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10 Things food

One of the top pastry chefs in America works at Dunkin’ Donuts? We’ll take a dozen, now!


Pastry Shop Business Plan
Pastry Shop Business Plan

Web Watch is a big fan of pastries, donuts, and other baked goods.

We’ve been known to travel out of our way to eat at RESTAURANTS THAT EMPLOY THE TOP PASTRY CHEFS IN THE COUNTRY.

And now, according to DESSERT PROFESSIONAL MAGAZINE, we just need to head down to our local doughnut shop, no matter where we are in the world.

That’s because one of  the winners of the 17th ANNUAL TOP PASTRY CHEF IN AMERICA competition is Christopher Boos of Dunkin’ Brands.

That’s right.  Dunkin’ Brands.  Parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts.

Christopher Boos, named one of the ten best pastry chef in Amercia, essentially works in a donut shop.   No wonder Homer Simpson is proud of his donut fetish.  Donuts are nothing to be ashamed of.

But donuts are not the only pastry that Boos knows how to make.  For the competition, Boos’ featured dessert was a milk chocolate jasmine tea tart, Baskin-Robbins cranberry sorbet with soaked cherries and a Dunkin’ Dark Roast coffee crème.  Of course – just the type of thing you’d find down at the local coffee shop.   

Not.  

Or at least, if we keep our fingers crossed, not yet.  Web Watch can hope, right?

Who were the other TOP TEN PASTRY CHEFS IN AMERICA?  Here’s who made the list along with Boos:

  • Kimberly Bugler of the 21 Club, New York, NY
  • Steve Evetts of the New York Marriott Marquis, New York, NY
  • Bill Foltz of L’Auberge du Lac Casino in Lake Charles, LA
  • Yannis Janssens of Fontainebleu Miami Beach, Miami, FL
  • Nicholas Lodge of the French Pastry School, Chicago, IL
  • Roy Pell of The Phoenician, Scottsdale, AZ
  • Michelle Tampakis of the Institute of Culinary Education, New York, NY
  • Robert Truitt of Corton Restaurant, New York, NY
  • Frank Vollkommer of The Chocolate Mill Pastry Shop and Café, Glen Falls, NY
  • For those of you interested, Dunkin Brands issued a press release honoring Boos’ achievement.  It’s posted after the break.

    Categories
    sports

    The 2010 ZWACK Air Hockey World Championships: July 15-18 in Houston


    Dynamo Air Hockey Table
    Dynamo Air Hockey Table

    The 2010 ZWACK AIR HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS will take place on July 15-18 in Houston, Texas.

    The only sanctioning body for competitive air hockey, the UNITED STATES AIR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION, has been hosting air hockey tournaments for over 30 years.

    How serious do real air hockey players take their sport?  Here are some of the OFFICIAL AIR HOCKEY RULES that you may not already be aware of. 

    • After each game, players will alternate tablesides.
    • The puck cannot be “topped” by lifting the mallet and placing it on the top of the puck. This cannot be done at any time whether before a serve or after a serve during play. Violation constitutes a foul. Using the mallet to bring an airborne puck to the table or opponent’s goal is not a topping violation no matter which side or edge of the puck is contacted.
    • A player has seven (7) seconds to execute a shot, which crosses the centerline. The seven (7) seconds begins as soon as the puck enters and remains on that player’s side of the centerline. Violation of this rule is a foul.
    • A player may stand anywhere around the table on his/her side of the centerline. He/she may not stand past that line.
    • If a score occurs after the table loses power, the point will count only if the puck was struck prior to the table losing power
    • Distractive Noise: Talking to an opponent, a spectator, a referee, or oneself during play may be penalized by a foul. Loud noises and excessive screaming can also be considered distracting. A referee may warn a player before calling a foul at his/her discretion. Intentional or excessive, distractive talking may be penalized by a “conduct warning” in addition to a foul. Possible distraction violations, which directly lead to a score or a change of possession, should be scrutinized more seriously by a referee when determining whether to ignore, warn or penalize the potential violation.

    Web Watch will admit that we always thought that “topping” was a valid air hockey play.  We stand corrected.

    The 2010 Air Hockey World Championship press release after the break.

    Categories
    News

    Study: men over 40 who use Viagra (or similar drugs) are twice as likely to also have an STD


    Real Men Don't Need Viagra

    Remember how WEB WATCH TOLD YOU ABOUT HOW OLDER WOMEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE SEX? 

    Well, you know how all those Viagra and other male enhancement drug commercials all say that the product “does not protect the user from sexually transmitted diseases”?  It ends up that there’s a reason for this disclaimer to exist, aside from the standard insistance from the legal department.

    The ANNALS OF INTERNAL MEDICINE is reporting that OLDER MEN WHO USE ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION DRUGS ARE TWICE AS LIKELY TO HAVE AN STD THAN THOSE WHO DON’T USE THOSE DRUGS.

    Categories
    News

    Hear that biological clock ticking? It’s your body telling you to have more sex.

    Rewinding your Biological Clock - Motherhood Late in Life
    Rewinding your Biological Clock – Motherhood Late in Life

    A study from the University of Texas at Austin has come out that says WOMEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE SEX AS THEY GET OLDER.  

    More specifically, as the women feel like they are reaching the end of their reproductive life cycle, they’re more willing to have baby-making sex in order to fulfill maternal needs.

    Categories
    10 Things How To Internet

    Not succeeding at online dating? Maybe you’re doing it wrong…


    Sex, Lies, and Online Dating
    Sex, Lies, and Online Dating

    Since WEB WATCH WROTE ABOUT WRITING THE PERFECT ONLINE DATING MESSAGE, Web Watch has spoken with many people who have tried the online dating game.

    Some we have spoken with are quite pleased with the results, having married their online hookup just like they show you in those advertisements and infomercials.

    Others use online matchmaking services as a supplemental pool to their traditional dating environs.  Their philosophy is that they will have a better chance of finding a compatible mate if they cast their dating net out far and wide and utilize all potential avenues.  Sure, there have been plenty of misses along the way in their online dating experiences, but there have been some good times as well.

    And there’s the third group that hasn’t had much luck with their online dating experience for whatever reason.  

    (An amusing side note:  one friend of Web Watch who had registered for an online dating service in the past continues to receive emails from that service, encouraging them to sign back up for another go-around.  One recent email happend to contain the dating profile of another one of Web Watch’s friends.  This seems like the perfect time to remind our Web Watch readers to always remember to check your dating profile privacy settings if you don’t want your profile emailed out to strangers that aren’t officially signed up to receive your profile from the service.)

    If you fall into that last group of unsuccessful online daters, perhaps this is a case of “it’s not me, it’s you”, and you should take the time to REVIEW YOUR ONLINE DATING PROFILE FOR THESE “DON’T DO THIS” ONLINE DATING TIPS:

    Categories
    Funny How To Internet Websites

    10 Epic Pop Culture Fails


    How to write link bait
    How to Write Linkbait

    10 Epic Pop Culture Fails is an example of a linkbait headline.

    LINK BAIT IS A TERM USED BY INTERNET MARKETERS to indicate a type of writing that is used to generate interest in your subject matter.  Basically, anything that you write that can get people blogging about what you’ve written, discussing it on forums, watching it on TV, buying your magazine, posting on social websites like del.icio.us — all can be categorized as “link bait”.

    Categories
    Travel

    Hertz trial service makes returning rental car easier, gets travelers to airport terminal faster

    I Love Hertz
    I Love Hertz

    Web Watch has been talking with a number number of people who have been traveling all over the country recently, and has heard about what HERTZ has been doing as a trial out at Denver International Airport (DEN) this summer. 

    As cars are returned to the Hertz Car Return lot by people anxious to get their paperwork taken care of so they can hop onto the shuttle bus to take them to the airport terminal — random Hertz customers are selected to be given “white glove” service:  after being checked in by the helpful Hertz employee, an Aramark contractor then hops into the driver’s seat and drives you and your luggage directly to the terminal.

    No need to schlep your baggage from the car return area onto the shuttle bus.

    No need to wait for enough people to hop onto the shuttle to make it worthwhile to make that trip.

    Depending on the time of day, this service – if rolled out into wide use in Denver or other airports – could save the average traveler 15-30 minutes.

    Categories
    10 Things Funny Music

    Six Degrees of Separation of John Mayer’s Junk


    John Mayer

    John Mayer’s genitals have gotten around.

    And whether real or simply imagined — and for Web Watch’s sake, we’ll throw in that “alleged” is an appropriate word to cover the rest of this post — if you follow the old adage that once you have sex with one person, you have had sex with every other person your partner has had sex with… then John Mayer has had sex with a veritable crapload of people.