Let's Hear It for "Miklovic"

Found this in my email this morning:

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From: miklovic
To: jimhrubik@earthlink.net
Subject: [The Sayings of Grandpa Jim] New comment on Who's the Funny Man?.
Date: Feb 28, 2008 4:19 PM
miklovic has left a new comment on your post "Who's the Funny Man?":

Iam a member of Miklovic family that has theirs roots in Hlozany. One of my grandfathers relatives lives Hlozany in 1930 and immigrate to Canada. Now I am trying to get to contact with Miklovic family from Canada if you could help me.

Posted by miklovic to The Sayings of Grandpa Jim at 4:19 PM

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Unfortunately, I don't have much information on Uncle John's family, and I can't very well ask him since he's dead. Maybe Grannie Annie can fill in some details. And ... "miklovic" did not leave an email address, and has nothing besides his name in his Blogger profile.

Crustmasters INC

OK, put this together with Tuzia Tootle's fresh-ground whole wheat flour. Let is raise over warm water 1-1/2 hours, then rolled into loaves and let it raise to double (again over warm water).

• 2 tbsp dry yeast


• 2 cups water


• 1/2 cup milk


• 1/4 cup sugar


• 2 tsp salt


• 6-1/2 cups flour

Baked 30 minutes at 375.

Taste test when it cools, but the crust sounds OK when it is thumped. Loaves about 4" high out of a 4-1/2 x 11 pan.

Time for Survival Camp

I see that my ordinary readers are somewhat weak-stomached, or else afraid that I might ask them whether they had actually tried their recipes. I have not tried any of these. I did have an episode of brain flatulence in which I decided I should run a little "survival camp" for my grandkids. They can learn to make fire by rubbing sticks together like I did when I was a kid. Maybe the graduation present from survival camp could be a Grandpa-built survival knife?

Anyway, found these little blurbs. For the squeamish, bug eating is Biblical. I really am not interested in an all-insect diet; I will leave that to the bats and shrews. I did find a place that said the best way to prepare grasshoppers was to kill them (freezing or heating them up, either works), break off the wings and big jumping legs, grab the head and remove it with the thorax shield and whatever insides come out (sort of like cleaning crayfish, but from the opposite end) to remove the crunchiest, stick-in-the-teeth stuff, and then cook. Maybe grilled? Cooking of bugs is recommended, since they can carry parasites. Eating raw is OK according to the experts (!!!) but is not the best practice.

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Grasshopper Fritters

¾ C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
¾ C. milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 C. grasshoppers
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together into a bowl. Slowly add milk and beat until smooth. Add egg and beat well. Pluck off grasshopper wings and legs, heads optional. Dip insects in egg batter and deep fry. Salt and serve.

(from http://entweb.clemson.edu/k12/recipes.htm)

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How to Prepare Insects for Cooking

Those who are accustomed to eating animals probably know that most animals must be killed, cleaned, and cooked before one can eat them. The case is similar with insects. While there are many people in other countries who prefer to eat insects live and raw, and while it is true that you could probably get the most nutrients that way, I prefer food that won't crawl off my plate. I have tried eating live ants and mealworms, and in fact present a "recipe" for live insect consumption below; however, I would advise that beginning insect eaters start with cooked insects.

To prepare a batch of crickets or mealworms:

Take the desired quantity of live insects, rinse them off and then pat them dry. This procedure is easy to do with mealworms, but fairly hard to do with crickets. To do so with crickets, pour them all into a colander and cover it quickly with a piece of wire screening or cheesecloth. Rinse them, then dry them by shaking the colander until all the water drains. Then put the crickets or mealworms in a plastic bag and put them in the freezer until they are dead but not frozen. Fifteen minutes or so should be sufficient. Then take them out and rinse them again. You don't really have to clean mealworms, though if you want, you can chop off their heads. Cricket's heads, hind legs, and wing cases can be removed according to personal preference; I like doing so, since cricket legs tend to get stuck in your teeth. You are now ready to use the insects in all kinds of culinary treats!

(from http://www.eatbug.com/recipes.htm)

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Mealworm Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. oil
3/4 c. water
1/4 c. chopped onions
4 tsp. soy sauce
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 c. minute rice
1 c. cooked mealworms
Directions:

Scramble egg in a saucepan, stirring to break egg into pieces.
Add water, soy sauce, garlic and onions. Bring to a boil.

Stir in rice. Cover; remove from heat and let stand five minutes.

Chocolate Chirpie Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 12-ounce chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup dry-roasted crickets
Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla; beat until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture and insects, mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded measuring teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

(from http://www.ent.iastate.edu/misc/insectsasfood.html)

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Garlic Butter Fried Grasshoppers

1/4 cup butter
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup cleaned insects*

Melt butter in fry pan. Reduce heat. Sauté garlic in butter for 5 minutes. Add insects. Continue sautéing for 10 - 15
minutes, stirring occasionally. From Orkin

(from http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~cbader/ghprecwithinsects.html#Appetizer)

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Other reading:

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2160.html

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That is what people learn to do in college.

Now back to baking bread.

Man Shall Not Live BY Bread Alone ...... and the Government shall regulate it ...

This from FOX News...
U.N. Conference Promotes Insect-Eating for Everyone From Famine Victims to Astronauts
Sunday, February 24, 2008 (AP)

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Crickets, caterpillars and grubs are high in protein and minerals and could be an important food source during droughts and other emergencies, according to scientists.Water Bugs and Chilis -- YUM!!

"I definitely think they can assist," said German biologist V.B. Meyer-Rochow, who regularly eats insects and wore a T-shirt with a Harlequin longhorn beetle to a U.N.-sponsored conference this month on promoting bugs as a food source.

Three dozen scientists from 15 countries gathered in this northern Thailand city, home to several dozen restaurants serving insects and other bugs. Some of their proposals were more down to earth than others.Ant Egg Omelet -- Quite the delicacy.

A Japanese scientist proposed bug farms on spacecraft to feed astronauts, noting that it would be more practical than raising cows or pigs. Australian, Dutch and American researchers said more restaurants are serving the critters in their countries.Fried bamboo worms. Take a wok on your next Shuttle trip.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization estimates 1,400 species of insects and worms are eaten in almost 90 countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Researchers at the conference detailed how crickets and silk worms are eaten in Thailand, grubs and grasshoppers in Africa and ants in South America.Fried grasshoppers. Is a guard necessary?

"In certain places with certain cultures with a certain level of acceptance, then insects can very well be seen as part of the solution" to hunger, said Patrick Durst, a Bangkok-based senior forestry officer at the FAO.

The challenge, experts said, is organizing unregulated, small bug food operations in many countries so they can supplement the food that aid agencies provide. [my bold/italics] The infrastructure to raise, transport and market bugs is almost nonexistent in most countries.

Prof. Arnold van Huis, a tropical entomologist known as "Mr. Edible Insect" in his native Netherlands, blamed a Western bias against eating insects for the failure of aid agencies to incorporate bugs into their mix.

"They are completely biased," van Huis said. "They really have to change. I would urge other donor organizations to take a different attitude toward this ... It's excellent food. It can be sustainable with precautions."

There are questions about the safety of eating bugs and potential dangers from over-harvesting them, said Durst, who became interested in the practice known scientifically as entomophagy during his years working in Bangkok, where crickets and bamboo worms are sold as food by street vendors.

Tina van den Briel, senior nutritionist at the World Food Program, the U.N. agency that provides food in emergencies, expressed doubt that insects can benefit large, vulnerable populations. Most bugs are seasonal and have a short shelf life, she said.

"They can be a very good complement to the diet," said van den Briel, not a conference participant. "But they do not lend themselves to programs like ours where you transport food over long distances and where you have to store food for a few months."

She suggested a more practical benefit might be adding insects to animal feed or crushing them into a meal powder that could be used to make cookies or cakes.

Meyer-Rochow said aid agencies might even find a way to harvest crop-destroying swarms of locusts and crickets.

"These mass outbreaks could be a valuable food source," he said. "If the technology is available, they could be ground up like a paste and added to the food humans eat."

I can see it coming. Grasshopper guacamole. A special UN Bug Hunting License if you want to kill grasshoppers. A tax on the caterpillars eating your veggies. Laws requiring equitable distribution of bugs. "I-Check" for all bugeaters in Ohio, just to make sure there are no stray emissions when you chomp down.

Recipes, anyone? Send them in!!

Doughn't!

This is a bit disappointing. The mix contained only yeast, water, sugar, salt, and flour, and the bread tastes good. It was baked at 350 for 35 minutes, and the crust is lighter in color.The problem I have with it is that it is too crusty. Maybe the milk helps give it a chewier crust. Next batch will go back to adding milk, and the baking will again be at 375 for 30 minutes. Possibly also drop the flour back to 6-1/2 cups.

Also, this time I did not roll out the dough and roll up the loaves; that is the reason, I think, for the "warty" looking crust.

Ah, well, failures are meant to be eaten. Try hanging that sign anywhere but in a kitchen.

Dough's Up!

Just a few minutes left to punch-down time.

2 tbsp dry yeast
2-1/2 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
7 cups flour (it was plenty stiff at this point, so I stopped at 7)

Rolling in the Dough

Bread is one of those interesting chemistry experiments you can eat. Making bread helps keep the house warm on cold winter days. It is also significantly cheaper than buying agglutinated crumb material. So, in the interest of science, and the betterment of my belly, I began experimenting with bread recipes.

The first attempts were with standard recipes from the Betty Crocker Cookbook. I also played with my darling wife's bread recipe. Somehow, I was not altogether pleased -- I like a soft bread, that is chewy and not too crusty. Something that is springy, and doesn't break up into crumbs that easily ...

So I began with the Sweet Roll Dough recipe from Betty & Co. :

2 tbsp dry yeast
1 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup shortening
6 cups flour

Except that I ended up using about 8 cups of flour. All of the above thoroughly mixed, raised twice, and baked for 30 minutes at 375. The result was edible. Four loaves that were very heavy and cakey. It took almost a week and a half to eat them, with a loaf of store-bought bread thrown into the test period (not everybody is fond of my experimentation).

Next attempt -- 21 February 2008. The first batch was not the best bread in town. Too heavy. Tended toward crumbling. I theorized that the grease and egg were the main culprits. Try number 2 :

2 tbsp dry yeast
2 cups water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
6-1/2 cups flour

The amount of flour was what was left in the bucket, and I was too lazy to go upstairs and get more. Baked 30 minutes at 375. I figured on kick-starting the yeast with the extra sugar. No eggs, no grease. Rubbed some shortening around the inside of the metal salad bowl I used to raise the dough in, though. The result :Very nice!! Two BIG loaves. (Maybe too big??) Crust is just a bit dark, but the bread is chewy, tender, somewhat sweet, and toasts very well and is not at all crumbly. I like!!

But, those who know me know I am hard to satisfy. Therefore I plan to tweak the recipe just a bit more :

2 tbsp dry yeast
2-1/2 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
8 cups flour

Above to be baked 35 minutes at 350. Probably a four loaf batch. I figure this recipe will need to be tried tomorrow, because the current batch may not be long for this world.

Ride, Suzuki, Into The Sunset

The prominent Canadian, Dr. David Suzuki, has stated that that politicians who speak out against human-caused global warming should be punished with fines and jail time (Jail politicians who ignore climate science: Suzuki).

"It's an intergenerational crime in the face of all the knowledge and science from over 20 years."

Meanwhile, back at the solar system, (The Sun Also Sets), it seems that there is some concern that we are headed into a prolonged cooling period, possibly like the Little Ice Age of the Maunder Minimum. For history buffs, that was the period in the mid-1600's when the world went through some very cold years; stories about the freezing over of major rivers like the Hudson and the Thames and the Ohio abound. And, about 400-500 years before that was another extended cooling period, which caused the Norsemen to abandon their farming settlements in Greenland and Vinland. (Jah, you t'ink maybe d'ere vass a reason to call d'ere place GREENland?). As the astronomical clock goes, the cuckoo may be about to pop.

There is a good case to be made that atheism is merely a recycled paganism of a sort. The atheist will claim that he does not believe in God, but in actuality, he is his own god (and frequently sees himself "at one with nature"). If he needs a devil, the person who disagrees with him will fit the role well. Of course, the atheist will hotly deny such a charge, especially those most closely entwined in scientism.

There is a difference between science and scientism. Science is an activity; a means of examining the world, forming ideas about how and why things work, testing to see if those ideas are viable, and if so, using those ideas to help predict the outcome of certain activities. Science has been practiced at some level of sophistication throughout human history, and has coexisted with every form of religious belief and practice.

Scientism is a belief system, that all things can be explained and predicted in an orderly manner by the application of science. The phrase "Deo volente" is the greatest taboo in scientism.

It is because of the truly human nature of science that it is naturally attractive to the atheist. In the cloak of scientism (the synthesis of science and atheism), the atheist takes current observations and projects them backwards in time to generate his own creation myths. The practitioner of scientism sees mankind as the apex of evolutionary development, and inheritor of the responsibility for maintenance of the universe (though why this should be so is hard to explain, since he has no one to answer to but himself, and within a century he will be raw material for a new, random evolutionary experiment). Therefore, as an article of faith, he accepts the responsibility for the future of the universe, and, doubting nothing, produces a roadmap for human conduct into the future. As surely as Thor and Zeus and Ra ordered human destiny by their whims, he must also sacrifice to nature in the ordinances of his faith; the sacrifice of a pious practitioner of scientism causes much orderliness. One sect even had as its motto, "Alles in Ordnung". Hence the rabid ferocity of Suzuki, Gore, et al.

On a more practical level, it can be seen that the sacrifices required by the practitioners of scientism are nothing less than the rites necessary to retain power over others. Rush Limbaugh has commented that it is humorous to watch liberals become frantic as they suspect that they are losing their power over others. It is tragic, however, when the practitioners of scientism, whether atheistic or theistic, see their domains crumbling. It is also dangerous. The abortion issue, the debate over embryonic stem cell research, the ethics debate over "assisted suicide"; all illustrate quite aptly the proclivity of the practitioners of scientism to invoke human sacrifice, just as their pagan ancestors, as a necessity for satisfying natural progress.

A study of the Galileo affair shows that it was not heresy involving the basic tenets of the Roman Catholic church that got him into trouble, but the production of instruments and observations that flatly contradicted the theistic scientism of his day. If it were still acceptable to burn heretics at the stake, would Suzuki be satisfied with fines and jail time?

Persona non Grata

Today I got my come-uppance. Again. Things are very slow, and I have been putting in applications to various and sundry places based on what the job description is and whether I feel it is something I am capable of doing. So far, I have been getting rejections.

As I told Mike this afternoon, I have never gotten a job, that I can recall, without either knowing the people doing the hiring, or being the last person on the list that they could possibly tap. My very first (real) job, as a carry-out and stockboy at Emery's Sparkle Market, I got because Paul Emery knew my folks, and Esther Emich (who basically ran the office) knew me from Sunday School. I was hired by Bert Joyce because he knew me from the time I was a little kid. I was hired by Myers (Patch Rubber) because Uncle Bill ran Patch Rubber and Dad ran the Cement House. I was hired by Akron U (GTA) because Ed Lasher knew me from one of his classes and recommended that I apply for the position in his Educational Resources Center. I was hired by Gary Lubliner at the Norton Radio Shack as a part time salesman because he knew that I knew more about the Color Computer than anybody else in the area at that time -- Radio Shack had refused to hire me earlier because I failed their psychological profile in the application process. I was hired by H&R Block as a part-time tax preparer because the course instructor got to know me, and my cousin Dan was running their computer system. I was hired at REAS because Megan Hall Harbath and Chuck Cather knew me and the sort of work I did; Jim Beatty flat out told me during the interview that he wouldn't even have considered my resume without their recommendation.

I was hired by Midview Local Schools because they were desperate and needed a science teacher with less than a month to go to the beginning of school. Same situation with North Union Local Schools. I was hired by Indian and Northern Affairs because it was only a week until school started and all three of the other applicants had turned the job down after seeing where it was located (and even Violet cried all the way back to Edmonton from Green Lake because Beauval was so far away from civilization). During my second year there, Cliff Samoleski told me that they had broken down and hired me because they had no other options.

I interviewed with quite a few brokers, but only Dave Kaufman would take a chance on me; he knew my background. It took years of trying before Dale Sungy showed up to offer me a chance to complete my experience requirement for state certification, but he was also in need of help and did not have the time to waste on a trainee who had not yet gotten the necessary education and some of the required experience. Besides, for both of them, it was a low risk thing; if I didn't produce, I wouldn't get paid. I am not sure why AMCO hired me, but the risk was low; again, I was paid as a contractor on a per review basis. I was recommended for the MAD appraisal board by Dale, and Joe Harrison remembered me from our days together in ROTC (his first words to me when I answered his phone call -- "Are you the Jim Hrubik who was in the Counterguerrilla Unit at Akron U?")

Every place I have left, I left with people telling me that I had done a good job, and/or writing letters of recommendation and reference. I have lots of those in my files. I have never been let go from a job because of my performance. Today one of those little suspicions jumped out and got my attention.

I filled out an on-line application for part-time work at Lowes. You don't even get a chance to interview if you fail to meet the minimum requirements they check in the on-line questionnaire, not even if you do it inside a Lowes store. So... gotta be honest, right?

Q. (Y/N) Have you ever stolen or shoplifted anything?
A. (Y). When I was about 10 or 11 years old (about 50 years ago!), we used to lift small items from the Ben Franklin store down at Wooster Hawkins. Years later, I looked up the last Ben Franklin in the area to offer to make that right (and the manager thought it was funny that I would do so).

Q. (Multiple Choice) In the last three years, have you violated safety regulations while doing your job?
A. (D - 5 or more times). Actually, I can't count the number of times I walked onto new home construction sites without a hard hat or steel toed boots. I don't always put jackstands under my car when I have to change a tire or the oil, and I rarely wear safety goggles while sawing or drilling.

Q. (Y/N) Do you have a criminal record?
A. (Y). Ah, that surprised you? Remember Matt's science project in 2000? The geese he hatched and raised? I was charged with illegal possession of a wild animal. I plead "No Contest". In front of the game warden, the judge told me I should have performed a public service and killed the geese. He had no choice but to find me guilty. A misdemeanor. I have a criminal record.

Lowes ; "SORRY, BUT YOU DO NOT MEET OUR MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS'.

Well, I will keep applying and sending out my resume. Someday, somebody who knows me will have a need for my skills and the rest won't matter.

Only 5% Guilty...

I really do get a kick out of some of these stories. It gives you a peek into unvarnished human nature.

Small Romanian Town Gets Rich Through eBay Scams



Notice that the thing that draws the victims in is a chance to get around the rules. This is nothing new; the Nigerian 419 scams were around even before there was a World Wide Web -- back in the days of text-only browsers and email.

So I got curious and decided to check out what was going on in the heart of Darkest Africa. (Every now and then I still get a 419 come-on in my SPAM box). Wudjano, there is a site called 419Eater!!

This almost looks like fun to my slightly twisted mind, but I really do have better things to spend my time on. Reading it might be instructive, though for Internet Innocents.

Careful there, kiddies; this may be a job for Superman.

PPhtt...

This just in ...

"Middle school issues ban on intentional flatulence



So I raised my hand and said, "Ms Libby, those boys aren't using deodorant, either".

They Have More Sense t'Other Side of the River?

Hoo, boy!!

West Virginia considers gun lessons for schoolchildren...

Remember Ogopogo's Revenge?

The search back through my archives to find the 1964 Eastern Camp pictures triggered another round of scanner activity. I'd like to have a slide show (maybe even with narration?) put together for Saturday at H&Rs' place. Some samples from 1983...Camping in the Foothills of Alberta...... and bathtime for Matthew...... and weighing the cherries? Good thing they didn't put the kids on the scales before and after! We soon learned about Ogopogo...Wonder why?

Another Farewell

I last saw Bob in 2004, at his mother's funeral, at the calling hours. It had been over 35 years since we had seen each other last. The photo was taken as we were returning from a hike to the lake; Bob was watching the softball game in progress. For that matter, I don't think I've seen Dennis since that summer in '64. The last time I saw Ed was bout 1970, and he's my second cousin (Aunt Annie's grandson). We do lose touch with people.

"Robert L. Haley I, 59, went home to be with the Lord January 15, 2008. Bob was born in Akron to the late Ruth and Thomas. He was a 1966 graduate of Kenmore High. He served in the Marines from 1969 to 1971. He was father to Robert (Debra), and Michael (Gucela); brother to Julie, Lilly, and Thomas; loving husband to Beth. Family will receive friends 6 p.m. Saturday, January 26, 2008 at The Chapel, 135 Fir Hill, Akron, with a memorial service at 7 p.m."

Enough ... for now ...

I think we have had enough worms for a while. There are more, but maybe only if I get desperate or something.

Laura Ofobike had a good piece in the Beacon on Tuesday (1-15-08) about global efforts at disease control. I am of the opinion that all "global" efforts really boil down to local implementation of solutions.

Vaccination campaigns against disease do work. Preventive campaigns work better. You do have to keep in mind that for all the faults associated with Darwinism, the basic principle he put forward, that traits which help a species survive tend to be perpetuated, is sound. We cannot forget that successful parasites do not kill their hosts. If we eradicate the most virulent forms, and vaccinate to the highest level possible to achieve our own comfort level with whatever is left, do we produce unintended side effects?

People today seem to have allergies and other immune system problems that were not observed in times past. If our immune systems are deactivated by lack of exercise against some of the "childhood" diseases, do they react in unexpected ways against other factors in life? Does an immune system with nothing else to do turn on its own body? Is there an unintended bad consequence to being entirely disease-free? Obviously, chronic illness is not a good thing, but could it be that a certain low level of disease is necessary to keep us healthy?

While we ponder that, don't neglect to wash your hands and vegetables and cook your food.

The Dog Tapeworm(one of them, anyway...)

Causal Agent: Dipylidium caninum (the double-pored dog tapeworm) mainly infects dogs and cats, but is occasionally found in humans.Life Cycle: Gravid proglottids are passed intact in the feces or emerge from the perianal region of the host [1]. Subsequently they release typical egg packets [2]. On rare occasions, proglottids rupture and egg packets are seen in stool samples. Following ingestion of an egg by the intermediate host (larval stages of the dog or cat flea Ctenocephalides spp.), an oncosphere is released into the flea's intestine. The oncosphere penetrates the intestinal wall, invades the insect's hemocoel (body cavity), and develops into a cysticercoid larva [3]. The larva develops into an adult, and the adult flea harbours the infective cysticercoid [4]. The vertebrate host becomes infected by ingesting the adult flea containing the cysticercoid [5]. The dog is the principal definitive host for Dipylidium caninum. Other potential hosts include cats, foxes, and humans (mostly children) [6], [7]. Humans acquire infection by ingesting the cysticercoid contaminated flea. This can be promulgated by close contact between children and their infected pets. In the small intestine of the vertebrate host the cysticercoid develops into the adult tapeworm which reaches maturity about 1 month after infection [8]. The adult tapeworms (measuring up to 60 cm in length and 3 mm in width) reside in the small intestine of the host, where they each attach by their scolex. They produce proglottids (or segments) which have two genital pores (hence the name "double-pored" tapeworm). The proglottids mature, become gravid, detach from the tapeworm, and migrate to the anus or are passed in the stool [1].

Geographic Distribution: Worldwide. Human infections have been reported in Europe, the Philippines, China, Japan, Argentina, and the United States.
Above from : http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/Dipylidium.htm

For some gruesome, try :

"Hazards of dogs licking humans' faces"

Or, if you have room on your wall for a trophy,A nine year-old Brazilian boy, displaying the hookworms and tapeworms he expelled when treated by the Rockefeller Foundation staff.
Above from : http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/VV/B/B/J/C/

On BEEing Important...

I found this article in Bee Culture. Makes me want to go play with the girls in the hive...
[n.b. : my bolds]
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"For many years now, my job has been to work with people who keep bees and with the bees themselves, but I actually spend more time with bee people than with bees. Don’t take this next statement as anything but positive, but I must admit that we are an eccentric lot. After all, we keep bees intentionally. Most people do all they can to get away from bees. In my experienced and confident state, I long ago embraced the fact that, as a group, we are different. So just as I was mentally recovering from the reevaluation of the hobby designation, I was shocked a second time when one of the reviewers bluntly said, 'Yep, beekeeping has an image problem.'

The reviewer continued her thought by saying that her take on our industry was that beekeepers and their bees were contributing to a vital pollination need but we kept referring to the process being a hobby. The public then, too often, sees our hobby as being the harboring of dangerous stinging insects more than the culturing of valuable pollinating insects. While so much media energy has been given to the issue of disappearing bees, presently, two Ohio communities are considering ordinances against beekeeping. Alternatively, Winnie the Pooh and the ambience that beekeeping provides is the opposing 'warm, fuzzy' aspect of beekeeping. Bees adorn nearly everything from nursery room toys to crafts and pottery. Honey is used in innumerable food and cosmetic items. The question is begged, 'Does the public generally see bees as ally or pest?'

Beekeepers are part of the problem. We consistently use the terms honey and pollination in the same breath as though somehow they are similar. Honey is only a small byproduct of pollination. If we strip away all the trappings, pollination is the fundamental relationship between bees and flowers – not honey production. The problem is that honey is so easy to quantify. We can price it per pound. We measure the sucess of a bee season by our honey crop. We invest in complicated honey processing machinery. We have a National Honey Board, but we don’t have a National Pollination Board so honey must be more important. It is as though we admire a row boat (honey) while standing by an ocean-going cruise ship (pollination).

Pollination phenomena are simply not as visually fulfilling as full honey supers. No one ever says, 'My bees pollinated over 300,000 blossoms today!' but some of us put our colonies on scales to monitor our incoming honey production. When doing pollination work, we can’t say that we charge by the apple or even the apple tree. We know pollination is important, but it is so vague – so innocuous – so difficult to measure.

The numbers I am about to present are truly general estimations, but the numbers do show the scope of the pollination value that bees provide. It has been estimated that the value of commercial crops requiring pollination in Ohio to be about $86 million dollars. Ohio currently has about 3300 registered beekeepers; therefore, each Ohio beekeeper is unintentionally contributing about $26,000 per beekeeper to commercial fruit and vegetable production1. Each Ohio colony (50,000 – 70,000) is contributing about $1200-$2400 per colony toward the production of commercial fruit and vegetables. Ohio honey production is about 50# per colony or about $150 per colony (@ $3.00 per pound)2. Importantly, these estimations don’t reflect any backyard garden pollination value, ornamental flower pollination, or pollination value ascribed to non-commercial plants of ecological importance. It could be argued that the pollination value of a 'hobby' beekeeper’s single hive equals the honey value of 10-15 hives. While I have used Ohio numbers available to me, similar estimations would be expected from any other U.S. state."

From : "The Passing Of The Hobby Beekeeper", Bee Culture, September 01, 2007
Dr. James E. Tew, State Specialist, Beekeeping, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691

Sushi Worms (Part 2)

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The Fish Tapeworm!!!
30 feet long!!
Nearly an inch wide!!!
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Causal Agents: The cestode Diphyllobothrium latum (the fish or broad tapeworm), the largest human tapeworm. Several other Diphyllobothrium species have been reported to infect humans, but less frequently; they include D. pacificum, D. cordatum, D. ursi, D. dendriticum, D. lanceolatum, D. dalliae, and D. yonagoensis.

Life Cycle: Immature eggs are passed in feces [1]. Under appropriate conditions, the eggs mature (approximately 18 to 20 days) [2] and yield oncospheres which develop into a coracidia [3]. After ingestion by a suitable freshwater crustacean (the copepod first intermediate host) the coracidia develop into procercoid larvae [4]. Following ingestion of the copepod by a suitable second intermediate host, typically minnows and other small freshwater fish, the procercoid larvae are released from the crustacean and migrate into the fish flesh where they develop into a plerocercoid larvae (sparganum) [5]. The plerocercoid larvae are the infective stage for humans. Because humans do not generally eat undercooked minnows and similar small freshwater fish, these do not represent an important source of infection. Nevertheless, these small second intermediate hosts can be eaten by larger predator species, e.g., trout, perch, walleyed pike [6]. In this case, the sparganum can migrate to the musculature of the larger predator fish and humans can acquire the disease by eating these later intermediate infected host fish raw or undercooked [7] . After ingestion of the infected fish, the plerocercoid develop into immature adults and then into mature adult tapeworms which will reside in the small intestine. The adults of D. latum attach to the intestinal mucosa by means of the two bilateral groves (bothria) of their scolex [8]. The adults can reach more than 10 m in length, with more than 3,000 proglottids. Immature eggs are discharged from the proglottids (up to 1,000,000 eggs per day per worm) [9] and are passed in the feces . Eggs appear in the feces 5 to 6 weeks after infection. In addition to humans, many other mammals can also serve as definitive hosts for D. latum.

Geographic Distribution: Diphyllobothriasis occurs in the Northern Hemisphere (Europe, newly independent states of the former Soviet Union [NIS], North America, Asia) and in Uganda and Chile. Freshwater fish infected with Diphyllobothrium sp. larva may be transported to and consumed in geographic areas where active transmission does not occur, resulting in human diphyllobothriasis. For example, cases of D. latum infection associated with consumption of imported fish have been reported in Brazil.

Above information from : http://www.dpd.cdc.gov

Clinical Manifestations : Infection with Diphyllobothrium latum is usually asymptomatic, although occasional diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, vomiting, dizziness, or numbness of fingers and toes may be present. Eosinophilia develops during the early stages of worm growth.

Structure: Diphyllobothrium latum is the largest parasite of humans, reaching lengths up to 10 m and consisting of a chain of 3,000 to 4,000 segments, each up to 2 cm wide. The adult worm, a member of the order Pseudophyllidea, is characterized by a scolex with a pair of linear sucking grooves instead of suckers and hooks, and by having a rosette-shaped uterus connected to the outside by a uterine pore through which the eggs are passed. Hence, mature segments produce eggs until they die and are shed, rather than by breaking off as intact egg-filled segments, as in Taenia. Up to a million eggs can be produced daily. The developmental stages are (1) the ciliated, swimming coracidium that hatches from the egg, (2) the procercoid that develops in the copepod primary host, and (3) the plerocercoid (or sparganum), a nonencysted, nonsegmented larval worm, 20 mm or more in length, found in the fish secondary hosts. The plerocercoid develops into the adult tapeworm in the small intestine of a fish-eating final host, such as human, cat, dog, or bear.

Multiplication and Life Cycle: Diphyllobothrium latum is the only adult cestode of humans that has an aquatic life cycle. Eggs are passed in feces of an infected human (or bear, dog, cat, wolf, raccoon, or other freshwater fish-eating reservoir host). If passed into lake or pond water, the eggs develop in 2 or more weeks (varying with the temperature) and hatch, releasing the spherical ciliated coracidium that contains the oncosphere. When ingested by an appropriate water flea (copepods such as Cyclops or Diaptomus), the coracidium sheds the ciliated coat, penetrates into the hemocoel, and changes in 2 to 3 weeks into the 0.5 mm, tailed second-stage embryo, the procercoid. If the infected copepod is then ingested by a minnow or other fish, the procercoid penetrates the fish gut in a few hours and later develops into a third-stage larva, the plerocercoid or sparganum. Usually, these small infected fish are eaten by larger ones; in each new fish host, the plerocercoid penetrates into the fascia or muscles. Eventually, a large game fish, such as a perch or pike, is infected; after being eaten by a human, the fish releases its tapeworm passenger, which attaches and begins adult life. In a few months, the worm is 5 to 10 m long.

From : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=mmed.section.4713

Sushi Worms (Part 1)

Causal Agents: Anisakiasis is caused by the accidental ingestion of larvae of the nematodes (roundworms) Anisakis simplex and Pseudoterranova decipiens.
Life Cycle : Adult stages of Anisakis simplex or Pseudoterranova decipiens reside in the stomach of marine mammals, where they are embedded in the mucosa, in clusters. Unembryonated eggs produced by adult females are passed in the feces of marine mammals [1]. The eggs become embryonated in water, and first-stage larvae are formed in the eggs. The larvae molt, becoming second-stage larvae [2a], and after the larvae hatch from the eggs, they become free-swimming [2b]. Larvae released from the eggs are ingested by crustaceans [3]. The ingested larvae develop into third-stage larvae that are infective to fish and squid [4]. The larvae migrate from the intestine to the tissues in the peritoneal cavity and grow up to 3 cm in length. Upon the host's death, larvae migrate to the muscle tissues, and through predation, the larvae are transferred from fish to fish. Fish and squid maintain third-stage larvae that are infective to humans and marine mammals [5]. When fish or squid containing third-stage larvae are ingested by marine mammals, the larvae molt twice and develop into adult worms. The adult females produce eggs that are shed by marine mammals [6]. Humans become infected by eating raw or undercooked infected marine fish [7]. After ingestion, the anisakid larvae penetrate the gastric and intestinal mucosa, causing the symptoms of anisakiasis.

Geographic Distribution : Worldwide, with higher incidence in areas where raw fish is eaten (e.g., Japan, Pacific coast of South America, the Netherlands).

Above from : http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/Anisakiasis.htm

Summary of Anisakiasis.
From the article "Anisakiasis" by J A Sakanari and J H McKerrow
Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco 94143.

Abstract : Anisakiasis is a zoonotic disease caused by the ingestion of larval nematodes in raw seafood dishes such as sushi, sashimi, ceviche, and pickled herring. Symptoms of anisakiasis include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Because symptoms are vague, this disease is often misdiagnosed as appendicitis, acute abdomen, stomach ulcers, or ileitis. Endoscopic examination with biopsy forceps has facilitated the diagnosis of gastric anisakiasis. Worms can be removed and identified, and a definitive diagnosis can be made. Patients generally recover with no further evidence of disease. Worms can become invasive, however, and migrate beyond the stomach, penetrating the intestine, omentum, liver, pancreas, and probably the lungs. Surgery is often necessary for treatment of invasive anisakiasis. With the increase in popularity of eating lightly cooked or raw fish dishes, the number of cases of anisakiasis may be expected to increase.

Source : http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=358121

Wishing You a Prosperous 2008

So 2007 is a year in our past. I remember when it was only a year in science fiction.

Jim Jr. says I need to stick around another 30 years or so. We'll see. I wonder what the year 2037 would be like? Would stem cell transplants be available to rebuilt worn out body parts? Would selective memory wipes be available to make room for new neural associations ( while keeping the best memories of the past)? Will there be human colonies on the Moon or Mars? Will Jesus have returned, or will He be waiting until He can actually call His Chosen from the farthest parts of the heavens?

I keep reading obituaries of people in the 50-59 year old range, and I count myself fortunate to have seen the dawn of 2008. Will I celebrate New Years 2009? Only my Maker knows for sure.

There is always the factoid that very few people over 100 years old die in a given year.

Enjoy your New Year. I have serious doubts that parallel universes exist, or that it would be possible to transition between them, or that time travel to the past is even possible, so keep moving forward. Despite the fact that evil men and seducers will always become worse and worse, keep trying to make this world a better place for the next generation.

So for my part, I planted a plum tree today [snuck it in before the ground freezes up, as it is scheduled to do overnight]. Maybe I will live long enough to make some slivovitz. We can have a party : kobasa and slivovitz. And don't tell me I should spell it "kielbasa". Uncle Sam's and Cousin Jaroslav's recipes are nothing like the recipes I see for "kielbasa". (That's Polish sausage -- full of black pepper. I want stuff with spicy paprika). They are more like Bako Jeno's salami. Or Al's. And if you party with that stuff, the world will always be a better place. Or so it will smell.

Pozdravy!!