More deep frying. Yum!

I find this story fascinating and horrifying.

Because we don't already have enough fried foods...

NEW YORK, Oct 26 (Reuters Life!) - A new fast food is making its debut at U.S. fairs this fall -- fried Coke.

Abel Gonzales, 36, a computer analyst from Dallas, tried about 15 different varieties before coming up with his perfect recipe -- a batter mix made with Coca-Cola syrup, a drizzle of strawberry syrup, and some strawberries.

Balls of the batter are then deep-fried, ending up like ping-pong ball sized doughnuts which are then served in a cup, topped with Coca-Cola syrup, whipped cream, cinnamon sugar and a cherry on the top.

"It tastes great," said Sue Gooding, a spokeswoman for the State Fair of Texas where Gonzales' fried Coke made its debut this fall. "It was a huge success."

Gonzales ran two stands at the State Fair of Texas and sold up to 35,000 fried Cokes over 24 days for $4.50 each -- and won a prize for coming up with "most creative" new fair food.

Kids and dogs

My cousin Joni sent me an e-mail about this offering at the Great River Library in St. Cloud.

Thursday, Oct. 26 , 6:30-8:00 pm
Desiree and Tiffany are certified Reading Education Assistance Dogs and love to sit and listen to books. Registration for 15 minute sessions begins October 18. Ages 5 and up.

That is the sweetest thing ever! Here's a bit more about the Reading Education Assistance Dogs.

The mission of the R.E.A.D. program is to improve the literacy skills of children through the assistance of registered Pet Partner® therapy teams as literacy mentors.

The Reading Education Assistance Dogs® (R.E.A.D.) program improves children’s reading and communication skills by employing a powerful method: reading to a dog. But not just any dog. R.E.A.D. dogs are registered therapy animals who volunteer with their owner/handlers as a team, going to schools, libraries and many other settings as reading companions for children.

And a short testimonial from the R.E.A.D. site:

Catherine and her Boston Terrier, Chato, who participate in the R.E.A.D.^® program at the Midvale Boys' and Girls' Club, understand just how convinced most children are that the dogs they read to listen and absorb what they are hearing. One second grader informed them, "I really scared that big black dog the other day!" When asked how, he replied, "I read him a ghost story!"

Halloween pup

This time of year there a million dogs-in-costumes photos floating around e-mail. This is my favorite.

Germans making fun of Bush

This video is priceless. Thanks to Julia who posted on her blog! It's nice to get another country's take on this very scary, crazy man. Very clever!

Richard Dawkins, "The God Delusion"

There was an interview with Richard Dawkins tonight on The World. He's the author of The God Delusion. I was looking forward to listening to the interview since his views are so different than mine. Maybe I'd learn something from him.

I was quite disappointed. He was very testy and very disrespectuful of religion. Isn't it possible to show respect even if you don't agree? I think it is. It made me think of the book I'm listening to: The Likeabilty Factor by Tim Sanders. Part of his argument for likeability includes the fact that if people like you, they're more likely to believe you. So I found Dawkins interview particularly odd. Granted, a lot of people probably wouldn't listen to Dawkins because he's an atheist, but he certainly didn't do anyone any favors with his attitude. I was disappointed that by his crankiness he made it so easy for people to dismiss what he had to say.

I did agree, however, with this shot at Ann Coulter -- who is one of the nastiest writers on the market -- on Dawkins' site:

In her latest book Godless, Ann Coulter writes "I defy any of my coreligionists to tell me they do not laugh at the idea of Dawkins burning in hell." This section is dedicated to insanity such as this that finds its way to our inbox. When it goes beyond criticism and into Crazytown, we post it up here for all to see.

He was much more relaxed and convincing on The Colbert Report. It helps that Stephen Colbert is such a nut.

Wishing you an offensive Christmas

Twisted Sister recorded a Christmas album. Yes, you read that correctly. You can listen to the whole album, Twisted Christmas, on their site. There are all the old favorites, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "Silver Bells," as well as "Heavy Metal Christmas." It's truly horrifying.

Via Pop Candy.

Sweet Mutts

Some people deserve jail time

A Waukesha couple fought off a woman who entered their home in the middle of the night brandishing a metal pooper scooper and scissors, police Capt. Mike Babe said today.

The couple woke up about 4:40 a.m. Sunday when their small dog was barking in the kitchen. The female homeowner found the stranger in her kitchen, swinging the pooper scooper, threatening to kill them and kicking the dog, Babe said.

The female homeowner screamed and her husband then came into the kitchen.
The stranger struck the man in the head with the pooper scooper. He knocked it out of her hand and then noticed she had scissors.

The man struggled with the woman while his wife called police.

It took five police officers to subdue the 5-foot, 105-pound woman who was screaming threats that she was going to kill someone, Babe said.

Officers also repeatedly used a Taser on the woman, but it didn't stop her. Officers finally had to put their weight on the woman to take her into custody.

The couple said they did not know the Milwaukee woman, 47, who is expected to be charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court today, police said.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via Reduce Idiocy.

Beautiful nature

On the BBC site you can see the winners of the Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year award. This photo won the top prize. It is a walrus eating clams on the sea floor. There were more than 18,000 entries from 55 countries in this year's competition.

Sweet animals

Oh those loveable Mutts!

Cupcakes!

A couple of months back, the movie "Strangers with Candy" was released. One of the local stories about the movie was an interview with Amy Sedaris and included her recipe for vanilla cupcakes.

I tried these a few weeks ago. They are the best cupcakes ever. And I didn't even make the frosting. Sedaris also has a new book, I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence. I'm sure that it is hilarious, yet oddly disturbing. Like most of her work.

Previous post
Interview on NPR

Another look at the Middle East

Terry Gross, host of Fresh Air on NPR, is such a fabulous interviewer--particularly when she interviews authors. A recent guest was was Jeffrey Goldberg, a writer for The New Yorker. He has a new book that sounds fabulous: Prisoners: A Muslim & A Jew Across the Middle East Divide. Goldberg is an American who served in the Israeli Army and ended up as prison guard, guarding Palestinians. It traces his experiences from emigrating to Israel as a committed Zionist through his friendship with a Palestinian prisoner, Rafiq. A very good listen. Excerpt from chapter 1 here.

Hypocrisy

Look at the proud, middle-aged white guys surrounding the president. Such hypocrites. "Right to life" is just for pre-birth I guess. Once you're out of the womb, the government can do anything to you.

Bush signs law authorizing harsh interrogation

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush signed a law on Tuesday authorizing tough interrogation and prosecution of terrorism suspects and took an indirect, election-year swipe at Democrats who opposed the legislation.

Bush, trying to help Republicans maintain control of the U.S. Congress by emphasizing national security, called the Military Commissions Act of 2006 "one of the most important pieces of legislation in the war on terror."

Human rights groups charge that the measure would allow harsh techniques bordering on torture, such as sleep deprivation and induced hypothermia...

The American Civil Liberties Union expressed outrage, calling the new law "one of the worst civil liberties measures ever enacted in American history."

"Nothing separates America more from our enemies than our commitment to fairness and the rule of law, but the bill signed today is an historic break because it turns Guantanamo Bay and other U.S. facilities into legal no-man's-lands," said ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero.

Cub cam

There are five lion cubs, about nine weeks old, at the Hamburg's Hagenbeck Zoo. See the video or their coming out last week at Reuters. It's the sweetest thing in the world.

Mom is Tembesi. The cubs are Tawanga und her brothers Nibalo, Naju, Nawiri und Nelson.

What should they name the puppy?

My brother Steve's family got a puppy the day before yesterday. So far she doesn't have a name. I suggested an older name like Ethel or Hilma but now that I see her, I think she needs a much sweeter name.

Siblings

This photo says a lot about how my brothers and I interact. It's from Easter. My Mom has this rabbit and she puts Easter sweets in it. As you can see, there is a hand on the rabbit, in a "this is mine" kind of way. The hand belongs to my brother, Mike. Whenever we are together, particularly when my other brother, Steve, is around, we regress to our 10- or 12-year old selves. There is quite a bit of jostling, pushing of buttons, and often a headlock inflicted upon me.

Halloween on wheels

My cousin Joni sent me these photos. Her husband Tom was in Wisconsin over the weekend and spotted this Halloween on wheels. I think the mannequin heads are an especially nice touch.

Blood box

Cool promo piece for Australian Red Cross. Certainly grabs your attention! Via Brand Flakes for Breakfast. They also have a Cross Dress for Red Cross Day on Nov. 3. I love that idea but I really, really don't want to see that at my workplace.

Ted Turner at the Press Club

Ted Turner, founder of CNN, has an ego as big as the former Soviet Union. But I do love what he's been doing lately with regard to the United Nations and philanthropy. He's an extremely successful businessman who is pushing others to make the world a better place.

He gave a very interesting talk at the National Press Club which was on Word for Word. He does say "aah" a lot which gets a tad annoying, but it's a good listen. In talking about the Iraq war he says that it doesn't make any sense to bomb people who hate you. It just makes them madder. "We can see in Iraq and even before that Vietnam, that war just isn't the way you get things done any more."

Appliances

Nothing makes me feel more grown up, for better or worse, than buying an appliance. This weekend I bought a small freezer. I plan to fill it up with chili and soup so that weeknight meal time is easier. Cooking for one, especially after work, is such a pain. I do love to cook but only when I have time. This afternoon I started with chili and African chicken peanut soup. Yum! the smell combo while I was cooking, however, was rather odd.

A lovely song

I'm really liking this song by James Morrison, You Give Me Something. He looks much younger than his voice sounds! (The video is from a Dutch TV show.)

Annoying song (Lied)

I like to listen to German or British radio via the Web. Lately I've been listening to Bayern 3. The same station I listened to when I was in Ingolstadt. Anyhow, some of the music is so annoying. And not much of it in German, either*. (But at least I get a little news in German. Must search for another Web radio station.) A particularly stupid song includes these lyrics: "I wish I were a punk rocker, with flowers in my hair." Aaaargh! Punks didn't wear flowers in their hair!

Reminds me of being in the theater district of London with my parents and godparents. It was the '80s and there were punks a-plenty. It was dark when we left the theater and there were punks everywhere. I'd been living in England for awhile and was used to seeing them and knew that, by and large, they're nonviolent. My parents did not know this. My Mom really freaked (ausflippen in German -- isn't that a funny word!). In retrospect her fear is funny.

*Although they are now playing Xavier Naidoo's "Danke," a song about the German WM (world cup team).

Smell and memory -- ick

From the Independent-London

Scents of the Seventies return as shoppers splash out on nostaglia

First the music was rehabilitated, then the fashions and recently even the food.

Now 1970s perfumes and aftershaves are making a comeback, as a new generation discovers the somewhat questionable joys of Charlie, Brut and Old Spice.

Sales of so-called "heritage scents" are increasing, particularly among younger customers, according to market research by the high- street chain Superdrug.

Long-forgotten fragrances are being revived as teenagers embrace all things retro in an effort to smell like their parents did three decades ago.

This is quite frightening. If I smell Love’s Baby Soft I will have a nasty flashback. And Old Spice? I hope I don’t have a full stomach. Read the rest of the story.

Reminded me of this Bizarro cartoon.

Writer's block

I’m co-writing a story for a newsletter and am having the worst time at it. When I know something I assume that others do too. Unless it’s something kind of esoteric, like Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s twin sister’s name (Sabine) or his birthday (Feb. 4). As I write I keep thinking, “Everyone knows this. I am the queen of the bleeding obvious.”

CloEve and I are writing a piece that comes out of our presentation in Savannah last February. It’s about how to design a user-friendly Web site that meets your organizational goals. It's due in a couple of days. The parts I'm writing seem like the writing equivalent of: ball, 73, red, Czechoslovakia. Not really hanging together yet. [screech of frustration]

No torture, no secret prisons!

I've been writing letters to dictators and despots for years asking them to stop torturing, stop hiding people in jails. I knew the U.S. was up to plenty of nasties. I never would have guessed this.

Go to Amnesty International's page and sign the petition! Send it to your friends! Bother your elected officials! And vote on Nov. 7!

While you're at AI's site, write a letter to the president of Indonesia. For peacefully raising a flag, Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage may spend the next decade or more in prison. Need some back up for your letter? Check out the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, see 18-20 in particular. 30 Articles in the document and their all ours baby!

Der Spiegel

I usually don't do more than glance at Der Spiegel, the German news magazine. It's very tough reading for one of my skill level. (Horrifyingly, I find myself moving my lips when I read something difficult in German.) Here's the latest cover. The cover story is "Power and Lies: George W. Bush and the doomed war in Iraq."

I remember being England and Germany in the '80s. Looking back at the U.S. and thinking, "Wow, we're a bunch of bullies." It certainly turned my worldview upside down. I imagine that's even more so now.

Is it Spam?

I just received an invitation to join the "sexy babies waiting group" on MySpace. That's the funniest thing I've read all day.

Customer service rant

Goofy story from Inc. on the best and worst cities for customer service in the U.S. I wonder who wanted this information. Reminded me of recent bad and good experiences.

Bad
Warners' Stellian -- I'm looking for a small freezer. (der Tiefkuehlschrank in German, literally deep refrigerator.) I stopped at the appliance showroom on Snelling and Larpenteur after work. I wanted to get a freezer. I knew what I wanted, was pretty sure the price was good (and it was). The receptionist, who was on the phone, didn't look up when I walked in (or when I left, for that matter). I couldn't see any salespeople. I looked around and found the freezer area. Finally I snagged a salesperson and asked him a question about the freezer I was considering. He seemed very bothered by the question but answered me and began to walk away. When I asked him about delivery he told me, with disdain, the charge and then walked away. I walked out of the store. I was really tempted to tell the weasel off. "I have several older appliances which I will be replacing. It will not be with you."

Now Sports -- I stopped in after work. It's right next to the dry cleaner so it was a stop of convenience. I wanted to check on a stand that allows you to ride your outdoor bike inside (not around the house). The guy at the counter was on the phone and computer when I walked in. He did not acknowledge my presence. Neither did the two or three other employees. I found the stands but there wasn't any information tacked to them. No specs -- what size bike works, cost, etc. When the guy got off the phone I asked the price; the guy at the counter gave it to me and went back to what he was doing. Since there were no specs I didn't know quite how it would work. I got fed up and walked out.

Good
Macy's -- I went to Macy's the other night after a facial. I was in yoga pants and a hooded sweatshirt (unlike the business dress I was in in the two examples above). I went to the Prescriptives counter to get some under-eye concealer. I wasn't sure on the tint so the salesperson tried them both on me. She didn't rush me, she told me about other specials and was nothing but nice and professional.

After I bought the concealer I went to the purse section. I looked around and finally decided on a happy-birthday-to-me purse. The salesperson was very cheery, talkative and shared a great purse find story.

I don't know how any of these people are compensated but it seems to me that good customer service pays off in the long run, whether you are commissioned or not.

Snow!

If it was Dec. 11 I'd say, "Oooh, pretty!" Today I do not. The photo was taken about 20 minutes ago and the snow is thankfully already gone.

Gift idea

Perfect for any child on your list, The Executive Coloring Book. Teach them early about the real world. Force them to aim high! Originally published in 1961, it's a frightening look at business. Just be sure they color in the lines. From mental_floss.

Fun with German

Yesterday's word of the day was die Pruefung (exam). The example sentence was "Er ist durch die Pruefung gesegelt." It means "He failed the exam." However, literally translated it means "He sailed through the exam," which means, in English, that he did well or had no trouble with the exam. It's like the German word das Gift. I like getting gifts in English. Not in German since the word means poison.

Another shot at Bush

Oh my. It's like a dream come true! Two writers from The Onion have written a biography of George W. Bush, Destined for Destiny. Listen to a preview at Audible. I'm likely to intersperse my laughter with sobs. Nice job with North Korea by the way.

Blessing of the animals

On Friday I took Sophie to the Blessing of the Animals at United Seminary. My nervousness about her behavior was not unwarranted. She almost lost her mind. She was so terribly excited to be in a new place and meet new people. I don't think her tail stopped wagging the whole time we were there.

The service was short and lovely. They took the whole idea of companion animals very seriously. It was quite touching.

Bush's job

Jon Stewart and the Daily Show are brilliant at intelligently skewering the president. Don't be drinking liquids when you view this one.

Part two here.

Sweet little video

This is such a sweet video.

Timing

Today's DailyOM is quite thought provoking:

Since human timetables quite often do not correspond with universal timetables, it's common for people to feel that life is progressing too slowly or too quickly. We draft carefully composed plans only to find that they fall into place when we least expect. Or, conversely, we are thrust into roles we believe we are not prepared for and wonder how we will survive the demands imposed upon us by unfamiliar circumstances. When delays in our progress kindle pangs of disappointment within us or the pace of life seems overwhelming, peace can be found in the simple fact that we are exactly where we need to be at this moment...

Read the rest here.

Fall colors

A lovely time in Alexandria last weekend. The colors were gorgeous! Such a lovely time of year. Sophie always enjoys the low windows.

Kids on the phone

Today I called my nephew to thank him for the sweet note he sent me. (He's 6 and I had sent him some things for school.) After we had chatted awhile his phone started making a funny noise. Cale said the battery was going to run out so we had to stop talking. I told him I'd call him in a day or so to check on his knee. This followed:

Cale: Tomorrow?
Me: OK, I'll call you tomorrow.
Cale: Call at 3:30.
Me: Is that when you get home from school?
Cale: I think so. But if I'm not home you can call my Mom and get the number to the school and you can call me there. They'll get on the intercom.
Me: I hate to bother you at school. I know you're really busy.
Cale: It's OK, they use the intercom all the time.

SquidSoap

From Iconowatch:

SquidSoap trains tomorrow's hand washers
WHAT'S HAPPENING

• Parents say, "Wash your hands!" Kids say, "I did!" SquidSoap may be a step closer to the truth. Designed to teach "healthy hand-washing habits," the SquidSoap dispenser has a trick up its pump.
• When germy little hands press down, the dispenser stamps a kid-safe ink spot on their skin. The spot disappears after about 15-20 seconds of hand washing, the minimum time recommended for maximum germ removal. When the spot's gone, hands are clean.

Full story. Although I do well at hand washing, I would like that squid bottle. Buy the soap or watch a cheesy video here.

Crazy person on the bus

Joseph Scrimshaw now has a blog, Crazy Person on the Bus. The Scrimshaw Brothers' shows are the best and funniest I've seen at the Fringe. How could you not like a group whose show titles include "Look Ma, No Pants," "Shut Your Joke Hole" and "Adventures in Mating"? Sadly, I did not make it to any Fringe shows this year. Pure madness. I'll need to make up for it next year.

Belly dancing lesson #2

I'’m finding belly dancing class a bit like geometry. Each week we build on what we learned the week prior. But if you didn't really cement last week's knowledge -- my story in both realms -- you'll have a bit of trouble with the new skills heaped on top of it.

Last night we learned '‘snake arms.'’ It looks so easy. Elbow, wrist, hand. Elbow, wrist, hand. And again, the great Middle Eastern music. We were practicing away and then the teacher had us traipse across the room in pairs so she could watch our form. And we could check our form in the big mirrors. Think of what Frankenstein'’s monster would look like doing snake arms. That'’s what it looked like. And it felt that way, too. On the isolations it'’s much easier to delude yourself into thinking you are a natural, or at the least not completely silly. Not so with the arms. That intentional flailing about reminded me of a quote from Sarah Vowell. "I moved through time and space with the grace and confidence of a puppy walking on a beach ball." (Listen to Sarah's marching band essay on This American Life episode 104, about 22 minutes into the show.)

Good vs. great

I'm addicted to marketing and communication blogs. I get cool ideas from so many smart people. The latest is Cameron Moll's presentation on good vs. great Web design. You can hear and view his presentation on his blog. Unfortunately, no picture of the kids' hair incident.

Time flies for everyone

This happens to me all the time. It's funny to think that it might happen to a cat, or dog.

Mooch's obsession with his little pink sock makes me smile. Silly cat.
From Mutts.

Sommermaerchen, Summer fairytale

On Julia's blog I learned about this fabulous film that opens in Germany this week! It's about the German national team's rise to the World Cup and is called Sommermaerchen (Summer Fairytale). How true. Please, oh please, come to the U.S.!

The clip is great. (You have to wait a bit for the announcers to intro it.) I love how the German soldiers give the wave to the German team bus as it goes by, and someone waking up a player, who looks like Lukas Podolski, by enticing him with Paprika chips.

Tag der deutschen Einheit

Today is a holiday in Germany -- Tag der Deutschen Einheit, German Unity Day. A celebration of German reunification in 1989. I remember seeing people on the top of the Berlin Wall on the news. I was elated and astounded. Just a year before I had been there and left thinking, this will never change. There will always be an East Germany, a communist Czechoslovakia, a USSR, etc.

If you're a listener to German radio, you will likely have a treat today. More German artists and songs than normal. Yay!

More meat accessories for the home

I read about these lovely plush toys on Angus Whines. These and more at Sweet Meats Plush Toys. "Hand me the pork shoulder pillow, will you?" I wonder if they smell like what they look like. Now that would be horrific.

Belly dancing only looks easy

Last night was the first night of belly dancing class. It's a great bit of fun and good exercise as well. Like yoga, belly dancing looks really easy. It's not. I love Middle Eastern music so it's not hard to move about while it's playing. But you are supposed to move an isolated part of your body, like your ribcage, and not shimmy all over the place. The studio mirrors are helpful. You can see if you're moving correctly. But that also means you can see what you're doing. That can be rather horrifying! I'm taking the class with a couple of friends from work. I've already made them swear that whatever happens in class, stays in class.

How do you get your alias name?

On the news this morning, there was a story about a guy who burgled a bunch of stuff and now is helping the police recover what he stole. But that wasn't what got my attention. That or the fact that he'd been convited of 10 theft-related crimes since 1986. What caught my attention was this, "Wade Duane Arvidson, also known as Michael Damron." How did he pick that name as his alias? Was Michael some kid he didn't like in the second grade? Did he pick the name out of the air? Was he hoping to get the real Michael Damron, assuming there is one, in trouble?

Little things like this often control an inordinate amount of my gray matter.

Music and memory

I've been really enjoying Semisonic. Particularly the CD, All About Chemistry. It's quite a shame that it took me so long to listen to this band. For years, this and other local bands gave me the shivers, and not in a good way. That's because I used to date someone who was really into local bands. I do not have many good memories of him so for years, the black cloud that hung over his head also hung over Semisonic and any other local band. Then this summer at the Reuben Lindh benefit I heard Semisonic play live. Past expunged!

That being said, most of my music memories are good. For example, Red, Red Wine by UB40 always makes me smile. For a long time I only knew that line from the song. A friend used to walk around quoting the line "Red, red wine makes me feel so fine," along with "is there gas in the car," from some song by Steely Dan.

Shout by Tears for Fears always makes me laugh. Jude and I used to sing that as if we were in a women's church choir -- over enunciating all of the words, leaving no feeling or style in the song. Guess you had to be there.

I don't get it but it's funny

I discovered the source of one of my favorites quotes last week. Unfortunately it was because of the death of the quoter, former Texas governor, Ann Richards. She used the quote on "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me," the news quiz on NPR, on which she was a guest. At the end of her spot, after the host thanked her for playing the "Not my job" game, she said:

I haven't had this much fun since pigs ate my brother.

I have no idea what that means but I love it.

Morning observations

I went to my allergist's office today. It's in downtown Minneapolis. I miss working downtown. So much energy and there's always something happening. Some things I observed:

• Traffic was horrid. I love the German word for traffic: der Stau (pronounced schtow -- tow is pronounced like the beginning of the word tower). I realized that when I sing in the car, my stress level goes down.
• A car with a Bush/Cheney bumper sticker that didn't use turn signals and drove 50 mph on a very busy, fast freeway. I get really nasty when I see those stickers. More so when the drivers are driving stupid. "Thanks for the mess in Iraq, you jerk." Swearing or yelling in German also works well.
  
• A bumper sticker I love: I believe in the separation of church and hate.
• A store that I hadn't noticed before: Lee's Wigs.
  
• A sign on Associated Bank: Associated Bank bans guns on these premises. (In reference to the stupid conceal/carry gun law in Minnesota. Still, pretty funny on a bank!)
• Lately I've been parking like a drunken sailor. Not lined up within the lines at all. Much more slanty.
  
• At the clinic, the computer for the lung check (or "pulmonary function," which sounds so much more grand) was beeping and not doing what it was supposed to. Patrice, the nurse, stayed so calm and nice. In cases like that, for instance at my own work desk, I often grumble and call the computer names.
  

Body Worlds

My parents were in town today and we went to Body Worlds at the Science Museum of Minnesota. It was incredible. I've never been very smart in science but what little I understand fascinates me. The exhibit is actual human bodies that have been preserved and cut open so you can see the insides. Here's how the museum's site describes it:

The exhibition features about 200 authentic human specimens, including entire bodies, individual organs and transparent body slices that have been preserved through the process of Plastination, a technique that replaces bodily fluids and fat with reactive plastics.

The smokers' lungs, uggh. If that doesn't scare you off smoking, I don't know what would. The last item in the collection is of a person on a horse. You can see the muscles and internal organs of the person and the horse. The horse's big, exposed lung was nice and white while the person's lung was much more on the grey/black side. I overhead someone say, "Looks like the person was a smoker but the horse wasn't."

I could pretty much forget that all of the pieces and whole bodies were at one time live human beings. And if I happened to remember that they were once living, I'd make myself think that the bodies were those of old people who died after long, happy lives. This didn't work when I got to the baby room. There are plasticine babies at various stages of development. It was at once fascinating and incredibly sad. They were all once alive. There's a pregnant woman in the room too. You can see her insides, inlcluding the developing baby. It was incredibly sad because you know that she and the baby, along with the rest of the babies in the room, met too early ends.

One of the coolest items was a model of all the blood vessels in the skull. You could tell it was a skull by the shape, ear outlines, etc. There are millions of little vessels and capilleries and what have you. No wonder even the tiniest head or facial injury is so bloody.

More info about the exhibit here.

It is fall

I love fall. I love the crisp air, warm days and cool nights. There are so many good smells, too. Wood burning in fireplaces, bonfires, that musty wet leaf smell. And the colors are breathtaking. A huge nature palette.

But the sun going down so early is really confusing me. Like now, for instance. It's dark. I thought, "It must be 10, 11 p.m. I should get to bed." No. It's 8:30 p.m. (It doesn't help that for the last few days, in my nasty sinus episode, my sleep/wake cycle has mimicked Sophie's.)

I do admit that the night we set the clocks back an hour -- an extra hour of sleep, free! -- is one of the best nights of the year. But I do feel a sense of coming doom with the waning hours of sunshine. As old as I am, I still find it hard to go to work when it's just getting light and coming home in the dark. On the other hand, it is a much cozier time of year. And I am all about the coziness.

Sophzilla, the blog, is 1!

I have been writing this blog for one year, as of today! In honor of this auspicious occasion I'm posting my first YouTube video attempt.

Reverse graffitti

From Boing Boing

Paul "Moose" Curtis creates his art by erasing dirt from public surfaces. British authorities aren’t sure what to make of the artist who is creating graffiti by cleaning the grime of urban life.

An interview with the artist and more photos on NPR here.

Erster Schultag, first day of school

Today is the first day of school in Bayern (Bavaria). I love the tradition of the Schultuete. Kids entering the first year of compulsory education get a cone-shaped bag, usually from their parents, filled with sweets and other little trinkets (see photo). You can buy them or make them yourself. There are lots of places online where you can learn to make the most elaborate Tueten.

My niece Tori started second grade this fall and my nephew Cale started first grade. I didn't even think of making Schultueten for them but I did send some fun school supplies. I'll do this next year for them even though, in theory, they will be a bit too old. I'm sure they won't mind!

Observations

This spent this afternoon at a board meeting. I think I was more introspective today. A few observations:

• If there is a negative to anything, some people will spot it and point it out to everyone.
  
• For some people, a board meeting is simply an excuse to show off how smart they are and how much they know about everything. (Oh I don't know. If you have a Ph.D. I assume you know a couple of things.)
• Some people just put in their time.
  
• Some people have a lovely way of looking at the bright side.
• Some people seem unengaged and then they say something that blows you away or brings clarity or closure to a situation.
• Some people are incredibly appreciative of even the smallest of contributions or niceties.
• Some people will always welcome you with a smile.

Innovation ideas from Google

Those people at Google are so smart! Google’s 9 notions of innovation, as noted on Welcome to Optimism.

1. Ideas come from everywhere. (Google expects you to innovate.)
2. Share everything you can. (Every idea accessible to everyone.)
3. You’re brilliant. We’re hiring. (Google favours intelligence over experience.)
4. License to pursue dreams. (Employees get a ‘free’ day a week to pursue self-set projects.)
5. Innovation, not instant perfection. (Google launches early and often with small beta tests.)
6. Don’t politic, use data. (Use of ‘I like’ discouraged.)
7. Creativity loves restraint. (Give people a vision.)
8. Worry about usage and users, not money. (Provide something simple to use, easy to love. Money will come.)
9. Don’t kill projects, morph them. (There’s always a kernel of something good that can be salvaged.)

Daily Dose of Imagery

On Daily Dose of Imagery, you can see something interesting or lovely every day. (See timelapse Toronto photo at right.) It's a tasty treat for your eyes.

Helping kids torment their families

I went to Target today over lunch. I usually take a quick run through the one-spot area to see what kind of odd things they have for $1. I hit paydirt today. Whooppee cushions! I bought two for my oldest niece and nephew (they're 8 and 6).

They're just the right age to think these are the funniest thing ever. (My niece is the one who, out of the blue, asked me, "Is barf the same thing as vomit?") Their parents won't likely appreciate these items. Oh well. It's my job to get them/teach them weird things (nothing dangerous) and cover them with temporary tattoos. I take that job seriously.

The Coffee Office

The Coffee Office via Springwise.

Based in Windsor, Ontario, The Coffee Office was founded to offer business professionals everything they need to stay productive outside a traditional office, in what trendwatching.com calls a being space. A café section is open to everyone, and like the rest of the building, offers free high-speed wireless internet and plenty of power points.

What a great concept! Developed by those clever Canadians. Oh when is one coming to Minneapolis/St. Paul? Imagine, a place where you can get your work done, in quiet, in a comfy chair and with a lovely coffee by your side? Check out the photo montage on the site. The comfy chairs with lapdesks and coffee-cup holders are gorgeous.

BEING SPACES: commercial living-room-like settings, where catering and entertainment aren't just the main attraction, but are there to facilitate small office/living room activities like watching a movie, reading a book, meeting friends and colleagues, or doing your admin.

Starbucks is a great example on a global scale, while many companies in Japan, China and South-Korea offer deluxe gaming and manga-reading facilities, as well as semi-private DVD booths.

BEING SPACES charge us for eating, drinking, playing, listening, surfing, working, or meeting, just as we would at home or in the office, while successfully reintegrating us into city life.

Make the world a better place

I read about We Are What We Do on Welcome to Optimism. I simply love it! The site is devoted to all the things you can do to make the world better.

We’re not another charity. We’re not an institution. We Are What We Do is a movement. We’d like to inspire people to use their everyday actions to change the world. Whoever they are. And wherever they are. And that includes you.

We’ve created 50 simple, everyday actions that can improve our environment, our health, and our communities, making our planet and the people on it much happier. We started by putting these actions in a book, but the whole movement is getting bigger. And bigger.

There are easy things like, "praise people," along with more challenging things like "calculate your carbon footprint." All of the ideas have information on how to get started as well as additional resources.

Mothers are mothers

There's a fascinating story in the Village Voice: "Weeping With the Enemy. Phyllis Rodriguez lost her son at the World Trade Center. And then she found the mother of Zacarias Moussaoui."

The story is quite long but well worth the read. The two women bonded initially because they are both mothers who have, figuratively or literally, lost sons. And then they became friends. It's not a sappy story or one you can easily dismiss. It's quite captivating.

Little Miss Sunshine

Little Miss Sunshine is the best movie I've seen in a long time. It's about your typical dysfunctional family trying to hold it all together. The daughter, Olive, wants to compete in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant but does not look or act like your typical little-kid pageant contestant (no overstyled hair, ladeled-on makeup, phony smile, etc.). She's just a regular kid.

Then there is her uncle, fresh out of the hospital after a suicide attempt, her stepbrother who doesn't speak, her grandfather who got kicked out of his retirement community for snorting heroin. You get the idea. The characters are well developed. Edgy but believable. And at the end, the stories wrap up well but without a typcial Hollywood ending in which every "i" is dotted and every "t" crossed and the moral of the story is practically printed on the screen. I can't really say much more about the movie or I'll spoil it. It is touching and funny and worth a full-price ticket at the movie theater!

School lunch horrors

Ask almost anyone who endured the school lunch cafeteria, and they'll have a funny or frightening tale. How could you not with so many kids packed into such a small place. And with children's tendency to vomit at the drop of a hat.

Take a look at Shovel Time (on the left side of the page). How many now have lifelong warped eating habits?

Baking nirvana

I love to bake muffins. What I don't like is how either the muffin tin gets nasty or the liner paper sticks to the muffin. I've bought the aluminum liners before but I go through them too fast. The perfect solution is these little beauties from Crate & Barrel. They're silicone so the muffins pop right out. And cleaning them is a ton easier than getting the last bit of crust out of the muffin tin corner. And they're just cute!

Virtual threats and inflated sense of self

Sometimes you get tired of bugging people for things you need. Enter the Mobster Threat Generator. No more, "Could I have that report by the end of the day?" or "When can you update that information?" A picture says a 1,000 words, especially if the picture is of mobster Lucky Luciano, the father of modern organized crime in the U.S.

Once everyone is doing whatever you say, whenever you ask, it's time to flaunt your power with the Offical Seal Generator. You can download the image or get it officially printed onto a refrigerator magnet or sticker.

(SurveyMonkey is a Web tool we use at work. I love it and have been know to say "I want to be SurveyMonkey certified!" There is no such certification available. But now, at least, I have an official seal.)

Yoga Mutts

muttscomics.com

Welcome to the test kitchen

Now that the weather is turning a little cooler, I'm again getting the urge to cook and bake. I made a yummy Malaysian Pizza late last week. (I'm a sucker for about anything that contains peanut butter). The sauce would also make a good base for a stir fry.

I'm a baby when it comes to spicy hot things so I left out the red pepper. And I didn't have any green onion in the house. So my version was a little blander than it could be.

On the baking front, the blueberry volcano recipe is just as lovely with dried cranberries as it is with blueberries.

A cool way to be friendly to the environment

The Ecopod is one cool idea. However, since it's debut in the U.S. is going to be in the Williams-Sonoma January catalog, I think it will likely be quite spendy. (Williams-Sonoma = housewares lust.) Here's the skinny from Springwise (bold-faced emphasis is mine):

Created in partnership with BMW DesignWorksUSA, Ecopod's E1 Series is a household recycling center that aims to change the way consumers take out their trash. The appliance houses a compactor, and provides an efficient way to crush, store and redeem recyclable beverage containers, specifically plastic bottles and aluminium cans.

Consumers throw their bottle or can in the appropriate slot, step on a foot pedal, and enjoy the satisfying sound of compaction. The compacted container falls into an internal bin, which can be removed for redemption or curbside disposal. Each pod has storage capacity for approximately 50 crushed containers, while an upper compartment has additional room for glass bottles, newspapers and other recyclable materials. Everything neatly stored away and ready to moved to the next step in the recycling chain.