Fat Tuesday

So, March 1st occurs the same day as the first day of Lent. Is that a perfect day to start a diet or what? Especially if you are starting a weight loss study (as I am). If nothing else, it will be interesting to be a guinea pig. I'm a very fluffy one, you know.

While looking for healthy recipes, I stumbled upon this old cookbook written by this dude, Bart Ritner. On the cover, he's wearing Stay-prest slacks, and as a concession to the 70s, his hair is brushing his collar. I found the book ages ago when I moved into my house, and it's pretty interesting. If I took out every recipe that used mayo, canned tuna, canned soup, jello or Crisco, there wouldn't be much left.

I'm sort of half watching Skating with Celebrities right now, and John Zimmerman is pretty hot for a figure skater. He reminds me a bit of David Beckham, who I just love in spite of him being a total fame-whore.

This version of that design classic, the London Underground Map, is an interesting idea. I am fascinated by the London Underground Map - it's succinct, recognizable, easy to follow, reduces a massive city to a few interlocking colored lines, and it was designed without the aid of computers. It's an amazing icon.

OK, I will admittedly knit just about anything, but here is where I draw the line. Jeez, those knitted birthday suits are disturbing. And they look awfully scratchy.

Britain has one of the largest gender pay gaps in Europe. I think it's about the same as the gender pay gap here. Which means the US has a gender pay gap that's unfavorable compared to most European countries, several of which provide generous maternity and daycare benefits. But I would bet the birthrate in the US is higher than most European countries. I guess you could chalk that up to good old fashioned American optimism.

David Hockney and Joe Jackson have been honored by the FOREST Annual Awards. I have to say, I think they have a point, even though I don't really like to sit in a smokey fug. It's very easy to demonize some bad habit or another, where the truth is always a bit more complex (see: latest findings about low-fat diets). And I think quite a few people unfortunately, are very comfortable with a prim, prudish and judgemental world view, which doesn't actually help anyone at all, except for boosting the egos of the self-righteous abstainers of vice.