Countdown to Twilight

UPDATE: My thoughts of the movie are in the comments section since they contain book/movie spoilers - you've been warned!

I can't wait for the Twilight movie! I'm going to see it Saturday night with some friends from work... I wonder how crazy the theater will be since it's the day after opening night. I have a feeling the line will be long and there will be just as many squeeling fans! Of all book to movie adaptations that I've seen, I'm most excited for Twilight. Honestly I'm usually disappointed in movie adaptations of books I love. Don't even get me started about the Harry Potter movies (though I watch them anyway). I have purposely loaned my copy of the book out to multiple people so that I can't re-read the book again before the movie (which is a win-win because I'm spreading the fandom)! I've made that mistake before and I was way too critical of the movie. Twilight premiered last night and everything I've read so far is positive - the fans really loved it! Here's some video coverage of the premiere and interviews with the cast on the carpet:

Twilight Dailies

And if you've been living under a rock and haven't seen the 10 different TV clips/previews of the movie (seriously, that's not a made up number) here's the trailer:
Twilight Trailer in HD

Bye Bye Bottled Water

Another great ZapRoot video... I don't always agree with what they say, but this one was on the mark for me.

Java - the good and bad

So I get a newsletter from www.realage.com once a week in my inbox. This morning's edition tells me that a recent study claims that drinking coffee can make you live longer. This is great news to me, but it also listed some caveats... Here is the article:

Healthy or Not, Here I Come!
Over the years, research has produced mixed results on the health benefits of coffee. But a recent study was a win for the earthy brew. Heavy java drinkers (2 or more cups per day) experienced a modest decrease in all-cause mortality, including death from heart disease. We can probably credit the antioxidant-rich beans used to brew the stuff. In fact, Americans drink so much coffee that it’s one of our top sources of antioxidants. Here’s more good news about coffee.

Reality Check
So what are the caveats for coffee drinking? There are only a few. If you are sensitive to caffeine, you don’t need to be told not to be a java junkie. And unfiltered coffee can raise blood fats, so use paper filters and ditch the French press. Although it remains to be seen if coffee has a long-term impact on blood pressure, we know it can cause a temporary spike, so go easy if you have high blood pressure. And -- as always -- do everything in moderation. A pot-a-day habit probably doesn’t do anyone any favors. Check this RealAge article for more benefits of the brew.

Is anyone else bummed about the advice to ditch the French press? I just got mine about 6 months ago and I love it! I no longer have a coffee machine sitting out on my counter (replaced by an espresso machine - mmhmm!) and I like that I can easily tuck it away in a cabinet. So what are blood fats anyway? I wiki'd the term and here is what I got...

Blood lipids (or blood fats) are lipids in the blood, either free or bound to other molecules. They are mostly transported in a protein capsule^{[citation needed]}, and the density of the lipids and type of protein determines the fate of the particle and its influence on metabolism. The concentration of blood lipids depends on intake and excretion from the intestine, and uptake and secretion from cells. Blood lipids are mainly fatty acids and cholesterol. Hyperlipidemia is the presence of elevated or abnormal levels of lipids and/or lipoproteins in the blood, and is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Well crap. Now I'm thinking maybe I should dig out my coffee maker from the donation pile... at least for the times that I'm on a coffee kick (vs. espresso).

Don't forget to VOTE!

I voted this morning! I loved this "I voted today"/Twilight theme picture and had to post it here... Anyway, it took me one hour from the time I got in line until I left the booth. It wasn't too bad, the weather was nice and I was able to catch up on some reading while waiting in line. After you vote, head over to Starbucks for a free tall coffee, and then to Ben & Jerry's for a free scoop of ice cream (at select locations).

Do your part - VOTE!

Interview about JUNK

Dr. Marcus Eriksen was interviewed by Martha Stewart about what he found while crossing the Pacific Ocean this summer on JUNK. It's full of interesting information, and definitely worth watching! I followed JUNK's blog this summer as they crossed the Pacific - from southern California to Hawaii - on a raft literally made of junk. Why you ask? To raise awareness about pollution of our oceans. You can read my previous entry here.

Ready to Compost

Today I assembled our new compost bin which is made of 100% post-consumer plastic (and is also recyclable). Now I just need to start it with a layer of yard waste... but it's pretty much open for business, I can't wait to have some nice moist compost for our garden beds. Not to mention that this will cut our curbside trash in half!

This can be checked off my Sustainable Kitchen Project list :).

Ranking of the 3Rs

I thought this cartoon was worth sharing here... The 3 Rs are ranked by order of importance Reduce in first place, Reuse in second, and Recycle in third.