I know I'm late to this debate, but every time I come across a mention of it, it still gives me a conniption.
About a month ago, Dunkin' Donuts pulled one of its ads that featured celebrity chef Rachel Ray touting their coffee. Why did they pull it? Because conservative pundit (actually, nitwit is a better word) Michelle Malkin complained that Rachel's scarf in the ad looked like an Arab headdress, or keffiyeh--TERRORIST GARB! I saw Yasir Arafat wearing one too! Rachel Ray is therefore Muslim, and therefore a terrorist! She must be stopped! And let's boycott Dunkin' Donuts too! Brewed coffee is an Arab invention! Does Michelle Malkin drink coffee? If so, she must be a closet terrorist!!
Incidentally, the scarf in question was a black-and-white paisley design, so should we add paisley to our list of verboten terrorist fashion as well?
I wouldn't discount the possibility that Ms. Malkin was one of the geniuses responsible for the acts of violence targeted at Sikhs right after September 11, because they wore turbans.
It's so embarrassing that there are people in positions of influence who are so incredibly small-minded and ignorant. Not to mention that Dunkin' Donuts spinelessly kowtowed to them. Please; we're not ALL that stupid.
Even better than the original Rod Stewart version...
I have no sense of smell. Actually, I always had a fine sense of smell until about 10 or so years ago, when I realized I'd lost it. I think I was cooking with garlic or something, and realized I couldn't smell anything. I do taste flavors, though probably not as well as I used to. I still thoroughly enjoy food, but I guess I respond more to texture than actual flavor. Which is interesting, because in general I have become much more of a tactile person--really love soft sheets and towels, love crunchy broccoli. So perhaps my tactile/textural sense is much more keen now to make up for the loss of my ability to smell.
Having no sense of smell is not all bad. There have been many times when I haven't been affected by someone's heavy perfume in an elevator, or driving by a skunk battleground, or walking by garbage dumps. On the other hand, it is somewhat of a handicap, as when the oil furnace in my house malfunctioned and I had no idea that the entire house and surrounding area smelled of burnt oil (and was generating deadly carbon monoxide to boot). Or when I'm not sure if milk is still drinkable--I have to have someone smell it for me. A lot of cooking also relies on smell, and that's hard. I miss things like the smell of flowers in spring or freshly mowed grass.
I still wear my favorite colognes (which I apply sparingly since I can't use my nose to gauge what's too much), and use my favorite Crabtree & Evelyn jojoba oil soap. I use these based on what I remember they smelled like, which is quite a romantic notion. But I haven't bought any new scents, since I wouldn't know if I liked them or not.
It's certainly easier to deal with than being blind or deaf!
In recent days I've been reading about a new residential skyscraper being planned for Dubai that has individually rotating floors, each self-powered by the wind. It's architecturally and technically stunning, and would be beautiful to look at.
I would think that they would need to house the wiring and (flexible?) plumbing in the central, fixed "stem" of the building, and maybe the floors would rotate a maximum of 360 degrees and then reverse to make all that wiring functionally feasible.
Lots of potential hurdles...but still a neat concept.
American Airlines announced that it is introducing inflight Web access on its flights. So far, it looks like service will be limited to domestic flights, but the real plus will be when it is offered on long-haul international flights.
Virgin America (which I have yet to fly, but look forward to trying) is also planning to have Web access on its flights, but they're still testing.
If you ask me, it's a much better idea than allowing cell-phone use (unless just texting is allowed, no voice conversations)--you can get work done, be instantly connected and reachable, be productive, and be entertained, too, without bothering other people.
Came across this low-tech device via Walt Mossberg's blog. It's apparently meant to make cell phone conversations less annoying to innocent bystanders. Not sure how well it works, but I sure would have fun laughing at the cell-phone diehards who used it...
Kind of reminds me of the "shoe phone" in Get Smart. Where's the Dome of Silence when we need it?
