I used to treadmill a few times a week in a corporate gym with no windows-the only way I could bear the tediousness of it was by watching episodes of Sex and the City on the gym TV. Add up that electricity bill.
Now I walk to and from work, which adds up to an hour of regular outdoor exercise daily. Along the way, I see the city (though usually sex-free), and it always surprises me how many people are out and about, exercising. Bikes on Market Street, tai chi and dancing lessons in the park, joggers everywhere. All of these people are joining the public health club, contributing to a feeling of community and vitality just by doing what they do outside.
-Jenifer Morgan...off to crash a dance lesson...
Wanna invest in the political future of our country? The Iowa Electronic Market lets you do just that.
The idea behind the futures market, which is run by the University of Iowa's economics school, is that economics can predict political outcomes. Example: It correctly forecast George W. Bush's 2004 win over John Kerry.
Snap up some shares of Democratic dropout John Edwards for a paltry $0.002 today, and if a miracle happens, you could walk away with a few hundred bucks.
-Toshio...off to predict the near-future: a weekend of boozing at the Andersen Valley Boontville Brewfest...
I'm pretty sure I sucked down my fair share of formula from plastic bottles as an infant. But ever since I first heard the word leaching (as in toxins leaching from water bottle into water - shudder), I've been a little obsessed over cutting down on the plastic I have in my life. I use a BPA-free Brita pitcher every day, carry my Biter bottle with me everywhere, and definitely, always pass on the plastic bags at the grocery store. I'm forwarding today's tip (flagged "important") to everyone I know who has an infant...or a plastic water bottle. I even pop my Amy's organic frozen dinners out of their plastic dishes and nuke them on a real plate instead, and so far the only drawback is one more dish to wash, so I'm sticking to it.
-NY Editor Beth...off to pick up a glass storage container for my leftover beef and broccoli...
I know people who grimace at the word "organic," not because they love pesticides, but because the "I only shop at Whole Foods" culture turns them off. Culinary condescension isn't going to change minds. Meat-eaters aren't going to go vegetarian just because you give them dirty looks. I know. I was a militant vegetarian for a year.
I just read an abridged version of this column in the magazine The Week about a British cooking show that's sparked some controversy for touting frozen and easy dinners, and while I don't plan purchasing any Banquet microwavable meals anytime soon, it's food for thought.
-Toshio...off to make a Whole Foods run...
What's white, red, and often blotchy all over? My skin. Hypersensitivity central, it reacts to everything-one could say I wear my heart on my nose, even. A few of my skincare products contain vitamin C, but one of my best methods for de-rose-ifying (or de-flaming-red-ifying, more like) is internal: drinking a cup of vitamin-C-rich green tea.
Now, I actually don't really like the taste of most greens, but I found a delicious loophole in Numi Jasmine Green, very lightly steeped.
-Jenifer Morgan...off to simmer down...
I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm a pyromaniac, but I do have a fairly intense fascination with fire. The Fourth of July was my favorite holiday even before I discovered the wonderful math of beer + barbecue = good times because I loooooved watching stuff blow up. On family camping trips, my relatives would have to force themselves out of bed long before they would have preferred because seven-year-old Mike would inevitably find the matches and set about trying to start up the campfire for breakfast.
But pilot lights? They are the enemy. I love fire, but I absolutely cannot stand the heat. Loathe it. I devolve into a whiny, sweaty ball of complaints when the temperature rises above 85 degrees. And there's always a tiny bit of heat emanating from that little flame hidden in the furnace. Slight though it may be, anything that raises the temperature more than 0.00001 degrees in the summer must be stopped, because then I'm just gonna run the A/C longer, burning up even more resources - and I'll have to buy more deodorant.
SF Editor Mike...off to tell his roommates that they can't use the oven until Nov. 1...
As I've mentioned before, my fam is all about the detailed wish lists. We publish them bi-annually for birthday and the holidays, with links, color specifications, size info, even pricing.
Mom's Day...not so much. It's all about improv, for better ("Wonderful!") or for worse ("Oh...my."). But here's a sampling of past Biter MD gift ideas, all of which at least appeared to please:
Hanah: took Mom to a local Klezmer show
Kay: delivered and planted a shrub at Mom's house
Elisa: gave Mom tickets to Safari West
Jenifer: gave Mom a mid-day hangover via mimosa-heavy brunch
Toshio: um, signed Mom up for Green Dimes
Jen: used to give mom backrub coupons as a kid, then carwash coupons as a teen
-Jenifer Morgan...off to improvise...
Not looking to buy a new computer? Check out these 5 tips to eco-fy your current PC:
2. Decrease your Microsoft Word margins.
3. Clean your keyboard without chemicals.
4. Recycle printer cartridges.
5. Set up draft mode on your printer.
-Toshio...off to shut down...
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