"Is it still raining, my love?" written by Tinypliny on estrip.org

06/04/11 12:56 - ID#54421

Is it still raining, my love?

Yes, and I am bored to death of rains in what is supposed to be summer.

PS: If you have not watched Bleak House, you should. There are fewer series as wonderfully done as this adaptation and Gillian Anderson is absolutely flawless as Lady Dedlock.

Permalink: Is_it_still_raining_my_love_.html
Words: 49
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 06/04/11 01:26

Category: eating in

06/03/11 08:24 - ID#54418

Best Dark Chocolate Bar at Walgreens

Is Lindt 85% Dark chocolate.

It is probably the only chocolate bar at Walgreens (@Delaware & North) that does not have cloying amounts of sugar and soy lecithin and whatnots that yuck-ify all dark chocolate.

It would have been awesome had they carried the 90% Lindt or even the 85% Valrhona, but they don't. So in their whole dark chocolate inventory, Lindt 85% easily stands heads and shoulders above all the rest.

And yes, I have now sampled each and every single dark chocolate bar they carry or have ever carried (some of them multiple times) so I declare myself a Walgreens (@Delaware & North) dark chocolate expert.

PS: I admit that I am not a Walgreens (@Delaware & North) expert in chocolate bars other than the dark ones - because I think all non-dark chocolate is mediocre by definition.

Permalink: Best_Dark_Chocolate_Bar_at_Walgreens.html
Words: 136
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 06/03/11 08:39

Category: science

06/03/11 10:42 - ID#54411

Birdsong and microRNA.

I was recently reading an article about how birdsong influences the expression of small RNAs called... microRNA that in turn, influences gene expression.

It's absolutely fascinating. If you think about it, everything happens with gene-expression. Every little sound or image or any sensory input we receive from outside changes and temper the way our genes express in an ever-changing interaction.

I wonder what an intense episode of stress does to our immune-system related genes... Does it promote allergic reactions? Does it suppress the immune-system in a counter-productive move? I have this slight inkling of a doubt that this year, my escalating stress, nightmares about graduating and complete lack of restful sleep day in and day out is probably the primary cause of all my out-of-the-blue allergies.

I have never had allergies to ANYthing before. I usually cope with stress well... but then I have also had family around me in the past to buffer most extreme stressful times. I have sailed through most 40 hour shifts with nothing more than sore throats in the past. But I think if I had to do those shifts now, I would fall seriously sick. Things have changed so much.

So coming back to microRNAs, I wonder how microRNA influenced gene-expression charts the course of body physiology and especially, immune-system function. Sounds like an excellent future avenue ripe for investigation - especially since we can knock some of these microRNAs out with drugs...

Permalink: Birdsong_and_microRNA_.html
Words: 243
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 06/03/11 10:42

Category: music

06/03/11 09:56 - ID#54410

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

Puts her spin on Charles Dickens

I saw no shadow ...
I saw nooo shadowwwwwwwwwwwww ...
I saw noooooooo shadooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwww ...
of another parting ...
from her.

Someday I want to find out if I can belt out a simple operatic tune. Maybe when all this messy academic phase is past and I am a decade older (and not dead or sick with cancer and chemotherapy-related side-effects) I want to take some voice training and see how long I can draw my breath out into a loooonnng note in tune.

Permalink: Dame_Kiri_Te_Kanawa.html
Words: 88
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 06/03/11 10:09

Category: eating out

06/03/11 09:42 - ID#54409

Aunt Jemima Waffles: Take 2

Turns out that the ingredient list and the nutrient profile I posted for Aunt Jemima Blueberry waffles in my last journal were from some older versions of their waffles. They were the ones available online on the Aunt Jemima website. I should have proof-read them more carefully. I vaguely remember thinking that this was not what I saw on the box as I posted the waffle battle journal. But I put that thought on hold because I went back to some number-crunching and r-coding before I dropped into unconsciousness at my desk.

I was surprised when (e:Paul) pointed out the tertiary-Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) in the list. Because I distinctly remember the box saying "no preservatives". So here are the real photos of the Aunt Jemima Blueberry Waffles box I bought yesterday.

Check: No preservatives.

And 10 calories less that what I posted. They really changed the recipÃ©.

Permalink: Aunt_Jemima_Waffles_Take_2.html
Words: 154
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 06/03/11 09:48

Category: eating out

06/02/11 10:05 - ID#54408

Aunt Jemima Vs. Eggo: Waffle Battle

I dreamt about waffles for 3 days in a row till it got out of hand today morning. I could smell them while I was eating apples. I examined hormonal and physiological reasons behind the craving hoping to expose the irrationality of it all. I even considered my new anti-allergy buddy Claritin as one of the culprits behind the craving.

But in the end, I am sorry to say, the waffle craving totally won out. I trotted straight from work to Pricerite to get frozen waffles. I was then faced with CHOICES!

I thought Eggo was the only one who made waffles. But no. There were Aunt Jemima waffles battling for my attention as well. Regardless of the majority vote in this thread:

I chose Aunt Jemima. The nutritional profiles were pretty similar.

Eggo Blueberry Waffles Nutrition data:

Aunt Jemima Blueberry Waffles Nutrition data:

The ingredient list was also rather similar

Aunt Jemima waffles ingredients:
INGREDIENTS: ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, ARTIFICIALLY FLAVORED BLUEBERRY BITS (SUGAR, DEXTROSE, SOYBEAN OIL WITH TBHQ, SOY PROTEIN, SALT, CITRIC ACID, CELLULOSE GUM, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, MALIC ACID, RED 40 LAKE, BLUE 2 LAKE), SUGAR, WHEY. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: LEAVENING (SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, SODIUM BICARBONATE [SOY LECITHIN]), WHOLE EGGS, CALCIUM CARBONATE, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, SALT, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, CORN STARCH, COLORED WITH (YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6), FORITIFIED WITH (REDUCED IRON, NIACINAMIDE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE [VITAMIN B6], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2] , THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], CYANOCOBALAMIN [VITAMIN B12]), NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR (DEXTROSE, CORN STARCH, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS), SOY LECITHIN. CONTAINS: SOY, EGGS, MILK, WHEAT

But somehow, I chose Aunt Jemima because the phrase "Aunt Jemima" invoked a friendly image of some homely aunt making a fresh batch of waffles in the morning. Aunt Jemima won the battle on psychological grounds.

tinypliny writes at 06:52:48 06/04/11 - Comment #62765: We have an "Amma" brand of snacks in India and Mother's pickles. Both are built on the grounds that mums make awesome food. They are branded to make the customer psychologically choose that brand over other generic named ones. I thought this might be similar... but apparently the race connotations are still there, going by what you wrote.

tinypliny writes at 06:48:24 06/04/11 - Comment #62764: You really think about slaves and what nots when you see the Aunt Jemima brand!? Wow. That comes as a revelation to me. I thought the brand was just about "homeliness" as a construct - like the waffles were made by family and not by some nameless company. But apparently that's not the connotation for Americans. It blows my mind.

metalpeter writes at 05:54:08 06/04/11 - Comment #62758: Great Link (e:heidi)

The thing with product and spokes people is they all have a certain feel.. That brand to me has been that you have this servant and sometimes a slave who raises you kids and takes care of those kids and even though they are loved (maybe abused that was ok back then when women or kids or wife stepped out of line) as a family member they are still not thought of as an equal (think about how you love a dog or cat or some family animal some people refer to them as kids and if you out live it there is lots of pain but even if it shares your bed and goes everywhere with you it isn't your equal).. In the past there where Families where the help sees the kids more then the parents do... Now in some families still today you have some one who you call aunt or uncle who really isn't...... That is how I think of that brand same thing with Ms. Butterworths.... When I was in high School I heard this same type of Character was why Tom and Jerry was taken off the air.... Granted in the few I say you never saw all of her just like the broom up....

tinypliny writes at 02:22:39 06/03/11 - Comment #62718: I swear no one can enjoy a simple box of waffles just because they are tasty without all the race drama being dragged all over some icon on the food box. I feel a rant coming on... but I need to put that on hold till I am done with my workload for today and probably the whole weekend.

Anyway, the short form of the rant is that I contest dear Prof. M.M. Manring's assertion that "Her continued appeal in the late twentieth century is a more complex and disturbing phenomenon we may never fully understand." It maybe disturbing but it's not so complex to understand the charm and attraction that processed food holds for the population and definitely not for the reasons that Prof. Manning seems to think. To dig out racism where it doesn't exist is really atrocious trouble-making.

heidi writes at 11:57:11 06/03/11 - Comment #62713: A little history on "Aunt Jemima" :::link:::
:::link:::

tinypliny writes at 11:48:44 06/03/11 - Comment #62712: I asked because one of my brother's colleague had a fuse meltdown because of his wafflemaker. I have had a few fuse-meltdowns because of my tea kettle. It's 1500 W - more than some small microwaves. It boils water in around a minute or even less but that kind of efficiency comes at a cost.

tinypliny writes at 11:46:29 06/03/11 - Comment #62711: It's so strange. The Aunt Jemima waffle website has this nutrition information right after their front page proclaims that everything is made with love and not preservatives. Maybe love = TBHQ these days... :::link:::

heidi writes at 11:46:15 06/03/11 - Comment #62710: toaster-level? No, I don't know. I think it's living in my storage unit in PA right now.

tinypliny writes at 11:45:14 06/03/11 - Comment #62709: Very cute! :) Just out of curiousity, do you know what the wattage is?

heidi writes at 11:35:33 06/03/11 - Comment #62708: It's kinda like this, but a much older model. :::link:::

tinypliny writes at 08:46:31 06/03/11 - Comment #62695: Heart-shaped waffles? How cool is that?!! Is it cast iron?

tinypliny writes at 08:45:46 06/03/11 - Comment #62694: Oh man, I totally posted the wrong (and older) ingredients yesterday. They revised the Aunt Jemima waffles to go "almost natural" and now the ingredient list is not so scary. That is partly why I got it (in addition to the crazy cravings). New post with actual photos of the box coming up. :)

heidi writes at 01:55:26 06/03/11 - Comment #62693: I also like the Eggo minis and the little toast-shaped ones. I like to dip them in maple syrup instead of pouring the syrup on them. yum!

heidi writes at 01:54:12 06/03/11 - Comment #62692: Yeah, about 6:

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs, separated
:::link:::

I have the cutest heart-shaped waffle maker that I bought at my neighbor's yardsale. It makes me smile :-) The recipe we've used is for buttermilk waffles. I must have the recipe somewhere. So yummy, esp with real maple syrup (best if you know which trees it's from).

paul writes at 01:22:15 06/03/11 - Comment #62687: That ingredient list is so gross. I would never eat that. Shouldn't waffles have like 4 ingredients. Whats up with frozen things being so gross they also need preservatives like TBHQ.

Permalink: Aunt_Jemima_Vs_Eggo_Waffle_Battle.html
Words: 313
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 06/03/11 12:49

Category: grocery

06/02/11 02:41 - ID#54403

Guercio and Sons, Buffalo, NY

Now have a website!!! You know you want to click through:

They have most of their formerly mysterious wholesale catalogue online:

I know for a fact it's not for restaurants alone. You can get fresh cases of salads and chocolate or whatever you like from them if you can consume that much. I have, in the past, eaten their mesclun salads with every meal for a whole month till I finished the case. :-)

And they carry the whole range of Ecce Panis Artisan breads:

Now, if only they would take online orders and allow me to pay with credit, I don't have to trek all the way to Grant Street for my Guercio fix. :)

Permalink: Guercio_and_Sons_Buffalo_NY.html
Words: 131
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 06/02/11 03:11

Category: eating in

06/01/11 07:14 - ID#54399

Pots and Pans: nth iteration

I have been learning a lot about stainless steel cookware these past few days. The best guide to pots and pans on the whole internet is arguably this page:

Apparently, when you are buying stainless steel pots and pans, it better to get tri-ply construction for the entire pan (bottom as well as walls) instead of an encapsulated bottom alone. Food is more likely to burn or cook non-uniformly where the encapsulation ends.

According to most cooking pan guides I read through, a complete copper tri-ply with stainless steel is the best type of cooking pan construction but is quite impractical for people on a budget. It is almost like buying a pan made fully out of one of the "precious" metals. The next best thing is aluminium tri-ply construction.

Riveted handles are better. So are pots and pans made of 18/10 (Chromium/Nickel) stainless steel.

Looks like

satisfies pretty much all of those criteria... and doesn't break the budget.

Permalink: Pots_and_Pans_nth_iteration.html
Words: 182
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 06/01/11 07:14

Category: the odes

06/01/11 04:43 - ID#54397

e:matthew, did you see this?

You would like "Young Victoria" very much. :-)

I agree with all the praise heaped on that poster. And I love that royal purple. An awesome colour, in general.

Permalink: e_matthew_did_you_see_this_.html
Words: 34
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 06/01/11 04:43

Category: dance

06/01/11 11:35 - ID#54395

Stretching Everyday

I now think stretching is the key to being fit. Every element of ballet and yoga that make me feel awesome about myself involve stretching in some form. I think this post summarizes the value of stretching:

Also has this nifty basic stretches diagram:

What if you used every small timespan of just twiddling your thumbs to stretch a muscle instead? How many stretches could you accumulate in a day? How much fitness would you gain? What if you stretched whenever you remembered to throughout the week, throughout the month, pretty much whenever it was feasible? Would it make a difference to your body?

I am going to find out!! Mid-year resolution #1!

libertad writes at 06:49:28 06/02/11 - Comment #62677: She is a trainer that specializes in motivational interviewing, she is doing the stretching as a side thing.

heidi writes at 10:29:55 06/01/11 - Comment #62676: Unlimited summer yoga passes now to Aug. 31 $70!!! :::link::: I already got mine. I am committing myself to one yoga class each week during bar review. Wednesdays are most likely but there's one Tuesday nights that looks like it might be an okay alternative.

tinypliny writes at 08:04:04 06/01/11 - Comment #62675: They have a PhD for physical trainers? Why am I not doing such a cool PhD programme?!

libertad writes at 07:52:04 06/01/11 - Comment #62671: It was just me and someone else from my office with the PHD trainer they hired, it really did seem helpful to do that this morning. We did it in the short period of time when we get there and when the phone lines open. She is hoping to do this twice a week with a couple people each time.

tinypliny writes at 06:52:50 06/01/11 - Comment #62663: Unfortunately, no :( I have too much on my mind... I don't think I can afford the 1.5 hour today. I am promising myself that I will go regularly from next week till the end of summer...

paul writes at 06:36:26 06/01/11 - Comment #62661: Speaking of stretching - are you going tonight?

tinypliny writes at 05:40:44 06/01/11 - Comment #62659: That is funny, (e:libertad)! Was it for your office alone or for the whole institute?

tinypliny writes at 05:40:14 06/01/11 - Comment #62658: Well.. stretching is exercise. The best form there is! :)

metalpeter writes at 05:37:19 06/01/11 - Comment #62655: A couple of those stretches look a lot like a couple exercises....

libertad writes at 02:40:46 06/01/11 - Comment #62647: That's funny you wrote this today. Today at the start of my work day we went outside and did stretches and simple yoga poses. They are testing allowing us to do this a couple of times a week. We shall see how long that lasts. It was a really nice surprise this morning.

Permalink: Stretching_Everyday.html
Words: 118
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 06/01/11 11:35