Have a World Meal Party

by Adrienne Wilson on

Here’s a web site full of some cool
cross-cultural activities to play around with some of your
buddies on a quiet evening. I picked this one that involves making a World Meal as I
thought the concept was pretty interesting and the meal itself very easy to make. As defined on their web site, a
World Meal is comprised of a limited amount of
rice and beans. Supposedly this is the average meal found in the homes of average people around the planet. That is
with the exception of Western societies. The overall goal of the activity is to increase awareness about the
overabundance of food in the West. In addition to the “How-To” on starting an activity like this up they also
provide some World Facts at calorie proportions in low, middle and high income countries. Hmm…

Sounds like something to roll around in the brain. And just as I was about to suggest gathering all
your friends together to each bring various beans and rice dishes to your World Meal Dinner
Party, it suddenly occurred that I may have missed the point. But it may not be a bad idea on another night when
over-doing it is okay. In any case, hooray for beans and rice!

Photo of the Day: (7/25/05)

by Erik Olsen on

I really enjoyed clicking through Wired co-founder Kevin Kelly’s amazing photo site
Asia Grace, which features some of the hundreds/thousands of photos he took
over the years while traveling Asia. Kelly is a true Renaissance man. A writer, entrepreneur, technophile and skilled
photographer.

This photo from his site shows a game of Buzkashi, AKA carcass
polo, being played in Afghanistan.  For the uninitiated, the goal of the game is to pick up a goat or calf carcass
and carry it around on a broad field, showing the the spirit of creative gamesmanship thrives just about everywhere.
I’m waiting to see if Nike will get into sponsorship….I’d love to see a goat carcass with a nice Swoosh embroidered on
it.

No Reservations – Anthony Bourdain

by Erik Olsen on

Wow, this was kind of weird…as I clicked to read this story about the new Travel Channel travel/food show featuring uber-chef Anthony Bourdain, I was hit with a full page ad for the program. I don’t know if there’s a conflict of interest issue there (the review is quite positive), but seems fishy.

But that aside, the new show, called “No Reservations” features the gravelly-voiced, chain-smoking, hedonistic Bourdain as he gallivants across the globe in search of culinary nirvana. The first segment apparently has him quaffing absinthe in France and getting hammered on air. Now that’s entertainment. Bourdain says that the name of the show, “No Reservations” means that “I just don’t care what happens” (as opposed to meaning that they won’t be visiting any Indians) … an appealing tagline if ever there was one.

An Iceland Story

by Erik Olsen on

The Globe and Mail
runs a nice
piece on the wonders if Iceland, a place that seems to be getting a fair amount of coverage these days. The writer
heads overseas there to visit the set of a film calledBeowulf and Grendel being shot by director
Sturla Gunnarsson. Along the way, she takes a detour through the vast and
barren Icelandic countryside, checking out the myriad geysers and volcanoes, and drops in on the Skogar Folk Museum.
It’s a decent-enough piece. Won’t make you book your flight tomorrow, but it will whet your interest in this hot little
island nation.

Following Fat Steve

by Erik Olsen on

Everyone undertakes big adventures for their own reasons. For some, it’s a matter of personal accomplishment, for
others they just want to see the world, others might want to spread some kind of message. I know one guy whose goal was
to sleep with a woman on every continent.

Steve Vaught has a
goal, too. The 350-pounder has set out on a grand adventure to lose weight and gain self-respect. Vaught, who calls
himself “Forrest Lump”, is walking across the country to shed weight in a culturally iconic mixture of Forrest Gump and
the Subway Guy.

And of course, no such exercise in self-flagellation/promotion could possibly go off without a
Web site where you can tune in and watch in real, or semi-real-time, the
poignant struggle of a man seeking socieital acceptance through self-induced torture.

And of course I don’t mean to be cynical, but one does wonder what marvelous food-industry or footwear sponsorships
lie in wait for our corpulent crusader.