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Water Heater - Instant Joy

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

aroma-water-heaterI often find myself in a hurry – Having more than 20 minutes of leisure time uninterrupted is a rare occurrence. This is the context for my one word mantra: efficiency.

If you find yourself in need of both time and hot water, you will find that, unless you already have one, you actually are in need of a hot water heater. I currently use an Aroma brand 1.7L heater. I found it for 30USD at Target.

I must say, I do not know how I have lived without a water heater. Here is the formula for using one:

Step one: Fill water heater.
Step two: Turn on water heater.
Step three: Wait about 2-3 minutes.
Step four: Pour boiling water into a cup.
Step five: Garnish your water with tea, coffee or cocoa.

When I put it that way – “garnish your water” – it does sound ridiculous, doesn’t it?

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A Watch You Could Love - A Watch I Do

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

breitling-chrono-banner

A watch I could die for. At present, I do not wear a watch anywhere but the gym. I’d make an exception for one of these.

This watch, more generally, this brand, is meant for the skies. Breitling has been around since 1884, at first primarily aimed at pilots and, later, at astronauts; now few but those with enough cash to burn to fuel their home with (that is quite a few bills, depending on the size of the house) can afford to buy a Breitling. And I am O.K. with that. I believe there should be a fair few things in the world which only those who are self-indulgent and capable of obtaining – through merit or luck – can relish first-hand.

Although the watch is not petite or simple by any means, it is a mechanical and artistic achievement and a work of craftsmanship unparalleled by much that is available in this world. You can quote me on that one, Breitling. A precision instrument designed for one of the least forgiving occupations in the world. Along with the beauty of the watch, the romantic quality of its purpose is not lost on a non-aviator. At the very least, it allows for quite a story at parties, a story that can be easily embellished to fit the mood. History lives within the coils and gears of this timepiece, and history smells like prop lubricant and tanned cow-hide, B.O. from hours in a tiny cockpit roasting under the sun and an unfinished ham sandwich. History smells damn good.

One day I will own one of these babies. For now, I choose delicious, sustaining food.

What kind of watch do you wear? Tell me in the comments.

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Meteor Showers

Monday, January 5, 2009

meteor-shower

It’s not as though meteor showers are an especially rare occurrence, but it isn’t easy to know when and where they’re going to happen. Occasionally they will be announced on NPR or a blurb can be found in some obscure section of the newspaper, but the vast majority of showers, as far as I am aware (or unaware, as the case may be,) go unnoticed. Enter this post from CultCase detailing “7 major meteor showers you can expect in 2009.”

Even if staying up late to watch little burning pieces of debris isn’t your cup of tea, the articles has some very pretty pictures. And we all like pretty pictures.

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Pictures of Food to Stare At

Sunday, January 4, 2009

food-porn-roll

 

It is my opinion that food isn’t just for eating. It’s very much for looking at too, and to a discerning eye the appearance is a very good indicator of the way the morsel will taste. Of course, simply staring at food for hours on end will not feed you (on the bright side, it won’t make you gain any weight, either) but it will entertain, delight and tempt you. It may even push you to make some food of your own.

The two websites I will highlight in the post will feed your eyes and stomach, with a little work. Excellent recipes and exquisite photography make both sites must-visits for anyone remotely interested in food as something to appreciate beyond its inherent property of being able to keep a human alive.

From inordinately healthy to sinfully dangerous, food gawker and FoodPornDaily will stimulate and titillate your virtual taste buds.

Have any food sites you like to frequent? Share them in the comments.

Filed in The Tasty, The Web | Comments (1)

Israel Invades Gaza, Angers Neo-Nazis

Saturday, January 3, 2009

gaza-bombThere’s a little war going on in the Middle East, as there always is. The one I’m speaking of is taking place in the west, in Israel and in Gaza.

No one likes war. It’s messy, it’s expensive, and it’s terribly bad publicity. But in this case, Israel was forced to take action: anyone who says otherwise is either misinformed or lying. I’m not saying that everything they have done is correct, but I am saying that their choices were limited and that it is obvious, given the way that they have carried out their operations so far, that their intentions are what they espouse.

After Hamas let the cease-fire treaty between Israel and Gaza expire, against Israel’s and the world’s advice, they began attacking again with a renewed and frenzied enthusiasm.

Let’s step back and look at the logic of this. Hamas knows that Israel is a force capable of pounding them into the ground and has the support of perhaps the only fully-diplomatically immune country in the world: the U.S.A. This move is, on the surface, more idiotic than sticking your head into a starving lion’s mouth, the difference being that instead of the leaders of Hamas sticking their collective head into the lion’s mouth, they’ve stuck the citizens of Gaza in there.

So what was the real goal here? Publicity. Bad publicity. It appears to be working, if the public upheaval and disgust at Israel’s actions apparent throughout the world is any indicator.

But people, as much as I hate it, I who am opposed to the barbarity of the death penalty, opposed to the genocide in Darfur, opposed to the oppression of women in developing countries (and in developed ones)… I who value human life and the potential a human being has, given the right circumstances, this war is necessary. (Continued)

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