bookofjoe

Not a honey pot like in 'Winnie the Pooh' — but the next best thing

Look at the photo above.

What do you see?

According to WQOW-TV in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, it's a bear cub with a bird feeder stuck on its head.

"A landowner in the northwestern part of the state told the state Department of Natural Resources about the cub over Memorial Day weekend. But the mother was so protective that DNR officers couldn't get near the cub, who was still able to climb a tree."

"When the DNR set out a live trap this week, it caught both the cub and the mom. The feeder was found in pieces next to them, possibly chewed apart by the mom."

"Both bears were released into the woods."

Here's a link to a WQOW-TV news report (below)

with more photos.

Um Tote

Handmake by Josh Jakus in Berkeley, California from one piece of 100% industrial wool felt and one zipper.

Zipper colors: Green, Blue, Orange, Pink, Grey.

12.5"H x 9.5"W x 5"D.

$115.

'Rain It In' — by Paul Cocksedge

Above, how he envisions using a field of static electricity to bend rain away from a person or place.

Which car manufacturer's gonna offer it first?

I'm putting my money on Honda or Toyota.

See Cocksedge's vision and much more at the Design Museum of London's new show, "Super Contemporary," up through October 4, 2009.

Buckle-Up Belt

Designed by Sebastian Errazuriz.

Ashes and Snow

"'Ashes and Snow' at the Zócalo Nomadic Museum closed on April 27, 2008 in Mexico City. To date, 'Ashes and Snow' has received over 10 million visitors on 4 continents, making it the most attended exhibition by a living artist [Gregory Colbert] in history."

[via Marcus Reimold]

Boker Plus Cop Tool

Here's Justin Dyer's review of this device, from the last week's edition of Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools, edited by Elon Schoenholz.

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Boker Plus Cop Tool

As a paramedic and racetrack rescue team member, I’ve used most rescue tools on the market, from the Benchmade Rescue Hook to cheap seatbelt cutters. None has the durability of the Boker Plus Cop Tool. This multitool has cut many seatbelts, pried a few doors and, used as a standard knife, tackled all of the tasks I've put to it over the past year. It has required minimal sharpening, and the finish remains in excellent condition. With the included sheath, it fits nicely on my zip-up workboots or on my waistband. Pry, chisel, cut, scrape or pound, the Cop Tool has always pulled through for me.

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$35.79.

Helpful Hints from joeeze: The best way to store sliced onions

From the July/August 2009 issue of Cook's Illustrated comes the following.

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What is the best way to store sliced onions?

Old wives’ tales claim that storing sliced or chopped onions in water will help keep their pungency from intensifying, but we found the exact opposite to be the case. We stored sliced onions for two days submerged in water as well as placed directly in zipper-lock bags, and then compared their odor and flavor to freshly sliced onions. The onions submerged in water were unanimously deemed to be most odorous with the sharpest flavor. It turns out that over time, water facilitates the distribution of enzymes known as alliinases across the cut surfaces of the onion, which in turn leads to an increase in the creation of thiosulfinates that produce an onion’s pungent odor and flavor. Your best bet is to simply slice or chop onions as you need them, but if you find yourself with an excess, store them in the fridge in a zipper-lock bag and give them a quick rinse to remove any thiosulfinates on their surface right before using.

What is it?

Answer here this time tomorrow.