Yes we have no Ribtips today- Again!! X( Aug 8, 2006 11:18 am Mood: hungry, 2476 Views Maybe it is Chicago's proximity to Louisiana.... There are just gastronomically blissful offerings of greasy BBQ and spicy varieties from dives in and around Chicago. What I miss the most are the southern fried chicken drenched in hot sauce from Harold's Chicken Shack in the southside of Chicago, as well as bbq ribtips with spicy bbq sauce from various excellent Chicago bbq dives: Ribs N Bibs in Hyde Park, Hecky's Ribs in Evanston, Leon's ribs on Stoney Island, etc.... Since I have moved to the DC area a year ago, I've looked high and low in VA, MD and DC. Although I have found well advertised bbq joints serving up fares for the mainstream crowd, I have failed in my quest to find a true dive offering the really good southern stuff! I can only guess that the southern food at this end of the country differ greatly from the louisiana variety??? 11 Comments

Plasma is a girl's best friend? Aug 3, 2006 6:19 am Mood: sleepy, 2030 Views Plasma is a girl's best friend? 8/2/2006 10:39:21 AM, by Nate Anderson arstechnica dot com What do women want? Plasma televisions, apparently. A new study (Word .DOC) by US TV network Oxygen ("The New Girls Network") debunks the myth that "the only women interested in technology are urban trendsetters" and finds that three-quarters of American women would prefer a plasma television to a diamond solitaire necklace. Though Oxygen may be "rewriting the rulebook for women's television," the network isn't above trading on female sexuality to draw attention to its survey (surely the oldest rule in that dusty rulebook), called Girls Gone Wired. Oxygen does such studies in order to provide data for advertisers; in this one, it tells them, "don't talk down to women about technology." (Hint: it hurts your sales.) The survey shows that women feel perfectly comfortable with their technology, that they interact with technology for 15 hours each day (compared to 17 for men), and that 46 percent troubleshoot their own computer problems. They also like to buy technology. If given $500 to spend, more women would buy an iPod or a cell phone than would purchase a little black dress. Women remain more interested in the practical benefits of technology than in flashy features or sex appeal. 76 percent would purchase an ugly cell phone if it did want they wanted, and only 15 percent think of their phone as a fashion accessory. There's something about the "little black dress" But such findings aren't new. Back in 2004, an Intel-sponsored study said many of the same things, and also shed some light on the wide variety of job opportunities available at the chip giant. Dr. Genevieve Bell, a "cultural anthropologist" for the company, tried to understand how people around the world interact with their technology. When the Intel study appeared, she said, "As women, we want our computers to be like that favorite 'little black dress'—reliable and functional, there when you need it, and readily accessorized to be as individual as you are." The study revealed the existence of a new species, the Technology Involved Female (the "Tif"), who "spans generations and backgrounds" and represents the "new, tech-savvy woman." Tifs, when studied in their natural habitats, were found to value wireless Internet access even more than men (who don't get a cute acronym of their own). Equal numbers of men and women reported feeling "lost" if they did not check their e-mail daily. Still, women were less likely to feel confident when they purchased new computers, though one-third of them also thought that men overstated their own computing knowledge. A December 2005 study (PDF) from the Pew Internet & American Life Project also found parity between the sexes when it came to using the Internet. In some demographics, women were actually the ones most likely to be online; young women (18-29) were more likely to use the Internet than young men, while black women were more likely to go online than black men. Women send and receive more e-mail, and when they do so, they use it in a "richer and more engaging way," with an increased focus on strengthening relationships. Men, unsurprisingly, are more interested in using e-mail to gather news and factual information. Differences between the sexes have not disappeared. As the studies show, men and women still use technology in different ways and for different purposes, and men still dominate areas like gaming, though even that is changing. Though they use technology differently, none of this research finds any basis for thinking of men as more technologically astute than their female counterparts; let's put an end to that idea once and for all. To men who think this gives them a license to buy a vacuum cleaner for the women in their lives this Christmas ("What? The survey said you like technology!"), we have some advice direct from the Orbiting HQ to you: don't do it. But don't be afraid to wrap a flat-panel TV and slip it beneath the tree. You might be surprised at the results. 1 comment

there are two types of people in the world Aug 2, 2006 12:27 pm Mood: bored, 1993 Views There are three kinds of mathematicians: those who can count and those who can't. There are two groups of people in the world; those who believe that the world can be divided into two groups of people, and those who don't. There are two groups of people in the world: Those who can be categorized into one of two groups of people, and those who can't. 1 comment

Keanu!! Jul 14, 2006 12:22 pm Mood: bored, 2082 Views Geeeeeeez Now that I'm no longer looking, Keanu makes the announcement that he wants to settle down, get married and have kids! Well I had to tell my sig. other that if Keanu comes looking for me, I'm gonna have to leave him. 2 Comments

Where did everyone go???? Jul 6, 2006 11:21 am Mood: nauseated, 2467 Views Hmmmmmm So after months of not being able to chat I am finally able to log in from work only to find that the chatrooms are deserted! Where did all the US-daytime regulars go? 7 Comments

what's this i hear about a halloween gtg near DC??? Sep 30, 2005 8:28 am Mood: curious, 2210 Views is this just a rumor or is it based on actual conversations? is someone thinking of organizing a Halloween gtg in/near DC? If so, I would like to suggest paramount studio park. they are open on weekends for the Halloween haunted house or some similar thing. It would be a nice neutral ground for folks and a lot of fun since people can don costumes if they wish. Any thoughts? 1 comment

wha happened ~:( ? Sep 14, 2005 6:21 am Mood: confused, 2260 Views So I was unable to log in to this thing for a lonnnnnnnnnnnnng time due to .... well, y'all know what I was busy with I'm a bit confused and disoriented with all things having to do with KFF as well as the real world . Katrina was starting to reek havoc on the day I was driving across from IL to VA, and did its worst damage while I was on a cruise; now, as terrible as I feel for the people impacted by K, I can't help but notice that my sense of the hurricane is very dampened by my literal distance from the states at the time as well as the fact that being a cruise passenger is not the best way of keeping up with the news.... During our last days on the ship, the cruiseliner cancelled our last port stop, Port Canaveral, due to the threat of hurricane Ophelia. We had 3 days of turbulence and problems arising from lack of supplies - the ship was unable to get the usual stuff from Florida, so the crew and staff were placed in difficult positions having to meet the demands of the passengers. Despite all this though, I have to say that the ship still had enough water, food (too much food! our waits kept pushing 2nd servings of lobster tails, prime rib, etc, as well as serve us the dessert of our choice AND a couple of other desserts of their choosing) shows and activities to keep all of us very busy By the way, the ship casino is open from 9 AM until 2 AM on the days the ship is not at port. The casino was very crowded on the last few days We narrowly stayed ahead of Ophelia during the last 2 days at sea, and made it back to Baltimore before Ophelia was anywhere near Virginia. Phew! In any case, KA and I are back in town, and we WILL try to make it to the GTG - the only thing that may prevent it is my yet-to-be-scheduled trip back tai Chi town to pack and ship 90% of my worldly possessions. That being said, could someone please tell me which buffet near which Giant in Annandale the gtg is to be at? Is it the korean/sushi place in the same stripmall as Go-Bah-Ooh and a few other restaurants? I believe that is near Columbia? Anyone with more specific info? 1 comment

Anyone know how to sew tiny seed beads on a net mesh? Jun 15, 2005 1:51 pm Mood: confused, 3104 Views Hi, I am wondering if anyone knows of a website with REALLY GOOD instructions on sewing tiny beads onto very fine mesh fabric. I really don't want to glue fusing to the wrong side if at all possible. Gia 3 Comments

Who is going to BBQ on 7/2? Jun 5, 2005 8:52 am 2922 Views just being nosey 3 Comments

BBQ last weekend Jun 1, 2005 3:11 pm 2142 Views Hi to all who came to the Turtle Shell last weekend for the fun BBQ ~ I had a blast! Thanks to the 13 people who showed up and made it fun! 2 Comments

 GiaGia

44 F