MoMA's 'Starry Night' Jack-o'-Lantern

Photo: Museum of Modern Art via Facebook

Scrapers and carving tools down! The Museum of Modern Art's "Starry Night" pumpkin wins this year's Halloween prize for most creative jack-o'-lantern.

(via MoMA)

'Gettin' Sugar High' Kids Rap

"Don't open up your door unless your candy's brand name!"

Entertainment happens when Kidz Bop meets 50 Cent on Halloween.

(via Buzzfeed)

NPR Sunday Puzzle: Oct. 30, 2011

Here's the solution to last week's NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct. 23):

Answer: PIER ONE (retail store chain) → PIONEER (electronics manufacturer)

NPR Sunday Puzzle for Oct. 30:
Name a well-known singer. Drop the first and last letters of the singer's first name and you'll get the letters of a well-known company. Drop the first and last letters of the singer's last name, and you'll identify the logo that the company is classically known for. Who is the singer and what's the company?

Submit your answer to NPR for a chance to be on next week's broadcast and be sure to visit Jenny's Noodle next Sunday to see the correct answer!

'This is Halloween' Light Show

Way to ruin the Halloween magic, a-hole in the Jeep.

Note: If you really feel like torturing yourself, there's another version set to LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem." Every day I'm sufferin' shufflin'.

(via THD)

50 Years of 'The Phantom Tollbooth'

"There was once a boy named Milo who didn't know what to do with himself — not just sometimes but always. When he was in school he longed to be out, and when he was out he longed to be in ... Nothing really interested him — least of all the things that should have."

The Phantom Tollbooth was first released on this day in 1961, and fifty years later, the popular children's book has never gone out of print. Written by Norton Juster with illustrations by Jules Feiffer, the classic story is still on bookshelves in libraries throughout the world — as long as they still exist!

(via Yahoo!News)

NPR Sunday Puzzle: Oct. 23, 2011

Here's the solution to last week's NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct. 16):

Answer: FENDER BENDER → GENDER BENDER

NPR Sunday Puzzle for Oct. 23:
Think of a two-word name of a nationally known chain of retail stores. Insert the second word of the name into the exact middle of the first. The result will spell the name of a well-known electronics manufacturer. What are these names?

Submit your answer to NPR for a chance to be on next week's broadcast and be sure to visit Jenny's Noodle next Sunday to see the correct answer!

Theoretical Food Cost Question

Hi,
Do you have a simple explanation (formula) for Ideal (Theoretical) Food Cost?

Have a great day,

Tabitha

Director of Training and Development

Restaurant Chain with 120 Locations

Thanks for the question Tabitha!

The simple side of the ideal cost calculation involves multiplying the cost to sell a menu item by the number sold in a given period. This analysis may be accomplished for the entire menu, a specific category or a specific menu item. The result of the formula is divided by the sales to arrive at a theoretical food cost percentage.

Ideal Food Cost Per Menu Item = Menu Item Cost X Number Sold

Sales Per Menu Item = Selling Price X Number Sold

Gross Profit Per Menu Item = Sales Per Menu Item - Ideal Food Cost Per Menu Item

Ideal Food Cost Percentage = Ideal Food Cost Per Menu Item / Sales Per Menu Item

The complexity behind this simple formula involves proper weighting of category and summary statistics. By following the formulas above, you will avoid most of the improper weighting problems since the number sold is a key component in the equations.

Some companies never successfully develop an ideal usage model due to the considerable time involved in developing proper recipe cards. The "Menu Item Cost" for each item needs to be calculated using standard recipes and cost data. Depending on the menu size and complexity, this task may very well take months. It is possible to progressively build the recipe model which will guarantee benefits before the final recipe cost card is complete.

Review your sales data and identify the menu items with the highest dollar sales and the menu items with the highest number sold. Some menu items will fall into both groups. These are referred to as Stars. Stars are popular menu items which generate a high percentage of your dollar sales. These items should be analyzed first.

The menu items which are very popular but do not make the list of top items in terms of dollar sales are referred to as Plowhorses. These items should be analyzed next. By their nature, there is a premium on tight cost control since the number ordered is relatively high but the dollars of revenue are low.

Finally, you can complete the recipe model by developing recipe cost cards for all the unpopular items. I like to do these recipes last. Start with the menu category with the highest dollar sales and proceed in order until you are finished.

Once you have the recipe costs complete, you will probably want to run the ideal food cost percentage for the entire menu. You will find out what your food cost should be since the Menu Item Cost data is now available for the entire menu.

Most people wait for the entire menu to be complete. I prefer to incrementally build the model. You'll get actionable reports as you go beginning with the high impact menu items and categories.

Celebrity Impressions, from A to Z

Comedian Jim Meskimen does impressions, or "Jimpressions" as he calls them. Watch as he expertly impersonates celebrities from A to Z.



(via Presurfer)

Deep Thought of the Day

Image credit: The Ink Society

> Buy the print at Etsy

Murder or Suicide? The New Theory of Vincent van Gogh's Death

A 10 year forensic investigation by Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith concludes that artist Vincent van Gogh (March 30, 1853 – July 29, 1890) may not have committed suicide. In their new book "Van Gogh: The Life" in bookstores this Tuesday, the authors speculate that the Dutch post-Impressionist painter may have actually been murdered, challenging over 120 years of art history. This fascinating new theory was outlined on Sunday evening's "60 Minutes." Watch:




(via CBS News)

'Word as Image,' a Book of Visual Puzzles

Word as Image is a witty new book by Ji Lee, Facebook's Creative Director.

Challenge: Create an image out of a word, using only the letters in the word itself.

Rule: Use only the graphic elements of the letters without adding outside parts.

After seeing the examples in the video, you may be inspired to think of others—I sure am! As they say, the dictionary is filled with thousands of fun visual puzzles just waiting to be solved. Visit www.wordasimage.com to submit your solutions.

> Buy the book here

(via Laughing Squid)

NPR Sunday Puzzle: Oct. 16, 2011

Here's the solution to last week's NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct. 9):

Answer: "CANCER," one of the 12 astrological signs → "DANCER," one of Santa Claus' nine reindeer

NPR Sunday Puzzle for Oct. 16:
Think of a familiar two-word rhyming phrase that starts with the letter F, like "fat cat." Change the F to a G and you'll get another familiar two-word rhyming phrase. What are these phrases?

Submit your answer to NPR for a chance to be on next week's broadcast and be sure to visit Jenny's Noodle next Sunday to see the correct answer!

Neon Movie Posters

> See even more neon movie posters

(via Flavorpill)

'Steel Magnolias' is Being Remade, with a Twist

A new version of Steel Magnolias is reportedly being made...

And now a remake is in the works with a notable twist: the all-white cast will be replaced with an all-black cast.

The Lifetime movie is to be produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the duo responsible for the new "Footloose" remake that opens Friday, who are busy reaching out to some of the top black actresses in Hollywood.

So this is the brilliant idea of those responsible for the unnecessary new Footloose movie—yep, it's all making sense now. I'm all about a good weekend marathon of made-for-TV movies, but in this case, there's no reason to mess with the original. Hopefully it won't turn into another Queen Latifah's Barbershop of awfulness.

I can hear old Ouiser Boudreaux now: "I don't see movies 'cause they're trash."

(via TIME)

Artist Draws Famous Paintings Without Lifting the Pen [Video]

Singapore-based artist Chan Hwee Chong created a series of single line spiral drawings for Faber Castell.

I have just a couple of questions: First of all, how does the pen not run out of ink? And secondly, how is his hand/arm still able to function with such precision? Watch:



> See the finished drawings

> Buy the Pitt Artist Pens

Vote on Sandra Lee's Halloween Costumes

Aunt Sandy as Barbra Streisand.

Halloween just wouldn't be the same without Food Network's special holiday programming, Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee, specifically.

"Can I tell you?" Aunt Sandy's Halloween costumes are ridiculous over the top legendary. This year, for no apparent reason, you can vote for your favorite look from years past. There are 12 costumes to choose from and you can vote up to 10 times per day. Because you've got time to waste, no?

And don't forget to join Sandra Lee for Cocktail Time (and cooking perhaps?) as "Sandra's Halloween Wonderland" premieres on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 9 a.m. ET/PT. Will the tablescape include special place settings for Kimber and Brycer? I'll be tuning in to find out.

Behind the Camera: Steamy Scenes of Pasta

Steamy Scenes of Pasta: A look at tabletop food cinematography — the art of making the food in restaurant, beer and snack commercials appear drop-dead gorgeous.

I would love to be a food stylist, especially on this shoot.

(via New York Times)

NPR Sunday Puzzle: Oct. 9, 2011

Here's the solution to last week's NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct. 2):

Answer: Entrée "LAMB" into dessert "CAKE" → "CLAMBAKE"

NPR Sunday Puzzle for Oct. 9:
Name something that is part of a group of twelve. Change the first letter to the next letter of the alphabet to name something that is part of a group of nine. What are these things?

Submit your answer to NPR for a chance to be on next week's broadcast and be sure to visit Jenny's Noodle next Sunday to see the correct answer!

A Puzzling Tribute to Steve Jobs

Considering the numerous tributes to the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs (1955-2011), yesterday's New York Times crossword puzzle is one of the best.

Hint: Start with 57-Across.

Andy Rooney, the Out of Context Supercut

Sunday evening will be curmudgeon Andy Rooney's last appearance on "60 Minutes."

Rooney began his run on "60 Minutes" in July 1978 with an essay about the reporting of automobile fatalities on the Independence Day weekend. He became a regular feature that fall, alternating weeks with the dueling James J. Kilpatrick and Shana Alexander before getting the end slot all to himself in the fall of 1979. In Rooney's first full season as the "60 Minutes" commentator, the broadcast was the number one program for the first time.

(via CBS, Holy Taco)

Mangia! It's National Pasta Month

Welcome to October! If you can't wait for Halloween, here's something to celebrate in the meantime... October is National Pasta Month!



(via Discovery Channel)

NPR Sunday Puzzle: Oct. 2, 2011

Here's the solution to last week's NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sept. 25):

Answer: ASTRONOMER ( - E, R) → STAR, MOON

NPR Sunday Puzzle for Oct. 2:
Think of a common one-word entrée and dessert. When you insert the name of the entrée into the dessert's name, it will read as a certain meal. Name the entrée, dessert, and meal.

Submit your answer to NPR for a chance to be on next week's broadcast and be sure to visit Jenny's Noodle next Sunday to see the correct answer!