You often hear people describe food as “sexy,” but I’ve always believed it’s really more the occasion and company that makes a meal sexy. Put your Valentine across a candlelit table, pour a couple glasses of wine, and no matter what you serve up, sexiness will ensue.

Having said that, it certainly doesn’t hurt to hedge your bets and serve up a naturally sensuous dish like this simple, but sophisticated fish stew. This is great for you less than confident cooks, since your timing doesn’t need to be that precise. Did I mention there’d be wine around?

You can actually do everything ahead, up until adding the fish if you want. Since the pieces will cook in between 5 and 10 minutes, when you’re ready to eat, simply bring the mixture to a boil, add the fish, and simmer until done. You can also hold the stew over very low heat for a good 15-20 minutes without major problems, in case, well, you know.

By the way, make sure you check and see if your dining partner likes fish and wine, as this would be a horrible choice if they don’t. If they do, you’re in business. Almost any type of fish or shellfish will work in this, as well as any small, cute potatoes. Just don’t forget to peel the middles, as it's kind of a big deal. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:
2 tbsp butter

1 large leek, chopped

1/2 cup sliced shallots

1/2 tsp salt, more to taste

3/4 cup white wine

1 1/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup sliced fennel root

1 pound small red potatoes

cayenne to taste

1/2 cup cream

1 pound boneless fish filets

1 tbsp chopped tarragon

View the complete recipe

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by Salman Hameed

Actually, I want to make two recommendation. In December, I had a chance to read Pankaj Mishra's fantastic new book, From the Ruins of Empire: The Intellectuals who Remade Asia. It uses the Japanese defeat of the Russians in 1905 as a fulcrum to talk about the response of Asian intellectuals to 'Western' colonialism. Apart from a broad historical perspective of the epoch that was shaping the modern world, Mishra focuses on the intellectual odyssey of three influential writers: Jamal al-din Afghani (in Iran, India, Egypt, and the Ottoman Empire), Liang Qichao (in China), and Rabindarnath Tagore (in India).

From the perspective of this blog, the long section of Afghani (1838-1897) would be of interest. He has been a bit of a mystery. His writings say different things in different places. But, apart from his Pan-Islamic movement, he is also responsible for creating the narrative of Islam and science narrative, arguing that Islam is a 'modern' religion and that science is essential for the progress of Muslims. However, he rejected evolution - at least in the 1880s, but his rejection was more aimed at Sayyid Ahmad Khan than an intellectual response to evolutionary biology. In fact, he changed his mind later and not only appropriated evolution by attributing it to medieval Muslim scholars, but by also calling Darwin "a mere specimen collector".

Mishra's book does not focus on Afghani's views on science or education, but it does a fantastic job of taking us around the world with him. Afghani must have been an amazingly charismatic guy. He managed to gain access to sultans, kings and the czars, while also fomenting popular uprisings in most of the places he went. His rate and span of travel is quite incredible for 19th century. But his writings can only make sense if we see them through the lens of his single-minded opposition to the British colonial rule (both direct and indirect). Mishra's section on Afghani is riveting as he takes us on an intellectual roller coaster ride with this fascinating character. Later he does the same with Liang Qichao and Tagore - but I think the Afghani section really stands out.

If you have a chance, do check out Mishra's book. Also read this fantastic review by Vijay Prashad: Under Eastern Skies.

But while I was reading this book, I was also listening to a Teaching Company course titled The Long 19th Century: European History from 1789 to 1917 by Prof. Robert Weiner. Now I'm a Teaching Company junkie, and have listened to over 30 of their courses. The bar is very very high, but I can still say that this is one of the best courses I have listened to (the three lecture set on Middle Ages by Prof. Philip Daileader also comes close to perfection).

What was really cool about this were the two different vantage points. Weiner's 36 lectures provided a detailed look into the making of the modern world from the European perspective, and Mishra's book complimented that view with the perceptions of those who were affected by European imperialism. I absolutely loved the combination. If you have a daily commute longer than 15 minutes, I would highly recommend The Long 19th Century, and reading Mishra's book, when not driving.

Enjoy!

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by Salman Hameed

Well, Malala's name has been nominated for Nobel Peace Prize. Actually, this might be good for the Nobel committee, after giving the prize to the drone-happy Obama and then last year to the European Union(!). A win for Malala may actually restore some of the lost luster.

In the mean time, she has made her first public statement and has mentioned the establishment of a fund dedicated for girls' education. In many instances, this kind of coverage overwhelms the subject in the middle. But it is different with her. She has always been confident and self-assured. So check out the video of her statement in English (first one below) and in Urdu. Often people focus on the religion of her attackers. But, as you can see from the video, religion plays a major role in her life as well - and it is that that she credits for her well-being. This is the reason why it doesn't make much sense to make blanket statements - both good or bad - about religions. The way people inhabit and interact with religion is complex, and it is the specifics that matter. And there really isn't much redeemable about those Taliban who found any kind of justification (religious or tribal or political) in attacking a 14-year old girl. [On the crazy spectrum of things, please check out this earlier post: Crazy Conspiracy Theories: From Malala to Newtown, CT]

I hope Malala recovers her spunky-self. To remind you of her (and her charming father's) sprightly personality, I have also posted the short NYT documentary from a few years ago.

Here is Malala's statement in English:

Here is her statement on Urdu:


Here is the NYT documentary:

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Many years ago, at a small neighborhood restaurant in San Francisco, a young cook got to do his very first menu “special.” It featured pulled chicken, Cajun sausage, and peppers stewed in a rich, spicy gravy; and was served over grilled French bread. 

Not sure what to call it, the inexperienced, but handsome cook described it as a, “sort of Cajun ragout of chicken,” which made it on to the specials board as, “Cajun Chicken Ragu.”

Yes, I was that young cook, and the following recipe is pretty close to that historic dish. While I did enjoy it over the grilled bread back in the day, a gravy this awesome really deserves to be served over a big pile of rice. These are the kind of things you learn as you mature. That, and make sure you spell out your specials to the disinterested waiter writing the chalkboard.

Anyway, since I’m not going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras (I’m allergic to feathers and drunk tourists), I thought I’d dust off this old, personal favorite, which while not totally authentic, certainly celebrates those fabulous Cajun/Creole flavors.

As I mentioned in the video, this works with any kind of chicken, raw or cooked. As long as you simmer the gravy to an appropriate thickness, and make sure your meats are fully cooked, and heated through, you should be in bon shape. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions of Cajun Chicken Ragu:

6 slices of bacon, cut in 1/4-inch pieces

1 large onion, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

large pinch of salt

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

1/2 tsp dried oregano

3 cups cold chicken broth

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

8 oz andouille sausage, sliced

2 or 3 cups pulled chicken meat

1/4 cup chopped green onions, plus more to garnish

*check for salt and seasoning, and adjust at the end!

View the complete recipe

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Yes, there are Lean Startups even in the United States federal government. I know this is an unpopular thing to say, since it sounds so patently absurd. But I've seen the teams with my own eyes and witnessed their results first hand. For my take on how this is possible, you can see my previous post on Lean Government here. Today, I'm excited to share the latest round of startups that are being run by the Presidential Innovation Fellows program. If you'd like to try your hand at being an entrepreneur inside one of the world's largest bureaucracies, you can apply right here starting today. 

I've excerpted descriptions of the program and summaries of all the projects below. Take a look and judge for yourself.

---

The Presidential Innovation Fellows (PIF) program pairs top innovators from the private sector, non-profits, and academia with top innovators in government to collaborate during focused 6-12 month “tours of duty” to develop solutions that can save lives, save taxpayer money, and fuel job creation. Each team of innovators is supported by a broader community of interested citizens throughout the country. 

The 1st round of five projects – MyUSA (formerly known as MyGov), RFP-EZ, Blue Button, Better Than Cash, and Open Data Initiatives – launched in August 2012 with 18 inaugural Fellows.  Each of these five project teams have made remarkable progress. 

The 2^nd round of the Presidential Innovation Fellows program will include nine projects, described below – four that are the second phases of Round 1 projects and five new projects. Presidential Innovation Fellows have a unique opportunity to serve our Nation and make an impact on a truly massive scale.  We will be accepting applications to be a Round 2 Fellow from February 5 through March 17, and are looking to put together a dynamic, diverse, innovative class that will produce tremendous results for the American people.    

• WhiteHouse.gov/InnovationFellows has information about the program, past PIFs, and will serve as the gateway through which to apply (just click on the “Apply Here” button starting February 5^th) 
• Those interested can follow @WhiteHouseOSTPon Twitter and can discuss the program on social media using: #InnovateGov 
• Applications to be a Round 2 Fellow will be accepted through March 17^th

Disaster Response & Recovery

Collaboratively building and “pre-positioning" needed tech tools ahead of future emergencies or natural disasters in order to mitigate economic damage and save lives.

During an emergency or natural disaster, it is essential that first responders, government agencies, volunteers, the private sector, and the public have access to real-time information about the critical needs of survivors and resources that can help them. The goals of the Disaster Response & Recovery project are to: (1) identify information critical to saving lives and mitigating damage in a disaster; (2) identify existing and new tools to be built and deployed that can collect, synthesize and distribute that information; and (3) build out these tools and train disaster response personnel in their use. 

Once these tools are built and rolled out, they can be used collaboratively by the private sector, first responders, local officials, volunteers, and survivors themselves in order to get information where it needs to be in real-time.  This improved ability to collect and disseminate information will support disaster response and recovery efforts for years to come.  The potential savings – in terms of both American lives and taxpayer dollars – are dramatic.

MyUSA

Simplifying the process of finding and accessing information and government services that are right for you.  Helping American businesses access the information and services that will help them grow, hire American workers, and export to foreign markets.

MyUSA (formerly known as MyGov) is creating a new service that helps Americans find the information and services they need across the Federal Government. Rather than organizing services around the agencies that deliver them, as most Federal websites do today, MyUSA organizes services around people and the specific tasks they need to complete.  Building on the work of the inaugural class of MyUSA Presidential Innovation Fellows, motivated by President Obama's call for a smarter, leaner government, and inspired by innovative models of collaboration in the private sector, the US Chief Technology Officer, the US Chief Information Officer, and the White House Director of Digital Strategy will work closely with and support the Round 2 MyUSA Fellows as they take the MyUSA service to the next level.

In particular, small businesses and exporters have a fundamental problem navigating the Federal Government’s myriad resources.  It can be difficult to locate information about government assistance programs or find and complete the correct forms for taxes or business operations.  MyUSA is working to solve these problems.  The project team will build and beta-test new features and tools for entrepreneurs and businesses with the purpose of cutting red tape, increasing efficiency, and supporting American businesses and American jobs.

MyUSA will save people and businesses time when transacting with the government, increase awareness of available government services, and speed up notifications and updates. MyUSA has the potential not only to save Americans time and money, but to reshape how they interact with and view their government.
@ProjectMyUSA on Twitter.

RFP-EZ and Innovative Contracting Tools

Making it easier for the government to do business with small, high-growth tech companies, and enabling the government to buy better, lower-cost tech solutions from the full range of American businesses. 

RFP-EZ improves the operations of government by making it easier for small businesses to sell their services to government buyers, and by making it easier for contracting officers within government to navigate the process of purchasing.  In Round 1 of the PIF program, the RFP-EZ team opened the door to small businesses by building a platform for small, creative businesses to more effectively sell to the Federal Government. The objective of the RFP-EZ 2.0 team is to improve upon the existing product and scale the tool across additional government agencies so that fewer taxpayer dollars are spent getting the technology that government needs to do its work for the American people. 

As RFP-EZ is tested and scaled, a new effort will be launched to improve Federal procurement by building a portal of prices paid by agencies under their contracts.  Improved information sharing, both within and between agencies, about prices paid for common-use goods and services will make it easier for agencies to find “best in class” spending options.  More informed decision making promises to help save substantial amounts of money each year by pooling resources in the vehicles that offer the best value for the taxpayer.

 RFPEZ.SBA.gov and follow @ProjectRFPEZ on Twitter.

Cyber-Physical Systems

Working with government and industry to create standards for a new generation of interoperable, dynamic, and efficient “smart systems” – an “industrial Internet” – that combines distributed sensing, control, and data analytics to help grow new high-value American jobs and the economy.

The emerging “industrial Internet” revolution, enabled by the convergence of networking and information technology with engineered physical systems and associated services, is enabling a new generation of “smart systems” and an innovation-based growth engine for the U.S. economy in a broad range of industries including manufacturing, transportation, energy, healthcare, defense, agriculture, and emergency response.  These cyber-physical systems (CPS) will combine distributed sensing, monitoring, actuation, and control networks with interoperable systems integration, advanced analytics, and user interfaces featuring customized degrees of autonomy to enable adaptive, predictive, and collaborative optimization of system performance over the entire life cycle of a device (e.g. design, build, operate/use, maintain, and service).  These innovations could lead to entirely new markets and platforms for growth in the economy, increase U.S. competitiveness, catalyze the creation and retention of U.S. jobs, enable cost-effective renewable clean energy, enhance national security, and help support affordable health care and improved quality of life for our citizens.

Realizing this potential will require partnerships between industry and government to develop a  framework and best practices for cyber-physical-systems platform technologies that include integrated architectures, standards and protocols, advanced analytics, evaluation testbeds, and reference implementations to ensure such systems perform reliably, correctly, safely and securely.  These platform technologies will leverage advances in control systems and process engineering, big data and cloud computing, broadband communications, and cybersecurity.

Open Data Initiatives

Accelerating and expanding efforts to make government information resources more publicly accessible in “computer-readable” form and spurring the use of those data by entrepreneurs as fuel for the creation of new products, services, and jobs. 

The Open Data Initiatives project is “liberating” government data and voluntarily-contributed corporate data to fuel entrepreneurship, create jobs, and improve the lives of Americans in tangible ways. As a model, decades ago, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration began making weather data available for free electronic download by anyone. Entrepreneurs used these data to create weather newscasts, websites, mobile applications, insurance, and much more. Similarly, the government’s decision to make the Global Positioning System (GPS) freely available has fueled a vast array of private-sector innovations ranging from navigation systems to precision crop farming, creating massive public benefit and contributing significantly to economic growth. More recently, the Health Data Initiative, launched by the Institute of Medicine and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2010, has opened growing amounts of health-related knowledge and information in computer-readable form from the vaults of the government and publicized the availability of these data to entrepreneurs and innovators. Hundreds of companies and nonprofits have used these data to develop new products and services that are helping millions of Americans and creating jobs of the future in the process.

Working closely with the US Chief Technology Officer, the US Chief Information Officer, and an array of agencies, the Open Data Initiatives team has launched and is continuing to scale open data efforts in Health, Energy, Education, Finance, Public Safety, and Global Development. These efforts involve government releasing general data resources in computer-readable form and in accordance with policies that rigorously protect privacy. The goal is to stimulate a rising tide of private-sector entrepreneurship that leverages these data to create tools that help Americans find the right health care provider for them, identify the college that provides the best value for their money, save money on their electricity bills through smarter shopping for the right rate plan, keep their families safe by knowing which products have been recalled, and much more – a rising tide of innovation that also contributes to economic growth and creates jobs. 

@ProjectOpenData on Twitter.

For Round 2, we are looking for Presidential Innovation Fellows to work on the existing Open Data Initiatives in Health, Energy, Education, Finance, Public Safety, and Global Development, as well as the following new data innovation efforts:

Building Virtual Learning at National Scale

Harness new techniques in big data and learning analytics to help students master core academic subjects such as math and science. 

Digital Tools for the Smithsonian

Develop new ways for the Smithsonian Institution to engage in the historic effort to make its unparalleled collections in science, history, art, and culture more open and available to the American public – from researchers to schoolchildren and everyone in between.

Data.gov

Build upon the success of Data.gov(launched in 2009) – and recent improvements such as Alpha.Data.gov– to create an optimal hub for the growing open data work of the Federal Government.

@USDataGov on Twitter.

MyData Initiatives

Empowering the American people with secure access to their own personal health, energy, and education data. 

The MyData Initiatives seek to spread the ability for people to securely access to their own data while spurring the growth of private-sector applications and services that a person can use to crunch his or her own data for a growing array of useful purposes.

Existing MyData Initiatives are paving the way. For example, through Blue Button – a growing initiative across the public and private sectors – patients can download their own health information from a growing array of organizations (the Department of Veterans Affairs’s health system, private-sector health care providers, etc.) and securely share their medical histories with caregivers, import their prescription histories into mobile reminder apps, and more. Similarly, the Green Button team at the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology is working collaboratively with industry to enable millions of residential and commercial energy customers to securely download their own energy usage data in a standardized machine-readable format directly from their utilities. The MyData Initiative at the U.S. Department of Education is empowering learners of all ages in hundreds of school districts to access machine-readable copies of their academic transcripts and student loan/grant histories, including their own Federal student loan and FAFSA data.

The Round 2 MyData team will work with public sector and private sector organizations to continue to expand the ability for Americans to securely and privately access their own data from wherever it might be, and encourage the development of private-sector tools and services that help people utilize their own data for their own benefit.       

 @ProjectBlueBtn on Twitter.

Innovation Toolkit

Developing an innovation toolkit that empowers our Federal workforce to respond to national priorities more quickly and more efficiently. 

Inspired by President Obama’s pledge to “make government cool again,” the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, in connection with the General Services Administration and the U.S. Department of State, will lead an effort to apply technology to augment and tap into the skills, creativity, and capacity for innovation of the Federal workforce.  There are a variety of ways the Federal Government can improve the efficiency and productivity of its talented people – by connecting employees through an intuitive online collaboration platform, by providing opportunities for online learning and skills sharing (particularly since 85% of the Federal workforce is located outside of the Washington, DC metro area), and by offering dynamic libraries of case studies, guides, and “how to” documents – an “innovation toolkit” – for employees looking to think out-of-the-box without having to reinvent the wheel. Using these and other tools, we can deliver on President Obama’s call for a smarter, leaner government and enable the Federal workforce to deliver greater value to the American taxpayer by saving time, money, and resources.  

21^st Century Financial Systems

Moving financial accounting systems of Federal agencies out of the era of unwieldy agency-specific implementations to one that favors more nimble, modular, scalable, and cost-effective approaches. 

The Federal Government has traditionally approached new financial system implementations by focusing on implementing commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) packages and adapting them to agency-specific needs.  This approach has resulted in many cost and schedule over-runs, aborted implementations, and overly complex systems that are not used to their full potential. The Office of Management and Budget and the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Financial Innovation and Transformation (FIT) are charting a new course for Financial Systems focused on using shared services, standardized requirements, and fewer agency-specific tweaks. The 21^st Century Financial Systems project is focused on designing and building an evidence-based “test” that Treasury will use to ensure agencies don’t put out over-engineered requirements.  The key to this effort will be designing and implementing a credible and efficient process to determine which agency deviations from a standard set of requirements are truly required and what would be the best way to accommodate those deviations. The success of this program could lead to dramatic and lasting cost savings on behalf of American taxpayers.

Development Innovation Ventures

Enabling the US government to identify, test, and scale breakthrough solutions to the world’s toughest problems. 

Great ideas and breakthrough solutions come from all kinds of different places, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has recently pioneered a competitive method for sourcing and scaling innovations to drive faster, more cost effective, and more reliable results. It uses staged financing to make small investments in promising approaches and technologies and larger investments when there is clear evidence that the method is producing significant results. It accepts proposals from startup or established businesses, social enterprises, academic institutions or non-profits, both domestically and internationally. Over 2000 proposals have been reviewed and over 40 investments made across the world in a wide range of sectors, with many more under negotiation.

Building on this innovative approach to government financing, there are opportunities to scale this effort to reach millions of people more quickly and ensure that the program structure is sustainable (through either profitability or host country adoption, not long-term donor support). Of particular interest would be supporting enterprises that are scaling through the private sector. In addition, there is a desire among domestic Federal Government agencies to optimize the use of taxpayer resources and further their missions by adapting this model of broad competitions and tiered funding for additional missions, to produce the most cost-effective, evidence-based, and scalable solutions.

 USAID.gov, and @DIVatUSAID on Twitter.
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This game is one of my kids' favorites!  It looks intimidating, but it's super easy once you understand the idea.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.  Should I post other songs?

To prepare the game:

1.  Download the PDF at the bottom of the page.

2.  Print the first two pages

3.  Print the third and forth pages on the back of the first two.

4.  Cut out the strips.

Now you should have a puzzle with the picture on one side and the lyrics to the song on the other.  Cut a piece of clear shelf paper big enough to cover the entire puzzle.  Remove the backing and attach it to the blackboard, sticky-side-out, with magnets or tape.  Note:  an anonymous commenter left the suggestion to use press-and-seal kitchen paper so the puzzle lasts for multiple uses.  Y'all are geniuses!  (I wish I could get that stuff in Holland!)  Attach the puzzle pieces, lyrics-side-out, to the blackboard with magnets or clear tape.  

Tell the children that they need to learn the song so well that they can recite it inside-out, backward and forward.  They're going to see if they can sing the song from the end to the beginning.  Take the strip that reads "Yes, I know Heavenly Father loves me." and place it at the bottom of the piece of shelf paper.  Explain that this is the last line of the song. 

Ask them to sing the song with you and listen for the line that occurs just BEFORE this one.  Sing through the song and ask the children which word strip belongs just above the one that you've already posted.  Have them find the word-strip and carefully attach it to the shelf paper above the first. 

Continue the game until all the word strips are on the page in the correct order.  When the lyrics are complete, remove the magnets holding up the shelf paper and turn it around, showing the children the picture side of the puzzle. 

Note:  In the interest of time, you may need to sing each verse separately (second verse first).  Alternately, you may ask the children to listen for the previous TWO word strips.  This is often too difficult for the children at the beginning of the game, but it is much easier when half of the word strips are already gone.

The original image, "Creation-Living Creatures" is borrowed from the LDS Media Library.

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To read the content of this post, please click on the link below:
http://www.inspiremeasap.blogspot.com/2013/02/heart-health.html
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You can see here that the bones are clearly
indicating the older "Harbaugh" would win.

If you lost money betting on the 49ers because of our chicken wing bone prediction, I have some really great news for you. Upon further review, the bones were correct! As you can see from the photo, the bones actually spelled out an “H” and a “+” symbol; and not an “SF” as we’d originally thought.

The “H” clearly indicates that a “Harbaugh” was going to be the winner, which was true, and the “+” revealed it would be older brother, John. So basically, the problem was that the bones were too accurate.

For future reference, when brothers
are coaching against each other, do
not look for the city! Live and learn.

Our original call was based on looking for a city, or team mascot; but since football’s collective consciousness was focused on this historic brother vs. brother coaching battle, we should have calibrated for that instead. My bad.

Anyway, even though you probably lost your ass because of this little misinterpretation, I’m sure just knowing that the bones’ streak of correctly predicting the Super Bowl outcome is still intact makes you feel a lot better. Plus, you can always bet double next year to make up the difference. You’re welcome!

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by Salman Hameed

It is always a fantastic learning experience to attend ScienceOnline conferences. This was my third time attending the conference (see my posts on ScienceOnline conferences from 2010: Highest Flip-cam/Participant Ratio, and 2008: Coffee, Food and Great Conversations). While it is difficult to sign-up for the conference (it fills up its 450 slots within a few minutes of registration opening time), the operation itself is now a well-oiled and efficient machine. Especially now that it has a non-stop supply of coffee!

Couple of quick thoughts from this year's conference:

I attended a few sessions on science communication, and it was heartening to see the conversation go beyond "knowledge-deficit models" (more simply: the reason for rejection of science is simply because the public doesn't understand it or that they don't have enough knowledge). In fact, there was a whole session devoted to that, though I think they went too far in dismissing the knowledge-deficit model (I think it is a correct assumption in some cases, and we have to do a better job of assessing the multitude of ways people interact and form opinion about science). Couple of other sessions addressed similar issues and at one point there was a call for more data and sociologists at the meeting (Amen!).

The highlight for me was the Friday morning "Converge" session (you can see the whole session here - it is about an hour long). The first talk was  by Frasier Cain, on the use of Hangouts in Google+ to conduct virtual star parties. Basically, it allows everyone to have a live view of amateur telescopes located around the world. This is absolutely amazing and it has tremendous potential for global conversations (also see Cain's useful Tips and Tricks for Hangouts on Air). The success of these virtual star parties on Google+ Hangout led to a wonderful promo by Google. It was shown at the conference, and it has a bitter/sweet moment. It includes Umair Asim from Pakistan. Now if you follow this blog, you know that Umair has made some phenomenal contributions to the popularity of astronomy in Pakistan, but he is currently facing some tough times as he and his family are embroiled in blasphemy charges, and their school was burnt to the ground in late last October (see my Guardian article on Umair: Blasphemy Laws are Darkening Pakistan's Skies). In any case, with this mind, here is the Google promo:



Virtual star parties were followed by the rap of Baba Brinkman. He performed couple of songs that dealt with different concepts of evolution, and biology, in general. This is part of his Rap Guide to Evolution. Here is one on the origins of all human in Africa, I'm A African (and for a catchy-tune but with problematic Oriental tropes, you can watch the song DNA here):



The conference was as usual friendly and it was easy to strike up conversations with individuals. On the constructive criticism side of things, I was a bit disappointed that the conversations about science and science-communication were predominantly US-centered. Now, at one level, it makes sense. The conference is taking place in the US, and this is the context that most people are familiar with. However, the reach of science is now truly global and so are the conversations about science around the world. I'm not simply advocating a token session on "science in other parts of the world" but rather to have a more integrated discussion of scientific roles and perceptions across the globe - from India, Brazil and Italy to China, Thailand and Egypt - when addressing science communication.

This last point aside, it was an excellent conference and looking forward to attending more in the future. Thanks to Bora, Anton and Karyn for doing a spectacular job of organizing it and for anticipating and taking care of the needs of the participants. 

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We find beekeeping to be a hoot! More and more people are entering the exciting hobby of beekeeping. Some become beekeepers to sell honey, others keep bees to help pollinate their gardens and orchards Others keep bees simply to stop the decline in honey bees. Without honey bees we will suffer a loss in fruits and vegetables we so enjoy. One out of three bites of food is attributed to the pollination of a honey bee. We need more beekeepers.
There are additional benefits in keeping bees. Keeping bees can be educational, relaxing and financially rewarding.  Almost daily someone will call us and tell us they are interested in keeping bees. Sometimes, these are people who want to be an urban beekeeper and keep bees on their balcony or in their backyard. Others have bought more land or a farm and are seeking to be more self-sufficient and want to use a more natural sweetener while increasing the pollination of their raised beds or gardens. 
Hello, we are David and Sheri Burns and thanks for stopping by our blog. We are beekeepers and we operate our family business called Long Lane Honey Bee Farms. We live in central Illinois down a long lane scattered with bee hives. We manufacture beekeeping equipment, sell bees and queens, teach beekeeping classes, remove hives from homes and buildings and more. We do everything associated with bees. It’s out hope that we can encourage you to consider becoming a beekeeper, or if you are a beekeeper we hope we can help guide you to become more successful. We appreciate your business and we know you have lots of choices where to purchase  your beekeeping supplies. We appreciate you choosing our hard working family to meet your beekeeping needs. Thank  you in advance.
We have openings in our March 9th and our March 23rd Beginning Beekeeping Classes. Click here for more information These classes are filling up quickly, so register soon to ensure you reserve your spot.
In today’s lesson, let’s examine exactly how the bees make honey. It’s probably different than you thought. But before we begin today’s lesson, I want to bring you up to date on what’s going on with our business and family.
Sheri and I just had our 6th granddaughter! My oldest son David and his wife Nikki gave birth to healthy Avery. My son David was instrumental in helping start our business. In those humble beginning days, David and I did everything ourselves. It was a much smaller business, but it was amazing how we invented processes and designed equipment most of which we are still using today, with improvements and expansions of course. Congratulations David and Nikki.
Our middle son Seth became a Marine back in October and last week he graduated from the School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton. He’s now at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California…the Mojave desert. Sheri and I flew out to his recent graduation and enjoyed trading an Illinois winter for the wonderful weather of southern California.
Our visit with Seth was brief but Sheri and I enjoyed soaking up some vitamin D. Sheri and I are big into motorcycling, so we rented a Harley Electra Glide and road up into the mountains until we got too cold and had to come down. The San Diego area can be pretty congested for us rural Illinoisans, so I gave Sheri a ride of her life flying through 7 lanes of rush hour traffic. In California, it is legal for motorcyclists to ride between cars.
Sheri came up with a great hive kit special while we were out in California. I’m calling it Sheri’s Valentine Special. It’s a completely assembled and painted hive, a package of bees with a queen,  and an equipment kit that includes a smoker, hive tool, hat and veil. That’s not all. It also includes a 4 hour beekeeping class. Click here for more information on Sheri’s Valentine Special.
NOTICE: We are almost sold out of individual packages of bees. If you are still hoping to buy a package for pickup, you’ll need to call us this week. We are saving packages that are included with our hive kits. 217-427-2678.
There is a big emphasis on purchasing local nucs. A  nuc is when you take out the heart of a hive, usually 4 or 5 frames of bees, honey and pollen, brood in various stages and the queen. We have just a few left so if you want to purchase a nuc, click here. Pickup only, of course. Many people prefer a nuc because there is less chance the hive will abscond when being installed in a hive (frames being transferred) and the queen is already accepted and has been laying for some time. Here is a picture of a nuc with the top removed so you can see the bees. You transport your nuc home, and then transfer your 4 frames over to your new hive. Click here to order now. Only a few left.
BLOGGER READERS SPECIAL
On Wednesday February 6th we are offering free shipping on our completely assembled and painted hive. However you must call in to receive free shipping and use COUPON CODE Z478C. This is our way of thanking your for being one of our blogger followers. Just give us a call this Wednesday 8:30am – 4:30pm central time. This offer only applies toward the purchase of one completely assemble hive, item #1 Click Here To Review Hive

LESSON 131: HOW DO BEES MAKE HONEY?

What is honey? We know that honey comes from a honey bee hive. But exactly what is involved in making that delicious sweetener from the hive? Honey is largely nectar gathered from flowers and carried into the hive. However, there is much more that goes into making honey. It takes ten pounds of nectar to make one pound of honey. Similar to the way maple syrup is made, the moisture must be evaporated from nectar so that it can become honey. It isn't called honey until the bees reduce the moisture content to around 18% and add some enzymes to it. To better help you understand the whole process, let’s start with a drop of nectar on a flower and let’s follow a bee as she gathers the nectar. Around the age of 23 days old, a honey bee is old enough to begin flying out of the hive to gather nectar, pollen, water and propolis. Prior to day 23 she has been restricted by age to in house hive duties. First, she takes orientation flights around the hive so she can remember how to find her way back from a long flight out. We refer to bees that fly and gather resources as foragers. Now that she knows her hive location, she works her way to the dance floor where an experienced forager is passing out samples of nectar that she has just gathered from a flower. And she is doing the waggle dance, a figure eight dance that directs other foragers to the location of the nectar source. For more information on the waggle dance (video) click here. The waggle dance reveals the distance to the flower, a sample of the nectar and the direction of flight. Once our new forager has her flight path laid in, away she goes with one mission, to find the location, fill her honey stomach with nectar and when full, return to the hive. While she is gathering nectar, the flower awards her with pollen which she will store on her back legs for the flight home. Both pollen and nectar are the colony’s main food source. She will fly back to her hive fully loaded with 80% of her body weight in pollen and honey. That’s the equivalent of a 200 pound man carrying 160 pounds, for miles! Once our forager arrives back at her hive, she must unload her surplus. She is met by a house bee on transport duty. The forager will deflate her honey stomach just enough to dispense a droplet at a time through her tongue, giving the house bee a droplet of nectar. The house bee begins to work the droplet in her mouth pieces for about 20 minutes which helps in the drying process. She also will add enzymes to the nectar which helps break down the complex sugars into simple sugars as well as protecting it from bacteria. The transport house bee will carry the droplet of nectar up to the honey comb that is currently being filled by other transport bees. The droplet is then placed in an opened cell. Other house bees fan their wings at 11,400 times per minute to help evaporate the moisture from the nectar. Once the nectar reaches a moisture content of around 18%, more house bees will seal over the comb with wax. The reason honey is sealed with wax is the same reason we can our food. It will preserve the honey, keeping additional moisture from being absorbed into the honey. Honey Gathering Bullet Facts:

• Drones (male bees) and queens do not gather nectar. Only the mature, female worker bees forage for resources.
• All raw honey will eventually crystallize.
• Crystallized honey is very good to eat, but it can be re-liquefied when heated to 104 (f) degrees. Heating over 104 (f) degrees can damage the taste and reduce healthy enzymes.
• Honey will crystallize fastest between 55 (f) – 63 (f) degrees.
• Honey is not likely to crystallize if it is kept below 40 (f) or above 104 (f) as this is the temperature in which the crystals melt.

See what awaits you as you become a beekeeper. We offer free online beekeeping lessons, video, podcasts, beekeeping supplies and bees and queens. Thanks for joining us for another lesson in beekeeping. Please let others know about these lessons and our business. We appreciate you spreading the word! Your donations help us continue our work and research on the honey bee, such as our recent development of our Winter-Bee-Kind. These lessons are free and will provide you with as much if not more information than you would find in a $30 book. So consider making a $30 donation so that we might continue these lessons, CLICK HERE TO DONATE $30 or go to:
http://www.honeybeesonline.com/servlet/Detail?no=144
Thank you in advance.
David and Sheri Burns
Long Lane Honey Bee Farms
217-427-2678
Website: www.honeybeesonline.com
 









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To read the content of this post, please click on the link below:
http://www.inspiremeasap.blogspot.com/2013/02/looking-for-football-freebie-for-monday.html
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I hope you all have a great day watching the game, enjoying lots of tasty treats, and most of all, rubbing it in your skeptical friends faces when our prediction comes true, again. I'm assuming this isn't your first Super Bowl, but just in case you are new to attending SB parties, this video may help you out. Please pay special attention to the "no talking during the commercials" part, especially if there are lots of females in attendance. They have to put up with our screaming and yelling during the game, so the least we can do is shut up while they watch what they call, "the best part." Enjoy!


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by Salman Hameed

I have just returned from spending couple of days at the Science Online conference (more on that later). Ironically, because I was there, I didn't get time to post here on Irtiqa. But things will resume back here to start with Saturday Video. BBC recently did a fantastic 3-part series to celebrate 60 years of David Attenborough's explorations of nature  and natural life. It looks back at how what we know and how we know has changed over the past decade. I could not find the first episode to embed, but the last minutes of that were about filming snow leopards in the northern areas of Pakistan. However, here is the fantastic second episode on "Understanding the Natural World". Enjoy!

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To all of you that have been requesting mini-cupcake videos: this mini quiche recipe may be as close as I get. I’m sorry, but it’s hard for me to get excited about buttercream when I have chorizo, potato and manchego in the house. Okay, one’s a sweet treat and other is a savory snack, so it’s not a fair comparison, but on the bright side, this intro paragraph is done.

This little baked bite is very loosely based on the Spanish Tortilla, and not only is it dead simple to make, but the versatility of the technique allows this to be adapted to any occasion. From ruckus Super Bowl celebration to black tie Oscar party, these mini quiches will always be a crowd-pleaser.

I’d almost be insulted if you didn’t make changes to the ingredients to tailor this to your tastes, but I do recommend that little dab of aioli on the top. I spiked a classic, garlicky aioli with some smoked paprika and chive, and it really made these treats even more special.  I hope you give them a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 24 Mini Quiche:

4 oz Spanish chorizo sausage, small dice

2 tsp olive oil

1 russet potato, small dice

salt and pepper to taste

vegetable spray, as needed

8 large eggs, beaten with pinch of cayenne and 1/2 tsp salt

(Note: there are 10 eggs shown in the video, but it made too much, so I cut down to 8)

about 2/3 cup grated manchego or cheddar cheese

garlic aioli and chive to garnish

View the complete recipe

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