The 40 most mispronounced food words

Here's the list; answers are below:

Basil
Boudin
Bouillabaisse
Bruschetta
Buffet
Cabernet sauvignon
Caramel
Charcuterie
Chipotle
Chorizo
Cognac
Coq au vin
Crudite
Endive
Escargot
Espresso
Fajitas
Filet or Fillet
Ghee
Gnocchi
Guacamole
Gyro
Habanero
Herb
Horchata
Hors d'oeuvres
Huitlacoche
Mole
Muffuletta

Nicoise
Paczki
Paella
Pho
Pinot noir
Pouilly-Fuisse
Prosciutto
Quinoa
Sake
Sriracha
Tortillas
Turmeric
Vichyssoise
Worcestershire Sauce

Basil (bay-zill)
Boudin (the Cajun kind, "Boo-dan")
Bouillabaisse (booyah bahss)
Bruschetta (broo-SKEH-tah)
Buffet (boo-fay)
Cabernet sauvignon (cabber-nay so-vin-yahwn)
Caramel (car-ah-mel)
Charcuterie (shahr-KOO-tuhr-ee)
Chipotle (chi-poht-lay)
Chorizo (chore-eetz-zo)
Cognac (cone-yack)
Coq au vin (co-ooh-vin)
Crudite (crew-da-tay)
Endive (en-dive)
Escargot (es-car-goh)
Espresso (es-press-o, no ex)
Fajitas (fah-hee-tahs)
Filet or Fillet (fill-ay)
Ghee (ghee, not jee)
Gnocchi (NYOH-kee)
Guacamole (wah-cah-moe-lay)
Gyro (YEER-oh)
Habanero (Hah-bahn-air-oh)
Herb (erb)
Horchata (orrchata, silent h, roll the r)
Hors d'oeuvres (ohr-derves)
Huitlacoche (wheet-lah-KOH-chay)
Mole (MOH-lay)
Muffuletta (MOO-fa-la-Tuh)

Nicoise (nee-swaahz)
Paczki (POONCH-key)
Paella (pie-aye-ya)
Pho (fuh)
Pinot noir (pee-no nwahr)
Pouilly-Fuisse (poo-yee fwee-SAY)
Prosciutto (proh-SHOO-toe)
Quinoa (keen-wah)
Sake (SAH-kay)
Sriracha (See-rah-cha)
Tortillas (tohr-tee-yahs)
Turmeric (ter-me-rick)
Vichyssoise (vee-she-swaaz)
Worcestershire Sauce (woos-ter-sheer saws)

List of recumbent bicycle manufacturers

http://www.recumbentbicyclesource.com/recumbent-bicycle-manufacturers.html

The Cruzbike Silvio - front wheel drive carbon fiber

http://www.cruzbike.com/silvio.html

Nocom - very cool low-slung design

http://www.velokraft.com/nocom.html

Fast and pricey Carbent Sea Dragon

http://bentupcycles.com/product/carbent-hpv-sea-dragon-sport-869.htm

pros and cons of recumbents laid out nicely

http://www.bicycle-and-bikes.com/recumbent-bicycles.html

Going Underground in a Private Paris

A very cool side of Paris - intimate homespun offerings for tourists.

Going Underground in a Private Paris

Secluded in private apartments, unmarked buildings, blind alleys and
underground caverns, a host of hidden new hangouts has sprung up in
the City of Light's shadows.

http://s.nyt.com/u/smA

Practicing the Presence of God

This book was written more than 400 years ago. A short little pamphlet barely 50 pages, it describes a kitchen worker in a monastery who decided it was important to pray to God continually throughout his day. His faith is so simple and humble, yet profound as it comes through in these pages.

One of my favorite lines is "When an occasion of practicing some virtue was offered, he addressed himself to God saying, "Lord, I cannot do this unless Thou enablest me". And then he received strength more than sufficient. When he had failed in his duty, he only confessed his fault saying to God, "I shall never do otherwise, if You leave me to myself. It is You who must hinder my falling and mend what is amiss." Then, after this, he gave himself no further uneasiness about it

" His understanding of his own failing and weakness, and despite that his willingness to persevere, is an example to us all.

NYTimes: An Absence of Class

There is a mean-spirited bigotry and uncaring self-interest evident in
the tea party movement that needs to be clearly highlighted like this,
and rooted out of thus country. We are better than this. TE.

OP-ED COLUMNIST: An Absence of Class

It's long past time to acknowledge that a party that promotes
ignorance and provides a safe house for bigotry cannot serve the best
interests of our country.

http://s.nyt.com/u/TOI

NYTimes.com: Moral Lessons, Down Aisle 9

A study looking at being nice to each other even if there's no personal benefit. People who belonged to a widespread religion or who bought food from far away were more likely to value strangers. SCIENCE | March 23, 2010 Findings: Moral Lessons, Down Aisle 9 By JOHN TIERNEY In experiments testing fairness toward strangers, shoppers at a Wal-Mart in Missouri scored the highest.

Ready, Set, Hang: The Heavy Lifting Is On

Gotta have a sense of humor - I love this idea to celebrate the people who hang art. ARTS / ART & DESIGN | March 23, 2010 Ready, Set, Hang: The Heavy Lifting Is On By RANDY KENNEDY The first-ever Art Handling Olympics were a chance for glory - well, at least some fun - for the people who lug art around.

What NOT to say to cancer patients: With Cancer, Let's Face It: Words Are Inadequate

A trenchant disparagement of the things we say to cancer patients - poignant, and instructive.-TE HEALTH | March 15, 2010 Well: With Cancer, Let's Face It: Words Are Inadequate By DANA JENNINGS The cliches most people use when talking about someone with cancer make Dana Jennings, who was treated for prostate cancer, bristle. "Words can just be inadequate. And as we stumble and trip toward trying to say the right and true thing, we often reach for the nearest rotted-out cliché for support. Better to say nothing, and offer the gift of your presence, than to utter bankrupt bromides. Silences make us squirm. But when I was sickest, most numbed by my treatment, it was more than healing to bask in a friend’s compassionate silence, to receive and give a hug, to be sustained by a genuine smile." "the words “fight” and “battle” make me cringe and bristle."... "We are caught in the middle, between our doctors and their potential tools of healing and the cell-devouring horde." "We long for pain to end, for ice chips on parched lips, for the brush of a soft hand." "Then there’s the matter of bravery. We call cancer patients “brave,” perhaps, because the very word cancer makes most of us tremble in fear. But there is nothing brave about showing up for surgery or radiation sessions. Is a tree brave for still standing after its leaves shrivel and fall? Bravery entails choice, and most patients have very little choice but to undergo treatment." "Which brings me to “victim.” ...Sure, I felt unlucky and sad and angry, but not like a victim...Victim implies an assailant, and there is no malice or intent with cancer. Some cells in my body mutinied, and I became a host organism — all of it completely organic and natural." "And what are we once treatment ends? Are we survivors? ...I’m just trying to lead a positive postcancer life, ...pleased that I can realistically think about the future. I’m trying to complete the metamorphosis from brittle husk to being just me again." "And I’m still troubled by this sentence, which I’ve heard many times: “Well, at least it’s a good cancer.” ...Most people mean well, but the idea of a good cancer makes no sense. At best, the words break meaninglessly over the patient. There are no good cancers, just as there are no good wars, no good earthquakes." https://archive.nytimes.com/query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage-9A04E7D71E3CF935A25750C0A9669D8B63.html

NYTimes.com: For Consumers, Clarity on Health Care Changes

Clear explanation of the changes: no lifetime cap on insurance, and no refusal of coverage for pre-existing conditions. YOUR MONEY | March 22, 2010 For Consumers, Clarity on Health Care Changes By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD The uninsured are the biggest beneficiaries of the bill, which would extend coverage for low-income Americans.

A Father-Daughter Bond, Page by Page

A touching story of a single Dad reading to his daughter every night for more than 3000 nights, as a means of maintaining their bond. And she does pretty well in life, seemingly because of it. FASHION & STYLE | March 21, 2010 Generation B: A Father-Daughter Bond, Page by Page By MICHAEL WINERIP A single father turns shared reading into a shared language and tradition with his daughter.

Rescue Workers Can Prevent Brain Damage with Icy Nasal Spray | Popular Science

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-03/preventing-brain-damage-icy-nasal-spray

After cardiac arrest, lowering someone's body temperature can prevent life-threatening brain damage. It's so critical that New York City requires ambulances to take some patients up to 20 minutes out of the way to hospitals with cooling equipment. EMTs could improve patients' chances further using RhinoChill, a new portable nose spray that cools the brain on the scene.

NYTimes: Stressful but Vital: Picking a Nursing Home

PATIENT MONEY: Stressful but Vital: Picking a Nursing Home

Finding a good one takes research and perseverance, but unfortunately,
the typical search is made under duress and with little time available.

http://s.nyt.com/u/uS_

Consumer Reports also did an article on this.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/money/retirement-planning/choosing-an-assisted-living-facility/overview/index.htm

"Often chosen under duress...during hospital stay...temporary stays often become permanent

"Paying for a nursing home is another huge source of stress. Medicare pays only for medically necessary care...$200 a day...

"Health inspection data...go to medicare.govand click on the “nursing home compare” tool.

"brochure entitled Medicare’s Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home

"VISIT, THEN VISIT AGAIN Nothing substitutes for what you see, hear and smell...Take the checklist from the Nursing Home Compare Web site...You also want to see an ant farm of activity. Are the staff friendly and interacting with the residents?...two big buzzword... “person-centered care,” as well as “consistent assignment,”

NYTimes: When Is the Worst Time to Go to the Hospital?

Worst on weekends and in flu season; increased mortality.

DOCTOR AND PATIENT: When Is the Worst Time to Go to the Hospital?

A "full house," weekend admissions, nurse staffing and the seasonal
flu can all affect a patient's risk of dying in the hospital.

http://s.nyt.com/u/ueu

NYTimes: I Need to Vent. Hello, Facebook.

Yet another problem with Facebook - all too easy to share way too much of yourself online, only to be regretted later. And how awkward for all your friends.

I Need to Vent. Hello, Facebook.

At 400 million members, Facebook might just replace restaurants as the
go-to place for couples to cause a scene.

From the article, describing couples who air their dirty laundry of their marital 'spats' or fights on their facebook page - the article calls them 'Facebook fighters':

“…friends of Facebook fighters, who, like any witnesses to a public spat, are caught in the middle, unsure whether to intervene or mind their own business.

“From the Victorian era through the 1950s, marriage was viewed as the source of all safety from a predatory world,” said Michael Vincent Miller, a psychologist “…meant keeping your disagreements private, “to keep a public face of harmony.”

“But as the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s ushered in a new openness among married couples, “that ideal of marriage began to pass away,” he said. Soon, the idea that lovers should present a united front at all times came to seem quaint or even naïve, particularly to a generation raised on Oprah and Jerry Springer.

“Today, popular representations of marriage tend toward “two very self-protective egos at war with one another,” Mr. Miller said, “each wanting vindication and to be right by showing that the other is wrong.”

NYTimes.com: Well: Talk Deeply, Be Happy?

People who talked about 'deeper' subjects were more likely to self-report happiness. It remains to be seen: if you force people to talk about deep things, will they be happier? I think probably so. HEALTH | March 17, 2010 Well: Talk Deeply, Be Happy? By RONI CARYN RABIN People who spend more of their day having substantive discussions and less time engaging in small talk seem to be happier, a new study found.

How to be a better informed patient.

Consumer Reports did a survey of patients and their nurses after hospitalization, and came up with some common sense tips on how to improve your chances of a successful hospital stay. First, here are some polite ways to remind your doctor he didn't wash his hands before coming into the room -

'I didn't see you clean your hands, so would you please do it in front of me?'

'Did you wash your hands before you came in? You know I need to make sure.'

' Would you mind washing your hands one more time before we proceed with care?'

'Doctor, I didn't see you wash your hands. Did you do that outside?'

Here are the rest of my excerpts from their article.

“start by getting an up-to-date list of the hospitals, physicians, and specialists in your plan's network. And if you're going to have surgery, don't forget the anesthesiologists.”

“Another important piece of information that's often difficult to get: the ratio of nurses to patients.”...“In our survey, 31 percent of nurses reported that in an average hour on a shift they provided direct care for six or more patients.”

“Errors in medication are a leading cause of preventable injury to hospital patients in this country, and research suggests that mix-ups are especially likely during "care transitions," when patients are admitted, are transferred from one ward to another, or are discharged from the hospital.”

“But it is estimated that less than 2 percent of hospitals in the U.S. have comprehensive electronic records systems”

“ Keep an up-to-date list of your current medications and dosages, including over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements, in your handbag or wallet at all times. (Include your emergency contact information and your primary-care provider's.) Nurses in our survey said that's one of the most important things you can do to help ensure better hospital care.”

“If your hospital admission is planned, pack a small bag of personal items, including some family pictures to comfort you, and books, magazines, and a portable music player with headphones to help pass the time.”

“A new breed of physician known as a hospitalist, a specialist trained specifically to practice in-hospital medicine, might be in charge of your care….hospitalists are often portrayed as doctors who work "for the hospital and not the patient, an employee focused on efficiency and rapid discharge rather than continuous medical care." To allay any concerns, feel free to ask the hospitalist to consult with your regular doctor before you agree to have particular tests or procedures and to keep the lines of communication open.”

”do your best to take along a knowledgeable family member or friend to run interference for you when you are too sick or too sedated to advocate for yourself.”

”Use the call button for urgent requests…But be aware that 34 percent of nurses in our survey said they had to take longer than 5 minutes to respond at least once in their most recent work week because of inadequate time or not enough staff or other resources.”

”And be nice. In our survey, just 33 percent of nurses strongly agreed that patients respect nurses' contribution to their care; 78 percent said patients and relatives might find that being respectful to hospital staff would "help very much" in getting the best hospital stay.”

"By far the best way of preventing that is to wash your hands. But it's easy to forget. So you might want to pay attention to whether or not the doctor or nurses wash their hands or use that alcohol-based hand-sanitizer stuff."

”Eleven percent of surveyed nurses said that in their most recent work week, they observed "incorrectly administered medication or dosage," …Patients should take steps to protect themselves. Forty-six percent of nurses said it would help very much if patients checked the medications being administered to them during their stay.”

”Patients we interviewed said it sometimes took a lot of persistence to get answers…"We had to constantly ask questions like, 'What about this?' 'What happens if this happens?' 'Is there another way to do this?' 'What else can we do?' "

”Research suggests that those who don't understand their patient discharge plans or how to manage their drug regimen are at increased risk of developing a drug interaction or some other problem that lands them right back in the hospital.”

“People gave most hospitals low ratings for patient discharge instructions…One key step is called "medication reconciliation," which consists of comparing the medications you took in the hospital with the ones you were previously taking at home to make sure you leave with the medication regimen you need, no more, no less.”

“ a study… found that almost 20 percent of nearly 12 million Medicare patients discharged from the hospital were readmitted within a month. In half of the nonsurgical cases, researchers found no bill for a follow-up visit to a physician's office, suggesting that inadequate post-discharge care might have contributed to the return hospital trip”

Using your cell phone, Telling Friends Where You Are (or Not)

You may not want everyone to know where you are all the time, so here
are many ways your phone can tell a lot of people where you are, and
you choose who, and when the message goes out.

Telling Friends Where You Are (or Not)

Giving people more choices in revealing their locations with their
cellphones is being popularized by the Foursquare service.

http://s.nyt.com/u/2rc

Earthquake: It's not a matter of 'If' but 'When.' Seattle: Remember the Chile Quake

http://news.discovery.com/earth/dear-seattle-remember-the-chile-quake.html

" The latest estimates suggest there is a 50 percent chance of a large earthquake off the coast of northern California or Oregon in the next 50 years."

Another Op-ed piece saying we are just not ready for a quake in Seattle:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/opinion/28yanev.html?src=me&ref=general

And, that advice regarding the 'triangle of life'next to a piece of furniture? - debunked at http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_triangle_of_life.htm

NYTimes: For the Dishwasher’s Sake, Go Easy on the Detergent

Don't prerinse before dishwashing. Use 1/8 the amount of detergent
you're used to in dishwashers and clotheswashers. How to load the
dishwasher. Remove lint from your dryer. And other advice from
appliance repairmen.

SHORTCUTS: For the Dishwasher's Sake, Go Easy on the Detergent

Go easy on the detergent in dishwashers and washing machines, and
never clean your oven the day before Thanksgiving.

http://s.nyt.com/u/x1b

NYTimes: The Great Prostate Mistake

A researcher laments the overuse of a test he discovered...

OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR: The Great Prostate Mistake

Americans waste an enormous amount of money on an inaccurate test for
prostate cancer.

http://s.nyt.com/u/1nh

Backyard stonehenge

A retired construction worker tries to solve the mystery of how they built stonehenge with primitive materials - he erects a monolithic piece of rock in his back yard by himself.

http://watch.discoverychannel.ca/clip307#clip307

The Drama of How the [Oscars] Race Is Run

A quick, light-hearted, sardonic look at the Oscars contenders.

The Drama of How the Race Is Run

This awards season has had as much narrative sweep as a made-for-
television mini-series.

http://s.nyt.com/u/4WJ