Rotundus.com

Jamie's Food Revolution was a TV show which, a year or so ago, addressed the healthiness of the food served in Los Angeles public school cafeterias, trying to get them to serve healthier food. The school board there took some action, primarily after the show's run, but now it seems that kids aren't impressed with the implementation (although 75% apparently gave positive reviews in the earlier taste tests).

How much of this is really marketing though on behalf of companies distributing processed food? For example:

But Barrett said the debut was a "disaster." Participation plunged by more than 13%, he said. About two-fifths of the loss was tied to 99 schools that temporarily resumed requiring lunch tickets; typically, a drop-off is expected when this occurs. In the last month or so, the overall program has begun to recover; participation is down by about 5% or 6%, Barrett said.

That seems to suggest the presence of a shock, tied in part of schools cracking down on students getting these meals - which might have developed some changes in habits - and which now seems to be recovering.

The article also notes that

Students have embraced about half of the new fare, according to Binkle; the salads and vegetarian tamales in particular have been popular.

Students liking veggies seems like a strong start, and liking half the dishes seems to suggest that, although some tweaking might be required, they've got a decent starting point.

The biggest issue that I can see in the article is staleness of the food

Among other complaints, Vanderbok said salads dated Oct. 7 were served Oct. 17. ... In class recently, students complained about mold on noodles, undercooked meat and hard rice.

That seems to be an implementation problem, not a problem with the menu per say. Give them somewhat more practice - and try to reduce inventory of preprepared foods and it sounds like a lot of problems would clear up.

The Fat Trap

Seems like even a while after losing weight bodies still recall the former set point - "While researchers have known for decades that the body undergoes various metabolic and hormonal changes while it’s losing weight, the Australian team detected something new. A full year after significant weight loss, these men and women remained in what could be described as a biologically altered state. Their still-plump bodies were acting as if they were starving and were working overtime to regain the pounds they lost."

East European Women and the Battle of the Sexes in American Culture

A study of Eastern European immigrant women's views on gender relations. One brief excerpt: "Even though these expressions of politeness [opening doors, etc.] seem trivial, they fulfill a very important role in the culture because they validate gender identities of women in everyday life. Men treat women with distinction, and this allows them to fulfill the appropriate masculine role. Women invite such politeness by behaving in a feminine way, and when they accept privileged treatment they fulfill the appropriate feminine role. The validation of femininity that these gestures provide is one of the things that East European women miss most after moving to the United States. They feel unnoticed and unappreciated without them. Many women also miss compliments about their physical appearance, which are common and are not regarded as sexist in Eastern Europe."

Muslim Brotherhood Plans to Cancel Peace Pact with Israel

An Israeli site: "The Muslim Brotherhood comes up with a neat trick to break the peace treaty with Israel without formally doing so: Let a referendum do it." Guessing that the Egyptian people would probably vote in favor of exiting that treaty.

Elisabeth’s Barrenness and Ours

" So Greece has a spending problem, a revenue problem, something along those lines, right? At a superficial level, yes. But the underlying issue is more primal: It has one of the lowest fertility rates on the planet. In Greece, 100 grandparents have 42 grandchildren — i.e., the family tree is upside down. In a social-democratic state where workers in “hazardous” professions (such as, er, hairdressing) retire at 50, there aren’t enough young people around to pay for your three-decade retirement. And there are unlikely ever to be again."

This time around marked an experiment with a different mode of transportation back for Christmas: Greyhound. All said I think that I'd consider doing it again, although probably not if I'm only heading back for a weekend.

Total time involved: it's about 14-15 hours total - although about 1.5 hours of that was rest breaks accounting for a midnight snack and breakfast. (Being able to hit a restaurant and walk around for a bit makes this way better than longhaul flights). Compare to 1.5 hours on a plane plus probably an extra 2 hours at the airport in addition to the time you'd spend at a bus station.

Total cost involved: Round trip on the bus was about $180 without really any requirements for advanced booking. (Thanks to the Greyhound guy for mentioning they had student discounts - which brought my ticket down to the same price as their advanced purchase. Typical round-trip airfare these days on the route would probably be a bit over $300 - so that's about a 40% savings. (I did manage to fly once round-trip for $190 a number of years back on a now-defunct airline).

Total number of means of distraction involved: They seem to be a bit more nitpicky about number of carryons, but one backpack can fit quite a bit of stuff. I was packing a laptop (~ 4-5 hours battery life in practice - managed to get some paper writing done, but wish the bus on the route had power outlets). I was also packing a tablet (HP Touchpad - 8-10 hour battery life in practice and way better to watch video on than a laptop); a ereader; an ipod touch; and an Android smartphone. No seatback entertainment system active (although the bus was wired with a few video monitors) but that wasn't an overly big disadvantage.

Total environmental impact involved: Greyhound claims 170 passenger miles per gallon. Airplanes - it depends. About the best you can do with a full plane is 100 passenger MPG. Typical load factor is about 80%, so you'd have to reduce that somewhat, and also account for additional overhead ascending and descent given the shorter-ish length of the route. Still, Greyhound seems to have a fair bit of an advantage - and probably more stable pricing over the long term if gas prices continue upwards.

Total hours of sleep involved: Not all that many. Still can't sleep too well on a bus. I do have a travel eye mask thingy which I've had a number of years and saw when packing - that was a great idea to include.

Mr. Obama: Taxing the rich won't increase revenues

What do the rich do when tax rates go up? Are higher tax rates likely to lead to increased revenue?

Prevention: Beer and Martinis: As Healthy as Wine?

What the study apparently found is that after controlling for studies like smoking, age, gender, physical activity the differences in health impact disappeared.

Don’t Support Your Local Bookseller: Buying books on Amazon is better for authors, better for the economy, and better for you.

IMO, the best blurb: "Compared with online retailers, bookstores present a frustrating consumer experience. A physical store—whether it’s your favorite indie or the humongous Barnes & Noble at the mall—offers a relatively paltry selection, no customer reviews, no reliable way to find what you’re looking for, and a dubious recommendations engine. Amazon suggests books based on others you’ve read; your local store recommends what the employees like. If you don’t choose your movies based on what the guy at the box office recommends, why would you choose your books that way?" Other than for last-minute gifts I tend to think of these things as almost more like a glorified coffee shop.

When the Doctor Faces a Lawsuit

"Researchers surveyed more than 7,000 surgeons and found that nearly one in four were in the midst of litigation. ... Other studies estimate that, depending on the specialty, anywhere from 75 percent to 99 percent of practicing doctors will over the course of a lifetime be threatened with a lawsuit. ... Doctors who have been sued may end up practicing defensive medicine, ordering unnecessary tests and medications or refusing to treat patients with more complex illnesses altogether as a safeguard against future litigation. Those same doctors can also become burned out, which can lead to even more errors, and more malpractice claims."