Rants & Ramblings

The Glacial Lagoon

One of the big highlights of our Iceland trip was Jökulsárlón, a glacial lagoon in southeastern Iceland near Höfn. Icebergs calve off the nearby glacier into this lake, and then drift out to sea. It’s an amazing sight.

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2 Fresh, 2 Furious

Last night I went to This American Life‘s live movie theatre show. As one would expect, there was some great storytelling (and even stand-up comedy), and OK Go put on an interactive song performance involving handbells, smartphone apps and Guitar Hero.

If you’re any kind of public radio nerd (or even if you’re not), check out Mike Birbiglia’s awesome short film with Terry Gross (of Fresh Air):

There’s a round of “encore” screenings on Tuesday.

Not Just a Jump, but Levitation | Lens | NYTimes.com

Kerri MacDonald writes, “Natsumi Hayashi does not call the photos she posts on Yowayowa Camera Woman Diary “jump shots.” A jump, she says, is composed of many movements. And those who go up must come down. No, Yowayowa Camera Woman is not jumping. She’s levitating.”

The frequent fliers who flew too much | Los Angeles Times

Ken Bensinger writes, “Many years after selling lifetime passes for unlimited first-class travel, American Airlines began scrutinizing the costs — and the customers.”

Waves of Grain | Slate

Nadia Arumugam writes, “How did Japan come to be a wheat-obsessed nation that needs gimmicks like the Gopan to eat rice disguised as wheat flour? The story of Japan’s conversion from rice to wheat involves a long, relentless campaign by the best propagandists in the business—the U.S. government, of course.”

The California Taco Trail: 'How Mexican Food Conquered America' | The Salt | NPR

“Once upon a time, tacos were a Mexican snack. Now they’re an all-American institution. Gustavo Arellano leads us across Southern California in search of the roots of the American taco.”

Iceland

Rob and I spent a week in Iceland at the end of April, in part to celebrate our sixth wedding anniversary. I’m still sorting through photos, but for now, I’ll just say WOW. What an amazing place.

Who Made That Pie Chart? | NYTimes.com

Hilary Greenbaum and Dana Rubinstein write, “William Playfair — a businessman, engineer and economics writer from Scotland — created the first known pie chart in 1801.”

Penguins Rocket Away from Danger Aboard Supercavitating Bubble Jets | Gizmodo

Andrew Tarantola writes, “Turns out, not being eaten by a leopard seal is excellent motivation. It’s what spurred penguins to develop an ingenious method of cutting down their drag—by wrapping themselves in a shawl of bubbles.”

Dinner Improvisation

For dinner last night, Rob and I challenged ourselves to use up (most of) the leftover veggies in the fridge. The result: buckwheat soba noodles cooked in chicken broth with kale, red bell pepper, mushrooms and green onions. I didn’t cook the kale long enough (it was still a little tough), but otherwise, the experiment worked out pretty well!

Why Are Chocolate Easter Bunnies Hollow? | Food & Think | Smithsonian

Amanda Bensen tracks down the history of the hollow chocolate Easter bunny, while musing, “Isn’t it cruel to disappoint kids, who bite into what looks like solid chocolate and are confronted with emptiness?”