Quick, before it melts!

Sorry to those of you who subscribe and won't get this until tomorrow... I forgot to post it yesterday, but today is Ben and Jerry's Free Cone Day! Always something to look forward to! I think I'm going to have ice cream for lunch and walk down to the one on Haight St.

They say it's their 30th birthday today too - I hope it's not all downhill from there! Definitely time for them to start watching their waistline. At least that was my turning 30 experience...

Happy World Penguin Day!

On the 25th of April each year, the Adelie penguins answer nature's call to start their northward migration to fatten up while the winter sets in in Antarctica. They head out to sea to munch on krill and fish, rest on icebergs and do whatever penguins do. Since it gets dark in Antarctica at this time of year, they head north so they can have a better chance of seeing the food their hunting for, and to escape the chilliest part of the year. They'll return in spring to start nesting and having chicks.

Interestingly enough, one year, the penguins in the San Francisco Zoo decided to migrate after the introduction of some new guys into their colony. They started their "migration" in January, thrown off by being in the Northern Hemisphere, I'm sure, and continued to swim in circles around their pool for about 2 months. Read more about it in the Chronicle links here:
Penguins at SF Zoo start migrating
Migration Over
As far as I know, they haven't done that since. I guess once was enough.

What's the story behind this photo you're wondering? Well, I LOVE penguins, because they make me laugh when they walk, they're awesome swimmers, they survive in the worst conditions in the world, and yet they maintain a great attitude towards life. I've noticed more and more these days that penguins have become increasingly popular, and I've started to see their likenesses appearing in the most unusual places. Countries that probably have never even seen a penguin are making penguin tchotchkys (which I of course have to buy). But I love the international interpretation of this bird. In Vietnam, they don't even have a word for penguin, yet they have trash cans in their shape all over the country, and a bar called "the Flightless Bird Bar" with a penguin logo! This photo is of my collection of international penguins.

Put on your tux, waddle about, eat some fish, visit the penguins at the zoo in honor of World Penguin Day today!

Pinhole secrets

You may have visited the Giant Camera out by the Cliff House for your pinhole camera fix, but this time take a Bus Obscura around the city to get a peek through a pinhole on Sunday. Apparently it's Worldwide Pinhole Photography day that day, and this is RayKo Photo Center's way of celebrating.

They say on their website, "The Bus Obscura is a passenger bus converted to a multiple aperture camera obscura using a rear projection technique that allows the individual images to flow into one another. As the bus moves down the street a 360 degree animated panorama is created inside."

Sounds like it's worth a ride!

Second Skin

The Exploratorium never ceases to amaze me. There's always something interesting going on there, and it's not always tricks for kids! This Friday, they're having an opening for their Second Skin exhibit, a show featuring artists who have designed clothing using new, technologically advanced fabrics and notions. And candy bar wrappers. So, if you're addicted to Project Runway, it sounds like this might be one for you!

The opening night event is also featuring workshops where you can learn to crochet with e-l wire, or build blinking baubbles. Sounds like a good night out!

And if you miss opening night, the show is on display until Sept 7, so you're good to go.

The Great Water Bottle Debate

In honor of Earth Day today, I'd like to raise an issue that I keep hearing about. Water Bottles. Do you use the plastic ones that we're supposed to recycle and make polar fleece out of? Or are you a crunchy-granola-Nalgene carrying type? Or have you caught on to the latest trend - the aluminum Sigg? All have their merits and controversies, so I'll throw it out here for you to make your own call.


1 - The standard plastic water bottle. Now these have made some recent imprvovements, as Arrowhead is touting, their new Eco-Shape that uses less plastic, but still holds the same amount of water. I actually like these since they have a narrower "wasit" making them easy to carry while running/hiking etc.


2 - Nalgene bottles - These used to be the eco-friendly choice for hikers and college students, but recent research has determined that a chemical (BPA) that seeps out of the plastic could be harmful, as discussed in this NYT article. If you read the article closer, you'll see that you have to ingest A LOT of it, or be a baby, but still, who wants that in their bodies? Nalgene does have their response posted on their site too, so you can decide what you want. Plus they now have a bottle that pairs with a Brita filter so you can be drinking even cleaner water. Do you think that filter filters out the bad stuff from the plastic bottle? Now there's a question.


3 - The Sigg - I haven't heard any negatives on these, but then again, I've never used on either, so I can't really comment. My concern is that it would be heavy. But water's heavy anyway, so maybe not. And they do have pretty cool graphics on them, so you can really show off your personal style by your choice of water bottle. We always can use another outlet for personal style, right? Here are their environmental justifications. And they do say you can put alcohol in them, but not to store it there since it might ferment and blow up. Not the exact words, but you get the idea...







4 - Glass - I don't think these are really intended for carrying around, but if you really crave that plastic water bottle shape, but want to be more eco-groovy, these glass versions of the standard are just what you need on your dinner table.






5 - the good ol' drinking fountain - These seem to be much fewer and farther between these days with the advent of all these other water containers, but I think we should go back here. You only drink what you need, you don't have to clean them (someone else does...) you don't have to carry them, and they keep you on your toes since you never know if you're going to get water up your nose with a sudden burst from the fountain.