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Cha Gorreana (Gorreana tea plantation)

cork map

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guid to eating etiquette abroad

Coffee is no longer classified as a possible carcinogen

There isn't enough proof to show a link between coffee and cancer, and coffee is no longer classified as a possible carcinogen, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) says.

"I'm not really sure why coffee was in a higher category in the first place," Owen Yang, an epidemiologist at Oxford University who has examined the possible link between coffee and cancer, told the Associated Press.

"The best evidence available suggests that coffee does not raise the cancer risk," said Yang, who was not part of the IARC expert panel that reexamined the link between coffee and cancer and outlined its conclusions in a letter published in The Lancet Oncology journal.

However, IARC also said that drinking "very hot" beverages of any kind could possibly boost cancer risk and classified them as "probably carcinogenic" to people, the APreported.

trump doesn't own the steaks, water, airline, magazine, winery and the university is a bust

It appears that the attacks on presidential candidate Donald Trump's business record seem to have touched a nerve.

Despite three more primary and caucus victories on Tuesday, Trump eschewed a traditional victory speech, adding in a press conference — and something else: a table piled high with a veritable Trump-ucopia of Trump-branded products.

"I have very successful companies," the New York billionaire told reporters at the event at Trump National Golf Club Jupiter, in Jupiter, Fla., as raw steaks, bottles of wine and vodka, and magazines stood near the man himself.

In particular, Trump appeared irked about last week's speech by 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney, who declared, "Whatever happened to Trump Airlines? How about Trump University? And then there's Trump magazine and Trump Vodka and Trump Steaks and Trump Mortgage. A business genius he is not."

So what's the backstory of those products Trump pitched as a sign of his success?

Trump Steaks

Raw meat — of the real and rhetorical kinds — was front and center last night.

"Do we have steaks? We have Trump steaks," Trump boasted. "If you want to take one, we'll charge you about, what, 50 bucks a steak?"

Trump did have an eponymous steak line, sold via Sharper Image. The company's website notes, however:

"Unfortunately, Trump Steaks are no longer available, but their legacy endures."

A search for "Trump" on QVC's website finds various Melania Trump jewelry products, a line of Trump mattresses and one entry for Trump Steaks. But they're not actual steaks; they're "Certified Angus Beef Steakburgers" and QVC notes, "We're sorry, this item is not available at this time."

A reporter present at Trump's press conference notes that the steaks on the table were not actually a Trump brand, but appear, ironically, to have come from a company named "Bush Brothers."

Trump Magazine

"[Romney] said Trump Magazine is out. I said, it is? I thought I read one two days ago. This comes out, and it's called The Jewel of Palm Beach, and we — it goes to all of my clubs," said Trump, before throwing a copy out to the audience.

There is indeed a magazine called The Jewel of Palm Beach published by the Palm Beach Media Group that is described as "the exclusive publication of Donald J. Trump's spectacular Mar-a-Lago Club" and other Trump properties.

Trump does not appear to own the publisher, and the magazine only comes out on an annual basis.

There was a Trump magazine, which went out of circulation in 2009. The New York Daily News reported:

"The last iteration of the luxury lifestyle mag reached a circulation of 100,000 and sold for $5.95 before it flopped. Issues are nowhere to be found online and hardcopies are likely a rare collector's item."

Trump Airline

"Well, I sold the airline, and I actually made a great deal, complicated and in really terrible times. The economy was horrible and I made a phenomenal deal," said Trump, referring to the Trump Shuttle.

NBC News recently looked back at the venture, and summarized Trump's ownership this way:

"Back in 1989, Trump pounced at the chance to buy the troubled Eastern Air Lines shuttle service for $365 million. He put the Trump name on the planes, dressed them up inside — and waited for business to boom. It didn't. But the business took on too much debt and eventually defaulted. It was sold to USAir."

Trump University

Trump launched Trump University in 2005 to help budding real-estate entrepreneurs, but it ran afoul of regulators, who noted that it was not a degree-granting institution. Former students sued, claiming they were tricked into spending tens of thousands of dollars for seminars that didn't do anywhere near what was advertised.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is also suing and claiming that Trump and his associates defrauded students of a collective $40 million. The now-renamed Trump Entrepreneur Initiative is mostly dormant.

Trump is challenging those lawsuits and says he will win and that, when that happens, he will reopen Trump U: "It's going to do very well," Trump said, "and it will continue to do very well."

Trump Winery

The table was stacked with bottles of Trump Wine, and Trump declared of the winery, "I own it 100 percent, no mortgage, no debt."

The winery's website says something different: "Trump Winery is a registered trade name of Eric Trump Wine Manufacturing LLC, which is not owned, managed or affiliated with Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of their affiliates."

Trump, who is a teetotaler, also used to sell Trump Vodka, although that venture has also been discontinued. A review described the vodka's taste this way:

"Vodka from The Donald. Nosings reveal dry, earthy scents of grain, paraffin, kid leather, jasmine, flowers, moss and soot. Palate entry displays far better than average grain focus and viscosity; at midpalate, the taste profile turns off-dry, intensely breakfast cereal-like and biscuity. Finishes oily/creamy and snack cracker-like."

Trump Water

There were also pallets of Trump Water on stage. On Trump's website, the water is touted as "one of the purest natural spring waters bottled in the world."

"I mean, we sell water, and we have water, and it's a very successful," Trump said, "you know, it's a private little water company, and I supply the water for all my places, and it's good."

So does Trump own the natural springs or bottle the water himself? According to reporters at the event who looked the label, probably not.

According to the label, Trump Water is actually bottled by this company http://www.villagespringswater.com/contents.php?subaction=showfull&id=1266607598&archive=&start_from=&ucat=& …

As Trump himself put it Tuesday night, "So you have the water; you have the steaks; you have the airline that I sold. I mean, what's wrong with selling? Every once in a while you can sell something. You have the wines and all of that, and Trump University, we're going to start it up as soon as I win the lawsuit. Does that make sense? I mean, that's it. OK." npr

where to drink in New Orleans

happy halloween from a great pair of new york boobs :)

water usage for crops, drinks, and meats

Source: M.M. Mekonnen and A.Y. Hoekstra (2010), 

"The Green, Blue and Grey Water Footprint of Crops and Derived Crop Products," 

and "...of Farm Animals and Animal Products," 

Value of Water Research Report Series No. 47 and 48, UNESCO-IHE, Delft, the Netherlands.

(Los Angeles Times)

LA Times’ water footprint app

This chart comes from a report by the Department of Land Air and Water Resources at the University of California, Davis. The orange and yellow are bars are what’s grown to feed animals, not humans.

This Is How Much Water It Takes To Make Your Favorite Foods

Extensive drought has Californians thinking twice about running the tap while brushing their teeth or taking that 20-minute shower. But what some people don't realize is that a huge portion of our water footprint is "hidden," meaning it's used for the things we eat or wear, and for the energy we use. Globally, agricultural production accounts for 92 percent of our water footprint. In the United States, meat consumption alone accounts for a whopping 30 percent of our water footprint.

So exactly how much water do the foods you eat require? Which food would win in a water use showdown? We've got the answers below, along with some helpful hints about reducing the water footprint of your diet.

All data come from Water Footprint Network's website and reports on the global average water footprint of different foods. All winners are based on the gallons of water needed to produce a pound of each item or a gallon of each drink.

Tea vs. Coffee

Tea is the winner at 108 gallons of water per gallon of brewed tea. Coffee requires almost 10 times as much water, using 1,056 gallons of water per gallon of brewed coffee.

Wine vs. Beer

Beer at 296 gallons of water per gallon of beer. It takes 872 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of wine. But if you look at standard servings of each, the race gets closer with about 28 gallons of water needed for 12 fluid ounces of beer and 34 gallons of water needed for 5 fluid ounces of wine.

Beef vs. Chicken

Chicken at 518 gallons of water per pound. Beef requires the most water, at 1,847 gal./lb., followed by sheep at 1,248 gal./lb. and pork at 718 gal./lb. If you're going to eat meat, go with chicken. Better yet try eggs, which take 395 gal./lb., or plant based protein. For dairy products, cheese and butter take more than milk at 381 gal./lb. and 665 gal./lb. respectively. Milk by itself uses only 122 gallons of water per pound.

Tofu vs. Lentils

Tofu at 302 gal./lb. It takes 704 gallons of water to produce one pound of lentils. Chickpeas require less than lentils at 501 gal./lb., and soybeans require less than the more processed tofu, at 257 gal./lb. All of these options are better than eating beef, sheep or pork.

Some will argue that the measurement of gallons per pound isn't fair -- we should consider water consumed per gram of protein. In this case, pulses (including beans, lentils, peas, etc.) win out at 5 gallons per gram of protein, followed by eggs at 7.7 gal./gram, milk at 8.2 gal./gram, and chicken at 9 gal./gram. The numbers only go up from there, with beef topping the scale, requiring 29.6 gallons of water per gram of protein.

Rice vs. Pasta

Pasta at 222 gal./lb. But rice isn't too far away, requiring 299 gallons of water per pound of processed rice. Bread (made from wheat) takes 193 gal./lb. and barley consumes 237 gal./lb.

Oats vs. Potatoes

Unprocessed potatoes at 34 gal./lb. It takes 290 gallons of water to produce one pound of rolled or flaked oats. Sweet potatoes also take less water, using 46 gal./lb., while unprocessed corn requires 146 gal./lb.

Hazelnuts and Walnuts vs. Almonds and Cashews

Hazelnuts and walnuts at 1,260 gal./lb. and 1,112 gal./lb. respectively. That's still a lot of water! But almonds and cashews take more, averaging 1,929 gal./lb. and 1,704 gal./lb. It takes 1,362 gallons of water to produce one pound of pistachios.

Figs vs. Raisins and Dates

Raisins and dates at 292 gal./lb. and 273 gal./lb. respectively, though all three of these take more water than most fruits. Figs require the most -- producing one pound of figs requires 401 gallons of water.

Stone Fruit vs. Citrus

Citrus, at 67 gal./lb. for oranges, 61 gal./lb. for grapefruit and 77 gal./lb. for lemons. Plums require 261 gal./lb., apricots 154 gal./lb. and peaches 109 gal./lb. Avocados are also higher on the list at 141 gal./lb., while apples, bananas, grapes, and kiwis all take less than 100 gal./lb. Strawberries, pineapple, and watermelon require less than 50 gallons of water per pound of fruit.

Broccoli vs. Asparagus

Broccoli at a scant 34 gal./lb., along with cauliflower and brussel sprouts. Asparagus is the water hog of the veggies, requiring 258 gallons of water per pound.

Olives vs. Garlic

Garlic at 71 gal./lb. Olives require 361 gal./lb.

Tomato vs. Eggplant

Tomato at 26 gal./lb. Eggplant requires a still quite low 43 gal./lb. Artichokes cucumbers, and lettuce require 98 gal./lb., 42 gal./lb. and 28 gal./lb., respectively.

Though we've shown them here to illustrate how much water vegetable farming uses, there really are few losers when it comes to veggies. In general, they consume far less water than animal products, nuts and grains.

Olive Oil vs. Corn, Sunflower and Soybean Oil

Everything beats olive oil, which requires 1,729 of water per pound to produce. That's more then all oils except castor oil. Corn oil takes 309 gal./lb., sunflower 814 gal./lb. and soybean 502 gal./lb. If you're a fan of coconut oil you're in luck, as it is also relatively low on the scale. One pound requires 538 gallons of water.

Chocolate vs. Vanilla

Chocolate at 2,061 gal./lb., but this sadly still takes more water to produce than beef. Though we doubt you'll be eating a pound of chocolate any time soon. Cocoa powder takes 1,874 gal./lb. Vanilla beans top the charts at 15,159 gal./lb., though they are usually used in very small quantities.

Cinnamon vs. Mint

Peppermint wins, taking only 35 gallons of water to produce one pound. One pound of cinnamon requires 1,860 gallons. Ginger requires 199 gal./lb.

Remember, what's important here is recognizing that our food makes up a big part of our water footprint. In fact, general trends are more illustrative than knowing exactly which foods have the lowest numbers. Eating fewer animal products and more plant products will reduce your water footprint, as will eating less-processed foods. For example, potato chips have more than three times the water footprint of potatoes, and ketchup takes twice as much as tomatoes. The same is also true of grains and dairy products -- milk is far less water intense than cheese and butter.

Of course, these measurements are by pound, and we think it's unlikely you would consume the same weight in ketchup as you would whole tomatoes. The Water Footprint Network also suggests choosing high water intensity products that are grown or produced in areas that do not have water scarcity problems, if making changes to your diet proves difficult.

Curious about foods we didn't cover? Click here to view the full reports on crops andanimal products.

Note: All units were converted from liters per kilogram to U.S gallons per pound.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article said avocados take 237 gallons of water per pound produced. That number is actually 141 gallons/pound. huffingtonpost

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summer time frozen treat made with water, chicken stock, toys, and bones

treats in tennis balls

beer pong table

How To Get More Nutrition By Pairing Foods

You'll get more plant-based iron from black beans if you eat them with something rich in vitamin C, like red pepper.

Eating eggs with your salad helps boost absorption of carotenoids — the pigments in tomatoes and carrots. It's the fat in the egg yolk that is responsible for upping the nutrient intake. And, as we've reported, oil-based salad dressing helps accomplish the same goal.

Turmeric is loaded with an anti-inflammatory and anticancer compound called curcumin. To reap all the curcumin you can get, mix turmeric with black pepper.

If you want to take advantage of all that calcium in yogurt, you're going to need some vitamin D. So why not step outside to enjoy the creamy snack under the UV rays of the mid-day sun?

 Why is this combo a vegetarian staple? Because hummus made with sesame seeds (in tahini) slathered on whole wheat bread gives you all the amino acids to form a complete protein.

After corn is soaked in lime and water, then ground up, all kinds of nutrients in the corn are released and made available for absorption — calcium, iron, niacin and minerals. This is why corn tortillas have been one of the bedrocks of Mesoamerican cuisine for millennia.

Of course, not all pairings are beneficial. It turns out that phytates — a kind of acid — in things like tea and coffee may decrease the absorption of iron and zinc. So if you're having bacon with your morning coffee, you're not going to pick quite as many nutrients out of breakfast as you might otherwise.

npr

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crescent rolls or pigs in a blanket

tin can sandwich bread

cinnamon rolls in orange halves

single serving of coffee

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How A Bigger Lunch Table At Work Can Boost Productivity

The loft-like San Francisco office of software maker Atlassian has an open central amphitheater, where all-staff gatherings and midday boot camp exercises are held.

Jay Simons, Atlassian's president, says the building was originally a book printing factory. He describes it "as a big, two-story warehouse with a lot of steel girders, a lot of natural light."

But the office's rapid expansion to 300 employees has led to gripes about conference room shortages. "We're butting up on growing out of the space," Simons says.

So, early this year, Atlassian installed heat and motion sensors to track when and how often every desk, room and table was used. The result? Desks were used only 20 percent of the workday; conference rooms an average of 40 percent, with peak utilization at mid-morning.

Simons says tracking employees' movements in an anonymous way will help guide choices to convert desk space into meeting rooms, or to stagger meetings to accommodate a growing staff.

"If we're using data to make an environment that people can be more productive in, ultimately that saves us money or helps us make more," he says.

One of Waber's clients found that software developers who ate lunch in large groups wrote 10 percent more code than those who ate solo or with fewer colleagues. Salespeople with more relationships across an organization sold measurably more. That led to larger lunch tables and more strategic placement of coffee machines.

"Where do you spend time, who talks to who and those patterns are so critical when it comes to how effective we are and how happy we are at work," he says.

Waber's company carefully tracks its own employees. Even for things like determining which free snacks tend to draw people into break rooms.

Congdon says designing the ideal workspace is well worth the effort. When Steelcase redid its own offices, she says workers ended up happier with the various options for working and meeting. And, as a bonus, the company reduced its real estate footprint by 48 percent. npr