Guinness "Widget".

Are you one of the few, proud, select people that enjoy Guinness? (well, at least in the group of friends you hang out with?) Did you ever drink Guinness out of a can? Did you ever wonder what that thing clanging around the can is? I found out.

The "widget" as it seems to be officially known has a long and storied history. I found the info quite interesting, but then again, I also like to drink the stuff. I even have a random pic of me drinking it in Copenhagen (in the AM), but you won't see that here.

Seems simple enough:

You can get into the can pretty easy.

This little ball (about the size of a pingpong ball) has a small hole in it. During canning, the hole fills with excess nitrogen (which is a different gas than most beers) and some of the liquid too. When the can is opened, the pressure is released and the excess gas and beer shoot back into the rest of the can, thereby "supercharging" the beer before pouring.

And before you go and feel sorry for me b/c I seem to have enough free time to cut the widgets out of my cans and blog about them, I'll have you know that they suggest removing them for recycling. So there.

"That guy".

This seems to be about the prototypical person sitting across from you in an airport terminal. At this snapping, he was about to engage a cute little girl into waving at him. I don't think she gave in to the obvious temptation. Why wouldn't she? He's got black shoes, white socks, nice jeans, a gold-ish medallion on his shirt and a shiny bald head. Plus, he talked loudly on the phone to his sister (from what I couldn't block out with headphones) for at least 30 min. I may no more about him than most girls I date (which may or may not be saying much, ahem). You know, that guy.

New Year, New Cold.

Well, it's not new cold for MNans, but this was the coldest I'd ever
run in. It really felt this cold too.

Jake Olson

This should give you some inspriation going into the new year.

Happy 2010.

(Good on ya, Sydney!)

Kind of a cool date today - 01.01.10 or 1.1.10 or in Europe, 01.01.10 (hmm, that's the same!)

Happy New Year's to my t.c readership (all 6 of you).

There's some cool stuff this year - the soccer World Cup, a new census, and maybe the economy will come out of the crapper. What else have you got???

Well, we can dream about a good economy... and speaking of that, time for a mid-morning nap.

Jim Gaffigan - Holiday Traditions

The first segment is very timely... not to mention hilarious.
Merry Christmas t.c Readers!

Holiday Eating Tips.

1.   Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare.. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Chris tmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Chris tmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips.