Tabebuia heptaphylla

This "Tabebuia heptaphylla" (ipe-roxo) suddenly blossomed, in front of our neighbour's house. A few days after my daughter took this picture, the tree was completely removed. I don't know why they did it, but we'll miss these gorgeous flowers.

Bee and Birds

Photo by Alice

Aren't they lovely? Since the feeder is full, they keep coming to the garden. Birds and bees drink 500ml of nectar everyday. At 6:00pm, we take the feeder out, not to encourage night visitors.

Elaine Morgan and Science

I don't know if Elaine Morgan is right, but the octogenarian scientist is funny, shrewd and an accomplished show-woman. At the end of her presentation she gives Richard Dawkins a hard time. But, afterall, he deserved it. And I thank professor Philip Conrad Scott having introduced me to this lovely lady from science.

Ecce Homo - Behold the Man!

Anonymous (1490)
Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (Lisboa, Portugal)

"Then therefore, Pilate took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platting a crown of thorns, put it upon his head; and they put on him a purple garment. And they came to him, and said: "Hail, king of the Jews"; and they gave him blows. Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith to them: "Behold, I bring him forth unto you, that you may know that I find no cause in him." (Jesus therefore came forth, bearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment.) And he saith to them: "Behold the Man." When the chief priests, therefore, and the servants, had seen him, they cried out, saying: "Crucify him, crucify him." (Gospel According to St. John 19:1-6a, DRB)

(from the blog Deus Vult)

Coffee for the Heart

Coffee drinkers who've been upping their java consumption in light of reports about coffee's various health benefits can rest easy (if all that caffeine lets you rest at all): Coffee drinking isn't associated with a greater risk of heart arrhythmia. In fact, contrary to popular belief, a new study finds that people who drink four or more cups of coffee daily were actually 18% less likely to be admitted to the hospital for a heart-rhythm disturbance than coffee abstainers. Researchers confessed to being surprised by the results, because patients sometimes report forceful heartbeats or palpitations after drinking coffee. If you have trouble tolerating caffeine or coffee, the scientists added, their study shouldn't change the advice to avoid both, nor should you take up the habit in hopes of preventing arrhythmias. But moderate coffee drinkers should take comfort in the results. Sorry, tea lovers, the seven-year study of 130,054 men and women found no similar benefit for tea drinking. - American Heart Association

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