The placebo effect is everywhere, but with the
commercial drugs they've been studied in
double-blind experiments (supposedly) to maximize
the chance that the bulk of the perceived benefit
is actually due to the medicine;

I've actually been a part of a few of those double-blind clinical
trials, and still don't know if I had the real drug or the placebo...
one seemed to help, another made things worse...

In many cases, nobody's ever told unless the
difference in consequences is so large that
everyone would benefit from knowing.

there are
bunches of natural remedies where the research
has not shown any real benefit and many more where
there hasn't been any large-scale research at all.

I've seen those reports... some seem credible, others not as much...
And, true, there hasn't been as much large-scale research...

Which is where the profit motive has us over
a barrel, as Big Pharma can muster enough
resources to sponsor meaningful studies, but
naturopaths and traditional medicine people
can't. Of course, that lets in the problem
of observer bias as well, so no scenario is
without disadvantages.

I suppose. I'm still not planning past 70, an
attitude that might have come from the Bible or
perhaps some other reading, that number being
cited as well in the scientific literature when
I started reading both, around 1960.

Psalm 90 does state "the days of our years are threescore years and
ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."
But then, Moses, who penned that, lived to be 120.... :) And I think
that that is the only place in the Bible that actually states anything similar... :) (It's a verse that I memorized, as part of that psalm,
when I was rather young, pre-teen at least...) As I am now in my
seventieth year, and the body is running down, I have a better
appreciation for the caveat therein... ;)

I should perhaps not have opened up that subject.
Religious documents are not going to be quashed
if they're brought up in context, but we shouldn't
dwell on them. I'll end by saying that I'm not
Moses and don't expect to live an analogous life
either in quality or quantity.

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.01

Title: Chocolate Mosaic Fruit Tart
Categories: Chocolate, Cakes/choc.
Yield: 8 servings

----------------------------CHOCOLATE TART
CRUST----------------------------
4 oz Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet 1/2 c Cold butter, cut up
-Chocolate 1/8 ts Salt
1/2 c Powdered sugar 1 Egg
1/2 c Slivered almonds 1 ts Vanilla
1/2 c Unsifted flour

---------------------------CHOCOLATE TART
FILLING---------------------------
1/2 c Butter, softened 1 ts Vanilla or Grand
Marnier
1/2 c Powdered sugar Fresh fruit:
strawberries,
1 Egg -kiwi, bananas,
4 oz Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Green grapes,
oranges, etc.
-Chocolate 1/4 c Apricot jam
3 tb Heavy whipping cream

Servings: 8

DIRECTIONS: For crust: Place broken chocolate pieces, sugar and almonds
into bowl of processor or blender. Process for about 20 to 25 seconds
until
the mixture is like powder. On top of chocolate mixture in food
processor,
spread flour, butter and salt. Process 15 to 20 pulses or until butter is
in very fine pieces. (Or butter may be cut into flour by hand using a
pastry cutter, then combined with chocolate.) Add egg and vanilla. Pulse
about 15 times or stir lightly until mixture sticks together when pinched
with fingers. On plastic wrap, knead a few times to bring dough together
to
form a ball; flatten to 8". It is easier to use your fingers to pat the
dough into tart pan than to roll dough. Use a 10 1/2" flat tart pan with
1"
fluted sides. Bake in center of oven at 350-F for 15 to 18 minutes or
until
baked shell springs back when touched. (Do not overbake.) Cool. Remove
outside ring of pan. Crust may be prepared a day in advance, if desired.
(MY NOTES: this crust seemed too wet before baking, but turned out fine
after about 16 or 17 minutes baking time. It was like a brownie crust.)

Chocolate tart filling: In small mixer bowl, beat butter with sugar and
egg; beat until fluffy. Melt broken chocolate in double boiler, stirring
constantly, or microwave on medium for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Add warm
chocolate to creamed mixture and beat well. Mix in cream and vanilla,
beating until thick and creamy. Spread filling over baked Chocolate Tart
Crust. While filling is still soft, artistically arrange fruit on top.
For
fruit glaze, strain apricot jam. With pastry brush, use glaze to cover
pieces of fruit and top edge of crust. Chill about 2 hours. Decorate with
chocolate curls, if desired. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature
before serving.

Source: Recipes from Ghirardelli Chocolate Company of San Francisco

From: Sallie Austin

-----
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* Origin: Fido Since 1991 | QWK by Web | BBS.DOCSPLACE.ORG (1:123/140)

Quoting Michael Loo to Nancy Backus on 04-12-18 06:18 <=-

The placebo effect is everywhere, but with the
commercial drugs they've been studied in
double-blind experiments (supposedly) to maximize
the chance that the bulk of the perceived benefit
is actually due to the medicine;

I've actually been a part of a few of those double-blind clinical
trials, and still don't know if I had the real drug or the placebo...
one seemed to help, another made things worse...

In many cases, nobody's ever told unless the
difference in consequences is so large that
everyone would benefit from knowing.

Or, individually, if one is getting dire consequences from whatever they
are on... so they'll know not to take it when/if it comes on the
market...

there are
bunches of natural remedies where the research
has not shown any real benefit and many more where
there hasn't been any large-scale research at all.

I've seen those reports... some seem credible, others not as much...
And, true, there hasn't been as much large-scale research...

Which is where the profit motive has us over
a barrel, as Big Pharma can muster enough
resources to sponsor meaningful studies, but
naturopaths and traditional medicine people
can't. Of course, that lets in the problem
of observer bias as well, so no scenario is
without disadvantages.

Quite true....

I suppose. I'm still not planning past 70, an
attitude that might have come from the Bible or
perhaps some other reading, that number being
cited as well in the scientific literature when
I started reading both, around 1960.

Psalm 90 does state "the days of our years are threescore years and
ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."
But then, Moses, who penned that, lived to be 120.... :) And I think
that that is the only place in the Bible that actually states anything similar... :) (It's a verse that I memorized, as part of that psalm,
when I was rather young, pre-teen at least...) As I am now in my
seventieth year, and the body is running down, I have a better
appreciation for the caveat therein... ;)

I should perhaps not have opened up that subject.
Religious documents are not going to be quashed
if they're brought up in context, but we shouldn't
dwell on them. I'll end by saying that I'm not
Moses and don't expect to live an analogous life
either in quality or quantity.

I wouldn't expect it for myself, either... staying mostly healthy for as
long as I can is about all I hope for... :)

ttyl neb

... Science asks how. Philosophy asks why. Cats couldn't care less.

___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20
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