August 14, 2013
‘Bad Science‘ is a 2008 book by British physician and science writer Ben Goldacre, criticizing mainstream media reporting on health and science issues. The book contains extended and revised versions of many of his ‘Guardian’ columns.
The book discusses topics such as detoxification (Aqua Detox, ear candles etc.) that can easily be shown to be bogus by simple experiments, and discusses the ‘detox phenomenon’ and purification rituals. He also addresses the claims for Brain Gym, a program of specific physical exercises that its commercial promoters claim can create new pathways in the brain. The uncritical adoption of this program by sections of the British school system is derided.
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August 14, 2013
Jenny McCarthy (b. 1972) is an American model, actress, author, and activist. She began her career in 1993 as a nude model for ‘Playboy’ magazine and was later named their Playmate of the Year. McCarthy then parlayed her ‘Playboy’ fame into a television and film acting career.
More recently, she has written books about parenting, and has become an activist promoting research into environmental causes, and alternative medical treatments for autism. She has claimed that vaccines cause autism and that chelation therapy helped cure her son of autism. Both claims are controversial and unsupported by any medical evidence. Additionally, her son’s autism diagnosis is disputed.
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August 13, 2013
‘Citizen Koch‘ is a 2013 documentary film directed by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, concerning the political influence of American plutocrats on the political process following the ‘Citizens United’ Supreme Court decision, which granted corporations the ability to anonymously spend unlimited money to influence public policy and elections.
The film focuses on the eponymous Koch brothers, in particular, and their support for Wisconsin governor Scott Walker, who represents the Citizen Koch in the title. The film also chronicles the rise of the Tea Party movement in response to the election of the first African-American President in 2008.
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August 13, 2013
Foodfight! is a 2012 computer animated family film produced by Threshold Entertainment and directed by Larry Kasanoff. The film features the voices of Charlie Sheen, Wayne Brady, Hilary Duff, and Eva Longoria (additional voices were provided by Bobby Costanza, Chris Kattan, Larry Miller, Christopher Lloyd, Ed Asner, Jerry Stiller, Christine Baranski, Harvey Fierstein, and Cloris Leachman).
It was originally planned for a Christmas 2003 release. ‘Foodfight!’ takes place in the supermarket at night after everyone has left. The grocery store transforms into a city, and from every door of this city comes two types of characters: well-known marketing icons and new characters, including Dex Dogtective (Charlie Sheen), Sunshine Goodness (Hilary Duff) and Daredevil Dan (Wayne Brady).
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August 13, 2013
Jeans are trousers made from denim (a robust textile originating from Nimes in the south of France) or dungaree cloth (a similar cloth used in England since the 17th century, possibly derived from Dongri, a dockside village near Mumbai).
Often the term ‘jeans’ refers to a particular style of trousers, called ‘blue jeans,’ which were invented by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss in 1873. Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys, became popular among teenagers, especially members of the greaser subculture. Historic brands include Levi’s, Lee, and Wrangler.
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August 12, 2013
‘The Day the Clown Cried‘ is an unreleased 1972 film directed by and starring Jerry Lewis. It is based on a script of the same name by Joan O’Brien, who had co-written the original script with Charles Denton ten years previously.
The film was met with controversy regarding its premise and content, which features a circus clown who is imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp. ‘The Day the Clown Cried’ has become somewhat infamous among film historians and movie buffs as a film that has never officially been released.
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August 11, 2013
Dosa [doh-sa] is a fermented Indian crepe or pancake made from rice batter and black lentils. This staple dish is widely popular in southern Indian states, as well as other countries like Sri Lanka and Singapore. ‘The Story of our Food,’ a book written by K. T. Achaya, an eminent Indian food scientist and food historian, states that foods like Appam, Idiyappam, Dosai and Adai were already known in Tamil country around 1st century CE, as per references in Tamil Sangam literature. It is a common breakfast dish and street food, served hot, either folded in half or rolled like a wrap.
Dosa can be stuffed with fillings of vegetables and sauces to make a quick meal. They are typically served with a vegetarian side dish which varies according to regional and personal preferences. Though dosa typically refers to the version made with rice and lentils, many other versions exist, often specific to an Indian region. Some variations include egg dosa, which is spread with an omelette, and cheese dosa, which is stuffed with cheese. Masala dosa is dosa wrapped around an onion and potato curry or sabji (cauliflower with peas and carrots) originally invented by Udupi Hotels.
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August 10, 2013
A pool noodle (also known as a water log or woggle in the UK) is a cylindrical piece of polyethylene foam, sometimes hollow. They are useful when learning to swim, for floating, for rescue reaching, in various forms of water play, and for aquatic exercise. Pool noodles are particularly useful to support amateur snorkelers. The most common dimensions are about 160 cm (5’3″) in length and 7 cm (2.5″) in diameter. The purpose of the hole in some noodles is unclear. Children often use this hole to blow water into the unsuspecting faces of their peers.
A pool noodle connector is a piece of pipe made out of foam, slightly larger than a pool noodle so that it can connect two pool noodles by encasing the end of each. This allows larger structures to be built from pool noodles. ‘Noodleskin’ is a custom cover that is placed over a foam pool noodle which allows 2 pool noodles to be made into a floating seat.
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August 9, 2013
‘Meditations‘ (‘thoughts/writings addressed to himself’) is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor 161–180 CE, setting forth his ideas on Stoic philosophy (the Stoics taught that destructive emotions resulted from errors in judgment).
It is not clear that he ever intended the writings to be published, so the title is but one of several commonly assigned to the collection. These writings take the form of quotations varying in length from one sentence to long paragraphs.
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August 9, 2013
A bon viveur [bawn vee-vur] is a person who enjoys the good things of life.
The phrase is derived from the French ‘bon vivant,’ meaning ‘good living,’ a bon viveur being a ‘good liver,’ or one who lives well. The phrase is not derogatory but conveys a sense of overindulgence. In his book, ‘Mind the Gaffe,’ linguist Larry Trask advised that the phrase is pretentious.
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August 9, 2013
Angelyne is an American singer, actress and model who is known for purchasing billboards advertising herself. Her billboards became a trademark of Los Angeles and made her an icon who is considered one of the pioneers of the term ‘famous for being famous.’
A significant part of her ‘mystique’ comes from her refusal to answer questions (and giving contradictory information when she does). Consequently, much of Angelyne’s actual biographical information is unknown or doubtful.
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August 9, 2013
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is a 1965 exploitation film directed by Russ Meyer, who also wrote the script with Jack Moran. It stars Tura Satana, Haji, and Lori Williams. Consistent with the genre, the film features gratuitous violence, sexuality, provocative gender roles, and camp dialogue. It is one of Meyer’s more boldly titled and unflinchingly exploitative films; however, there is no nudity. The film was shot in the extreme western parts of the Mojave Desert and outside Baker, California).
The film depicts three thrill-seeking go-go dancers (Billie, Rosie, and their leader, Varla) who encounter a young couple in the desert while racing their sports cars. After killing the boyfriend with her bare hands, Varla drugs, binds, gags and kidnaps his girlfriend, Linda. On a desolate highway, the four stop at a gas station, where they see a wheelchair-bound old man and his muscular, dimwitted son, Vegetable. The gas station attendant tells the women that the old man and his two sons live on a decrepit ranch with a hidden cache of money. Intrigued, Varla hatches a scheme to rob the lecherous old man.
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