I just think they should all be called the right way, and it doesn't matter if it takes an extra five minutes. Don't take so long between innings, cut 10 seconds off between every half-inning and that could make up for five minutes for the replay on a trapped ball or something like that. It doesn't happen that often." Baseball has used instant replay since late in the 2008 season, but only to check potential home run balls. By that time, the NFL, NBA, NHL and the NCAA had already employed instant replay. The sudden philosophical change on MLB’s part begs the question of why and the answer isn't difficult to ascertain. A series of prominent blown calls have plagued the game over the past several season, including missed calls in the playoffs and World Series. One such disputed call occurred in Game 1 in New York's playoff series against Minnesota last fall, when Yankees right fielder Greg Golson clearly caught a low liner for the final out of the game. However, the umpire ruled the ball bounced and with no replay to correct him, the erroneous call stood. Minnesota was also involved in a disputed play during the 2009 playoffs when catch Joe Mauer's looper down the left-field line landed fair by a full foot at Yankee Stadium, bounced into the seats and was mistakenly called a foul ball. Some calls, such as the force play at first base that cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game last year, would still not be subject to review, nor would ball-or-strike decisions. Selig's special committee for on-field matters, a 14-man panel that includes managers, general managers and team executives, would be the group pushing forward expanded replay. It would be easy to argue that the focus should instead be on the current labor deal with players, which expires this December, but who says you can't do both? San Francisco Giants outfielder Aubrey Huff isn't saying that, but he does oppose expanded replay for games. "You're messing with the history of the game when you start messing with too much," Huff cautioned. "We make mistakes, they make mistakes. You're talking big home runs, that's one thing. You're talking out or safe at home, then why have umpires? Let the cameras make the calls. It's just stupid.” Why try to get calls right? I don’t know, how about because it could change the outcome of a game that one team has rightfully won but doesn’t actually win? While MLB will never reach the point of including replay as much as the NFL (nor should it), expanding its current role is a solid idea…………
No comments:
Post a Comment