I decided to dig a little deeper into what happens to the butter sculptures created of the dairy princesses of the Minnesota State Fair. The NY Times reported on the Buttery Glory of "Princess Kay of the Milky Way" whose likeness was carved in a 90-pound block of butter (Grade A, salted) while she posed for the artist in a specially constructed observation fridge kept at 38 degrees F. Each princess in the dairy court is accorded the same honor. After the fair they get to keep their butter replica. Some are put to good use, others languish in freezer chests for years. Two are being saved for weddings and two have been used for weddings (for display and consumption). Baking is a popular use, not surprisingly. They've also been used for pancake feeds and corn roasts. One had its nose bitten off by a dog. But many remain in freezers as special keepsakes.
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Saturday, August 27, 2005

Unwanted side effect of using first initial + last name in your phone directory listing: if someone with the same first initial + last name is an offending debtor, collection agencies will call. Often.
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Monday, August 22, 2005

The oddest product I've seen in weeks: MycoSpored Oils are chain-saw lubricants that infuse mushroom spores into the cut surface of stumps. Three varieties are available: Pearl Oyster and Shiitake for decidious woodlands, Conifer Tuft for conifer woodlands. (via the hungry tiger)
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People weren't kidding when they said to enjoy every minute of parenting 'cause the babies grow up fast. I'm staring straight at September, which will be one year since we had our son. And because I've been preoccupied with trying to enjoy the trials of parenting I am not staring at the September issue of Vogue yet. Long-time readers will remember that this is the one issue I make sure to grab, or heft may be a better word for it. The NY Times reports the magazine is stuffed with 691 ad pages, up from 651 last year. But the combined page count is reportedly down from last year. I'll be sure to get mine soon, if only because the baby can't possibly lift it up to his mouth to chew it into a soggy mass.
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Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Alton Brown has explained why the latest Good Eats episodes look so different on his Rants and Raves page. In short, they are filming in hi-def. But all that new technology didn't prevent him from getting run over by a giant meatball.
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Panda Weblog! from the San Diego Zoo. Read all about the new cub, the third offspring of wonderful mom Bai Yun. Her first, Hua Mei, had twins in China last year. I'm sure there will be much cuteness to observe in the months to come on the Panda Cam. The National Zoo's panda cub is a few weeks older, "very solid and sturdy and extremely cute."
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Sunday, August 07, 2005

Harley Spiller, "collector extraordinaire," keeps popping up in articles about Chinese restaurants, particularly New York ones. That's because he's collected over 10,000 Chinese takeout menus and he doesn't just throw them in a box, he studies them too. He's decided to try for the Guinness Book of World Records (world's largest menu collection) so he popped up in the NY Times again. His many other newspaper mentions are gathered up on this page. And he doesn't just collect menus, here's a list of his other collections such as "Matchbooks with maps on them." I think I have more shopping bags than he does -- not on purpose though!
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I like to think I collect perfume bottles, but I don't really have the inclination to spend a lot of money on it, so I only buy what I find appealing but still affordable (OK, cheap). It's more of an offshoot of my love of glass art rather than perfume itself. This Sunday's NY Times Magazine has a piece on those flasks that house expensive scents. The creation process is like any other collaboration between artist and engineer; it's all about creative negotiation and resource management. The accompanying slide show has some nifty smoke photography by Mitchell Feinberg.
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Thursday, August 04, 2005

Two tugboats took The Protector away from Kirkland's waterfront where it had served as a breakwater for the Kirkland Yacht Club since 1997. The former research vessel was considered an eyesore to many as it blocked their views of Lake Washington. According to the narrator on our recent Argosy cruise the marina owner was unable to get permission from the city to build a permanent breakwater so The Protector was brought in as a solution and constant reminder. Now the marina will be rebuilt and a breakwater is in the plan. The Protector is off to Barnacle Point Shipyard in Ballard for repairs.
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iPodified baby. Except the kid outgrows onesies so quickly that "Only $15.95" is a ridiculous statement.
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Elvis Costello is headlining Seattle's Bumbershoot this year!
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Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Patti LuPone is returning to Broadway in Sweeney Todd. Angela Lansbury will always be the quintessential Mrs. Lovett, but LuPone, the quintessential Evita, will surely put her unique mark on the role.
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Hershey's is buying Scharffen Berger. I don't know what to say. I still consume Stonyfield Yogurt (Dannon), Ben & Jerry's (Unilever), and Nantucket Nectars (Cadbury Schweppes) after their mega-corp acquisitions. But I'll need a little time to digest the Hershey's and Scharffen Berger news.
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When painting walls I find the actual paint application fun but the prep work tedious. 3M now makes their blue painter's tape in an L-shape for easy corner coverup. That may ease the pain a tiny bit next time I have to spend eons taping before being able have fun with rollers.
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