Miscellany
I had dinner with a young priest last night. He's currently stationed in Rome, and he told me that the monastery at Norcia has started a brewery. The intensely-traditional monks are apparently churning great stuff. From their website:
The beer is called “Nursia” for three simple reasons. Says Fr. Benedict, director of the brewery project: “In first place, because Norcia is the birthplace of St. Benedict, our founder, protector, and guide. Furthermore, as a sign of gratitude to the city of Norcia for having whole-heartedly accepted us from the time we arrived, in December 2000, in this ancient monastery which was closed in 1810. And thirdly, because the name 'Norcia', in every sense, expresses quality, and it is our desire to reinforce this great tradition”.
The Unjust Hangover
I've frequently suffered from a thing that I call an "unjust hangover." It's when I'm hungover but barely drank anything the night before. I'm apparently not the only one who suffers from them. Reader's Digest (borrowing from the WSJ) recently ran a piece about different things that can trigger "hangovers," even though they're not alcohol-related. Pretty interesting list:
Peanuts, peanut butter, other nuts and seeds
Pizza
Potato chip products
Chicken livers and other organ meats
Smoked or dried fish
Sourdough bread, fresh baked yeast goods (donuts, cakes, homemade breads, and rolls)
Bread, crackers, and desserts containing cheese
Certain fresh fruits including ripe bananas, citrus fruits, papaya, red plums, raspberries, kiwi, pineapple
Dried fruits (figs, raisins, dates)
Soups made from meat extracts or bouillon (not homemade broth)
Cultured dairy products, sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt
Caffeine found in chocolate and cocoa; beverages such as coffee, tea and colas; also found in certain medications
Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners
The Safety
How many points do you get in football for a safety? Two, right? But not always. There are one-point safeties and one occurred a few nights ago in the Fiesta Bowl.
Alejandro Maldonado lined up to kick the extra point, Kansas State's Javonta Boyd blocked the kick, his teammate Chris Harper ended up with the ball, and he was tackled in the end zone. Cue referee Ron Cherry, who announced to the crowd: “On the previous play we have an unusual ruling.” That ruling was a one-point safety for Oregon, one of just two scored by teams at the Football Bowl Subdivision level since 1996, according to Stats Research.
