Maxim - February, 2008

The 10 Best Potato Chips You've Never Heard Of, Penn Jillete, magician and food junkie
10. Tim's
-Out of Seattle, they are loud, hard chips. Favorite flavor: Hawaiian Kettle Style Sweet Maui Onion
9. Utz
-Salt & Vinegar is amazing, but very strong
8. Golden Flake
-really nice, no-kidding Hot Think & Crispy chip that are "on fire"
7. Tri-Sum
-from Massachusetts, crunchier than others and tasty
6. Backer's
-Red Hot Potato Chips are from Missouri and they are hot!
5. Martin's
-from central Pennsylvania, Red Hots are hot, Jalapenos are complex, and ridges on the chips are strong enough for dipping
4. Mister Bee
-slightly soggy, old-fashioned chip from West Virginia
3. Deep RiverSnacks
-from Connecticut, Rosemary & Olive Oil is delicious
2. Route 11
-Mama Zuma's Revenge is made from some of the hottest peppers on the planet
1. Better Made
-from Detroit, not too crunchy, a little bit mushy, no ridges or added flavor, just salt and cotton-fat goodness

Sexy Coffee Table Books by Uwe Ommer
"Do It Yourself", "Black Ladies" and "Asian Ladies"

Sexiest Fire Extinguisher
homehero.net, $25

Sexist Pocket Gizmo
DJ System with 120GB of music and two channels (like turntables); pacemaker.net, $725

Sexiest Calendar
totallynerdcore.com, $25

Get Six-Pack Abs
Link

Newsweek - June 16, 2008

Book to read:
"Netherland", Joseph O'Neill

Youtube: The Reel Geezers

Statistic to study: PECOTA by Nate Silver

A Bug to Save The Planet
-Craig Venter, the first person to decode the human genome, has a new project: to replace the petro-chemical industry with an "energy bug" - a bacteria that will ingest CO2, sunlight and water and spew out liquid fuel that can be pumped into cars.
Link

Frietmuseum
-in Bruges, Belgium, the first and only museum dedicated to french fries: frietmuseum.be

Newsweek - June 9, 2008

Gourmets Go Underground
-Underground supper clubs started making an appearance on the foodie scene a few years ago. They were based at first on the principle that without the economic demands of running a restaurant, organizers would be free to take chances like promoting new chefs and demanding high-quality ingredients.
Link

Books to read:
"Now the Hell Will Start", Brendan I Koerner
"When You Are Engulfed In Flames", David Sedaris

Newsweek - May 26, 2008

His Better "Last Lecture"
-Youtube: "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch
-also "Time Management
Link

The New Dream Isn't American
-Immigrants are deterred by the ailing economy and tougher border controls
Link

The End of Entitlement
-We middle-class Americans are in a funk. The overarching economic narrative of the 2008 campaign is the idea that life for the middle class has gotten more difficult.
Link

Small Schools Rising
-This year's list of the top 100 high schools shows that today, those with fewer students are flourishing.
Link

Try Freeloading Off Friends
-How to squeeze in a little bit of travel fun without breaking the bank:
-aaafuelcostcalculator.com: budget exactly how much you'll spend on gas by entering your destination and your car into the calculator at the AAA site
-gasbuddy.com: find the cheapest prices on gas
-boltbus.com/megabus.com: long-distance buses
-travel.booklocker.com: find cheap travel destinations
-priceline.com/hotwire.com: good rates online, but try calling the individual hotel directly for their best rate
-home-swap.com/intervac.usa.com: swap homes with a like-minded family who lives where you want to travel
-citypass.com/entertainment.com: book of passes, coupons, discounts

What Goes Up Might Come Down
-property tax info
-publicrecords.netronline.com
-zillow.com

Asparagus
-when buying, make sure the tips are gight and the stalks are strong, firm, and standing upright