JB Say What?

Another very clever Daily Show take on current events, this time a look at how we can improve the lot of Guantanamo detainees.

Humor, Politics | No Comments »

I am not too proud to say that I have developed the uncanny ability of giving the illusion of being helpful. This has served me in good stead over the years, as I have made it my goal to avoid any tasks that would require removing myself from my comfort zone, which is usually watching sports on TV or doing crossword puzzles. There comes a time, however, when whatever remnants of common decency that were taught to me by my parents and mentors force me to volunteer to help out my fellow humans. It is as those key points of inflection in my life that my gift truly comes to the fore.

As an example, we were down in DC this weekend for my sister-in-law’s 25th anniversary party. We arrived early to help out with the setup for the party. More precisely, my wife arrived to help with the setup with the party. I arrived to with the goal of eating some Indian food, drinking some excellent wine, and working the puzzle page of The Washington Post. As some point, however, it became evident that I needed to give some effort to the undertaking. I volunteered to help pick out the wines for the party. What a terrible task, having to go to one of the better wine stores in the district and shop for wines that I wasn’t going to have to pay for. I struggled through.

I figured I was done for the day, and only had to worry about not completely dehydrating in the sauna-like conditions. It soon became evident that my Sudoku reverie was going to be broken by the need to once again appear to be helpful. This time, I was asked to help out by putting together the music for the evening’s party. So let’s get this straight. I get to sit in front of a computer and screen 3500 songs to find the ones that I like and then put them together into a series of playlists (one for starters, one for dinner, one for dancing, and one for the end of the evening). I got to hear a whole bunch of songs that I haven’t listed to in a long time (or ever for that matter), while everyone else actually did something useful.

The party, as it turns out, was just great. The caterer was fantastic, making life easy on everyone, and the food was out of this world. The hosts were convivial and entertaining, and made everyone feel welcome and that they were an essential part of the celebration. But the really important news is that, as has happened countless times before, my modest contributions were acknowledged well out of proportion to the effort expended.

Humor, Music, Wine | No Comments »

The number one most emailed story in today’s New York Times, is one entitled New Hints Seen That Red Wine May Slow Aging, by Nicholas Wade. This article revisits some of the previous research demonstrating that one of the active ingredients in red wine, resveratrol, has been shown to prolong life in mice. Newer research apparently shows that these effect may occur at far lower doses than those previously reported.

Separately […], a research team led by Tomas A. Prolla and Richard Weindruch, of the University of Wisconsin, reports in the journal PLoS One on Wednesday that resveratrol may be effective in mice and people in much lower doses than previously thought necessary. In earlier studies, like Dr. Auwerx’s of mice on treadmills, the animals were fed such large amounts of resveratrol that to gain equivalent dosages people would have to drink more than 100 bottles of red wine a day.

The Wisconsin scientists used a dose on mice equivalent to just 35 bottles a day. But red wine contains many other resveratrol-like compounds that may also be beneficial. Taking these into account, as well as mice’s higher metabolic rate, a mere four, five-ounce glasses of wine “starts getting close” to the amount of resveratrol they found effective, Dr. Weindruch said.

The bottom line is that the amount of resveratrol in red wine is so tiny that even if this one ingredient is truly related to longevity, one couldn’t possible consume enough wine to gain any benefit along these lines.

The hoohah surrounding this report and others like it is that it can only mean bad things for all of us, but most importantly, me. Most people will not read the fine print and immediately run out and buy up red wine, which will of course result in price increases across the board. That is bad for me and for anyone who enjoys drinking wine because they enjoy drinking wine.

But what is even worse in my mind, is the underlying assumption that scientists are going to be able to isolate a single substance that, once ingested, will have the single desirable effect of lengthening one’s life. This represents but a small subset of the mindset that allows us to think that simple manipulations of our biology by exogenous compounds will cure what ails us. Anyone remember oat bran as a cure for cholesterol? Wilfred Brimley aside, there has never been a single study demonstrating that it has any effect. If you haven’t already, read anything by Michael Pollan to see what a really smart guy thinks about this. His advice “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants” is right on point.

People rightly worry about what they put in their bodies. If you’re diabetic, for example, it would be wise to limit the amount of simple carbohydrates and sugars you eat. That said, our bodies are incredibly complex and it is simply folly to think that varying one aspect of our biology will have only one desired outcome—hence the term side effects. As for me, I may indeed choose to suck down 4-5 glasses of wine a night, but if I do so, it won’t be because I need to get a dose of resveratrol. It will be because I’ve turned into a wino.

Food, General, Science, Wine | 1 Comment »

Absolutely lovely op-ed piece in the New York Times today by physicist Brian Greene entitled “Put a Little Science in Your Life.” There are, of course, lots of reasons why science matters. Perhaps even more so in today’s world where certain leaders so determined to ignore evidence and base their decisions on preconveived notions of how the world works. What makes this article special is that 1) it is exceptionally well-written and 2) hits all of the right notes. For example:

But here’s the thing. The reason science really matters runs deeper still. Science is a way of life. Science is a perspective. Science is the process that takes us from confusion to understanding in a manner that’s precise, predictive and reliable — a transformation, for those lucky enough to experience it, that is empowering and emotional. To be able to think through and grasp explanations — for everything from why the sky is blue to how life formed on earth — not because they are declared dogma but rather because they reveal patterns confirmed by experiment and observation, is one of the most precious of human experiences.

This article passes the ultimate litmus test for excellence: I wish I wrote it.

Science | 1 Comment »

I was listening to some podcasts on the drive up to Montreal today, and someone mentioned the video seen below, which answers the question: What would happen to Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” if there were no birds? Dutch artist Martijn Hendriks knows.

Entertainment | No Comments »

Many of you know that we live in the suburban paradise known as Newton, Massachusetts. While it is perpetually trendy to bash on the purported vacuousness and bland homogeneity of suburban lifestyle, I will never do that to my town. As I’ve mentioned before, we live in a fantastic neighborhood, and this was a great place to raise a family.

Of course, our town is not perfect. For example, if you were to ask most people what attracted them to Newton it would be (in no particular order) 1) proximity to Boston (we’re only 7 miles from downtown), and 2) the school system. I think it is safe to say that while the school system is quite good, it has had trouble maintaining its reputation over the past couple of years. There are a number of reasons for this, that I’ll talk about in another post. But it is clear that much of the success of the Newton students is often despite the school system, rather than because of it. The school budget is continually under pressure, and there appears to be inordinate amount administrative rather than teaching positions.

What has put Newton in the news lately, however, is the construction of the new Newton North High School, which has risen in estimated price from approximately $80 million to $200 million. (If you Google “Newton North High School Construction” you’ll get over 236,000 hits). Both of my children graduated from this school, and my wife has taught science there for the past 7 years. It is a very successful school in terms of the diversity of students it serves, and in terms of their student’s academic success. Spend a few minutes in the current building, however, and you can immediately see why it needs to be replaced. The HVAC system never worked well—the fluctuations in temperature from room to room are astounding—and the basic design is not “conducive to optimal learning” to quote from Chalk: The Musical. This Sunday’s Boston Globe Magazine published an article by Newton North grad and journalist Seth Mnookin that is the best I’ve seen detailing the history and some of the problems that led to the current state of affairs. One quote sums up quite nicely what has been obvious to those of us close to the situation:

The tragedy of this story is that during a time when teachers around the country, from New Orleans to Newark, are spending their own money on school supplies for their students, Newton could have had the exact same wonderful, new high school, with the same zigzag design, glass-walled cafeteria, and solar paneling, for tens of millions of dollars less, if only so many of Newton’s residents weren’t in love with the sound of their own voices.

General, Politics | 1 Comment »

I am, I’ve been told, a devious person. Not so much in my daily life, but certainly when it comes to convenience in the home. Take, for example, the “secret ingredient” that I would add to milk in order to get my young children to consume their allotment of calcium. I would take their glass, disappear down the hall to where I kept my stash, and return with a glass of milk with an improved flavor. It took a surprisingly long time for these otherwise very bright and observant kids to catch on the fact that I added nothing to the glass.

Another instance of this type of underhanded scheme would come to the fore when one or the other kid would start their organ recitals: “My head hurts. My knee hurts. My toes hurt.” At this point, we would again go to our secret compartment and add a placebo to the children’s drinks. To be fair, we were totally honest with them. When they asked what we they were being given, we told them it was “a placebo.” Again, it took a shockingly long time before they finally understood exactly what a placebo was. When confronted with our deception, we simply pointed out that we never lied.

Today I read in the New York Times that some entrepreneurs are now cashing in on this idea, and are marketing placebo pills. There are a surprisingly large number of objections to this, some from the scientific side:

But some experts question the premise behind the tablets. “Placebos are unpredictable,” said Dr. Howard Brody, a medical ethicist and family physician at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. “Each and every time you give a placebo you see a dramatic response among some people and no response in others.”

He added that there was no way to predict who would respond.

“The idea that we can use a placebo as a general treatment method,” Dr. Brody said, “strikes me as inappropriate.”

whereas other worry about the long term consequences:

Dr. Geller, the bioethicist, agrees that parents should not deceive their children. But she added that a parent who truly believed in the power of the placebo was not really being deceptive. “In principle,” she said, “I don’t have a problem with the thoughtful use of placebo. The starting premise and your own belief about what you’re doing matters a lot.”

As for me, I’m only angry that I didn’t think of marketing this first. Interestingly, they are calling the product Obecalp, which is placebo spelled backwards. Unless kids have gotten more clever in recent years (a possibility I am not willing to discount out of hand), this seems unnecessarily complicated.

Health, Humor | 1 Comment »

Let’s talk about cheese steaks.

I will admit to not being an expert on the topic, but during my college years I certainly downed enough of these to learn what I liked. In the dark ages—before the internet and The Food Network—regional foods mostly remained in their regions. Buffalo wings could be found in northern New York State, Tex-Mex cuisine was enjoyed mostly in the southwest, and cheese steaks were eaten in the Philadelphia area. With the advent of culinary homogenization, it is hard to go to any bar that doesn’t serve Buffalo wings and/or nachos. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it always brings up the notion of “authenticity.” Should chili be made with beans (Cincinnati) or only with meat (Texas)? What is the right type of sauce for the Buffalo wings?

This same search for the “real Philly cheese steak” has particularly annoyed me. I have seen too many reports extolling the virtues of Cheez Whiz® as the true choice for any authentic cheese steak. Cheez Whiz®? Really? I honestly didn’t know that that was an option when I first sampled cheese steaks, and always assumed that provolone was the topping of choice. I had seen some people use American cheese, but for me it was always the round italian that made it onto my plate.

I was therefore pleased to see the investigative report by the Philadelphia Inquirer. Entitled Cheez Whiz is overrated for cheesesteaks, staff writer Peter Mucha digs deep in the belly of the Philly cheese steak world and finds that few vendors prefer Cheez Whiz® on their steaks.

But pundits, pleez note: Whiz wasn’t first historically, and it’s no runaway favorite regionwide.

At John’s Roast Pork, which serves up taste-test winners on Snyder Avenue, the processed cheese sauce isn’t even served.

“I’m a cheese eater, sweetheart, and I love cheese, but Whiz is not cheese,” says owner Vonda Bucci, 75. “It’s a lot of grease and coloring.”

And this from Joey Vento, the owner of Geno’s:

“To be honest with you, I’ve never eaten Cheez Whiz, and I’m the owner,” he said. ” . . . We always recommend the provolone. . . . That’s the real cheese.”

The remainder of the article details the history of the cheese steak, and is a pretty entertaining read.

But the important point here is that, once again, I am right. The only remaining question is what would be the perfect wine to accompany Bifteck de fromage de Philadelphie?

Food, Humor | No Comments »

How lame is this?

According to the New York Times, the New York Yankees (or as I like to refer to them, the team of the twentieth century) are considering banning a promotion during the Home Run Derby at the All-Star game, which is taking place at Yankee Stadium this summer. It seems that Major League Baseball along State Farm Insurance, the sponsor of the derby, want to give a lucky fan the opportunity to choose a spot where David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox can hit a homer.

But the Yankees do not seem as if they want Ortiz to take that swing. The Yankees were upset about the plans involving Ortiz and said they were unaware of the promotion until a reporter contacted them Thursday night. The Yankees were discussing the matter internally and planning to contact Major League Baseball for an explanation.

This, following the recent fiasco where the Yankees financed at $50,000 disinterment of an Ortiz jersey burried by a Red Sox fan during the construction of the New Yankee stadium (not to mention the pathetic pronouncements of Hank Steinbrenner, the new voice of ownership) just illustrate how far this franchise has fallen. I feel like I want to have Dr. Phil come in and give a big self esteem building pep talk to the organization. In normal circumstances, one could at least count on the product on the field to produce something pride-worthy, but at least so far this millennium, it hasn’t happened.

I feel your pain, Yankee fans. Really, I do.

Humor, Sports | No Comments »

Interesting article in Wired today entitled Go Green — Buy a Used Car. It’s Better Than a Hybrid. The basic idea is that there is a cost to producing a car, such as a Prius, that doesn’t get paid off in increased gas mileage for 46,000 miles. There is a callout to another Wired article, which states:

In 2006, an Oregon market research firm released an incendiary 500-page report. Its claim: A Humvee (13 miles per gallon city, 16 highway) uses less energy than a Prius (48 city, 45 highway). Scientists quickly debunked the study, but the Hummer lovers got one thing right. Pound for pound, making a Prius contributes more carbon to the atmosphere than making a Hummer, largely due to the environmental cost of the 30 pounds of nickel in the hybrid’s battery. Of course, the hybrid quickly erases that carbon deficit on the road, thanks to its vastly superior fuel economy.

Still, the comparison suggests a more sensible question. If a new Prius were placed head-to-head with a used car, would the Prius win? Don’t bet on it. Making a Prius consumes 113 million BTUs, according to sustainability engineer Pablo Päster. A single gallon of gas contains about 113,000 Btus, so Toyota’s green wonder guzzles the equivalent of 1,000 gallons before it clocks its first mile. A used car, on the other hand, starts with a significant advantage: The first owner has already paid off its carbon debt. Buy a decade-old Toyota Tercel, which gets a respectable 35 mpg, and the Prius will have to drive 100,000 miles to catch up.

It seems to me that this misses the point. I understand the argument that the first owner of used car is the one that pays off the carbon debt of manufacturing, so that the next owner starts with no debt to pay off. But what is the alternative? All cars have to be manufactured and have to have an original owner. Yes, one can think about how to decrease the carbon cost of manufacturing, and that is surely a worthy goal. But is seems to me that the real question is not how many owners a car has, but what its total carbon cost is over the life of the vehicle. It is highly likely that the carbon footprint of the Prius after 10 years will be less than that of the not quite as efficient Tercel. The planet doesn’t care if a car has 2 or 10 owners—the effect on the planet is still the same.

Don’t get me wrong. I think it is a great idea to buy a used car. The longer a car can stay on the road (provided it is running well and efficiently), the better it is for everyone. All I’m saying is that the unit of cost is the car, not the owner. To paraphrase James Carville: “It’s the car, stupid.”

General, Technology | No Comments »