Thursday, August 8, 2024
Monday, August 5, 2024
Do you Know Your Salts?
An excerpt from ChowHound -
Table Salt Vs Sea Salt Vs Kosher Salt: When To Use Each Type In Your Kitchen
BY MATTHEW LEE
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Westend61/Getty Images |
It doesn't matter if it's the kitchen of an amateur home cook who barely uses the space or that of a professional chef, you'll be hard-pressed to find one that doesn't have a jar of salt somewhere. And that jar will most likely contain table salt, also known as "common salt." This fine-grained variety is super versatile and can be used for both seasoning and cooking just fine. But if you want to get the most out of your cooking, you'll need to expand your salt collection, stat. There are dozens of notable salt varieties; but to start, try adding sea salt and kosher salt to your pantry.
Table salt is great for most applications
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| Ws Studio / Getty Images The salt you'll find sitting in those fancy glass shakers at restaurants and cafés is most likely table salt. Odds are good that the one you have in your kitchen right now is this type, too. Table salt is produced by blasting high-pressure water at underground salt deposits to reduce them to brine. It's taken up to the surface by a pipe and into a factory where it's dried. After going through several more processing steps, the results are tiny, dense salt crystals that — under a microscope — look like perfect little cubes. |
Sea salt for extra flavor
Sea salt, as its name suggests, comes straight from the ocean. Large puddles of seawater are left to bake in the sun, and once all the water has evaporated, flakes of salt appear at the bottom of these pools, ready for harvesting. Unlike table salt, sea salt doesn't go through a lot of processing steps, so it retains trace minerals like magnesium and calcium.
Kosher salt for everything
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| AlexPro9500 / Getty Images |
Even though table salt is the most common, if you can only choose one type of salt to stock your pantry with, pick kosher salt. Think of it like a salty Swiss Army knife. Whatever task you have in mind — from cooking and seasoning a dish, to canning, pickling, and curing — kosher salt can handle it.
I'm a Republican, not a fool."
An excerpt from WeGotThisCovered -
‘I’m a Republican but not a fool’: If you think all GOPs are voting for Donald Trump, you might want to take a look at this
Who's gonna tell him?
By Nahila Bonfiglio
Meanwhile in Philly pic.twitter.com/4AxBd9sxzj
— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) August 3, 2024
Every presidential election is a vital moment in history, but it’s hard to argue the truly unprecedented urgency of the 2024 election.
This November, the American public will make the choice between a heavily convicted felon who has no remorse, who plans to establish a dictatorship, and who has an avenue in place to contest a free election process, and a capable leader who has experience, poise, and decades of experience under her belt. The choice will come down to the security of Kamala Harris or the unhinged bluster of Donald Trump, and it’s truly unclear which option has a better shot at the White House.
The masses are praying for a Harris victory, but it’s unsettling to see how much support Trump still boasts. Even beyond his support of the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025, his promises that Christians will only need to vote “this once” and then never again; even beyond his insistence that Harris happened to “turn Black” in order to win the election, he still has unwavering support from a huge number of people.
But not everyone on the right side of the political aisle is so enamored with the former Cheeto-in-Chief. Despite the overwhelming support he continues to boast from his most dedicated followers, Trump is hemorrhaging support from pretty much anyone with a brain and right-leaning tendencies. These poor souls, left with no Republican options that aren’t outright dangerous for the nation, have decided to step across the political aisle, and they’ve masterminded the perfect sign for their unique position.
That sign is starting to decorate lawns now that the election is mere months out. Straightforward and truly stunning, the simple piece of cardboard states that its owner is “a Republican but not a fool,” before proclaiming its support for “Harris for President.”
Mr. Harris
An excerpt from WeGotThisCovered -
Kamala Harris’ father Donald J. Harris’ ethnicity, confirmed
What is Kamala Harris' father's cultural background?
By Kevin Stewart
This is Kamala Harris, father Donald Harris, distinguished emeritus, professor of economics from Stanford University. Stanford called him their first Black tenured economics, professor.
— Mr. Reynolds (@MrReynolds52) August 2, 2024
pic.twitter.com/l1K2AztmAe
Donald J. Harris is an award-winning economist and professor emeritus at Stanford University and the father of Democratic Party Presidential candidate Kamala Harris, and her lawyer sister, Maya Harris.
In 1960, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of London, and in 1966, he achieved a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley.
He is the author of several books and articles, including the 1978 monograph Capital Accumulation and Income Distribution and the 1993 article “Economic Growth and Equity: Complements or Opposites?” in The Review of Black Political Economy.
https://wegotthiscovered.com/politics/donald-j-harris-ethnicity-confirmed/
Afro-Latina Stanford Grad Wins Miss USA
An excerpt from CNN -
New Miss USA crowned, capping tumultuous year of pageant controversy
By Oscar Holland, CNN
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| Michigan's Alma Cooper wins Miss USA 2024 at the 73rd annual Miss USA pageant at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California. Gilbert Flores/Variety/Getty Images |
Michigan’s Alma Cooper, a US Army officer, was named Miss USA on Sunday, becoming the third person to hold the title this year following the shock resignation of 2023’s winner.
The 22-year-old, who has a Master’s in data science from Stanford University, beat 50 other contestants in a pageant that included swimwear and evening gown competitions. Kentucky’s Connor Perry and Oklahoma’s Danika Christopherson were named first and second runners up, respectively.
“As the daughter of a migrant worker, a proud Afro Latina woman and an officer of the United States Army, I am living the American dream,” she had told judges during a Q&A session at Sunday’s finale. “If there’s anything that my life and my mother have taught me, it’s that your circumstances never define your destiny: You can make success accessible through demanding excellence.”
https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/04/style/miss-usa-winner-alma-cooper-michigan/index.html
Sunday, August 4, 2024
The History of Theme From Shaft
An excerpt from American Songwriter -
The Groundbreaking Story Behind the “Theme From Shaft” by Isaac Hayes
By Hal Horowitz
“Theme From Shaft”
Written by Isaac Hayes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTU_9T5ufzY&t=12s
Right on. Can ya dig it? Shut your mouth…
Sound like the early ‘70s? You’re daaaamn right! Those by-now iconic words are some of the few, mostly spoken, lyrics to Isaac Hayes’ 1971 No. 1-charting title track to the motion picture considered one of the first and best examples of the “Blaxploitation” genre.
Specifically named “Theme From Shaft,” the song was as groundbreaking as the film, winning an Oscar for Best Original Song, making Hayes the first Black composer to triumph in that category. It also grabbed two Grammys, for Best Instrumental Arrangement and Best Original Score.
Why Isaac Hayes?
Hayes was a hot property in the early ‘70s, especially in the Black community. He had recorded four solo albums since 1967. Hot Buttered Soul (1969) was the most successful; it topped the R&B chart and rose to No. 8 on the Billboard 200, showing that Hayes’ made-for-the-bedroom slow-jams could cross over to a more mainstream audience.
Parks showed Hayes footage of the gritty opening scene of his film, where private detective John Shaft emerges from a Manhattan subway and weaves in and out of traffic like he owns New York City. Parks told Hayes he wanted “a driving, savage beat, so we’re right with him all the time.”
Hayes responded with the propulsive 16th-note hi-hat opening that leads into arguably the most definitive and demonstrative use of distorted wah-wah guitar in soul music. But he paused writing the rest of the theme until he’d composed the remainder of the film’s score. “Theme From Shaft” was completed after Hayes had gained a better appreciation for who this guy confidently crisscrossing the crowded city streets really was.
Then What?
https://americansongwriter.com/the-groundbreaking-story-behind-the-theme-from-shaft-by-isaac-hayes/
This Matters More Than the Game
An excerpt from Metro.co.uk -
Injured Olympic athlete gets carried off court by her opponent to huge ovation from crowd
author image
By Chris Davie
Brazil’s Tamires Morena produced one of the most touching moments of the Olympics in Paris after she carried her injured opponent off the court on Saturday.
Brazil were already up by ten goals in their final Preliminary Round Group B women’s handball match when Angola’s captain Albertina Kassoma fell to the ground after missing a shot.
Kassoma stayed down and received medical attention for her injured knee.
After being examined by Angola’s team doctor, Kassoma got to her feet and was supported by Brazil’s goalkeeper, Gabriela Moreschi.
But before Kassoma moved, Morena stepped in to fully sweep her opponent off the ground and carry her to the side of the court.
Morena’s gesture was greeted by a huge ovation by the crowd inside South Paris Arena 6.
When Your Sister Wins Gold
The moment when you find out your sister won a gold medal at the Olympics!
— Navy Football (@NavyFB) August 3, 2024
Congratulations Thea LaFond!#GoNavy | #RollGoats pic.twitter.com/38p4NGpsXK
I'm Rod Stewart's Newest Fan
An excerpt from Metro.co.uk -
Rod Stewart slammed for mocking ‘orange’ Donald Trump during show as fans ‘walk out’
By Laura Harman and Brooke Ivey Johnson
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| Rod shared the snap from his show on social media (Picture: Rod Stewart/Instagram) |
Rod Stewart has well and truly divided fans as he made his feelings towards Trump known mid-concert, mocking the former US President with a meme.
The 79-year-old singer is currently on tour in the US and has been performing a series of shows at the Colosseum that began on July 24 and is set to conclude on August 7.
But just months after he was ‘booed’ in Germany for showing the Ukraine flag, the singer has ruffled feathers again as he criticised Trump on stage.
While in Vegas performing, he decided to show a meme that mocked the Former President for being ‘orange’.
Great Cooking Charts - Guaranteed to Learn Something
An excerpt from Buzzfeed -
29 Incredibly Cool Charts About Cooking And Food That Will Make You So Much Smarter
Reading this is almost like going to cooking school.
by Mike Spohr, BuzzFeed Staff
1. This chart in the menu of a Japanese restaurant explains the etiquette for eating sushi, and honestly I had no idea (I definitely mix wasabi and soy sauce, sorry):
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4. What's the difference between a rare, medium rare, medium, medium well, and well done steak? This chart has the answer:
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| u/madairman / Via reddit.com |
5. And this chart explains the cooking differences for burgers:
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| u/erikhenao32 / Via reddit.com |
6. Never wonder, "Wait...do I put the veggies in the water before or after I boil it?" ever again:
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| FarmersAlmanac.com / Via reddit.com |
https://www.buzzfeed.com/mikespohr/29-charts-about-cooking-and-food
The Mississippi River
From Seth Godin, Seth's Blog -
The Mississippi River paradox
There’s no water in that river that was there ten years ago.
The boundaries have shifted in that time as well, there’s no riverbank that’s exactly where it was. And the silt and the fish have all moved too.
So, what’s “the Mississippi River”?
It’s a label, a placeholder, and a marker–when the Mississippi does something we don’t expect it to do, we comment on it.
People are like this as well. What if you could only be known for the best (or the worst) thing you ever did? You’re not that person now, and it’s likely you’ll never be that person again. But that’s the label we gave you.
When we talk about the organization or the brand or that neighbor down the street, we act as these are immutable objects, basic unchanging elements or static facts.
But like rivers, people change.
When the label stops being useful, we should change it. The problem with holding a grudge is that it makes your hands too full to do anything useful.
https://archive.feedblitz.com/1081591/~17137100/70470101/a91e9d7437b0702ab03785848f880103
An Olympic Water Polo Star Offering Skin and Hair Tips
An excerpt from the Washinton Post -
She’s an Olympic water polo star, but fans just want skin and hair tips
Ashleigh Johnson, one of the world’s top water polo goalies, shares the routine that keeps her skin and hair glowing, despite long hours in the water.
By Gretchen Reynolds and Julia Wall
There’s one question Olympic water polo goalie Ashleigh Johnson hears all the time: “How does she take care of her skin and hair?”
The first Black player for the powerhouse U.S. women’s national water polo team and widely considered to be the best goalie in the world, Johnson, 29, helped the U.S. win gold in 2016 and 2021. The Americans are the prohibitive favorites again at this year’s Games in Paris.
An obvious role model, Johnson regularly gets peppered at events and online with questions about her sport, height (6 feet 1 inch), heritage (Jamaican) and favorite food (Pho, a Vietnamese soup).
But questions about her hair and skin are by far the most common. She doesn’t mind.
“I wish that someone had had some hair and skin care tips for me when I was coming up.”
So here, for the first time, she shows us what years of practice and experimentation have taught her can keep hair and skin healthy, however much time we spend in the pool.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/07/31/ashleigh-johnson-water-polo-skin-hair-tips/
Olympic Medal Bonuses
An excerpt from CNBC -
Here’s how much athletes at the Paris Olympics earn for winning medals
By Lee Ying Shan
Aside from a medal, a stuffed toy of the Olympics mascot and a “mysterious” box containing the official event poster, some medalists receive additional financial rewards for their efforts.
While the IOC does not give out prize money for winning medals, several home countries do reward their athletes with medal bonuses.
Olympic medal bonuses
Here's how much money athletes get for finishing on the podium.
Friday, August 2, 2024
A Quick Lesson on the Venn Diagram & Why Kamala Harris is Smart to Use It
An excerpt from Salon -
Why a love of Venn diagrams is Kamala Harris' not-so-secret weapon for creating smart policy
Logic dictates that multiple variables must be accounted for in politics; interlocking circles help visualize them
By Gwydion Suilebhan - Steven Gimbel
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| Kamala Harris (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) |
This is not the first time Harris has professed affection for this logical mechanism. As a former courtroom lawyer who needed to be able to clearly demonstrate complicated inferences to juries in a way that anyone could follow, Attorney General Harris would have found Venn diagrams to be the perfect tool.
So, too, in politics. At a speech at Bryn Mawr University in 2022, for example, she produced a Venn diagram for the crowd, saying. “So, I asked my team, ‘Tell me from which states are we seeing attacks on women’s reproductive healthcare, attacks on voting rights, and attacks on LGBTQ+ rights.’ And you would not be surprised to know that there was quite an overlap, including, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Arizona.” The overlap in these policy goals became clear to anyone who could see.
Republicans have seized on this intellectual infatuation, calling it cringeworthy. She was mocked by "Fox & Friends" host Brian Kilmeade who said “When you peak in third and fourth grade and become Vice President we’re doomed.”
Allowing for the straightforward visualization of logical relations, Venn diagrams were in fact designed as a teaching tool. But contrary to Kilmeade’s characterization, they are a means well beyond grade school level. They were an important step in the development of formalized reasoning that led to digital computers.
If your understanding of them comes from social media and the memeosphere, you could be excused for underestimating their power and importance in the history of ideas. Vice President Harris may proclaim her adoration of them in public more frequently than she does for her husband, but looking at the development of logic, Doug Emhoff has not done anything quite like John Venn.
Here's a history tracing the meticulous development of the Venn diagram to better understand how we got to the useful visual tool we still employ today.
Not just blind luck
With the exception of the Olympics’ insignia, Venn diagrams are our most recognizable overlapping circles. Named after Cambridge University mathematician and logician John Venn, they first appeared in his book "Symbolic Logic" in 1880. In that work, he named them after a different mathematician calling them “Eulerian circles.”
Venn knew there had to be more to math than just cranking through problems. There were deep philosophical questions buried in it.
Leonhard Euler was a Swiss mathematician whose 866 published mathematical papers are the most published as a solo author of anyone in history. To make this even more impressive, he did much of this work while blind. One focus of his work was taking complex mathematical reasoning and operations and representing it using symbols so that instead of having to think through long chains of inferences, we could instead manipulate symbols according to simple rules.
As a result, he generated many of the standard representations we still use. Why is the letter x used for an unknown quantity in algebra? Euler. Why do we use the Greek letter π for the ratio between a circle’s circumference and diameter? Euler. Why is the square root of -1 called i? Euler.
In his quest to make complicated (and in the case of i, complex) mathematics simpler, Euler came upon a way to use circles to represent class membership. This allowed for a teaching tool that made certain logical relations clearer because they could be simply seen. Euler’s diagrams were effective, but Venn soon realized that they were limited in their applicability. Euler’s circles could not do something that a modified approach could — allow for a mechanical way of doing logic. Venn, with his new twist, would out-Euler, Euler.
Who, what, where and Venn
John Venn was the son of an Anglican minister whose interest was not in the Divine order of the universe, but rather its underlying mathematical structure. Attending Cambridge, he sat for the Mathematical Tripos, a grueling eight-day exam that largely tested one’s ability to quickly calculate for extended periods of time. Venn described the event as “fearfully hard work, both physical and mental.”
https://www.salon.com/2024/07/29/venn-diagrams-kamala-harris-explainer-history/
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