The giant timepiece, visible from more than 16 miles, towers over one of the holiest Islamic sites.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
New Pencil Stays Erasable for 3 Days
... Then Turns Permanent
Sharpie has developed a new writing implement that’s a cross between a pen and a pencil. The writing it produces stays erasable for three days. Then it becomes permanent. At Wired, Charlie Sorrel writes:The Sharpie Liquid Pencil contains an “ink” made from liquid graphite and lays it down just like a pen. Once written, you have three days to think on the validity and weight of your words. During this period you can erase it just like pencil-marks. After the three days is up, the pencil lines will turn to ink and remain inscribed forever.
Popeye encourages children to eat more vegetables
With his bulging biceps and vegetarian diet, Popeye is credited with urging millions of youngsters to eat spinach since the 1930s. But now the cartoon sailor man’s impact on children’s eating habits has been recognized by scientific research. Experts found that children who regularly watched Popeye scoffing spinach before his animated bouts with his arch-rival Bluto, doubled their vegetable intake.
The youngsters, aged four and five, ate four portions of vegetables a day after watching the cartoon hero compared to two before the study. Professor Chutima Sirikulchayanonta, who led the research at Mahidol University in Bangkok, said: "We got the children planting vegetable seeds, taking part in fruit and vegetable tasting parties, cooking vegetable soup, and watching Popeye cartoons.”
Researchers said that the experiment, which also encouraged children to plant their own vegetables, led to the 26 volunteers taking more interest in eating healthily. Prof Sirikulchayanonta added that Popeye did not influence an increase in the children’s fruit consumption, but that this was possibly because they already enjoyed plenty of fruit in their diet. The findings of the study are published in journal Nutrition & Dietetics.
Research earlier this year found that sales of tinned spinach, like the kind eaten by Popeye, rose by 24 per cent last year to become one of Britain’s fastest selling canned vegetables. Popeye, who was created by Elzie Crisler Segar for the Thimble Theatre comic strip and first appeared on screen in 1933, is credited with helping save the US spinach industry in the 1930s. His influence in boosting sales among children was recognised by the spinach-growing community in Crystal City, Texas, who erected a statue of the fictional sailor in 1937.
The youngsters, aged four and five, ate four portions of vegetables a day after watching the cartoon hero compared to two before the study. Professor Chutima Sirikulchayanonta, who led the research at Mahidol University in Bangkok, said: "We got the children planting vegetable seeds, taking part in fruit and vegetable tasting parties, cooking vegetable soup, and watching Popeye cartoons.”
Researchers said that the experiment, which also encouraged children to plant their own vegetables, led to the 26 volunteers taking more interest in eating healthily. Prof Sirikulchayanonta added that Popeye did not influence an increase in the children’s fruit consumption, but that this was possibly because they already enjoyed plenty of fruit in their diet. The findings of the study are published in journal Nutrition & Dietetics.
Research earlier this year found that sales of tinned spinach, like the kind eaten by Popeye, rose by 24 per cent last year to become one of Britain’s fastest selling canned vegetables. Popeye, who was created by Elzie Crisler Segar for the Thimble Theatre comic strip and first appeared on screen in 1933, is credited with helping save the US spinach industry in the 1930s. His influence in boosting sales among children was recognised by the spinach-growing community in Crystal City, Texas, who erected a statue of the fictional sailor in 1937.
Planet Earth
Planet Earth
A former British army captain ate piranhas and faced caimans and pit vipers.
Also:
Odds and Sods
Odds and Sods
The history of Ranch Dressing.
Why do Americans love it?
How can you not love a condiment that makes salad taste like junk food?
Monday, August 9, 2010
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:Try to avoid taking much of anything at face value right now.
Instead, try looking beneath the surface and get at someone else's motives.
This is particularly smart if a deal seems too good to be true, or the person on the other end seems just a bit too anxious for you to agree then and there with no time for questions.
Just smile and tell them you need time to think, and then decide later.
Today is:
Today is Monday, August 9, the 221th day of 2010.
There are 144 days left in the year.
Today In History August 9
Today In History August 9
Today's unusual holidays or celebrations are:
There are none.
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!
Courting Three
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg suggests that women add a measure of civility to the court's work.
Also: United States cozies up with Vietnam
The former enemies stage a joint military operation amid growing tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.
Also: Culinary DeLites
Culinary DeLites
Tasters said these store-bought brands have the right amount of smokiness and tangy flavor.
Also: Insect Sushi
Japanese chef Shoichi Uchiyama has developed a line of sushi recipes that use insects, rather than fish, as the primary source of protein. He believes that carefully-selected insects are not only healthy and tasty, but can help feed a growing world population.
From a 2008 article in The Daily Telegraph:
“In order to get 1 kg of beef, we have to raise cows on huge areas of land and give them many more kilos of fodder before they are ready to be slaughtered,” he said. “Insects eat the things that humans don’t and can be kept in much smaller spaces.
“Most importantly, insects are very nutritionally balanced, have little fat and are the perfect food source.”
Gulf seafood industry battles a new crisis
Convincing consumers that Gulf seafood is safe to eat is the latest challenge for hard-hit businesses.
Also: Colin dissipates as it passes by Bermuda
From the "Good News" Department:
Colin has weakened even further to a remnant of a tropical depression as the storm passed by Bermuda.Maybe those beach plans aren't so in jeopardy after all.
Colin's maximum sustained winds were about 30 mph Sunday. The storm's center steered clear of a direct hit to Bermuda.
A tropical storm watch was canceled for the British territory, but forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Bermuda could see 1 to 2 inches of rain and wind gusts.
The storm was about 60 miles northwest of Bermuda and is moving north around 12 mph.
***
Meanwhile in the Pacific, Tropical Storm Estelle is weakening with top sustained winds of 45 mph. The storm poses no immediate threat to land.
'Trackers' lie in wait for campaign goofs
These political watchers, armed with video cameras, have derailed numerous candidates.
Also: British bankers party like recession didn't happen
Over 1,000 bankers have been quaffing champagne like the recession never happened at the largest City party since the economic crash of 2007. Representatives from major banks including Barclays Capital, Credit Suisse, JP Morgan, and HSBC, toasted the green shoots of economic recovery with pricey Laurent Perrier Champagne.
The event, billed as "a festival for bankers", was to celebrate City magazine The Square Mile's 50th issue. The atmosphere was buzzing with little sign of the austerity facing the rest of the country.
One City banker joked about how the recession had affected him. "It's been a very hard few years. I have had to survive on my bonus and only one Maserati - that's how it is."
On the controversial subject of bankers' hefty bonuses, the guests all agreed that they were well deserved. "You want to see bankers getting large bonuses, as it means the banks are over-achieving and doing really well," said one City trader.
The event, billed as "a festival for bankers", was to celebrate City magazine The Square Mile's 50th issue. The atmosphere was buzzing with little sign of the austerity facing the rest of the country.
One City banker joked about how the recession had affected him. "It's been a very hard few years. I have had to survive on my bonus and only one Maserati - that's how it is."
On the controversial subject of bankers' hefty bonuses, the guests all agreed that they were well deserved. "You want to see bankers getting large bonuses, as it means the banks are over-achieving and doing really well," said one City trader.
On The Job
On The Job
Despite the brutal job market, salaries in some fields have stayed pretty stable.
Also: Secrets to maximizing Social Security
These little-known strategies can boost your household income by thousands of dollars a year.
Also: It's The Economy Stupid
It's The Economy Stupid
Expert penny pinchers share bold ways to cut costs, and in some cases even earn money.
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