Apartment Shingles

We managed to find a nice apartment in Boston for about a third of what we would have paid for the hotel room. It's still about the same as we would pay for a month in Paris. I never realized how expensive it is to travel in the US.

About a year and a half ago, I announced that I had been attacked by a bout of Shingles. It is still going strong. It's not painful (most of the time), but it itches like crazy, especially at night when I'm trying to get to sleep. I heard from one guy who told me his had lasted for two years. I think I may beat his record, because one thing that exacerbates Shingles, is anything that compromises the immune system. Steroids is one thing that does that and I am currently using two medicines containing steroids. I say currently, but it will most likely be for many years to come.

Consciousness After Death: Strange Tales From the Frontiers of Resuscitation Medicine

Teen Genius Develops Cancer Test

  

Hyundai Unveils Flying Electric Car for Congested Cities

SpaceShipTwo goes supersonic on first powered flight

  

Toddler Receives Synthetic Trachea

Dumb Law of the Week: In Lebanon, Virginia, it is illegal to kick your wife out of bed.

À la prochaine, mes amis.

Give Peace A Chance

So now we've had the Boston Bombing, Newtown, Columbine, Aurora (and god only knows how many others) and in spite of all those, we still have no idea what it's like to live in Iraq or Afghanistan day to day. Just going out to buy groceries can mean you'll end up dead or maimed! How can anyone of good conscience justify these ridiculous, unnecessary "wars"? The US government needs to wake up and realize that using the Army, Air Force, Marines or Navy is NOT the way to fight the so-called terrorists. They NEED to realize that by using the military in this way, they are only encouraging others to join the "terrorists"!

Cell phone spotted in silent film from 1928

Super-powered battery breakthrough claimed by US team

Galaxy at the Edge of the Universe Really Likes Making Stars

Repairing and Replacing Body Parts: What's Next

Combining Antibiotics May Backfire

Dumb Law of the Week: In Dyersburg, Tennessee, it is illegal for a woman to call a man for a date.

À la prochaine, mes amis.

Boston Dinner

Blocked and her husband are going to be in Boston in July for a wedding, so we decided to go up for a week, 21 July to 28 July. I booked a flight on Spirit, an airline on which we've never before flown, so we don't know what to expect, but it's only a three-hour flight so it shouldn't be too bad. Robb made a reservation at the Courtyard by Marriott Boston Copley Square. It seems to be a nice place, but damn it is expensive. For what he is paying for a week in a room, we could have gotten a beautiful one bedroom apartment in Paris for a couple of months!

Dinner at Candela this week. We both had what was listed on the menu as Fish Fillet, which turned out to be Red Snapper on a bed of Cava Risotto. It was super good. For dessert, Robb had the Chocolate Tart and I had Flan. As usual, we drank cava.

Saturn's Rings Are Raining Water

  

New Striped Bat Species Looks Like a Tiny Flying Bulldog

Scientists Make Brains Transparent to Get a Better Look Inside

  

The Safest (and Cheapest) Cholesterol Treatment

Sounds can Help Strengthen Memory during Sleep

  

Dumb Law of the Week: In South Dakota, It is illegal for women to think about abortion on a Saturday or Sunday.

À la prochaine, mes amis.

Bitcoin Wallet

So I am now the proud owner of a Bitcoin Wallet. Ah ha, I can hear you, "WTF is a Bitcoin Wallet?" Not so easy to explain, but....Bitcoins are a new, virtual currency that can be used to buy things or pay people for services instead of using dollars or euros, or what ever currency you normally would use for those transactions. The Bitcoin Wallet is a virtual bank account in which you keep your Bitcoins (if you can figure out where to get them) and it is the place from which you make and/or receive payments for goods or services. I'm not totally familiar with the whole thing yet because it's rather complicated and I have yet to find any place that accepts Bitcoins as payment, although I've read that there are a lot of them. Another thing I don't quite understand is how they can be valued like dollars or euros, but according to the latest information, a Bitcoin is worth about $172, and people are 'collecting' them. Some have even suggested that they may eventually do away with the actual physical currency that we now use. I have my doubts about that, but who knows? If you want more information, Google "Bitcoins" or check out the Bitcoin Wiki.

This Weird Crafty Fish Can Make Itself Invisible--And We Don't Know How

  

Here’s the Coolest Photo Yet of SpaceShipTwo in Flight

  

“Breathprints” Could Diagnose Disease

  

Sam Parnia – the man who could bring you back from the dead

  

Scientists Decode Dreams With Brain Scans

Dumb Law of the Week: In Oklahoma, it is illegal for people to make "ugly faces" at dogs and they may be fined and/or jailed.

À la prochaine, mes amis.

Menu Change

Since we had a discount coupon, we had dinner again at Dapur. The noise level was considerably lower than during the weekend. We both had the Coco Shrimp (How do they make the shrimp straight? I've never seen anything but curved shrimp till now.) And for our main course, we had the Crispy Duck. The waitress gave us each a coupon to use the next time we dine there, so I guess we will be returning.

Saturday evening, we ate at Sage. It used to be our favorite local French restaurant, but a lot of changes seem to have been made and we're not at all sure it is a French restaurant any longer. For openers, the sign in front that declares it a French/American restaurant no longer lights up the 'French' part. Okay, so I checked it out on Google, and they're still calling themselves French. There does however seem to be a new owner/chef. Also, previously, they would not take reservations unless you had a party of six or more. Now, they'll accept reservations for even just two people. One thing I discovered that I really like: there were two items on the menu that were similar but different. I ordered my meal prepared like the other and the waiter didn't even try to talk me out of it. It was delicious!

Think Spice: 8 Spices with Health Benefits

Will NASA Announce Plans to Snag an Asteroid and Fly It to Earth?

This Weird Green Rock Is From Mercury

How A Tool For Perfect Human Vision Grew From One Of NASA's Greatest Blunders

Spark of Genius 

Dumb Law of the Week: In Nebraska, it is illegal for a mother to give her daughter a perm without a state license

À la prochaine, mes amis.