i saw this on line and thought it may be of interest to others.

Four myths about eggs

By Lori Bongiorno

Posted Tue May 4, 2010 12:09pm PDT
 

(Photo: Getty Images)

Choosing eggs is not nearly as simple as it should be. After all, the average egg weighs about 2 ounces. How many decisions can you possibly have to make for something so small and seemingly simple? Well, let’s see: Brown or white? Large or small? Organic or not?

And those decisions are just the tip of the iceberg. Egg cartons can be stamped with any number of labels, some meaningful, others not so much. 

It's not always easy to separate fact from fiction when it comes to eggs. Below are some of the most common misperceptions.  

Myth: Brown eggs are different than white. 

Fact: The only difference between a brown and white egg is the color of the shell, which is merely a reflection of the breed of the hen. In general, but not always, hens with white feathers and earlobes lay white eggs and those with dark feathers and red earlobes lay brown eggs.

One isn’t healthier, more “natural,” or more eco-friendly than the other.  There aren’t any differences in nutritional quality, flavor, or cooking characteristics. 

Myth: Free-range eggs come from hens that roam freely outdoors.

Fact: The claims are not regulated for eggs, according to Consumer Reports. So there is no guarantee that the hen that laid the eggs ever saw the light of day. Of course, it may have spent time outdoors, but the “free range” label doesn’t mean anything. The following labels are also meaningless when it comes to eggs: “free roaming,” “hormone free,” and “raised without antibiotics.” 

Myth: Organic eggs are healthier.  

Fact: They certainly can be, but it all depends on the chicken’s diet. Organic eggs come from hens that are fed a 100-percent organic diet. However, what really matters when it comes to nutrition is whether the hens were raised on pasture. Studies, such as those conducted at Penn State University and by Mother Earth News, found that eggs from chickens that ate grass and insects contained higher levels of omega-3 fat, and vitamins E, A, and in some cases D. 

If you want eggs from hens that are raised on pasture or spend a lot of time outdoors, then you’ll have to find a farmer you trust at your local farmers’ market.

Myth: Egg substitutes are simply eggs (or egg whites) without the shells. 

Fact:  Most products have added stabilizers, thickeners, vitamins, carotenes, and, sometimes, spices, according to Marion Nestle, author of What to Eat. She also points out that they cost about twice as much as real eggs. (A pound of egg substitutes weighs slightly less than a dozen small eggs.)  

Of course, if you can’t eat egg yolks for health reasons or have no use for them, egg substitutes are a good option, and most products only have a tiny percentage of additives. Just read the labels before buying.

Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green's users. Send Lori a question or suggestion for potential use in a future column. Her book, Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life is available on Yahoo! Shopping and Amazon.com.

edmar castaneda: tiny desk concert : NPR

 Click this link to view and hear the NPR music video:

Edmar Castaneda: Tiny Desk Concert : NPR

Edmar Castaneda is the sort of musician who isn't afraid to challenge the established order. He's carving out a place for himself in Latin jazz on an instrument you don't often hear in his chosen genre: the Colombian harp. He's adapted intricate traditional fingerpicking techniques to play jazz melodies along with the Afro-Cuban tumbao (bass line). As you can see and hear for yourself in this Tiny Desk Concert, he can switch between rural Colombian dance music and jazz with a twist of his wrist. Literally.

His musical vision is so invigorating that he's gaining fans like NEA Jazz Master Paquito D'Rivera, with whom Castaneda has performed. His Web site shows him constantly on the road as a guest artist with other forward thinkers, or with his latest touring trio, which consists of Castaneda, a drummer and a trombonist.

Castaneda recently parked himself behind Bob Boilen's desk and crafted a transporting mix of tradition and improvisation. Chances are, you've never heard anything like it.

aaron neville - to make me who i am - the man is a genius and a national treasure ...

I've walked through this world sometime without a friend
My life has been up and down, been close to an end
I've been through the mill and I've paid my dues
Walked so many miles in different peoples shoes

But I've been through the fire and I've walked in the rain
I've felt the joy and endured the pain

Once I was a schemer but I always was a dreamer
But it took me who I was and where I've been
To make me who I am

I've met a lot of lost souls in the bowels of hell
Traveled some crooked roads and got some stories yet to tell
I've shot up with the junkie in piss stench halls
Broken bread with the devil, fallen on my knees to God

Some days I was blessed, some nights I was damned
But I always tried to lend a helping hand

Once I was a deceiver, now I am a believer
But it took me, who I was and where I've been
To make me who I am

Oh, I've seen the little children all strung out on dope
No one to care about them, living without hope
But I've been lucky that I always had a song
I'll sing it with compassion, to try to right the wrong

Once my life was wretched but why should I regret it
'Cause, it took me, who I was and where I've been
To make me who I am

This is dedicated to my friends in jail
For my brother Jake who had to ride the rail
For my friend Roonie and Melvin who were so dear
They were so misunderstood but I wish they were still here
To hear this song I sing from my heart
They're forever in my soul even though we had to part

Once I was a deceiver, now I am a believer
But it took me who I was and where I've been
To make me who I am

God said, "I forgive you, wipe away the scars
'Cause I know it took who you were
And where you came from to make you who you are
'Cause I know it took who you were
And where you came from to make you what you are"

frank zappa - stairway to heaven

the only chance i had to see frank zappa and the mothers of invention was in the fall of 1970. it was in dayton, ohio, and the show was festival seating. if you brought your mother, she got in for free.

i liked the fact that nothing was sacred to frank, not even this rock and roll classic by led zepplin.

i first heard stairway to heaven at a concert at the boston garden. my dad bought 3 tickets. one for me, one for a friend claude durham and one for himself. my dad always new a good show when he saw one, rock, jazz, classical, it didn't matter. during the break jimmy paige came out on the stage all alone, sat down in a folding metal chair with his 12 string, and said he wanted to play us a song he was fooling around with. it was stairway to heaven and it appeared on led zeps next album.

elton john @ the brian wilson tribute ocncert

the thing i like most about youtube is that i can think about an event or a song from the past and its there.

what i find to be an interesting perspective of the response of my government to the events of 9/11

i thought you might like to see and hear what a decent thai pop video is like ...