Yummy Wakame

Sign hanging over the entrance to a Chinese restaurant

(Thanks Tintu!)

Hand-sewn Japanese cedar and canvas (instead of chemically treated leather) briefcases. Six styles (C$355/$351)

Watch it on YouTube.

Thanks Karen!

Though not out of Pittsburgh… yet. Yesterday we excitedly got into our fully loaded RV after an exhausting 4 days of moving ready to embark on a year-long roadtrip, and just half an hour into the trip we noticed the engine was smoking. So we turned off the A/C and pulled over as soon as we could.

While Nathan got out to look under the hood, I was sitting inside peering at the gauges on the dashboard trying to see if there was a water level indicator or anything else showing up but everything was in normal ranges. Suddenly Nathan started yelling frantically at me to get out. I jumped out panicking — movies taught me when someone yells, “Get out of the car!” it’s about to explode. Luckily some workmen across the road spotted the fire because Nathan couldn’t see it from above.

From a safe distance I could see fluid that had caught on fire pouring out of the engine and licking the belly, right under where my feet were. more…

via EonInRSA: This must be the strangest apartment I’ve ever seen! One guy made up his entire appartment to resemble the bridge, galley, and transporter rooms of Voyager (or just any Federation ship for that matter).

I found some great gas saving tips over at edmunds.com:

Change Your Driving Habits (and Save Gas!)
That surge of power off the line wastes more gas than you’d think. Consider these driving tips that will save you money and provide hidden benefits you’re sure to like.

Gas Buying Strategies
Not ready to buy a new car or change the way you drive? Never fear; these fuel-saving tips take the sting out of today’s gas prices.

Another tip I heard on TV the other day is pay in cash at the pump. Many filling stations are offering a 6¢-a-gallon discount for cash customers, to incentivise the use of cash, cutting back on hefty credit-card fees.

Oil and Oil Prices

Review: Who Killed the Electric Car?
Conspiracy theories abound in the automotive world. But this anatomy of the murder of GM’s EV1 raises issues much larger than just the demise of an electric car.

Understanding Oil Prices
Join us for a look at how world crude oil prices are set and the different factors affecting the price you pay at the gas pump.

How Much Oil Is Left?
Are spiking gas prices ever going to drop? The oil companies know a lot, but they aren’t saying much.

PITTSBURGH — The director of the UPMC Cancer Institute is one of more than 20 international experts calling for precautions for cell phone use.

The precaution comes on the heels of a not-yet-published international study pointing to cell phones as a potential health risk, said Dr. Ronald Herberman.

UPMC employee Amy Joe McDade said she doesn’t even have a landline phone at home and that she and her husband use their cell phones for everything.

“My cell phone’s important,” said McDade. “It’s my alarm clock, communicate with my husband, my kids, day care. It’s making me second guess my cell phone use and definitely the cell phone use for my children.”

Herberman said he’s become increasingly concerned about the data pointing to the hazards of cell phones and the electromagnetic waves reaching parts of the brain.

“This potentially could contribute to increased risk for developing brain tumors, particularly the area of brain close to the ear,” said Herberman.

“There’s no debate the cell signal gets into the brains, and it gets more deeply into the brain of children then it does in adults,” said Dr. Devra Davis.

Among the suggestions to limiting exposure is don’t allow children to use a cell phone except in an emergency.

Whenever possible use a speaker phone or BlueTooth, which has one-one hundredth of the electromagnetic emission of a cell phone. Even texting is safer, experts said, because the phone is in your hand.

And experts suggest avoiding carrying your cell phone on your body.