I Learned Something New

I learned today by e-mail that “FedEx courier Service Company are hereby passing an essential massage”. I like massages. The e-mail also promised me lots of money. Wow. What a company! Too bad they are in Lagos, Nigeria and scammers and not FedEx…

The FedEx courier Service Company are hereby passing an essential massage to all our valuable customers to be very careful while presenting their receivers residential address to avoid wrong delivery.
…
We are happy to inform you once again that your parcel thatcontain the sum of $ 1.3 million dollars is among the 24 parcel’s listed which is now in our office and also with your name as the receiver despise that we lost your private residential address’s, which is an indication that you can now re-send your residential address to back to the FedEx company where your parcel can be delivered to you without hesitation with this e-mail:

fedexexpressdelivery_24@hotmail.com

I learned last week that I like the Buffalo-style wings from Wing Stop better than those from Buffalo Wild Wings.

I also learned that the hottest sauce at both places (“Atomic” at Wing Stop and “Blazin’” at Buffalo Wild Wings) is more than I can comfortably handle. One notch below that is fine though, being the “Original Hot” at Wing Stop and “Wild” at Buffalo Wild Wings.

The color of the “Wild” sauce is more attractive than the “Original Hot”, but the aroma and flavor of the “Original Hot” is better, plus it’s not thickened the way Buffalo Wild Wings’ “Wild” appears to be.

And Wing Stop’s wings are cheaper.

Next time I’m Dallas, I’ll need to do another side by side taste test, this time with Wing Stop wings and those from Hooters.

I learned today that my geotagged photos on Flickr can be seen when people go to http://loc.alize.us/ and visit areas that I have taken geotagged photos in, such as the Dota area of Costa Rica.

I learned last night that it actually can snow in Dallas. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to accumulate.

I learned today that researchers in Spain have determined that adding nuts to the so-called Mediterranean Diet helps reduce “metabolic syndrome”. In other words, more natural fat in a diet is better than less. Not surprising if you read Gary Taubes’ “Good Calories, Bad Calories”. The researchers had three test groups – regular low-fat Mediterranean Diet, the same thing with a liter of olive oil a week, and the third group with about an ounce of nuts a day. I only wish they had had two more groups: one with several times more nuts per day, and another on a low-carb, high fat diet. I am willing to bet that both of these would have shown an even better result, based on my own experiences and all that I’ve been reading of late.

I learned today, sadly, that Joanie the bartender here at the Hotel ZaZa Dallas passed away this past Thursday.

Joanie had served my wife and I many drinks over the last five or so years that we have frequented the ZaZa, but we only really spent time speaking with her in depth this past June during our prior visit to Dallas. Our memories of her will be as the warm and ebullient person we got to know then. May she rest in peace.

While I was getting my spa treatment today the conversation with my massage therapist ended up in a discussion of different practices in different states and countries for massages. I learned from her that some spas offer breast massage as a special spa menu item. This treatment is intended primarily for women who have had breast augmentation (implants) or reduction and requires special training for the massage therapist. More here.

My massage therapist indicated that there are a lot of implants here in Texas (where I am at present).

According to a new study released a couple days ago, if you’re happy, it’s likely that your family and friends, and even their friends, will be happier. The study analyzed 20 years worth of surveys on happiness. More here.

A corallary to this, based on my experience is that if you’re grumpy, it’s likely that your family and friends near you at times of grumpiness will get grumpier themselves.