Meet Loki, the Internet’s Favorite Vampire Cat

Well, hey there! Thanks for clicking by today. Always a pleasure to see you. Got a cat story for you today so charge up your coffee mug, bite into a juicy red velvet virtual muffin and read on...

Loki is the internet’s newest feline sensation – her pictures have gone viral and people can’t stop gushing over her evil vampire face. With over 50,000 followers on Instagram already, her distinctive appearance is only making her more popular by the minute. 

Loki’s owner Kaetlyn Koch, from Portland, Maine, says that in real life, Loki is just as adorable as any other cat. She loves to to hide under bath towels and lay on her back for a rub. Her murderous stare only seems to emerge when she’s confronted with a camera lens. She looks downright scary with her fangs jutting out, even when she’s peeking out from under towels or lazing in Kaet’s lap. Loki’s eyes never seem to close, which is a bit of a mystery.

Kaetlyn didn’t know about the vampire look when she adopted the Siamese-mix cat from a shelter two years ago. “They didn’t give me many details about her looks,” she said. “They said it was healthy but she wasn’t able to close it (her eyelids). She’s been to the vet three times in the last year, and no one has made mention of her teeth or why she looks the way she does. Still a mystery.”

But as frightening as she seems, Kaetlyn says that Loki is positively harmless and docile. She was never interested in adopting a cat in the first place, but decided to take Loki in after hearing that the other shelter cats were attacking her. “I was brought to the office and they pulled open a desk drawer to reveal a very perturbed looking feline,” Kaetlyn said.

“She was huddled all the way to the back and glared at me with those big blue eyes, and the girls explained to me that she was very shy, but occasionally showed affection to specific employees. They fed her a few treats and then allowed her to retreat back into the darkness of the desk.”

“She wasn’t happy to see me, and according to the staff she really didn’t like anyone but a select few employees,” Kaetlyn added. “For whatever reason I felt drawn to her sweet face despite our bad first impressions, and I adopted her soon after. For the next few months she avoided me as much as possible and hid under my bed.”

Eventually, Loki began to trust Kaetlyn and has now become what she calls ‘the most affectionate cat.’ “She’s the most loving and snuggly cat I’ve ever had,” she added.
   
See more pictures of Loki the Vampire Cat at: http://www.odditycentral.com/animals/meet-loki-the-internets-favorite-vampire-cat.html#more-47376 

See ya eh!'

Bob 

Entrepreneur Runs Out of Fruit, Creates World’s First Beer Jelly

G'day to you! I trust you are fit as a fiddle. It's Garlic Festival Day so Nong and I are heading down to Lamoureux Park here in beautiful downtown Cornwall right on the St. Lawrence River. Expect we'll buy some Thai food from our friend Anna who will be cooking and selling at the festival. Yum! Speaking of yum...help yourself to a mugful of coffee and a virtual treat while I tell you about a new jelly (hic!)...

Archaeologist-turned-entrepreneur Nancy Warner is making headlines for creating the world’s first jam made purely from beer. But before you get too excited, let me tell you it’s non-alcoholic, so there’s no real chance of getting tipsy at breakfast! 

Nancy had already quit her job as an archaeologist to start a preserves company called ‘Potlicker’, when she stumbled upon the unique recipe by accident. She had run out of fruit to make jams and jellies one day, so she reached into her beer cupboard instead. After much experimenting, she managed to come up with a clear ‘Beer Jelly’. It is now so popular that she’s producing about 3,000 jars a week! 

“I’m actually an archaeologist by trade and spent close to 10 years working in south eastern US archaeology before my husband Walter and I moved to Vermont,” the 34-year-old said. “I could not find archaeology work, so I developed a food blog hobby to keep me busy. The blog lead to a canning addiction, the canning addiction turned into a small business. I had bills to pay and lots of jam on the shelf so Walter packed me up and sent me to the farmer’s market.”

“I started making beer jelly simply because I ran out of fruit,” Nancy explained. “It was a long winter in Vermont, I was addicted to canning and canned through all the fruit in my house, so I turned to my cabinets where I had plenty of beer and wine.”

When she first started making beer jelly, Nancy says she had never heard of anything like that before. But she did know about the centuries-old process of making wine jellies, so she thought it would be interesting to try it with beer. “I have made all of my own recipes and can find no record of anyone else making a pure beer jelly before I did.”

Nancy revealed that she makes the beer jelly in pretty much the same way that she makes fruit jelly – only substituting ‘kid’ (fruit) juice with ‘adult’ juice. “Each jar of jelly is approximately half full of beer or wine, but, for better or worse, the jelly is non alcoholic,” she said. “The alcohol is removed during cooking and by dilution of sugar.” (Dang!)

Nonetheless, her Beer Jelly was a big hit and she had to move production to a commercial kitchen in order to keep up with the growing demand. “The feedback is wonderful and sometimes overwhelming,” she said. “I never dreamed I would be running a business and hiring employees just to make my jams and jellies. I thought beer jelly was awesome and as it turns out I was not the only one.”

Apart from beer, the recipe calls for two other ingredients – cane sugar and citrus pectin. This makes the jam taste like a sweeter version of the original beer. “You can actually taste the hop and malt characteristics of each flavour jelly,” Nancy said. 

Beer Jelly comes in eight flavors, including ale, IPA, oatmeal stout, and porter. “We pair it with cheese but also use them to glaze meats and veggies – things like Apricot Ale glazed ham, Black IPA chicken wings, Burgundy Anise cookies, and Spiced Wine baked brie,” Nancy explained.  

Each 450ml jar contains around 225ml of beer, and is priced at about $7 apiece. 

Yee haw! That'll turn breakfast on its ear, don't'cha think?

See ya, eh!

Bob

31 Foods That Fight Prostate Cancer

Hey! Hey! Wonderful to see you on this bright Saturday! What’cha up to? As usual, we were up at 4:30 to get Nong ready for work at 6:00. When I pick her up at 1:00, we’ll likely do our grocery shopping. Exciting day, huh? Fill your mug with some robust Arabica coffee then wrap your mitt around a virtual doughnut or muffin, why don’t’cha. I recommend a carrot muffin as it ties in with today’s topic. 

Prostate cancer has been on my mind lately as I was recently diagnosed with it (though doctors don’t seem too worried about it at this stage). But lots of orange and other veggies and fruit are apparently very beneficial so read on...

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men (next to skin cancer), so it’s no surprise that an increasing number of men are worried about this serious condition. But a new study published in the medical journal Cancer Epidemiology brings some good news for sufferers of the disease and those trying to prevent it.

Researchers assessed men suffering from prostate cancer in South Carolina who had already undergone surgery or radiation to treat the disease but still had a recurrence of prostate cancer. Because approximately 25 to 40 percent of men who receive these treatments still experience a recurrence in prostate cancer, the researchers attempted to determine whether specific nutrients might help.

The scientists assessed levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA)—a common blood test that is used to screen for prostate cancer. High PSA levels are often an indicator for the disease. This test is used to assess for prostate cancer in men with no symptoms or in those with symptoms of the disease, which can include: slow or weak urination, needing to urinate frequently (especially at night), blood in the urine, erectile dysfunction, pain in the hips or back, weakness or numbness of the legs or feet, or loss of bladder control. Healthy men typically have PSA counts that are lower than 4 nanograms/liter of blood. A higher number is frequently associated with an increased cancer risk.

Researchers found a link between higher blood levels of certain nutrients and decreased PSA levels in the men, indicating that diets higher in these nutrients may reduce the risk of prostate cancer and even help reverse cancer in men suffering from the disease, like those men who participated in the study. Both carotenoids and tocopherols were higher in men with lower PSA levels.

Carotenoids are a group of yellow-orange-red pigments known as phytonutrients (plant nutrients) found in foods like carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots, mangoes, pumpkin, tomatoes, papaya, peaches, squash and other similarly-colored foods. They include: beta carotene, lutein and lycopene. There are about 60 different types of carotenoids, but the study specifically assessed beta carotene, lycopene, cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin. Researchers found that the higher levels of these nutrients resulted in a reduction in PSA in the men assessed.

Beta carotene is found in apricots, broccoli, carrots, collards, leafy greens, kale, mangoes, papayas, peaches, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, squash and tomatoes.

Lycopene is primarily found in guavas, pink grapefruit, papayas, rosehips, strawberries, tomatoes and watermelon.

Cryptoxanthin is found in oranges, papayas, peaches and tangerines.

Zeaxanthin is found in apricots, broccoli, carrots, collards, leafy greens, kale, mangoes, papayas, peaches, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, squash and tomatoes.

Tocopherols is another name for vitamin E. The study specifically assessed levels of alpha-tocopherol and found higher levels of the nutrient were linked to a lower PSA count. Excellent sources of alpha-tocopherol include: almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, mung bean sprouts, leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes, carrots, pumpkin, olive and sunflower oils.

We’ll load the shopping cart this afternoon with many of the above which are already a good part of our diet. I am also drinking my dandelion root tea, which is supposedly good for prostate cancer and I enjoy it as well (the tea...not the cancer). At the moment, though, I am taking a break from it as you are only supposed to drink it for two weeks at a time. Next spring, I’ll be out harvesting and pestering neighbours for their little yellow Italian wine flowers which I am sure they will be happy for me to take. I need to get my research assistant scouring the Internet to find out how to make the tea (so I don't have to spend $12 for a box of 20 teabags when they root of the solution is all around me).

See ya, eh!

Bob

Source: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/31-foods-that-fight-prostate-cancer.html

Dapper Gentleman in His 70’s Becomes Online Fashion Icon

Guten tag! Thanks for clicking by. Got time for a coffee and a virtual doughnut, muffin or Blätterteig (German style puff pastry)? Of course you do...und you vill love it! Speaking of German style, here’s a fellow who is having fun with style in his senior years. 

Most people tend to lose interest in fashion as they age, but an elderly gentleman from Germany is stunning the world with his sartorial elegance. Through his impeccable sense of style, Gunther Krabbenhoft is proving that fashion and charm are not limited to the young. 

Gunther was recently photographed in Berlin, near the Kottbusser Tor station, and his pictures have created quite a stir online. 

His choice of clothes is simple, yet artistic, with clean lines and clever use of color. He regularly dons turned up jeans, corduroy jackets, classic bowties, waistcoats, brogues, hats, and braces – effortlessly nailing the look that modern day hipsters try so hard to emulate.

“I find that I dress pretty normal,” he told interviewers. “I’ve always dressed like this. When I went to work, when I go to exercise, I want to look at myself with joy. It’s always a reflection of my inner self.”

A few online reports suggest that Gunther is 104 years old, but he laughed it off as a rumour. He hasn’t revealed his real age, but he is assumed to be in his 70’s. But age is just a number, and as Gunter rightly proves, it has nothing to do with presenting yourself at your best!

As you can imagine, an impeccable style like Gunther’s doesn’t go unnoticed, so it comes as no surprise that he actually does some work as a model under contract with Berlin-based We Are Unlike You, a model agency “for unique characters”.

Das ist wunderschön, Gunther!

Maybe that is what I need to do as an artist...develop a style of dress of my own. Hmmmm...I may do some testing...let’s start with a three-piece suit, braces (already have two) boots, bow tie and hat at a jaunty angle...or perhaps a French Beret, jeans and sneakers would be more appropriate. Reckon I’d have to grow my moustache or beard back as well. What do you think?

Maybe I'll try something out at my Focus Art meeting on Wednesday evening...and/or the Garlic Festival here on Sunday. Looks as though a trip to Value Village is imminent.

See ya, eh!

Bob

Artist in Residence during Cornwall Foodfest!

Hi there! Good to see you. What'cha been up to? Me? Well, as soon as you fill your coffee mug and grab a virtual treat, I'll tell you about my day as a Cornwall FoodFest volunteer this past Saturday!

I was an 'Artist in Residence' at Schulman's Mens & Ladies Wear on Pitt St. Steve and Patty were very gracious hosts. They set me up in the store in an area just behind one of the front windows and were kind enough to provide a dropsheet (artists have been known to slop paint around), two easels to display a couple of my recent creations and a table on which I ran a slide show of some of my 900 + digital images. I brought my own easel on which to do some creating.

They also set up a table for me to display some of my art cards (based on my paintings). I was all set up and ready to go in time for the 11:00 am opening.

Lots of people came through and Steve and Patty were on the run right from the start. During the day, I talked with lots of people including our lawyer and a Thai friend who happened to drop in (without knowing that I was there). 

Here is the painting I did in the morning... though actually there is no paint involved. Instead, I used Gesso, which is a primer. I had already prepared the canvas, covering it completely with black Gesso and letting it dry. I then used white Gesso and a paper towel to create the white focus areas. Once that dried, I went back to the black Gesso to add the Great Tree...and if you look closely, you can see a couple of gray trees on either side. These were done by mixing black and white Gesso. 

I got people involved by asking them if they thought I should leave it in black and white or add colour. Everyone suggested I leave it as is...so I did. However, out of artistic curiosity, I may do a similar one and see what it looks like in colour...
perhaps a purple wash. We'll see... and I'll keep you posted, of course.

In the afternoon, I went to acrylics. This started out to be something entirely different but I wasn't happy with the way it was turning out so I completely reworked it. As Bob Ross was fond of saying, "Artists don't make mistakes. They have 'happy accidents!' and that is what I had. Here is the finished work. 

I showed it to one of the staff and asked her what she might call the picture. She suggested Burbot (a fish I had not heard of before). I said I was thinking of calling it Flying Fish and she said well how about Flying Burbot...so that's what it is named. I looked up Burbot and, in case you are as unfamiliar with the fish species as I was, here's a picture - long and sleek...and does kind of look like the one in my painting.

Although I didn't sell anything, it was an opportunity to introduce a lot more people to my art and I was happy to be able to add two more paintings to my growing portfolio.

I am in the process of outfitting part of our new basement as my "Art Cave". More on that later...

See ya, eh!

Bob

An Everyday Activity That Boosts Brain Size And Flexible Thinking

G’day to you! Oops! Almost got tangled in your cyberchute as you spiralled down to the virtual café. Good to see you out and about and getting some exercise! Fill your mug with some choice Arabica coffee and latch onto a virtual doughnut or muffin, why don’t’cha? Speaking of exercise, here’s a new study that shows a correlation between brain activity and exercise...

Adults who are more physically active have greater mental flexibility, new research reports.

On top of this, those who do more exercise have larger brain volumes and more intact white matter.

The new research found that moderate or vigorous physical activity was linked to more variable brain activity in older adults.

It’s known that variable brain activity is linked to performing better on complex cognitive tasks.

Professor Agnieszka Burzynska, who led the research said:

“We looked at 100 adults between the ages of 60 and 80, and we used accelerometers to objectively measure their physical activity over a week.

We found that spontaneous brain activity showed more moment-to-moment fluctuations in the more-active adults.

In a previous study, we showed that in some of the same regions of the brain, those people who have higher brain variability also performed better on complex cognitive tasks, especially on intelligence tasks and memory.”

Participants had their brains scanned and the amount of exercise they’d done over a week recorded.

The microscopic integrity of the brain’s white-matter fibres was also examined.

The white matter is the brain’s cabling: it transmits signals between different areas.

Professor Art Kramer, also a study author, said:

“Our study, when viewed in the context of previous studies that have examined behavioral variability in cognitive tasks, suggests that more-fit older adults are more flexible, both cognitively and in terms of brain function, than their less-fit peers.”

Not only does the study underline the mental benefits of exercise, it also provides another way to assess brain health in aging.

Professor Burzynska said:

“We want to know how the brain relates to the body, and how physical health influences mental and brain health in aging.

Here, instead of a structural measure, we are taking a functional measure of brain health.

And we are finding that tracking changes in blood-oxygenation levels over time is useful for predicting cognitive functioning and physical health in aging.”

One day it may be possible to tell how physically fit a person is by imaging the brain.

So get out there and exercise...walk, swim, do Tai-Chi, whatever. It results in increased bloodflow and this has to be beneficial for your brain.

See ya, eh!

Bob

Source: http://www.spring.org.uk/2015/08/an-everyday-activity-that-boosts-brain-size-and-flexible-thinking.php?utm_source=PsyBlog&utm_campaign=e787164a0d-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_MAILCHIMP&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_10ef814328-e787164a0d-213840445#sthash.6VRkw5rN.dpuf