[figs] properties of paradise

The real thing, courtesy of Mopsa

Most entertaining article about the humble fig. Some of the main points:

* The most common impression of the ficus carica or common fig for the traveler in Turkey is the slightly suggestive sight of a dried fig sliced and stuffed to bursting (with walnuts) and the sign Turkish Viagra floating enticingly above it.

* This week, though, figs made the news for something more than their alleged libido-enhancing properties. Archeologists excavating ruins in the ancient city of Assos found 2,400-year-old figs that were still edible in a tomb. They believe the figs were put there to be part of the last meal of the departing spirit.

* Turkish fig producers face another enemy as dangerous as global warming, the fruit themselves can spoil and turn toxic. Notoriously difficult to dry, figs often develop mold when produced in warm humid conditions. These mold contains aflatoxins which have been known to cause cancer in animals and aflatoxin B1, the most toxic, can cause cancer in humans.

* The fig tree has a bad reputation with farmers as a destroyer of men, the adage among rural folk is that he who falls from a fig tree never escapes unscathed and rarely recovers. A report from Trabzon's 2002 fig picking season listed 223 injured people in 20 days. Most suffered from broken arms, legs and ribs but there were also two fatalities.

* The fig tree does however have a good reputation in Islam where a hadith (oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Prophet Mohammad) from Bukhari says that the prophet mentioned figs and said, "If I had to mention a fruit that descended from paradise I would say this is it because the paradisiacal fruits do not have pits ... eat from these fruits for they prevent hemorrhoids and help gout."

* Traditionalists believe that if you see fresh ripe figs in your dreams they always indicate unexpected levels of good fortune but if the fig is dried then the good luck they bring will be marred by jealousy and gossip.

Get thee out there and start planting.

That controversial "non-fig" pic

[blair] when the bilderberger and cfr meet

This is classic:

Tony Blair has taken a part-time post with US investment bank JP Morgan.

The Bilderberger has joined the CFR* and I'm sure everyone is agreed that Tony is well qualified for the job. It's not unlike when Oracle met Delphi in Bavaria.

That's truly wonderful. Birds of a feather. Love to be a fly on the wall.

* Founder of the CFR was John W. Davis, J.P. Morgan’s personal attorney, while the vice-president was Paul Cravath.

[checkers] perfect solution found

Most important issue of the day:

According to US journal Science, the perfect solution to how to play checkers (draughts) without losing is one of the ten most interesting discoveries of 2007. Dr. Yngvi Björnsson at Reykjavík University is one of its discoverers.

“It is very pleasing, but this recognition may not have much impact,” Björnsson, who discovered the checkers-solution with a team of Canadian scientists, told Fréttabladid. “It is, in fact, a greater recognition that the article about the discovery was published in the journal last summer […]; one of the most respected scientific journals in the world.”

Now, in this holiday season, that's the best news yet for the kids wiling away the hours. Trouble is, they didn't provide the solution for me to post. You'll have to buy the journal.

[blogpower] the sorry mess in summary

This post will not be reappearing.

There was considerable misunderstanding over Ian's and JMB's roles and only now are we getting it all together.

Both are excellent bloggers, neither has horns and good things prevail.

James

[to hell with it] bed or oblivion

There are times, after months of fighting alone that a man needs to just go to bed and have a sleep. That's what I'm going to do now on this minus 26 degree night.

It wasn't so much Matt's little debate with me here that drained the energy but Calum Carr's cheap insults earlier in lieu of reasoned argument certainly exacerbated the process.

There is so much arguing from false premises, people writing to you professing friendship but then acting against you, so much failure to stand up and uphold agreed principles, so much misrepresentation via a mailing list of the true state of affairs, so much falsehood.

And friends who remain silent.

I'm going to bed.

[exercise and a little drink] and don't forget diet and love

Yes

A European Heart Journal study suggests the combination can cut the risk of heart disease. A Danish team found people who led an active lifestyle were less prone to heart disease - but the risk was cut still further if they drank moderately.

The researchers followed nearly 12,000 men and women for nearly 20 years, during which 1,242 died from ischaemic heart disease (IHD). Overall, they found people who did not drink or take any exercise had the highest risk of heart disease - 49% higher than people who either drank, exercised or did both.

When comparing people who took similar levels of exercise, they found that those who drank moderately - one to 14 units of alcohol a week - were around 30% less likely to develop heart disease than non-drinkers.

That stands to reason but for well-being, surely you'd have to add:

1. spiritual welfare - being at ease in one's head, happy in he job and generally easy about things;

2. diet - eating properly is so vitally important it was a surprise this was not factored into the study;

3. good relationship with a loved one. I mean, how important is this?

Alternatively, it is also logical that people who are spiritually not at one, who over-eat fatty or excessively carbo foods, are sedentary, drink nothing perhaps due to wowserism and are alone are at the greatest risk.

There's a message there, methinks.

No