BestBlogPosts

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 19:23:59 GMT

Bali long peppercorns

Specialty salts from exotic locations have been popping up in even mainstream shopping baskets lately and now they have their match in these long peppercorns from Bali, Indonesia.

About the length of your little toe and the width of a narrow drinking straw, these peppercorns resemble dried miniature cattails. Their aroma and flavour is more floral and nuanced than a regular black peppercorn with hints of fruit, allspice, nutmeg and cardamom — making them the perfect pepper to grind up to accent a saucy pot of curry. However, the base notes are quite similar to normal black peppercorns so these longer versions can be used in place of your regular pepper quite easily, too. Just be sure to add it sparingly since the heat of Bali long peppercorns can sneak up on you!

How do you use a Bali long peppercorn? Although you can grind them in a spice mill or using a mortar and pestle to make a fine powder to dust over food, they also can be added whole or halved lengthwise to long simmered recipes like soups, sauces and stews.

Are you fussy about your pepper? Do you grind it fresh for recipes and at the table or do you buy it pre-ground in a jar? Posted by: danamccauley      Read more     Source

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 03:11:57 GMT

Pixies: In Which the Readers Write

Photos (L->R from top): The gorgeous Angela, Garance Dore, the Streetwalker, Garance Dore, Altamira NYC

Right now I''m full of ideas and reaping the benefits of a few successful shopping trips, so hopefully I''ll have a bunch of articles to post up over the next few days. But for now. . .
As always, my most popular article is the Streetwalker, which I wrote in July of ''07. I still get regular comments on that one, actually, even though it is over a year old. I often get "Thanks so much; your article has inspired me to get a pixie cut" comments, which both delights and floors me because it feels crazy that people actually listen to what I say to that extent. I hope my advice paid off for these girls/women! The other kind of comment I tend to get a lot of is one with advice. I love these, because I think it''s fantastic that people genuinely want to help each other out, and I''m glad my blog has given them a place to do so. These comments are sweet, insightful, and definitely worth reading - here are a few of my favorites:
♥ I think hair type was far from adequately covered in my original article, because I honestly wasn''t sure what would happen were a curly-haired girl to chop it all off. But a commenter tells us:
"I have ringlet curls and last year I sported a pixie cut, and it actually worked really well. Curly hair just gives it a bit of a wilder, less plastered look."
So now you know.
♥ Now here''s something that didn''t even occur to me until I read this comment:
"Without having hair to hide behind, I''ve found that it helps a LOT to have well manicured brows. You don''t need to get a really thin brow - just clean them up a little and define the arch you have. It, along with the new, shorter hair, will make your eyes really stand out."
Hm, I wish I''d realized this when my hair was really short. But then again, I am a bit lazy when it comes to grooming the brows; in fact, my favorite part of having bangs was that they covered my eyebrows so I didn''t have to deal with them.
♥ Now here''s a bit of a confidence-booster for those who are nervous about drastically changing hairstyles:
"If you do something weird, like dye hair hair crazy or shave it or something, people will always say ''Wow, I could never pull that off, your so lucky that you can! Your face shape is perfect'' or whatever bla bla bla. The point is, just do it, and show confidence in your new hairstyle and people will think you look good. With all the experiments I have done, I have heard ''wow you are the only one that could pull that off'' way to many times. And I know that it is not true. All you need to pull something off is confidence in it."
Fantastic advice, no? I love this.
♥ And finally, pilfered from the comment section of my follow-up post the Streetwalker, is a comment meant to spare readers the painful post-pixie growing out process that I suffered through:
"I got a pixie cut last August and I kept cutting it shorter and shorter until November of last year. Growing it out actually wasn''t so bad, but every once and a while I''d get into a mood where I felt hideous and I had to get a trim. Mostly, I just kept getting the back by my neck cut so that the sides of my hair would catch up. Also, I dyed my hair bright red because I felt that it would make me feel less bored and more feminine as I entered the awkward stages. I used product to make my hair look messier when it was growing out so that it was harder to notice when it got mullet-ish. Also, when my hair was at its strangest stage in May, parts were chin length, some parts much shorter, I curled my hair in a 50''s, Marilyn Monroe-esque way. The good part about going through this experience was that I got to try tons of different short hair cuts because I would get my hair cut reshaped into a different style every few months."
Um, wow. Wish I''d done that. That''s it for now, but I''d like to say again HOW MUCH I ADORE MY READERS! You guys are too great, seriously. Keep the thoughts, personal experiences, opinions, etc. coming, and not just on my pixie cut articles. I''m no expert when it comes to fashion, and I don''t claim to be. Sometimes the best material on this blog comes from the likes of you. Group hug? Posted by: Kori      Read more     Source

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 13:47:47 GMT

Thoughts of a Stressed Out Blogger

What''s on my mind this week? Well, aside from a huge bio test tomorrow, the SATs on Saturday, and a huge amount of college application-related work:

♥ When it comes to Fashion Week(s), it seems all the bloggers are raving about Balmain. So even though I would like to do some raving on the topic myself (because honestly, what a fantastic collection), I''m going to point of Vivianne Westwood''s Gold Label instead.
Mmm, how great is that? Everything is so different, yet still quintessentially Vivianne. And those shoes on the left? Absolutely killer. I bet Queen Michelle could work styling wonders with them, as good as she is with all that is tough and made of leather. I also bet I could work wonders with them; my head is swimming with millions of outfit ideas. . .

If it weren''t for that bio test, I would definitely have some more collections to share with you, seeing as some of my favorites (Comme des Garcons, for example) showed today. But alas, studying comes first.

♥ I''ve also been thinking about what the addition of these things would do to my fall wardrobe. Here''s a hint - very, very good things:

1. Knee-high boots. Love the exposed zipper. Hot.

2. My dream Docs. The only non-affordable things on this list, but so, so amazing.

3. A bit of bling. Cheap statement necklaces can really transform an outfit.

4. Like sneakers, only with a bit of a wedge to give you longer legs and a bit of height.

5. The first inexpensive driving gloves I''ve found. Man, I''ve been wanting a pair of these forever.

6. I want a leather jacket, but this faux leather hoodie is a nice twist on a classic.

Oh yum, plenty of clothing to prance ''round my dreams; that is, if thoughts of Oxidative Phosphorylation and Glycolysis don''t drive it away. . . Posted by: Kori      Read more     Source

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 03:30:18 GMT

Palos Verdes, an Exceptional Concours in a Beautiful Setting

There is no doubt in my mind that places of exceptional beauty make for exceptional concours. California is blessed in that regard and so the 15th annual Palos Verdes Concours d'Elegance, commencing Friday evening, September 19 with a charity gala at a private Tuscan Villa Estate, promises to be exceptional, indeed. On Saturday the participants have the fun of participating in the Tour d'Epicure Road Rallye, meandering through the Palos Verdes Peninsula and arriving for lunch at the Trump National Golf Club. On Sunday the judged Concours is presented, with the promise of nearly 200 collector and exotic classic cars on display, celebrating 100 years of GM Design and in particular, Cadillac. Of course, modern concours events are about the past, but among the special features planned is a look at the future with an alternative fuel display. (I'll confess that before writing this I had to use Google Maps to learn where the Palos Verdes Peninsula is located. By the ocean cliffs south of Long Beach, a lovely area, indeed.)

[Photo: 1931 Cadillac V-16. Owners: Sharon and Valerie Weiss] Posted by: Philip Powell      Read more     Source

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 03:11:11 GMT

August Evening.

"August Evening may not be on par with the work of Yasujiro Ozu, but the late Japanese master''s influence can be felt in the patient rhythms and thematic preoccupations of Chris Eska''s film about an undocumented Mexican farmhand in San Antonio, Texas named Jaime (Pedro Castaneda) who, along with his widowed daughter-in-law Lupe (Veronica Loren), moves in with his ungrateful biological kids after the sudden death of his wife," writes Nick Schager in Slant.

"There are stories that depict how resilient family bonds are in times of duress, and those that reject such rosy ideals to show how tenuous even blood relationships can be, but first-timer Chris Eska''s Spanish-language drama (and Spirit Award winner for Best Feature Under $500,000) quietly and bittersweetly validates both notions," writes Aaron Hillis in the Voice.

Updated through 9/8. Posted by: dwhudson      Read more     Source

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 04:32:10 GMT

Happiness Could Add 10 Years to Your Life

published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, Professor Ruut Veenhoven of Erasmus University offers a possible solution to this question. In reviewing 30 studies, he finds that the neutral and negative findings for the effects of happiness on health are in studies on people who were ill at the time.

In comparison, studies on people who were in good health do find a strong positive effect for happiness on health. Professor Veenhoven suggests that happiness may not have a beneficial effect on the physical health of those who are ill, but it does help prevent people falling ill in the first place.

A particularly spectacular study on nuns found that those who were happiest in early life lived 10 years longer than those who were unhappy. Another study of 660 inhabitants of Ohio found that higher levels of happiness translated, on average, into 7.5 years more life.

How to be happyWhat happiness is and where it comes from are very personal, but there are some general principles starting to emerge from the area of positive psychology. Here are a few previous articles on happiness from PsyBlog:

• Why sustainable happiness is all about the day-to-day.
• What Confucius had to say about how to be happy.
• The dangers of materialism.

Here are the rest of my articles on the new science of happiness.

[Image credit: eef]Labels: Happiness Posted by: Jerry      Read more     Source

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:28:34 GMT

Trouble the Water

"There is by now a rich, although unheralded subgenre of independent films - shorts and features, ranging from avant-garde tone poem to verite docudrama - dealing with Katrina and its aftermath," writes Dennis Lim, introducing an overview of that subgenre in the New York Times. "Trouble the Water, which won the grand jury prize for best documentary at the Sundance Film Festival and opens on Friday, is one of the best reviewed of these movies. It is also perhaps the one that most shrewdly navigates a problem that to some extent bedevils all filmmakers who take on this fraught subject: how to reconcile their outsider perspectives with the experiences of those who lived through the hurricane..... The decision to give pride of place to [Kimberly] Roberts''s raw first-person footage and to grant the Robertses a guiding role in the documentary was both generous and astute, a way for [Carl] Deal and [Tia] Lessin to avoid telling too much of the story across the divides of race and class."

Updated through 8/21. Posted by: dwhudson      Read more     Source

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:16:59 GMT

Are Boys Better Than Girls At Maths?

has shown that both parents and teachers commonly hold this belief. Indeed research on thousands of SAT scores published in the 1990s backed this up: for complex problem-solving males had a significant advantage over females in the general population, especially at the high end of the distribution.

For critics, though, the problem with results of this kind is that beliefs can feed straight back into performance. If you believe the stereotype that, as a woman, you''re bad at maths, guess what, it will lower your performance. When that belief is widespread amongst women - such as is true in the case of maths - it will lower performance.

Confirming this theory, studies show that when women are reminded of the stereotype, they actually do perform worse in maths tests. So we end up with a self-fulfilling prophecy.

This is exactly the kind of social factor to which Elizabeth Spelke is referring. And if Spelke is right then when social conditions change, so should the difference between men and women on mathematical reasoning ability. Could it be that women have been hamstrung by a self-limiting belief?

To find out let''s fast-forward a decade or two. Women are now no longer encumbered with the same restricting stereotypes they once were. Certainly all is not rosy in the garden of gender equality, but major strides forward have been made.

Just as in other aspects of society, these strides can be seen in mathematics. At school girls now study calculus alongside boys and later go on to earn almost half of all undergraduate degrees in mathematics in the US. Still, this data is circumstantial - what we need to know is how young boys and girls are doing right now at school - young boys and girls who are not exposed to the same extreme gender stereotypes as previous generations about who is good at maths.

New dataIn a new study published recently in Science, Professor Janet Hyde and colleagues may have spotted the first signs of change. They used data from around 7 million US children in 10 US states from grade 2 through to grade 11, routinely gathered as part of a national assessment exercise. They wanted to find out if boys are still performing better than girls at maths.

What they found was that in marked contrast to earlier research, there was little or no difference in maths performance between girls and boys in all of the 10 states. In some states girls performed fractionally better, on average, than boys, and in other states this trend was reversed.

"There just aren''t gender differences anymore in math performance," says Professor Hyde. "So parents and teachers need to revise their thoughts about this." This result brings an impressive weight of numbers to bear on this question and helps challenge the widespread belief that boys are more gifted than girls at maths - whether as a result of nature or nurture.

Perhaps, though, girls are now doing better at maths because of a greater gender equality in society - discovering a talent previous generations were told they didn''t have. Yet not everyone is convinced that we will see women rise to positions of eminence in the currently male-dominated worlds of mathematics, engineering and physics.

High achieversMany have argued that men''s and women''s abilities in maths may well be comparable on average, but that the specific individuals who go on to become great mathematicians, physicists and engineers are rarely average. The argument has been that these talented individuals who lie at the extreme end of the bell-curve distribution of mathematical ability are more often men. It''s this extra talent at the extreme high end of ability that is thought to account for the fact that men dominate in fields that require advanced maths skills.

Professor Hyde''s study also addresses this question, and once again her data questions the assumption. She sliced and diced her sample of students down to focus just on performance on the most difficult types of problems. If the prediction was right that the best boys can outperform the best girls, then this difference should emerge in their data. Again, though, the differences between boys and girls, even on the hardest questions, were small.

This study won''t end the debate, though, because as Professor Hyde points out, even the hardest questions on this test are still not complex enough to stretch the most talented students and really uncover whether a gender difference exists at the extreme end of the distribution. Other studies continue to find that at the more gifted end, boys outperform girls in maths.

Challenging stereotypesMathematical ability might be yet another difference that turned out to have less to do with nature, and more to do with nurture.1 In a recent survey of the literature on sex differences in maths and science, Diane Halpern, a past-president of the American Psychological Association, and colleagues found that success in maths and science careers was predicted by a complex web of factors. These included biological constraints, the cultural context and educational policies. While biology is in the mix, it''s far from king of the hill.

Although Hyde''s study could have identified the vanguard of change in challenging stereotypes, we won''t see the evidence before our eyes until women begin to believe in their ability. Who knows, perhaps in a few generations we''ll see just as many female theoretical physicists as male. Unfortunately, as Professor Hyde points out: "Stereotypes are very, very resistant to change, but as a scientist I have to challenge them with data."

Notes
1. On 78% of psychological variables the differences between men and women are either small or zero. The three main areas of difference identified by Professor Hyde in previous reviews of the literature are sexuality, aggression and motor performance. Posted by: Jerry      Read more     Source

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:52:30 GMT

Yerevan Dispatch

David D''Arcy sends word from the capital of Armenia.

At the Golden Apricot International Film Festival in Yerevan, Armenia, now marking its fifth year, international cinema is meeting the culture of this small nation whose diaspora reaches from the former Soviet Union to Paris, Santa Monica and Toronto. Armenia does not have much film production today, one to two features in a good year and those are made on low budgets (and then there are the documentaries, made with a lot of heart and even less money). But it did have its own active studio under the Soviet system, and its film culture runs deep. Posted by: dwhudson      Read more     Source

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:17:57 GMT

A hanging post

Full disclosure: this tree is not on my property at Roundrock. It is just across the line on the land of my neighbor to the south. I came upon it when I was planting all of those fence posts to mark the southern line. The stream you see at the bottom is the one that starts at the southwest corner of our property and meanders down the Central Valley to feed into the lake and beyond. (Sorry about the poor quality of the photo, but it’s really hard to get an image in the forest when there is so much dappled sunlight. By the way, if you’re ever in a trivia contest and need to know the name of Sancho Panza’s donkey, it was Dapple.)

I read a book about a man with some forested property in rural Missouri. He rambled about it, giving an account of what he saw along the way. One of the interesting stops he made was at the "gravity defying tree" he had growing beside a creek in his woods. Like the tree above, this one had fallen — because the stream had undermined it — and then turned its trunk upward. In his case, the trunk was not resting on the creek bed but grew out over it then turned skyward. It was unlike the other trees in his forest enuf that it drew his particular attention.

But when you think about it, all trees are "gravity defying." All trees spend their entire lives resisting the pull of gravity to send their branches ever higher into the sky in the grab for sunlight. In fact, when I see an old tree with a long, straight trunk, I try to imagine the immense weight that is focused in that trunk, pushing down on the ground that is holding it, forever in tension between resisting gravity and succumbing to it.

Missouri calendar:

• The Missouri Natural Events Calendar is blank for today.

Today in Missouri history:

• The first bridge across the Missouri River opened on this date in 1869. The engineer, Octave Chanute, was later an important advisor to the Wright brothers who made an engineering achievement of their own.
• The Missouri River rearranged itself near Camden, Missouri on this date in 1915, eliminating a 10-mile horseshoe bend, ironically along a line of small towns from Napoleon to Waterloo to Wellington.
• Gospel and R and B artist Fontella Bass is born on this date in St. Louis in 1940.
• The honeybee is designated as Missouri''s state insect in 1985.

Posted by: Roundrockjournal      Read more     Source