Coughing Is Beautiful

When you cough, germs, spit and breath come spewing out of your mouth.  Sexy.  

At Penn State University, professor of engineering Garry Settles has captured a cough on film and the results are actually not gross, but beautiful.  More importantly, the photographs can be helpful in preventing sicknesses from spreading.

Using some crazy technique involving light, curved mirrors, razor blades and lenses, it is possible to capture changes in the air on film, allowing us to see the invisible.  The method is called schlieren photography.  Schlieren is German for "streaks".  

Usually, this method of photography is used to show shock waves around high speed air crafts, but Settles is applying it everyday activities, like sniffing, coughing, burning a candle or using a hair dryer.

Even though coughs are responsible for spreading a variety of sicknesses, like SARS and tuberculosis, there isn't a good understanding of their airflow.  But Settles' photography can "map" a cough, allowing doctors to see how people infect one another more accurately.  

 If you're not using these pictures to cure diseases, they also make great desktop backgrounds.  

Source: The Mysterious Cough, Caught on Film

Shorts+Tights=Hot

If you think it's time to pack up your shorts because it's getting cold out, you're wrong.  These days, everyone's rockin tights under their shorts and it's totally HAWT.

Why you should do this look:

• It keeps a sista warm
• It's comfy
• Looks great with heels, flats or boots
• Good for day or night
• Allows you to show off your legs while hiding their blinding winter paleness

Death By Nutella

I've never been addicted to anything.  Not cigarettes, not drugs, not alcohol.  But in France, there is a mysteriously addictive substance which has taken control of my mind and I can't get enough of it.  It's Nutella.

They have it in the states (thank God...I was worried I wouldn't have Nutella when I got back home),but  it's not as popular there.

I know my mom is reading this right now thinking, "Oh my God, Nutella? Is that some kind of new drug the kids are doing???"  No, mom.  It's a chocolate/hazelnut sandwich spread.  The only harm it will do is make me fat.

French people put Nutella on frigging everything.  Crepes, sandwiches, fruit, children (kidding)...I guess it's like peanut butter for us Americans.  

According to the official website, Nutella was created during WWII In Italy by Mr. Pietro Ferrero.  Chocolate was in short supply because of rationing, but hazelnuts were plentiful so he used those to fill out the chocolate.  And it's DELICIOUS.  Thank you Pietro.

Anyway, I realized that I had an actual addition to Nutella today.  Usually, I have a jar sitting in my room that I attack with a spoon when I get a craving...which is pretty often.  But for the past couple days, I refused to buy any more Nutella because I needed to stop eating it.  

Today, however, I had an overwhelming desire for it.  I was trying to study for a test but I couldn't concentrate because I needed a fix.  Even though it was raining and cold and I needed to study, I put on my coat and walked all the way to the Franprix grocery store just to buy a jar of Nutella.  When I got back to my room...well, just picture a vulture with a gazelle carcass. 

Basically, I need help.  I think my addiction is going to kill me...or just make me fat.  One is just as bad as the other.

Oh and beware of the Nutella knock-off Pralina.  It's goopy and gross.

Sorry, Everyone...

I just wanted to tell my millions of fans out there that I'm sorry for slacking on the blog lately.  You see, in Paris, the internet is crap.  It's soooo slow and it takes me hours to upload photos.

Don't even get me started on the ordeal that registering for classes is at some of the Paris universities simply because the internet sucks.

They just don't depend on it as much as Americans do.  

Whatever.  I'm over it, for now.