Charles W. Moore

Comparison FLA/AGM/LiPO

Worth a watch.. This guy makes a lot of sense, and not just anecdotal stuff you usually hear. Granted, we aren’t talking Battleborn’s in this thread, but generically about liFePO’s. I am using this bog as a placeholder to keep track of what is going on & will add more data later.

I like this guy but this is not an endorsement of him. He’s young but seems to be well researched and knowledgeable. Has a lot of different videos on chinese batteries and puts them through their paces. So if you are an experimenter then follow him.

Ever Given Grounding podcast

Sal Mercogliano, Associate Professor of History of History at Campbell University and Adjunct Professor at the United States Merchant Marine Academy, along with Capt John Konrad, CEO of gCaptain discuss the situation in the Suez Canal with the grounding of the Evergreen containership MV Ever Given.

Collards: the other Collards

The Heirloom Collard Project is especially meaningful: Each collard green in the project has its own distinguishing qualities, as well as a story. The Old Timey Blue collard has both large bluish leaves and vibrant, pink-purple stems. The North Carolina Yellow collard tastes like broccoli, and lacks the usual collard bitterness. The Big Daddy-Greasy Green collard has both an incredible name and story behind its preservation. Hansel Sellars of Cairo, Georgia grew this variety for 50 years before giving some seeds to Davis. He himself had originally purchased two tablespoons of the seeds in 1955, for two dollars.

Collard Information

Fat Cat Covid

A Note to Self

Before the Biden Administration congratulates themselves too much they must get to infrastructure. IMHO, what follows is what is the most important to the USA. This will bolster our national pride and this will return to us our identity.

The USA once maintained a robust commitment to public investment in things like spaceflight, medical research, the interstate highway system and the development of the internet, backed by Republican and Democratic administrations alike. Staying at the cutting edge is expensive: Between 1965 and 1980, federal expenditures on scientific research, physical capital and education regularly amounted to about 2.5 percent of G.D.P., more than $500 billion today.But that number plummeted in the 1980s. By Mr. Trump’s first year in office, Washington was spending less than 1.5 percent of G.D.P. on public investment, according to an analysis of Office of Management and Budget data from the Progressive Policy Institute, a center-left think tank. Before the pandemic, this plunge meant bridge collapses, Amtrak derailments and other disasters that Americans had come to see as inevitabilities. During the pandemic, that same chronic underinvestment invited mass death. Even the typically conservative U.S. Chamber of Commerce has spent years lobbying unsuccessfully for major increases in federal infrastructure spending.

Escapees Rainbow Plantation

This winter has been spent here in So Alabama near Gulf Shores. It has been a little cold for me but we knew this would happen more or less; however, Covid-19 has forced us into “protect thyself” mode. Now, it seems to be reaching Spring and we have had several very pleasant days in the 70±° with mostly sunny skies and winds less than 10mph and open windows with the exhaust fans on.

We will have reached maximum Pfizer Covid-19 protection levels next week so we feel a bit more secure in that regard and we plan to go out for a sit down meal next week in celebration of the 1 year isolation release. We plan on masking in larger social groups and when inside: That includes Big Box stores for food and building supplies.

My gout has resurfaced the last week so I must be getting too free with high purine items and it did not help that I bought a 12 pack of Sierra Nevada. I got through 8 bottles before the twinges started in my right top foot at night so I now have 4 bottles I will not drink. Today I have reviewed the gout diet and will have to cut back on several items like processed meats that I love. I published my guide list on this site in the AM.

I have officially reached the Spring time antsy stage, sometimes called cabin fever, so I am looking at smaller type motorcycles in the 250-300 cc class. One of my grandsons is interested in bikes so I thought I would like to get another one after a 20 year hiatus. The big criteria is that it is fast enough to go 70+ mph to keep up with traffic and that it is light enough to potentially be trailer-able on the tongue of the tow dolly. That means about 250# more or less. This, in turn, may precipitate getting a small class 4×4 truck that I can carry the motorcycle in.

Here I am dreaming of this summer and the freedom from cold. We shall see what the Summer/Fall brings this year.

Purine Levels of Food Types

Plant-based Diets and Gout

Gout has long been known as the “disease of kings” as it is most common in overweight or obese men who consume rich foods, and excessive alcohol. It is also associated with hypertension and renal impairment. Diet can help to reduce the incidence of gout, and can play an important role in the treatment of gout.

Generally, with active disease, dietary purines are restricted. In the body, purines are metabolized to uric acid. Purines can elevate uric acid in the blood. Although normal levels of uric acid can assist in scavenging free radicals, higher levels increase risk of gout. The richest dietary sources of purines are organ meats and small fish (internal organs are eaten with the fish). Diets rich in plant foods are not associated with increased risk of gout, even when higher purine plant foods are consumed. Generally, plant foods are less concentrated in purines than meat and seafood. Dairy products are low in purines and have not been found to increase risk, although high fat dairy products may contribute to cardiovascular disease and diabetes, so low or skim milk products are preferable to higher fat options.

Common Myth – Beans and Gout

It is commonly believed that beans are high purine foods and should be avoided by people who are at risk for gout, have high uric acid levels, or who have active gout. This is because most tables listing the purine content of foods list the amount of purines found in 100 grams (just over a half cup) of dried beans. When 100 grams of beans are cooked, the yield is about 1 1/2 cups of beans. A typical serving of cooked beans is about a half cup, thus the figures shown in most tables are triple the usual serving size. Using a one-half cup serving size, the purine content of beans ranges from about 20-75 mg per serving. See the chart below for the purine content of specific legumes.

Dietary Guidelines for Gout Prevention and Treatment

1. Avoid very high purine foods and limit high purine foods to not more than a serving per day (see chart below). Avoid meat extracts, broths, bouillon and gravy.
2. Avoid rich, high-fat, meat-centered meals. Rely on plant foods as your primary sources of protein.
3. Eat several servings of fiber-rich plant foods such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, each day.
4. Minimize intake of refined carbohydrates, including both starches (white flour products) and sugar.  Concentrated fructose can increase uric acid levels and increase insulin resistance.
5. Drink 2-3 L of fluids each day. Most of this should be water. 
6. Avoid alcohol, as it tends to interfere with uric acid excretion.
7. Maintain a healthy body weight. If you are overweight, aim for a slow gradual weight loss of ½-1 kg (1-2 lbs) per week. Rapid weight loss from fasting or severely calorie-restricted diets is not recommended as this can raise uric acid levels and aggravate gout.
8. Increase your physical activity. (Check with your doctor first if you are currently not active).

Purine Content of Common Foods

Avoid very high purine foods (>200 mg purine per serving)
Minimize high purine foods (>100 mg purine per serving)
Moderate medium purine foods (50-100 mg/serving)
Enjoy low purine foods (< 50 mg/serving)

* Fruits and vegetables with moderate purine content: broccoli, peas, artichokes, apricots, mushrooms, spinach, bananas and green peppers.

I Miss My Mom

Yes, I miss my mom and it was devastating to me to watch her die in 1990. However, this is not what the article is about. It is about what follows.

‘I Miss My Mom’: Children Of QAnon Believers Are Desperately Trying To Deradicalize Their Own Parents

The 19-year-old started to notice changes in his mother’s behavior around the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. She had always been a nervous woman: She stopped flying after 9/11 and had hovered closely to Sam and his two younger siblings for their entire lives. But during the COVID-19 crisis, his mom’s paranoia spiraled from quirky to deranged……..

Though she didn’t used to be very political, she now fears the president is a pedophile who stole the election. She’s scared of radiation from the 5G towers in her neighborhood and, as a white woman, she told her son, she’s afraid of being harmed by Black Lives Matter protesters — a movement she once supported. She worries that Sam’s brother and sister are being “indoctrinated” at their public high school and wants to move them to a Catholic one. She’s also refusing to get them immunized against COVID-19 as false rumors swirl that the vaccine contains a secret location-tracking microchip……

I will not go into more paraphrasing but the artice went from interesting to disturbing to scary. It is a long article and unless you are directly interested it may be too long and with a slant of its own. I don’t know as I did not read it all. The first few pages were interesting as I know a few of my former friends that were drawn into the web. I hope this is useful to someone sometime in the future.

Flint Michigan

An article in NPR caught my attention this AM. An extract is given below:

“The Michigan Attorney General’s Office Thursday announced criminal charges for eight former state officials, including the state’s former Gov. Rick Snyder, along with one current official, for their alleged roles in the Flint water crisis.

The attorney general’s announcement cites other charges as follows:

Jarrod Agen – Former Director of Communications and Former Chief of Staff, Executive Office of Gov. Rick Snyder

• One count of perjury – a 15-year felony  

Gerald Ambrose – Former City of Flint Emergency Manager

• Four counts of misconduct in office – each a five-year felony and/or $10,000 fine

Richard Baird – Former Transformation Manager and Senior Adviser, Executive Office of Gov. Snyder

• One count of perjury – a 15-year felony
• One count of official misconduct in office – a five-year felony and/or $10,000 fine
• One count of obstruction of justice – a five-year felony and/or $10,000 fine
• One count of extortion – a 20-year felony and/or $10,000 fine

Howard Croft – Former Director of the City of Flint Department of Public Works

• Two counts of willful neglect of duty – each a one-year misdemeanor and/or $1,000 fine 

Darnell Earley – Former City of Flint Emergency Manager

• Three counts of misconduct in office – each a five-year felony and/or $10,000 fine 

Nicolas Lyon – Former Director, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

• Nine counts of involuntary manslaughter – each a 15-year felony and/or $7,500 fine 
• One count of willful neglect of duty – a one-year misdemeanor and/or $1,000 fine 

Nancy Peeler – Current Early Childhood Health Section Manager, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

• Two counts of misconduct in office – each a five-year felony and/or $10,000 fine
• One count of willful neglect of duty – a one-year misdemeanor and/or $1,000 fine

Eden Wells – Former Chief Medical Executive, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

• Nine counts of involuntary manslaughter – each a 15-year felony and/or $7,500 fine
• Two counts of misconduct in office – each a five-year felony and/or $10,000 fine
• One count of willful neglect of duty – a one-year misdemeanor and/or $1,000 fine”

The article link is right here and you should read it:

https://www.npr.org/2021/01/14/956924155/ex-michigan-gov-rick-snyder-and-8-others-criminally-charged-in-flint-water-crisi?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR3_k_Oe_Yi3EfAVA_f_DgknSL6WNDD_B7jEGljymjKRRrdCzlm-c9dR9b0

Menu of a Pub in Ancient Pompeii

In December 2020, archaeologists at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii announced that they had found the remains of these two men and the dog as they were excavating this ancient food establishment, known as a thermopolium.

Researcher: Spaces like this thermopolium provide archaeologists like me with a realistic portrayal of what Roman food culture was like in comparison to sensational portrayals of Roman food culture

The researcher re-constructed a typical meal based on article in the link below at the end of the text. The preparation is given next and this is the real “meat” of the article.

Preparation

1. Prepare the dough for the mensae: Dissolve the starter in the water, combine with the flour and salt, then knead the dough, cover it, and let it rest for one hour in a warm place.
2. Place the duck in a pot, submerge it in water, add the dill and pinch of salt, and bring it to a boil. Cover and simmer on medium-low for 45 minutes to create a light broth. If you’re feeling brave, add a few snail shells, goat bones, and pork bones to the broth for added flavor.
3. After the mensae dough has rested, cut the dough in half, and fold each half into a ball. Using a rolling pin or the palm of your hand, flatten each ball into a disk. Cover with a damp tea towel and let the dough rest for another 30 minutes.
4. In a pan, combine the olive oil and fish sauce with the oregano and coriander, then heat on medium-high.
5. Remove the duck from the broth pot and sear it in the pan along with the oil, fish sauce, and herbs. Drizzle with half of the defrutum (or grape molasses). Once the duck has browned, remove it from the pan and set it aside. Keep the drippings in the pan.
6. In a bowl, combine the remaining defrutum (or grape molasses) with the red wine vinegar, honey, diced dandelion greens (or cicoria), ground black pepper, lovage, cumin, coriander, and asafoetida and whisk it all together.
7. In the pan, add the flour and duck fat (or lard or unsalted butter) to the drippings and make a roux by dissolving the flour and fat together on low heat. Use a whisk to prevent clumping.
8. Combine the mixture of honey, vinegar, and spices with 1 cup (215 grams) of the duck broth and slowly add the liquid to the roux in the pan, on low heat, whisking it together until it begins to thicken into a sauce.
9. Cook both mensae by either heating a grill or a frying pan with olive oil, on medium-high. Place each mensa onto the hot grill or pan and grill it until it starts to inflate. Then flip it over and grill the other side until golden brown. Lower your heat if the mensae are browning too quickly before inflating.
10. Place a large dollop of the sauce on each serving dish. Slice the duck meat into bite-size morsels and place them on top of the sauce. Drizzle with additional broth to surround the duck morsels and garnish with sprigs of fresh oregano.
11. Slice the grilled mensae into wedges and serve them alongside the sliced duck to soak up the sauce and the broth.

Now take your bowl of braised duck and your bread, and imagine you’re in a Pompeiian popina. Find a stool where there’s enough light to see the food in front of you. You may have to sidle up next to a stranger so make sure your coin purse is secure. Best make this your last cup of wine. The ground always trembles beneath your feet when you’ve had too much and it’s doing so right now. Not to worry, the broth and bread will sober you up just enough to stagger out the front door past that dog that won’t stop barking at something off in the distance. Scratch his head to distract him, then say goodbye. Time to go while there’s still daylight. Is it daylight? The air outside has a strange yellow hue to it, and an acrid smell, and the earth feels as if it’s still trembling periodically as you steady yourself on the edge of a fountain. It’s probably just the wine but you’d better get home quickly. A dark cloud is forming above Vesuvio and it looks as if a storm is on its way.

* Correction: This article originally stated that Pliny wrote the letter in 79 AD. It was several decades after the eruption, around 106 AD.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/recreate-the-menu-of-pompeii-ancient-pub?utm_source=Atlas+Obscura+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=b756f82470-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2021_01_29&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f36db9c480-b756f82470-70922829&mc_cid=b756f82470&mc_eid=248b0bf054