5 July 2019

Book Review: “The Story of the Human Body”

Yet another book that I had to read a second time to get the full import. It is a great book if you are interested in how we have evolved as human beings. Daniel does a great job of taking the reader thru history of time with the evolutionary lenses on to see how human body parts become how they are today.

This book might come as a surprise to folks who believe in a particular diet (or have believed in different diets at different times). The author explains the complexity of the evolutionary journey that we have taken and establishes that humans are not adapted for any single diet or social environment or even one exercise regime.

During that journey, the author takes us thru the Agricultural Revolution which solved a lot of problems but created many more (all infectious diseases started at that time since we started living close to each other and around one location) – to the Industrial Revolution which solved a lot of medical problems but created a lot more (sugar became copiously available, meat started having carcinogenic chemicals and consumption of fiber started vanishing) and then to his predictions of the future.

One point he stresses on multiple times is that Darwinian evolution as it existed (natural selection retains those who can have many offsprings in diverse, challenging conditions) has been overtaken by cultural evolution when it comes to homo sapiens. (We wear shoes, drink coke and drive cars not because they help us have more healthy offsprings – to the contrary, they endanger our lives – but we do it for cultural reasons like comfort, lack of immediate pain etc).

A few other things I personally learnt:
(*) All fruit juices are junk food (because the fiber is taken out)
(*) Not all LDL is bad for you (only the small ones are)
(*) It is not fat per se that is the problem – it is the visceral fat (fat in your belly) that gives rise to almost all obesity related issues.
(*) “What does your gut say?” – that comes from the fact that our gut (intestines) are actually our “second brains”. Consuming the same energy as our brains in a day, our gut has over 100 million nerve endings and controls an incredible number of our activities.

If you find these kind of things interesting, I would recommend this book whole heartedly.

Category: Books | LEAVE A COMMENT
3 July 2019

Puzzle time!

Here is one that will have you think about shapes…

Tomorrow is 4th of July and we will be seeing a lot of flags flying proudly all over the USA. Did you know that there is only one country in the world whose flag is not rectangular in shape?

In any case, imagine a country that has a rectangular flag (See my poor rendering in red) with a smaller rectangle of different color inside it somewhere. (See my blue rectangle). Note that the blue rectangle can be anywhere and in any orientation.

Question is, can you cut the flag to make two identical pieces?

Category: Puzzles | 1 Comment on Puzzle time!
29 June 2019

From the bartender’s corner – Riverside Cocktail

Our company event is coming up. Which means I get to do the fun part of a CEO job – be the bartender. In previous companies, the logo always had one color. Making company cocktails were relatively easier.

But my current company – Riverside Insights – has two colors. And anybody who knows a little about mixology will tell you immediately after looking at the colors that they are very simple colors to make cocktails of. Separately. But putting them together is a chore. Midori (green) and Curacao (blue) are both fairly low in viscosity and will mix immediately upon pouring.

After making a complete mess in my bar, I think I have hit upon the perfect formulation with crushed ice, curacao, midori, vodka and simple syrup. The picture was taken about 5 minutes after making the drink. The colors stayed reasonably separated. Another 10 minutes and they started mixing up.

Does anybody else have any other trick up their sleeve that can help me?

Category: Cocktails | LEAVE A COMMENT
28 June 2019

From the bartender’s corner – Toy Soldier

This has pineapple, cardamom, lime juice and mezcal. Inspired by the menu from Nashville’s bar Bastion as featured in the magazine Liquor.

I am yet to be super impressed by any mezcal cocktail. I think mezcal is best had by itself. In this drink the cardamom or pineapple effect is completely subsumed by the mezcal smokiness. Unlike a neutral alcohol like vodka, mezcal does not have too many other liquids (like juices) that can soften it down.

I will try next time with pineapple juice instead of crushed pineapple and see if it makes any difference.

The earthen vessel and the pineapple bits with lime slices made the drink look good though!

Category: Cocktails | LEAVE A COMMENT