Coffee is like sin
It always smells better than it tastes.* And now, Science tells us why!
“The act of swallowing the drink sends a burst of aroma up the back of the nose from inside the mouth, activating a “second sense of smell” in the brain that is less receptive to the flavour, causing a completely different and less satisfying sensation…the taste is also hampered by the fact that 300 of the 631 chemicals that combine to form its complex aroma are wiped out by saliva, causing the flavour to change before we swallow it.”
It still tastes pretty good though. Coffee, I mean.
*Also, the second cup isn’t quite as good as the first, but that’s another post.
Resume (and CV) writers take note.
Thumb on the PayScale
Here’s a great post on college rankings. The thing is, we already know that universities can’t magically bring back the mid-tier jobs that have been lost to productivity increases and outsourcing. But we keep blaming the universities (and in the case of state run institutions, legislatively micromanaging them) because it’s something we can do.
Review: The Perfect Paragon
The Perfect Paragon by M.C. Beaton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a little darker than the previous Agatha Raisin books, especially the inciting crime, but enjoyable nonetheless. I’m happily reading through the whole series.
Review: Shadow Campus
Shadow Campus by Kathleen Kelley Reardon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this, and am hoping for a sequel. The descriptions of the university, and some of the characters in it, were perfectly done. I liked the brother-and-sister protagonists, and can see some interesting conflict between the two in future installments.
Review: Speaking from Among the Bones
Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another great Flavia De Luce mystery. I am in awe of the effortless prose (I’m referring to the effect of course; I’m sure it was not so effortless to create).
The Five Stages of Grade-Grubbing
Denial (“I’m an ‘A’ student!”)
Anger (“You’ve crushed my dreams of medical school!”)
Depression Escalated Bargaining (including parents going full Boeing Apache on the dean)
Acceptance Revenge post on That Anonymous Rating Site
Professor Plausible’s Baloney Books
Professor Plausible’s Baloney Books
“In the past year, I have received research papers whose bibliographies included such sources as a golfing manual, a thriller set in the Vatican, and Leadership Lessons from the Dog Whisper (sic). I have tried to convince my budding scholars that popular books are not to be relied on as sources of Truth, as they are far from infallible. There is no requirement that a book be fact-checked or peer-reviewed; with the advent of easy self-publishing, it doesn’t even need to be spell-checked. One fateful day, I exclaimed to my class that I could throw together a book of my own made-up facts, and put it up for sale on Amazon tomorrow. Would you use that as a source for your paper? I asked. The glazed look that I got in response gave me an idea. I decided to step aside and let the rock roll back down the hill. Behold Professor Plausible’s Extra-Large Book of Baloney, the world’s first combination notebook, sketchpad, and academic source: It’s the only [Citation] you’ll ever need.”
Is it that time of year already?
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