I have an immune system like freaking Superman. Working in an urgent care clinic for five years allowed me to develop antibodies to just about every disease known to man. Because of this, having to test Astro BioBest Maximmunité seemed like an exercise in futility. What it did allow me to do, is a little research on the claims that probiotics are a necessity in our diets. They’re popping up in all sorts of products and everyone and their brother is telling you that they are an essential part of a balanced diet. Clever marketing ploy? Or legitimate healthy endeavour? We’ll see… Get the whole story

Reena’s Tips of the Week:

Freshly baked home-made cookies anytime. There’s a healthier alternative to the dough boy’s usual offerings.

Notice how you always get too much rice when you order Chinese takeout? We’ll tell you why you should keep it!

While we’re on the subject of not letting food go to waste, there’s also a great way of using that pizza crust that everyone leaves behind. Get the whole story

When people say “everything can be art” I often just shrug, because even though a pile of garbage or a starving dog can be called art, it isn’t necessarily art in the “wow, that’s an amazing work of art” kind of way. But then something pops up that is so amazing that my faith in modern art is revived.

Case in point: Brian Dettmer and his dissected books. I can’t really tell you much about these amazing creations other than that they are made entirely from old books. It just goes to show that with enough imagination and ingenuity, you can make beautiful art out of even the most mundane everyday objects.

Dettmer’s sculptures will be on display at the Kinz, Tillou + Feigen Gallery in New York from May 3rd to June 14th, 2008. More photos after the jump. Get the whole story

UPDATE: Big shocking surprise. It’s a contest!

UPDATE: Mr. Phreak615 has published a post where he describes how he is hacking MuchMusic. In condensed form, it reads like this: “I work at MuchMusic where I have access to the servers. I hooked up a wireless router to said servers, inserted a simple script and now I can upload random content to the servers from anywhere in the vicinity with a laptop computer.” If this is true, we are looking at an inside job (just as I indicated) where someone is using a loophole in the server infrastructure to insert content. This is in no way a “hack” but simply an exploit of the trust the company gives to its employees. Anyone who works at a TV station and has basic understanding of media servers and a complete lack of morals, can duplicate this stunt. And anyone who does it will get caught, will lose their job and will more than likely be prosecuted. Unfortunately, this stunt will only give large corporations yet another reason to distrust their employees. I’m most unimpressed.

Vegging out after a long weekend, I’m watching Video On Trial on MuchMusic when all of a sudden the signal gets distorted and this guy in a weird mask, cowboy hat and goggles pops into the frame and holds up a poster saying “Phreak615.com.”

“What the…someone hacked MuchMusic?” I thought, so I checked out the website (which is little more than a blog). Here, Phreak615, a self-proclaimed “pop culture activist” posts his achievements and links to other similar stunts like the “SkullPhone” electronic billboard hacks down in the States (which turned out to be paid ads for a new service).

Now, normally I wouldn’t write about stuff like this, but since I can see this becoming a huge thing on the web very quickly, I gotta tell you why I think this is an elaborate hoax, or at the very least an inside job. Get the whole story

Vaid‘s Verdict: A practical guide for writing prenuptial and cohabitation agreements that takes you from ‘high school sweetheart’ to ‘full blown grown-up’ in about 70 pages.

So you and the mister are in a happily-ever-after relationship. You’ve bought a condo together, you share all expenses, you’re even thinking about investing in your very own love fern. But what happens if things don’t go as planned? Do you lose the money you put towards the condo’s mortgage just because it’s in his name? What about the fact that you’ve been supporting him while he completed his MFA in Creative Writing? As unromantic as it seems, every couple should be prepared for the end of their relationship – not because it’s inevitable but because it’s entirely possible. And unlike days past when only divorce could demand alimony and child support payments, these days a lot of the same rules apply to couples who live together. So what does that mean? If you’ve been supporting Starving Artist Boyfriend for the three years you’ve been together, you could be financially responsible for his well-being even after you’ve broken up. Yes, that’s right. Even after you’ve sworn never to read any more of his crappy poetry, you might still be responsible for supporting him until he can get a ‘real’ job…Scared? Read on for the solution. Get the whole story

You must have heard the story by now; how back in October 2007 Costa Rican artist Guillermo Habacuc Vargas captured a stray dog and chained it in a gallery without food and water with a big sign on the back wall made of dog biscuits stating “Eres Lo Que Lees” (“You Are What You Read”). According to the story, people watched the dog called Natividad perish in the gallery from lack of food and water. There’s only one small problem: Most of this story is pure invention – the proverbial feather that turned into five hens. For the dog did not starve, nor die!

Thousands of blogs and web sites are asking for you to sign a petition to prevent the artist from partaking in a new exhibit this year around the same theme. And hundreds of thousands have signed the petition, joined Facebook groups and sent emails, hate letters and even death threats to the artist as well as the galleries involved. Read on to see why you should check your sources before joining the witch hunt. Get the whole story

A night of gaming, crooning and dame wooing!
Gamble our money, win great prizes and celebrate the memory of ol’ blue eyes and his Rat Pack.

Who’d say no to an invite like that! With hooch boots, halter tops and jagerbombs making up what would typically be someone’s ‘night on the town’ these days, an event like the Sinatra-inspired soirée I attended tonight is an exhilarating break from the monotony of everyday life. Thanks to our gracious host, Warner Bros., I got to spend a totally boss night with my main squeeze and we took a trip back to the fifties, when an evening out meant fancy dress, martinis, a little gambling, and all in good company. Get the whole story

Okay, maybe not your fries exactly but the oil used to fry ‘em up can, thanks to Encore BioRenewables, a new Tellurian Biodiesel joint venture with Golden State Foods (GSF). By this time next year, the leading independent American distributor and marketer of sustainable high-quality biodiesel will be opening its first biodiesel production facility in Southern California, with plans to open additional processing plants throughout the U.S. that will be sited near locations which aggregate used cooking oil from restaurants. This is where GSF comes into play. As one of the largest diversified suppliers to the quick-service restaurant industry, Encore will have direct access to an abundant supply of used cooking oil to recycle into a more sustainable biodiesel fuel that exceeds industry specifications.

The high-quality biodiesel produced by this closed-loop solution will be sold to trucking companies, municipal fleets and to GSF to fuel its distribution fleet, which services its customers in the quick-service restaurant industry.

Oil reserves are non-renewal people! If you think gas prices are high now, imagine what will happen as we reach peak oil. Take a page from California’s book of leading environmental initiatives and rally our government and businesses to get on the bandwagon and begin our journey towards a more sustainable and earth-friendly future. Read on to learn more about this venture, as well as why biodiesel is a better alternative than ethanol. Get the whole story

In a new Dabbler travel mini-series, writer and seasoned globetrotter Valerie McTavish offers Snapshots from her current travels in Cambodia and Vietnam. Second stop: Halong Bay, possibly Vietnam’s most famous natural attraction.

Limestone towers float past us as we dip our paddles into the waters of Halong Bay. The rise of these rock islands is at once stunning and puzzling. They jut out of the water, pointy and sure and then stop. Some of the islands are lush with green shrubs and grass decorating their face, while others are a finger of stone, bulbous at the bottom and seemingly teetering on a disappearing needle beneath the surface. We negotiate our way around the hundreds of Junks (really replicas of the traditional Chinese Junk boats) that have ferried the tourists to this World Heritage Site in varying degrees of comfort and luxury. There are over 200 boats working their way through these islands and trotting visitors into the few designated sites, like Surprising Cave. The natural beauty of the massive cave is spectacularly destroyed by the coloured lights and long line of tourists who all feel a need to rub the surface of the stalactites and point out all the formations that look phallic. Get the whole story

Because our Tie Knot series with personal image consultant Kimberly Law was so well received, we’ve decided to bring you another set of videos on men’s image and style: Pocket squares!

Since the late 19th century, all traditionally tailored men’s coats have featured an angled chest pocket to display a finishing touch. The best folded squares are those that don’t draw attention to themselves. Check out the video above to learn how this is done!

To learn more about Kimberly Law, click here. Read on for more tips on how to make the most out of pocket squares. Get the whole story