From Jerry Hopkins' Strange Foods:
The Tri Ky Restaurant doesn't exist in Saigon any more, having been replaced by a high-rise office building not long after the city was renamed for the country's founder, Ho Chi Minh. A pity, too, because it had one of Southeast Asia's preeminent "strange food" menus, offering dog, bat, turtle, and a variety of wild game, as well as a selection of blood cocktails for the end of a difficult workday.
[...]
"I'll have one of these," I said, pointing to a line in the menu. "The, uh, cobra."
"Bat very good, sir," the waiter said, pointing at the menu.
"Bat blood?" I said. I tried to play it cool. "What sort of bat?" I asked, as if it really mattered and I would know what he was talking about, whatever he said.
"The fruit bat, sir. Also have bat stew. Very good."
I told the gentleman that I'd try it. With a can of 333, the local beer.
What happened next surprised me. After the cold beer was delivered, the bat was brought to my table still alive, its legs and wings gripped in the waiter's hand as he cut the creature's throat with a small, sharp knife. The blood fell into a small glass.
I raised the small glass and drank the warm liquid, tried to roll it around my tongue as if it were vintage wine, but then chased it rather quickly with a swallow of 333. The waiter smiled, still holding the limp bat in one hand, cupping the head with the other in a small bowl to prevent any blood from falling onto the floor.
"One more, sir?" he asked.
"Maybe after the meal." Still trying to be cool. As for the bat stew, think Dinty Moore with very stringy meat.
31 March 2008
I Am a Davidson Fan
It's funny... for years I used to cheer for Kansas because they always had a great team, always made the tournament, always got a high seed, but never went all the way. Their fortunes could certainly change this year. Yes, UNC is the team to beat, but at the start of the tourney I thought Kansas might be the one team that could knock them off. They still might, although UCLA has looked very strong as well.
But let's face it: this year's story is Davidson. I thought it was impressive enough that they booted Gonzaga, but to follow that up with a win over Georgetown (a great team) and a beatdown to Wisconsin (also great) was spectacular. And they were contending with Kansas from the first second right up until the last. It was a great show. Heartbreaking, but great.
Did you hear that Davidson's trustees paid for 500 students (that's about a third of the student body) to make the trip to Detroit? Pretty cool.
I liked one student's sign: "Davidson: Google it!"
I've actually been to Davidson. I had a couple friends that went there. In those days, classes met every day, not MWF and T-Th. It was named the most difficult college (by Newsweek, I presume) in the 1980s. It produced the most Rhodes scholars as a percentage of students. The male-female ratio was lopsided, something like 65% male. They also had a good basketball team, but not this good.
Can't wait to see them next year. If there really are an infinite number of universes, somewhere out there Davidson will meet Xavier in the finals.
But let's face it: this year's story is Davidson. I thought it was impressive enough that they booted Gonzaga, but to follow that up with a win over Georgetown (a great team) and a beatdown to Wisconsin (also great) was spectacular. And they were contending with Kansas from the first second right up until the last. It was a great show. Heartbreaking, but great.
Did you hear that Davidson's trustees paid for 500 students (that's about a third of the student body) to make the trip to Detroit? Pretty cool.
I liked one student's sign: "Davidson: Google it!"
I've actually been to Davidson. I had a couple friends that went there. In those days, classes met every day, not MWF and T-Th. It was named the most difficult college (by Newsweek, I presume) in the 1980s. It produced the most Rhodes scholars as a percentage of students. The male-female ratio was lopsided, something like 65% male. They also had a good basketball team, but not this good.
Can't wait to see them next year. If there really are an infinite number of universes, somewhere out there Davidson will meet Xavier in the finals.
27 March 2008
Restaurant Review: Wah-Mee
The Wah-Mee restaurant, now located at 435 Elm St. (next to the Hustler Store), has been downtown for at least two decades. A restaurant that has been around for that long should be pretty good, I figured, so I went there for lunch recently.
I sampled two items, the roast pork lo-mein and mongolian chicken.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Roast Pork Lo-Mein: **
Mongolian Chicken: **
(out of 4 stars)
FULL REPORT
Every Chinese restaurant has pork lo-mein on the menu but only some have roast pork. If you can imagine a cross between tandoori and barbecue, it's kind of like that. Wah-mee's was average, nothing special. They were also a bit miserly with the meat. And the vegetables too, now that I think about it.
Most restaurants use the same type of thick, flat noodle for lo-mein. Wah-Mee uses a thin, round noodle which is more vermicelli-like. I like the thicker noodle better, but that's just my preference.
(For the worst in lo-mein noodles, visit Moy-Moy's in Montgomery (they also have a 2nd location in Kenwood, which I haven't been to); they use ramen noodles for their lo-mein)
Wah-Mee's lo-mein is average: not much meat, not much vegetables, and not much flavor. The roast pork lo-mein at Golden City (Glenway Ave, across from Price Hill Chili) or China Island (Hosbrook Rd in Kenwood, in the complex caddy-corner from Lone Star Steaks) are much better.
The mongolian chicken was listed on the menu with a chili pepper symbol next to it, signifying spiciness. This is a bit of false advertising; to me, it barely registered as mild. There was enough meat (barely) but once again the veggies could have used more company. The flavor was average, nothing special.
I like Hunan and Szechuan style Chinese because I'm a fan of the added spiciness. Although Wah-Mee states that it prepares food in these two styles as well as Cantonese, it struck me as basically a Cantonese-style restaurant, so I found the food mild and lacking in flavor.
I sampled two items, the roast pork lo-mein and mongolian chicken.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Roast Pork Lo-Mein: **
Mongolian Chicken: **
(out of 4 stars)
FULL REPORT
Every Chinese restaurant has pork lo-mein on the menu but only some have roast pork. If you can imagine a cross between tandoori and barbecue, it's kind of like that. Wah-mee's was average, nothing special. They were also a bit miserly with the meat. And the vegetables too, now that I think about it.
Most restaurants use the same type of thick, flat noodle for lo-mein. Wah-Mee uses a thin, round noodle which is more vermicelli-like. I like the thicker noodle better, but that's just my preference.
(For the worst in lo-mein noodles, visit Moy-Moy's in Montgomery (they also have a 2nd location in Kenwood, which I haven't been to); they use ramen noodles for their lo-mein)
Wah-Mee's lo-mein is average: not much meat, not much vegetables, and not much flavor. The roast pork lo-mein at Golden City (Glenway Ave, across from Price Hill Chili) or China Island (Hosbrook Rd in Kenwood, in the complex caddy-corner from Lone Star Steaks) are much better.
The mongolian chicken was listed on the menu with a chili pepper symbol next to it, signifying spiciness. This is a bit of false advertising; to me, it barely registered as mild. There was enough meat (barely) but once again the veggies could have used more company. The flavor was average, nothing special.
I like Hunan and Szechuan style Chinese because I'm a fan of the added spiciness. Although Wah-Mee states that it prepares food in these two styles as well as Cantonese, it struck me as basically a Cantonese-style restaurant, so I found the food mild and lacking in flavor.
26 March 2008
Bill Cunningham's Job Still Safe for Now
It looks like Clear Channel might remain Clear Channel for the time being. The Business Courier reports that the "Wall Street Journal is reporting on its Web site that the private equity firms leading the buyout are facing a difficult time reaching agreeable terms with the bank partners to close the deal."
One of the firms, Bain Capital Partners, was co-founded by Mitt Romney.
Among Clear Channel's local stations are WLW and WEBN on the radio and WKRC on TV. Federal court required Clear Channel to sell some of its stations before the deal could move forward. Some locals expressed hope that the radio stations (WLW, especially) would be sold and content would improve. According to the Courier article, however, it was the TV station that was slated for sale.
One of the firms, Bain Capital Partners, was co-founded by Mitt Romney.
Among Clear Channel's local stations are WLW and WEBN on the radio and WKRC on TV. Federal court required Clear Channel to sell some of its stations before the deal could move forward. Some locals expressed hope that the radio stations (WLW, especially) would be sold and content would improve. According to the Courier article, however, it was the TV station that was slated for sale.
22 March 2008
Answers in Genetics
Years ago, in a dangerously nerdy moment of confabulation among friends, I speculated that surgeons of the future would no longer be the formidable scalpel jocks they are today. Surgery of the future might be regarded more as a highly technical skilled labor than a rarefied echelon of medical science because disease treatment would move increasingly toward fixes at the molecular/genetic level. The surgery of the future is molecular surgery.
A good example of this is Klug & Co.'s recent experiments in which they made a synthetic version of a type of natural enzyme called a "zinc finger nuclease" (ZFN). Zinc-finger proteins are a class of proteins and there are many of them. Part of the structure sticks out like a finger (or so somebody thought) and it has a zinc ion, hence the name. So now you know what your body needs zinc for (and it needs other trace elements, like aluminum, cobalt, iron-- even arsenic and molybdenum-- for similar purposes).
A nuclease is a protein that binds to DNA (in a specific spot) and cuts out a piece. These researchers had the idea to make a synthetic nuclease that also targeted a specific DNA sequence, in this case an actual gene. If they could do this, it would demonstrate that their technique could be used as a model for gene therapy.
The new method is currently being tested for its efficacy in treating diabetes complications, spinal injury, chronic pain, AIDS, and vascular obstructions.
A good example of this is Klug & Co.'s recent experiments in which they made a synthetic version of a type of natural enzyme called a "zinc finger nuclease" (ZFN). Zinc-finger proteins are a class of proteins and there are many of them. Part of the structure sticks out like a finger (or so somebody thought) and it has a zinc ion, hence the name. So now you know what your body needs zinc for (and it needs other trace elements, like aluminum, cobalt, iron-- even arsenic and molybdenum-- for similar purposes).
A nuclease is a protein that binds to DNA (in a specific spot) and cuts out a piece. These researchers had the idea to make a synthetic nuclease that also targeted a specific DNA sequence, in this case an actual gene. If they could do this, it would demonstrate that their technique could be used as a model for gene therapy.
The new method is currently being tested for its efficacy in treating diabetes complications, spinal injury, chronic pain, AIDS, and vascular obstructions.
21 March 2008
Quote of the Week
I haven't blogged this week. I've watched a lot of basketball, though. I love March Madness. If you missed today's San Diego vs. Connecticut game you missed a great one.
Another notable hoops event: who could have guessed THIS would happen? It wasn't a great game, but probably the only game ever where more players are likely to get graduate degrees than NBA contracts.
Another notable event no.2: Five white guys from a small, elite liberal arts school beat Gonzaga and get to the second round. Congratulations,Rod Serling College Davidson College!
And now for this week's quote. It's a complete non sequitur from the content above but I heard it from an NPR caller and thought it interesting:
Those who work with their hands are laborers;
Those who work with their hands and brains are craftsmen;
Those who work with their hands, brains, and hearts are artists.
Another notable hoops event: who could have guessed THIS would happen? It wasn't a great game, but probably the only game ever where more players are likely to get graduate degrees than NBA contracts.
Another notable event no.2: Five white guys from a small, elite liberal arts school beat Gonzaga and get to the second round. Congratulations,
And now for this week's quote. It's a complete non sequitur from the content above but I heard it from an NPR caller and thought it interesting:
Those who work with their hands are laborers;
Those who work with their hands and brains are craftsmen;
Those who work with their hands, brains, and hearts are artists.
13 March 2008
Breast Cancer Breakthrough
A protein called SATB1 appears to be critical in transforming static tumors into metastatic ones:
Terumi Kohwi-Shigematsu, a scientist in the Life Sciences Division of the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who, with her colleagues, discovered SATB1 and has since investigated its many functions. She says, "SATB1's role in breast cancer is a new paradigm for the way tumors progress."
...SATB1 is not expressed in all cells. SATB1 seems particularly important in cells which must change their function... as cancerous cells must do to turn into metastatic cells.
"Only the metastatic cells expressed SATB1, with the most aggressive breast cancer cells showing the highest levels of the protein."
The researchers examined over 2,000 human primary breast cancer tissue samples for which clinical follow-up studies were available. The highest levels of SATB1 were in samples from patients whose survival times had been shortest; patients whose tumor samples had no SATB1 expression generally had longer survival times.
The analysis showed that a high level of SATB1 expression by itself is an excellent indicator of poor prognosis... because SATB1 drives breast cancer cells to become invasive...
SATB1 is a DNA-binding enzyme. When such enzymes bind to a gene sequence in the DNA they change the level of expression of a gene or genes (i.e. how much protein those genes will make). In the case of breast cells, the effect of whatever proteins SATB1 regulates has the effect of "loosening" cancer cells and letting them spread to other regions of the body.
It is possible that understanding the role of SATB1 will lead to better treatment methods but for now it only provides a valuable prognostic tool.
Terumi Kohwi-Shigematsu, a scientist in the Life Sciences Division of the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who, with her colleagues, discovered SATB1 and has since investigated its many functions. She says, "SATB1's role in breast cancer is a new paradigm for the way tumors progress."
...SATB1 is not expressed in all cells. SATB1 seems particularly important in cells which must change their function... as cancerous cells must do to turn into metastatic cells.
"Only the metastatic cells expressed SATB1, with the most aggressive breast cancer cells showing the highest levels of the protein."
The researchers examined over 2,000 human primary breast cancer tissue samples for which clinical follow-up studies were available. The highest levels of SATB1 were in samples from patients whose survival times had been shortest; patients whose tumor samples had no SATB1 expression generally had longer survival times.
The analysis showed that a high level of SATB1 expression by itself is an excellent indicator of poor prognosis... because SATB1 drives breast cancer cells to become invasive...
SATB1 is a DNA-binding enzyme. When such enzymes bind to a gene sequence in the DNA they change the level of expression of a gene or genes (i.e. how much protein those genes will make). In the case of breast cells, the effect of whatever proteins SATB1 regulates has the effect of "loosening" cancer cells and letting them spread to other regions of the body.
It is possible that understanding the role of SATB1 will lead to better treatment methods but for now it only provides a valuable prognostic tool.
12 March 2008
Cootie Country
Why does a teenager need a cell phone, parents used to ask...
A new CDC study estimates that one in four (26 percent) young women between the ages of 14 and 19 in the United States... is infected with at least one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases...
...the study also finds that African-American teenage girls were most severely affected. Nearly half of the young African-American women (48 percent) were infected with an STD, compared to 20 percent of young white women.
If only they were more like their parents.
A new CDC study estimates that one in four (26 percent) young women between the ages of 14 and 19 in the United States... is infected with at least one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases...
...the study also finds that African-American teenage girls were most severely affected. Nearly half of the young African-American women (48 percent) were infected with an STD, compared to 20 percent of young white women.
If only they were more like their parents.
11 March 2008
Food Inspection Reports for Restaurant Week
The Cincinnati Health Dept. does not make restaurant inspections available online but HamCo does. Below are some of the violations of eateries participating in Restaurant Week.
Brown Dog Cafe - inspected Jan 2008
WORKING CONTAINERS OF POISONOUS OR TOXIC MATERIALS ARE NOT LABELED.
ACCESS TO HANDWASHING FACILITY BLOCKED.
FOOD IS STORED UNWRAPPED OR IN UNCOVERED CONTAINERS.
Excessive bare hand contact of food that is not in a ready-to-eat form.
de Sha's American Tavern - inspected Jan 2008
IN-USE UTENSILS ARE IMPROPERLY STORED.
FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES AND UTENSILS WERE NOT SANITIZED
THE PHYSICAL FACILITIES WERE NOT MAINTAINED IN GOOD REPAIR.
Dilly Deli - inspected Aug 2007
FOOD EMPLOYEE WAS TOUCHING READY-TO-EAT FLOOD WITH BARE HANDS.
POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOODS WERE BEING HELD TEMPERATURES ABOVE 41°F.
FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES WERE DIRTY. (Fixed in follow-up inspection)
FOOD ITEMS ARE NOT PROTECTED FROM CONTAMINATION DURING STORAGE. (Fixed in follow-up)
Holy Grail (west) - inspected Feb 2008
(no violations)
Jimmy D's Steakhouse - inspected Jan 2008
WORKING CONTAINERS OF POISONOUS OR TOXIC MATERIALS ARE NOT LABELED.
NON-FOOD CONTACT SURFACES ARE DIRTY.
PHYSICAL FACILITIES ARE NOT CLEANED AS OFTEN AS NECESSARY TO KEEP THEM CLEAN.
A supply of toilet tissue was not available at each toilet.
PHYSICAL FACILITIES WERE NOT MAINTAINED IN GOOD REPAIR.
(no violations in follow-up)
Brown Dog Cafe - inspected Jan 2008
WORKING CONTAINERS OF POISONOUS OR TOXIC MATERIALS ARE NOT LABELED.
ACCESS TO HANDWASHING FACILITY BLOCKED.
FOOD IS STORED UNWRAPPED OR IN UNCOVERED CONTAINERS.
Excessive bare hand contact of food that is not in a ready-to-eat form.
de Sha's American Tavern - inspected Jan 2008
IN-USE UTENSILS ARE IMPROPERLY STORED.
FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES AND UTENSILS WERE NOT SANITIZED
THE PHYSICAL FACILITIES WERE NOT MAINTAINED IN GOOD REPAIR.
Dilly Deli - inspected Aug 2007
FOOD EMPLOYEE WAS TOUCHING READY-TO-EAT FLOOD WITH BARE HANDS.
POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOODS WERE BEING HELD TEMPERATURES ABOVE 41°F.
FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES WERE DIRTY. (Fixed in follow-up inspection)
FOOD ITEMS ARE NOT PROTECTED FROM CONTAMINATION DURING STORAGE. (Fixed in follow-up)
Holy Grail (west) - inspected Feb 2008
(no violations)
Jimmy D's Steakhouse - inspected Jan 2008
WORKING CONTAINERS OF POISONOUS OR TOXIC MATERIALS ARE NOT LABELED.
NON-FOOD CONTACT SURFACES ARE DIRTY.
PHYSICAL FACILITIES ARE NOT CLEANED AS OFTEN AS NECESSARY TO KEEP THEM CLEAN.
A supply of toilet tissue was not available at each toilet.
PHYSICAL FACILITIES WERE NOT MAINTAINED IN GOOD REPAIR.
(no violations in follow-up)
Drunk Drivers in Clifton
I doubt any of the five people that read this blog drive around Clifton in the wee hours of the morning, but chances are all of us know at least one person who has to drive to (and from) work in the middle of the night.
In my case I'm thinking of a relative, an ob/gyn, who drove in Clifton thousands of times in the middle of the night to Good Samaritan hospital which is right off MLK Drive, the subject of one Cincinnatian's communication to councilwoman Leslie Ghiz:
I am writing this email to you hoping that something can be done about the amount of traffic accidents on West Martin Luther King Drive. My wife and I reside at 620 West MLK Drive and we have had both of our vehicles totalled in the last 10 months by drunk drivers. Both vehicles were parked legally in front of our house.
Last March we came home to find my wife's car completely smashed against our house-- the vehicle was parked on the street and was moved approx. 30-40 feet by the first drunk driver. She blew a .238 and was arrested for OVI. Needless to say she had the minimum insurance coverage and we did not receive but a fraction of our damage.
The second time was Feb. 8 of this year and the same thing happened around 2:30am we heard a crash right outside-- I ran downstairs and outside to find out car smashed and moved about 25 feet from where it was parked and the driver of the other vehicle had completely flipped his car over in the middle of MLK Drive. He was lucky not to be injured but was also arrested for OVI and blew a .311.
On top of all that our neighbor who resides at 616 West MLK Drive had her house smashed into during evening commute about 4 months ago. The lady of that vehicle was arrested for no insurance and driving without a license.
I doubt there is anything special about MLK that attracts drunk drivers (and .238 and .311 is VERY drunk), so it is probably safe to presume one of two things: Either drunk drivers come from the west side, or drunk drivers are all over Clifton in the middle of the night. Maybe it's best to steer clear of both areas.
The letter is document no. 200800199 and the document type is "communication" on council's website.
In my case I'm thinking of a relative, an ob/gyn, who drove in Clifton thousands of times in the middle of the night to Good Samaritan hospital which is right off MLK Drive, the subject of one Cincinnatian's communication to councilwoman Leslie Ghiz:
I am writing this email to you hoping that something can be done about the amount of traffic accidents on West Martin Luther King Drive. My wife and I reside at 620 West MLK Drive and we have had both of our vehicles totalled in the last 10 months by drunk drivers. Both vehicles were parked legally in front of our house.
Last March we came home to find my wife's car completely smashed against our house-- the vehicle was parked on the street and was moved approx. 30-40 feet by the first drunk driver. She blew a .238 and was arrested for OVI. Needless to say she had the minimum insurance coverage and we did not receive but a fraction of our damage.
The second time was Feb. 8 of this year and the same thing happened around 2:30am we heard a crash right outside-- I ran downstairs and outside to find out car smashed and moved about 25 feet from where it was parked and the driver of the other vehicle had completely flipped his car over in the middle of MLK Drive. He was lucky not to be injured but was also arrested for OVI and blew a .311.
On top of all that our neighbor who resides at 616 West MLK Drive had her house smashed into during evening commute about 4 months ago. The lady of that vehicle was arrested for no insurance and driving without a license.
I doubt there is anything special about MLK that attracts drunk drivers (and .238 and .311 is VERY drunk), so it is probably safe to presume one of two things: Either drunk drivers come from the west side, or drunk drivers are all over Clifton in the middle of the night. Maybe it's best to steer clear of both areas.
The letter is document no. 200800199 and the document type is "communication" on council's website.
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