This is a great post with a few specifics about gestures that mean something different in other places.
http://www.scienceofpeople.com/2014/07/gestures-shouldnt-making-abroad/
by Michiel Andreae from The Netherlands
( Read more... )

The level at the high bridge putin was 5.32. That's medium, or maybe medium-high. It was just right. The group was 10 kayakers including Joey, Craig and Michael that I've paddled with before. Several of the group were men who'd been in the "fast group" on Opal yesterday, or were just plain old new. Ken, Ben who works at Nike, Bradley, etc. I rode with and followed Bruce. Joey instructed both Craig and I to follow him, and when I told him that on the ride up it got him going. He's a cell biologist at age 60 with an illustrious career that discovered (with others of course) kinesin which is this very cool little walking protein that goes up a track inside our neurons. Axonal transport. He was interesting to follow on the river, reminded me somewhat of Dick with the way he would give instructions and then set out to lead. He wasn't easy to follow, either. I could never tell what he was going to do next, and he would paddle really hard to make difficult moves. One thing is for sure, if you start your beginners out following him, they will get to be better boaters fast. After a while I learned to hang back and see generally what channel he was headed down, and then read the close up water for myself. I cut a lot of corners and took one tenth as many strokes, and enjoyed it more. Funny how different people's river styles can be. I guess I'm lazy.
( about the river and more random train of consciousness )

Which diet is the healthiest, according to the science, as reported by Dr Schor?
( the Mediterranean diet )

I didn't until just now but I have a feeling this info may come up again. There are two different kinds of casein found in milk. Type A1 is associated with disease. Type A2 is not. France has mostly A2 cows and New Zealand is transitioning to A2. I wonder why? How long have people known about this distinction? "Old fashioned" Jersey and Guernsey cows as well as goats and sheep produce A2 milk. Why is the new school milk dangerous? Is genetic engineering for maximum production at the root of this? Bottom line: We want A2 milk, especially for children. I just didn't know about it until today, but my friend Mary is always good for teaching me something new. I was already switched over to goat dairy (feta and kefir), which is easy to do here in Portland. Not so easy some places.
( the info paragraph from Mary's email to me )

Big news in Europe: the Swiss have consitutionally banned new minarets.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091129/ap_on_re_eu/eu_switzerland_minaret_ban

I heard the story on NPR, and until then I had not realized that minarets are supported mostly by the political arm of Islam. There is some dispute among ardent Muslims about their use. I am proud of the Swiss. Those who pine for diversity may not realize that wolves are diverse among sheep.

In France more and more heterosexual couples are signing a civil union pact of solidarity in lieu of getting hitched. The law was passed in 1999 to give gay couples a way to legalize their unions under French law, which will not allow them to marry. Now the ratio is 2:1, marriages to civil unions among heterosexuals in France. In 2008 there were 140,000 couples united by the pact, and 92% of them were hetero. The pact allows couples to file joint income tax returns like marriage, and are easily dissolved, unlike marriage.
( I wonder what would happen if there was such a law here in the states... )

The folks of the UK are even less likely to be willing to give up their burgers and fries than we are! And obesity is on the upswing all over the world, except in a few parts of Asia. Read about it on the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7165990.stm.
( the text )