Check out the fun Flash cartoon here…

OK.
I admit it!
I want Steve’s cool Rocket Chair.

Kevin Knuth
Albany NY

Speaking of storm cells, here are some fantastic animated simulations bu Ming Xue of the University of Oklahoma.

Kevin Knuth
Albany NY

This is potentially an exciting new medium for the exchanging of ideas.  However, in a world where we have come to believe that everyone’s opinion is somehow worthwhile, this could also be a disaster.  They have imposed some structure which will most likely avert the problems I anticipate here (with only 5 minutes of thought).

BigThink.com has experts providing their opinions along with a set of unanswered questions.  It will be very interesting to see how this progresses—especially in the areas of hot debate.

Kevin Knuth
Albany NY

So don’t be an idiot… get involved in your democracy.
Freedom isn’t free.  (pay attention, vote, run for office)

Now this definition seems to run counter to Mark Twain’s statement “Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”  However, at this time, most people in Congress are more interested in their careers than they are interested in our democracy.  This is evident by the ease with which they make compromises and give up their powers (our powers, since they are our representatives) so that they don’t have to make the hard decisions that may upset voters.  In the original Greek sense of the word, today’s Congress is full of idiots.

My friend James Kurien once told me a quote that goes

“Stop acting like an idiot you moron!” 

What is funny about this is that it is entirely a reasonable thing to say since by today’s definition, a moron (50 < IQ < 69) is slightly more intelligent than an idiot (IQ < 20). 
Apparently morons are the people who vote.

Kevin Knuth
Albany NY

Both Joe and Ron have recommended Cook’s Illustrated:
http://www.cooksillustrated.com/

They have excellent recipes, and Joe has pointed out that they take a scientific approach to cooking… something I can appreciate!
Here is an example:

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes with Leeks and Chives

The Problem: Merely replacing the butter and cream with buttermilk to create tangy, creamy buttermilk mashed potatoes doesn’t work–the finished potatoes are curdled, crumbly, chalky, and dry.

The Goal: We wanted mashed potatoes with buttermilk’s trademark distinctive tang, but we also wanted mashed potatoes creamy and flavorful enough to be worth eating.

The Solution: Many recipes for buttermilk mashed potatoes remove so much butter that the potatoes taste lean and lack creaminess. We started by restoring just enough butter to save our mashed potatoes from this fate. We then tackled the curdling problem. Buttermilk curdles at 160 degrees; a temperature reached almost instantly when the cold liquid hits steaming-hot potatoes. By adding the butter, melted, to room-temperature buttermilk, we coated the proteins in the buttermilk and protected them from the heat shock that causes curdling. We also simplified the recipe by choosing peeled and cut Yukon Gold potatoes rather than using unpeeled russets (our usual choice for mashed potatoes). Because Yukon Golds have less starch and are less absorbent than russets, they don’t become soggy and thinned out when simmered without their jackets.

Bon Appetite!
Kevin Knuth
Albany NY