The Better Marriage Blanket

This is one of the most creative euphemisms I've seen in a while. I love their suggestion that you could give it as an anniversary present.

He's the Greatest Dancer

This song was prominently featured in an episode of RuPaul's Drag Race which I watched last weekend. Actually, it was a marathon of episodes. I had no idea until last weekend how funny RuPaul is! I just always thought he was famous for being very pretty, but he is seriously funny too. His show shamelessly steals elements from both America's Next Top Model and Project Runway. RuPaul is like Tyra's nicer, prettier sister. He uses some great catchphrases too like "Now it's time to lip-synch...for your LIFE!" and "Don't fuck it up!"

A couple of the queens lipsynched for their lives to this song...but I can't remember who won and who was breathlessly told to "Sashay...away!"

Delcious Snack Idea

From Gourmet:

Fried Bittersweet Chocolate Bread
Serves 8

Start to finish:15 min

Buttery and crunchy, with a rich, oozy center, these little sandwiches (a cross between panini and chocolate croissants) provide a sweet ending that can be prepared in just minutes.

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

16 (1/2-inch-thick) baguette slices, cut on a long diagonal

1 (3- to 4-oz) fine-quality bittersweet chocolate bar (no more than 70% cacao if marked), broken into 1/2-inch pieces

Generously butter 1 side of each baguette slice. Place 8 slices, buttered sides down, on a work surface and cover each slice with chocolate, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edge. Top with remaining 8 slices, buttered sides up, to make 8 sandwiches.

Heat a dry 12-inch heavy skillet (not nonstick) over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then fry 4 sandwiches, turning over once, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes total. Transfer sandwiches to a plate and wipe skillet clean. Fry remaining sandwiches in same manner. Serve warm.

Cooks’ note: Sandwiches can be assembled 2 hours ahead and kept, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature. Fry just before serving.

Secretaries Meet

A friend of mine drew this picture when she was sitting in the corner "taking minutes" at a work meeting. Ha ha! I told her she should Xerox it and hand it out to everyone, telling them, "Here are my notes from the meeting."

Estonian Pharmacy

Estonians: they just may be the cutest people in the world. They have names like Ulle Noodapera and they have pharmacies that sell love potions and anti-love potions.

Regular Beebo readers John and Tiny Miss Fran will be traveling to Estonia soon--don't forget to stop by Tallinn and pick up some weird potions at this Estonian pharmacy, circa 1422!:

Heartsick? An Estonian Pharmacy May Have A Cure

At an international summit, leaders often have time to get out and explore. But the NATO foreign ministers who met in the former Soviet state of Estonia last week were running behind schedule because of the volcanic ash cloud hovering over Europe. They were happy to have made it at all.

"The only regret I have is that I had to spend all my time in meetings, instead of enjoying Tallinn once again," said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, referring to Estonia's small capital on the Baltic Sea.

I escaped the meetings long enough to look around — and I'm happy the foreign ministers didn't.
Surely, they would have stopped at a major attraction in the town's cobblestone square — the Raeapteek, or Town Hall Pharmacy.

The Town Hall Pharmacy in Estonia's capital may be Europe's oldest continuously operating pharmacy.

My guide, local historian Juri Kuuskemaa, told me the place opened in 1422 and may well be Europe's longest continuously operating pharmacy. Legend has it that in the 18th century, a former owner, Dr. Johann Burchart V, nearly saved a Russian czar.

"When Peter the Great, Russian emperor, was dying and nobody could help him, he called Johann V," Kuuskemaa said.

But things didn't work out. The czar died before Burchart arrived.

The pharmacy is also legendary for its herbs, wine and medicines — and its love drugs.

"You can go to pharmacy and buy special materials, so-called aphrodisiacom, and when you give to her or her, it is fate. Both could do nothing against it. And lady would love you to the end of their lives," Kuuskemaa explained.

But that's not all. "When you have two or three wives, for example, and you see one is happy but two are unhappy, you can buy here special materials to give to these two unhappies and they forget you, and they could find happiness with another man, not with you," Kuuskemaa said. "So it stops the love. It is an anti-aphrodisiacom, yeah. So love could be regulated with drugs."

On display inside, readily available, was the pharmacy's famous anti-aphrodisiac. Each individually wrapped piece of candy is packed with the secret ingredient: almond powder. People struck by love use it to cure themselves.

"How long we have sold it? ... I think 500 years," said pharmacist Ulle Noodapera.

But Noodapera said visitors will also just come in and taste it — despite the risk. That's why I was worried about the foreign ministers dropping by.

Noodapera says she didn't see any of the world leaders partake of the anti-love confection.

Which is a good thing. The last place you'd want to kill the love is at a meeting of the NATO military alliance. Kuuskemaa agreed.

"Love has more power as rockets in the world and it is the main power of the world and for humanity, and this power really can protect us," he says. "Love. Not rockets."

Tiny Spider

OMG. I just noticed that the teeniest tiniest spider in the world is sitting in the middle of a tiny li'l spiderweb that it spun right under my computer monitor. It is just the cutest darn thing. But what kind of microscopic bugs does it expect to catch??

This is not my photo, but my spider is about this size.

Now I have the song Private Dancer stuck in my head...except in my version, it's Tiny Spider.

Watch Out for Ghosts

I'm always amused and fascinated by obscure signage, especially the ones that try to convey a message without using any words. This one really takes the cake! I found it on Flickr:

"A sign for ghosts outside Niedzica Castle, Poland... The ghost, known as the "White Lady", is the ghost of Umina, from the Inca's royal family, married to Sebastian Brezevichy, one of the previous owners of the castle. Umina was murdered in front of the castle from a treasure hunter who wanted to find the Inca's treasure that, according to the tradition, brought with her from South America. Her father hid the treasure and made a cryptic document which, till now, nobody can interpret it."