Links and fun...

First off the Carnival of the Recipes is up at Rocket Jones -- looks like you may have to have your bablefish interpreter handy (though, according to Ted, if you are Scandinavian you may be able to use a frozen fishstick). Like for his babblefish translation for brining a turkey...

My low and slow peoples are basters; they form throughout the year marvelously from Peru after the year. Low slow and lots of the result in 10 hours to terminate to a bird. With however salt, leave the cook, who the time is not shortened, because none is requested, heat aways even the furnace to run.

Ohhhhkay. How to use the fishstick I can't say.... What I can say (in English) is that the carnival is in fine form this week. Lots of goodies that might even make it into your holiday lineup if you are so inclined. Awesome!
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Next, Brian tells a funny story of office hijinx (and a great comeuppance) over at Point Two Percent. If you like the movie Office Space, or if you've ever worked in a cube farm, or hell -- if you've had a job (!) you'll enjoy this.... Ha!

... Well, the IT guy at the time (I'll call him Woody) had a bad back...so, after one particularly rough bout of back pain, he requested an Aeron chair... he had one at home apparently and it helped him a lot. The company agreed and bought him one.

Of course this didn't sit well with one of the company's up and coming R&D managers, who viewed himself as the most important person at the company, bar none.(We'll call him Tom...you'll meet Jerry in another story.) A classic overly-aware-of-status-symbols, stab-his-mother-in-the-back-for-a-buck type of guy. (But that's just my opinion ;> ) ....

The chair definitely becomes the star of this little show!
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Finally, Indigo has a great guide for those thinking of relocating. Excerpt:

You can live in Phoenix, Arizona where.....
1. You are willing to park 3 blocks away because you found shade.
2. You can open and drive your car without touching the car door or the steering wheel.
3. You've experienced condensation on your butt from the hot water in the toilet bowl.
4. You would give anything to be able to splash cold water on your face.
5. You can attend any function wearing shorts and a tank top.
...

She also has the 411 on California, Maine, Colorado, The deep South, The Midwest, and Florida. Quite handy! (And funny...) Happy Monday!