CUTE!

This morning I was meandering around the world wide web today and came across this website featuring "cute food."

I know, you're wondering what hell I'm talking about. Cute food like people who eat kittens? NO.

This is a perfect example: the edible Eiffel Tower with do-it-yourself instructions. The website links in the photo so you can see what the components are made out of. With some fancy knife work, you can make your own fancy French meal. As a side note, you see the fabric on the table under the box the food is in? Yeah... the pajama pants I'm wearing right now, which I made myself, they're made from the exact same fabric. No joke. That Eiffel Tower meal is basically being eaten off my pants.

Enjoy that disturbing or amusing or appealing (depending on who you are) thought as we nonchalantly transition over to the topic of me being out of Radio Lab episodes. Why was I looking at cute food? Because for the past two weeks I have spent all of my waking moments listening to a podcast called Radio Lab. Yes, I admit, this is procrastination from looking for real work to some extent, but some how I still manage to write cover letters and send out resumes so I dunno what the deal is.

ANYWAY, Radio Lab is like... science for dummies. But REALLY COMPLICATED SCIENCE for dummies. And by dummies I mean people like me, and I'm not so dumb I just don't understand quantum mechanics and the intricacies of string theory because I'm not at an IQ of 174. YET. I will increase my brain power. The cute Bento Box Bunnies told me it would happen. I only have like 20 points to go. And when I get there I plan to build the particle accelerator to your left. ;)

Now if you want to know what the hell I'm talking about with this whole Radio Lab nonsense, listen to THIS PODCAST on MORALITY. It's probably the one that has been the most re-broadcasted in different forms, in clips in bits and pieces as parts of NPR or other shows on the radio, so it may sound familiar.

Why I like radio lab is how they edit the sound.

The other part I like is that they take very complex ideas and scientific experiments and make them accessible.

Please take the time to enjoy.

Thanks for reading and best regards,
Alya

Kitties, Marketing, and Economic Puzzlements

Today is the day I become the kind of person who talks about her cat on her "frequently updated website." Stanley, the cat I brought back with me from France was sick yesterday so we brought him to the veterinary hospital. The worst thing a doctor can say is, "well something is wrong but I don't know what it is!" That means two things: it could be bad, and it could cost you money.

Luckily, after giving the cat three kinds of medicine, and IV fluids, and x-rays, and blood work, and more medical attention than I've had in two years combined (I need health insurance, srsly), he seems to be doing better!

In other news, back to the macaroni and cheese taste testing: I ventured out to the big super market and intended to purchase comparable products for a true taste test. I have no idea how many varieties there were of boxed pasta with powered cheese product. Additionally, and to my great horror, I did not pick the famous Kraft variety as I thought I did, but the store-brand who's packaging is identical for (very effective) marketing purposes. Needless to say, the taste test is postponed until I acquire the "control" for the macaroni and cheese "clinical trials."

Lastly, I went to an Old Navy today and they were selling flip-flops for $1.00 in order to get people into the store. (For you economics geeks, this is known as a loss-leader, and is used to bring people into the store to purchase other things at an inflated price). There were possibly 200 people in line, at a maximum of 5 pairs of shoes per person. What was bizarre was that almost NO ONE had additional products. everyone had their five pairs of shoes, and that was it.

I tried to take a photo on my phone, but my phone is three years old and therefore... let's go with "not so good anymore"... but I hope the image ALMOST captures the feel of what was going on: 10 check out lines, 200 people, each with 5 pairs of shoes, no sales tax. And since it was 11 AM, all the good colors were gone. All that was left was black, brown and white.

Perhaps if the sale wasn't during a recession people would have ventured into the other sections of the store? Feel free to comment and help me figure it out.

Thanks for reading and best regards,
Alya