Nutella News

Alright, it's here in the US of A.
NUTELLA. But not Nutella...

A NUTELLA COMMERCIAL.

There is some great buzz following this stuff, from loyal consumers who are happy to have Nutella's public presence backing their fanfare to health watch-dogs calling out the claim to health benefits. In the commercial a mom reasons feeding Nutella to her kids in the morning because she puts it on healthier foods.

While I love the stuff, I'm gonna call bs. But I'm not here just to add my bloggerty little fingers into the fray. I'm more curious about Nutella's thinking here.

Why would this beloved brand choose to break into American consciousness with a little happy fib? Out of all the angles they could take to promote their product, why choose the sinful mom-cohersion route? Nutella is awesome because it's creamy, it's choclately, it's got a great aftertaste, it has no American equivolent and it looks damn good in a spoon. So say that! Don't beguile the (second) most obese nation in the world into thinking this luxury spread is just a part of a nutritious breakfast. It's like saying Kool-aide is good for you because you're drinking water. Get real.

Fantastic Show of Odds

It may seem that there are a lot of bicycle-related postings on my blog. You're right. There are. You are a faithful reader and I thank you. TODAY! However, is an awe-inspiring reminder that one in a million can happen, and does! But if you're this one of a million... I'm sorry.



A few weeks back I noticed some little wings blowing around on my bicycle lock when I was about to lock up my bike on campus. Upon further inspection, I found that a spider, eating a gnat, had been crushed on my lock. What are the chances of that!?

MY LOGO IS IN THE TOP 13

One day my parents called me up and persuaded me into a logo design contest for a Seattle show:
Ron&Don Nation (KIRO 97.3 FM) So one day I busted out three logos and sent them in. Though I liked one best, they were all the product of my hands, and CS2.

Now, one of my logo's is in the 13 and could win the contest! So give it up and vote for #4! I'd be much appreciative, and my Dad really wants those Seahawks tix...

Bicycle Love

In Eugene, a lot of people ride bikes. Of that number, a significant portion love bikes. And an even slimmer percentage fantasize about bikes. Some of them fantasize about other cyclists.

I happened upon this little gem yesterday afternoon. Another bicycle come on. The thing is, these notes aren't so uncommon. Lovers of bikes = cyclist lovers.

WOW!!

When I was a little girl—actually the whole time I lived with my parents—my mom would ask me to clean up my sprawling clutter, and I would simply re-stack, or push it around. I remember how she would look emphatically into my eyes and say, "THROW. IT. AWAY." Ever since, I've been fascinated with the things people choose to keep or dispose of. I am more of a "just-in-case" keeper, but I've recently noticed another reason for not getting rid of things. And I think it's universal.

When something grosses a person out, it's likely that they will ignore it for as long as possible.

Some people would argue that we're just lazy, but I see it happening around the house with disgusting things in particular. For example, I made a large bowl of macaroni and cheese, leaving it out with a paper towel covering, to keep it from the flies. I offered the leftovers to Will, who ate some and neglected to replace the covering. When I returned to find more mac, I counted my blessings and dug in. Only moments into my second helping, a fly crawled out from inside the noodley caverns. I was disgusted and promptly put the bowl back, with the covering on. I decided that this would serve as the perfect experiment to my theory. When the same Will later discovered that there was more mac, he was about to shovel it in until I told him about the fly. Then, the telling moment: grimacing, he put the cover back on the bowl and set it aside.


And so the stale bowl of pasta sat for about a week and a half. My theory was correct. Instead of immediately disposing of the spoiled food, he ignored it. The ol' out-of-sight-out-of-mind. But it was still within the range of scent. Tonight, I gave in and decided to scrape the thing out. I was, after all, the one guilty of this dirty experiment. To my delight, there was a living surprise waiting inside the moldy orange goop. Well, many surprises.



Now I owe him a new metal bowl and spoon. But the experience of seeing, even cultivating, real, live maggots was truly priceless. I'll have to include an addendum to the lab writeup.