FDA approved
Monday, December 17, 2007
Absinthe is Back!
From my local paper:
--
I'd heard all the stories about absinthe.
I'd heard the legends of how it's supposed to make you go crazy. I read breathless tales of hallucinations and visions. I knew about the greats of modern art and literature, who swore by it as their chemical muse.
Oh, and I also knew about how it's been illegal to import or serve in this country for about the last century.
Is it any wonder I couldn't wait to try it?
After decades as a banned substance, absinthe, the "green fairy" to aficionados, is back on the market and in local stores after the federal government lifted its ban earlier this year.
Hoping to find out what all the fuss is about, I got in touch with Dennis Vasconcelos, liquor manager at Julio's Liquors in Westborough.
The store actually carries two brands of the newly-legal anise-flavored liquor, Lucid and Kubler, both of which sell for upward of $55 a bottle.
To really get the absinthe vibe, though, I need to taste this once-forbidden fruit.
With Vaconcelos' help, I decided set up a taste-test. That's when I got my first lesson in absinthe.
Unlike other liquors, absinthe isn't enjoyed straight-up. There's a preparation that goes along with the drink, one absinthe fans say is as important as the liquor itself.
After pouring about an ounce of absinthe in a glass, Vasconcelos brought out a flat, slotted "absinthe spoon" which he carefully placed over the glass and topped with a sugar cube.
Ice-cold water is then poured over the sugar, dissolving it, and turning the formerly light-green drink a milky white. A quick stir later, and I took the plunge.
Was it any good?
If the idea of cramming a dozen intensely-flavored black jellybeans in your mouth appeals to you, this is your drink. Unfortunately for me, the anise flavor was intense enough to be overpowering.
It was a reaction Vasconcelos said he's seen before.
"We don't see too many adults (buying it)," he said. "It's more college kids. But there are some people who like Sambuca (who also like absinthe). But now it's everyone. We've got adults asking about it.
"One of the wine guys here tried it, and he's in love with it. It's an acquired taste."
What about the stories of hallucinations and crazed rampages?
Pure myth, say Vasconcelos and experts.
When banned, absinthe opponents portrayed the drink as an addictive drug, pointing to thujone, a chemical byproduct of distilling wormwood and a main ingredient in absinthe, as the culprit behind hallucinations and violent acts of absinthe drinkers.
Modern chemists believe such stories are exaggerated, saying tests show low levels of thujone in even vintage absinthe.
Rather, many point to a wine shortage in France during the 1880s and 1890s, during which many wine drinkers switched to the much-stronger absinthe, as one of the main culprits behind the anti-absinthe movement.
With the ban on the liquor lifted, absinthe seems to be enjoying something of a renaissance.
Despite a taste that takes some getting used to, the stuff has been flying off shelves since arriving, something Vasconcelos attributes to the myths around the liquor, and its illegal reputation.
In just two weeks, he said, the stores have sold out of the Kubler brand, and has sold nearly a case of Lucid, the brand I tried. In recent days, Julio's also added a third brand, Absinto Camargo, to shelves.
"If it wasn't illegal to buy it ... it wouldn't be as popular," Vasconcelos said. "It's all myth and marketing. But if you can sell six bottles in two weeks, that's pretty good."
QuaterBack's
God asks Peyton Manning first: "What do you
believe?"
Peyton thinks long and hard, looks God in the
eye, and says,
"I believe in hard work, and in staying true to
family and friends. I
believe in giving. I was lucky, but I always
tried to do right by my
fans."
God can't help but see the essential goodness of
Manning, and offers him a
seat to his left.
Then God turns to Tony Romo and says, "What do
you believe?"
Tony says, "I believe passion, discipline,
courage and honor are the
fundamentals of life. I, too, have been lucky,
but win or lose, I've al
ways tried to be a true sportsman, both on and
off the playing fields."
God is greatly moved by Tony's sincere eloquence,
and he offers him a seat
to his right.
Finally, God turns to Tom Brady: "And you, Tom,
what do you believe?"
Tom replies, "I believe you're in my seat."
This is one Bad Ass
These pictures came from a guy in AZ. His mule killed a mountain lion. The lion had been stalking them for the better part of the morning, on the way out to a hunt. They were pretty sure it was after one of the dogs. The cat ambushed them, and the mule pictured tossed its rider and went into attack (defense) mode. The horses scattered and shots were fired, but no one was sure if they hit the cat or not. Unfortunately, it wasn't until it was almost over that one of the guys started snapping pictures. The mule finally stomped the cougar to death after biting and throwing it around like a rag doll. The dogs wouldn't even come close until the mule settled down.
10 Hot All-In-One Computers on the Market Today
My buddy has the SONY LS - it is very nice!!
If you’ve ever used an all-in-one computer, you probably know how ridiculously convenient they can be. One box, usually the monitor, acts as your “tower,” display and speakers. That means USB and other ports are conveniently located within arms reach. All-In-One PCs have been around since the days of the Atari 800, yet new technology has created a new class of computers.
These new PCs are hardly any thicker than the average LCD monitor, yet they incorporate nearly every part of your computer in a slim and sleek package. Just add a mouse and keyboard to the equation and you’re ready to roll.
- The iMac: The iMac is Apple’s all in one computer. It comes in 20″ and 24″ varieties, both widescreen. The smaller of the two houses a 2.0-2.4 GHz Core2Duo, 1GB-4GB of memory, and up to 750 GB of storage. The larger version includes an optional 2.8 GHz Core2 Extreme and up to 1 TB of storage. Base price is $1200 for the 20″ version and $1800 for the larger one.
- The HP TouchSmart IQ775: This media center PC houses a 1.9 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 Processor, 2GBs of memory, 500GB of storage, and a 19″ touchscreen. It is among the fist media center PCs to take full advantage of Microsoft Vista’s touchscreen support. The HP TouchSmart costs $1,600 in its only configuration.
- The Dell XPS One: The Dell XPS One features a 20″ widescreen display, and 2GB of DDR2 RAM. It is available with an optional Blu-ray burner and up to 500GB in hard drive space.
- The Gateway One: In its sleek body, the Gateway One houses a 2GHz Core 2 Duo, a 500GB HDD. It also has an ATI Radeon HD 2600XT, and up to 4GB ram. It also features great cable management system as well as a removable back panel. However, its 1440 x 900 is among the worst in its class.
- The Q42: A high end PC in an aluminum 42″ 1080p display. It includes 1 Terrabyte of hard drive space, an Intel Core 2 Duo and 2GB of RAM, all stuffed into a three inch thick enclosure with no fans.
- Sony LT and LS series: The LT houses a 1.5-2.2GHz Core2Duo, up to 4 GB RAM, and a 320GB hard drive, all behind a 22″ widescreen display. The LS is similarly spec’d, but with a 19 inch screen. Both PCs use glass to create a “floating PC” look and they are both wall mountable.
- The Averatec All-In-One: Standard All-In-One PC with a Pentium 4 processor, no dedicated graphics card, and Windows XP. Although somewhat dated, it seems like a solid computer, especially if the price is right.
- The Cybernet All-In-One PC: The Cybernet All-In-One comes in 17 and 19 inch varieties. The 19 inch Model comes with optional touch screen. All varieties can be attached to a wall, making them perfect for hospitals and industrial environments. The only down side is the Pentium D processor.
- The Tangent VITA 3200W: This television houses a 3GHz Pentium D processor, 4GB DDR2 RAM, and up to 500GB storage. The Tangent VITA is available in 32″ and 42″ varieties, both running at 1280 x 768.
- The Cybernet All-In-One PC (Inside a Keyboard): Usually the All-In-One PC includes a monitor but no keyboard and mouse. This All-In-One PC includes the keyboard and mouse, but no monitor. The Cybernet All-In-One Keyboard boasts a Pentium 4 Processor, 2 GB RAM, and a 500GB Hard Drive.
OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL: BMW X6 to debut at Detroit
click above image to see high-res gallery of the BMW X6
BMW's big Detroit debut will be the production X6 Sports Activity Coupe (unsurprisingly, BMW avoids the somewhat unbecoming "SAC" acronym), which will be arriving in US showrooms sometime during the second quarter of 2008. When it does, buyers get two flavors to choose from. The xDrive50i is powered by a new twin-turbo, direct-injected 4.4L V8 pumping out 400-horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque. The xDrive35i, meanwhile, gets the automaker's acclaimed 300-hp TT inline six-cylinder. Dynamic Performance Control is a standard feature that can direct torque to either rear wheel, further aiding steering in both dry weather and sloppier conditions. Design-wise, the production X6 looks pretty much just like the hybrid-equipped concept version we saw earlier this year. Basically, it's a larger "X" model with a coupe roofline. Not bad, as SUVs go, but the sloping roof obviously forces owners to compromise some space in the name of style. Still, the driver and three friends can stow their golf clubs in back while riding in comfort. Interior appointments are typical BMW fare, meaning they're quite nice. If you've been in a modern Bimmer, you know precisely what to expect. The X6 is no slug, either, with a manufacturer-claimed 0-60 time of 5.3 seconds for the turbo V8 model. We'll have plenty more to say after we check it out firsthand in a few weeks.
[Source: BMW]
Friday, December 14, 2007
"I'm Gonna Become An Aircraft"
(CBS) Jeb Corliss has leaped from buildings and other places in a single bound.
Now, he plans to do it without the aid of a parachute.
Corliss is a base jumper -- a person who jumps from high places -- but until now, using a parachute.
Corliss has made jumps in 16 countries and five contents, more than 1,000 in all, from the likes of the Eiffel Tower and Golden Gate Bridge.
In April 2006, Corliss was arrested after being stopped from making the Empire State Building observation point a jumping point. A judge dismissed various crimes he was charged with, but Corliss was fired as host of the Discovery Channel's "Stunt Junkies."
His latest venture is trying to jump from a helicopter -- without a parachute.
Believe it or not, Corliss isn't alone in that goal. Several other groups around the globe are eyeing it.
Corliss says he'll wear a wing suit, which makes him look like a flying squirrel. He plans to landing on a specially designed runway he designed. It will cost up to $2 million. Once he gets the funding for his project, he says it could take up to four months to actually pull off. He anticipates trying in Las Vegas.
On The Early Show Wednesday, Corliss told co-anchor Julie Chen, "We need to build a runway to land on. Most aircraft with small wings that are traveling very, very fast need to land on runways. So, that's what we need to do.
"There's about five different groups all over the world working on it. So, we're all a little bit secretive about exactly what we're doing.
"But the easiest way to wrap your head around the concept of what's happening is to think of two sports that are happening right now. . . . During the Winter Olympics, you'll see ski jumpers hit giant jumps and get four-to-six seconds of free-fall time, basically before they make contact with the snow again. And the only reason they're capable of doing that without being injured is that they're landing on a slope, you know? So that gives you kind of an idea.
"The wing suit gives us the ability to fly three feet forward for every foot we fall. And that gives us the ability to fly the angle of a slope."
He added, "A wing suit, basically, is fabric that goes between your arms and between your legs and it changes the shape of your body. So you become, in essence, a flying squirrel.
"And I think that's one of the amazing things about human beings is how quickly we can evolve through technology and through using our minds. If you think about a flying squirrel, it took how many hundreds of thousands of years if not millions of years to evolve the ability to jump from a high altitude and land uninjured. That's what makes people so special is that we don't need to morph our bodies, we create technology and then match skill with that technology to actually pull something like this off."
Corliss says he "absolutely" will carry a parachute, just in case: You're always, for safety purposes, you'll have a parachute so you'll have the option if you're not lined up properly or you've been dropped off in the wrong spot, you'll always be able to open a parachute for safety."
He explains that he plans to land on his belly, suggesting, "Imagine an aircraft -- aircraft don't land on their tails, they land on their bellies. That's exactly what I'm gonna become. I'm gonna become an aircraft' I'm gonna be landing on my belly.
"It's not very realistic to have landing gear like an aircraft does, so what we have to do is, our runway is special. Our runway becomes not only a runway but also becomes our landing gear. You have to be able to control that energy once you set down, and that's what we're developing. We're developing the ability to set down and then control the energy."
Why in the world would Corliss try this?
"I wouldn't I'm doing this because I'm a thrill-seeker. I'm a person who has dreams and my life is based on making those dreams come true. And that's what I focus on."
Now, he plans to do it without the aid of a parachute.
Corliss is a base jumper -- a person who jumps from high places -- but until now, using a parachute.
Corliss has made jumps in 16 countries and five contents, more than 1,000 in all, from the likes of the Eiffel Tower and Golden Gate Bridge.
In April 2006, Corliss was arrested after being stopped from making the Empire State Building observation point a jumping point. A judge dismissed various crimes he was charged with, but Corliss was fired as host of the Discovery Channel's "Stunt Junkies."
His latest venture is trying to jump from a helicopter -- without a parachute.
Believe it or not, Corliss isn't alone in that goal. Several other groups around the globe are eyeing it.
Corliss says he'll wear a wing suit, which makes him look like a flying squirrel. He plans to landing on a specially designed runway he designed. It will cost up to $2 million. Once he gets the funding for his project, he says it could take up to four months to actually pull off. He anticipates trying in Las Vegas.
On The Early Show Wednesday, Corliss told co-anchor Julie Chen, "We need to build a runway to land on. Most aircraft with small wings that are traveling very, very fast need to land on runways. So, that's what we need to do.
"There's about five different groups all over the world working on it. So, we're all a little bit secretive about exactly what we're doing.
"But the easiest way to wrap your head around the concept of what's happening is to think of two sports that are happening right now. . . . During the Winter Olympics, you'll see ski jumpers hit giant jumps and get four-to-six seconds of free-fall time, basically before they make contact with the snow again. And the only reason they're capable of doing that without being injured is that they're landing on a slope, you know? So that gives you kind of an idea.
"The wing suit gives us the ability to fly three feet forward for every foot we fall. And that gives us the ability to fly the angle of a slope."
He added, "A wing suit, basically, is fabric that goes between your arms and between your legs and it changes the shape of your body. So you become, in essence, a flying squirrel.
"And I think that's one of the amazing things about human beings is how quickly we can evolve through technology and through using our minds. If you think about a flying squirrel, it took how many hundreds of thousands of years if not millions of years to evolve the ability to jump from a high altitude and land uninjured. That's what makes people so special is that we don't need to morph our bodies, we create technology and then match skill with that technology to actually pull something like this off."
Corliss says he "absolutely" will carry a parachute, just in case: You're always, for safety purposes, you'll have a parachute so you'll have the option if you're not lined up properly or you've been dropped off in the wrong spot, you'll always be able to open a parachute for safety."
He explains that he plans to land on his belly, suggesting, "Imagine an aircraft -- aircraft don't land on their tails, they land on their bellies. That's exactly what I'm gonna become. I'm gonna become an aircraft' I'm gonna be landing on my belly.
"It's not very realistic to have landing gear like an aircraft does, so what we have to do is, our runway is special. Our runway becomes not only a runway but also becomes our landing gear. You have to be able to control that energy once you set down, and that's what we're developing. We're developing the ability to set down and then control the energy."
Why in the world would Corliss try this?
"I wouldn't I'm doing this because I'm a thrill-seeker. I'm a person who has dreams and my life is based on making those dreams come true. And that's what I focus on."
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved
18 Christmas trees you probably won't see at Grandma's
'Tis the holiday season. While not everyone busts out the real or fake tree, it is always a symbol of the beginning of winter and the end of the calendar year. With the latest generation of kids striving to avoid conforming to the traditional ways of Christmas, new ways of showing off that festive cheer have taken the holiday decorations scene by storm. Click through to see 18 Christmas trees that you probably won't find at Grandma's house this holiday season.
Now this is just lazy.
While it may look brown and gold on the outside, this designer tree by Buro North is actually pretty green on the inside. This tree is 80-percent more environmental friendly than pine trees and is constructed by a low-energy production technique. I'm sure it was designed the the odd-look to cater to the outrageous green-freak hippies out there, obviously.
It doesn't surprise me one bit that this is an actual product. Just about every kind of product is available in USB form and there are actually a couple different varieties of USB Christmas trees. This one specifically is available from Thinkgeek for $12.99. It uses fiber optics for the lights. While the USB compatibility is nice for a desk or office, it can go "wireless" with the assistance of a few AAA batteries.
The Dr. Seuss book How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a cult classic of sorts, if cult classics can exist for holiday children's books. You may not be a grinch towards Christmas, but that doesn't mean this icon for Christmas thievery can't be welcomed into a household that appreciates the Seuss. It is available for $20 from Urban Outfitters. This only begs the question, which animated character has a better whimsical tree — the Grinch or Charlie Brown…
Charlie Brown has the lone task of finding a Christmas tree for the school play in A Charlie Brown Christmas. This is the tree that he returns with much to the ridicule of his peers, but those of us watching can easily feel compassion for Charlie and more so his tree that is more than just a red bulb and few limbs. I want to say that I especially like this real version of Chuck's tree because it helps recognize what the true meaning of Christmas, but in reality I just like it because of the minimalist and small design.
Just because they are futuristic inhabitants of the the Halo universe doesn't mean that they don't deserve a little Christmas tree love. Resting atop this traditional Christmas tree is Master Chief's helmet. This is the helmet worn by Halo's hero, and also serves as the holster for the legendary edition of Halo 3. Previously, this helmet had no use rather than a geeky trophy on your video game shelf. Now it can rest atop a traditional Christmas tree protecting the holiday from the Covenant.
Approximately 400 Mountain Dew cans, three months of consumption and four days of construction were put into the Mountain Dew Christmas Tree. It was constructed rather well using a lot of wire and a central PVC pipe. Lights are strung all around the tree and a single two-liter Mountain Dew bottle sits atop being the star on this sugary tree. But what if you are above the age of 20....
The one advantage of the green bottles used by a select number of beer manufacturers is the ability to built giant green towers. Rather than simply stacking the bottles until someone drunkenly dives into the tower lat the end of the night, a little more thought was put into this beer bottle Christmas tree. More than 100 Grolsch bottles were used in the creation of this tree. And surprisingly it stood long enough for a picture to be taken — one would expect the creators to be a little on the wild side.
Palm trees have been used as Christmas trees by those living in warmer clients for quite some time. I'm not too fond of people who do put up palm trees because they're doing so to spite those of us living in colder climates. Also, a palm tree inside? Maybe I should be the one laughing at you!
The geek-style of tree became popular around the IT crowd, which doesn't help out the stereotypes for said crowds at all. The company IT guy usually has all kinds of spare computer equipment laying around which happens to be perfect for a Christmas tree. It's not just computer parts either, all kinds of gadgets can hang from the limb of a Christmas tree with ease.
These may be the most radical Christmas trees featured and they are also the simplest. Treetopia is offering "funky colored" Christmas trees in lemon-lime, pink, purple, red, silver and black. The only reason to get a tree like this: it matches the paint scheme in your house — any other reason and people may begin questioning your sanity.
The main reason you won't find this Christmas tree at Grandma's is because it probably wouldn't fit. This tree deserves some props because it has a nice story this year and it underwent significant technical changes. Every year trees across the country try out for the job of Rockefeller Center tree, American Idol style, with only one getting the cut. This year it was a persistent neighbor who continually submitted a tree that he didn't even own because he just wanted to see it at the Rock. His persistence paid off and the Simon Cowell of tree selection showed up to this obsessive neighbors house and persuaded the owner to let it go. This year the tree is also wrapped in 30,000 LED light, rather than regular lights of years past. This cuts the power usage by 63-percent. After this tree has done its deed, it will be chopped up and distributed to Habitat to Humanity groups worldwide. See, isn't that nice.
I guess I'm too young to know, but apparently back in the 1950s, people were speculating that the future would have metal Christmas trees. It seems they were right, except for the fact that the human race has not depleted the stock of evergreen coniferous trees and companies like Hammacher Schlemmer only sells these kind of tree to mock those bright-eyed individuals from the 1950s.
The Festivus pole is not necessarily a Christmas tree, but a placeholder for the Christmas tree for Festivus, another December holiday. Festivus was invented by Daniel O'Keefe, a writer and editor for Reader's Digest. It was his son by the same name who gave this holiday some life while being a writer for Seinfeld. Even though it was a fictional creation for the Seinfeld episode, many people who converted to celebrating Festivus and an essential part of this holiday is the pole. The pole is used as opposition to the commercialization of the Christmas tree and was not part of the senior O'Keefe's original Festivus celebration. Much to the dismay of Frank Costanza, the fictional Festivus founder in Seinfeld, the pole has become commercialized now that FestivusPoles.com has been born.
The owner and creator of this traditional, yet uniquely adorned Christmas tree, Perler Bead, is a pretty big old school gaming junkie. How do I know? The Super Mario mural on the wall, of course. Not really, it is the Christmas tree that is completely loaded to the brim up with a variety of homemade 8-bit character ornaments from games such as Bubble Bobble, Pac-Man, Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy and more. Bead will also be selling the ornaments soon on a craft site, just in time for Christmas ornaments to hit the storage bin for another year.
This is a 7-story tall Christmas tree that is constructed out of 350 artificial trees. It took upwards of 70 people five days to complete this beast. It is even decorated. It's huge, it's amazing, and it can likely hold a ton of presents. The most odd factor about this tree is that it was originally a PR stunt for a Chinese yellow pages company four years ago. Success, it seems.
Much like a lot of the trees on the list, surprisingly, the upside down Christmas tree has a bit of history. It was in the 12th century that Europeans would hang a tree from the ceiling during Christmas time. Nine centuries later that schtick has made it to the United States via this upside down pre-lite tree also available from Hammacher Schlemmer. Another tale has stores preferring these type of trees for displaying ornaments while taking up less floor space. This particular one is free-standing, rather than hanging, but it gets the point across. A heavy base keeps the tree from tipping and if you look at it long enough the tree looks like an ugly tornado.
Pac-Man's second appearance in this list is arguably the best. This very geometric Christmas tree can be found at Nuevos Ministerios in Madrid, Spain and utilizes thousands upon thousands of LEDs to create the three-sided scene. Just check out the video to get a full grasp of how big and amazing it is.
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