But really, no wine is a bad wine - except for the corked ones

According to the results of this test, I'm a sensitive taster, who prefers her wines dry, with moderate intensity, moderate fruit, moderate oak, moderate tannins, and balanced acidity.

You know what? It's pretty spot on.




Budometer - A wine guide for the rest of us

Sure, it started with Chuck, but I prefer Vin

This is an oldie-but-a-goodie. I can spend hours on this one. I do not quite know what that says about me.

Random Fact Generator: Vin Diesel

In case you kick it mega-old school, there is a link on that page for the Chuck Norris version, as well as Mr. T. Clicking on the stars to vote will refresh the page to the next random fact.

Not speaking the Queen's English, though

Apparently, I'm 45% General American English, 30% Yankee, 15% Dixie, 5% Upper Midwestern, 0% Midwestern. I sort of blame living on the East coast for the Yankee bit. I don't know what/who I can blame for the Dixie, though.

What kind of American English do you speak?

Find out your Rock Star Name

No addiction to Rock Band would be complete, otherwise.

Rock Star Name Generator

More genius ideas with bacon

So, at first, the idea of bacon ice cream sounds gross. But - if you have ever had pig candy (otherwise known as sweet-and-spicy bacon), you'll know that bacon with brown sugar caramelized atop is actually a food of the gods. From there, it's really not that far a leap to bacon ice cream.




Candied bacon ice cream

Oddly this comes from an anger management site

This game is extremely bloody, and more than a little disturbing. But that is what makes it so funny. The best part about this game is that it has a 'cleaner' after your kill.

Please do not play this game if you are actually going to kill your boss. No one needs that kind of law suit.

Whack Your Boss

This site really should be titled "Stuff Yuppies Like"

The post about t-shirts fits one of my ex-boyfriends to a tee (ah, bad pun, sorry), but I met my comeuppance with the post about graduate school.

Stuff White People Like

Logic and Murder, the perfect duo!

This site has a couple of free logic games with murderous consequences for failure. This makes losing even more fun than winning.

Wolf and Sheep

(The image is from www.ncvoter.net)

Trailer for Stephen Chow's latest

I am an obsessive fan of Stephen Chow. I find 'Kung Fu Hustle' to be one of the greatest action (action/comedy) movies ever made - and, to boot, it broke box office records in China, coming in second only to 'Titanic'. So imagine how psyched I was to hear that his latest was coming to America - a film called 'CJ7' that mixes E.T. and kung fu! What could be more awesome?

Watch the trailer for Stephen Chow's CJ7 in HD
by SonyPictures

Check it out while you can - it is only in limited theatres and may soon be gone. I must now spend fruitless hours combing the web for the stuffed animal version of the cute alien dog named CJ7.

You have to love someone who wrote that "salad is a silent killer"

I have long been a fan of Jeffrey Steingarten - a Harvard- and MIT-educated lawyer-turned-culinary critic/columnist. The first article of his I remember reading was this absolutely lyrical piece on the perfect espresso - in Vogue, of all places. He has two books, The Man who Ate Everything, and It Must Have Been Something I Ate: The Return of the Man who Ate Everything, which are both compliations of essays written for Vogue and other magazines. He is known for his "strong opinions and obsessive techniques," and his articles about making the perfect bread, catching bluefin tuna so he can eat as much o-toro as he wants, and yes - how salad is a silent killer - are all must-reads.

In case you're interested, the bit on espresso (reprinted in his second book):

The taste of espresso is bittersweet, with an initial impression of acidity. From your first sip, the aroma is intense and explosive. Afterward, you are left with a very pleasurable coffee taste that can last for half an hour. The predominant flavors are caramel, flowers (including jasmine), fruit, chocolate, honey, and toast - but only if you do everything exactly right. One false step and you are totally doomed. One false step and you will never taste the jasmine.

I almost applied to be his assistant a couple of years ago before I realized that I would technically be a freelancer for Vogue - which meant no benefits and probably a crappy salary to boot. I very nearly did so anyways.

More videos with Jeffrey Steingarten, from Serious Eats

Boomshine

The music and colors are absolutely mesmerizing and relaxing - until you get to level 12 and can't get the 55 out of 60 circles. Then it becomes slightly stressful. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Boomshine

In case you feel like your education was lacking

I totally loaded my iPod with a zillion courses from MIT until I realized I had no more room for music. So, I only keep a couple on there at a time because there are so many lectures a girl can take. Nothing makes me feel smarter, though, and nerdier, to choose to listen to a lecture instead of the latest Access Hollywood update.

Universities with the best free online courses

(Picture is of MIT prof, Walter H.G. Lewin)

Star Wars according to a 3-year-old

Perhaps it's saying something that the first thing I thought after viewing this was: where can I find her to tell stories for my disseration?

A webseries about living in the dorms

We all remember the days. Some of us will never be able to forget, no matter how hard we try. I couldn't choose a favorite episode, so I have posted the series link below. My personal favorite character is the extremely bizarre roommate to the main character. The actor somehow combines the otherness of John Malkovich with the grossness of John "Bluto" Belushi from Animal House into amazingness. Start with episode one, rinse, repeat.

Dorm Life

Recreational penguin torture, the game

I used to be able to play this game and answer phones at the same time. Now, that is a skill.



Penguin baseball

It's all about the bouncing balls

I apologize in advance for this game. But Peggle got me through my qualifying exams. There might have been a point where I was playing Peggle instead of writing. Perhaps.

It was rated as one of the top 5 most addictive games by MSNBC as well as ranking #40 in PC Games top 100 games.

Peggle

A short film about an unusual job interview

ADVISORY - this short film has R-rated language...making it very, very funny.

Mano a Mano

Brilliant ideas involving bacon

Sure, you could serve a salad in them and pretend they are healthy. Or, you could just enjoy the fact that there is now another great idea for bacon.

Bacon cups

In case you need help deciding what to do

You always end up in the same place at the end.

Procrastination flow chart