Cyril O

Mar

2015

Gun Control vs Deaths in USA and Australia

When one reads statistics one must not look at too broad or too narrow an area.

I recently watched a comedian online (who was quite funny by the way) talking about gun control and violence in Australia vs the USA. He pointed out that in 1996 there was a violent shooting in Australia that prompted laws to be put in place to remove guns from the people of that country. This action is believed to have resulted in a 50% decline in gun deaths in the 15 years following.

More details on that event here:
Australia and gun control
and:
http://www.aic.gov.au/statistics/homicide/weapon.html

I thought that maybe I should compare the same period in the United States. That makes sense right. The above article assumes that gun violence is rampant and increasing and pretty much out of control in the States.

Well, lo and behold, lookey here… This surprised even me: From 1993 to 2010 the gun homicide rate is down 49% in the United States of America. (In the same period of time non-fatal firearm crimes are down over 70%.)
Here is an article with some of these stats:
Trends in homicide rates USA

So, I’m thinking that there may be some other reason for the decline in gun violence in both places. It might not have anything to do with guns. Or not guns. But it may not be controversial enough for the media.

Would it not be better to find what is actually lowering these rates and reinforce that than bandy about one’s own version of the stats. Maybe by actually figuring out why we could reduce this violence even more.

Mar

2015

Recipe: Pork Tenderloin Stuffed With Prosciutto

Ingredients:
One pound piece of pork tenderloin
A bunch of fresh basil leaves
2-8 tablespoons of hard cheese grated(I use Asiago or Grana Padano – I have them handy for my gnocchi recipe)
2-8 tablespoons of sun-dried tomato paste
6 -10 slices of prosciutto ham
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and pepper

Olive paste
2/3 cup pitted black olives
2-3 garlic cloves
4 tablespoon olive oil

1. Trim away excess fat(if you want – I have always found that fat increases the taste – so trim after cooked if there is too much)
Slice the pork lengthwise being careful not to go all the way through.
2. Open out the pork and salt and pepper inside
3. Lay a bed of basil leaves inside
4. Mix the sun dried tomato paste and grated cheese together and lay on top of the basil. (The original recipe on this called for a couple of tablespoons of each but this was not nearly enough. I used quite a bit more and was glad I did. It really adds to the overall flavours.)
5. Press the pork back together and wrap with the ham. Start with one over each end and hold those in place with the other pieces. Don’t be shy with the ham.
6. Place in a pan/dish – I used a glass baking dish – seamside down. Brush with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Place in the oven preheated to 375F. 30-40 minutes.
7. For the olive paste: you can blend the olives, garlic and olive oil or finely chop the garlic and olives and just mix in a bowl with the oil.
8. Cut the cooked pork thinly and serve.
9. We served with sliced tomato and avocado sprinkled with salt, pepper, basil and olive oil.
Note: try different stuffings. I’ll probably add a bit of spinach next time or maybe some dried fruit.

Jan

2015

How long should I stay on my inversion table?

I bought my inversion table a little over two years ago. It was definitely helping but not to the degree that I had hoped until a more recent discovery.

I’ve had lower back and hip pain for many years. The lower back pain for most of my life. I have done all sorts of things to help it. Lots of yoga, stretching and exercise – that helps but more to keep it somewhat comfortable but not so great for improvement or taking the overall pain away. Years ago I would go to Chiropractors but until I met one more recently none really helped at all. A Chiropractor that my brother went to told him about ‘the table’ so I thought I would try it.

First I did a bunch of research on tables and purchased. I found lots of good testimonials on its use but not much on how to use to get the best results. So, it was a bit of trial and error. I started using it about 3-4 times a week for about 20 minutes or so each time. I had the angle at about 35-45 degrees. I could feel it pulling and I did see some improvement for a while but after a bit, not so much. I could not do an extreme angle for that amount of time as it would start to hurt my sinuses. A few months ago, I started doing it for about forty minutes each time to see if that would help. Not too much difference. So after almost two and a half years I was getting relief but no solid improvement.

More recently, one of the lifeguards at the pool where I swim mentioned to me that one of the other patrons used to sell inversion tables for a living and was quite knowledgeable about them. About three weeks ago he was a the pool at the same time as me so I asked him if I could ‘pick his brain’ about the tables. He was quite willing and told me some very good data. He told me a brand that he like but the key was how to use. He said that I should place the bed at an angle of at least 60 degrees. At that angle the weight of the body takes 100% of the pressure off the base of the spine. Allowing it to heal. The advice, though, was to only hang for five minutes or so three times a day. This was great news for me as I could do that length of time without having a problem with my sinuses.

I have now been using the inversion table this way for about three weeks. With a few days here and there missed from being out of town. At first I thought that some of the changes could just be in my head. Kind of willing things to get better. But I noticed this weekend, standing a lot working that a weakness in my leg that had been starting to develop was no longer happening. And it does not hurt ‘all’ the time now.

One other benefit of the “five minutes’ is that it is very easy to fit in through the day. It does not add a lot of time anywhere. I can do this for 5 minutes right after I get up or just before I’m going to go out to run some errands or when I get back. It all adds up to about the same amount of time but just doesn’t interfere the same way with my schedule.

There were some other comparative tests that this fellow told me about where people using the inversion tables for a certain period of time had 78% fewer back operations than the control group, etc. When and if I find this I will try and add it to this article.

Dec

2014

HIGH SCHOOL 1957 vs. 2014

This was emailed to us today. Says it pretty clearly.

HIGH SCHOOL 1957 vs. 2014

Scenario 1:
Jack goes duck hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck’s gun rack.

1957 – Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack’s shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2014- School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario 2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.

1957 – Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2014 – Police called and SWAT team arrives — they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario 3:
Jeffrey will not be still in class; he disrupts other students.

1957 – Jeffrey sent to the Principal’s office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2014 – Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The family gets extra money (SSI) from the government because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario 4:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor’s car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.

1957 – Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.
2014 – Billy’s dad is arrested for child abuse, Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy’s sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy’s mom has an affairwith the psychologist.

Scenario 5:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.

1957 – Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock.
2014 – The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario 6:
Pedro fails high school English.

1957 – Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.
2014 – Pedro’s cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro’s English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario 7:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.

1957 – Ants die.
2014 – ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents – and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny’s dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario 8:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.

1957 – In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2014- Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

Oct

2014

Recipe: Stir Fry Lamb

This recipe take longer to tell than to cook.

Ingredients(extremely flexible)

Lamb sausages (pork chops or boneless/skinless chicken will do as well but by far our favourite is lamb)
Fresh green onions
Cherry or some sort of small tomatoes(any tomato will do – something with a lot of taste)
Feta cheese(dry)
Mushrooms
Zucchini
Red pepper
Pasta
Basil
Ground pepper
Olive Oil
Butter
Salt
Turmeric (use very lightly if I’m cooking with chicken instead of lamb)
Mint Sauce(with the Lamb)

I first get a pot of water going for the pasta as it take the longest. Start the other items to time them to the completion of whatever kind of noodles that you are using. Salt the water, add a bit of oil and when boiling throw in the appropriate amount of pasta. Note: This meal is not heavy on the pasta; I essentially cover the bottom of the eating bowl or plate, not heap it.

I get lamb sausages that are already spiced so there is no need to add anything to them. If you use chicken or pork, oil them and season with salt, pepper and basil to taste.

Grill them if you can.

Vegetables: Mushrooms, Zucchini and Red Pepper. Grill if you can or fry. If you fry, wait until everything else is almost done before starting – I put zucchini in longer, then the mushrooms and the peppers for only a minute. Covered. With lots of butter and a little oil(I cook with grapeseed oil a lot). Try not to cook the veggies too much.

If you grill the vegetables as well, then lightly oil and season with the salt, pepper and basil as well.

Garnish: Chop green onions(two or three) into a bowl that you can use for serving. Half the cherry tomatoes and add them(a handful or two). Add a good handful of Feta cheese(I use cow Feta) with a bit of pepper and basil. The Feta I use is pretty salty so extra salt is not needed. Just before you serve, add a bit of good olive oil and stir.

When the meat is cooked, cut into bite sized pieces.

Presentation: I use wide soup bowls(from Ikea) for this dish. Put a small amount of noodles on the bottom of the dish. Add the vegetables(the grilled or fryed) and then the meat. The garnish is on the table and is added as desired. Use a bit of mint sauce if you are using lamb.

This is best served with a decent Chianti.

I think I’ve covered everything here. A very flexible recipe. Use what you have. My garnish though, is pretty much always the same – incredibly refreshing.

Enjoy,

– Martin