HeraldNet: Midday Snacks



RECENT POSTS:
• Spring forward, and other things to do with your weekend March 12 • ‘Chuck Norris' search is viral worthy, but only once! March 10 • Rock on, little zebra finch dudes March 8 • Three things to do with your weekend March 5 • Another amazing video from OK Go March 4

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Midday Snacks

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Tidbits we've gathered from around the Internet to entertain, inform and enlighten you each weekday around noon.

March 12

Spring forward, and other things to do with your weekend

Posted at 1:45 pm by Katie Mayer, Herald staff

Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, so remember to set your clocks ahead an hour, or you'll be late for some of the fun going on this weekend.

First, a couple of things worth heading to Seattle for:

The Seattle Bicycle Expo is Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. at Smith Cove Cruise Terminal 91. The expo includes talks by cyclists, demonstrations, activities for kids and a photo contest. Admission is cash only and $10 for a single day or $12 for both. Kids under 15 get in free.

Emerald City ComiCon: Leonard Nimoy, Wil Wheaton and Stan Lee are among the luminaries who will be at the two-day comic book and pop culture convention. It's at the Washington State Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, plus an after-hours masquerade starting at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $25 for Saturday only, $20 for Sunday only or $35 for a two-day pass.

Closer to home, we have:

The Cascade Mountain Men Muzzle Loading Arms and Pioneer Craft Show at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe. See historic firearms and crafts and demonstrations of blacksmithing, wool-spinning, weaving and wood-carving. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults; kids 12 and under get in free.

The first Snohomish Wine Festival, which will feature 19 Northwest wineries and food prepared by Snohomish restaurants. The festival is from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday at A Manor of Wine, 610 First St. Tickets are $35 at the door.

Finally, the Silvertips play their final two home games of the regular season against Seattle at 7:35 tonight and against Chilliwack at 7:05 Saturday night .

It's a busy weekend out there. Have fun! ... [Read More]

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March 10

‘Chuck Norris' search is viral worthy, but only once!

Posted at 12:34 pm by Sarah Jackson

Here's a fun diversion to celebrate the birthday of an American icon.

Go to Google.com.

Now, I don't mean the field in your browser that allows you to directly search Google without going there, I mean type www.google.com into the url field of your browser.

Then type: "Where is Chuck Norris?” in the search field and click on “I'm Feeling Lucky.”

You will get a hilarious search result.

If you try it a second time, it won't happen. You'll just get regular results.

Google, you're so easy love. ... [Read More]

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March 8

Rock on, little zebra finch dudes

Posted at 11:23 am by Jessi Loerch

Zebra finches are not only adorable, they like to rock, too.

This video is from an art installation in an aviary. Since the birds are in London, we'll have to enjoy watching them here. (You'll want sound for this one.)

From the description of the video: "For his installation in The Curve, Boursier-Mougenot creates a walk-though aviary for a flock of zebra finches, furnished with electric guitars and other musical instruments. As the birds go about their routine activities, perching on or feeding from the various pieces of equipment, they create a captivating, live soundscape." To see more, follow the link to the YouTube video. ... [Read More]

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March 5

Three things to do with your weekend

Posted at 1:12 pm by Katie Mayer, Herald staff

The weekend is mere hours away, and here are some ideas for how to spend it:

Take advantage of the nice weather expected Saturday and head to the Penn Cove Mussel Festival in Coupeville. Events kick off tonight at 5:30 with music and food. Festivities continue Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can see cooking demonstrations, vote for your favorite chowder, go sailing, tour a shellfish farm and test yourself at the mussel-eating competition.

If you don't mind spending a sunny March Saturday inside, part two of the Oscar showcase is Saturday at the Woodinville theater, 17640 Garden Way. Starting at 10:30 a.m., see five of the films nominated for Best Picture: "Up," "A Serious Man," "The Hurt Locker," "An Education" and "District 9." Cost is $30 for all five movies.

And don't forget about the Everett Home and Garden Show. It started at noon and runs through 6 p.m. today, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Comcast Arena. More than 200 vendors and lots of guest speakers will be at the show. ... [Read More]

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March 4

Another amazing video from OK Go

Posted at 6:37 pm by Elaine Helm

Music videos don't tend to get much attention these days. Even MTV and VH1 seem to tune them out, except during odd hours. But one band is gaining a reputation for creating clever, quirky videos that go viral online.

OK Go started with crazy treadmill work for "Here It Goes Again". Now the band has taken synchronized movements to a whole new level with its video for "This Too Shall Pass."

Wired's Gadget Labs posted an explanation and videos of how the latest project came together. It involves a Rube Goldberg machine -- a really, really big one.

If you're as fascinated by the Rube Goldberg machine concept as I am, a quick search turns up thousands more videos you can snack on. ... [Read More]

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March 3

It's juvenile humor day at Midday Snacks

Posted at 3:46 pm by Sarah Jackson

Let's take a moment to revel in some juvenile humor.

Today's installment requires the medium of video to supply the most-important element of surprise, courtesy of The Onion's non-satirical AV Club, which is real, not fake, unlike regular Onion content.

This video, dubbed “Resort Name Fail,” pokes fun at an awkwardly named rural getaway in the United Kingdom.

Watch and wait for it and read the as-always hilarious comments from Onion readers.

One commenter makes a good argument: “It (the name) might even have been chosen deliberately because it would be good for business, i.e., once you've heard the name, you won't forget it in a hurry.”

Indeed, there is a section on the resort's Web site that explains the name. Alas, there is no attempt at humor. ... [Read More]

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March 1

Streaming video: An adorable way to waste time

Posted at 3:00 pm by Jessi Loerch

I think the nation's productivity may have plummeted thanks to this Web cam watching over Shiba Inu puppies.

Once you get tired of watching the puppies playing or sleeping, you can check out this barn owl brooding her clutch of eggs. Most of the time it's a quiet show, but when the chicks hatch, things should really pick up.

Speaking of hatching chicks, you can watch chickens peck their way out of their eggs and take their wobbly first steps. ... [Read More]

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February 26

Four ways to spend your weekend

Posted at 12:50 pm by Katie Mayer, Herald staff

There's more going on this weekend than rainy weather. Here are a few ideas:

The Everett Women's Film Festival kicks off at the Everett Performing Arts Center with a gala tonight at 6, followed by the films "Sweet Crude" at 7 p.m. and "Frozen River" at 9 p.m. Showings continue Saturday morning starting at 10. For more information, check out Theresa Goffredo's preview or the festival's Web site.

If you're feeling spontaneous, why not head up to Vancouver, B.C., and enjoy the last weekend of Olympic revelry? There's plenty for visitors to see and do besides the Games themselves. Check out Mark Mulligan's post on the Olympics blog for tips on how to get around and what to see.

The Everett Rock & Gem Club is holding its annual show Saturday and Sunday. Check out stones and jewelry, get gemstones identified or have a jewelry design consultation. There will also be activities for kids. Admission is free; hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the National Guard Armory, 2730 Oakes Ave., Everett.

Historian David Dilgard will give a talk and slideshow about the influence of the interurban trolley that ran between Seattle and Everett from 1910 to 1939. Hear him at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Everett Public Library auditorium, 2702 Hoyt Ave. ... [Read More]

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February 24

Time.com

'Top 10 Worst Figure Skating Costumes'

Posted at 10:55 am by Sarah Jackson

If you're a sucker for figure skating — whether the Olympics are going on or not — today's post is dedicated to you.

Time's latest top story online is “The Top 10 Worst Figure Skating Costumes,” featuring 10 videos of some of the most outlandish and bizarre outfits skaters have taken to the ice in the past 20 years.

We admit some of the outfits call the sanity of the sport into question, but each of the videos showcase amazing feats of athleticism, theater and dancing on ice, too.

We hardly noticed the outfits.

Olympic figure skating continues Feb. 25 with ladies free skating and, on Feb. 27, an exhibition gala.

Click here to see the full schedule and results of Vancouver 2010. ... [Read More]

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February 17

Avoid ennui. It could save your life.

Posted at 9:50 am by Sarah Jackson

When it comes to the topic of boredom, the lovely and talented housewife Betty Draper hits the nail on the head:

“Go bang your head against the wall. Only boring people are bored,” she snaps at one of her children, I can't remember which one, Sally or Bobby, when confronted by complaints of ennui on the three-time best-drama Golden Globe-award winning AMC show “Mad Men.”

It turns out, however, that bored or boring people might also be in danger of living shorter lives.

According to a commentary to be published in the International Journal of Epidemiology this coming April, experts say there's a possibility that the more bored you are, the more likely you are to die early.

Researchers caution that boredom alone isn't likely to kill you, but, according to an Associated Press story, “it could be a symptom of other risky behavior like drinking, smoking, taking drugs or having a psychological problem.”

How do we know this?

Sandi Mann, a senior lecturer in occupational psychology, actually studies boredom at the University of Central Lancashire. (Bizarrely enough, that's exactly where I, yes, yours truly, spent an entire academic year studying American literature, which was, incidentally, not at all boring.)

Mann believes boredom is linked to anger suppression, which can raise blood pressure and suppress the body's natural immunity: “People who are bored also tend to eat and drink more, and they're probably not eating carrots and celery sticks,” she said.

So, let's do whatever we can to do to avoid boredom, even if it's reading Midday Snacks over and over, OK? ... [Read More]

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