TRAVEL: El Mirage Dry Lake Bed

WHAT: El Mirage Dry Lake Bed is a place to get away to in Southern California - you can camp under the stars and experience the desert just a short hop from Los Angeles - as well as visit the filming location for hundreds of car commercials and feature films.

WHY: The desert is a land of extremes, and if you drive 1 1/2 hours out of Los Angeles, you'll be solidly in the heart of the heat. The lake bed - a hard, concrete like surface - is perfect for testing the speed of your car or invention, ultra lite flying, motocross, and model rocket launches. Anytime you'd need a large, flat area for something, El Mirage would be a great choice.

The number of commercials and films shot there prove it. It's so hard and flat that land speed records are set here. Besides seeing the location in commercials, El Mirage was featured in Leathal Weapon, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Shania Twain's "That Don't Impress Me Much" music video. Access and camping are free, although it's probably best suited for RV-style (i.e. self-contained) camping.

http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/mirage.html

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BRAIN & ENTERTAINMENT: 3D Puzzles

WHAT: Yeah, you know what these are: puzzles taken to the third dimension: are they models, or are they puzzles? Whatever they are, they are challenging foam replications that require patience and tenacity to complete - and they are often of a quality that you can be proud to display in your game room or local library.

WHY: Today I started putting together the United States Capital 3D puzzle -- I'm using it as a prop for pitching a television series. Remember doing puzzles?

Puzzles are a great mind-clearing device. You concentrate on shapes that allow - for a moment - your mind a minute of clarity, much like entering REM sleep. It can be a satisfying kind of mediation. With a 3D puzzle, you take the challenge of a flat, 2D puzzle and make it that much harder: now where does this portcullis go? Build Venice, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, New York and more, and don't be surprised if you solve the crisis that has been plaguing you.

Makers of 3D puzzles: www.wrebbit.com

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ENTERTAINMENT: Guitar Hero 3 for WII

WHAT: Guitar Hero III is a video game where you are a rock star. Starting from a near nobody, you work your way up the rock star ranks by playing along with real songs - as musical notes scroll along, you push a corresponding button and strum, earning your way to rock and roll fame and fortune.

WHY: The reason I like this game is that it actually forces you to listen to music at a somewhat in-depth level. The songs are, overall, hits that you'll know, but you'll start hearing them differently: instead of simply clapping along, you're part of the band. If you mess up, you'll hear it - the song will sound like crap.

To progress in the game, you've got to be able to play a song fairly well. Don't worry - it's kind of like Simon Says meets Karaoke, except that instead of memorizing the colors, they show on the screen; and instead of singing, you have to let your fingers find the buttons.

Don't worry if you don't know how to play the guitar -- this isn't that. It's still a game, it's engaging with a simple premise -- and it's pretty fun. Perfect family fun - if your family is early teens and older.

http://www.guitarherogame.com/gh3/

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BF PODCAST: Episode 7

Week 43 - Episode 7 - Including Curb Your Enthusiasm, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles for WII, and "Bed In A Bag!"

HOME: Bed In A Bag

WHAT: Now get this: "Bed in a Bag." Isn't that funny? When you buy a "Bed in a Bag," you get fitted sheets, pillow cases, and a bed spread or comforter. Yes, that's right: you get - almost - an entire "Bed in a Bag." The only other things you have to provide are a mattress, pillows, and optional bed frame. So should it really be called "Nearly A Bed in a Bag?"

WHY: "Bed in a Bag." It reminds me of a Family Guy episode where they talk about the game "Ball In A Cup." Bed in a Bag. That's hilarious... I don't know why I think it's so funny, but all I have to do is say: "Bed in a Bag," and I start laughing. Anyway, it's a great marketing gag: you know most people are going to buy an entire matching set of sheets and such when they go shopping for them, so why not just put the whole shebang into a bag and sell it all at once? Think of the deal you'll be getting!?

Makes me realize that you can't just substitute any word for "bed." I'll let you fill in the blank for your own, instant marketing tool: "________ in a Bag." Anyway, all I've got to say on the matter is: "Bed in a Bag."

Check www.overstock.com or search Google for "Bed in a Bag."

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ENTERTAINMENT: Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles for WII

WHAT: A new game that comes out next month for the Wii called Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. Turn your WII controller into a gun with the game attachment, then go around blasting zombies until you've had your fill. Oh, yes, and they come after you.

WHY: Alright, so playing graphically violent games with zombies and gore isn't for everyone, but the Resident Evil series has built a reputation for getting your heart pounding in the horror-genre worlds they create. Now they're coming out with a new Resident Evil title, and this one's for the Wii game system. You know the Wii: it's the game system with the controllers that respond to motion; you can bowl or play tennis, and you mimic the motions of bowling and tennis with the controller in your hand.

But for Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, you take your Wii remote and place it in a plastic "gun" adapter. In the game, you'll play in first-person and have to actually aim at the screen to get the zombies. Okay, nothing super new here, but at least it's an exciting new game title for the Wii. One bigger complaints of the game system is that, while they got it right with the controller, the graphic power available on Wii games leaves something to the imagination. The brains of the Wii seem to be less powerful than the Playstation 1.

For those owners of Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, you'll have to wait a little longer for a new Resident Evil title, but you can check out the graphically intense trailer for Resident Evil 5 at their website.

www.residentevil.com

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ENTERTAINMENT: Curb Your Enthusiasm

WHAT: If you don't have HBO, you've probably not had a chance to get into CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, a mock documentary series created and starring Larry David, co-creator of SEINFELD. In this situational comedy, Larry plays himself, and although his cohorts (his wife, manager) are played by other actors, it's a funny spin that has lasted six seasons.

WHY: Obviously people are watching this, but without HBO, I never really had a chance to give CURB a chance. Watching one or two episodes here and there won't really get you into Larry's head - he's not an easy man to be sympathetic to. However, recently I've been watching season 2 on DVD and laughing through each episode - and now I see why my dad thought the series was so funny: because it is.

Yes, the situations are sometimes far-fetched, and Larry gets himself into trouble through his own neurosis, lying, or by his lack of communication. But each episode ties itself up neatly, and many of the issues raised and dialogue spoken you'll find nowhere else. In nearly each episode, there are moments when you'll want to turn your head and hide, embarrassed for Larry for what he's just done or said, and knowing that things are not going to go his way.

www.hbo.com/larrydavid/

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Brick Factory - Conversation Starters PODCAST: Episode #6

Week 42 - Episode 6 - Including Nobel Prize Winner Al Gore, the Internet Archive, Pumpkin Pie, Mac OSX Leopard, and the Halo Ultraviolet Germ Killing Vacuum Machine!

TECH & HOUSE: Halo Ultraviolet Germ Killing Vacuum

WHAT: According to the manufacturer, the Halo UV-ST Ultraviolet Vacuum is the world's first germ-killing vacuum cleaner. Using "UV-C" technology, it's a full-sized vacuum that instantly kills germs.

WHY: Now let's get one thing straight: I'm not proposing that you go out and start murdering germs and dust mites - that's your prerogative. But when I came across this today, I had two opposing thoughts. Initially, it sounds like a great idea: don't just "suck" the crud in your carpet up into a bag, but "zap" the crap.

But then, I thought: wait a minute, this sounds like a ploy to sell a clunky-looking new vacuum. Vacuums are a necessity, like toilet paper: if you've got carpet, you're going to need a vacuum cleaner. But another thought occurred to me: with the virus "Superbug's" immunity to antibiotics, is our phobia of common germs or dust mites over reaction - should we be living in sterile environments? Should we have a vacuum that kills the creatures that live with us in our homes, or are we asking for trouble with germs and bacteria to become stronger and more dangerous.

My personal jury is out on this one. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, but how sterile should clean be? In the meantime, I'll keep vacuuming my carpet with the traditional, beat up vacuum I have. But if you get this hi-tech machine, let me know how it works - and if you feel better from it's use.

http://www.gethalo.com

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TECH: Mac OS X "Leopard"

WHAT: The countdown is nearly over for Apple's new operating system, OS X "Leopard," touted as the biggest Mac OS X upgrade ever. It arrives on October 26, and developers and other VIPs who have seen the software are raving about it's beauty, both in design and engineering.

WHY: A long time ago, I was fascinated by Apple computers. Then suddenly one day, I wasn't. For more than 10 years, I scoffed at the fledgling company and it's poor business model - any really significant piece of software was available for the IBM-PC market, but not for Macs. All you had to do was walk into a software retailer, and you'd need a map to find the 10 or 2o software titles available for Apple computers. However, all that changed. Early last year, I returned to the Apple family, and it's been a very good relationship so far.

So what's the urge to upgrade? Honestly, I don't really know. I suppose it's the idea of buying something, partially, but also to know that you've got the latest, greatest software running at the fastest speed possible.

More than that, the new OS offers a fresh, new look - apparently, it's designed from the user down, instead of from the operating system up - so it should do more of what you expect a computer to do. From a human point-of-view, that is. New features that allow you to preview files before launching the application aren't new, but haven't really worked successfully in the PC world in the past. It took just as much time to "preview" a file in the past as to launch the application, so hopefully Apple has got this part right. There's also a "time machine" backup feature, which allows you to go "back in time" to see the state your computer was in, as well as retrieve old files. Again, not new - but the implementation is vital: does it work? If so, the new OS may be one of the must-haves of the holiday season.

With iPods and iPhones and everything else that's been going Apple's way, the new OS is hopefully icing on the cake.

www.apple.com/macosx/

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FOOD & TRADITION: Pumpkin Pie

WHAT: Only one of my favorite deserts of all times: the pumpkin pie. The pumpkin is a squash fruit native to the Western Hemisphere that grows on a gourd. The pie itself is a pumpkin custard that has been baked in a pie crust with no crust on top; it's most often flavored with all the goodness of nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, cloves, and ginger, and served with whipped cream. Thank goodness for the holidays.

WHY: There's a saying in the United States: "As American as apple pie." What? What do you mean, "as American as apple pie??" Apple pies have been made since Chaucer's time. It's really the PUMPKIN pie that's more unique to the Americas. Don't get me wrong, I love apple pie, but pumpkin pie holds a gold medal in my heart for this time of year.

It's at this time of the year in North America that we start to eat pumpkin pies, and I recently baked one to satisfy the craving. The pumpkin was given to the pilgrims as gifts, and is thought to have been warmly received by them only during their first harsh winter, when half of the poor sods perished due to scurvy and exposure. As most American school children are taught, the natives taught the pilgrims many uses for the pumpkin. But it wasn't until about 50 years later, when ovens allowed for baking were in use with the settlers, that the first pumpkin pies as we know them began to be cooked.

As winter approaches and snow begins to fall in many parts of the world, "coziness" comes to mind and I begin to think about all of the great deserts I have tasted world-wide. Although Los Angeles' "snowy" weather will be occasional rainfall and a light-sweater requirement that interrupts 80-degree weather, things like pumpkin pie can - for a moment - remind us of the good things in life. Each spoonful is like traveling to the north, to those magical IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE moments created in movie worlds.

Even as a Californian, though, nothing says autumn or winter like pumpkin pie.

My international readers can get canned pumpkin from Amazon or a local American food store and make their own pie; it's not difficult. To get a full history of pumpkin pie, see: http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/PieHistory/PumpkinPie.htm

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ENTERTAINMENT & REFERENCE: The Internet Archive

WHAT: Based at the Presido in San Francisco, the Internet Archive is a non-profit organization that maintains an online library of web and multimedia resources. What kind of resources? Using their "Wayback Machine," you can check out the snapshots they've taken of websites in the past, as well as browse and download archived copies of software, movies, books, and audio files. It's a digital library of information, in one place.

WHY: On the purely entertainment side, it's an odd pleasure to gaze back on early websites such as Yahoo from 1996, Google from 1998, or Apple's early web days. But more than a novelty or a "space in time," documentarians, researchers, and artists can find public domain media to include in their own original projects - news reel footage of World War II, those odd 1950's-era gender stereotype films they showed in school rooms on 16mm projectors, and rare bits of music that won't be found anywhere else. These just happen to be great resources for the low-budget filmmaker.

The Internet Archive has been recognized by the State of California as an official library. According to Wikipedia, it's the only library in the world with a mirror - an identical backup version - and that's located in Egypt. If you're so inclined, you can even find games such as Final Fantasy II or "Knights of the Republic" for download...

Internet Archives: http://www.archive.org

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HISTORY: 2007 Nobel Prize Winner Al Gore

WHAT: The climate change. Everyone's talking about it: "it's never been hot like this at this time of year, etc." But this year, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Al Gore - shared with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - for "their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change."

WHY: This is more than a conversation starter. Yes, many have seen "An Inconvenient Truth," the documentary that follows Al Gore as he lectures on the crisis of global warming. The issues are real, and very serious - and don't belong to a political affiliation. Unfortunately in the US, politics are bipartisan, and more often than not, politicians are elected because of the way they look, their haircuts, and the hands they shake - not the things they say. In a way, too bad it wasn't someone that everyone likes - like Willie Nelson or Ben Franklin - who received the Peace Prize, because despite the award, there are those who won't listen to the message because they don't "like" Al Gore. Americans don't like it when a guy wears too many hats - he's gotta be up to no good.

But why is all this amazing? Remember Al Gore's beard? This guy has rebuilt himself: talk about having a thick skin. Al Gore has got to be one of the ultimate "Rocky" themes: a guy who

rose so high, only to have the rug swept from underneath him. He disappeared for awhile. I'm sure every night he shook his head in disbelief, before refocusing his efforts on something more important than a presidency: helping to direct our attention to saving the planet.

All politics aside, I'm tired of breathing in the poor air in Los Angeles, and not really sure what to do about it - but I do think that there is hope. In Stockholm, Sweden, they were able to turn around the terrible water pollution in the city and return them to a pure state that makes fishing popular. On a larger scale, maybe we can find a way to have our cake and eat it, too, before it's too late.

Nobel Prizes: http://nobelprize.org/

An Inconvenient Truth: http://www.climatecrisis.net/

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Brick Factory - Conversation Starters PODCAST - Epidsode #5

Summary of Week 41 - Including Pitcairn Island, Roy D. Mercer, the BBC's Planet Earth, Emergen-C, and Robot Chicken!

ENTERTAINMENT: Robot Chicken

WHAT: Robot Chicken is an Emmy- award winning, stop-motion animation series that runs on the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup in the United States. Created by Seth Green (Austin Powers, The Family Guy) and Matthew Senreich, the show satires pop culture using action figures, toys, and claymation. It's goofy, over-the-top -- but very addictive.

WHY: Alright, so it's ridiculous at times, and it's raucous humor is not for children. Each episode is only 10 to 15 minutes long, cutting from one strange bit to the next. Seldom do they stick with a joke too long. Like all jokes, some are hilarious, some... not so much. Seth Green often does many of the voices for the show.

The "really really" popular clips from the show are the Star Wars themed ones. Don't miss the one where Darth Vader calls the Emperor with the bad news that the Death Star has been destroyed: The Emperor's Phone Call.

Clips and more at http://www.adultswim.com/shows/robotchicken/ (select the "Video" button at the top of the page)

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HEALTH: Emergen-C

WHAT: Feeling like you'd like to add a little flavor to that bottled water and have a few extra benefits too? In the original version, Emergen-C is a water soluble product that contains 1,000 mg of vitamin C, a highly effective antioxidant. Open the pouch, pour into your water, shake or stir, and drink. I'm not going to get into the debate here about the benefits of vitamin C, but needless to say that this is one good way to get it - and flavor your water.

WHY: On every film and television set I've been on in Los Angeles in the last two years, every single medic has had their kit stuffed with these tiny packets of goodness. Anytime someone is feeling on the verge of illness, or even a little weak as the twelfth hour kicks in, a bottle of water with Emergen-C supplements the nachos and cheese or donuts that are on the craft service (layman's term: snack) table.

Made by the Alacer Corp, the original comes in 7 flavors, such as cranberry, "super" orange, raspberry, and tropical, and include vitamin B and "32 mineral complexes" - um, sounds complex. They've got "Immune Defense" that includes Zinc. They've got specialty formulas called "Bone Health," "Heart Health," "Joint Health," and "MSM Formula." They've got Multi-Vitamins and Kid's Multi-Vitamins, Electrolytes, and tablet formulas.

It's never been easier to drink to your health, AND it's another way to get you to drink more water in your day. Trader Joes has it, as do the major pharmacies and some larger supermarkets.

http://www.emergenc.com/

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ENTERTAINMENT, EDUCATION, & ART: The BBC's Planet Earth

WHAT: The BBC produced a wonderfully glorious, gorgeous series called Planet Earth. It's a nature documentary series narrated by David Attenborough (the American version is narrated by Sigourney Weaver, but - please - get the Attenborough version) that shows you the planet as you've never seen it before. Available as a five-disc DVD collection, the series consists of 11 themed episodes that take you to the most remote places on the planet, plus 3 extra episodes that explore the issues raised even further.

WHY: Because it is beautiful. It makes you breath a little easier. It reminds you that you're part of something greater than yourself. It reminds you to live, to be alive, to inspire.

Filmed entirely in high-definition, the patience that the filmmakers had to have to capture this footage is amazing. Going six weeks before capturing an image of the animal they sought to film was not uncommon. At the end of each episode, there is a short "Diary" segment that takes you behind the scenes to see what was involved in capturing this extraordinary footage. Utilizing modern technology, helicopters, gyro-stabilized cameras, and good old-fashioned patience paid off: even if the idea of watching a nature film turns you off, this film will certainly change your mind. From the brilliant photography to the expansive score, you'll be astounded - and educated - at the same time.

Breathtaking.

You can find this disc in the States at major electronics outlets such as Best Buy, online at Amazon, and elsewhere. Make sure you get the version (Standard Def, HD, or Blu Ray) that suits your player when purchasing your copy.

The official site is
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/planetearth/

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ENTERTAINMENT: Roy D. Mercer

WHAT: Need a laugh? Heck, who doesn't? Roy D. Mercer is a "good 'ol boy," a redneck from Oklahoma who makes calls to people who he's somehow got a problem with. In reality, Roy D. Mercer is a fictional character voiced by Brent Douglas on radio station KMOD in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Signed by Capital Records, he makes joke phone calls that are often side-splitting funny. These aren't just "prank" calls: friends, family members, and co-workers call in to set the unsuspecting victim up. Roy then calls, and it's a good, wholesome laugh.

WHY: This has to be a tribute to my dad, who first introduced me to the "R.D. Mercer" CD's. How he ever discovered them up in northern California is beyond me...

Roy's always looking to "whoop somebody's behind" for doing him or his fictional wife/son/daughter-in-law wrong. Funny thing is: he sounds like he's 75, and he admits to wearing overalls, being a wiry fellow, and sporting a John Deer hat. This doesn't stop him from threatening to "pour a 55-gallon of whoop-ass" on his defensive victim.

This isn't just low-brow humor: listen closely to what Roy's saying; his thick Oklahoma accent often has clever insight and innuendo hiding between sentences. In the end, it's always a chuckle and relief when the victim is let in on the joke - and often just as funny as the joke itself. How big'a boy are ya?

Roy's official site is http://www.roydmercer.com

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HISTORY: Mutiny on Pitcairn Island

WHAT: Pitcairn Island lies in the South Pacific Ocean. The middle of nowhere. East-Southeast of Tahiti... some 1,400 plus miles. It was settled in 1790 by mutineers of H.M.S. Bounty, and decedents of the original mutineers still live there today: 48 of them.

WHY: Because this is the real deal SURVIVER or LOST - this island is only 4.6 square kilometers (1.8 square miles)... for comparison, little Catalina Island off the coast of California is 42 times the size ...

Now imagine living in the middle of the vast South Pacific. For over two hundred years, these people have descended from the original 9 mutineers, 12 Tahitian woman and 6 Tahitian men. Fletcher Christian was the leader of the mutineers, and many people living there share his name - as well as their relocated kin on Norfolk Island, some 3800 miles away. To give you an idea about that distance, you could just about get from Pitcairn Island to California. Hawaii and Antarctica would both be closer than where these folks were re-located. On Pitcairn Island, they might see one or two ships pass by a year.

If you're thinking about visiting Pitcairn Island, think again. No airport exists, so you have to fly to Tahiti, then fly to another island, then travel by boat another 30 hours.

The entire history is really intriguing, and I suggest reading the true stories gathered at the Pitcairn Island website. What's really fascinating is the difficulties they had in the first few years: while Hollywood glamorized the story, the facts remain that only one Mutineer survived being killed by the Tahitians that came to the island with them. Apparently, the Tahitian men got pissed when one of the Mutineer's wife died and he decided to take the Tahitian man's wife!

For more information, check out their website at http://www.lareau.org/pitc.html ... and make sure to watch Mutiny On The Bounty again - not the Marlon Brando version, but the original - and see how historically inaccurate but entertaining it is!

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Brick Factory - Conversation Starters PODCAST - Episode #4

Summary of week 40 - including Zillow.com, Amaretti di Saronno, Lychee fruit, Second Life, and Google Map's "Street-Level" feature!

TECH: Google's "Street-Level" imagery in Google Maps

WHAT: This is pretty awesome: most of you have probably used Google Maps to look up some directions, but Google Maps has a feature that only pops up when you're over certain views on the map. It's called "Street-Level." Roads that are highlighted in blue are interactive: you drag a little "human icon" onto the blue road area you want to see, and a photo taken from that exact location appears. Once you're looking at the Street-Level view, you can click on arrows to continue your viewing experience down a road. You can even zoom in.

WHY: Because it's fascinating to visit a place you've already been or plan on going to before you've actually gone. It's like virtually travelling there. Currently, Google Maps provides street-level imagery for the following areas:

Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Orlando, San Diego, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

No, it's not updated in "real" time. However, some things don't change too often. The photos are most likely taken with a special camera mounted on a vehicle that they drive down a street, probably connected to GPS software, and it takes a series of still images.

Of course it's raised "privacy" issues: men leaving strip clubs, protesters outside an abortion clinic - however, all of the photos were taken in public places. Apparently, there are public places that are "sensitive" to an American public, and Google allows for a location to be removed from the "street-level." In my humble opinion: ridiculous. Do we start to delete "sensitive' streets from a map?

Still, for those fascinated with armchair travel, it's great to visit or revisit an area that's covered in Google Map's Street-Level feature.

Visit the above cities and select Street-Level to see this feature at http://maps.google.com

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TECH & ENTERTAINMENT: Second Life

WHAT: Second Life is a 3D world that you access through a program on your computer. In a way, it's kind of like THE SIMS, except that you create a virtual version of yourself - an "avatar" - and you can buy land, build stuff, and kind of do things that you'd do in real life. Except in Second Life, you can fly. I'm going out there on a limb to say that a good portion of you have already heard about it; then again...

WHY: You should know about Second LIfe because... well, hmmm. I'm not really sure. Except it's been very popular - companies have bought and created virtual properties for themselves: you can find THE GAP there, NASA has a museum there, and the Swedish Embassy even set up a very informative virtual embassy. It's free to download the software and setup an account. If you want to own land, though, you need to upgrade your account, which means paying a monthly fee. I suppose that means your really just renting the land, then?

So why am I so dubious as to why you should know about it? Well, it's not really a game, so there's not really a goal. I suppose it's a bit like a 3-dimensional internet experience. I've recently spent a bit of time there for a class I'm required to take, and I've been building a presentation. I feel that it's kind of like random web surfing. Sure, it's okay to burn away some time, but in the end, there's no real sense of satisfaction from the experience.

The reason I am excited about it, though, is because of what the possibility can be around the corner. Google Earth is already developing leaps and bounds, and users there can now create 3D buildings. If Google can create a social aspect to Google Earth - where you create a version of yourself and then navigate inside Google Earth, i.e. a real representation of the planet - imagine the possibilities. You could virtually visit a real place, interacting in a way that comes closer to your first life than your Second Life. Visit your local Target, find where the parking is, and then visit the DVD section. Then have the product sent to you, or be ready for pickup.

Until then, you can browse Second Life for free. And possibly build your virtual assests up to convert them back to real world dollars (see Second Life's first millionaire here: "Virtual Property Queen Says Thanks A Million").

www.secondlife.com

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FOOD: Lychee, the perfect fruit

WHAT: Lychee, or Litchee, is a delicious tropical tree fruit native to Southern China. According to wikipedia, the tree is a medium-sized evergreen that produces a bright-red, rough rind covered fruit. The fruit is mature after 100 days of flowering.

WHY: I know, I know, two food "bricks" in a row. Sorry, but - as I was eating lychee on top of my frozen yogurt last night, I couldn't help but realize how good - nearly perfect - this fruit is.

It has a white, fleshy kind of meat -- and texture is similiar to a plump grape. It's not too sweet nor sour - and can be used in a variety of ways or eaten by itself.

You can find lychee in most supermarkets now, canned in a slightly sweet syrup - in the Asian Foods section. You can put it on icecream or frozen yogurt, in muffins, or chilled by themselves - subtle flavor but very satisfying.

Check out http://www.lycheesonline.com for everything you've wanted to know about lychee, including recipes and ways to buy online - even products to help you grow your own lychee tree.

http://www.lycheesonline.com

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FOOD: Amaretti di Saronno

WHAT: It's simply an amazing cookie called Amaretti - or the longer proper name Amaretti di Saronno. Yummy.

WHY: How do you get that much flavor into a cookie? Why does it taste like almond when it's made out of three simple ingredients: sugar, 16% apricot kernels, and egg whites. Apricot kernels?? Really? Is it safe to eat apricot kernels, won't they kill you?

No.

But that's all that's in it? Yep. Yet with such a unique taste, the cookie was developed into a liquid version in 1851, which became the liqour Amaretti Lazzaroni. It's named after the Amaretti di Saronno cookie's family bakers, the Lazzaroni family.

Get yourself a din, and enjoy the simple elegance of a perfect cookie.

Maybe not the best deal around, but at least you can find them here:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000F92YMI/ref=pd_sl_aw_alx-jeb-9-1_gourmet_25352018_1

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HOME & MONEY: Zillow.com

WHAT: Even if you're not in the real estate market, have you ever been curious to know how much the place you're renting is valued at? Zillow.com is like a Google map of property values. Type in an address, and - kapow! You can read either the good news or the bad.

WHY: It's a great tool to get started when searching for a property, to begin with. While their "Zestimate" is not an appraisal, it's a good point for starters. They also show homes in areas that are currently selling or have recently sold.

Entertainment-wise, you can check out satellite views of famous movie or television homes, or places where famous things happened. The house from Michael Jackson's Thriller video is at 1345 Carroll Avenue in Los Angeles. And it's Zestimate is just over $1,000,000...

Finally, think that all your rent is doing is paying your landlord's mortgage? You're right, but see how much more you pay versus own, then leave the pit you rent, and locate that dream place for the same price. Now doesn't it make more sense to own than rent?

www.zillow.com

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