The Poisoned Weed, Plants Toxic to Skin, by Donald G. Crosby, found at the library tonight since rashes were on my mind, but thankfully, not on my skin.

I could not get into Time Traveler’s Wife, although I tried very hard. Still reading Hopes of Snakes.

Tian Tian: My most precious one , will there be a little one soon?
Mei Xiang: Maybe there will and maybe there won’t. Could you trouble our hosts for a bit of pickled bamboo?
Tian Tian: I do not speak their language, cherished companion.
Mei Xiang: And those fruitsicles, I want some. Now.
Tian Tian: I hear that our distant cousins in Wolong have twins.
Mei Xiang: I can’t stand the pressure. So much pressure!

The chemical is found in many things, including shampoo, cling wrap, nail polish, deodorant, and medical equipment. In toys, they pose a particular danger to the small children who mouth and chew them.

A professor at the University of South Wales, Joe Wolfe, has published a study of the noise levels a didge player can generate within his mouth. This can reach up to 100 decibels, and, if sustained, can actually damage the ear.

Once, for an evening’s fun, my sons took their didges out on their apartment balcony, and serenaded passersby.

She is still not recovered from the molting, but is eating just fine. I may have a disabled mantis on my hands, as she cannot balance correctly.

Each time I thought she was gone, she would twitch her tail or raise the front arms. She can prop up against the bougainvillea flowers. Not sure she will be able to do this much longer.

I had a rash on my arms a few years ago. It looked a lot like poison oak, but was a reaction to a weedy grass that grows in my yard. Years of experience has taught me this. If I wear long sleeves, and scrub with lots of soap after weeding, then the rash is not as bad. But back then, I didn’t know that.

The itch was terrible, and there were little blisters, just like with poison oak. It was in patches, a bit pinker than the rest of the skin. All I wanted was some lotion that worked better than the over the counter products.

My internist, a woman this time, started off briskly enough, reading the nurse’s notes, and asking where the rash might be. I held up my arms. She retreated.

By this I meant she took two or three steps back. The rest of the visit was conducted with this distance, and when she referred to the rash, she kind of waved her pen in the direction of my poor arms.

Now if I had a brown recluse spider bite that I neglected, or some other gangrenous wound, maybe I would have understood.

I didn’t go back to her either, and my internist options became very limited.

Once long ago, I went in for a throat culture due to a possible strep infection. After I gagged for the second or third time, the kindly HMO internist threw the swab in the wastebasket in exasperation. ‘Can’t we be a bit more mature here!’ he exclaimed. My sentiments exactly.

Now comes news that strep in children might trigger compulsive disorders later. The immune response to the infection can also attack cells in the brain.

And no, I never went back to the doctor.

Once upon a time, sumo for women was very popular, and some are saying it should be brought back.

More chanko-nabe, anyone?

The travails of food in the Big House, and the occasional joys.

A journalist tests his intestinal fortitude via barbecue - 15 back to back meals of it.

Sometimes my day job gets particularly stressful, albeit in a good way. Such days call for a spoonful of ganache or two, if there is a small pot of it in the fridge.

But it’s okay, I’ve stepped up my exercise program. Although it doesn’t come close to what Mennonite kids do on a daily basis.

I wonder what M. Chirac’s opinion of this dish would be?

In elementary school, I’m sure this showed up from time to time, but under another name. Maybe turkey and dressing?

Last night we passed a garden with a sprawling vine that boasted two pumpkins, one a very decent size already. The owner built a special structure to support his sturdy tomato plants, whose fruits put mine to shame. But then they are in full sunlight. Other yards had dwarf apple trees loaded with fruit. Obviously they know something I don’t about the squirrel problem.

Many factors could be contributing to the low numbers of these big salamanders . Polluted waters, damming, harvesting for medicinal and food purposes, and killing out of ignorance on the part of fisherman have taken their toll .

A challenger to the record held by Robert Wadlow (8 ft 11.1 in.), Xi Shun of Inner Mongolia stands 7 ft 8.95 in. Xi’s parents are of normal height.

A summary of the extraordinary event , from the Guardian’s Tim Radford.

Some say it was due to a superb presentation, others point out the Brits boosted the Olympic spirit by holding the games during the recovery period after WWII.

But we know the vote was swayed by the unfortunate gastronomic tactics on the part of the French. (see previous Chirac posts).