LOOS LOU'S LOST in a Blog

Printable transistors usher in 'internet of things'

2011-10-22T21:46:00.000-07:00

Printable transistors usher in 'internet of things':

Billions of systems, printed dirt cheap

Updated Thinfilm, a Norwegian developer of printable memory, has co-announced with California's Xerox PARC a development that takes a big step towards the day when every manufactured object will report in to the internet.…

WAVES IN THE WEEDS

2011-10-22T13:40:00.001-07:00

CLICK IMAGE

WHO SAYS I CAN'T GOLF

2011-10-18T20:34:00.001-07:00

CREEPY CREATURE OF OTHER DIMENSIONS

2011-10-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

I LIKE THIS BACKGROUND FOR ANOTHER PROJECT

click to animate

2011-10-17T20:25:00.001-07:00

ABSTRACT - sea by mountains

2011-10-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

twilight's last hunger answers gleaming thru a paper bag

2011-10-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

2011-09-28T03:02:00.001-07:00

ENGLISH BAY

2011-09-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

sept boat

2011-09-19T15:21:00.001-07:00

sept mtns boat

2011-09-13T14:14:00.001-07:00

KITS BEACH

2011-09-10T21:39:00.001-07:00

DAVIE DAYS

2011-09-10T20:03:00.001-07:00

an ominous beginning

2011-09-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

not bad for a cheapo cell phone

BBQ

2011-09-07T02:32:00.000-07:00

it all started with a burger nd onions

your gonna meet a hot n spicey end Mr.Chicken !!

left da chikn on dying coals while playing pool.... come back after last call for din din.

Cool Harbour Jazz

2011-09-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

a jazzy pair on guitar and sax give a nice Paris feel to the waterfront walk.

working on another sketch

VOODOO NITES AT THE ZOMBIE PALACE

2011-09-04T21:50:00.000-07:00

using cellphone without flash.

TAIWANFEST VANCOUVER

2011-09-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

WANNA GET SOME Squid Heads or Octopus Balls ?

cheap pizza night

2011-09-02T01:30:00.000-07:00

what keeps me up at night !

2011-09-01T16:20:00.000-07:00

oh, the HORROR !

2011-08-30T22:46:00.000-07:00

this is what happens when you leave chicken on the grill, with dying coals and go to the bar -come home to spicey warm thighs.!!

THE MYSTERIOUS AND DEADLY: MUTI-MEAT GRILL.

sketches - august

2011-08-30T18:27:00.000-07:00

started with a simple charcoal sketch

Breakthrough solar reactor makes fuel from sunlight

2010-12-27T01:00:00.000-08:00

Breakthrough solar reactor makes fuel from sunlight: "

Because conventional photovoltaic panels produce electricity directly from sunlight, the energy they generate must either be used as it is produced or stored – either in batteries or by using the electricity to produce a fuel that acts as a storage medium for the energy. Now U.S. and Swiss researchers have developed a prototype device that directly converts the Sun’s rays into fuels that can be stored, allowing the energy to be used at night or transported to locations where it is needed. ..
Continue Reading Breakthrough solar reactor makes fuel from sunlight

Tags: Carbon monoxide,
Energy,
Fuel,
Hydrogen,
Prototype,
Solar,
Sunlight

Related Articles:

Home Energy Station to expand fuel cell applications

Breakthrough in using sunlight to split water

Generating hydrogen fuel from waste energy

Roving mobile processing plants to produce biofuels

Hydrogen based power offers green alternative for homes

Volvo developing fuel cells for extended range EVs

Shhh... Opera holds the web's most valuable secret

2010-11-08T16:15:00.000-08:00

Shhh... Opera holds the web's most valuable secret: "

Eric Schmidt's nightmare

Without anybody noticing, Opera has amassed one of the world's most valuable commercial resources. And the funny thing is, it isn't going to do anything evil with it. Marketing, new media and technology pundits may have to rethink a few things once they digest the size of Opera's well-kept secret. It is possible the gurus may have spent years barking up the wrong tree.…

timeline2012's Page

2010-10-21T17:59:00.000-07:00

http://www.guba.com/user/timeline2012

Google Engineer Builds Facebook Disconnect

2010-10-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

Google Engineer Builds Facebook Disconnect: "

Tired of the endless unsolicited entreaties to “Connect via Facebook” as you surf the web? Excited for Y Connect and want to keep a clean palate beforehand? Scared about Facebook not necessarily having your best interests at heart when it comes to privacy?

In any case, Google engineer Brian Kennish, inspired by the most recent Facebook privacy and data debacles, has decided to create “Facebook Disconnect” i.e. a Google Chrome extension that obliterates all Facebook Connect functionality and all traffic from third party sites to Facebook servers if one searches the web through Chrome. (You can try it out here)

Facebook Disconnect will “presumably” prevent the sending of data back to Facebook across the one million sites that use the Facebook Connect service. So far the ones I’ve tested it on (ehem, Huffington Post) seem to be kosher as I no longer see Facebook integration.

Kennish says he created the extension to help quell his desire to delete his Facebook account and that he’s tested it out successfully across a sizable amount of previously Facebook-Connectable sites, including our own (screen shots above) with absolutely no encouragement from Google or Facebook, despite the fact that he works for the former, “Nobody at Google asked or encouraged me to do so, or probably, even knows who I am.”

Okay well now they do.

Thumbnail image: Gizmodo

CrunchBase Information

Google

Facebook

Information provided by CrunchBase

London Stock Exchange smashes world record trade speed with Linux

2010-10-20T16:56:00.000-07:00

London Stock Exchange smashes world record trade speed with Linux: "The London Stock Exchange has said its new Linux-based system is delivering world record networking speed, with 126 microsecond trading times."

Comic for October 20, 2010

2010-10-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

Comic for October 20, 2010: "

Solar Wind Stream Heading Our Way And New Sunspot 1113

2010-10-14T22:31:00.000-07:00

Solar Wind Stream Heading Our Way And New Sunspot 1113: "A solar wind stream flowing from the indicated coronal hole could reach Earth on or about Oct. 20th.

New sunspot 1113 emerged over the sun's northeastern limb yesterday and immediately announced itself with a towering eruption. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) recorded the blast on Oct. 13th around 1600 UT:

Magnetic fields reconnecting above the sunspot produced a B4-class solar flare and hurled a narrow coronal mass ejection into space: SOHO movie. Earth was not in the line of fire--but this could change in the days ahead as the sunspot turns to face our planet. Readers with solar telescopes are encouraged to monitor developments."

pastels n sea junk

2010-10-07T01:12:00.000-07:00

CONSUME THE MEDIA

2010-10-03T21:38:00.000-07:00

YES YOU WANT IT...
GO AHEAD ,
EAT IT ALL UP ..... HAVE IT ALL


FEED YOUR PLEASURE,	FEED YOUR ADDICTION	...	GIVE UP YOUR SOUL AND BECOME MY SLAVE.		(insert evil laughter here)

YUP - ITS ANOTHER CHEAP PIZZA NIGHT

2010-09-24T02:47:00.000-07:00

A WORK IN PROGRESS

A SLICE GONE TOO FAR ... !

BEST THIN CRUST PIZZA OF THE YEAR

2010-09-22T04:40:00.000-07:00

WHAT WAS I THINKING??...ADDING SALAMI+GREENPEPPERS+SHRIMP TO A POOR ORDINARY PEPPERONI PIZZA !!

THE BEST $1 OFF THE SHELF PIZZA A GUY COULD EVER HAVE .!

OVEN TIME 12 MINS.

SC Johnson: Eye | Do you know what your kids are watching?

2010-09-21T17:43:00.000-07:00

http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/johnson_johnson_eye

Power from the earth

2010-09-09T22:45:00.000-07:00

Power from the earth: "There is enough heat stored just below the earth's surface to potentially meet the world's energy needs. But can we tap it?"

Convert Your Free Yahoo Email To An RSS Feed With YmailFeed

2010-09-09T22:44:00.000-07:00

Convert Your Free Yahoo Email To An RSS Feed With YmailFeed: "

One of the issues I’ve always had with my free Yahoo email account is the fact that it’s so difficult to deal with it anywhere outside of the online Yahoo Mail system itself. There aren’t very many online email systems that will let you extract email from your Yahoo account as easily as you can get it from your Gmail account. This is because, unlike with Google Mail, a free Yahoo Mail account does not include free POP access.

Recently, I wrote a review of RSS Bandit, a very cool feed reader with the ability to pull in email feeds from Gmail accounts. It doesn’t use POP access, instead it utilizes the authenticated Atom feed that Google provides to all Gmail users. This is awesome, but once again it made me regret ever signing up for a free Yahoo account, because it’s once again left out in the cold. No matter what, I always have to go back to the online Yahoo email system to check those emails. In a Web 2.0 world, Yahoo Mail feels so disconnected from everything.

After writing the RSS Bandit article, I realized that if there’s some way I could convert my free Yahoo email account into an RSS feed, I’d have an instant connection to that free email account without the need for a POP connection. It actually didn’t take very long to discover YmailFeed, an awesome free service hosted on Google AppSpot (ironically) that lets you convert your free Yahoo email account into an RSS feed.

Setting Up Your Yahoo Email RSS Feed

The first thing you’ll need to do to set up your Yahoo Mail as an RSS feed is to visit YmailFeed, sign up for your free account, and then click on “Start the Process“.

You’re then taken to your Yahoo account sign-in page. This is a legitimate Yahoo sign-in, it’s not a scam! YmailFeed is not collecting your login information, you simply need to log into your account so that the YmailFeed system can retrieve a unique key associated with your authentication.

This is similar to when you give external applications permission to access your Facebook account. Likewise, by logging into your Yahoo account, you are “approving” that YmailFeed can access your incoming email. To hammer this home, Yahoo requires that you sign off on this request, since you’re basically opening up your email account to a third-party app that is going to convert your incoming mail into a feed format.

Once you agree, your account is active and all new, unread email is converted into a feed. You can see a preview of that feed in the left window in your YmailFeed account. You have three important links at the bottom of the next screen, which is basically the feed for your free Yahoo email account. If that URL is ever compromised and falls into the wrong hands, just click on “Regenerate the Codes” and a new set of feed URLs is provided – the old ones will be disabled.

Three types of feeds links are provided, AutoDiscovery, a standard RSS Feed and an ATOM feed. Now that I’m using RSS Bandit, which can handle AutoDiscovery, I just initiate a new feed and add the feed under my existing email group. The feed shows up under “Feed Details” just like any other regular RSS feed.

The way RSS Bandit handles it when you click on the email itself is that it opens up a direct link to Yahoo Mail within the lower content panel. Another cool way to make use of your Yahoo feed is by clicking that little “Netvibes” link on the YmailFeed page with your feed URLs. In just two clicks, you can add an awesome Yahoo mail widget to your Netvibes account.

Getting Yahoo Mail loaded into my private Netvibes dashboard is something that I haven’t been able to get working for a long time, but now with YmailFeed, it works like a charm.

If you just want to get your most recent Yahoo mail in Google Reader, simply add the RSS Feed from your YmailFeed account and you’ve instantly connected Google Reader to your Yahoo inbox. Now, how cool is that?

In fact, having your free Yahoo inbox as an RSS feed like this opens up a whole world of possibilities. You could install the GreatNews RSS Filter and use it to analyze all incoming Gmail and Yahoo email and send you alerts. Rather than setting up filters in all of your email accounts, you can process all incoming email in one place.

Can you think of other cool ways you can make use of your Yahoo email RSS feed? Share your ideas and insight in the comments section below!

Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Includes cool extras.

Similar MakeUseOf Articles

How To Edit Existing RSS Feeds With Yahoo! Pipes (15 comments)
Which RSS Reader Do You Prefer? [Poll] (62 comments)
What is a FeedReader ? (22 comments)
Ways to Stay on Top of The News (15 comments)
Using Yahoo Go to Stay Connected On Your Mobile (10 comments)
Two Online Services To Clean Up Your RSS Feeds (12 comments)
Top 5 Yahoo Mail Classic Tips & Tricks (26 comments)
The New RSS Feed Reader Wars! (41 comments)
Synchronize Your Google Contacts, Calendar & RSS In Thunderbird (19 comments)
Some great RSS feeds to add to your reader (11 comments)

VIA Rail Express Deals - Save Up to 75% On Last-Minute Departures (Updated Every Thursday)

2010-09-09T22:33:00.000-07:00

VIA Rail Express Deals - Save Up to 75% On Last-Minute Departures (Updated Every Thursday): "Want to save big on train travel? Then be sure to check out VIA Rail's Express Deals every Thursday for discounted fares of up to 75%!

Each week a new selection of discounted routes will be automatically updated and available online, so no discount codes are needed to book these fares. Here are some examples of the one-way fares spotted this week:

Toronto to Vancouver, Economy on September 18 or 23: $197, regularly $788. Book by September 15.

Edmonton to Winnipeg, Sleeper Touring Cabin for 2 on October 2: $228.25 per person, regularly $913. Book by September 15.

Halifax to Montreal, Sleeper Cabin for 2 with Shower on September 13: $207.50 per person, regularly $457. Book by September 12.

Quebec City to Montreal, Business from September 13-16: $74, regularly $135. Book by September 15.

Vancouver to Jasper, Economy on September 15: $59.75, regularly $239. Book by September 15.

Express Deals can not be combined with any other discount (seniors' or children's fares, for example), and are only valid for the trains, dates, and classes listed on the Express Deals page. Seats at these rates are limited and only available when booking online at VIARail.ca, so you won't be able to book by telephone, in person, or through a travel agent or tour operator. For more information, or to book your Express Deal trip, visit VIARail.ca.

This deal VIA Rail Express Deals - Save Up to 75% On Last-Minute Departures (Updated Every Thursday) was originally posted on RedFlagDeals.com - Your source for Canadian Deals, Free Coupons and Freebies.

Compare Prices on Computers and Electronics at PriceCanada.com"

Comic for September 9, 2010

2010-09-09T22:31:00.000-07:00

Comic for September 9, 2010: "

The Loop

2010-09-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

The Loop: "

The first time I heard a successful loop, I was standing in The Backyard with a protective body behind me. Damien Rice was onstage performing his last song. He would play a bit, press the pedal, and the bit would play over again and again and again. While the bit played he would play another bit or sing a different bit, hit the pedal, and again the bit would play. He did this again and again until the entire venue in which I was standing was reverberating with the sounds of this loop, this steady stream of song, that seemed to echo every emotion, every thought, every passing feeling of mine. I leaned backwards into that protective body and cried with the overall beauty of the moment.

Since then I have discovered many other successful loops. Although undoubtedly more impressive live, these loops are still enjoyable in their recorded form.

mp3 Mimicking Birds- The Loop
So aptly named. I actually saw them perform this song live at Ram's Head in Baltimore when they were opening for Modest Mouse. It was the first time I heard the band and this song took my breath away.

mp3 CocoRosie- Noah's Ark
I originally posted on this sisterly duo four years ago. Pretty much every CocoRosie song involves heavy looping, but this is my favorite example.

mp3 The Faint- Agenda Suicide
The Faint uses looping in every song as well, but the construction of the beat is especially nicely presented in this song.

mp3 Hot Chip- Playboy
There are so many looped elements in this song, including the despondently sung chorus, it makes the perfect example of successful looping.

mp3 Ratatat- Lex
Coming to Austin, Monday, September 27, Ratatat is one of my favorite bands of all time and Lex is one of my favorite Ratatat songs of all time.

mp3 Tupac Shakur- Fucked Up (Hurricane Mix feat. Thom Yorke)
Such a great mash-up. Looped beat, looped riff, looped Radiohead lead singer backing up the best rapper of all time.

Check out my other, personal blog, You Army. Latest post also entitled 'The Loop.'

Evernote Podcast #21 – The Trunkcast

2010-09-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

Evernote Podcast #21 – The Trunkcast: "

Podcast MP3 | iTunes | Audio feed | Length: 57mins

Podcast #21 topics

The Evernote Trunk [related post]

What’s in the Trunk: voice transcription, PDF annotation, mindmapping, and more

Branded notebooks

The first Evernote book: Evernote Essentials [related post]

New gear in the Trunk: Sticky screen wipes and Most Premium Notepad

Call me!

We’ve set up a voicemail box just for you. Call us and tell us how you use Evernote-–don’t forget to tell us your name and where you’re from. We’ll choose the best ones and play them in our podcast. Call +1 (347) 497-3572 and leave a message.

Any questions?

Have a question you’d like us to cover in a future podcast? Leave it in the comments section or send a tweet with the hashtag #EvernotePodcast.

Comic for August 30, 2010

2010-09-08T20:48:00.000-07:00

Comic for August 30, 2010: "

EPISODE 102 - The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra

2010-09-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

EPISODE 102 - The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra: "The Word Man was Originally Gender Neutral
Arctic Rocks May Contain Oldest Remnants of Earth
Robot to Explore Mysterious Tunnels in Great Pyramid
First Car Invented
The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra
When Will Neptune Complete Its First Orbit Since Discovery
Vaccine Hope Tasmanian Devil Dies from Cancer
Man in Nagano Computes Value of pi to 5 trillion Digits
Charles Darwins Experiment on Ascension Isle
Statue of Liberty - Panatiâ??s Book Reading
Scientist Create Dry Water
The Flying Saucers of America
Word Detective"

Super OS Repository For Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx Comes With Adobe Air, Spideroak, TrueCrypt And Lots More

2010-09-07T19:59:00.000-07:00

Super OS Repository For Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx Comes With Adobe Air, Spideroak, TrueCrypt And Lots More: "

Super OS (formerly: Super Ubuntu) is a modified version of Ubuntu 10.04. But this post isn't about Super OS but about the amazing repository it comes with and which you can of course use on a regular Ubuntu 10.04 installation or any Ubuntu 10.04 based Linux distribution/remaster.

The Super OS repository includes applications such as: Adobe AIR, Adobe Reader, DropBox, IBM Lotus Symphony, Spideroak, TrueCrypt, Hulu Desktop, VirtualBox (the proprietary version), the latest WINE 1.2, Reconstructor, Google Earth, Google Desktop, Google Chrome, Picasa, codecs and others.

Super OS Repository For Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx Comes With Adobe Air, Spideroak, TrueCrypt And Lots More

Fresh Sriracha (aka, home made 'Rooster')

2010-09-04T03:38:00.000-07:00

Fresh Sriracha (aka, home made 'Rooster'): "

Fresh Sriracha (aka 'Homemade Rooster')

Fresh Sriracha (aka 'Homemade Rooster') by edamame2003

Warning: once you make edamame2003's version, you may never be able to go back to commercial sriracha again. The vibrant color and piquancy of the fresh fresno peppers, combined with plenty of garlic and a boost of vinegar, make for a zippy, versatile condiment that would be great with anything from banh mi to scrambled eggs. We'd never used palm sugar before and were intrigued by its gentle sweetness, which helps to round out the heat of the sriracha. - A&M

Serious business.

You must wear gloves or wrap your fingers in plastic wrap while cutting these peppers! They are HOT!

This palm sugar comes in a plastic bag, inside a container. Yep, it's that sticky.

The peppers and garlic macerate overnight in white vinegar and a little salt.

In goes the palm sugar. You'll need to wash your hands after digging it out of the measuring spoon!

A mere 5 minutes on the stove keeps the peppers fresh and vibrant.

After they're cool, edamame2003 has you puree the peppers for a full 5 minutes in a blender. We were skeptical, but the sauce really does change in color and texture over that time.

Who knows what's going on here. Better not to ask, really.

Pressing the sauce through a fine sieve is surprisingly quick, and worth the extra dishes.

Who would choose the store-bought stuff over this?

Sugru

2010-09-03T18:51:00.000-07:00

Sugru: "
Sugru is a soft moldable material that reminds me of Fimo clay. But unlike Fimo, it does not have to be heated to cure. It air drys and is rubbery and sticks to anything. I used it to make a new button for my utility knife when the plastic one broke. I made bumpers for my cell phone. I put some on my tools so they would not roll off the table. I am still discovering ways to use the product.

-- Philip Lipton

This stuff comes in tiny pouches of different primary colors. You knead a bit with your hands until soft, then you apply it where you would like an additional grip, or stop, or section of repair. It's pretty sticky, can be worked like clay, but dries into a hard rubber. The photo shows a paring knife handle that was falling apart from years of dishwasher use. I coated the outside with Sugru and it now it feels great and is dishwasher proof. See Sugru's website for other ways it can be used.

-- KK

Sugru Smart Hacks Packs

~$17 (£11) for 12 5g-sachets a mixture of colous

~$9 (£6) for 6 smart 5g-sachets a single color

(global shipping is cheap!)

Manufactured by and available from Sugru

How to make Sriracha "rooster" hot sauce at home

2010-09-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

How to make Sriracha "rooster" hot sauce at home: "Well, I know what I'm doing this weekend: here's a recipe for how to make sriracha hot sauce, the ubiquitous Asian restaurant condiment in that clear plastic bottle with the little white rooster on the side. (via Farhad)

"

Introduction to Mind-Altering Parasites

2010-09-03T06:34:00.000-07:00

Introduction to Mind-Altering Parasites: "

My wife on mind-altering parasites:

There are dozens of similar behavior-altering parasites, each as fascinating as the next. Most of these parasites are specialized to a single species of host. The large majority infect insects or creatures on the low end of the evolutionary scale. There are some exceptions, including Toxoplasma gondii which lives in cats and infects humans. Toxoplasma gondii also infects rats and makes them lose their fear of cats- an infected rodent will waltz right up to cat’s hangout spot, only to be eaten and live inside the cat’s intestines long enough to get back to its preferred host, a human. Studies are still being done on the effects of Toxoplasmosis, but it seems to produce introverted and anti-social tendencies in the host, along immune and neurological problems.

Prime Surrealestate: Mind-Altering Parasites

Boomerang Wok by Nikolai Carels

2010-09-03T06:33:00.000-07:00

Boomerang Wok by Nikolai Carels: "

The Boomerang Wok by Nikolai Carels allows you to flip omelets back onto themselves or cook without flinging food out of your pan. The pan has a strategically-designed inner lip that curves inward to keep food from flying over the edge.

From the website:

Stir-frying enables you put a delicious, varied and healthy meal on the table in no time at all. Unfortunately, when stir-frying some of the ingredients do tend to end up next to the pan. However, with the Boomerang Wok this is a thing of the past! Thanks to the unique patented cupped edge of the Boomerang Wok, the ingredients can be turned with a simple movement of the spatula. The ingredients always end up back in the pan.

The Boomerang Wok not only makes stir-frying a bit easier, but larger pieces of food, such as a fillet of fish or meat can be turned in no time at all using the unique patented cupped edge.

The Boomerang Wok means it is no longer necessary to lift up the pan; the skills of a Chinese chef are incorporated in this pan.

Stir-frying has never been as much fun and as easy, and the cooker stays clean!

Human-Like Brain Found in Worm

2010-09-03T06:32:00.000-07:00

Human-Like Brain Found in Worm: "For the first time, a structure comparable to our cerebral cortex has been found in an invertebrate -- a humble marine ragworm."

Comic for September 2, 2010

2010-09-03T04:58:00.000-07:00

Comic for September 2, 2010: "
"

HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN ...

2010-09-02T03:56:00.000-07:00

OVEN GRILLED No-Frills Meatballs and Brats.

Nova (DPTV High Definition: 56.1)

2010-09-01T04:17:00.000-07:00

Nova (DPTV High Definition: 56.1): "Part 1 of 3. The evolutionary arc of humans is explored, beginning with what may have led to the split from the apes. The documentary details the discovery of 'Selam,' a nearly complete child fossil."

ID needed to buy cell phone cards from today

2010-09-01T04:10:00.000-07:00

ID needed to buy cell phone cards from today: "

The China Daily:

Mobile phone customers will have to present ID when purchasing a phone number from Wednesday, in the latest campaign by the government to curb the global scourge of spam, pornographic messages and fraud on cellular phones.

Foreigners will also need to register with their passports or other ID in order to subscribe to mobile phone carriers.

Link picked by Danwei.org

Google Adds Phone Calls to Linux Gmail Use

2010-09-01T03:43:00.000-07:00

Google Adds Phone Calls to Linux Gmail Use: "

Five days after the announcement of Voice and Video Chat service in Gmail for Debian-based Linux distributions, Google unveiled a Gmail phone call service for Windows, Mac, and Linux. more>>

Google plans pay-per-view films - ft.com

2010-08-30T06:31:00.000-07:00

Google plans pay-per-view films: "Google’s YouTube video site is in negotiations with Hollywood’s leading movie studios to launch a global pay-per-view video service by the end of 2010, putting it head-to-head with Apple in the race to dominate the digital distribution of film and television content"

ITALIEN BRATS AND FOIL WRAPPED SHORT RIBS

2010-08-26T01:54:00.000-07:00

SEEMS A BRAT GONE MISSING !!?!

TONIGHTS TEST KITCHEN

On the Beach

2010-08-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

off spanish banks - cellshot

electric scooter $850 seen on Davie st

2010-08-16T20:39:00.000-07:00

E-books taking off at Vancouver public libraries — and they carry no late fees

2010-08-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

E-books taking off at Vancouver public libraries — and they carry no late fees

THE WORLD WAS FLAT

2010-08-07T17:29:00.000-07:00

Video: 'Are you going to Burning Man this year?'

2010-08-07T16:47:00.000-07:00

Video: 'Are you going to Burning Man this year?': "'Do you think Bassnectar will be there?'

'I just unfriended you on Facebook.'

Posted by Scotto."

New Drinking Fountains in Vancouver

2010-08-06T04:13:00.000-07:00

New Drinking Fountains in Vancouver: "

Just the other day my family was discussing the fact that there is a lack of functioning water fountains in public spaces in Vancouver. Browsing the City’s website this morning I found a notice about new portable water fountains that have been put in place to help us all beat the heat this summer.

The temporary water fountain locations are:

Northeast corner of 70th and Granville

Vanier Park – outside the Coast Guard building

Northeast corner of Commercial and Broadway

Northwest corner of Burrard and Davie – outside the community garden

Southwest corner of Napier and Commercial – in the community walkway

As you can see from this map provided in the City’s Open Data set, there are already several fountains throughout the city.

Perhaps we don’t notice them as much nowadays but it’s good to know they are there. Remember to stay hydrated this summer even if the sun isn’t shining through the clouds.

Hot Peppers' Capsaicin Helps Hypertensive Rats

2010-08-05T02:32:00.000-07:00

Hot Peppers' Capsaicin Helps Hypertensive Rats: "

Here’s a possible blood pressure remedy. But it’s only for those who can stand the heat. It’s capsaicin, the “active ingredient” in peppers like habaneros that should probably be sold by prescription only. While lips burn and eyes water, blood vessels actually relax, thanks to increased production of the signaling molecule nitric oxide. In rodents, anyway.

For seven months, researchers in China fed a steady diet of capsaicin to rats bred to be hypertensive. Long-term consumption of the chemical substantially lowered the rats’ blood pressure. The results appear in the August issue of the journal Cell Metabolism . [Dachun Yang et al., http://bit.ly/aLcuZZ ]

[More]"

spanish banks

2010-08-04T16:58:00.000-07:00

I LOVE THE SMELL OF CASINO IN THE MORNING !

2010-08-04T07:42:00.000-07:00

sunrise ! time to go home.

shot these with my cell as I made my escape.

Comic for July 31, 2010

2010-08-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

Comic for July 31, 2010: "

It is like Surfing or Snowboarding!

2010-07-27T16:12:00.000-07:00

It is like Surfing or Snowboarding!: "

The Flowlab Skateboard (a.k.a. Flowboard) was designed by Mike Simonian in collaboration with Pieter Schouten. It is like “surf[ing] without waves and ride[ing] without snow. Years of experimentation resulted in the geometry that allows a device with no moving parts to simulate the fluid motion of snowboarding or surfing on land. The arced axles let you carve to 45 degree angles with no resistance and fluid transitions edge-to-edge,” notes from creators.

(...)
Read the rest of It is like Surfing or Snowboarding! (4 words)

No comment Yet

OneEyeland | SiteGrinder | Ript Apparel | LiveBooks | Uneetee

SPAIN BLOWS 'EM AWAY

2010-07-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

Realcookn.tv Episode 10 - Cali and Neal's Pierogies

2010-07-23T03:37:00.001-07:00

Realcookn.tv Episode 10 - Cali and Neal's Pierogies: ""

Realcookn.tv Episode 06 - Sopapilla Cheese Cake

2010-07-23T03:37:00.000-07:00

Realcookn.tv Episode 06 - Sopapilla Cheese Cake: ""

2010-07-23T03:20:00.000-07:00

http://www.chocolatetelevision.com/

Pop Bottle Dining

2010-07-23T02:58:00.000-07:00

Pop Bottle Dining: "

“This is to confirm your reservation

for the media dinner aboard

the Floating Dining Room.”

On Friday afternoon, with two designers down and minor fires to be put out on all fronts, the above words sat buried beneath the layers of apps, chats, browser tabs, new windows, reply-alls, tweets and calendar reminders. It was only at the end of the day that I found myself with the chance to sit back and actually take in exactly what I had been invited to: that this coming Saturday would see me sitting with 12 others on a raft in False Creek with 1,675 plastic 2-litre bottles built into its frame. and enjoying a six course sustainable seafood menu prepared by Chef Robert Clark and his team at C Restaurant.

This event, which is being held every night between July 21st until the end of September, 2010, is a fundraising effort by the School of Fish Foundation. Created by Clark and Shannon Ronalds, the SOFF’s mission is to persuade culinary schools throughout the world to include a comprehensive sustainable seafood course as a requirement prior to graduation. A number of Vancouver’s finer restaurants and associations are partners with the organization including C Restaurant, Bishop’s, Cabana Bar and Grille, Joe Fortes, NU Restaurant and Lounge, Mission Hill Winery, Raincity Grill and RM Seafood.

More to come on this throughout the week and, of course, there will certainly be a follow up report. In fact, since my initial shock and excitement upon learning about this event, a piece aired on Global and went on to be picked up by CNN so the momentum is definitely building. The video can be viewed below. For those interested in making a reservation, I encourage you to visit the SOFF website.

"

Cabin 5555 on West Boulevard, Vancouver

2010-07-23T02:56:00.000-07:00

Cabin 5555 on West Boulevard, Vancouver: "
Oh, this must have been a couple of months ago when we visited Cabin 5555.

That was when Suanne and I invited a few Friends of Chowtimes for a fun coffee tasting event in the neighborhood. Since many of the people are coming all the way to West Vancouver, we thought we also organize a lunch there. This being just a side event, the turnout was great.

Cabin 5555 is a Taiwanese style cafe very much the likes of Corner 23, The One and Chill, to name a few. Part of the name is derived from the street address of the restaurant — 5555 West Boulevard.

The other part of the name (the “Cabin” part), I guess is derived from the low-ceiling feel in the restaurant. The dining area is like half a floor up from the street level and the low ceiling does have that claustrophobic feel. I felt like I was in an airplane cabin.

The place is clean which is accentuated by the all white decor. The restaurant is quite busy even though you don’t get that from the picture above. We were there early before the lunchtime crowd came in.

Cabin 5555 seems like a neighborhood restaurant. I don’t think there are many people who will drive all the way here just to eat in this restaurant. Anyway, I noticed that they have free wifi here. We don’t see many of those in Chinese restaurants but then Cabin 5555 is in an upscale part of the city.

The menu is made of pretty standard Taiwanese favourites. You have bubble tea and all its derivatives at the back of the menu. Other than that, there are the usual appetizer, noodle, dim sum, hot pot, soup, fried rice, special meal, vegetarian and main dishes sections.

Big menu and peppered with lots of common dishes from Taiwan and in between there are some interesting ones. There were about eight of us for lunch that say. They left the ordering to me and Carol who lives in the neighborhood. Since some of them are not familiar with food in a Taiwanese cafe, we decided to pick a selection of simple Taiwanese food and some “adventure” food too. The dishes are meant for individual servings but we shared them.

Yeah … “adventure food” such as the Thousand Egg with Tofu ($5) above.

For me the century egg is a delicacy, but I know this is strange food to Karen. :-) She was game enough to try just a teeny-weeny bit of the egg white (or should I call it the egg black). She did not want to risk her health by eating the disgusting looking blackened egg yolk.

Yeah, I understand. This is an acquired taste and the Chinese have really weird tastes. Firstly, black mushy egg yolks are supposed to be beyond rotten and not fit for consumption. Secondly, egg white is supposed to be white and they are not supposed to be transparent. The rest of the world’s wisdom says that you just “transparentize” the egg white with chemicals just so that it looked cool. And no … they don’t soak the eggs in horse urine to blacken the eggs … that is urban myth.

But it tasted good to me *shrug*. And I don’t think I am about to die anytime soon eating it. After all, this had been consumed for thousands of years already by the Chinese and is considered a delicacy. LOL!

The other unusual thing is that this is a cold dish. The tofu is topped with bonito flakes and green onions. Oh, when Suanne is lazy to make real dinner at home, that is what she does sometimes at home (sans the century egg).

I thought that the Taiwanese Style Oyster Omelette ($6.75) was kind of weird looking. I was expecting a bit more eggs in it. After all, they did call it an omelette on the menu. Instead it is starchier than I expected. The sauce is sweetish.

Naw … not too good as far as I am concerned. I haven’t tried a lot of oyster omelette in Vancouver because they are all Taiwanese style. I guess not many people have tried the Malaysia style oh-chien which is more egg with a little bit of starch.

When in a Taiwanese restaurant, you got to order beef noodle soup. I asked for it to be mild-spicy in consideration of those who could not stand it spicy.

This one above is called Beef and Tomato Noodle Soup ($7.50). Is tomato common in Taiwanese beef noodles? I thought it just doesn’t go with something like a TBN.

The beef noodle is just passable. Certainly not in the league of …
More after the jump. Click to read the rest of Cabin 5555 on West Boulevard, Vancouver (373 words)

Review: Go Go Curry Food

2010-07-23T02:55:00.000-07:00

Review: Go Go Curry Food: "
Copyright © 2010 hoyummy.com. Visit the original article at http://www.hoyummy.com/2010/07/18/review-go-go-curry-food/.
One of the good things about working downtown is that there are a variety of options available to you if you are in need of procuring a lunch. Most of the time, I try my best to bring a packed lunch but every once in a while, I am inclined to go out or I just plain forgot my lunch at home. On one such occasion, I needed to buy my lunch and Louis and Amelia decided to join me. We were all in the mood for Thai food so we decided to go to Go Go Thai. It’s nothing fancy, but the food is decent and with lunch specials for $8.95, it’s not too bad for Thai food.

I decided to order the Green Curry with Beef lunch special, which came with a bowl of won ton soup, a spring roll, and a small salad. The won ton soup was basically chicken broth with two pork won tons. It was pretty standard fare and the won tons had more flavour than I expected.

I forgot to take a picture of my spring roll and salad but below is the spring roll and salad that came with Amelia’s dish. Similar to the won ton soup, the spring roll was pretty standard. It was fried to order and the veggies and spring roll wrapping provided the requisite crunch. I should also note that Amelia enjoyed her eggplant with chicken, which was the special of the day. The portion for her special was actually quite large and she ended up packing half of it to take home.

I normally order my green curry with chicken, but I decided to switch things up that day and ordered it with beef instead. The green curry was actually quite flavourful and did not have too much coconut milk in it, which can sometimes be the case. The beef had obviously been marinated and tenderized with some corn starch but still went quite well with the curry. However, I think I still prefer my green chicken with chicken more than beef.

I’ve eaten at Go Go Thai a few times now and their food is fairly consistent. It’s nothing special but I find their lunch specials to be a pretty good value and is comparable to some other Thai places downtown with slightly lower prices. The ambiance is pretty bare bones though so I suppose that’s where the cost savings come from. There is also a lunch counter with premade Chinese food but I’ve never tried it before.

Details:

682 Seymour Street, Vancouver

Tel: 604-688-3218

Summary:

Food: 3 out of 5 stars

Service: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Price: $

"

Red Card’s “Summer Beer Series” Headlined By Unique Pairings…

2010-07-23T02:53:00.000-07:00

Red Card’s “Summer Beer Series” Headlined By Unique Pairings…: "

Red Card is located at 900 Seymour Street (at Smithe) | Vancouver | 604-689-4460 | www.redcardsportsbar.ca

News from Scout supporter Red Card

Vancouver, BC | Red Card Sports Bar + Eatery celebrates the spirit of summer with its Summer Beer Series, a showcase of distinctive brews from around the world. Every Friday from August 6th to September 10th, Red Card Sports Bar + Eatery will showcase a feature beer paired with a specialty pizza crafted by Executive Chef, Andreas Wechselberger.

Red Card Sports Bar + Eatery’s Summer Beer Series kicks off on Friday, August 6th with Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc, a new Belgian Witbier brewed in Alsace, France. Crafted from a century-old recipe that utilizes oranges and spices, 1664 Blanc is a refreshing white fruit beer that possesses vibrant citrus notes.

Executive Chef Andreas Wechselberger has created a feature pizza to pair with the 1664 Blanc. Cooked to perfection in Red Card’s world-class Marana Forni brick oven, the Olive E Caprino pizza feature accentuates the nuances of the beer by with its combination of San Marzano tomato sauce, mozzarella, orange scented olive tapenade, soft goat’s milk cheese and fresh arugula dressed with limoncella.

To celebrate the arrival of Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc to British Columbia, Red Card will be featuring it as the first beer in its Summer Beer Series. On Friday August 6th at Red Card, the Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc will be on special for $5.00 per pint or $17.00 for the beer and Olive E Caprino pizza pairing. Guests that visit Red Card for the Summer Beer Series will enjoy select beers on special for the day paired with a delicious complementing pizza and a variety of prize give-a-ways from the featured brew company. Upcoming events will highlight exclusive beers from R&B Brewing Co., Rogue Dead Guy Ale and Whistler Brewing Company.

About Red Card Sports Bar

With inspired Italian cuisine, prepared with the freshest ingredients to the highest standards and a beautifully-restored heritage building, Red Card Sports Bar + Eatery offers a dramatic and elegant environment in which to enjoy your favourite sports game.

Red Card Sports Bar is located at 900 Seymour Street, adjacent to Moda Hotel, on the corner of Seymour and Smithe Streets, Downtown Vancouver. Open Monday – Saturday: 11.00am – 1.45am and on Sunday: 11.00am – midnight with pizzas served until 01.00am!

———————————————————————-

In addition to providing daily editorial, Scout is dedicated to supporting and promoting cool, interesting, and independent British Columbian businesses through the publication of their press releases and event info. To learn how to get your news up on our front page, check out our supporter details page here.

———————————————————————-

McLean’s Hockey & Heritage

2010-07-23T02:50:00.000-07:00

McLean’s Hockey & Heritage: "

The Le Magasin space in Gastown has been through many reincarnations since its inception in 1911 and with the most recent, McLean’s, it appears to be going through several all at once.

The awkwardly named So.Cial at Le Magasin has been renamed and re-outfitted by former Vancouver Canuck hockey star Kirk McLean in a grey-on-white style accented with white roses and serving continental-inspired West Coast fare.

Like So.Cial, this restaurant ambitiously comprises the formal dining room, downstairs bar, sidewalk patio and sandwich shop and squarely occupying the “something for everyone” camp serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks. The main dining room is fairly muted and formal, with a special area set aside for “Kirk’s table” where Kirk is able to communicate with the kitchen and his guests from an always reserved wing-back chair. But downstairs, “Kirk’s bar” is a schizophrenic mélange of antique books, flat-panel TVs, retro throw cushions, a back-lit Rampant Lion…and more white roses. In a small space below street level, it feels part attic and part rumpus room.

Mingling in this space over sangria and wine at a recent event it seems that this venue is best served as an after work drinks spot, where standing and nibbling would be on the agenda. We had Tuna tartare with avocado and nori chips, easily sampled with one hand while holding a glass of pinot gris in the other. The nori chips are a nice touch, both visually and flavour-wise and make a nice scoop for the tartare although the tartare could have used some more ponzu as the predominant flavour was bland avocado.

Fior di Latte, an appetizer size salad of fresh cow’s milk mozzarella was served with roasted cherry tomatoes and arugula tossed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The menu cites this dish’s ingredients as including fresh basil rather than arugula, so I’m not sure if the intention was to be more along the lines of a Caprese salad or if they’re making some last minute menu changes. Regardless, the way it was served positioned the bitter greens at one end of the plate and the bland cheese at the other, with only the dressing to join them. This dish could be greatly improved with a little tweaking.

The seared flat-iron steak tataki is done in a tangy Asian-style with citrus soy and grapes, garnished with flat-leaf and black sesame seeds. The grapes are an interesting contrast to the richness of the meat and I enjoyed both the flavour and crunch from it but the Humboldt squid with chorizo, lime and sansho pepper aioli was my favorite dish, spicy and full of flavour.

They seem to be trying to do some innovative things with the menu and with some more refinement and tasting, they might be able to sort out the inconsistencies in flavour and pull it off. However, they are open seven days a week and are virtually guaranteed to be busy with their fail-safe affiliation with hockey fame and location on Water Street.

~ Degan Beley
"

Refinery’s Cocktail Kitchen

2010-07-23T02:49:00.000-07:00

Refinery’s Cocktail Kitchen: "
It’s like finding a 100 dollar bill in your pocket. Oooo, maybe it’s more like the sudden realization that you are in the middle of such a good book you can’t put it down. No, actually it’s exactly like finding a hidden gem of a restaurant where the staff is so passionate about their imaginative and delicious fare that they want to share it with the entire world.

I guess it’s kind of unfair to describe the Refinery as hidden when it’s plunked as big as life at 1115 Granville street, but then so are dozens of other 50 seat establishments vying for our night-out dollars. It is not however any degree of exaggeration to say they want to share it with the entire world. The infectiously enthusiastic staff is serving up dishes from a different part of the world every month from now until January. Each week a different bartender is invited to match a set of 3 cocktails with the monthly plates. The celebrity mixers must use the chosen spirit of that month, and must utilize at least 1 of the 19 house bitters created by Refinery’s Bar Master, Lauren Mote.

The kick-off night featured Lauren herself creating the 3 Hornito Tequila based cocktails paired with chef Ben de Champlain (ex-Bin 941) Central American inspired plates.

Chef Ben de Champlain's 1st Course - Central America theme

First up, inspired by the west coast of Central America, we had a Qualicum scallop ceviche, chile, cilantro balanced with grapefruit and orange citrus. Beside was the braised fennel with guajillo chili dressing, which had a green tea flavor with berry overtones.

Lauren Mote's Aguas Fresca

Lauren paired this graciously with what she called

Aguas Fresca

1.5 oz Hornitos tequila

.5 oz homemade fennel seed and orange sherry bitters

1.5 oz watermelon water

.75 oz lime juice1 oz cane sugar

mint and cucumber foam

A refreshingly dangerous cocktail, whose nose of cucumber dissolved to a light watermelon affair on the way down. Lauren’s secret: A pinch of gelatin to hold the foam.

This was closely followed up with a Caribbean region inspired jerk spice poached prawn, tomato chayote and pineapple salad, pimento dressing (all spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, habanero hot sauce), served with avocado crema and a homemade fluffy soft tortilla.

I could have easily eaten a dozen of those prawns. Some may like to be able to experience the flavours together with a little less effort, but this is casual Caribbean.

2nd Course with paired cocktal

Lauren countered with a cooling cocktail:

Tamarind Bushy Tree

1.5 oz Hornitos tequila

.5 oz homemade house bitters (Hi-proof whiskey base with coriander)

.75 oz lemon juice

1 oz tamarind allspice syrup

.25 oz cilantro water

That amazing crusty rim was a stucco of chili powder & dehydrated mango salt – truly inspired as it mirrored the plates spicy fruitiness.

3rd course, Flank Steak

The finale featured a traditional Mexican flank steak, a fairly tough cut of meat which required a long marinade of Achiote & Driftwood Whitebark beer to make it tender. The slightly sloppy greens were a jicama, watercress and cucumber salad, jalapeno and cilantro dressing, grilled onions. All inspired by the Yucatan region of Mexico, it was rustic, hearty, and held a mild sneaky heat.

Lauren saved the best for last with a silky cloth in liquid form…

3rd cocktail pairing - Horchata Picante

Horchata Picante

1 oz Hornitos Tequila

.25 oz homemade ancho & chipotle bitters

.5 oz homemade chocolate vermouth

4 oz almond and rice milk horchata

Chocolate vermouth! Did you hear that! Wow, this sealed the deal for me. I walked out of the Refinery a happy and better man, glowing from the inside as I truly believe that this level of care put into food and drink becomes part of the being.

I would reserve now… at a paltry $30, every Thursday, this will surely sell out every week.
"

Dim Sum at Continental Seafood Restaurant on Cambie Road in Richmond

2010-07-23T02:48:00.000-07:00

Dim Sum at Continental Seafood Restaurant on Cambie Road in Richmond: "
This will be my last dim sum meet with Polly before the summer holiday starts. For this meet, we also invited a couple more friends, Joyce and Angie. For dim sum, the more the merrier as we can try more items. Besides the adults, we also have Nanzaro, along with Polly’s son and Joyce cute toddler joining us.

We met at Continental Seafood Restaurant on Cambie Road in Richmond which we have not been to before. The restaurant is big, perhaps occupying 3 or more shop lots.

This is another restaurant with Chinese style banquet decorations at one end of the restaurant. The restaurant is not too busy as we were there on a Friday.

This is one of the few cart system dim sum place in Richmond. Such places are more user friendly as one can see the food before you order them. Good for people who are not familiar with dim sum.

The restaurant offers 20% discount on Sunday nights. Perhaps, Sunday nights are the quieter nights.

Click on the photos above to see larger view of the specials.

A typical dim sum practice to serve two pot of drink, one for tea and another for hot water. You may refill the tea pot with the hot water yourself.

A common condiment served at dim is chili sauce and Chinese mustard sauce.

We started off the the very common ‘Har Gao” and “Siew Mai’ for the kids. Siu Mai is Elliot’s favourite. The steamed items were served piping hot.

We had the ‘Sin Jook Guen’ which is Steamed Bean Curd Roll and Deep Fried Prwan Spring Rolls as a contrast in texture. More dim sum follows …
More after the jump. Click to read the rest of Dim Sum at Continental Seafood Restaurant on Cambie Road in Richmond (172 words)

Aboriginal bannock goes from basic to gourmet

2010-07-23T02:46:00.001-07:00

Aboriginal bannock goes from basic to gourmet: "There are a million and one ways with bannock, from basic baked to bread pudding, and Salmon ’n’ Bannock is a good place to start"

Seen In Vancouver #245: Lengthy Table Of 160 At North Arm Farm

2010-07-23T02:46:00.000-07:00

Seen In Vancouver #245: Lengthy Table Of 160 At North Arm Farm: "

It’s actually Pemberton and not Vancouver, but we’re nothing if not stiffly formulaic with our headlines. We have over 100 photos that we’re putting together for a Scout feature on our weekend up in Whistler and Pemberton (coming shortly in the carousel), but this one is too pretty not to share immediately. Wished you were there…
"

Help Wanted: “L’Abattoir” Seeks Experienced Chef De Partie

2010-07-23T02:42:00.001-07:00

Help Wanted: “L’Abattoir” Seeks Experienced Chef De Partie: "

Scout supporter L’Abattoir Restaurant in Gastown is seeking a reliable, motivated chef de partie immediately. Please reply by email in confidence to info@labattoir.ca with a resume detailing no less than 2-3 years experience. We look forward to hearing from you.
"

Kopi Luwak, Blue Mountain, Illy Coffee Tasting in Vivo! Gelato

2010-07-23T02:42:00.000-07:00

Kopi Luwak, Blue Mountain, Illy Coffee Tasting in Vivo! Gelato: "
It took a long time for me to organize this fun event.

It was so long ago I can’t remember how it all began actually and how the discussions first began that led to us having two very exotic coffee. But we were glad that PinoyGourmet and Carol who went out of their way and gave us their precious coffee when I expressed my curiosity over the cat-poop coffee.

So I decided to make a fun event and invite Friends of Chowtimes to come and get to know one another over a few cups of coffee.

The turnout was pretty good and we get to know some of our readers. I think we had 10 people in all.

One of the problem in organizing this is to find a coffee house who is willing to host the event. I wanted a place where we could meet and chat for as long as we wanted. I also wanted someone who is willing to brew the coffee beans for us. He he he … I also wanted someone who will not charge me an arm and a leg too.

Well, Vivo! Gelato stepped forward and not only allowed us the use of their premises but they were extremely supportive of the event.

One thing I meant to ask the folks from Vivo! Gelato is why they call themselves “Vivo!” and not “Vivo”. Why that exclamation mark? I mean, how should one say the name? Like VIVO!!! gelato?

PinoyGourmet was the one who donated the cat-poop coffee. It is called Kopi Luwak or Coffee Alamid.

Did you know that Kopi Luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world? It could cost up to $5oo per pound! It is quite accurate to call this cat-poop coffee.

Kopi Luwak is made by passing a certain type of coffee beans through the digestive tract of the civet cat.

If you want to try Kopi Luwak here in Vancouver, you can get it from the Spice Island Indonesian Restaurant. He he he … it is $60 per cup and I am not kidding you. See their menu here.

In this event the Kopi Luwak is free!

Carol gave us her precious Blue Mountain coffee when she heard that we had the Kopi Luwak and that we wanted to organize a tasting event. I am just so glad for supporters like Carol (thanks a lot Carol!).

The Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is one of the most expensive coffee in the world and is very popular in Japan. It is grown only in the Blue Mountain region in Jamaica. Japan imports 80% of all the Blue Mountain coffee in the world. So the Blue Mountain coffee above is part of the 20% the rest of the world is left with. Nice!

And holding the fort against the cat-poop coffee and the Blue Mountain coffee is the very brand of coffee that Vivo! Gelato offers in store.

The Illy coffee is from Italy. It is distinctive in the way they package the coffee. Illy preserve their coffee in cans which are filled with inert gases instead of air pressurization.

Oh yeah … the comparison is on …
More after the jump. Click to read the rest of Kopi Luwak, Blue Mountain, Illy Coffee Tasting in Vivo! Gelato (375 words)

Artist Kelly Clarke and Her 'Foibles'

2010-07-23T02:39:00.000-07:00

Artist Kelly Clarke and Her 'Foibles': "
Kelly Clarke is about as new as they come to the Vancouver art scene, and she is coming with work that will both please and inspire.

For Miss Clarke, painting was, at first, just a hobby -- the rigors of corporate event planning took up much of her time and tapped her creative cache. That was, until one day early this year when a roofer, investigating what would turn out to be a fortuitous flaw in her apartment building ceiling, stopped in front of one of her pieces as he was leaving. The man turned to Kelly, and uttered that most wonderful phrase longed-for by most artists, 'Would you be interested in painting something like this for me? What would you charge for that?' Since then, Miss Clarke has taken a new look at her work.

More...

Review: Cibo Trattoria

2010-07-23T02:37:00.000-07:00

Review: Cibo Trattoria: "
Copyright © 2010 hoyummy.com. Visit the original article at http://www.hoyummy.com/2010/07/21/review-cibo-trattoria/.
I had been wanting to go to Cibo Trattoria for quite a long time. The price range is such that I need to find a special occasion to justify going so it took me a while to find a good reason. I was talking to Grick and realized that it had been quite a while since we had gone out for a family dinner. In addition, I had been out of town during Mother’s Day so we decided to roll two in one by having a super belated Mother’s Day dinner at Cibo Trattoria.

Shortly after we ordered, we were presented with some complimentary focaccia bread. There were two choices, one with herbs and another with cheese. It appeared to be freshly made and was still warm. The bread was quite light and I especially liked the cheese version, which had a slightly crispy topping.

For my appetizer, I decided to have one of the daily specials, which was bruschetta with fresh morrels, a poached egg, and parmesan cheese. The bread was crispy and provided a great base for the flavourful morrels. The poached egg provided a nice creaminess and richness to the bruschetta.

My grandma decided to have the 3-course special, which came first with a spring salad that had pears, parmesan, and a fruity balsamic vinaigrette. The pears provided a slight sweetness to the salad and everything was quite fresh.

For my main course, I decided to have the pasta of the day, which was freshly made tagliatelle with a pork bolognese sauce. The pasta was about as al dente as you can get with fresh pasta but I found the bolognese sauce a little too salty for my taste. I’m not sure if all the pasta at Cibo is a bit on the salty side though because Snoopy also found her pasta dish to be too salty and she even mentioned that she likes her food on the salty side. She ended up sending the pasta back and Cibo was nice enough to take it off the bill for us. Since the pasta serves as a primo course at Cibo, it was a little small but since I wanted to save room for dessert that day, it was the perfect size for me.

Jenkins also ordered the 3-course special and his main course was the roast pork. It came on a bed of lentils, which made this dish quite hearty and filling. The roast pork was perfectly made and the skin was slightly crispy while the inside was nice and juicy. My grandma had the same thing and although she noted that she liked Chinese roast pork more, she still enjoyed it. I also think that she’s a bit biased when it comes to things like this.

For dessert, Jenkins and I decided to share our desserts. The coffee panna cotta was quite light and had just a hint of coffee flavour, which I think went well with the sweet crumbled amaretto biscuits on top. I don’t know if it was my imagination, but I felt like I could also taste a hint of caramel in the panna cotta, which was a nice balance to the coffee.

The chocolate nemesis cake was definitely my favourite dish of the evening. It came with a side of creme fraiche that added a hint of tartness to the rich chocolate dessert. The chocolate flavour was very evident in the cake and if you’re a chocolate lover, this is definitely the dessert for you! Snoopy noted that she enjoyed the torte so much that she didn’t even need the creme fraiche.

We all had quite a good time at Cibo Trattoria. The service was great and the room was smaller than I expected but the ambiance was quite nice. I definitely enjoyed the appetizers and dessert more than the mains but this could have just been due to the choice I made for my main course. I wouldn’t mind coming back to try some of the other dishes here so I guess I’ll just need to find another excuse to celebrate a special occasion.

Details:

900 Seymour Street, Vancouver

Tel: 604-602-9570

Summary:

Food: 3 out of 5 stars

Service: 3 out of 5 stars

Price: $$

Scout List: Owen Lightly Cooks For Kicks & Other Cool Beans…

2010-07-23T02:36:00.000-07:00

Scout List: Owen Lightly Cooks For Kicks & Other Cool Beans…: "

The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit.

The Scout List is our carefully considered first rate list of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. From our calendar to yours…

The Scout List

When I first began to build this week’s Scout List it looked like most of the city was out of town. Not a lot was in or on the books. But after a bit of digging, I turned up some pretty cool things, and here be what I got:

A few obvious notables…

First off – there are the fireworks. Spain throws down on Saturday night. Still high from their World Cup win, this should be a doozy of a show. Mexico then takes the stage on Wednesday night. I highly recommend hitting Mis Trucos, Lolitas or Dona Cata before you head to English Bay to take in this show. Last week Dona Cata had $4 margaritas flowing, and who can beat those $2 tacos?

Pride Week starts off this Saturday with a family-friendly picnic in the park. Theres a lot happening the following weekend and you’ll need your energy for Pride Parade and the Sunset Beach Beer Gardens. Check out the full list of events here.

Caribbean Days are a good reason to make your way to North Van. The free music series in Cates Park is another good reason.

There’s also the Mission Folk Festival.

And then digging a little deeper…

On Friday night there something called the Forest Symphony out at the UBC Endowment Lands. Basically, you walk the trails of Pacific Spirit Regional Park while enjoying free music played by local musicians who are set up sporadically along the trail. It’s free, Frodo, so dig it. The walk begins on Clinton Trail across from the parking lot on 16th Ave (just west of Blanca).

I love a good lantern festival. Really, I love any kind of lantern festival, but this’ll be a good one, and even better if you get involved. I know Spain is planning to show Vancouver what fireworks are all about on the same night, but if you’re not excited about the sticky loud chaos of the crowd, this is a nice alternative. Illuminares is a celebration of community, art and light. The lantern precession begins in Storyeum in Gastown and makes its way out into Trounce Alley and around the Woodward’s site (thanks for the heads-up D).

July 24 | W2 Storyeum (151 West Cordova St) | 4 – 10 pm | FREE

Just up the street a stretch is the Chinatown night market. Again, I want to point out the fact that The Keefer has a kick-ass little patio that takes you right to the edge of the night market madness, madness that is only enhanced by Dani Tatarin’s thoughtful cocktail list.

If you’re looking for a way to enrich your relationship with the natural world, there are a few great opportunities to do so this weekend. City Farmboy is putting on a beekeeping workshop and the new Strathcona ‘creative commons’ space School of Chalk is offering two gardening workshops on Sunday, July 25th for those keen to get their hands dirty. The first, which runs from 10am to 12pm, covers Winter Gardening ($24) planning for those dark days of January (yes, you start now!), while the second, from 1pm to 4pm, deals with Soil Fertility. Get the full scoop here.

MGMT play the Commodore. Good luck with tickets if you don’t already have ‘em.

The Obits and the Night Marchers play the Rickshaw. Zulu can hook you up with tickets. It will be loud.

Via Surfing Vancouver Island, get yourself to Railside Skate Park for the DC Nationals Vancouver Qualifier on Saturday. I know, its way out in PoCo, but it will be good.

Taxi Driver plays at the Vancity Theatre, and when is Taxi Driver a let down? You lookin’ at me? Get more info here.

Scout List Pick Of The Week: “Owen Lightly Cooks His Heart Out”

If you are going to pick one thing to devote money and time to this week, Scout recommends taking the beautiful drive to Squamish on Tuesday evening for the Sunwolf Supper – “a special dinner celebrating all that is good and true in the world”. And take our word for it, Owen is dialed in to all that is good and true. Here’s a bit about the event from the Chef himself: “The menu will be four courses…with an Italian slant and include plenty of fresh, tasty vegetables from my landlord’s small farm, located nearby in the Paradise Valley. The location is amazing, sitting right next to the Chekamus river and under the shadow of the beautiful Tantalus mountain range.” Spectacular setting, locally sourced (sea-to-sky) food, and good people. You can’t go wrong. For more information on the Sunwolf Supper (including the menu), check Owen’s blog Butter on The Endive.

And speaking of food and all that is good and true – get your weekly shopping done at a farmers market this week. There are many locations to choose from and each market has a unique line-up of vendors. Here’s a quick round-up of good places to buy locally grown produce from good people!

East Side: July 24 | 9am – 2pm | Trout Lake | FREE

West End: July 24 | 9am – 2pm | 1100 Block of Comox | FREE

Dundarave (West Van) July 24 | 9am – 2pm | Between 24 & 25 on Marine

Kits: July 25 | 10am – 2pm | Parking Lot of Kits Community Centre | FREE

DTES: July 28 | 3pm – 7pm | Thornton Park | FREE

UBC Farm Market: July 24 | 9-1 | UBC Farm

——————————————————————————————–

Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended Bond University in Australia and the University of Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Library Sciences from The University of Toronto. She lives in beautiful Strathcona and enjoys wandering aimlessly through the city’s shops and streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy, and uncooperative camera.

——————————————————————————————–
"

Six food and dining events | Vancouver, Canada | Straight.com

2010-07-23T02:33:00.000-07:00

Six food and dining events | Vancouver, Canada | Straight.com

The One Cafe on No 3 Road, Richmond

2010-07-23T02:31:00.000-07:00

The One Cafe on No 3 Road, Richmond: "
There is a new kid on the block.

And I think this new restaurant is gonna make it in the long run.

I am talking about the new restaurant on No 3 Road called The One Cafe. This restaurant is the THIRD restaurant called The One in Metro Vancouver. There is one The One Restaurant in Burnaby which is an offshoot from Lao Shan Dong (see the blog posting here). There is another restaurant also called The One on Granville and W 41st in Vancouver.

To add to the confusion, there are also other “1″ restaurants like the No 1 Beef Noodle House, Hot Pot One, and No 1 Shanghai just to name a few.

This latest The One Cafe is located across the street from the Brighouse Skytrain station. Location-wise, I felt it is just perfect because this stretch had recently turned out to be the one area with the heaviest food traffic in the whole of Richmond. It wasn’t like that until late last year.

Prior to The One Cafe opening here, it was the Queen’s Cafe and before Queen’s it was something else. The location was awful before the Skytrain line was opened. There were hardly anyone walking along that part of the street. And moreover, the Queen’s Cafe seems too upscale and expensive. We never had the urge to check them out.

But I was surprised that The One Cafe is doing very well. We were there just last Saturday for lunch. The restaurant is absolutely packed even though the restaurant is bigger than the average restaurants in Richmond. There is even a line for tables at one point at about 1:30PM.

This restaurant is a Hongkong Style Cafe. Inside, it looked really nice for such a cafe. With clean, modern lines, it is certainly better looking than other HK-Style Cafes. Suanne was saying that the chairs were too high for her and is not comfortable. I did not find that the case at all. Maybe her legs were too short or something.

Although there were a lot of wait staff, all pleasantly attired in black, I have to point out that service is spotty. Most of them are very attentive but our waiter not only dropped the ball but he also ignored a request by saying to me “we’re too busy. please wait”. More about that later.

There is nothing special about the menu. It is largely HK Style Cafe type of dishes made up of noodles, hot pots, rice and western style dishes too. The prices are OK and inline with the prices of similar dishes you find in other HK Style Cafe. So that is good.

The left most menu is the interesting Noodle Soup Combo (more about that later). The right most menu is the breakfast menu. It is interesting to note that they open very early at 7:30AM. So, for those of you who takes the SkyTrain to work in the morning, this is one handy restaurant you could go for a quick bite before hopping on the train.

Suanne decided to get the Noodle Soup Combo. We came across this style of combo dishes for the first time in Cattle Cafe. I think Cattle Cafe is the restaurant that popularized this way of ordering. For $8, you get to choose:

Soup base of six choices
Two Toppings from list of 22 choices
Noodles of eight choices

Some of the choices are quite interesting with options such as watercress&coconut fish soup, slice omasum, ox-tongue and …
More after the jump. Click to read the rest of The One Cafe on No 3 Road, Richmond (879 words)

Dirty Water, Dangerous Fish

2010-07-23T02:30:00.000-07:00

Dirty Water, Dangerous Fish: "

~ Thanks to Ian Angus from the UD Forum for sharing this very thought-provoking and disturbing video of catfish farming on the Mekong River in Vietnam.

Boulangerie Cho Pain

2010-07-23T02:27:00.000-07:00

Boulangerie Cho Pain: "

Rating / 4 out of 5 stars

Boulangerie Cho Pain is a small, French bakery on Vancouver’s West End specializing in various sweet delights: artisan breads, pastries, cakes, casse-croute and snacks. They seem to be a local favourite — the front counter staff appearing to know many of the regulars and their usual orders.

(Above: Boulangeri Cho Pain has a pretty nice selection of fresh baked breads.)

We were here for the desserts, but I couldn’t help eye balling every baked item in sight. I wanted to try them all. We settled on: Gateau Basque, Sachertort, Napoleon Josephine and a Lemon Tart.

(Clockwise: 1. Selection of head-sized cookies. 2. Gateau Basque. 3. Croissants.)

The Sachertorte was dense and rich, layered with a raspberry filling. It was just sweet enough to balance bitterness of the dark chocolate.

The Napoleon Josephine had rich, buttery whipped cream sandwiched between thick pieces of puff pastry with chunks of pistachio scattered. The cream was nice and light, but the puff pastry was more dense than flaky.

By far, our favorite was the lemon tart. The lemon meringue filling was feathery light and caramelized to perfection. A nice surprise were the pieces of rhubarb mixed within lemon filling. The added sourness was a nice counter to the sweetness of the meringue.

As for the Gateau Basque, we didn’t get to eat it. We put the almond cake in the fridge and it turned rock solid. Perhaps next time.

(Above: a Trio of Gateau Basque, Napoleon Josephine, and Sachertorte.)

Our bill including taxes came to just under $18. The prices at Boulangerie Cho Pain are pretty reasonable and they have a wonderful selection of freshly baked pastries and cakes.

Perfect for: satiating your sweet tooth.

The Details

1165 Davie Street, Vancouver

604.669.4271

boulangerie-chopain.com

"

MONTE CRISTO

2010-07-23T02:26:00.000-07:00

MONTE CRISTO: "

I don't go to Starbucks often but every once and awhile I find myself grabbing a breakfast sandwich or a small snack to quench my hunger pains.

Ever wonder where these snacks come from? You know they don't make it there. I managed to source out where my favourite Jamaican patties were made and now thanks to my friend I found out where Starbucks gets their poppy seed lemon loaves and their raspberry swirl lemon loaves made.

At the edge of Burnaby sits Monte Cristo Bakery. Their main bread maker is through commercial sales of baked goods throughout the city including the Starbucks chain but they do have a small retail front where they sell the cakes that didn't make the cut appearance wise.

If you are fan of lemon loaves and you don't want to pay 2 - 3 bucks a slice, go hunt this place down and get a whole loaf for 5 bucks. A perfect price point for visiting your friends place or a snack for your colleagues at work.

Monte Cristo Bakery
1738 Gilmore Ave
Burnaby. BC

Hours Tues - Fri 930-530,
Sat 9-5

I win.

Vancouver Slop 1 - Starbucks 0

Katkam Large

2010-07-22T03:50:00.000-07:00

Katkam Large

ANNUAL HOMAGE TO THE FIRE GODS

2010-07-21T21:39:00.000-07:00

http://imgur.com/3jSN9

2010-07-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

http://imgur.com/3jSN9: "

Church Gives Away Secret to Meeting Jesus in Person

made popular: 3 weeks ago"

THE COOK'S CHAIR AWAITS

2010-07-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

MORE BBQ ARTISTRY LATER...

The obscene battle-cry of a Ming Dynasty war hero

2010-07-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

The obscene battle-cry of a Ming Dynasty war hero: "
Here's a close-up of an image that's been making the rounds of forums and microblogs over the past few months:

Yuan Chonghuan's famous slogan

Yuan Chonghuan (袁崇焕) was a Ming Dynasty general famous for defeating Nurhaci at the Battle of Ningyuan, which put a temporary halt to the Manchu invasion.

Yuan's ancestral home in Dongguan, Guanggdong, has been turned into a memorial park. Inscribed on the base of a stone statue of Yuan is his battle-cry, shown in the above photo. The text:

掉哪媽！頂硬上！

FUCK HIS MOM! HIT THE HARD!

“頂硬上”成了輕騎護京的主旋律，“掉哪媽”成了眾人罵昏君的助語詞。

'Hit the hard' as the main melody of Yuan's army when they hurried to the capital to rescue the country, And 'fuck his mom' became the starting word for cursing fatuous emperors.

The translation isn't perfect, but unlike many previous examples, the profanity is entirely appropriate.

'掉哪妈' (diu na ma) is a widely used colloquial Cantonese expression that has a variety of written forms. The character 掉 is used in place of 屌 (diu2, 'penis' as a noun, and 'fuck' as a verb), but is now a far less common substitute than 丢 or 刁. (In Hong Kong, the recent construction [門+小] is often used.)

Here's how the Cantonese Profanity Research Web explains the phrase:

As written, it literally means 'fuck your mother' (那 na is a fusion of 你阿 nei a: 你阿媽 nei ama, 'your mother'), but it is not ordinarily meant as an insult, but is mainly used instead to express anger, displeasure, astonishment, disappointment, and so forth...the tone is similar to the Mandarin 他妈的 (tamade, 'His mother's...') or 他奶奶的 (tanainaide, 'His granny's...').

Yuan Chonghuan's statue at his ancestral home

'Hit the Hard,' on the other hand, is a simply a mechanical mistranslation of an exhortation to forge stubbornly onward. The phrase has been called an encapsulation of the 'Cantonese Spirit,' and it appears in a coolie chant cited in various places online:

嗨呀嗨哟，顶硬上啰，鬼叫你穷啊

Hi-yo, hi-yo. Go all out! No one told you to be poor!

So Yuan Chonghuan's battle-cry, supposedly uttered when his superiors ordered a general retreat to Shanhaiguan as the Manchu armies were closing in on Ningyuan, could conceivably be translated as 'Fuck that! We'll give it all we've got!'

Links and Sources

Noman's Sina Microblog: Statue of Yuan Chonghuan in Dongguan, original image
Cantonese Profanity Research Web (Chinese): diu na ma explanation
Guangzhou Daily (Chinese): 'Go all out' as the 'Cantonese Spirit' (2003)
Wikipedia: Diu (Cantonese), Yuan Chonghuan
Baidu Baike (Chinese): 顶硬上

Tags: Dongguan, profanity, translation, Yuan Chonghuan

This article is from Danwei.org.

tweet
facebook
bookmark
HaoHao digg

Mainland accessible mirror on Danwei.TV

Jobs in China: danweijobs.com

Carter Emmart demos a 3D atlas of the universe - Carter Emmart (2010)

2010-07-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

Carter Emmart demos a 3D atlas of the universe - Carter Emmart (2010): "For the last 12 years, Carter Emmart has been coordinating the efforts of scientists, artists and programmers to build a complete 3D visualization of our known universe. He demos this stunning tour and explains how it's being shared with facilities around the world."

Dell reiterates that Linux is safer than Windows | ZDNet UK

2010-06-30T22:51:00.000-07:00

Dell reiterates that Linux is safer than Windows | ZDNet UK

Hotspots leave magnetic scars on Mars

2010-06-29T03:37:00.000-07:00

Hotspots leave magnetic scars on Mars: "

By Eric Hand

After the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) settled into orbit around the red planet in 1997, a magnetometer on board began sending back measurements that have puzzled planetary scientists ever since. [More]

chicken thighs are HOT

2010-06-26T21:36:00.000-07:00

BURNING MY (potato) BOATS

2010-06-22T22:55:00.000-07:00

CONDO HAS A BBQ BALCONY... cook not included.