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Author Archives: Nicola
Some Approaches to the Question of Chewing Gum Litter
Despite persistent urban myths to the contrary, chewing gum is, technically speaking, edible. However, doctors do agree that it is not usually wise to swallow it, due to the risk of “gum-based gastrointestinal blockages.” Given that in 2005, Americans chewed, on average, 160-180 pieces or about 1.8 lbs of gum per person, per year, with [...]
Posted in Uncategorized 10 Comments
Distilling Colorado
The appurtenances of American statehood extend far beyond the political basics — a flag, seal, and a couple of senators — into an entire menagerie of official animals, flowers, gemstones, and insects. Colorado, for example, proudly lays claim to the Stegosaurus as its state fossil, and the Western Painted Turtle as its state reptile, in [...]
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The Unsung Heroes of Biscuit Embossing
Over at The New York Times Magazine’s enjoyable 6th Floor blog, Hilary Greenbaum asks “Who made that Oreo emboss?” IMAGE: Oreo manhole cover, by Andrew Lewicki, an LA-based artist whose work also includes crates of Southern California concrete oranges and a combination ashtray/juicer, for the perfect Parisian breakfast. Interestingly, when the Oreo was first introduced [...]
Posted in Uncategorized 27 Comments
Keep Calm and Eat Cupcakes
In case any of you missed it, last Thursday, British intelligence proudly announced that they were behind “Operation Cupcake,” a cyberattack on the first issue of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Inspire magazine. IMAGE: My strangely appropriate birthday card, from the “Keep Calm” card series by bluebell 33. Thanks, Mum and Dad! Launched last June as a quarterly [...]
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Rental by the Meal
IMAGE: Drawing by Will Prince for the New City Reader Food Issue; data supplied by Marion Emmanuelle of award-winning restaurant designers AvroKo. Stuck in a rut, and with his thirtieth birthday imminent, Paul Carr, the son of hoteliers, escaped it all by spending a year living in hotels. Somewhat predictably, his experiences led to a [...]
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The Culinary Underground
If you’re in San Francisco on Tuesday night, don’t miss this conversation about “the emerging underground food movement in San Francisco and around the country,” taking place at 7:00pm at the Studio for Urban Projects. Moderated by the lovely Rosie Branson Gill, of 18 Reasons, and featuring Sandor Katz (author of The Revolution will not [...]
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The Evolution of Lids
The disposable coffee cup lid falls squarely in the category of random, everyday objects that you might assume are overlooked, but are actually quite the opposite. In fact, they have been collected, dissected, and put on display by a handful of notable design critics and curators.
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Mole Jerky
There is nothing more likely to raise the blood pressure of a British gardener than a fresh molehill despoiling his carefully tended lawn. For farmers, moles are an agricultural as well as an aesthetic pest, as covering pasture with soil reduces its appeal to livestock, and thus its yield per acre.
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Cake in the Mail
IMAGE: William and Kate’s official royal wedding cake. The British fruit cake may not taste quite as delicious as Prince William’s favourite chocolate biscuit cake, but its alcohol-soaked sultanas and rock-solid royal icing give it an impressive shelf-life and the sturdiness to survive extensive handling — two qualities much more necessary to the core functions [...]
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The Angeleno Bananascape