Rotundus.com

One of the things that I've been thinking of doing lately is picking up a pressure cooker to add to my collection of kitchen appliances. Along the way I've discovered that there appears to be two different types of pressure cookers. Broadly speaking there's the basic, cheap models predominant to India and used for everyday cooking, and there are much more complicated (but more idiot-proof), more expensive, and typically-only-available-in-large-sizes models coming primarily from European manufacturers. At the moment I'm debating which type to get.

Here's a line of Indian-style pressure cookers, which comes in sizes as small as 2 litres. That's actually their "deluxe" line, rather than the basic aluminium version as I'd need something induction safe. (My understanding is that to avoid risk of explosion you shouldn't fill these more than halfway, so perhaps 3.5-4 litres would be a good size for a bachelor). Then there are the European-style ones like this, typically available in a minimum of a 6 litre size. (There are a few around that are 4 litres, but those seem a bit harder to find available to Canada).

Why a pressure cooker? (a) Cooking times for these are quite impressive, might might make legumes a bit easier to cook on a more regular basis, (b) they seem to better preserve nutrients, and (c) I don't have one yet :b

Dear Science Fiction Writers: Stop Being So Pessimistic!

"Neal Stephenson has seen the future—and he doesn’t like it. Today’s science fiction, he argues, is fixated on nihilism and apocalyptic scenarios—think recent films such as The Road and TV series like “The Walking Dead.” Gone are the hopeful visions prevalent in the mid-20th century. That’s a problem, says Stephenson"

Get with the times: You're driving all wrong

"If you're a conscientious motorist who still does everything the way your driver's-ed instructor told you to, you're doing it all wrong. ... AAA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and many driving instructors now say you should grip the wheel at 9 and 3 o'clock. A few go even further, suggesting 8 and 4 to avoid the airbag mechanism as much as possible, but what formal research has been published on the varieties of hand positions suggests that this may lessen your control of the car. ... You're also turning wrong. That ship captain's-style "hand over hand" thing is now out."

The sorry state of our unions

A feature piece in the Globe and Mail on the state of labour unions

Destroy all churches: Obama silent while Saudi grand mufti targets Christianity

"If the pope called for the destruction of all the mosques in Europe, the uproar would be cataclysmic. ... But when the most influential leader in the Muslim world issues a fatwa to destroy Christian churches, the silence is deafening. On March 12, Sheik Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, declared that it is 'necessary to destroy all the churches of the region.'" - not quite sure how extensive the influence of this guy is outside Saudi Arabia.

Canada’s police among the best paid in the world

Are the police overpaid? Note that there are quite a few more dangerous jobs out there. Those dangerous job stats are from the US, which has a homicide rate about 3 times that of Canada, so with the highest on the job risk being homicide, police work in Canada might fall lower yet on that list of dangerous jobs. Homicide rates have also been trending downwards in the US since the year 1995 when those earlier statistics on on-the-job risk were derived from. One interesting note from a later G&M piece on police early eligibility for retirement: "life expectancy for RCMP officers is somewhat higher than for federal civil servants"

Schools ban children making best friends

"Teachers are banning schoolkids from having best pals — so they don't get upset by fall-outs." ... found this via Mere Comments, who elaborated on it with some thoughts as to its implications for things like marriage. Looks like elsewhere they're moving to ban dangerous practices like hugging as some hugs might be inappropriate - I think that one comment in that article from a bus driver there reveals the idiocy of some of these policies "I think it's a safe policy. Nobody can say something inappropriate has happened if they're not allowed to do it at all"

Ancient Hawaiians Caught More By Fishing Less

"Centuries ago, Hawaiians caught three times more fish annually than scientists generally consider to be sustainable in modern times — and maintained this level of harvest for more than 400 years ... The Hawaiians used many techniques similar to those employed today, like temporary or permanent bans from fishing in certain areas, restrictions on certain species and gear, and catch limits. But they enforced the rules strictly; breaking them could mean corporal punishment or even death."

Facebook: Legal action against employers asking for your password

"Facebook wants to protect its users from employers demanding access to their accounts. The company is looking to draft new laws as well as take legal action against employers." Of course the way it's currently listed in Facebook's privacy agreement would seem to give grounds to sue the accountholder rather than the one demanding the password.

Brazil's Poor Get Free Beauty Treatment

"Free Botox and laser hair removal, free chemical peels and anti-cellulite treatments may at first seem shockingly frivolous in a country like Brazil — which, despite phenomenal economic growth in recent years that has lifted millions out of extreme poverty, still battles with diseases like tuberculosis and dengue. But the philosophy behind the more than 220 clinics across Brazil that treat people like Penha and thousands of maids, receptionists, waitresses and others is simple: Beauty is a right, and the poor deserve to be ravishing, too." There's all sorts of interesting human rights people seem to be discovering like the human right to convenient parking

Been seeing a few articles lately about the rise of the NDP in recent years, like this one asserting that about "49 per cent of Canadians agree or somewhat agree that Canada would be in good hands if the New Democrats were in office." Here's a brief excerpt (emphasis mine) from some notes about what people value in political leaders:

With the leadership contest in its final stages, Nanos also asked respondents about the qualities they would like to see in the person chosen to succeed Jack Layton. More than two-thirds of those surveyed cited honesty and integrity. Charisma and personality were second, trumping leadership skills, groundedness, compassion, the ability to build consensus, the ability to tackle economic issues and common sense.

Honesty and integrity are always at the top of the list when people are asked what they want in a leader, Mr. Nanos said. Charisma is not usually seen as so important – but, in this case, it is.

Reminds me of Churchill's quote: "democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried."