Scribal Terror

These Greens Could Make You Croak

Via Bits and Pieces

Upton Sinclair, Call Your Office

In mid-January 2004, a team of journalists of the “Weekly Quality Report” program from the state-run China Central Television (CCTV) investigated the production of the Hongshuai Soy Sauce. The Chinese journalists went to the food seasoning manufacturer in Hubei province. They pretended to be buyers and enquired about the soy sauce ingredients. They were told by a manager that the soy sauce was made from the amino acid syrup, and mixed with water, sodium hydroxide, red sugar; hydrochloric acid and other chemical additives. . . . They also learnt that the soy sauce manufacturer purchased at least a thousand tons of amino acid syrup (or powder – the dry form) per month from another manufacturer in producing few thousands tons of soy sauce. As a result of the preliminary investigation, the journalists decided to explore the source of amino acid syrup.

The journalists then found the amino acid syrup manufacturer (a bioengineering company) in Hubei province. When asking how the amino acid syrup (or powder) was generated, the manufacturer replied that the powder was generated from human hair . . .
From the Internet Journal of Toxicology

Dry Ice Cream

When a pillowcase and a fire extinguisher equal dessert.

Mmmmm, soupy

In case you were planning to drink a liter of seawater any time soon, forget it. According to the BBC, it has more than just salt in it: in fact, a recent study shows that it "can contain more than 20,000 different types of bacteria." So next time you go swimming out there, keep your mouth shut coz they don't chlorinate the ocean.

Coffee Break

What's new -- besides the nifty Two for the Troops banner in my sidebar?

Herbal Med Shows Promise in Diabetes Treatment

EurekAlert reports:

Reports of a traditional Chinese medicine having beneficial effects for people suffering from type 2 diabetes now has some scientific evidence to back up the claims. A collaboration between Chinese, Korean, and Australian scientists at Sydney's Garvan Institute, has revealed that the natural plant product berberine could be a valuable new treatment.

Berberine is found in the roots and bark of a number of plants used for medicinal purposes including wound healing and treatment of diarrhoea. It has also been documented in Chinese literature as having a glucose lowering effect when administered to people with diabetes; yet, until now, its mode of action was unknown.

Garvan scientist Dr Jiming Ye says: "Our studies in animal models of diabetes show that berberine acts in part by activating an enzyme in the muscle and liver that is involved in improving sensitivity of the tissue to insulin – this in turn helps lower blood sugar levels. In addition, it seems berberine can help reduce body weight".

Fitness Log

Dippity-Doo

Reuters reports on matters of style for the prehistoric man-about-bog:

Life in the Iron Age may have been nasty, brutish and short but people still found time to style their hair and polish their fingernails -- and that was just the men.

These are the findings of scientists who have been examining the latest preserved prehistoric bodies to emerge from Ireland's peat bogs -- the first to be found in Europe for 20 years.

One of the bodies, churned up by a peat-cutting machine at Clonycavan near Dublin in 2003, had raised Mohawk-style hair, held in place with gel imported from abroad.

My daughter will run from me!

You Are A: Monkey!

Monkeys are intelligent and agile, well-adapted for jungle life as they swing happily from tree to tree.  As a monkey, you are a social animal who eats a wide range of food, is quick to learn new things and loves to climb. A monkey's tiny primate features are irresistable, as is her gregarious personality!

You were almost a: Frog or a Puppy
You are least like a: Bear Cub or a TurtleDiscover What Cute Animal You Are!Via Sereena X

Mark your calendars

September 9 is World Naked Gardening Day. Don't click on the link if you have coffee in your mouth or if your boss or a coworker is in view of your computer screen for they may question your taste in prOn. Via Improbable Research