2017

What to wish for in 2017: may the new year
not mess with your mind too much.

Came across this interesting read yesterday,
on the Golden Age of Hollywood. News to
me: if censorship eventually came to predominate,
the period as a whole was marked by the presence
of female scriptwriters!!

http://bibliobs.nouvelobs.com/de-l-ecrit-a-l-ecran/20161122.OBS1575/la-place-des-femmes-a-hollywood-pas-si-simple.html

Kugel

Been snowed in for a while; powdered milk actually
makes an okay drink if one lets it stand for a few hours
after mixing.

Swelling is down on my arm, and am wearing a winter
flannel shirt (pink). Comfy.

Last night, in culinary distress, ended up making something
entirely new for myself. I took inspiration from noodle pudding
(kugel) and made a savory version: cooked penne, mixed with
cottage cheese, quark cheese, milk and an egg to which I added a
bit of salmon and onion. Put parmesan on top, and cooked at 350 F
for 20 minutes. Quite delicious, although one could taste
a hint of sourness. Sugar and vanilla instead of the fish
would have made a dessert.

Need to take out the garbage; and might venture forth to get bananas.
I'm getting better.

http://www.marthastewart.com/313981/noodle-pudding

XMAS

Pantone colors for this year's greeting.

Satin

So I've been living, this last week, in a bubble of pain
and worry about my right shoulder. Never had an injury in
my life, so this was all new to me.

Yesterday was a day of breakthroughs: finally got that small bottle
of pop open, managed to open a can of tuna, and split a lime. Fiesta. Thus,
my arms are working together.

Skeletal articulations are not lego elements: pieces do not lock together.
Bones are aligned and held together by tendons, and muscle groups
from the outside. One can understand the aging body, here. Things have
moved around.

But this feature also means that a sudden trauma can be painful indeed,
even without broken bones. And require adjustment and rehab. Ouch.

On maximum Tylenol at this point: tames the pain without addiction. Because
who wants to live with mild nausea...

The temperature is meant to settle around zero C all the way to Xmas.
Going to the pharmacy, been wearing urban booties, and getting my
confidence back. Need to shop for satin camisoles.

The Shoulder

Concise introduction to how the shoulder articulation works:

3 bones: the collar bone *clavicule*
               shoulder blade *scapula* or *omoplate*
               humerus

2 articulations:
                       acromio-claviculaire, up and down movement
(the acromion is the extremity of the shoulder)
                       scapulo-humeral, rotation in space and in front of the body

The head of the humerus faces a cavity in the shoulder blade, at the *cavité glénoide*.

There is a protective coating, with a stabilizing function, *bourrelet*

A set of four rotator muscles hold the two together, front and back
movement of the shoulders.

There are two small bags which circulate a liquid to minimize friction
between moving parts.


http://www.e-sante.fr/anatomie-articulation-epaule-expliquee-en-video/video/683

Striking a Pose

The deltoid muscle has the shape of an inverted triangle:

the Greek letter delta.

source:Wikipedia

Tough but getting better...

Backstory

The last three days has given me occasion
to reflect on the nature of pain. It is odd
that such an accident would happen to me
just when I ws getting to understand how muscles
and nerves work, and how these are connected to
the brain.

My mind was not on the task of walking when this
happened. I was happily planning which shops I would
be hitting when I got to the shopping center. I was not far
from home, and there was someone across the street shovelling
his driveway.

The minute I hit the ground, I knew there was something very
wrong with my right arm, beneath me. I had slipped on the incline of
a driveway, sheer ice under a light layer of snow. (I am dangerous
to myself in this new climate. In my unquestioned experience, powdery
snow sits on top of pavement; well not these days...)
I immediately got up because I knew I was hurt, and all manner of
inconvenience would be coming my way. I wanted to just lie there;
but I didn't.

I crossed a very busy highway at a snail's pace, holding my arm.
No one called the police. Just as I neared home, a young man
was riding a dirt bike in circles in the snow. My dangling arm didn't
seem to impress him. I sat down in a bus shelter and took out my keys.
I still had my handbag draped across my body, and couldn't imagine how
I would ever remove it.

Made it to my appartment without encountering anyone. Slithered out
of my bag and coat and made it to my bed, which is when the convulsions
started. Not just through the arm, but my legs as well. I kept hearing the sing
song from the Montreal metro, when they close the door. And started to
shake as much, only it was all coming from me. My boots off (those sensible
flat all-weather ones, at that) I could at last relax and wait for the pain to stop;
only my arm felt like it was on a water bed. It would take me 24 hours to
accept tyat I woud never be able to remove my two seaters over my head.
I ended up cutting both to shreads with a variety of small scissors, and it took
a while. Lesson no 2: any movement performed with one hand is felt in
the circuitry of the other. I should have known that from my years of dance
lessons. One gives tension to the entire body, and things are less painful.

In those first hours, I couldn't tell whether the sweaters were pulling
on ecchymosis, or whether the pain was in my flesh; it was the latter.

Day two, cleaned up and wisened up about the state of things, I headed
half-dressed to a pharmacy for pain meds. The cold kept me alert, but I
was very frightened. The internet had told me it would take 72 hours before
I would feel normal enough to do little exercises. In fact, I had played
imaginay piano to myself (Mozart), right hand on left; everything was still connected.

Day three, the nightmare is over. Worst part ever; getting up from lying on my back.
I clutch the blankets. And since day 2, I sleep with a large sofa cushion behind my pillow.
Heck, I even weighed myself this morning, still on track.

https://www.verywell.com/what-is-nociceptive-pain-2564615

Sleepy Time

Was going through - at a leisurely pace -  a web site
for young people on the functioning of the brain, when I
came across some interesting findings. I haver long suspected
that eight hours of sleep per night is an artificial figure, some sort
of average. The data below concords with that in the most dramatic fashion.

The surprising thing is the extent to which the data shows sleep to be
age related. Not sleep recommended, but the actuals of sleep reported.
People my age are getting six hours a night; that's it, that's all. How odd.

An interesting piece by the BBC tells us that, in pre-modern times, people
enjoyed a first and second sleep, each of approximately four hours, with one
hour or two of wakefulness between the two. The wisdom of this approach
seems to have been lost. One is either a go getter who sleeps four, or a neurotic
with insomnia episodes.

There are really two kinds of sleep to keep track of: deep sleep, in which
short-term memories get transferred to long-term; memories are lost if this fails to
happen. And then REM sleep (rapid eye movement) where emotional work gets done;
without REM sleep - where stress hormones get turned of - the genes for
cancer and diabetes might well get solicited.

For the curious, it is true Barack Obama makes do on six hours per night or less.
Margaret Thatcher used to sleep four, as did Winston Churchill during the war.
Donald Trump claimed in 2012 he slept 3, to remain competitive.


https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/sleep.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16964783
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24444634
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22084671

                                                             *   *   *

Christmas Tree

I'm feeling very bad about all that joking about
Montreal's Christmas tree. Not al conifers are of the
same species, and things would be sad if they were.

Below,  a spruce tree (not a fir) from California.

Day in Montreal

       
                                                                            *   *   *

Tight

Just for the record: a government bringing a referendum question
to the electorate for a move it intends to not embark on is an oddity
from the point of view of syntax.

Like, today is my birthday and should I continue with my humdrum dieting,
or can I indulge in a piece of chocolate cake.

So December 8 is my birthday. I'll let you know how it went. Although
at the moment (evening of the 7th), I've just had soup and the diet seems
pretty tight.

Irresponsible government!?

Winter Woes (2)

I was surprised to read yesterday that certain cities were
laying down de-icing grit and salt before a snowstorm.
Maybe not so silly after the following little incident:


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/06/mayhem-montreal-snow-buses-cars-trucks-crash#comments

Winter

Today is actually a picture perfect snowfall. From
a purely aesthetic point of view, perfect.

But then, there is the short-armed lady with glasses
trying to clean her windshield in the parking lot.

And the elderly couple across the way walking the
small family dog, and its taking a bit of time to success.

The caretaker who is going to spend his day with an open
coat and heavy boots.

Argh! I didn't notice the salt on last year's boots, and this year,
the left foot takes in water!!

C'est l'hiver.

Cuba

source: Libération
author: Libération, AFP
translation: doxa-louise

Royal defends Castro and earns a salvo of criticism

A salvo of political criticism, particularly from the right, has been directed
this Sunday at Ségolène Royal, who represented France at the funeral for
Fidel Castro, as she defended the political memory of the Cuban
ex-president and rejected accusations of violation of human rights.

Saturday from Santiago Cuba, the number 3 of the French government was the
only member of a European government, along with  Greek Prime Minister
Alexis Tsipras, to have made it to Cuba on the occasion of the week of national
 mourning for the Cuban ex-president, who passed away November 25 at age 90.

Royal thus praised this 'monument of history', thanks to which 'the people
of Cuba got back their territory, their lives, their destiny' and 'took inspiration
from the French Revolution without knowing the Reign of Terror'.

Questioned about the violations of human rights brought up bu the UN
and opposition to the Cuban régime, Ségolène Royal pointed to the existence
on the island to 'religious liberty' and 'freedom of thought'. 'Listen, there is
 a great deal of disinformation, what I observe is that diplomatic relations
were never cut off with Cuba, and that includes certain political actors who
criticize me, who criticize France, never', she said.

'France has no lessons to give to Cuba'

'History always contains some positive and some negative, but it would
be an error to make short in the name of human rights when, if you ask
for a list of political prisoners, there just isn't one. Show me a list of
political prisoners, and then I will reconsider', she added. 'Thus, it is important
to view things in a positive light even if it is inconvenient', adding the view that
'France has no lessons to give to Cuba'.

Thus concluding: 'I know that this causes controversy because precisely,
here is an insular country, protecting its heritage, refusing predators, which
has succeeded in assuring cleanliness, a remarkable sense of security, which
many countries now giving us human rights lessons never attain'.

...

                                               *   *   *

Leftovers

Below is a little recipe I've been keeping to try
if I ever have chicken or turkey leftovers. It makes
savoury  pastries, easy-peasy; and these can be served hot
or cold.

One takes the cooked white meat and runs it through a blender;

it is then mixed with fromage frais (quark cheese) and chives, and placed in a

cookie size bit of pastry dough. The edges are sealed with egg yolk. In the oven

for 10 minutes, at 400° F.

350th

Ah to be young and inebriated! St-Jean sur Richelieu is holding
an all-night party outside this evening - with guest DJs - to close the year's
celebration of the city's 350th anniversary. Chances are I'm going to feel
too tired to go. I did manage to make a passably fun dinner: homemade celery
soup, and English muffin pizza.

Bravo St-Jean!!

National Bird

Canada now has a national bird, the Mésangeai, which lives
in Canada and nowhere else.

Photoshop version.

Sweetie!

USA Foods

Being a resident of Quebec, that turkey meal with cornbread etc is something we never eat. Here, turkey is served at Christmas. 

So I decided to try my hand at corn bread.Voilà!

Tastes fine warm, with coffee, for Wednesday brunch.

source: crazycookinmama.

            http://www.food.com/recipe/cornbread-109767

Glamour

So here tonight's dinner with veg. Ha!, there

is a big difference in that I've just installed Snapseed

on my Samsung tablet. (This is the glamour filter!?)

One very powerful little app.

As for the dinner; just added pineapple to the dish. Maybe
tomorrow will bring new ideas...

BTW

By the way, I don't feel that Hillary Clinton's
loss of the Presidential election was in any way a
defeat for the cause of women. The US is far from
equity between men and women; Wikipedia tells me that
there are only 6 women governors of States. That's out of
fifty, friends!

She got the nomination, and it was a breakthrough.

The US is a very special case: the President is
commander-in-chief of the most powerful military
on Earth.

Men are above all team players: that's how
things get done. Perhaps some brave woman should aim
for the vice-presidency, next. Just saying!

Weird

Another unconventional meal, this time introducing quinoa
in soup. Quinoa is a quasi-cereal (no gluten) that originated
in Peru. My pea soup (historically a dish from Scandinavia),
vegetable mix, crackers and salad resolutely European (except for the
potato, sweet potato and avocado, also American, and the lime juice,
Indonesian).Weird, salty but satisfying!

Glass of  milk for dessert.

Italian Soup

Italian Wedding Soup has a reputation as outstanding.
Found this version this morning on MSN.

Basically, veal meatballs with basil and parmesan; orzo and spinach
in chicken broth; crackers that are bits of grilled parmesan with thymus.

Difference

Cheese sandwich for Sunday dinner, not very exciting. Small things can

make a difference; added raisins to the rice, broccoli and lentil salad (with mayo)

and it's interesting...

Went out for milk and caught that big moon; very bright!!

Using Cornmeal

There are times when one is just fed up with always eating the same thing.

That's when the Web can be a treasure of inspiration. I ended up making  -

in the oven - a  cottage cheese and spinach pancake that used both flour and

cornmeal as well as  Monterey Jack cheese, egg, oil, baking powder 

and a touch of milk. Very tasty and new enough to be fun.

Makes enough for two dinners!

Inspired by:

http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Spinach-And-Cottage-Cheese-Casserole-1849224

Late Breakfast

Normally, I might add buckwheat flour to pancake batter to zing it up

and make it healthier. Here, I made the simplest

galette, with buckwheat flour, baking soda and water. Pretty basic.

Served with cottage cheese, caramel yogurt and fruit, it is quite nice. Yet I would

hesitate to make a totally savoury dish of this.

(The missing bit with banana and yogurt was also fine!!)

Military D.

It's a new world for weaponry; the U.S. just announced
a successful raid on Al-Qaeda with a drone!!

Watching

I could watch all day. Just watching others prepare foods I like,
or eat it in sinful quantities, is pleasurable. Because I have sought out and eaten
these foods in the past, and have neuronal connections at the ready!!

Happy to finally understand all this.

Maybe

The Guardian seems to have found the ancestor to the eating competition: the
necessity to encourage Japanese people to eat buckwheat after long hauls of
nutritionally poor white rice.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/oct/30/competitive-noodle-eating-wanko-soba-noodles-morioka-japan

Buckwheat is not a cereal but a plant, and is known as 'black wheat' in France.
The flour makes a pancake very easily - the galette - and this can be consumed with
a sweet or savory filling. The recipe calls for a bit of baking powder, salt, and twice
as much water as flour. It is cooked as a pancake but might take a bit longer.

The product is gluten free.

http://voyagegourmand.fr/blog/2016/02/02/galettes-de-sarrasin/

Got the flour; might make one tonight:

Maybe not.

source: Wallpapers for Me

New App

Just as I was feeling sorry for myself, because who can afford
the new Surface at 3000 US$ (already sold out, anyway). There
is a new toy on my present Windows 10 setup which allows me to draw;
with my pen in fact because I am already on Windows 10 with a Surface 2.

Many thanks, Microsoft. The new Ink app is dope.

From the squiggly pen, at the bottom.

Last Sprint

As the American Presidential Election winds down in its
last week, with both candidates obviously exhausted, I am tempted
to offer a few observations, albeit as a non-voting Canadian.
I feel concerned because I am the same age as both candidates -
who share being retirement age, and here surprisingly, being acquaintances
if not old friends. I have insights into what might be going on
as a function of having lived through the same historical period:
younger voters have a right to know.

A psychologist writing on the CNN site recently delivered the
coup de grâce to the Trump candidacy, offering a clinical
diagnosis of Trump as a narcissist, obviously dangerous and unfit for office.
As if Christopher Lasch had not written about the prevalence
of narcissist traits in American society as a cultural vector.
America is just starting the struggle to work out of celebrity
as social attainment, and the brave candidacy of Trump -
who has been taking it from all sides, and often shielding
Hillary C. in the process - is a shining example of that. Really.
Seriously.

And what Lasch feared - that politics would come to be empty
of content to make place for personality - has finally come to pass
in this election. All the issues are too complicated or polarizing to
discuss: Soviet armement; migration; the failing international economic order;
the espionage police on home ground. It's lying Hillary and deplorable
Donald all the way.

On the fun side, I finally got a glimpse into a question about men
that has long riddled me: what are they thinking when they do stuff like
that. The answer has finally come forth: Nothing, they are thinking Nothing.
Male predatory behaviour is just part and parcel of the responsibilities of
the position: I'm a handsome and successful male, women like that!
A victory for Hillary C. has been part of the game from the beginning,
a diffuse we owe it to her and she deserves it. Apparently a billion dollars
in donations has been backing that up. She had better win on the November 8,
after all that.

In this last sprint, I would counsel Donald Trump to listen to his wife, Melania,
and finally go on that silly diet she has been talking about: the abuse around
him will stop, or at least, he will start handling things better.
As for Hillary C., she needs to choose between alcohol and her meds
because the two are obviously not going very well together. I would
counsel sticking to alcohol, which has seen many a President navigate hard times.
Really.

I am not being flippant here. Recent research on the amygdala tells us that -
in a fearful situation - men will experience more fear than women, but will also
show more agressive behaviour. Women will be more inclined to reflection, and
learn from the experience.

Concurrent

Human mouvement is very precise, and our elaborate brains are at work here.

The brain will tell one muscle to act, but at the same time, another not to.

http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/intermediaire.php

Chocolat

Paris is host, this week-end, to the Salon du chocolat; something
of a show for all forms of French chocolate: candy, spread (what could this be!?),
baking chocolate.

The French themselves are chocolate lovers, albeit less so than other Europeans.

The chocolate used is imported primarily from Africa.

Over half the overall production is exported, in a 3 billion Euro business.

Coming our way!!

source: Le Figaro.

                                                                   *   *   *

For anyone wondering what the local price of a chocolatine is, my local Super C
is offering a deep discount of 20 at 5.50$ Canadian. Which comes in at
.19 Euros (ie centimes) per pastry.

This is the home version, which on a dark morning of the third day of rain in
a row is pretty nice. But then, not the (butter) quality of a Parisian Café.

Problem is, a higher quality product would be hard to find. Although I'm willing to try...

                                                     *   *   *

Starbucks sells a butter version at 2.45$ Canadian, which 1,66 Euros.

Halloween Spirit

A Burger King outlet in Queens, New York wins Halloween with this
McDonald's ghost suit:

source: MSN.

Missile

Russia unveiled the RS-28 Sarmat missile yesterday. It has 12
nuclear warheads and could reach France or the western U.S. and
destroy an area the size of Texas.

It eludes radars.

Chilling!

Overview

Great visual overview of cancer diagnosis for France in today's Le Monde.

For my age group, prostrate cancer in men:

Lung cancer in women:

http://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/visuel/2016/10/25/les-chiffres-des-principaux-cancers-decortiques_5019988_4355770.html