one hundred twenty one

today i learned risotto is tricky to make. however, though mine might not have been the best, it wasn't half bad either!

one hundred twenty

welp, i guess i now understand the physiological response of feeling physically hurt and ill when my heart's been absolutely shattered from a devastating breakup. turns out, the same areas of the brain are stimulated whether we are feeling physical or emotional pain (read here). thankfully i've already learned that heartache, like bruises, will go away with time.

one hundred nineteen

my apples and avocados (among other fruits) give off ethylene gas, making other fruits and veggies go bad more quickly, even if refrigerated. learning how to store my foods better!

one hundred eighteen

according to one recent study, by the 2nd grade, girls already believe math is not for them and link math to the male gender. let's help teach our young females that math IS for them and they can be brilliant in math, or any other subject for that matter, if they want to be.

one hundred seventeen

stevens-johnson syndrome (which i had never heard of until today) sucks. read about it here.

one hundred sixteen

according to dr. george lee (one of the speakers at seattle vegfest 2011), there is potential for up to 80% of all cancers in america to be prevented with simple lifestyle changes. 80%!!! even if it was less than that, what an amazing thing to have such control over your life and health. now if only we could get americans to make those changes..

one hundred fifteen

chapel bar (one of my favorite bars with great martinis that happens to be conveniently located a couple blocks from my apt..) was once a mortuary. that i knew. what i learned today was that it housed the very first elevator on the west coast to lift bodies.

one hundred fourteen

there's a computer game called "second life" where you create a character and this character lives out his life in a virtual or alternate reality. ohhhh-kay... but, where it really gets weird is these characters - who are purely fictional - can actually make you (the creator) real money in the real world. AND these characters can actually earn real degrees at university.

this blurring of realities is incredibly bizarre and frankly incredibly creepy. i cannot possibly begin to understand how a dissociation and disengagement from the real world is - in any way, shape or form - healthy. it has bad (and a criminal minds episode) written all over it.

one hundred thirteen

the southern hemisphere also has a jet stream, but it moves from east to west.

one hundred twelve

90% of the jobs currently being created as part of the recovery from the recession are being taken by men. the retail sector has added 300K jobs for men, but 300K jobs have been lost by women in retail. most of the jobs being added are in the infrastructure sector (predominated by men); most jobs being lost are in the public service sector (predominated by women).

interesting, huh?

one hundred eleven

kate middleton was bullied in elementary and middle school, and even at one point as a teenager had to switch schools. and look at her now.. gorgeous and about to marry a prince. take that, bullies!

one hundred ten

i learned one of the two brackets i made for march madness (which, i might add, i've never watched a basketball game - ever - and i have no idea what i'm doing) is definitely not going any further, since i had the university of washington huskies winning the tournament (HA). ah well. keeping my fingers crossed for my other bracket!

one hundred nine

being there is the single most important thing you can do in a friendship.

one hundred eight

while reading my book club's march selection (the boy who harnessed the wind, highly recommended), i learned michael faraday was a physicist who invented the first transformer in 1831. it made me think of the LOST character, daniel faraday, also a physicist.

coincidence? nope. according to wikipedia:

Showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse called Daniel Faraday "an obvious shout-out to Michael Faraday, scientist and physicist".

one hundred seven

it's not all in my head, our bodies DO actually lose the capability to process alcohol as we age, making the dreaded hangover worse. to combat this, experts suggest drinking higher quality (ie: more expensive) alcohol.. and that's just fine by me =)

happy st. patrick's day!

one hundred six

"10 things i hate about you" was filmed in and around the seattle area. featured places include gas works park (my favorite seattle park), the fremont troll, the paramount theatre, and century ballroom, among other places i've come to know and love. guess i'll have to go back and watch it!

one hundred five

"use your intelligence before your courage." - dr. maya angelou, who is by far the most intelligent and courageous person i've ever had the honor of being in the presence of.

one hundred four

david muir went to ithaca college, my own alma mater, graduating in 1995. he then worked in syracuse ny for a while before moving to boston. finally, he hit the big time with a move to nyc to work for abc in 2003. (and if you're asking why i know this, or how i happened to learn this, it's because - well, i kinda have a little crush, and i looked him up on wikipedia. HAHA).

one hundred three

today i learned never, EVER, to go shopping at target on a rainy sunday afternoon. it's family day pandemonium.

one hundred two

when children are exposed to radioactive fallout, it is quickly absorbed by their thyroid glands. taking stable potassium-iodine tablets can help block absorption of the radioactive iodine form, thus protecting the gland. had the children of chernobyl been given iodine, there would have been far fewer cases of cancer. but the lessons of yesterday can help to prevent potential problems in our future.

one hundred one

mother nature is one powerful force. may be never forget and always respect it. and may we keep japan and its people in our thoughts after this tragedy.

one hundred

in light of the controversial (read: incredibly discriminatory to single out one religion) house hearing on the radicalization of muslims in america, here are some interesting facts on muslims in america:

• muslims make up 0.6% of the adult population. about 2/3rds are first generation, where as 1/3 were born here. about 40% identify as white, 26% as black, and 20% as asian.
• 80% of muslims in the U.S. believe suicide bombings are never justified in defense of religion. this compares to 70% in the U.K., 64% in france, and 17% in palestine.
• 7 in 10 muslims want a bigger government that does more, vs smaller government that does less. 60% lean democrat, 11% lean republican. only 27% believe homosexuality is acceptable.
• 70% of muslim americans believe one can get ahead in life with hard work, vs 64% of the general U.S. population.
• 40% of the general U.S. population believe the islamic faith fosters violence, while 42% believe it does not. this is more true with self-identified conservatives, 2/3rds of whom believe islam promotes violence more than other religions.

let us not forget that muslims americans are americans and should be treated as such. radicalization can happen in any sub-population and to single one out is wrong and shameful.

ninety nine

sometimes the best answer to a difficult question is the simple, honest truth. but sometimes a little fudging of the facts is necessary to protect the ego.

ninety eight

subway is now the world's biggest restaurant chain, having surpassed mcdonald's with number of stores, although mcdonald's still makes more money. too bad it smells exactly the same anywhere you go in the world, which kinda grosses me out.

ninety seven

i tried real wasabi for the first time tonight. i had no idea the "wasabi" normally served in american japanese restaurants was not, in fact, real.

that fake wasabi is made from american horseradish, chinese mustard, and green coloring. it's often mixed in soy sauce by unknowing americans. it has a very instantly hot kick which then fades but seems to hang around burning your throat for a while.

real wasabi is actually a plant that's difficult to grow, therefore rare. it has both spicy and sweet layers, and as such is not overly hot and felt more in the sinuses. the more complex flavor lingers a bit but is not overwhelming. it should not under any circumstances be mixed with soy sauce, and is only meant to enhance the flavor of the fish, rather than add spice.

ninety six

the world's typical face is that of a 28 year old han chinese man. he's right handed, makes less than $12,000 a year, owns a cell phone, but doesn't have a bank account.

but wait! dun-dun-dun.. this will not be true in 20 years, where the typical face will be that of an indian (the dot kind, not the feather kind..).

watch this video from natgeo.. i find it fascinating.

ps: the average american uses 100 gallons of water at home per day. in ethiopia, the average is 2.5 gallons, which women spend up to 8 hours collecting.. BE THANKFUL.

ninety five

if you can't dance, it's possible it's not entirely your fault. it could be related to your body's ability to regulate GABA. read here.

ninety four

1 in 14 college football players are charged with a crime, 40% of which are considered serious offenses.

ninety three

seattle ranks #7 in the states for people with credit card debt.

ninety two

this is the grossest story i've read in a while. ugh.

ninety one

i-pod shuffle does not shuffle very well. in fact, it doesn't shuffle at all.