"400 Dead Dolphins Found in Tanzania"
"At least 400 dead dolphins were found on Zanzibar's northern coastline early Friday, alarming villagers, fishermen and tour operators, residents said."
"400 dead dolphins found off African coast"
(The second link includes a photo.)
Friday, April 28, 2006
Monday, April 24, 2006
Spring has sprung
Spring has finally come to San Francisco. The endless days of rain have gone and the cherry blossoms have bloomed.
Cherry blossoms by the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park...
On Sunday, my hubby and I went to the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival in Japantown. He hates crowded events but was a good sport considering the festival was packed since it was the last day and the day of the grand parade.
It was cute seeing little Asian kids dressed in kimonos. What was not so cute was seeing white women dressed in cheap kimonos. I wish I had taken some cute/not cute photos to post.
Always fun is checking out the vendor booths, such as the Blacklava one. Had to laugh at seeing this t-shirt and this one ... oh and this one, too. YES!
Also cool were the origami and paper doll exhibits ...
Cherry blossoms by the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park...
On Sunday, my hubby and I went to the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival in Japantown. He hates crowded events but was a good sport considering the festival was packed since it was the last day and the day of the grand parade.
It was cute seeing little Asian kids dressed in kimonos. What was not so cute was seeing white women dressed in cheap kimonos. I wish I had taken some cute/not cute photos to post.
Always fun is checking out the vendor booths, such as the Blacklava one. Had to laugh at seeing this t-shirt and this one ... oh and this one, too. YES!
Also cool were the origami and paper doll exhibits ...
Friday, April 21, 2006
Reward
This post started out about my new t-shirt (see below) ...
I hate going to the dentist -- hate it, hate it, HATE IT!
I didn't always feel this way.
When I was younger, my parents took me to a dentist who specialized in pediatric dentistry. I actually looked forward to seeing my dentist every six months. Although, the little rewards that I got at his office probably enticed me -- and helped my parents avoid having to drag me, kicking and screaming, to the dentist.
At my dentist's office, the kids could pick a "reward" at the end of each exam from this huge, green plastic frog head toy box for being such a good patient. I remember sitting in the waiting room, looking through an issue of Highlights, and eyeing the toy box in the corner of the room before each exam. I couldn't wait to open the lid to all the wonderful toys inside and choose my reward.
After every visit, I'd walk out with a new toothbrush, a little floss dispenser, a sticker on my shirt, the taste of strawberry fluoride in my mouth, the crunch of the polishing material in my teeth, and a little trinket -- often a shiny plastic ring -- from the frog toy box.
For years I went to the same dentist -- even for the braces I got in seventh grade. But I grew up, went off to college and didn't have dental insurance for many years. When I got my first "real" job with medical and dental benefits, I decided I better go the dentist since I hadn't been to one in years and made an appointment with an office near my home.
That cleaning was the most painful, torturous visit! Granted, I hadn't been to the dentist in years, but I take good care of my teeth -- I even floss nightly -- and never, ever had a cavity before. I found out at a follow-up appointment that the sadistic hygienist who ripped apart my mouth was a temp filling in that day. Lucky me. After that series of visits, it was years before my next dentist appointment.
Since I moved to San Francisco and again got a job with dental benefits, the adult voice inside my head told me to go for regular cleanings and get my money's worth.
I found a dentist (a nice, youngish Asian one) near my work. He has a new, high-tech office -- we're talking digital x-rays, digital camera system, flat-screen monitors by the patient chairs (so you can see the hole in your tooth that he's telling you to get filled), and computers with electronic dental records in every exam room.
After a two-hour initial exam last fall, in which the dentist explained all the issues concerning my teeth, gums and oral health, and showed me digital images to back up what he was saying, and a not-too-bad cleaning by the hygienist, I decided to return in six months for another cleaning, especially after being assured that the next visit would only take an hour.
So yesterday I took off early from work for my spring six-month cleaning, feeling relatively relaxed and at ease with the idea of going to the dentist. Unfortunately, this visit wasn't as pain-free as the last. Since I was the last patient of the day, perhaps the hygienist was impatient to leave and wasn't as careful. Whatever the case, I was glad to get the hell out of the dental chair.
Despite the scraping, jabbing and poking 'til my gums bled, I have to say that dentistry has come a long way, especially in terms of easing patient discomfort: using a topical anesthetic to numb your gums (I applaud whoever decided that it should be used during dental cleanings), sonic tools to help kill all the nasty bacteria, foaming fluoride treatments (no more gooey glop in mouthguard-like styrofoam trays) and background music (to help block out the horrible scraping sounds in your mouth). I actually turned down the opportunity to watch music videos on the flat-screen monitor.
After my somewhat painful visit to the "dentist" (the nice Asian dentist didn't even examine my teeth -- guess it really was just a cleaning), I walked out with a new Colgate Active Angle toothbrush (for nonsonic toothbrushes, these are the best, plus they come in blue and yellow!), a minifloss dispenser (perfect for my purse), strawberry-flavored fluoride on my teeth, and crunchy polish in between them.
But as I walked down the street and even though I am now thirtysomething, I decided I deserved a well-earned reward for my pain and suffering.
With no big green frog toy box from which to choose my reward, I headed downtown and went shopping. I bought myself this Jim Benton/Blackjack Inc. t-shirt at a local discount store:
Mine's black with a white and pink bunny -- love it! (It's what I'd like to say to my babbling, whiny co-worker.)
A Web site was included on the shirt tag so I checked it out to see what other t-shirts were available. I found this one, which is on my list to get next:
(KADs know that this sentiment perfectly expresses how we feel about certain people.)
There are other great design lines, and here are links to some of my favorite shirts from each: It's Happy Bunny, Dog of Glee, Sweetypuss (and this one, too), Just Jimmy (I saw this one on a shirt yesterday), Just Plain Mean and So Totally True.
I hate going to the dentist -- hate it, hate it, HATE IT!
I didn't always feel this way.
When I was younger, my parents took me to a dentist who specialized in pediatric dentistry. I actually looked forward to seeing my dentist every six months. Although, the little rewards that I got at his office probably enticed me -- and helped my parents avoid having to drag me, kicking and screaming, to the dentist.
At my dentist's office, the kids could pick a "reward" at the end of each exam from this huge, green plastic frog head toy box for being such a good patient. I remember sitting in the waiting room, looking through an issue of Highlights, and eyeing the toy box in the corner of the room before each exam. I couldn't wait to open the lid to all the wonderful toys inside and choose my reward.
After every visit, I'd walk out with a new toothbrush, a little floss dispenser, a sticker on my shirt, the taste of strawberry fluoride in my mouth, the crunch of the polishing material in my teeth, and a little trinket -- often a shiny plastic ring -- from the frog toy box.
For years I went to the same dentist -- even for the braces I got in seventh grade. But I grew up, went off to college and didn't have dental insurance for many years. When I got my first "real" job with medical and dental benefits, I decided I better go the dentist since I hadn't been to one in years and made an appointment with an office near my home.
That cleaning was the most painful, torturous visit! Granted, I hadn't been to the dentist in years, but I take good care of my teeth -- I even floss nightly -- and never, ever had a cavity before. I found out at a follow-up appointment that the sadistic hygienist who ripped apart my mouth was a temp filling in that day. Lucky me. After that series of visits, it was years before my next dentist appointment.
Since I moved to San Francisco and again got a job with dental benefits, the adult voice inside my head told me to go for regular cleanings and get my money's worth.
I found a dentist (a nice, youngish Asian one) near my work. He has a new, high-tech office -- we're talking digital x-rays, digital camera system, flat-screen monitors by the patient chairs (so you can see the hole in your tooth that he's telling you to get filled), and computers with electronic dental records in every exam room.
After a two-hour initial exam last fall, in which the dentist explained all the issues concerning my teeth, gums and oral health, and showed me digital images to back up what he was saying, and a not-too-bad cleaning by the hygienist, I decided to return in six months for another cleaning, especially after being assured that the next visit would only take an hour.
So yesterday I took off early from work for my spring six-month cleaning, feeling relatively relaxed and at ease with the idea of going to the dentist. Unfortunately, this visit wasn't as pain-free as the last. Since I was the last patient of the day, perhaps the hygienist was impatient to leave and wasn't as careful. Whatever the case, I was glad to get the hell out of the dental chair.
Despite the scraping, jabbing and poking 'til my gums bled, I have to say that dentistry has come a long way, especially in terms of easing patient discomfort: using a topical anesthetic to numb your gums (I applaud whoever decided that it should be used during dental cleanings), sonic tools to help kill all the nasty bacteria, foaming fluoride treatments (no more gooey glop in mouthguard-like styrofoam trays) and background music (to help block out the horrible scraping sounds in your mouth). I actually turned down the opportunity to watch music videos on the flat-screen monitor.
After my somewhat painful visit to the "dentist" (the nice Asian dentist didn't even examine my teeth -- guess it really was just a cleaning), I walked out with a new Colgate Active Angle toothbrush (for nonsonic toothbrushes, these are the best, plus they come in blue and yellow!), a minifloss dispenser (perfect for my purse), strawberry-flavored fluoride on my teeth, and crunchy polish in between them.
But as I walked down the street and even though I am now thirtysomething, I decided I deserved a well-earned reward for my pain and suffering.
With no big green frog toy box from which to choose my reward, I headed downtown and went shopping. I bought myself this Jim Benton/Blackjack Inc. t-shirt at a local discount store:
Mine's black with a white and pink bunny -- love it! (It's what I'd like to say to my babbling, whiny co-worker.)
A Web site was included on the shirt tag so I checked it out to see what other t-shirts were available. I found this one, which is on my list to get next:
(KADs know that this sentiment perfectly expresses how we feel about certain people.)
There are other great design lines, and here are links to some of my favorite shirts from each: It's Happy Bunny, Dog of Glee, Sweetypuss (and this one, too), Just Jimmy (I saw this one on a shirt yesterday), Just Plain Mean and So Totally True.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Kimchi!
My co-worker sent me a press release about a cardiologist named Dr. Asher Kimchi who will receive the "Passion of the Heart Award" at the American Heart Association Heart Awards Gala.
This prompted a Google search. We found that the root of the family name Kimchi comes from Kemach, which means flour in Hebrew.
But, another Google result had me drooling onto my keyboard. The Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp. kimchi Web site has everything you ever wanted to know about kimchi, its ingredients and health benefits (according to the site, it helps prevent constipation, enteritis, colonitis, acid toxicosis, obesity, diabetes, gastrointestinal cancers and arteriosclerosis; helps with digestion and suppressing aging; has lots of vitamin C; and more), along with recipes for kimchi, Korean dishes, and Western dishes that incorporate kimchi (spaghetti, pizza, pork cutlets -- sorry, no burgers).
The site also has a page on the cute, trademarked kimchi character, developed back in 2000 to "promote the excellency of Korean kimchi and to emphasize the difference from Japanese kimuchi."
(Last year I went to the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival -- which, BTW, is this weekend -- in Japantown, and one of the food booths was serving what looked to be kalbi with kimchi. At the time I thought, "Since when is kalbi and kimchi Japanese?" The kimuchi link above helps explain the Korean/Japanese kimchi dispute.)
Now I'm craving kimchi. Good thing I have a jar at home. :D
This prompted a Google search. We found that the root of the family name Kimchi comes from Kemach, which means flour in Hebrew.
But, another Google result had me drooling onto my keyboard. The Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp. kimchi Web site has everything you ever wanted to know about kimchi, its ingredients and health benefits (according to the site, it helps prevent constipation, enteritis, colonitis, acid toxicosis, obesity, diabetes, gastrointestinal cancers and arteriosclerosis; helps with digestion and suppressing aging; has lots of vitamin C; and more), along with recipes for kimchi, Korean dishes, and Western dishes that incorporate kimchi (spaghetti, pizza, pork cutlets -- sorry, no burgers).
The site also has a page on the cute, trademarked kimchi character, developed back in 2000 to "promote the excellency of Korean kimchi and to emphasize the difference from Japanese kimuchi."
(Last year I went to the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival -- which, BTW, is this weekend -- in Japantown, and one of the food booths was serving what looked to be kalbi with kimchi. At the time I thought, "Since when is kalbi and kimchi Japanese?" The kimuchi link above helps explain the Korean/Japanese kimchi dispute.)
Now I'm craving kimchi. Good thing I have a jar at home. :D
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Exports
Looks like South Korea will soon be exporting nurses in addition to babies ...
"South Korea plans to export 10,000 nurses to U.S."
But I'm guessing the nurses will have at least some say in the matter of leaving Korea.
Other related articles ...
"U.S. to import 10,000 S. Koreans for nurses over five years"
"US to Recruit 10,000 Korean Nurses"
"South Korea plans to export 10,000 nurses to U.S."
But I'm guessing the nurses will have at least some say in the matter of leaving Korea.
Other related articles ...
"U.S. to import 10,000 S. Koreans for nurses over five years"
"US to Recruit 10,000 Korean Nurses"
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Oops!
At my office, we get the the printed version of the Wall Street Journal delivered daily. (I have to say that sometimes I miss reading printed newspapers, flipping through sections page by page instead of clicking and scrolling, clicking and scrolling.)
Wednesday's section of the Personal Journal included Avery Johnson's Travel Watch piece (page D5), which mentioned how airlines were starting to offer healthcare services onboard flights. Its subhead read: "Heath Care in the Air."
Personally, I love finding errors in printed materials. Must be the former proofreader in me. Errors like those also make me appreciate one of the benefits of online publishing -- mistakes can be quickly corrected.
Wednesday's section of the Personal Journal included Avery Johnson's Travel Watch piece (page D5), which mentioned how airlines were starting to offer healthcare services onboard flights. Its subhead read: "Heath Care in the Air."
Personally, I love finding errors in printed materials. Must be the former proofreader in me. Errors like those also make me appreciate one of the benefits of online publishing -- mistakes can be quickly corrected.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Oriental City
April 18, 2006, marks the 100th anniversary of the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. There's an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal covering the experiences of Chinese-Americans after the earthquake, and how city leaders wanted Chinatown rebuilt on the outskirts of the city and renamed the "Oriental City" ...
"A Century Later, Chinatown Revisits History of Quake"
Updated (4/12/06): NPR broadcast a segment on Chinatown after the earthquake on Wednesday's Morning Edition program: "Rebuilding Chinatown After the 1906 Quake."
"A Century Later, Chinatown Revisits History of Quake"
Updated (4/12/06): NPR broadcast a segment on Chinatown after the earthquake on Wednesday's Morning Edition program: "Rebuilding Chinatown After the 1906 Quake."
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Having a field day
The Chosun Ilbo has been covering Hines Ward's visit to Korea with his mother ...
"Football Star Talks of Feelings About Korean Roots"
"Football Star's Mother Looks Back in Anger"
"One Man's Power to Change Ingrained Perceptions"
The last is an editorial/column, but doesn't say who wrote it.
Updated (4/18/06): Found this Reuters article, "South Korea welcomes new-found sports hero Ward"
"Football Star Talks of Feelings About Korean Roots"
"Football Star's Mother Looks Back in Anger"
"One Man's Power to Change Ingrained Perceptions"
The last is an editorial/column, but doesn't say who wrote it.
Updated (4/18/06): Found this Reuters article, "South Korea welcomes new-found sports hero Ward"
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Korean screenwriter for 'Lost'
Christina Kim made her screenwriting debut with "Lost" ...
"The Invisible Korean Behind U.S. Hit Drama"
"The Invisible Korean Behind U.S. Hit Drama"
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