Stop the Presses! Decisive Shopper Alert

Don't ask how I came across this
but
it
cracked me up.

Reported in the Lakeland Ledger on July 22, 1959

Decisive Shopper
link

A story for the purpose of reporting a decisive female shopper. Is that news? Sounds like some satire article you would find in The Onion. Good old fashion local news.

BRAIN Initiative!

Did you hear about the BRAIN Initiative? 100 million towards mapping the brain... I didn't understand what that meant because the wiring in your brain isn't quite like your fingerprint genome.

Read more here.

Thank you government for investing in life science research.

I recently started reading That Used to Be Us in which the authors highlight several areas the United States has not been efficiently addressing leading to a slow decline. It's all quite depressing and I'm not yet done with the Preface! With today's announcement and the recent announcement of the Life Sciences Award backed by tech industry leaders (see here) I'm feeling a sense of optimism. It also reminds me of my one-of-these-days bucket list item to join the biocurious lab, pull on nitrile gloves, and continue my high school pursuit of any science experiment that involves something glowing.

Are you ready?

[Aww this never got published?]

For the best day ever?!!?

Just went on a long hike with my old roommate along dusty trails, past thick bushes hiding bunnies, in front of a grazing deer, under a sky painted in fading majestic colors, over grassy hills like something from a children's fairytale with capes tied around our necks holding jars of fireflies for light to lead the way, along the small pond that was a potential marriage proposal location, outstretched hands brushing skinny yellow stalks as we walked, on the concrete sidewalks, to the car, over freeways to Sprouts leaving with bags filled with summer corn and other produce, down the street to Target, pushing a shopping cart down the Asian aisle to reach the last key ingredient.

Sweet chilli sauce.

You know where this is going right?

We made Jean's corn salsa.

It takes about a day for the flavors to mingle, get comfortable with each other and start absorbing each others tastes. By tomorrow they will be finishing each other's sentences, indistinguishable, one bowl of awesomeness to accompany lime sea salt tortilla chips.

And it will be the best day ever.
(Although, today was pretty great already.)

Friday pick me up

Yes, it's a bit Disney/tween-bop sounding. Ever since the wedding I've had this song stuck in my head. Whenever I need a jolt of energy this song makes me tap my toes and wish I was home so I can jump around and dance full out.

Good Time - Owl City ft. Carly Rae Jepsen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpfSEZLuWxY

I expect to be blasting this at the movie theatre tonight. Can't wait.

(But if that isn't your thing and would like to start your weekend off by sulking try

Bauhaus- All We Ever Wanted Was Everything
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44-OubTdPFE

You can go back to the first song when you're ready.)

Prayer Hands

You ever notice how prayer hands look like a high-five?

 

Source: prayinghandsclipart.com/

I personally do the fingers folded method, but this way, prayer is like a prolonged, slow-motion high-five. Nice way to say "Hey, what's up" to a friend.

Currently Coveting

I apologize for my latest burst of book-worming.

Fueled by my current read by The Bloggess (sigh, also a book) and her tales of loathing,
this post is about someone who might make me tense up, narrow my eyes and heart beat faster.

His name is John Harrison.

[insert Fight Club chant]

He and his white coat, kind eyes, circle glasses and charming pastel polka-dot bow ties. Wipe that smug "my life is so much better than yours" smile off your face.

I've never met him but I know all I need to know to be slightly very extremely jealous.

You see, 

Mr. jolly John "I only eat with a golden spoon" Harrison

is Dreyer's Official Ice Cream Taster.

Source: dreyers.com

Yes, it is a real position.
And John Harrison has it.

Okay, jealousy is not a good feeling but I'm sure I'm not the only one that just discovered he possesses your dream job. Admission, this is probably not my dream job anymore since my body started rebelling against consuming large quantities of dairy; I can see myself (and everyone within a five-foot radius) getting rather uncomfortable everyday. But for the five-year-old version of me, this would have been my dream job back when and my diet was primarily ice cream, a bite or two whatever my parents forced me to eat, washed down with a few bowls of ice cream. Is there a cookie taster position anywhere? I would take it in a heartbeat (I hope it includes a gym membership).

Actually, if I go into cookie tasting I have no qualms with John.
Thank you Mr. John Harrison for keeping my Dreyer's ice cream tasting delicious
(and all the extra weight you probably gained in the name of quality control).

You can learn more about Mr. John Harrison and his job here.

A choice

freedom from fear

freedom from doubt

freedom from despair

freedom from worldliness

Center of the first world

I might not have that shiny new bike, 

all the cosmetics to give me a new face,

or afford to eat like a beast every meal.

But I'm still living

in the land of plenty.

--------------------------------------

1. The Submarines - You, Me and the Bourgeoisie

Love can free us from all excess. From our deepest debt.
'Cause when our hearts are full we need much less.

2. Where Children Sleep

By: James Mollison

Where did you sleep?

Kentucky has such diverse living situations.

3. Limited

Why is it when there is only one or a limited number or a new edition of something, bickering and unpleasant behavior ensues?

Exhibit 1: Update on the 33 Chilean miners that were trapped for 69 days in a mine last year. They collaborated underground, each taking on different roles, and inspiring the rest of the world. Then someone sent down a television. Just one.

Exhibit 2: The gods must be crazy. Remember this movie? Someone tosses a glass coke bottle out their window littering the Kalahari Desert. The peaceful bush people are unaware of civilized men and believe the gods put only good things on the earth. After finding the one bottle, people in the tribe start bickering over it, they decide the gods are crazy for giving them something that causes them to fight, and they decide to get rid of it.

Exhibit 3: Apple releases.

apple

 [source: appleadayproject.wordpress.com]

me: Do you have apple stock?
dad: No.
me: Why not?
dad: I'm asking myself the same thing.

bitcoin

Last week my coworker told me about a new alternative online currency called bitcoin.

Image: bitcoin.org

I thought it wasn't very special since a lot of companies/websites come up with their point/coin/credit/etc. system in which users pay USD money for the "currency". Xbox points, D&B tokens, istockphoto credit, gift cards, frequent flyer miles or credit card reward point anyone? But then he told me there was an exchange rate that allowed transfer both ways.

I don't completely understand it still. How do you have an exchange rate with no central regulating authority? But then again, paper money is no longer tied to the gold standard and according to TAL, "money is fiction".

Check it out here: http://www.bitcoin.org/

FYI: Apparently, it's doing rather well.

Gross.

That is how I feel right now.

I ate unagi with fried rice for dinner. I should have been content. But I looked over at Franz's chicken pot pie and my stomach was jealous. It should have been full. But It wanted chicken pot pie. Not Franz's healthy looking chicken pot pie. I am back in America. And It wanted to go to the Home of the Colonel.

So I ventured out to KFC to pick up dinner #2. This isn't the pot pie. But its buttery goodness may also be contributing to my current sluggishness. Perhaps tomorrow I will attempt to eat more green. One time for a school project we were told to check if the nutritional facts were available at our favorite fast food joint, eat something and comment on what we ate. I picked Popeyes. I asked the man at the counter for the nutritional facts. He told me not to ask. I considered his request, rejected it and asked again. He pulled out a wrinkled, greased up pieces of paper that probably contained more oil than fiber from under a binder and handed it to me. I have not eaten there since. I'm pretty sure KFC isn't much better. But ignorance is bliss today.

Have you seen the Medicinal Chicken episode of SP? If you have, you probably know what I'm thinking. If you do not know what I am talking about, no worries.

You know I blame this whole KFC episode on the fact that I wasn't allowed to watch Glee tonight.
Jbear is studying for a test and Glee would be a distraction. Apparently, so is the Christmas special of Alf. Remember Alf? He's now on Hulu.

I am considered a food-centric blog. Posts like this wouldn't end up on it. I'm still in the idea incubation period, I hope to have the whole thing hatched by new years. Input and ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Beat-the-heat mints.

Did it suddenly become summer? Even in my cubicle afternoons feel so much warmer. Unfortunately, my office doesn't have ice to cool the readily available slightly-cooler-than-room-temperature water. How does one deal with such a dilemma?

Did you know that you have thermoreceptors all over and they are the part of your nervous system that detects changes in temperature? (unless, you are experiencing painful temperatures, that is something else)

Did you know some of these thermoreceptors are specific to cold and some to warm?

Did you know according to 2008 study involving a cat, scientists found...

"Aqueous menthol solutions of 1: 10,000 lead to strong stationary discharge of the tongue's cold receptors at constant warm temperatures at which there without menthol is no discharge. At lower temperatures at which the cold receptors are stationary discharging without menthol, this substance produces a great increase of the stationary cold impulse frequency."

HENSEL, H. and ZOTTERMAN, Y. (1951), The Effect of Menthol on the Thermoreceptors. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 24: 27–34. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1951.tb00824.x

When I was in school, my teacher said scientists think that capsaicin (what makes peppers spicy, burning hot) make you feel hot via those heat thermoreceptors (along with the pain receptors) and menthol (that freshmaker found in peppermint and mint oils which is found in gum/mints and tingly facial creams) may activate those cool thermoreceptors.

it says ice on the package.

Good Idea: Pop in a mint or chew some peppermint gum (especially try to get some of the mint on the back of the mouth towards the throat). Take a swig of that slightly-cooler-than-room-temperature water. Refreshing.

Bad Idea: Do NOT do this with ice water. Remember those pain receptors I mentioned? They activate with extreme coldness too.

A few days ago my coworker commented we have been out of school so long that some of the things we were taught in college may now be obsolete. It is inevitable, but I still have a stash of mints and gum in my purse. Perfect for days like these.

What's in a name?

I had dinner last week with a group of women, of whom I was the youngest.

Post-dinner we sat around snacking on rice krispie treats and sharing one of those insightful, open-hearted conversations you'd expect at Friday Night Knitting Club (except this was a Thursday). The conversation turned to last names. Majority of the women were married and had children or were soon expecting. I was surprised to discover the number of mixed race marriages around the table. One woman is Korean and married a Mexican man, one woman is Mexican and married a Caucasian man, and one Caucasian woman married a Vietnamese man. Each woman adopted her husbands last name. No hyphenations. They simply too up their new names despite clearly being from a background far from the surnames origins. They brought up funny stories about mispronunciations, awkward moments and gave a peek into their new family's family gatherings. Although each woman genuinely loves her husband and accepts their new families, each expressed a sense of lost identity with the loss of their maiden names. Each has an American first name so without the Korean or Mexican last name, who would know? I admit, a Caucasian woman with a Very Vietnamese last name would still probably give me a bit of a surprise if she was my nurse or teacher. One woman added her former last name as her middle name to regain a bit of her history.

One Chinese woman married a Chinese man but stayed adamant on keeping her maiden name and still remains firm. In Chinese culture, the continuation of the last name is of greatest importance. It is the reason why sons are so prized. They are the ones to carry on the family name. My father is the only son after a long line of sisters. I think my very traditional grandmother must have sighed a great sigh of relief when she finally had my father. My brother, my only brother, was always her favorite. I never knew until after her death that she always carried pictures of him in her purse. When my grandfather passed them back to my brother I wondered if she had pictures of me hidden somewhere. I had always hoped I was both of their favorites since I had spent the most time with them. Tradition and culture tends to win out in many situations. I remember reading somewhere before that if the woman came from a wealthier, more prestigious family the newlyweds would adopt her last name rather than the groom's. Carrying on a last name is tied to family honor.

I like my last name. It is short, simple, has meaning and is seemingly rare.
I never gave it much thought because it always felt like mine.
Names identify us from birth on our birth certificates, on teachers' attendance sheets, by nicknames classmates and friends call us, on the degree we gladly accept at graduation and at death on our tombstones.

Could you imagine having any other name?

Late night discoveries.

I'm frantically working on a deadline.

In other news, I've made an amazing discovery.

Last night I picked up some brie and dry salami as an impulse buy from the grocery store. Unfortunately, that same impulse did not remind me to purchase crackers or bread to eat with my cheese and salami. Lacking crackers and deciding eating brie plain was a bit boring, I wrapped chunks of brie in the salami. The dry salami was so salty, citrusy, and incredibly flavorful that it rendered the brie tasteless. Only the texture of the brie remained. The creamy, smooth texture... as if I were eating butter. Not the sticks. Not the kind you cut. But the tubs of soft butter/margarine. The kind you can stick your finger in and scoop out a bit for your toast. It was if I were eating butter wrapped in salami. Not my idea of a snack, but the realization made me so giddy I ate half the block of brie.

This is a warning.

Salami-wrapped brie is a dangerous Paula Dean-worthy midnight snack.

Weird oddities

WEIRD

is an weird word.

Remember the "i" before "e" except after "c" rule?

I guess it doesn't apply in this case.

Random observation.

Anyways. More random thoughts.

 1) I'm excited for Rihanna (i like her accent) + Ke$ha + Travis McCoy tonight.

$10 tickets. I can't say no.

2) French President Nicolas Sarkozy is getting a lot of bad press lately.

The Bettencourt scandal sounds like a soap opera or tv drama, except it's real.

Crazy to think people can throw around over $60k a week on daily life.

3) The FDA website is terribly confusing to navigate now that they are trying to make it more consumer friendly.

4) Church Mom's ministry is teaming up with Heritage Home to throw a baby shower for new or soon-to-be mothers. What a great idea! There are so many people in desperate need RIGHT NOW. I don't really want to think about myself right now. If I cut back on Starbucks it translates into diapers and diaper bags. I should go back to my coupon phase. I'm a bit sad I missed the 30% off diapers deal on Amazon. I signed up for the pampers website. If I won a years worth of diapers, do you think they'd give it to me when I don't have even have diaper-wearing progeny? Hmmm, when am I expecting? In five years maybe?

5) What am I going to do with my 5lb tub of nestle tollhouse cookie dough?

Choices. Choices. The possibilities are endless.

6) Boundaries are a good thing. 

It's okay to say "NO" sometimes.

Back to the books!

Glee Season Finale

OoO!

 

Look Familiar?

It's a Betsey Johnson! 

(evening goldie strapless dress + a strap
because who wants a dress falling off during a dance number. that would be a loooong day)

Just add hair band + oodles of hair spray for a Snookie poof.

As seen here.

Not quite available anymore, but I like the costumes on the show.

Especially the Lady Gaga episode!

nypost.com

Jbear and I agreed we liked Santana's the best. I can't find it but it was based off of this original.

http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gen/145117/LADY-GAGA-MAC.jpg

RANDOM:
Heather Morris (Brittany, the blonde cheerleader) was a dancer for Beyonce before her Glee gig.

Check it.

Decoration day.

{Memorial Day}
You know those place you always drive by and wonder what they are but never bother to stop?
Remember doing that as a kid? In between "Oops! I forgot my jacket!" and "Are we there yet?" is "Hey what's that?" But you never get to stop to explore.

Last week, on our way to Sausalito, Jbear mentioned there was a veteran cemetery he always passed as a kid but never got to stop. Now that we're the ones behind the wheel, we get to decide to not rush and slow down to explore. Perfect timing! It was Memorial Day, previously known as Decoration Day. In the morning I listened to stories on the radio about family traditions of heading to the local veterans cemetery and placing flowers on the graves and a touching story of a veteran who was disappointed most people treat Memorial Day as a commercial day for shopping and barbecues. Instead of stopping by the mall we stopped by the cemetery he never go to explore as a child. It was beautiful.

It's not just about those who were lost,
but also the families that were left behind.

This individual fought in World War I & II.
Both born in 1890.
He passed away in 1949 and left behind a wife
who had to continue her life without him for 43 years.

Jbear's first reaction as we drove by was 'who puts in all those little flags?' Ever grave had at least one flag in front of it. On the other side of the U.S., Beantown had their own display of flags in the Public Garden. I'll post more on the garden later.

Midnight cravings.

I'm waiting for my phone to charge.

Is it weird I am craving this right now?

Oh Kinders I miss you.
Almost as much as Jbear.