Jul
1
Read at Work
Filed Under Fiction | Leave a Comment
Here’s a clever way for bibliophiles to goof off at work without the boss noticing. Read at Work is a web site that very cleverly disguises itself as a Windows desktop. Books are housed in folders and organized by type. You can choose from short stories, novels, and poetry and New Zealand authors. Doubleclick a file within the folder and the text is contained within a powerpoint document.
Start reading: Read at Work
Apr
20
Foo Foo drinks are good for you
Filed Under Health, Restaurants | Leave a Comment
Apparently the alcohol that laces fruity cocktails boosts the antioxidant power of the drink. Dr. Korakot Chanjirakul and scientists from the Kasetsart University in Thailand and the U.S. Department of Agriculture were trying to find ways to preserve the freshness of strawberries during storage. They found that applying alcohol to the fruit increased the antioxidant capacity.
Dr Frankie Phillips of the British Dietetic Association commented on the research by saying:
“This is an interesting piece of research and illustrates that the antioxidant capacity of berries can be enhanced by combining them with volatile substances such as alcohol. It’s well known that some preparation of fruit and veg can enhance the availability of nutrients and other plant chemicals including antioxidants.
Get your drink on!
Source: Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture - “Natural volatile treatments increase free-radical scavenging capacity of strawberries and blackberries” Authors: K. Chanjirakul, S.Y. Wang, C.Y. Wang, J. Shiriphanich
Online article: Are fruity cocktails a healthy drink?
Apr
20
Catholicism in Science Fiction
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An extensive annotated bibliography organized by author of fictional Catholic characters that show up in science fiction.
Apr
7
If you’re like a growing number of consumers who spend over half their food budget on dining out, you should be sure to check out Christine Bockelman’s “10 Things Your Restaurant Won’t Tell You“. On her list are why you shouldn’t eat out on a Monday, how the menus are arranged to maximize profits and why specials are always that special.
Check out 10 Things Your Restaurant Won’t Tell You
Feb
18
Music and Lyrics
Filed Under Movies | Leave a Comment
So, I saw the cute flick “Music and Lyrics” today. The movie stars Hugh Grant as “Alex Fletcher”, a former 80s pop singer with Drew Barrymore as “Sophie Fisher”, his a slight crazy but soulful romantic interest who helps bring him out of his 80s slump by partnering with him to write a pop song for “Cara”, the latest “Britney” style sensation. The movie particularly appealed to me as a child of the 80s Eurotrash and bubblegum pop music (I’m not too ashamed to admit I had a collection of colorful fingerless gloves back then). The opening credits was a treat with a hilarious mimic of the vapid music videos of the 80s with Hugh Grant’s character spritzed, blow-dried and bopping to perfection. The first part of the movie dragged a bit until Drew’s character developed some depth and I could see past the vapid, slightly eccentric front. The movie is funny thereafter with upbeat pop music thrown in for good measure. The movie was a perfect uplift for a Sunday afternoon or if you’re in the mood for a silly laugh.
On an interesting side note, I found it interesting that, while the tabloid world is atwitter with news about the apparent demise of Hugh Grant’s relationship with girlfriend Jemima Khan, that the concierage to whom Hugh and Drew’s characters tested their lyrics with was also named Khan.
Dec
3
7 Year Dry Spell - Buh bye!
Filed Under Entertainment, Sports | Leave a Comment
Finally! Sweet victory is ours! After 7 straight years of losing, UCLA upset USC yesterday in college football. It was one of those games where we were so solidly considered the underdogs that anybody that was predicting that we were going to win was considered delusional.
Getting to the Rosebowl yesterday was an adventure. Normally, it’s a breeze. The traffic control is fantastic in Pasadena and you can usually enter the parking lots with relative ease. I knew it was going to be a sold out game when, 3 hours before the game started, they were announcing that the lots had been closed. In our 7 years of being season ticket holders, this was the first time that had happened.
Entering the stadium, you could feel the excitement and tension in the air.
When UCLA scored first after holding USC, you could start to feel the crowd thinking, “Hey! We can do this, we can win!”. With USC looking shaky the entire game and the UCLA defense shutting down Booty, the USC fans, for the first time, were absolutely speechless. Usually, it’s irritating to go to a crosstown rivalry game since the USC fans are so obnoxious. This time, they were very quiet almost from the start. You could see the absolute disbelief that USC was being stopped by UCLA.
Ah! Victory! While the USC team quickly exited the field, the UCLA team, band and fans stuck around for 20 minutes after the game to celebrate. What was strange was that the USC cheerleaders and band continued to play long after the game had ended.
Go Bruins!