Monday, May 31, 2010

No. 151 - Anna Karenina

Back in Post No. 147 I mentioned that I was reading The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. In the first third of the book, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy was mentioned at least five times. The main character, Ronnie, is reading the book throughout the story.

Today while I was reading The Last Song, a friend of Ronnie pointed to the book she was reading and said, "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." He continued by saying that it was the first sentence in the book. I downloaded Anna Karenina to my Kindle. He was right.

I learned that Anna Karenina is one of the 63 books currently in Oprah's Book Club. It made the list in 2004.  Oprah's website describes the book as:  
An extremely sexy and engrossing read, this book tells the tale of one of the most enthralling love affairs in the history of literature—it truly was the "Harlequin Romance" of its day.  

Sunday, May 30, 2010

No. 150 - Box Turtle

Two nights ago I walked outside and noticed a long 6-inch wide swath cut into the mulch of our landscaping. I immediately thought that the kids were digging in it and walked closer to examine the area. I discovered that it was not the kids but a box turtle that made the path. And he was still there. I called the kids outside to see and we placed him in a Rubbermaid plastic box for further observation. The kids named it Rocket.

The turtle was little. It reminded me though of a snapping turtle that was found crossing the street a couple of houses up last year. Its shell was about 3-4 feet long front-to-back and about 2-3 feet wide. It weighed several hundred pounds. A couple of guys pushed it off the street into the woods. It's still wandering around the neighborhood I suppose.

Today my son asked if I learned anything new today, and then said "I forgot to tell you yesterday, but you should learn something new about box turtles."

I learned that box turtles are most famous for their hinged shell, which allows them to retract almost completely into their bony armor to hide from danger. They have an average lifespan of 40 years, but it is possible for a box turtle to live for over 100 years.

My daughter came to me today with pencil and paper in hand, and asked what types of food box turtles eat, so that she could feed it appropriately. Box turtles are omnivores. During their first five to six years, the young are primarily carnivores. Adults tend to be mostly herbivores. Their diets include: snails, insects, berries, fungi, slugs, worms, roots, flowers, fish, frogs, salamanders, various rodents, snakes, birds, and eggs.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

No. 149 - Bald Eagle Nest

I went to a local zoo this morning with a new friend. At the zoo there was a replica Bald Eagle nest that was made into a functional play area for kids. It was huge! There was a placard on it that said that a pair of Bald Eagles could make a nest that grows over time to be 9 feet wide, 20 feet deep and can weigh up to 2 tons. That's not a nest. That's hotel.

I try to fact check everything I learn. Wikipedia says that the Bald Eagle builds the largest nest of any North American bird, up to
8.2 feet wide, 13 feet deep, and 1.1 tons in weight. Perhaps that's just for one bird. Maybe they need much more room when they share it with another bird. 

One nest in Florida weighed almost 3 tons. It was the largest nest ever found, and it was very old. Quite impressive!

Friday, May 28, 2010

No. 148 - Jesse Garon Presley

I was talking to someone I met for the first time today and explained that in 2010 it is my goal to learn something new (and hopefully interesting) each day, and could he tell me something that I don't already know.

This person explained to me that while on a road trip across the U.S. he stopped at Graceland to tour Elvis' home. He asked if I knew that Elvis was a twin.

I told him that I did not. I've never been a fan of Elvis, although my mom liked him a lot and I have a high school classmate that impersonates him. From what I hear, he is really good at it too.

I called my wife - not an Elvis fan - and asked her if Elvis had any brothers or sisters. She quickly answered that she had no clue. I could hear people in the background. She was at a park with two girlfriends. I asked her to ask them. They didn't think so.

Next, my mom. I called and asked her if Elvis had any brothers or sisters. She said that Elvis had a twin brother but he died at birth. Bravo, Mom!

I learned that Elvis Aron Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, to Vernon Elvis and Gladys Love Presley. Jesse Garon Presley, his identical twin brother, was delivered 35 minutes before him, stillborn.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

No. 147 - Terns

Each summer we like to spend a week in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. While there, I usually read a couple of Nicholas Sparks books, which are typically set in the area. This year I started my Sparks reading a little early since my wife recommended that I read The Last Song, his latest novel which has been made into a movie as well.

This morning I read the following paragraph:

The sun was descending, giving the ocean a sheen like liquid gold. On the beach, a few remaining families were congregated on towels near the water, along with a couple of sand castles about to be swept away in the rising tide. Terns darted in and out, hunting for crabs.

Terns? Not sure what they are. Darted in and out? Of the water? Was it a sea creature?

I learned that terns are
a distinctive group of aerial fish-feeding birds closely related to gulls. They are medium to large in size, typically white/gray in color, with a black cap, red feet and a red bill. They are lighter bodied and more streamlined than gulls, and look elegant in flight with long tails and long narrow wings. Most terns hunt fish by diving, often hovering first. Terns will nest anywhere they feel safe and build fairly inadequate nests on the ground, often consisting of no more than an indentation in the gravel.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

No. 146 - Silly Bandz

This morning after getting dressed I noticed a Silly Bandz bracelet on my bed that just so happened to match the color of the shirt I was wearing. I asked my son - it was his - if I could wear it today. He said no, because he wanted to take it to school and show all his friends. Fair enough. My daughter had just given it to him the day before after it was given to her by someone else.

I was able to snag one from my daughter to complete my fashion ensemble.

I remember when I first saw these things. I came home one day and wondered why my daughter looked like the material girl who lived in the material world of the 1980s. And then, more strangely, I wondered why my son looked the same. They were both wearing these multi-colored bracelets on their wrists.

I was told that they are very popular with kids, who play with them and trade them.

Silly Bandz are colored silicone rubber bands twisted into the shape of letters, animals and other objects. The one I'm wearing today is a reclining sofa, or a lounge chair, or something. When you take them off your wrist they snap back into their intended shape. And they function as normal rubber bands too.

Which brings me to what I learned today. Silly Bandz were created by Robert Croak. He came up with the idea after seeing a similar product designed for Japanese offices. It appears that he may have tried to adapt the idea for use in the U.S. but they were too expensive for companies to spend on rubber bands, especially in the middle of a depression.

But at $5 for a pack of 24 rubber bands, they made for a unique and relatively inexpensive toy for kids to enjoy. Bravo Robert Croak! Twenty-cent rubber bands! A lot of people are likely scratching their heads and saying: why didn't I think of that?

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

No. 145 - Vermiculture

Some days get busy and before I know it the day slips away and I realize that I haven't learned anything new. I start to get a little panicky. I desperately begin my search to learn something new, and hopefully interesting.

Today I turned to my Facebook friends in hopes that someone posted something worthwhile. There are a few friends that I trust can deliver for me in a pinch. I was not disappointed when I read the following post: My vermiculture worms arrived today! 2000 red wigglers.

I learned that vermiculure is basically worm farming that places emphasis on three aspects of the process: 1) getting rid of waste products in an environmentally friendly way, 2) generating useful plant compost, and 3) breeding the worms themselves.

The way it works is that people take worms - usually red wigglers - and place them in plastic tubs or specially constructed worm bins. They then throw their table scraps, newspaper and cardboard into the bin to feed the worms. Red wiggler worms can eat about half of their weight in food every day. This means if you put one pound (16 ounces) of worms (about 1,000 worms) into your bin, you will be able to feed them one-half pound (8 ounces) of food every day.

I told the kids about vermiculture at dinner tonight.

Do you know what their question was? Dad, can we get some worms?

I told them that we would certainly think about it.

Monday, May 24, 2010

No. 144 - Intellectual Devotional

My wife phoned this morning to tell me she saw something on The Today Show that reminded her of my blog. The show featured the authors of a book called The Intellectual Devotional - Biographies. The book presents 365 short summaries about famous historical people.

Ding. That rang a bell.

I remembered that word - intellectual devotional - from a segment on the Michael Smerconish morning talk show, usually done around 7:00 AM each weekday. The piece would start off with the sound of horns, like trumpets announcing to the peasants that the king and queen have arrived. It's then followed by someone reading about an important historical person or event. I sometimes wondered where the material came from and thought that, perhaps, they had some intern research the topic of the day.

The series started in 2006 with The Intellectual Devotional - General Edition. Their website describes it as a "collection of 365 lessons that will inspire and invigorate the reader every day of the year. Each nugget of wisdom is drawn from one of seven fields of knowledge: History, Literature, Philosophy, Mathematics & Science, Religion, Visual Arts, and Music."

It goes on to say that "these lessons range from important passages in literature to basic principles of physics, from pivotal events in history to images of famous paintings with accompanying analysis. The book’s goal is to refresh knowledge you’ve forgotten, bring to light fresh insights, and exercise modes of thinking that are ordinarily neglected once our school days are behind us."

The other four books in the series include: American History, Modern Culture, Health, and Biographies, which just came out this month.

It would be a safe bet that we will be adding these books to our library soon.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

No. 143 - Shrek

It was raining earlier today so we took the kids to see the new Shrek movie, Shrek Forever After. This is the fourth movie in the popular Shrek series. It was fun. The kids really liked it. And what's not to like about the big tub of popcorn?

For the record, my favorite character is Donkey, voiced by Eddie Murphy.

I learned that the Shrek movies were based on a picture book written and illustrated in 1990 by William Steig. I also learned that the word Shrek comes from German (Schreck) and Yiddish (Shreck) words meaning "fear" or "terror."

Saturday, May 22, 2010

No. 142 - Robin Black

A local coffee shop began a reading series in which they bring in authors for one-hour events. The event starts off with a local bookstore owner asking the author questions, then the author reads from their book, followed by the audience asking questions, and ends with a book signing.

Back in April the series started with author David Rhodes talking about his new novel, Driftless.

Today, my mom and I went to see Robin Black discuss her book, If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This. I knew ahead of time that the book was a collection of short stories. But I didn't know that the subject of the stories was dealing with loss, and especially how the characters were able to continue on after great tragedy in their lives.

I also did not know that it was her first novel.

When Robin signed my book, she crossed off her name on the title page and signed below it. I've had dozens of authors sign books over the years, but had never seen anyone do that. I asked her why she did it. She said that it represented striking the typed version of the name and replacing it with the signed version. I couldn't find any definitive reasoning on the net, but I did find some discussions that certain authors have been known to do this, such as W. Somerset Maugham.

Friday, May 21, 2010

No. 141 - Pac-Man

Today a friend on Facebook posted "LOL Google.com is awesome today! Pac-Man 30th Anniversary! You can play Pac-Man right on the page!"

Sure enough its homepage logo was changed to a fully playable version of the game. Neat.

Pac-Man was first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. It is the best-selling coin-operated game in history and has the highest brand awareness of any video game character among American consumers, supposedly recognized by 94 percent of them. Pac-Man is one of only three video games that are on display at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C., along with Pong and Dragon's Lair. I get Pong, but Dragon's Lair?

I learned that Pac-Man was inspired by pizza. While dining out with his friends, Toru Iwatani ate a slice of pizza and, noticing the shape of remaining partial pizza on the table, thought of a simple idea for a game involving a character shaped just like the pizza.

I also learned that a perfect Pac-Man game occurs when a player achieves the maximum possible score on the first 255 levels (by eating every possible dot, energizer, fruit, and monster) without losing a single life then scoring as many points as possible in the last level. Only 6 people in 30 years have achieved perfect play. Impressive!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

No. 140 - TMNT

This is a special request day!

My son wants me to learn about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I asked him how he knew about them, and whether he saw them in a cartoon, which is the how I remember them. He said he didn't see them in a cartoon, but saw them in a video game and on the computer (meaning on a website).

The Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four mutant turtles, who were trained in the art of Ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists. I remembered the names Michelangelo and Leonardo, but couldn't recall Donatello and Raphael. Hey, it's been awhile. Give me a break. I also did not recall the name of their rat sensei, Master Splinter.

They peaked in popularity during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

I didn't know that the Ninja Turtles started out in a comic book. And even if I somehow knew that, and forgot it over the years, I just know that I didn't know how the comic book got started.

The concept was created when two friends were sketching out ideas one evening. They used $1,200 of their own money, supposedly from a tax refund, along with a loan from an uncle and they self-published a single issue comic. They limited the print run to only 3,000 copies. This was enough to pique the public's attention and kick-off the Turtle phenomenon.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

No. 139 - Chautauqua

You'll have to bear with me as I explain how I learned what I learned today.

First, I came across this quote which I found to be thought-provoking: 

“When one person suffers from a delusion it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called religion.”

The quote came from someone named Robert Pirsig.

Next, I checked out the wiki on this guy and learned that he wrote a book called Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. The book is in the Guinness Book of Records for being rejected by 121 publishers, which was more than any other bestseller. It sold more than 4 million copies in 27 languages and has been described as "the most widely read philosophy book ever."

The book chronicles a 17-day motorcycle journey across the U.S. by the author and his son. It said the trip was punctuated by numerous philosophical discussions, referred to as Chautauquas. Now that's a word I've never heard.

So I did a little research and learned that a Chautauqua (pronounced "sha- TAW- kwa") was an adult education movement in the U.S., which was highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture to a community, with speakers, teachers, musicians, entertainers, preachers and specialists of the day. Many of the Chautauquas were held in tents. After several days of providing educational programs to a community, they would pack their tents and move to the next town.

Former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was quoted as saying that Chautauqua was "the most American thing in America."

It appears to have been a cross between TED.com and a traveling circus.

The popularity of Chautauqua dwindled as radio, movies and television brought entertainment and educational opportunities to more American towns.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

No. 138 - Senet

On last week's episode of Lost one of the island's inhabitants finds a board and pieces to a game on the beach.

I learned today that the game is called Senet and it may be the oldest board game in the world dating back to ancient Egypt. Almost 50 game sets have been found in Egyptian tombs, many of them in perfect condition with the pieces still intact. Senet boards were often placed in the grave alongside other objects for a person's journey through the afterlife.

Senet is played on a board of 30 squares arranged in three rows of ten. Each player has 7 pawns, which travel around the board in an S-shaped path. Counting sticks (like dice) are thrown to determine moves. The object of the game is to be the first to get all your pawns off the board, while hindering your opponent by either blocking his way or sending his pieces back to earlier squares.

Monday, May 17, 2010

No. 137 - Harriet Tubman

In the novel Push by Sapphire the main character, Precious Jones, refers quite often to Harriet Tubman.

I learned that Harriet Tubman was an abolitionist and a Union spy during the Civil War. She was born into slavery but later escaped and made more than a dozen missions to rescue over seventy slaves using safe houses known as the Underground Railroad.

I remember hearing when I was young that the house I grew up in was a stop on the Underground Railroad. There was a small hidden room in the cellar under the stairs that may have once been a hiding place during the movement of slaves from town to town.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

No. 136 - Ronnie James Dio

Many times over the last several months when a tune by Ronnie James Dio came on the radio, I cranked it, and then thought what an underrated rocker he was in the 80s (at least in my mind).

I learned that Dio died today of stomach cancer.

In reading some of the articles about Dio's death, I learned that Dio replaced Ozzy Osborne in Black Sabbath in 1980. How did I not know that? Black Sabbath? I was all about heavy metal and hair bands in the 80s. Black Sabbath? Replaced Ozzy? I remember his self-titled band, Dio, and even vaguely remember his first band, Rainbow. Black Sabbath?!? And it wasn't like he in the band for just a year or something. He had three stints with Black Sabbath (1980-82; 1992; and 2007-2009, when the band toured as Heaven and Hell, to differentiate it from Ozzy's version of Sabbath).

I really have to wonder if I've lost some brain cells over the years. How could I have not known this? I am stunned.

R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio. You rocked!!!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

No. 135 - Po' Boy

A week or two ago a Facebook friend posted that she made shrimp po' boys. I had requested the recipe but it's been slow to arrive, so we used Emeril Lagasse's recipe to make them for dinner tonight. They were really, really good.

I learned that the po' boy, or poor boy, sandwich originated around the time of the Great Depression, similar to the cheese dream, the subject of Post No. 91

As the story goes, two brothers who were former streetcar operators opened Martin Brothers Coffee Stand and Restaurant in New Orleans. When the streetcar operators went on strike in 1929, the brothers offered free sandwiches to the strikers. One of the brothers said, "We fed those men free of charge until the strike ended. Whenever we saw one of the striking men coming, one of us would say, 'Here comes another poor boy.'" 

The generosity exhibited by the brothers proved to be a wise business decision that earned them great respect, fame and hundreds of new customers.

Oh yeah, and I made eggs in a nest, the subject of Post No. 122, for breakfast this morning, the version with the egg inside a hole cut into a piece of toasted bread.

Friday, May 14, 2010

No. 134 - Gekko

One of my favorite movies is Wall Street starring Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen (and Martin Sheen). I heard rumors over the years that there would be a sequel to the movie.

I learned that Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is showing at the Cannes Film Festival today and is scheduled for theatrical release in the U.S. on September 24, 2010. The movie is supposed to be centered around the impending economic collapse of 2008.

The original movie was known for its memorable quotes. I found this quote from the upcoming movie by Gordon Gekko: Someone reminded me I once said "Greed is good". Now it seems it's legal. Because everyone is drinking the same Kool Aid.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

No. 133 - Wisdom Teeth

I heard someone call into the Alex Jones show today and say that humans have the ability to grow new teeth if the old ones fall out, but that fluoride prohibits that from happening. Alex put the caller in his place, telling him that the information he provided was not true, but that people have three sets of teeth, with the wisdom teeth being the third set.

I learned that, more precisely, wisdom teeth are the third set of molars. The first set of molars usually appear between the ages of 6 and 7 and the second set between the ages of 11 and 13. The wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that most, but not all, people get in their late teens or early twenties. 

It is believed that thousands of years ago, the human jaw was much larger and could accommodate these extra molars, which were useful to chew the course, rough foods that were available at that time.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

No. 132 - Big Mac

I had two Big Macs for lunch, with fries, and a sweet tea. It hit the spot.

I learned that the Big Mac was invented in the late 1960s by a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania franchisee who designed it to compete with a similar Big Boy sandwich. I also learned that the "secret sauce" is delivered to McDonald's restaurants in sealed canisters and is dispensed using a special sauce gun - similar to a caulk gun - that releases a specified amount of the sauce for each pull of the trigger.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

No. 131 - The Talmud

I began reading the novel Push by Sapphire (Ramona Lofton) today. My wife asked me to get it a month or two ago. She heard about it because the novel was adapted into a movie called Precious, which was nominated for several Academy Awards. When the book arrived I read the back cover and was glad that my wife discovered it. It appears to be a quite compelling story.

On one of the front pages was written the following:

Every blade of grass has its Angel that bends over it and whispers, "Grow, grow." - The Talmud


I wondered what this "Talmud" was that produced the thought-provoking quote.


I learned that the word "talmud" literally means "study." The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism in the form of discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history. It's like a companion/study guide to the Bible. It fills in gaps, explains the laws, and includes stories and sayings that both straightforwardly and allegorically offer the philosophy and wisdom of Judaism.

Monday, May 10, 2010

No. 130 - Angora Wool

I was in a waiting room today, reading a book and trying not to be distracted by a television that was tuned to the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire game show. I looked up at one point and heard the following question being asked: Angora wool comes from goats and this animal? The multiple choice answers were: (A) beaver, (B) ferret, (C) fox and (D) rabbit.

I heard the host tell the contestant that the answer was (D) rabbit.

I later learned that the Angora rabbit is one of the oldest types of domestic rabbit, originating in Ankara (formerly known as Angora) in the present-day Turkey, along with the Angora cat and the Angora goat. I also learned that only the Angora rabbit produces angora wool. In fact, contrary to what was said on the game show, the Angora goat does not produce angora wool, but rather the fleece taken from it is called mohair.

I was not looking for another reason to dislike Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

But I found one today.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

No. 129 - Tulip Poplar

Our doorbell rang this morning. It was the new thing I was going to learn today. But I didn't know it at the time. My wife answered the door and invited in the father of one of our daughter's friends who slept over last night. 

He came into the kitchen, looked out the window and said "You have a tulip popular in your backyard." To which my wife responded, "Is that what it's called?"

We would refer to it sometimes as the "buttercup" tree because of the unique flower it produces in late spring and early summer. The flower is greenish-yellow with an orange coloring at the base of the petals and it does, now that someone mentioned it, resemble a tulip.

I learned that the tulip popular, or the tulip tree, is native to eastern North America. It is the state tree of Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. It's an excellent ornamental tree but is valued as a honey tree. In one season a typical tree can yield 8 pounds of nectar, which equals 4 pounds of honey. The dark reddish, fairly strong honey gets mixed reviews as a table honey but is favorably regarded by bakers.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

No. 128 - Thistle Dhu

Yesterday I told my young son that I would take him miniature golfing today while my daughter had some girlfriends at the house for a birthday party sleep-over.

Last night before bed my son said to me: I'm so happy for tomorrow because I get to spend it with you...and go miniature golfing! At 6:30 this morning he woke me up to tell me: Dad, it's miniature golf day!

I learned that the first American miniature golf course was Thistle Dhu ("This'll Do"), which opened in Pinehurst, North Carolina in 1916. A miniature golf boom followed and by the late 1920s there were tens of thousands of mini golf courses across the United States. Interestingly, but I suppose not surprising, nearly all mini golf courses in the United States were closed and demolished during America's First Great Depression.

I guess I should make it a point to take my son miniature golfing more often before America's Second Great Depression closes them all again.

Friday, May 7, 2010

No. 127 - Resurrection Mary

This morning I was listening to a segment on Coast to Coast AM with George Noory. George's guest was paranormal investigator Joshua Warren who taught me about one of Chicago's most famous ghosts. Her name is Resurrection Mary.

The website praireghosts.com had this to about her: 

The most accurate version of the story of Resurrection Mary concerns a young girl who was killed while hitchhiking down Archer Avenue in the early 1930’s. Apparently, she had spent the evening dancing with a boyfriend at the O Henry Ballroom. At some point, they got into an argument and Mary (as she has come to be called) stormed out of the place. Even though it was a cold winter’s night, she thought, she would rather face a cold walk home than another minute with her boorish lover. She left the ballroom and started walking up Archer Avenue. She had not gotten very far when she was struck and killed by a passing automobile. The driver fled the scene and Mary was left there to die. Her grieving parents buried her in Resurrection Cemetery, wearing a white dress and her dancing shoes. Since that time, her spirit has been seen along Archer Avenue, perhaps trying to return to her grave after one last night among the living.

Joshua mentioned that Mary is often seen by motorists in the area and is sometimes given a ride. However, when the vehicle passes Resurrection Cemetery, Mary suddenly vanishes. Joshua mentioned that the person will usually stop at the first place they see - which happens to be a bar - to tell someone about what just happened. The story told by the motorists is always the same, in every detail.

Joshua offered advice on how to experience ghostly phenomena. Interestingly, he said increased levels of potassium in the body (such as by drinking Gatorade or eating bananas) can make a person more electrically conductive, and possibly more attractive to spirits.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

No. 126 - Oceania

I received an offer in the mail to buy some of the "world's rarest" coffees delivered right to my door step four times a year. The first shipment was from Papua New Guinea.

I thought to myself: Where in the world is Papua New Guinea? I learned that it is a country in Oceania.

Then I thought: Wasn't that one of the regions of the world in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, along with Eastasia and Eurasia that were constantly at war with one another?

Apparently it is not only a fictional region but a real one too. I learned that Oceania is a geographical region consisting of numerous lands, mostly islands in the Pacific Ocean and vicinity. The largest countries in Oceania are Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. Hawaii is also a part of it.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

No. 125 - Radon

Last night I was talking with a friend whose opinions I value. We frequently have some good-spirited debates although we generally agree on most things. He recommended that we have a radon test done if we haven't had one in awhile. He mentioned that there are inexpensive home test kits that you can buy at Lowes or Home Depot for about $15. You simply place the radon detector in the lowest level of your house for several days and then mail it to a laboratory for analysis in a prepaid envelope. They test it and send you the results in the mail. Pretty simple.

I learned today that the highest average radon concentrations in the United States are found in Iowa and in the Appalachian Mountain areas in southeastern Pennsylvania. I also learned that, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, radon is the second most frequent cause of lung cancer, after cigarette smoking, causing 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the U.S.

Testing for radon is common in our area in residential real estate transactions. I recall that when we sold our last house we had to have a radon remediation system installed as a condition of sale. Our current house passed the radon test and we haven't had it tested since. Now seems like a good time to test again. Thanks M!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

No. 124 - Dog Jack

If you like to read and collect books, you need a steady source. Amazon is fine but buying new books can get expensive. And what is a used book anyway? A book that someone else bought? And maybe read?

We have some really nice used bookstores in my area, but my favorite source is Paperbackswap.com. It's kind of like a book club. You post books that you own and want to get rid of. If someone wants your book, you receive an e-mail telling you where to send it. You pay the postage, usually about $2.50-$3.00 media mail rate. For each book you send, you get a "credit" that can be used to request any book you want from other club members - hard or soft cover - and it gets shipped to you. I have swapped over 200 books and 8 out of 10 arrive in "like new" condition, like they were never even read.

Yesterday I received Dog Jack by Florence Biros. It's about a dog that accompanied a regiment of volunteers from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the Civil War.

I learned today that Biros wrote the first version of Dog Jack as a story for Boys' Life magazine. It was eventually turned into a book and published by Son-Rise Publications, a company founded by Biros and her husband in 1976 to produce family-friendly historical novels. The Son-Rise Web site claims more than 100 titles in print. Its top seller is Dog Jack, with 70,000 copies.

Dog Jack was turned into a movie in 2009.

Monday, May 3, 2010

No. 123 - Sourdough Starter

I enjoy cooking, especially grilling and smoking (as in smoked ribs and chicken). I don't bake much but I make a mean homemade pizza - at least the family thinks so and who else really matters - including making my own dough.

That's why I found an article I read today pretty interesting. It talked about a sourdough "starter" which was described as "a blob of wet flour, colonized by yeast and bacteria."

Instead of using store bought yeast to make dough rise, this gooey substance sits on your counter. When you are ready to make a loaf of sourdough bread, you take some of this stuff - the starter - and add flour, salt and water. It rises. Then you bake it. Voila! Delicious sourdough bread.

To keep the starter fresh - I guess fresh is the appropriate word - you "feed" it flour and water. Every few days you need to discard half the goo and add more flour and water to it.

People keep these starters going for years. In fact, the starter mentioned in the video that accompanied the article came from the King Arthur Flour Company whose website says that it "descended from a starter that’s been lovingly nurtured here in New England since the 1700s. When you feed it, it quickly becomes your own, adapting itself to your own region and climate."

Like ceviche from Post No. 121, this sounds like another interesting science project.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

No. 122 - Eggs in a Nest

I went out to breakfast this morning with my wife, kids and parental units. I scanned the menu looking for something good to eat: eggs, hash browns, bacon, eggs in a nest, bagels. Stop. Rewind. Eggs in a nest?

My family concluded that it was a cooked egg inside a hole cut in the middle of toasted bread.

When the waitress came to take our order, I asked her what an egg in a nest was. She didn't know. She asked another waitress who said that it was eggs over hash browns with cheese melted on top.

I ordered it. With a side of ham. And toast. And coffee. It was very, very good.

Later, after many Google searches, I could not find any version of eggs in a nest that included hash browns and cheese. However, there were many descriptions and recipes for the version which involved an egg inside a hole cut into a piece of toasted bread.

The family gets a point for knowing that one!

Saturday, May 1, 2010

No. 121 - Ceviche

We met some delightful people today at a fun gathering back in my hometown. While enjoying some good conversation and some yummy food, which included fresh guacamole, salsa, shrimp and grilled smoked tofu, I learned that you can cook shrimp without using heat.

And it's not just limited to shrimp. It's called ceviche.

Ceviche is a citrus-marinaded seafood. When you place seafood in a mixture of lime juice (lemon juice can also be used), the citric acid causes the proteins in the seafood to pickle or "cook" the fish without heat. With the appropriate fish, it can marinate in the time it takes to mix the ingredients and carry the ceviche to the table.

Shrimp, octopus, squid, tuna and mackerel are popular bases for Mexican ceviche. The marinade ingredients include lime, salt, onion, chile, avocado and cilantro.

This sounds like a science experiment I have got to try.