22 January 2007

Two Things

I have two things to share, one entertaining and the other enlightening. This is appropriate, as the SPOTD has always been about entertaining and informing, not always in that order. First I would like to send a shout out to SPOTD sister-in-law Lillie Biesinger (see her excellent blog) for begging me to do this. I listen to my public.

Item 1:
Eric Snider is a humor columnist and movie critic. Every year he attends Sundance Film Festival, publishing funny diaries of his experiences there. In preparation for this visit he wrote a column, The Audubon Society's Guide to Celebrity Watching. An excerpt:

Not many celebrities are indigenous to Utah. The air is too thin, the liquor too inaccessible. They prefer to live in the more fertile climes of California. The few celebrities that are native to the Beehive State tend to be lesser sub-species, like Wilford Brimley. And the types rarely mix: If Wilford Brimley were to try to join a pack of Hollywood celebrities, they would tear his ample, walrusy flesh from his bones.


It is funny and timely. Read more here.

Item 2:
This item is pleasing because it describes a practice that I adopted several years ago (on the recommendation of my uber-hygienic mother- zapping my kitchen sponge in the microwave:

Sponges and kitchen scrub brushes can be loaded with disease-causing viruses and bacteria. So microwave them, scientists say.
Researchers soaked sponges and scrubbers in a disgusting brew of raw wastewater containing fecal bacteria, viruses, protozoan parasites and bacterial spores, including Bacillus cereus spores—known for being very hard to kill with heat, chemicals and even radiation.
Zapping at full power for two minutes killed or inactivated 99 percent of living pathogens. It took 4 minutes to destroy the B. cereus spores.


It's fun to feel ahead of the curve. One of the scientists quoted is from the University of Florida in Gainesville.

By the way, thanks to Lillie, Rachelle (other SPOTD sister-in-law), and anyone else who has commented. It's fun to see your thoughts.

1 comment:

rachelle said...

Always willing to offer my thoughts. The trick is remembering to check your blog. :)