Brain Function

About two years ago I started taking Omega-3 capsules. The ostensible reason was that I was having trouble thinking clearly and I had heard somewhere that omega-3 could help with that. I admit, when I first started taking omega-3 I could not tell any immediate difference, but now I can tell when I don't take it for a day or two. Even so, at the time my problems were deeper than just needing more omega-3 (which I definitely did). I had a couple of physical problems that I believe contributed to a general brain fog and a bit of malaise.

I should make clear here, that all of my problems are self-diagnosed, and my wife thinks I am a hypocondriac. With that disclaimer, I know how I feel, and I monitor my body pretty closely, on a constant basis as a matter of fact, having to live within it at least most of the time.

Anyway, research over the course of the last couple of years has led me to believe that I was suffering from three problems. Number 1, vitamin B12 deficiency. Number 2, too much mercury in my system. And Number 3 insufficient omega-3 in my diet.

Figuring all of this out took a lot of research on the internet, but in the course of this time I changed my diet and added supplements to my daily intake. The results are that I not only feel much healthier, but feel that I have regained some of that alacrity of mind that I had lost over the previous decade. My solution is fairly simple. I take: B12, Calcium, Omega-3, Resveratrol, Folic Acid, as supplements, and eat a fairly big salad at dinner or for a bed time snack every evening. I also spice most dishes with at least a bit of cilantro. I have also started a new blog about Omega-3 as a way of helping me to research its benefits a bit further.

Backgammon

I have decided to start a blog about backgammon and its rules. I lost four games in a row recently. I thought this might be a good way to get me back into form.

I have found that the best way for me to learn about something is to do it, and then write about it. My wife chastises me for not reading directions when I do something. If I get a new computer game, I will invariably try to play it without reading directions first. Once I have played it then I want to read about it, and ultimately write about it.

Antiquities and Metal Detectors

Just read an interesting blog post about Metal Detectorist and Historical Sites in Britain. The author was complaining about people who use metal detectors going over historic sites and in essense "looting" (my word, not his) the site. This is something I never considered before. But it does make sense that people should not be trespassing on designated historic sites, or even private property with a metal detector. Because who ever owns the site is the real owner of whatever is under the soil, whoever happens to find it.

However, there is a grey line when one talks about people who have permission to use a metal detector over neighboring property.

I was thinking that this whole dispute might be settled with a bit of creative permitting, in the same way we do permiting for hunting here in the states. It could provide revenue that would go to preserving historical sites and enforce rules regarding the finding and preserving of antiquities...Just an idea.

The Brother's Grimm Frog Prince

I am feeling a bit uncharitable today.

You hear so much about the Brothers Grimm, and their fairy tales. Having written a book that includes a frog prince, I thought I would take a look at the Frog Prince, by the Brothers Grimm in its original.

I generally have a high tolerance for old style writing, having been an avid reader of Dickens, Tolstoy, Hardy, and the other greats of the 19th Century. But I found the brothers to be rather feeble writers as far as plot development goes.

Granted, that old time fairy-tales tend to be rather sketchy, especially regarding characterization, I thought this one to be sad, and came to the conclusion that the main reason the Brothers have a reputation is that they were first on the scene.

I believe that people of antiquity to the present were just as smart and capable as we are, especially in matters of philosophy and literature, so it is hard for me to cut the brothers any slack based on the fact that they wrote a couple hundred years ago. It is not like they were putting paintings on the wall of a cave for the first time in the history of man, and having to mix their own colors to boot.

Maybe, it is just sour grapes on my part. The Brothers have sold more copies of their book than I have of mine. Help me out here and buy a copy of Grezundl and the Frog Prince. It will make me feel a bit more charitable.

Comic Mix of Fairy Tales

Grezundl and the Frog Prince has just been released in quality paperback format. I wrote this book a couple of years ago. I recently had reason to pull it out and read it to the kids. Even at their current ages 9 and 13, they still enjoyed having it read to them again.

Actually, I wrote the book for all age levels. An adult can get as much enjoyment out of the sly witticisms as children can get out of the slapstick comedy. I admit reaching pretty far for a couple of puns, but I think the whole thing came off fairly well.

If you get a chance take a peek at it.

Christopher Columbus

I just wrote several articles about Christopher Columbus. What an interesting character! and so full of contradictions. He treated the natives he found in the new world well on the first voyage, but tried to enslave them later. He was a great navigator and "Admiral of the Ocean Sea", but he was a terrible administrator and made a hash of his job as Viceroy of Hispanola.

I have been looking for good images of the ships he travelled in. Found some good ones at Arts and Nature in Oswego County, New York, interestingly enough. These are photos of ships built in the same way the originals were made.

In my gadding about I also found a beautiful representation of a caravel. On this same page there were also some pics of audio postcards or 33 rpm recordings!

Water Filters

Today I decided to nose around a bit on water filtration systems. I am a bit of a healthy-living nut, but I also like to make use of technology where ever it can help in this regard. I found an interesting post on atmospheric water. It actually sounds like a great idea. This is how I imagine it works - condense water in the air and THEN filter it. The evaporation process the water went through originally then would act like an initial filter. Cool Idea.

Bread Recipe

There is just something about bread recipes. I made some apple bread a few weeks ago that turned out pretty well. I video taped the process, but haven't gotten around to producing it. When I do maybe I will post it here. No doubt it will be on YouTube.

Meanwhile, I have been on the hunt and found a great bread recipe. This is from a nice little blog. The pics of the bread make your mouth water. I will give it a try on my next oportunity.

Food Trays

While doing some research on sun-drying food I ran across a couple of good websites and blogs:

Healthy Garden has a nice all around article on preserving food.

I found a great page on food drying, by Marcella Schaffer. There are also some nice diagrams of various trays you can build for sun drying.

For the quick and dirty, along with a versatile design for a sun drying tray, check out the Preserve Food website.

I am getting ready for summer. I know it is still only early March, but one can dream. I am going to add to my store of trays for drying. I have big plans for the garden this year! And the way the economy is going, I might even turn my whole yard into a mini farm!

Bread History

I was just researching bread history. I found two very good ones. One I actually wrote myself a couple of years ago for BreadInfo. What got me on the kick was a fascinating article I read about St Anthony's Fire. It is about a fungus that comes off from some very wet grain and wreaks havoc on a small French town in the 1950s.

Besides the BreadInfo history of bread, there is a very good history of bread at the History of Food blog.

In the course of my review of bread history I find that there are those who see those who engage in bread making as revolutionaries or at least radicals. I think this may just be a romantic notion. If one considers baking as a trade, and its deep connections to the past, it is hard to reconcile this. Not only that, but more often than not bakers have been the victim of radicalism, as in the French revolution when bread riots were the order du jeur.

The Silent Man

Just read "The Silent Man". Excellent espiona...espiean...espyan... I mean spy thriller. Read a fun review at book thirty.

John Wells is the hero of the book, and is my new hero, or anti-hero. (He is no Flashman, but there will never be another Flashman.) Intrigue, suspense, and a great page turner. All I have to say is get it and read it!

Ginger

Ginger is a great spice used in all kinds of cooking. But amazingly enough, it can be used as cold remedy. I ran across this recommendation to take tea with ginger at Kathy G's blog. She says it sets you up for about 2 hours. I haven't tried it yet, but I will give it a shot the next time I get a cough and a runny nose. Thanks Kathy.

I found some info on how to prevent the common cold in the first place. Of course, nothing is 100% sure, so I will keep Kathy's remedy on hand...just in case.

Resveratrol

I just reloaded on resveratrol. I bought five bottles from Puritan Pride of their 50 mg. As usual, I decided to do a little more investigation - after the fact. However, my research did nothing but increase my confidence that taking resveratrol is a good thing. Here is a list of a couple of the blogs I visited:

• Science and Reason on Resveratrol


• The Resveratrol Blog


• Resveratrol Network

Resveratrol is reputed to have life extending properties and was first discovered in grape wine. It is the stuff that is supposed to produce the French paradox. (The French eat a lot of high fat foods and wine, yet still have a longer than average lifespan.)

I just created a video on making bread dough that I want to share. I have have been honing my editing skills and, I think this video turned out pretty well. It is fairly simple, but I tried to cut it and shape it in a way that got the points across quickly without seeming to do so. I am thinking about creating a whole series of videos on making different kinds of breads out of a basic dough from a bread machine.





Let me know what you think.