2011年11月23日 星期三

Perfect Pairings: Programming Wine With Music

As a sommelier, my job is to pair wines with a guest's dinner, to find the perfect wine that speaks to that guest but also matches the flavors and textures of a dish from my chef. I fell into the world of wine while trying to build my first career: Before I ever picked up a decanter professionally, I spent my evenings delving into the works of Mahler, Stravinsky and Reich as a professional percussionist.

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Alternate indexes crop up for measuring strength of presidential candidates

The waxing and waning of a political campaign can be measured through polls and fund-raising, of course, but there are alternate indexes as well.

How about t-shirt sales? Or overall media coverage?

Both are being used today to offer fresh perspective on the group of Republicans vying to take on President Obama next year.

Cafe Press, an e-commerce platform that offers user-designed merchandise such as candidate t-shirts, has seen the creation and sale of Herman Cain products rise with attention to his “9-9-9” tax plan - and plummet in the aftermath of sexual harassment charges.

They peaked at 58 percent of overall sales the week of Oct.Wholesale Fendi Bikini Sale Online make you the star in the swimming pool. 9-15 and fell to 38 percent the week of Nov. 6-12.

Mitt Romney, meanwhile, has held steady at about 8 percent of overall sales - mirroring his constancy in public opinion surveys.

Another firm, HighBeam Research, a service that sifts through more than 6,500 publications, including journals, magazines, newspapers, and transcripts, offers another lens for viewing the contest.

In July, for example, Michele Bachmann was on top among the candidates, garnering 19.Wholesale replica Armani A Belt Online where you can purchase items5 percent of all media attention.

She has dropped ever since, as Rick Perry got into the race and attention fell elsewhere. By early this month, she was in fourth place, with just 7 percent of all media attention.Cheap Armani AAA Belt Wholesale On Sale

Perry vaulted to first in August, the month he announced his candidacy, with 23 percent of attention. But by this month - after a series of debate and speaking gaffes - he had fallen to 18 percent of coverage earlier this month.You can either select long shirt or short shirt or Cheap A&F Lovers T-shirt Sale Online.

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He has risen fairly steadily from 14 percent in July to 20 percent this month.

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2011年11月21日 星期一

Don't drop the ball on vehicle winterization

Forgetting to winterize your car really can snowball into a mess, auto-repair experts say.

"Older customers stay up on it," says Mike Wege from MJ Automotive in Brookline. "Younger clients sometimes can get a little spoiled by coolants that last a long time and things like that."

Tim Knoll from Knoll Automotive Service in Pleasant Hills agrees, but thinks the harshness of the past two winters is going to steer more drivers into winterization procedures.

As temperatures dropped during the past few days and the winter solstice creeps closer, they and the American Automobile Association started advising drivers not to overlook getting their vehicles ready.

"Properly preparing your vehicle for cold temperatures is essential for safe driving, and will greatly decrease the chances of your vehicle leaving you stranded," says Steve Popovich, managing director of Automotive Services for AAA East Central in East Liberty.

The obvious areas of concern that need to be addressed are proper antifreeze levels, care of belts and hoses and need for efficient tires.

But Knoll and Wege also point out sometimes forgotten maintenance areas.

Knoll says the combination of acid rain and sunshine can cause headlight covers to lose clarity, drastically cutting vision. Besides making sure the lights are working and bright enough, he recommends having the covers cleaned.

Wege says many drivers have become so reliant on the remote-door openers, they don't make sure theirs locks are lubricated. Being able to open a door the traditional way is important, he says.

"Many cars only have one keyhole -- at the driver's door," he says. "If your locks are not lubricated and your battery dies, you are locked out of your car."

Knoll, Wege and the AAA say these items are the keys to safe and dependable winter driving.

. Antifreeze, obviously, is vital, but the 50-50 blend of coolant and water sometimes is forgotten. That mixture will provide the proper capability.

. Be sure to check hoses and clamps. Automotive fluids work only if they stay in the system.Buy cheap abercrombie & fitch mens beach shorts sale

. The coolant system never loses its antifreeze capability, but the additives that lubricate the water pump and protect the engine from rust can become depleted. Flushing and adding new coolant protects that.

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. Check the tightness of the alternator belt. The battery gets the engine going, but the rotation of the alternator belt provides electrical power after that. It also charges the battery. Looseness can weaken the battery.

. Make sure the windshield cleaner is full with a non-freezing fluid. Also, check the operation of the pump and the aim of the sprayers.

. Wiper blades should clear the glass with one swipe. It there are streaks or missed spots, it is time to replace them. Winter blades are wrapped in a rubber boot that prevents ice and snow build-up and they maintain contact between the glass and the blade.

. Traction is an obvious necessity on slippery streets. Make sure the tires have at least 3/32-of-an-inch of tread. Also make sure air pressure is maintained. Tires can lose one pound per square inch for every 10 degrees the temperature drops.

. If you have noticed any uneven gripping in the brake system in warmer weather, get it corrected. It will be only more critical on cooler days.

. Also, make sure to flush brake fluid. The fluid absorbs water that collects at low points in the hydraulic system and causes rust, fluid leaks and, if not prevented, brake failure.A&F Men's Long Sleeve T-shirt Sale Online On vehicles with antilock brakes, moisture in the brake fluid can damage expensive electro-hydraulic control units. For this reason, most manufacturers recommend the brake system be flushed and new fluid installed every two to three years.

Designers Cook Up Outrageous Fashions Inspired By Food

When you get dressed in the morning you're more likely to cook up a stack of waffles than slip on a pair of waffle pants.

But, if the mood strikes, you can literally have your pants and eat them too, as designers are increasingly making clothing and accessories out of real food, or at least what looks like real food.

Take for example an octopus top paired with wholesale t shirt Sale Onlinea seaweed miniskirt, or a quail egg necklace. These are just some of the creations made by Austrian chef Roland Trettl that can be found at the Museum of Communication's Fashion Food exhibition in Berlin, Germany --and a taste of what some designers are cooking up.

It's certainly not the first time people have draped themselves in edible delights.Wholesale replica Gucci A Belt Wholesale On Sale Who can forget Lady Gaga's meat dress at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards or her barely-there meat bikini on the cover of Vogue?

Franc Fernandez, designer of Lady Gag's famous dress, says that designers have long been using food as an inspiration for their craft. He says his Gaga creation took two days just for the design process. He said the meat came from his Argentinean family butcher and he picked cuts with more fat and grease, like skirt steak,Cheap Gucci Mens Short Sleeve T-shirts online that are easier to work with because they have less blood which can turn a dress brown. “Gaga said it was fine and the most comfortable dress of the night. She actually said she liked the way it smelled like a butcher shop.”

Fernandez says the dress was hardly end of his foray blending food and fashion. If the idea of smelling like a butcher shop is too much for you, then check out Fernandez's new t-shirts, a women's dress and tank top, and men's underwear made out of poly-blend cotton that looks like real meat.

“I photographed the meat pieces used to make Lady Gaga's dress before they were sewn together so the actual meat pieces you see on the shirt were actually on the dress. It's the real meat you're looking at. The whole idea was to commemorate the dress,” Fernandez says. The t-shirts are $150 and the other pieces should be out soon.

But before Gaga's meat obsession,Cheap A&F Lovers T-shirt Sale Online photographer Ted Sabarese was pushing the limits of incorporating food into fashion. In a series titled “Hunger Pains” he had models wear clothing that depicted their personal food cravings. Designer Ami Goodheart saiBuy Best Ralph Lauren POLO Bikini for saled she created five outfits for the shoot that were made entirely out of foods like meat, pasta, artichokes, bread, and waffles.

There was a meat skirt made of tenderloin she decided to pair with a top made of dried potatoes. The pasta outfit she created features ravioli shorts and a shirt made out of several pasta noodles. The stunning artichoke dress cost hundreds of dollars to make says Goodheart, but the result was worth it. Accompanying the dress is a radish ring and an artichoke hair accessory. The bread outfit was one of Goodheart's favorites because of the Alexander Macqueen inspired sleeves made out of challah bread. The skirt is made of bruschetta like crackers and the buttons on the top are actually brownies. The last look was the idea of fruit and waffles. The model's top is banana peels with carrots and his pants are entirely made of waffles.

2011年11月17日 星期四

High Heels for a Down Economy?

When the economy heads south, women's heels go north.

A look back at decades of shoe fashion research reveals that high heels soared during the worst recessions. “Usually in an economic downturn, heels go up and stay up as consumers turn to more flamboyant fashions as a means of fantasy and escape,Examine our bestlanvinshoes here.” says Dr. Trevor Davis, a consumer products expert with IBM Global Services.

The average heel height today is six inches,Such as previously Nike Air Max, the entire-length Air sole returns away from your pumashoes.Go ahead to find your favorite bridaljewelry in our online store. more than double what it was the 1970s.

From the depression in the 1930′s to the oil crisis in the 70′s, and the dot com crash in 2000, high heels replaced flats and low, thick heels.

But once again this recession is different.

A computer based analysis of the last four years of social media posts shows discussions of increasing heel height peeked near the end of 2009, and declined after that. “Key trend-watching bloggers between 2008 and 2009 wrote consistently about heels from five to eight inches,” says an IBM summary of its research. “By mid 2011 they were writing about the return of the kitchen heel and the perfect flat from Jimmy Choo and Louboutin.”

While heels on many women's shoes are still high,2011 New Style Jeans lacefrontwigs on sale with fast delivery! the social networking analysis suggests a change in trend.Paintings for sale youredhardyhoodies buy paintings original painting art.

“This time something different is happening,” says Dr. Davis about the current economic problems many shoppers face. “Perhaps a mood of long term austerity is evolving among consumers sparking a desire to reduce ostentation in everyday settings.”

IBM says its new research “highlights the predictive capacities of social media analysis as a source of valuable insights” for businesses interested in market trends and planning future products.

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This lecture will be presented by Anne Barrett of “A Brief History!" and is described as follows:

“In 1910, women's skirts and hair were long….little more than a decade later,Shirts for all occasions, the Cheap Abercrombie & Fitch Mens Shirts for sale are available in many styles. skirts were reaching unseemly heights, bobbed hair was all the rage and women had finally won the right to vote. How did this happen? Follow the evolution from Abigail Adams advising husband John to “remember the ladies" to the shocking emergence of the 1920's “fiery youth." The lecture includes a visual presentation.

Anne Barrett lectures on a variety of historical topics, using engaging narrative and a visual presentation to inform and entertain her audience. More information can be found at annebarrett.net.

The Topsfield Historical Society is dedicated to preserving and interpreting Topsfield's rich history, as well as contributing to the community by hosting lectures and events such as the Strawberry Festival, the Witches Roost Halloween Party for children and the annual Thanksgiving Day Open House featuring costumed interpreters at the Parson Capen House on Thanksgiving morning.