Marciepooh

They're both white powders. They're both used in baking. Both substances are leavening agents, substances that release gas bubbles and puff up dough so it's fluffy instead of flat. Both have the same look and texture, but they are used differently. What's the chemistry behind that?

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PROLOGUE

ACT I

ACT II

ACT III

ACT IV

ACT V

fin

(Spirit Airlines)

While most of us eye our closets deciding which pieces will transition best into the new fall-like weather falling over the nation, Spirit Airlines appears to have been a few steps ahead of us.

The airline, which is often in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, unveiled a new (slightly obnoxious) look that includes a bright yellow motif, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Officials with Spirit say the planes will act as a “flying billboard” and provide free publicity for the airline known for low prices and a slew of add-on fees.

“It’s radically different from other airlines,” Ben Baldanza, Spirit’s outspoken CEO says. “When you see this plane in the air—or on the ground—there will be no question that this is a Spirit plane.”

The new look, which includes black type and the company’s slogan “Bare Fares,” replaces a more traditional white and blue composition.

Spirit expects to have six planes painted in the new styling by the end of the year. Aircraft on order will be shipped with the new livery, while existing aircraft will be rebranded during regularly scheduled maintenance – a process that could take two to three years.

The airline is the third in the last week to unveil new livery. Southwest Airlines recently made over its airplanes with a brighter blue color and striped tail in yellow, blue and red. The airline also unveiled a new heart-shaped logo.

Frontier Airlines modified its airplane paint and enlarged the images of animals that appear on the aircrafts’ tails.

Spirit Gives Its Planes a New Paint Job [The Wall Street Journal]

Marine biologists have identified two new species of sea-dwelling, mushroom-shaped creatures that don't belong to any known taxonomic classification. Say hello to a completely new genus: Dendrogramma.

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• South Portland, Maine Coordinates: 43.64, -70.242
• Related Links
  • Imaging Diatoms
  • Diatom Microscopy
• Student Links
  • Evolution of the Atmosphere: Composition, Structure and Energy
  • Diatoms: One-Celled Wonders
  • Diatom Ooze
• Earth Observatory
  • Coccolithophores in the Gulf of Maine

BEHOLD THE CUTE. Jewel Staite was recently ambushed by children aiming to misbehave! She posted the evidence on Instagram because she loves us. Mini-River knows how to do her awesome fighting stance perfectly! And and MINI-JAYNE HAS DRAWN FACIAL HAIR ON HIS FACE.

Oh, we need to stare at this forever.

[via Fashionably Geek]

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Rep. Todd Rokita (R-Ind.) warns that some of the 30,000 children who have crossed illegally into the U.S. from Central America might have Ebola. The U.S. Office of Refugee Settlement says none of the children are infected, which is unsurprising since no one in the Western Hemisphere has ever contracted the disease.

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My student Mercer Parker shot this one over to me the other day:

Click to enlarge

Those are the slim strata of the Rome Formation (a.k.a. Shady*), strongly deformed in the region adjacent to the Max Meadows (“M&M”?) Fault.

Thanks, Mercer!

_____________________________________________

* Will the real slim Shady please stand up?

(Robert Wysocki on Vimeo)

I’m not here to burst your happy grilling bubble, but come on — can you really consider yourself a master of the art of grilling if you haven’t tried cooking with hot lava? What about lightning? Maybe. But bending the forces of nature to do your culinary bidding? There’s no topping that, at least not yet. Call me when you beat an egg with a tornado.

Don’t feel too ashamed, my fellow normal people who do not have access to hot lava or lightning on demand, it’s not like Pat and Terry next door are going to top you anytime soon, as these two methods aren’t things anyone should be trying at home.

Over at DesignBoom, however, a video made by a London-based creative team knowns as Bompas & Parr shows how it could be done if you’ve got the right tools: An artificial volcano, allowing grillers to get molten hot liquid to 2,100 degrees using an industrial furnace, an ice flue and dry ice.

The resulting stream of hot lava flows beneath a normal grilling surface to cook steak and corn on the cob, basically instantly roasting both foods.

The B&P team also cooked with lightning, using a high-voltage laboratory that again, isn’t going to be easy to replicate but is super cool.

I don’t even have to warn you not to try this at home, because unless you happen to have the abovementioned tools or live on top of an active volcano (in which case you’d have other things to worry about besides ribeyes), you’re not going to be able to top Pat and Terry next door anyway. But it’s still fun to watch.

B&P Cook Out from robert wysocki on Vimeo.

That's right, folks: the day you've been waiting for is finally here. All those hours of planning, long nights of anticipation, and stockpiling of Lactaid pills will finally pay off, because today...is National Cheesecake Day.

Now, I know what you're thinking. "Jem," you're thinking - because you frequently get me mixed up with the 80s cartoon rocker - "Jem, how is it even possible to Wreck a cheese cake?"

Why, like this, my adorably confused reader:

[singing] "This-is-how-we-do-it!"

Aww, I see this was taken on my birthday, Mike & Angie. Well, thanks for the thought and all, but that drippy brown splotch has just reminded me: I...uh...don't eat drippy brown splotches. Sorry.

So that's a traditional cheesecake Wreck, but what if I told you it gets even Wreckier?

BEHOLD, THE WEDDING CHEESE CAKE WRECK!!!

Yes, my dear Wreckies, I'm afraid it's true: that is a "cake" made entirely of cheese. And not a sweet cream cheese, either - oh no. I'm talkin' the stuff that gets described with words like "sharp," "green veining," and "stinky feet." And it's a wedding cake.

I wish I could say this is a one-time fluke, but unfortunately wedding cheese "cakes" are a growing trend. They're not in addition to the traditional cake, either; they're in place of it. Meaning there is no actual wedding cake at these weddings - just cheese. Cheese! As if that's an acceptable substitute!

What happened to the time-tested wedding arrangement? You know, the one where we bring expensive linens, crystal, and espresso-makers in exchange for a free meal, a little boozy dancing, and a slice of gorgeously decorated, oh-so-scrumptious cake?

Frankly, it only adds insult to injury when someone tries to "pretty" these things up, too:

Fake flowers and ribbon pinned (yes, pinned) into cheese wheels does not an elegant "cake" make.

Still, nothing's as bad as combining cake, cheese, and a pork pie all into a single display:

The question is, can you tell which layer is which?

Cass J., Anony M., Stella P., & Second Anony., I Camembert it; all the Gouda puns Havarti been used!

*****

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GEICO is the #2 auto insurer in spite of this mascot.

Whether it’s thanks to all that advertising or maybe just in spite of it, Bloomberg Businessweek reported today that GEICO has now overtaken Allstate as the country’s top auto insurer.

GEICO outspends its competitors on direct-to-consumer advertising by millions of dollars because direct-to-consumer is how they sell policies. GEICO does have local agents, but picks up new business through advertising.

Liberty Mutual spent only about $197 million on ads last year, but had impressive growth. Maybe it’s the company’s new ad campaigns, which are very intentionally the exact opposite of GEICO’s silly, off-topic spots. They not only lack cartoon animals, but they even address

Geico’s Silly Ads Are Working [GEICO]

For humans, the 50th anniversary is the golden anniversary. For fast-food restaurants, it’s apparently the “give everyone free shakes” anniversary, since that’s how Arby’s is celebrating its 50th year in business tomorrow. Print out this coupon and head over for a Jamocha (which is just mocha) shake tomorrow, Wednesday, July 23rd, 2014. No other purchase required. [Brand Eating]

We found this Bird and Moon comic on I [REDACTED] Love Science! And we do love science, but we’re glad that the scientifically improbable impromptu conference on the differences between “poisonous” and “venomous” allowed the adorable mouse to scamper away, and elude death for a few more minutes. We love science, but we also love anthropomorphized cartoon animals. If that’s wrong, we don’t wanna be right.

Morning Roundup features hidden backstory of some Guardians we’re fond of, an appreciation of Sansa Stark from her #1 fan, and a magical land where beaches are made of LEGO!

[Oh, and we mock a sacred peice of your childhood, probably, depending on when your childhood was.]

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