I try to review websites that will make my readers happy, but today’s first website has to be, hands down, the best I have ever posted, happiness-wise. You see, I recently came across a mother lode of Calvin & Hobbes comic strips on the Internet. I have been laughing myself silly ever since and hope you will do the same.

     Calvin & Hobbes has to be the best cartoon series in the entire history of the world. I say this as a person who learned to read by laboriously working her way through the Li’l Abner and Popeye comic strips, asking a grownup for the hard words.

     But, okay, not everyone shares my enthusiasm for the funny pages. My father always pretended he was really reading the sports page. And Bill, poor Bill, never got the habit when he was a kid and never reads them now, unless I stick an extra-good one under his nose. And then he laughs, but not, I feel, whole-heartedly. Early deprivation can have that effect on a person.

     But for us right-thinking people, here are the facts: Calvin & Hobbes began in 1985 and, during its brief life, managed to hit most of the philosophical problems bothering kids and grownups – and Calvin managed to solve them about as well as the rest of us, which is, of course, not at all.

     But then, in late 1995, while author Bill Watterson was at the peak of his form, SUDDENLY, TRAGICALLY (please imagine heartbreaking music here) he announced he’d run out of juice. And Watterson retired, at the ripe old age of 37, leaving millions of devastated fans behind him. That’s the bad news. The worse news is that, from all reports, he continues to have a good time as a carefree retiree.

     And now, exausted emotionally, we move to the other topics in this newsletter.

     The main thrust of this issue is actually health research. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, nutrition research keeps upending us virtuous types, particularly those of us who read about this valuable vitamin and that, and proceed to take pills containing them.

     What can I say? All we can do is try to keep track of the changing rules, and here are the latest, in items 5 through 13.

     Janette

----Table Of Contents----

1. Calvin & Hobbes
2. How To Sleep Comfortably On A Hot Night
3. Relieve The Pain Of A Bee Sting In 30 Seconds
4. Celestial Pleasures
5. Vitamin D Is Good And Complicated
6. Scientific Research Gets Nasty
7. Why Do Scientific Studies Sometimes Conflict?
8. On A More Cheery Note
9. Fish Are Good For You
10. Healthy Fish Choices
11. Healthy Fish Recipes
12. The Fish Oil Alternative
13. Food That Will Kill You
14. Life Is A Roller Coaster

1. CALVIN & HOBBES

     I have to admit that, when Bill Watterson started the comic strip in 1985, he was good. But not great. I say that based on the number of times I laughed at the early strips, which wasn’t that often. I merely smiled here and there. It wasn’t until he was midway through his brief career that the laugh-o-meter began to go up and up, as he hit more of the problems of humanity right square on the nose. Which is why the sample strip below comes from late in his career.

http://www.marcellosendos.ch/comics/ch/1991/09/199109.html

2. HOW TO SLEEP COMFORTABLY ON A HOT NIGHT

     What happens when a million people edit an article? Well, in the case of “How To Sleep Comfortably On A Hot Night,” you get some great suggestions. Along with a few kooky ones. This is a WIKI HOW site, and it, like all wikis, allows readers to add to it and change it. You will note that a lot of these sleep suggestions will also help you through a hot day without air conditioning.

http://www.wikihow.com/Sleep-Comfortably-on-a-Hot-Night

     WIKI HOW has lots more on sleep; clearly this is a problem for many people. Even though these articles are not scientific, you may find something that works for you. (And if you do want something scientific on sleep, try the March 1, 2007 issue of this newsletter.)

http://www.wikihow.com/Category:Better-Sleeping

3. RELIEVE THE PAIN OF A BEE STING IN 30 SECONDS

     Simple. Effective. And so is HUSBANDHOOD, the excellent website on which it’s posted:

http://www.husbandhood.net/how-to-relieve-the-pain-of-a-bee-sting-in-under-30-seconds/

     And now, courtesy of my mother, here is the old-fashioned, soft-hearted way to GET RID OF A BEE OR HORNET that’s gotten into your house and is bumbling on a window pane trying to get out. Take an empty jar and a sheet of paper. Clap the jar over the bee, imprisoning it in the jar, with the window pane serving as jar lid. Holding the jar in place, slide the piece of paper between the window pane and the mouth of the jar. You now have a bee in a jar, with a piece of paper as jar lid. Take the jar outside, remove the piece of paper, and bye-bye bee.

     It just occurred to me that a similar thing could be done with bugs on the floor. I hate to step on them but hate to have them running around too.

4. CELESTIAL PLEASURES

     August is one of the best months for star gazing. This year the annual meteor shower peaks on August 12; and on August 28, just after the midnight of August 27, you’ll be able to watch a full lunar eclipse if you’re in the western two-thirds of the U.S. The following site will illustrate the dramas coming up:

http://www.shadowandsubstance.com/

     You’ll find more about stargazing in the May 1, 2006, issue of this newsletter, items 6 through 9. For some reason, I was really hyped on that subject last summer. You’ll also find a reference in the July 15, 2006, issue, item 10.

5. VITAMIN D IS GOOD AND COMPLICATED

     We’ve known for some time that vitamin D will strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis. Now it appears that it will help prevent “cancer, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and autoimmune diseases.” Web MD has an excellent article on this:

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/are-you-getting-enough-vitamin-d

     As the article shows, the best way, the natural way to get vitamin D, is with sunshine on your bare skin. Even, presumably, when it’s ten below zero outside and, no, sunshine filtered through a glass window does NOT provide vitamin D.

     And, whoa! Doesn’t sunshine cause skin cancer? And shouldn’t we all be using sunscreen?

     The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements is happy to weigh in on the topic. It says, “Sunscreens with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 8 or greater will block UV rays that produce vitamin D, but it is still important to routinely use sunscreen to help prevent skin cancer. . . . An initial exposure to sunlight (10 -15 minutes) allows adequate time for Vitamin D synthesis and should be followed by application of a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 to protect the skin. Ten to fifteen minutes of sun exposure at least two times per week to the face, arms, hands, or back without sunscreen is usually sufficient to provide adequate vitamin D. It is very important for individuals with limited sun exposure to include good sources of vitamin D in their diet.”

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp

     Other vitamin D sources include milk fortified with vitamin D and calcium tablets with added vitamin D.

6. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH GETS NASTY

     Don’t you hate it when you take, say, vitamin E in large quantities, because it’s an antioxident and tremendously good for you – and then it turns out to be bad for you? Bad for you in pills and in large quantities anyway. It’s turning out that a lot of nutrients that are good for us in food turn out not to be good for us in large quantities in pills. And we eager beavers who figure more is better wind up with egg on our faces. (Eggs, for that matter, not being as bad for us as the scientists used to think.) The next few items are about research that, in many cases, upends our beliefs. You have probably heard about some of it already. This is your chance to check it out in more detail.

     VITAMIN PILLS ARE BAD FOR YOU? Come on . . . next thing you know, they’ll claim that George Washington lied about cutting down the cherry tree.

     But researchers did examine the data on more than 295,000 men and found that those who took TWO OR MORE vitamin pills a day were 32 percent more likely to get prostate cancer, and twice as likely to die of it, than those who took ONE A DAY OR NONE. High doses of beta carotene, selenium, and zinc supplements proved exceptionally dangerous.

     In other words, one vitamin pill a day is fine; doubling the amount recommended can be dangerous. This goes along with what the nutritionists have been saying for years: get your vitamins the natural way, by eating healthy food.

     Check it out at

prostatecancerfoundation.org

     (You’ll also note that this Prostate Cancer Foundation website has much other valuable information about prostate cancer.)

     ANTIOXIDANT SUPPLEMENTS DON’T MAKE YOU LIVE LONGER. We’ve heard that antioxidants in our food will make us live longer. So how about we take a thousand times more in pills? Should make us live a thousand years, right?

     Wrong. The scientists have once again discouraged us in well doing. They crunched a lot of data and found that massive doses of some antioxidants may actually shorten your life. Or, as the article in Science Daily put it, “Use of beta carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E was associated with 7 percent, 16 percent and 4 percent, respectively, increased risk of mortality, whereas there was no increased mortality risk associated with vitamin C or selenium use.” (Though you noticed, in the item just above, that big doses of selenium increase the likelihood of prostate cancer.) Read all about it at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070227171026.htm

     So the best way to take in antioxidants is still through healthy food, such as fruits and vegetables. Check out the website below to learn the absolute best way to get your antioxidents and vitamins:

http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2007/07/29/color-guide-to-staying-healthy-and-eating-right/

     I’ve also noticed that the vitamin pills I take (just once a day, of course) are carefully formulated NOT to supply large amounts of things they shouldn’t supply large amounts of. It’s nice to know that those people keep up with the literature, lest we all die from an excess of conscientiousness.

     WILL YOUR MEDICATION GIVE YOU A HEART ATTACK? You’ve probably heard this already, but if you haven’t and are still taking Celebrex, do click below and read the statement by the American Heart Association . . . and then call your doctor.

http://www.heart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3045689

7. WHY DO SCIENTIFIC STUDIES SOMETIMES CONFLICT?

     If you wonder why scientists come out with conflicting data, click below to find an excellent article about this very thing:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/13/AR2006031301319.html

8. ON A MORE CHEERY NOTE

     ASPIRIN PREVENTS COLON CANCER. If your doctor has asked you to take aspirin as a blood thinner, you may also be at less risk of colon cancer. The people in the following study took one full-dose aspirin each day. (Most of us take less.) Also, the benefits only kicked in after five years. What about people who take lower doses for shorter periods? They haven’t studied that yet, though they’re about to. Read more about it here:

http://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/news/20070510/aspirin-may-stop-colon-cancer

9. FISH ARE GOOD FOR YOU

     EAT FISH FOR YOUR EYES. Researchers recently found that people who ate a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids – commonly found in tuna, salmon, and other oily fish – were nearly 40 percent less likely to develop the macular degeneration that comes with age.

http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/news/20070515/eating-fish-may-preserve-eyesight

     EAT FISH FOR YOUR HEART. The American Heart Association says, “We recommend eating fish (particularly fatty fish) at least two times a week. Fish is a good source of protein and doesn’t have the high saturated fat that fatty meat products do.” Learn more about what fish oil (with omega-3 fatty acids) can do for your heart by going to

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4632

     EAT FISH FOR YOUR MEMORY. Here are preliminary results from a British study:

http://www.bbc.co.uk

     And they’re now researching the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on Alzheimer’s disease:

http://www.nia.nih.gov/NewsAndEvents/PressReleases/PR20070510DHAStudy.htm

10. FIND HEALTHY FISH CHOICES

     Once again, we find food imported from China to be unsafe. And, unfortunately, a lot of our fish supply comes from Chinese fish farms. Read the bad news here:

http://money.cnn.com/2007/06/28/news/international/china_fish/index.htm

     Read the good news here – the following site lists “Best and Worst Seafood Choices”:

http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=bestandworst

11. HEALTHY FISH RECIPES

     Okay. You’ve found a healthy source for fish, maybe gone out and caught some yourself. Now you’re looking for a healthy recipe. The Sunkist people specialize in healthy recipes, as is natural for people who market citrus fruits. Find some at

http://www.sunkist.com/healthy/healthy_recipes.asp

12. THE FISH OIL ALTERNATIVE

     When Bill asks what we’re having for dinner, and I say, “fish,” there’s a long pause. Then a less than enthusiastic response: “Good!” Truth be told, neither of us is that crazy about fish. The solution? Fish oil capsules. And, yes, I know vast amounts of artificial vitamins are bad for you, but these omega-3 fatty acids are from genuine finny, swimmy fish, and a couple of capsules hold what I reckon to be the amount of omega-3 fatty acids to be found in a medium-sized piece of salmon. Can’t do any harm, I figure, except for the occasional salmon-flavored burp. And, oh yes, these capsules have also been tested and found to be safe, which is more than you can say for a lot of what’s on the grocery store fish counter:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-12-15-fish-oil-usat_x.htm

13. FOOD THAT WILL KILL YOU

     In this case, what you eat really can kill you, within hours. So, if you buy canned “hot dog chili sauce,” better read the following item pronto.

http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/castleberry.html#recall

14. LIFE IS A ROLLER COASTER

     Now that the scientists have messed with our faith in vitamin pills and grocery store fish, not to mention hot dog chili sauce, let’s try something really safe. Like a roller coaster. Click below for a peachy keen ride (heh, heh).

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-fXL7dW__sE

     Did you notice how securely everyone on the ride was strapped in? That means riding a roller coaster is probably safer than taking two vitamin pills per day.

MISSED SOME ISSUES?

     Have I got a solution for you! Now that we are using a frame for each issue, you can just look over to your left and find all the back issues nicely set out. Simply click on the ones you missed. That means too that if your e-mail service provider gets sticky and decides that Tour the Sites is spam (it is NOT spam), you can foil it and find the newsletter at this address.

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WARNING!

     If your e-mail box sometimes gets full, you are in danger of falling off the subscription list of Tour the Sites. Not because I want to lose you, but because, if your box is full when I send out a newsletter, you are automatically kicked off the list. I don't like that policy, but I don't have any say. If you change your e-mail address or get a new kind of spam filter, you may also fall off. So do keep an eye on your newsletters, which should arrive around the first and fifteenth of each month. If you haven't gotten one for a month, let me know and I'll be happy to put you back on the mailing list. Because I'd really hate to lose you.

Janette
Newsletter@tourthesites.com

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© Copyright 2007 Janette G. Blackwell. All rights reserved. You may copy and use portions of this newsletter for noncommercial, personal use only. You may forward a copy to someone else as long as the copyright notice is included. Any other use of the materials in this newsletter without prior written permission is prohibited.