Tag: learning

There is a lot of attention regarding the topic of trans fats, but hardly anyone outside of chemists and biochemists really understands what a trans fat actually is.  This evening we will discuss what they are, whence they come, and some health aspects of them.

This is a controversial subject (not as controversial as high fructose corn sweetener), in that the medical community is not completely in unison with the interpretation of the data from studies.  However, the case is more clear than with high fructose corn sweetener.

This is likely to be a hotly debated essay.  The subject of High Fructose Corn Sweetener (HFCS) is extremely controversial, with a spectrum of advocates ranging from those who articulate that is nothing but poison in any amount, to those who articulate that is nothing but safe.  I believe that the truth is somewhere in the middle.

We will examine first the chemistry of sugars, then the use of added sugars in processed foods, then some of the political and economic causes, and finally have an open forum.  I hope that everyone will contribute.

Back in the days when energy was not understood, but after the Aristotelian ideas of the elements were being shot down, folks became interested with why fire “works”.  That is not in the least odd, since fire has been simultaneously our best friend and our worst enemy.

Without fire, food would be rather indigestible, especially meats and starchy things.  With the heat from fire, those become much better sources of digestible nutrition.  With fire, our living structures become comfortable, and without it chillingly cold and very harsh.

But fire has its own way of doing things.  Uncontrolled, it is one of most destructive natural, or human created, forces.  But it is NOT an element.  Neither is Earth, Air, nor Water.

Good evening!  Ek asked me to post tonight.  I am pleased to do so.  It has been a long time.

Tonight we are going to talk about a very quick (as far as preparation time goes) and fairly inexpensive main dish.  Traditionally, it is made with meat but it does not have to be.  The results will be somewhat different, but still very good.

LSD is essentially unique in that there were a group of people who actively advocated its universal use.  There are several reasons for that in my knowledge, and probably others of which I am oblivious.

There were several folks who were instrumental in promoting LSD as a panacea for the troubles of the planet, or that it would make other positive changes.  In at least a couple of cases, their interaction just caused the authorities to react more harshly to the wide use of the drug.  We will explore some of them this evening.

This is a historical documentary about the town in which up I grew.  Everyone has memories of people near them, but I lived in a town that the population placard said, driving into the town, Population 326.

It was, and is, in extreme west central Arkansas, just south of Fort Smith, and under a mile from the Oklahoma border.  I was born in the hospital in Fort Smith, and came live in Hackett, Arkansas.  It is on the map.

This is a test post.  I there is no interest, I will terminate this series immediately and have no hard feelings towards anyone.  I believe that it is important because even people who have grown up in the circumstances that I did can get over racism.  I have decided to use descriptions rather than names to describe folks who I knew because their relative in many cases are still living there, and I do not want to cause them any embarrassment.

Our journey now is ending.  This is the final installment on the Drugs of Abuse subseries of Pique the Geek.  This one will be a bit different, and will likely take a long time to read, if you listen to the music that I have chosen for it.

LSD is a uniquely 1960s substance, even though it was known before then.  Dr. Albert Hofmann first synthesized it in 1938 or so, but sort of forgot about it until 1943.  By the way, Dr. Hofmann died this year at the age of 100 years, so that material certainly did not kill him.

This is such a complex topic that it has taken several weeks for me to decide how to divide it into understandable chunks, and then how to present them.  The manner in which I finally decided may not be the best, but hopefully it will make some sense.  With a topic this complex, it will take two or more installments to complete.  We shall begin with the science and history this evening.

Since yesterday was Independence Day and many of us saw a fireworks display, shot off our own fireworks, or both, I thought it would be timely to describe how fireworks actually work.  All fireworks have one thing in common:  they give off heat from some sort of chemical reaction.

Most fireworks also give off light, and most also emit some sort of sound.  Notable exceptions to this are sparklers which have little sound, smoke “bombs”, and the large set pieces that display shapes like an American flag or some such.  We shall focus on the ones that give off light and sound.

I was messing around with music by The Weavers this morning.  One thing lead to another (first to Hudie Ledbetter, then Woody Guthrie) and there I was with the story of a song.  It was much more complicated than I thought.

There once was a British racehorse, born in 1741, named Skewball (or Squball or Skuball).  He won a lot of races, including a famous one on the plains of Kildare, Ireland.  The race was so renowned, songs were written.

Of such beginnings, legends are born.

Since tomorrow is Independence Day and many folks will be displaying fireworks, I thought that this would be appropriate.  Amateur use of fireworks sends many people to the Emergency Department every year, and if I can reduce the number of calls there my work is well done.

Many of you do not realize that I am a Certified Ammunition Handler, bestowed by the United States Army.  I received that certification whilst I was directing the research and development of defensive and less than lethal pyrotechnic devices several years ago.  I also understand the chemistry and physics of explosives.

There are two main classes of explosives, low explosives and high explosives.  Most fireworks are in the former category, but there are exceptions.

The Supreme Court found in favor of the nutcase haters from the Westboro Baptist Church and its fundamentalist (and fundamentally unhinged) founder, Fred Phelps.  This is a difficult post to write, but we that love the First Amendment must honor this proper decision.

These folks are, in my opinion, fundamentally hatred filled and also love the spotlight.  But, as much as it grieves me, they have their right to spew their toxic bile.

Well, only one installment in this subseries after this one, but it will be special.  Tonight we will explore this class of drugs, what they do, and how they work.

This class of drugs also includes LSD, but that material is so culturally important that it will have a post of its own.  Thinking about it, it may deserve two posts, so there may be two installment after this one.  We will have to see.