Lunch With George!

May 17, 2002 - Grilled Expedition

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Agenda

Joshua Slocum
Canine Longevity
There's Nothin' Like a Good Breeze!
Next Best Thing to a Road Trip
Infrared Faucets... or are they?
More on PETA

Joshua Slocum

George has been reading a fairly new book about Joshua Slocum entitled Alone at Sea. Slocum set out to circumnavigate the East. Upon ariving in

England, he heard about pirates who were likely to give him trouble a little further along his route, so he turned around and headed around the Earth the other way! From George's description, he sounds like a very self-sufficient man. He wrote his own book about his travels: Sailing Alone Around the World. This book is also available in its entirety on the web at this site.

Also, George lent Cruising in Seraffyn to me! I hope to read it right after I finish Eiger Dreams by Jon Krakauer (see my book review at KactuswrenBooks).

Canine Longevity

Always hoping to live longer (and have my dogs live longer!), I perked up upon seeing an article in Science News about a longer-term study by Purina into the effeects of restricting caloric intake on longevity.

The researchers started with a test group and a control group, each containing 24 labrador retrievers. From the age of 8 weeks until they were 3.25 years old, the control was allowed to eat as much as they wanted, and the test group was allowed to eat only 75% of however much the control group ate. After age 3.25, the control group was put on a diet which was limited (but still plentiful) to avoid obesity, and the test group was fed 75% of that amount.

The results of the study were astounding-- the median lifespan of the test group was 22 months longer than that of the control group. In addition, health problems and diseases associated with aging appeared later in life, or were absent completely for the test group. the details can be found in the May 1st edition of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

It isn't clear yet how calorie restriction leads to longer life, but the researchers suspect it leads to a reduction in the body's production of radicals.

Is it too late for me to reduce my caloric intake to 75%?

There's Nothin' Like a Good Breeze!

George and I tried another restaurant at Desert Ridge Marketplace: it's the Grilled Expedition. They cook everything over wood-fired grills. They have a nice patio with umbrellas and misters, and they had something else: a cool breeze! By thwe time you read this the cool breezes will probably be replaced by a hot wind, but it sure was nice that day.

Next Best Thing to a Road Trip

George sent me a link to another RoadFood.com review: The Fitzgerald Potato Chip Factory in Yankton, South Dakota. (he even suggested a road trip!). The reviewer described the still-warm, salty chips as being completely irresistable.

I immediately hopped on their web site, and promptly odered a 20-ounce bag of potato chips (I got regular, but they also make barbeque chips and carmel corn). Instead of the confirmation page popping up to tell me my order was placed, I got a server error! Afraid I might never see those chips, I promptly called them at the factory. They promised me they would take care of it, and let me in on a little secret: ordering over the phone is cheaper! The company which provides them with a web store assesses a surcharge to every purchase.

Two days later, I was eating far too many of the best chips I'd ever tasted. As a surprise, I brought a bag of them along for George! Not a road trip to South Dakota, but it was close.

Infrared Faucets... or are they?

George is puzzled by the automatic faucets in the new American Express building. He's wondering just how they work. If the sensor which decides to turn on the water uses infrared, wouldn't it see moving hot water and leave the faucet open indefinitely? If it is sensing only motion and not heat, wouldn't the moving water still cause it to stay open? I had nothing to offer... hopefully George can get to the bottom of this!

If anyone knows about this, please send us an e-mail!

More on PETA

I was listening to the Dan Patrick show on ESPNRadio.com as they were discussing PETA's request that the NCAA use synthetic leather basketballs during the March Madness tournament. Dan was describing an appearance by Charles Barkley on a basketball halftime show where he was scheduled to address the PETA issue. I never heard exactly what the Chuckster had to say, but he evidently made quite a show of eating a large hamburger throughout the interview. I guess we know where PETA stands with him!

Last modified 06/12/2002.

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