Science Fair for April 13th-19th

In honor of Earth Day this Wednesday, I'm sure your life has been invaded by suddenly "green" advertising--it's inescapable! You would not believe the number of ads Wal-Mart has been running here in California, it's all very deceptive. I think it kind of subverts the whole message of Earth Day, because one day out of the year isn't going to make a difference, 365 days of the year should! So, on that note, onwards and upwards with this week's Science Fair:

-The New York Times (I only subscribe to the Sunday paper so I can read the Style section's wedding announcements, DUH) ran a feature called, How Green Is Your Water Bottle?. Little did we know, those super-chic steel and rubber-sealed containers are not that great. I can't seem to use one for more than a week without it starting to smell or just be generally nasty, despite washings. Of course, the plastic water bottle I just picked up for $1.50 at Ichiban-Kan in San Francisco looks like a sippy cup.

-Did you know that our beloved Silicon Valley was once known as the Valley of Heart's Delight? True story! If that doesn't make you fabulously enchanted with this area, then...well, we have a Babbage machine for you to see!

-Kyoto Foodie reminded me of great times with my grandmother and great-aunt in old Kobe, eating our way through bakeries and manju shops with this yuzu kokuto marmalade on fresh, European-style bread. Oh, YUM. Some of the best parts of Kobe, Kyoto, and Osaka are the hidden-away relics from the turn of the century/late Meiji period, when Western influence first came into Japan and coffeeshops and fried cutlets were all the rage. Those shops are just like walking into Paris in 1908, and I love it.

-Speaking of Japanese swirled culture, have you ever seen a moffle before? IT'S INGENIOUS. My grandmother grills her mochi bricks on a rickety old aluminum contraption that looks like it could give you third-degree burns if you just looked at it. The modern convenience of the electric waffle iron is a much safer bet.

-To go with those moffles, and your regular ol' waffles, a short history of maple syrup! Although the maple syrup harvest these past few years has been suffering, and due to ye olde Economics supply and demand, the price has skyrocketed (you may have noticed). Some local breakfast places are only giving real maple syrup with an additional charge, it's maple syrup blend for you otherwise. Sad.

-You heard all about the ridiculous nonsense surrounding this year's Miss America pageant, but did you know about Miss Aloha Hula? The lovely Cherissa Kane is your 2009 Miss Aloha Hula, check her out! Beautiful. My mom, who grew up in Hawaii, taught me a few hula moves--I know how to do the "waving palm," "sunrise," "sunset," and "waves." Yeah, I'm not about to win any Miss Aloha Hula contest, believe it!

-That movie, Ben Affleck's big-screen return with whats-his-nuts and Rachel McAdams (love her)? State of Play, that's it. The Baltimore Sun has exposed how the film's wardrobe department totally gaffled this reporter's style! Whaaat. I think it's great that they looked at how real reporters dress instead of making the lovely Rachel McAdams run around in stiletto heels like every other movie depicting professional women, ever.

-The fabulous Sally Jane Vintage scored a huge windfall of fab vintage clothing after a chance encounter at an estate sale. She'll list all of the items she's not keeping for her personal closet on her Etsy site next weekend! Check it out and let us know what you get!

Have a great week, everyone! Enjoy the beautiful weather and have a green, green Earth Day!