Off-Topic and On-Topic Musings (OT and OT)

[VVV]

A cool Facebook album about the unexpected catch some fishermen made - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... permPage=1

Make sure to look at all four of the photos in the album.

[Mr Bill]

Now an opportunity for my first post.

Favourite hot chocolate instructions

1 litre milk
1 vanilla bean, split
1 stick of cinnamon
2 bars (100 g each) 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate


Recipe
Chop the chocolate.
Heat the milk with the cinnamon and vanilla bean in a saucepan over medium heat until it reaches boiling point, but do not let the milk boil. Best to use candy thermometer to prevent boiling.
Add the chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth.
Remove from heat and let rest for 25 minutes to release the spices’ aroma.
Strain the liquid and reheat before serving.

If you like spicy add one ingredient during first step:
3 tsp whole black peppercorns
or
one split red chile pepper, seeds removed

Serve in 5-ounce cups. Refill as desired.

Larger cups are bounderish.

Enjoy!

Copied and pasted, I am going to try this recipe. When I was in Idaho, we had a local organic deli that had Cowgirls Chocolate (not for sissies!) The chili and chocolate bars were just great!. I wonder, if a couple shots of espresso would go well with this..

...
Is it true, as I have seen written here, that the most common treatment for sleep apnea is caffeine?

I have heard this it true (reading wikipedia) for premature infants (they even use CPAPs) but not, to my knowledge, for adults. If it were true for adults, I would have no sleep apnea problems!

[tetragon]

When I was in Idaho, we had a local organic deli that had Cowgirls Chocolate (not for sissies!) The chili and chocolate bars were just great!. I wonder, if a couple shots of espresso would go well with this..

Ever hear of Bicerin? You're getting close to that, what with that description. The place I went to for the hot chocolate a few days back, Soma Chocolatemaker, has that on their menu

[Mr Bill]

It was Moscow Idaho, I was there from ~1960 to 64 as a child and 98 to 01 as a postdoc.

[tetragon]

Bicerin is a drink, not a place.

[Mr Bill]

Bicerin is a drink, not a place.

[VVV]

...
Is it true, as I have seen written here, that the most common treatment for sleep apnea is caffeine?

I have heard this it true (reading wikipedia) for premature infants (they even use CPAPs) but not, to my knowledge, for adults. If it were true for adults, I would have no sleep apnea problems!

Mr Bill, Let me expound on what I think it meant. I think the writer was not talking about treatment of adult sleep apnea by the medical profession. He was talking about those who are undiagnosed and those who are diagnosed but refuse medical treatment (CPAP or other). These people are suffering untreated at night and then are treating the symptoms with caffeine during the day.

My own observations are that there are legions more of such people very much outnumbering those of us who use CPAP. The statement, "The most common treatment for sleep apnea is caffeine", has a nice ring to it and I think it also rings true.

A very poor situation IMO.

[VVV]

Sleep Disorders Common Among Police Officers

<snip>

At the initial screening, 40.4% of police screened positive for at least one sleep disorder, and most had not been diagnosed previously.

The most common disorder was obstructive sleep apnea, which occurred in about a third (33.6%) of the cohort. The next most common condition was moderate to severe insomnia (6.5% of the cohort), followed by shift work disorder (5.4%).


http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare ... ders/30329

I believe going at this profession by profession is taking the long route to eventually conclude that the entire population is highly afflicted with sleep apnea.

[tetragon]

Bicerin is a drink, not a place.

Laugh all you want, that won't stop (good) bicerin from being a delicious layered beverage of chocolate (drinking chocolate, not Hot Chocolate from a Cannister), espresso, and cream.

[VVV]

Another random musing, this one off-topic.

Let me say upfront I hate cigarette smoke and would like to never smell even a faint odor of it again.

But this is not right IMO:

Two Roll-Your-Own-Cigarette Stores to Close
By ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS

Seth Wenig/Associated Press
A customer at Island Smokes in Chinatown put the finishing touches on a rolled cigarette last month.Two stores on Staten Island and in Chinatown have agreed to stop selling roll-your-own cigarettes after New York City accused them of being a front for evading cigarette taxes.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/ ... -to-close/

In brief the store sells customers loose tobacco and papers and has available machines on which the customers roll their own cigarettes. The tax law covers cigarettes and does not apply to loose tobacco or papers.

The article does not say it but I saw some blogs where the owner stated they believe they are in the right but do not have the large amount of money it would take to defend the case the city is prosecuting. So they will close their shops.

I believe in the "rule of law". Part of the rule of law states that the law can be understood by the average citizen and the law does not change. It seems to me the city is changing the law by the use of courts to something that was beyond the original understanding. Plus the city is using its size, power, and financial resources to crush a somewhat defenseless small business.

What do you think?

[Mr Bill]

Bicerin is a drink, not a place.

Laugh all you want, that won't stop (good) bicerin from being a delicious layered beverage of chocolate (drinking chocolate, not Hot Chocolate from a Cannister), espresso, and cream.

Oh tetragon, I was laughing at myself. I am definitely going to try it. It sounds delightful.

[Mr Bill]

...
Is it true, as I have seen written here, that the most common treatment for sleep apnea is caffeine?

I have heard this it true (reading wikipedia) for premature infants (they even use CPAPs) but not, to my knowledge, for adults. If it were true for adults, I would have no sleep apnea problems!

Mr Bill, Let me expound on what I think it meant. I think the writer was not talking about treatment of adult sleep apnea by the medical profession. He was talking about those who are undiagnosed and those who are diagnosed but refuse medical treatment (CPAP or other). These people are suffering untreated at night and then are treating the symptoms with caffeine during the day.

My own observations are that there are legions more of such people very much outnumbering those of us who use CPAP. The statement, "The most common treatment for sleep apnea is caffeine", has a nice ring to it and I think it also rings true.

A very poor situation IMO.

I drank so much coffee in grad school that it had no effect on sleep. My house mate and I would share a pot before hitting the hay. I probably drank many pots a day. It was over 10 years later that central sleep apnea came into my life significantly.

However, I was referring to the fact that caffeine is actually used to help treat Apnea of Prematurity in neonatal care...
http://preemies.about.com/od/preemiehea ... sandBs.htm
and here...
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/cochrane/steer/steer.htm

[VVV]

Maybe I should rant not muse.

[Perrybucsdad]

Okay, I have an OT musing... why can't you see a dog's belly button when the momma dog chews the umbilical cord off, but a crack or street baby has a huge belly button?