Sports, Smarts, and Internet Fakes

I couldn't think of an "s" word for fake for my title - kinda ruined it. Anyway, the New York Times recently published a story about a physics professor who foolishly fell for a girl online, traveled overseas, and was caught transporting drugs (he was blinded by love and had no idea). He went to jail and now is serving his sentence on house arrest.

And, the guy was a genius. John Nash-type. This was no online teacher at some podunk university. He's a particle physicist. Lots of publications, well-educated, taught at the Univ. of N. Carolina.

Anyway, where I'm going with this is that when we first heard the Mani Te'o Catfish story, it was surprising and wild but hey he's a young kid and and athlete, both of which are not notorious for their superb intellectual thought. As this article suggests, when we think of people being swindled by fake online lovers, we think of uneducated boneheads huddled over keyboards typing like maniacs with drool coming out of their mouths. However, sometimes the smartest people get fooled. The smartest people can sink into denial when they are desperate for love.

I hope these stories really convince people to wake up!! If you want to meet a romantic partner, go to speed dating events. Join Match.com or a legitimate website where you have to prove identity. Skype. Something.

Even more, commercials like this StateFarm one that portray women as the gullible ones when it comes to online dating appear grossly inaccurate when compared to real life scenarios. Whether the stories are on Dateline, NYT, the news, etc., the real suckers typically are men who have been swindled by beautiful women.

A New Hobby That’s Right Up My Alley

In my last blog post, I explained how the right type of cookware was important for those in the catering or restaurant business. Everyone should know that I don’t own a catering business or restaurant, nor do I ever plan to.  I was really into cooking at the time so I learned a lot about the different types of cookware and decided to share my new knowledge in a post. My obsession with cooking was short-lived, which isn’t a big surprise for those of you that know me well. For those of you that don’t, I’m the type of person that gets bored really easily and changes my hobby often.

After my love of cooking died, I turned into a bowling freak! Lately, I have spent more time at the bowling alley than my house. My fascination with the sport means I have a lot of new information to share so I’ll get right to it!

(Photo credit: MLHS)

I’m not going to take the time to tell you the latest facts on bowling balls and shoes. That stuff is all over the internet so just do a quick Google search if you want to know about that. Like I said, I’ve spent a lot of time at the bowling alley and often talk to the owner when I’m there. He has shared the in-and-outs of the bowling alley business with me which has been very interesting! Our conversations made me realize that the amount of bowling equipment necessary to properly run an alley is obnoxious and slightly overwhelming! From ball lift tracts and power motors for the ball returns to the various machines and cleaners necessary for proper lane maintenance, I was learning about something new every day. Realistically, a lot of you don’t care about bowling equipment one bit so I’m not going to bore you with details.

Chances are the next time I write a blog post, I will be on to a new hobby so before I go, I wanted to point you guys in the direction of something bowling related that you might actually care about. I came across this blog post, Mr. Heisman isn’t Perfect, and thought it was funny! Check it out if you have time; if not just know that I’m a better bowler than Johnny Manziel and you probably are too! 

Steel, Aluminum or Iron for Cookware?

For those with catering businesses or own restaurants, buying the right type of cookware is important because commercial cookware is different from the cookware that you use at home. For one thing, cookware that is used commercially tends to be bigger than those used at home. For another, they’re used more often and therefore more susceptible to the wears and tears which usually take years before they start to show on the cookware used at home.

So there are a few things you should remember when buying cookware for commercial use. The price, metal type, ease in maintaining of cookware, and the shape of the cookware are things you should always consider when making a purchase. After all, the most important thing here is to pick the type of cookware which your chef or kitchen workers know how to work with.

Now you might be wondering, all things considering, why do you need to also consider the type of metal used in the cookware? Well, this is because the metal type determines the weight of the cookware, its heat retention and whether its rust proof or not. Remember that cookware comes in many types of metal with the three most commonly used being aluminum, stainless steel and cast iron. Each of these three common metals has their own pros and cons. Aluminum is the most economical choice, transfer heat well and doesn’t weight much. Unfortunately, aluminum will corrode over time due to acidic foods commonly used like tomatoes. Stainless steel is durable, as it's made from cold drawn steel bar, and easy to maintain. The downside to stainless steels is that it doesn’t transfer heat as well as aluminum, which is why many stainless steel cookwares have an aluminum bottom to help in even heat distribution. Some stainless steel pans are also coated with Teflon to make them non-stick but there have been concerns about this since Teflon has traces of PFOA, which is a likely carcinogen. Cast iron cookware doesn’t cost much. It’s heavy yet is favored by many chefs because over time it absorbs flavor and transfers this to the cooked food. On the other hand, cast iron cookware is difficult to clean and prone to rusting.

But regardless of whether you pick cookwear made out of cold rolled bar or aluminum metal, always remember to maintain them properly. For aluminum and stainless steel cookware, wait for them to cool before cleaning them because they might warp with the sudden temperature change. For cast iron cookware, make sure to have them regularly seasoned with oil. Take care of your cookware and you’re sure of many years of good service, commercial or otherwise.

Related articles

• Cookware Buying Guide - Types of Cookware at HSN.com
• Advantages of Using Stainless Steel Cookware
• Steel Bars, a Michael Bolton Classic