igoo Lounge

im a June Virgin

justanotherday — Thu, 17 May 2012 09:48:21 GMT

So I never lived in korea during June before!

This is gonna be my first June.

I been or visited Korea every other month except June.

What to expect??

Is it hotter than May? July?

More Humid than May July?

are the skirts shorter or longer in June?

I dunno, because Im a June virgin! kkk

I think there's some June holiday for buddhism or something.

Kimchi by Ko Im (My KoreanAmericanStory)

MonicaBElucci — Thu, 17 May 2012 04:54:24 GMT

Monday, 23 April 2012 16:58

Kimchi
By Ko Im

My relationship with a certain pickled cabbage, you could say, is complicated. Kimchee became symbolic of my Korean identity, for obvious reasons and otherwise. But my personal journey mirrors the evolution of the Korean American experience overall, too.

My father was on a plane to where America's day begins, the day my life was about to start in 1986. I'm told my mother was in labor at a Seoul hospital, while appa was en route to Guam. He once told me I am synonymous to his leap of faith that we could have a better life away from my place of birth. Of course, I'd still grow up eating kimchee on an island, two thousand miles southeast of motherland.

Kimchee is made via fermentation - much like beer, sauerkraut and yogurt. My maternal grandmother in the small, southern city of Jinju used to store kimchee in those traditional jars. Sometimes, we would dare to sneak in kimchee through our travel bags through airports on our visits back and forth from Korea - but the security guards knew. They could smell it, and in the nineties, they just let us pass. I mean, it wasn't going to pose any real danger!

Do you remember when some crazy Koreans claimed they didn't get the SARS virus back in 2003 because their immune systems were hardened by kimchee?

You can even learn to make your own kimchi, a la blog recipe. Nowadays, everyone's got a H-mart around the corner and a kimchee fridge in the kitchen. Most people who live in cities have likely seen the likes of the reddened, garlicky vegetable. They say it's good to have a healthy dose of chili pepper in your system, much like it's good to watch scary movies to let out a scream. For me, it served as a lesson I would never forget.

For the most part, I don't remember exactly what I ate for lunch at school when I was little. I would take my quarters to the snack shop for a popsicle during recess on a hot day (it was almost always hot) at my private school on Guam. My childhood on the island was filled with lunar new year celebrations, barbeques called fiestas and chicken wings by the pool - a little bit of everything, and looking back, I loved it. And as a foodie (or a fat fourth grader) I've had many a good meals, yet one memory sticks out like a sore thumb - a particular lunch period in third grade.

It was ticking closer and closer to 12:15 p.m. My teacher asked, "what's that smell?"

I knew in my heart - my quietly but quickly pounding heart - it was the pungent kimchee my mom had packed for me inside my lunch pail. Why, as guilt and shame creeped into my consciousness, I thought, couldn't she have given me a baloney sandwich with carrots instead? When it came time to let out the Pandora's box and open the kimchee compartment, my teacher either asked or told (it's hard to remember since I may have tried to block this memory) to go outside the classroom and eat on the bench instead. I was stunned, but being the good tiger daughter, I obeyed. Amazingly, a few of my classmates felt sorry and joined me. It wasn't until I came home and told my mom the story did I realize at a young age what audacity the teacher had! My angered father went to the principal of what's actually quite a diverse school and so forth came an apology.

Not a stellar student before, I made straight A's that year. My parents started believing in me, too - and so the dreams of becoming a fashion designer were gone. Lawyer? Doctor? Well since then, I became an honor student and graduated from not one, but two, Ivy League universities. Something to make my parents doubly proud! But, I think I found a part of my voice that third grade day. Sure, I didn't speak up to my teacher (I was meek or respectful, no doubt) but discovered how much words could mean to a person, how much they could make a difference in someone's life. So, I also become a leader throughout my young life. A president of one club or another, a writer for the local newspaper - and now, a local broadcaster who speaks up at 6 p.m. on the tube, sometimes for those who might not have a voice. I hope that my ability to empathize with others make me a good journalist.

Like the smell of kimchee though, the embarrassment from that day lingers. But again, I think that's when I learned that I could stand for something and became acutely aware of my culture, upbringing and heritage. Sure in high school I would only eat kimchee in the morning then ask my mom to bring Burger King for lunch but I still crave it - no red pepper flakes, tabasco or ginger can replace that red, fermented vegetable. They say kimchee is healthy for you, like doses of humility and life experiences. Over the years, I developed a bold personality after that incident. I'll have kimchee with my pizza, so what?!

Now kimchee has become an ingredient in Asian American fusion cuisine. From what I ate growing up - kimchee soup with spam, kimchee fried rice with spam (the obsession with spam will have to hold for another story) to what's nouveau now - kimchee tartar sauce. But change is interesting, mixing things up can be good. And Koreans, as well as kimchee in America, is here to stay, in one form or another.

# # # # # #

Ko Im is a broadcast journalist who lives in Salisbury, MD.

http://www.koreanamericanstory.org/i...canstory-ko-im

Where the Korean Americans live in the US?

MonicaBElucci — Thu, 17 May 2012 04:50:08 GMT

Wanna know where the Korean Americans are in the US? Here's a map the breaks down the Korean American population based on the 2000 US census.

Ajoo Kun namja beat you up

Quanzaa — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:51:39 GMT

'Korean Zombie' earns title shot with impressive win over Dustin Poirier

By Kevin Iole

By Kevin Iole | Yahoo! Sports – 10 hours ago

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Chan Sung Jung, the guy with the best nickname in mixed martial arts, wants to add a moniker alongside his name that might be a bit more prestigious than being known as "The Korean Zombie:" UFC featherweight champion.
And Jung earned a shot at the title on Tuesday with an impressive D'Arce choke submission victory over highly regarded Dustin Poirier at UFC on Fuel 3 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va.
Jung, who became the first man in MMA history to complete a Twister submission last year, will now fight the winner of the title match between champion Jose Aldo and Erik Koch at UFC 149 in Calgary, Alberta, in July.
Chan Sung Jung earned Fight of the Night and Submission of the Night honors. (UFC)He won in typically entertaining fashion, earning a Fight of the Night bonus of $40,000 by rallying after getting fatigued in the third. Jung was also awarded another $40,000 for Submission of the Night and has now won fight night bonuses in his last three bouts and in four of his last five.
That will earn him the championship shot, but it wasn't without anxious moments.
"He had me in trouble there at the beginning of the third round," Jung said of Poirier. "The thought of giving up was in my head, but I kept going and came up with the win."
[Related: Dana White diagnosed with Ménière's disease, will have surgery]
After the bout, he left no mistake about his intentions. Interviewed by UFC broadcaster Jon Anik in the cage, Jung spoke in Korean for most of the interview. But when asked who he wants to fight next, Jung made certain the crowd knew who he wanted.
He spoke in halting English, but the message was clear: Get me the champion.
"I want Jose Aldo," he said, beaming.
Not long after the fight, UFC president Dana White confirmed that Jung would, indeed, get the next crack at the title. He might wind up facing Koch, but he'll definitely get his shot at the title.
Aldo is one of the elite fighters in the world, and would likely be a heavy favorite over Jung were the fight to occur. But given Jung's accomplishments – a seven-second knockout of Mark Hominick, the Twister submission of Leonard Garcia, the Fight of the Night win over Poirier – he can't be counted out.
[Related: Teenage baseball phenom Bryce Harper takes in UFC on Fuel 3]
Jung finished the bout by landing a crunching right uppercut on Poirier followed by a left that sent Poirier back to the cage. He then landed a knee behind that. When Poirier went for Jung's legs, Jung quickly maneuvered for the D'Arce and it was all over.
It capped a brilliant fight and a terrific night of fights. Poirier had been as hot as anyone in the division and had won his last five and put up a great test.
Jung, though, is next to impossible to finish and seems to find a way to win. Poirier was a big favorite, but Jung sloughed that off.
"Actually, every time I am an underdog, it gives me more motivation to do well," Jung told Fuel TV's Ariel Helwani after the bout. "I think this time, I was really able to showcase my abilities."
And for doing that, he's now on the verge of a championship.

Canada bans tanning salons

Quanzaa — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:50:22 GMT

Sunbed industry could be toast thanks to "Tan Mom"

-A
+A

By Dinah Wisenberg Brin | Entrepreneur – 17 hours ago

The U.S. indoor tanning industry, already chapped over a 10 percent tax imposed by the federal health-reform law, now faces renewed calls for tighter regulation amid publicity surrounding New Jersey's so-called tanning mom.
The case of tanning customer Patricia Krentcil of Nutley, N.J., a leather-toned woman charged with taking her 5-year-old daughter inside a tanning bed, might even lift the efforts of a Canadian lawmaker to seek a ban on indoor tanning for children and youths.
Krentcil, now the subject of late-night comedy sketches (that's Saturday Night Live's Kristen Wiig in photo above), a parody action figure and a reported ban from local salons, has denied the accusation and pleaded not guilty to child endangerment.
While the story may be fitting given that May has been dubbed National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention month, it must be wince-inducing in an industry already on the defensive over the health and safety of its services. The industry includes franchises such as Hollywood Tans, Executive Tans, Palm Beach Tan and numerous others.
The case also might do little to help tanning salons garner support for a repeal of the U.S. tanning tax.
As the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes (and reminded via Twitter about "Melanoma Monday" this week), indoor tanning has been linked with skin and eye cancers.
The tanning-mom story has given health advocates a new opportunity to discourage indoor tanning – especially for young people -- and push for youth bans.
In New Jersey's state capital, lawmakers and health advocates this week tried to rouse support for a stalled bill to ban minors from using tanning salons, according to news reports. The state currently requires those aged 14 to 17 to obtain parental approval to use a salon, and prohibits indoor tanning for those younger than 14.
Among those quoted by the Star-Ledger was Alyson Dougherty, who used tanning salons regularly as a teen and was diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma at 21.
Chicago would ban tanning-salon use for those younger than 18 under a proposed ordinance introduced Wednesday, a local ABC affiliate reports.
Meanwhile, The Canadian Press reports that MP James Bezan wants to ban tanning beds and booths for Canadians younger than 18 years. Bezan says he and his wife, a melanoma survivor, used tanning beds in their youth, and that he is disturbed by the numbers of young people being diagnosed with the disease.
Smart Tan, which describes itself as an education association for the professional indoor tanning community, sent Executive Director Joseph Levy to New York last week for a Today Show appearance in the wake of the Krentcil story. On its website, Smart Tan detailed the story behind the appearance, including its plan "to compare sunbeds with natural sunlight, point out how sunlight is a key element to life on this planet, illustrate that our equipment is just like what dermatologists use but not as intense, show how exposure times are based on formulations from FDA and administered after a careful screening from a certified technician."
The industry trade group Indoor Tanning Association was fighting ban proposals even before the Krentcil story. In March, the group released a statement saying that "the decision regarding whether or not a teen is allowed to suntan is a decision for parents, not government."
The group said, "Right now in the state of New Jersey, a teenage girl can secure an abortion without her parent's consent but if [new ban] legislation passes, cannot get a suntan with her parent's consent. Sixteen- or 17-year-olds can drive cars, get married, own guns, hunt, and secure birth control and abortion services yet if these laws pass, they would not be allowed to suntan, even if their parents approved."
The ITA said proponents of ban laws "always exaggerate the risks of exposure to ultraviolet light in order to get the attention of the public, the media and the government."

Do you sleep with pet?

Quanzaa — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:49:18 GMT

Dangers in Your Mattress

By Sarah B. Weir, Yahoo! blogger

Posts

By Sarah B. Weir, Yahoo! blogger | At Home – 18 hours ago

What's hiding in your mattress? Investigating all the creepy crawlies and toxins that may lurk in your bed is enough to cause nightmares."I can think of no single place that challenges a person immunologically day in and day out than a mattress," writes microbiologist Philip Tierno, PhD, in his book, The Secret Life of Germs.
Related: When to Clean the Sheets
Mattresses typically accumulate bodily fluids such as sweat, blood, and urine, which become breeding grounds for bacteria. While many strains are relatively harmless, according to Tierno some can cause serious conditions such as gangrene. Children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable. Other microscopic mattress invaders include fungi, mold, and dust mites.
Dust mites are relatives of the spider and feed off dry skin cells shed by humans. These imperceptibly tiny pests cause allergies, wheezing, and asthma. A larger pest is the bed bug.
Related: Bed Bugs Can Infest Your Office Too
Once thought to be completely wiped out, bed bugs are now a public health problem in all fifty states and epidemic in cities such as New York. The nasty critters don't spread diseases but they do afflict victims with an itchy, painful rash—and they are notoriously difficult to eradicate. The Mayo Clinic advises using a professional exterminator to deal with an invasion. Commercial insect foggers may not be effective against bed bugs and leave a toxic residue of pesticide on your bedroom surfaces.
If your pet sleeps with you, add ticks, fleas, and whatever germs and filth Fido or Purrfect has picked up on its paws or fur to the list to the list of invaders. The Centers for Disease Control reports that sleeping with pets has been linked to Methicillin-Resistant Stapylococcus aureus (MRSA), parasitic infections such as hookworm, and even plague.
Related: Gene Points to Achilles Heel In MRSA
Harmful chemicals are a more insidious danger lurking in your bedroom than germs and bugs—they are almost impossible to detect until you or someone in your family has a health problem. Conventional mattresses are made with mixture of petroleum based products such as polyurethane foam, nylon, polyester, and PVC that off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They are also treated with chemical flame retardants. These substances—especially in unstable combinations—can cause allergies and breathing problems. "No one has tested every mattress for VOCs," Sonya Lunder, senior analyst at Environmental Working Group (EWG) tells Shine. "Certification might help consumers make affordable choices." Lunder says even organic mattresses aren't "conclusively better" and warns that "greenwashing" is a big problem for consumers. She points out that "natural" soy and latex mattresses also emit VOCs and the label "organic" can simply mean that the cotton used in the outermost layer was grown without pesticides. Lunder suggests airing out all new mattresses for a few days before using them and knowing what the return policy is in case you have a reaction.
To keep your mattress as germ-free and healthy as possible, it's a good idea to vacuum it and seal with a tightly woven, allergy-resistant cover. Wash your bedding weekly in hot water and a little bleach. Ultra violet light is also a disinfectant. While it may not be convenient to drag your mattress outside, futons, children's mattresses and crib mattresses can all be periodically aired out on a sunny day. This will also help eliminate lingering chemicals.

camera

skyyblue — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:59:48 GMT

which camera do you use?

Never again....

SportsGuy — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:51:07 GMT

I will never ever eat two separate burger combos in the same sitting ever again. Knocked out for 2 hours from food coma this past weekend after downing a couple Famous Star combos from Carl's and woke up feeling nasty as funk. Gained 5 lbs to boot.

Invisible iPad & iPhone soon

Quanzaa — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:32:41 GMT

By Mike Wehner, Tecca | Today in Tech – 3 hrs ago

The Loewe Invisio is a crazy concept that may actually yield a retail product
Does your HDTV just not seem as sleek and sexy as it once was? If the allure of having a flat-panel display mounted to your wall just isn't enough anymore, the completely see-through Loewe Invisio might be just what you're looking for. Designed by Michael Friebe, the transparent television made a big splash in the 2011 iF Concept Design competition, and if we're lucky we may soon see it in our own homes.
Loewe is well known in Europe for its high-end televisions and audio hardware. In fact, the company is said to be in talks with Apple about a possible acquisition. This would give Apple a huge head start if the company decides to release a long-rumored Apple-branded HDTV, and would mean products like the futuristic Invisio could arrive stateside sooner rather than later.
The Invsio looks absolutely stunning — well, as stunning as a see-through television can look. The clear LCD technology allows the display to pop to life when you hit the power button, but then disappear the instant you shut it off. The bottom portion of the set houses all the important bits, and the entire unit can be mounted on a wall if you're not a fan of the shiny silver tabletop stand.
Loewe Invisio
Without a border or frame of any kind, the screen is meant to blend in seamlessly with its surroundings when not in use. The Invisio is clearly meant for TV lovers who want their living rooms to have an air of sophistication on nights when must-see-TV isn't a priority. Of course, if the rear of your entertainment center is littered with cords, you're going to want to clean them up before showing off a new transparent TV.
But don't start saving for this futuristic display just yet — the Invisio isn't yet a Loewe's retail offering, and because it's still considered a concept, it may never be. Of course, one look at the company's plans for other future products — including a TV with two screens and a mirror with built-in social displays (pictured below) — should be enough to tell you that the Invisio may very well see the light of day.
Loewe concepts
If the Inviso concept sounds like something out of science fiction, don't forget that transparent LCD technology has been around for a while now. Samsung has already shown off its own see-through "Smart Window" technology which allows users to interact with apps, or even pull down a set of virtual shades to dim the daylight. The Invisio would likely work in a similar fashion, though without the addition of touchscreen controls.
Regardless of whether or not it ever becomes a reality, the fact that we have the technology available to make see-through televisions is enough to make us feel like we're living in the future. And if the rumored Apple acquisition does indeed take place, who knows what other ridiculously cool concepts could eventually emerge from the deal.

Pac Man a hypocrite?

Quanzaa — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:35:36 GMT

Manny Pacquiao — Congressman Pacquiao — rips President Obama for stance on gay marriage

By Kevin Iole | Boxing – 1 hour 48 minutes ago

Boxer Manny Pacquiao (R) speaks with Pastor Jeric Soriano before a training session (Chris Farina/Top Rank)
It's not too often a boxer blasts the President of the United States, but it's also not too common that an active fighter gets elected to Congress. But boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao, a freshman congressman from Sarangani province in the Philippines, laid into President Obama because of Obama's support for gay marriage.
Pacquiao, who defends his World Boxing Organization welterweight title against Timothy Bradley on June 9 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, is a devout Catholic who has brought a spiritual advisor, Pastor Jeric Soriano, with him from The Philippines to Los Angeles. He visited Obama in the Oval Office last year, discussing basketball and boxing with the President.
In an interview with the National Conservative Examiner, Pacquiao criticized Obama's stance as an attack on the will of God.

God only expects man and woman to be together and to be legally married, only if they so are in love with each other. It should not be of the same sex so as to adulterate the altar of matrimony, like in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah of old.

Pacquiao's comments, along with statements in 2011 opposing birth control, put him in line with conservative Republicans and against Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), whom Pacquiao campaigned for during a hotly contested reelection campaign in 2010 against Sharron Angle. Reid may not have won without Pacquiao's late support. Ironically, Reid supports gay marriage and Angle was strongly opposed.
At the Catholic Bishops Conference in the Philippines in 2011, Pacquiao took a hardline stance against contraception, supporting the church's position.

God said 'Go forth and multiply.' He did not say 'Go and have just one or two children.'

Pacquiao is entitled to his beliefs, but he looked a bit hypocritical when it turned out that his wife, Jinkee, nearly divorced him in November. The Los Angeles Times last week reported that trainer Freddie Roach said Jinkee Pacquiao served divorce papers upon her husband shortly before his fight with Juan Manuel Marquez.
Freddie Roach says Manny Pacquiao has cleaned up his act (AP)Roach subsequently denied saying she served divorce papers, though he didn't deny that Pacquiao's lifestyle was hurting his fight career. Roach said that, among other things, the distractions that negatively impacted Pacquiao were "girls and everything that goes with it." In January, Martin Rogers reported on The Post Game.com that Jinkee Pacquiao had given her husband an ultimatum and forced him to clean up his act.
Subsequently, Pacquiao said he had a religious "awakening," and has been deep into bible study. Roach told the Times that Pacquiao also sold a casino he owned. He's also no longer into cock fighting.

Now, he's back with his wife, reading the Bible every day, and he's given up basketball

In 2006, Pacquiao signed two promotional agreements, one with Top Rank and another with Golden Boy, essentially beginning the feud between the companies that exists until this day. In the litigation, Roach testified that Golden Boy President Oscar De La Hoya gave Pacquiao a suitcase filled with $250,000 as an inducement to sign with GBP. De La Hoya had met Pacquiao at Los Angeles International Airport after a flight from the Philippines as he was to begin training camp.

I never saw the suitcase open, but [De La Hoya] told me it was Manny's signing bonus, and I later heard it was $250,000, but I'm not sure of the amount.

Pacquiao ran for Congress because of his desire to help his countrymen, many of whom live in dire poverty. He is leading the fight in Congress to build a hospital in Sarangani, where the nearest hospital is located about an hour away in General Santos City. Pacquiao has committed some of his money to the cause, and is trying to help raise the funds needed privately so the cost of the hospital won't be borne by Filipino taxpayers.
He's also a staunch opponent of human trafficking, which has been a significant problem in his country.
He's done more for his countrymen than most people have ever done for theirs, and he's to be commended for that. It's why he's one of the world's most popular athletes.
But his condemnation of Obama's stance on gay marriage would not look as suspect as it does, though, if he weren't living such a promiscuous lifestyle only a few months ago. The timing of his comments could have been better, after he demonstrated that his recent behavior and attitude changes aren't simply short-term fixes but more permanent and fundamental in nature.
Manny Pacquiao campaigns in 2010 for Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) (AP)

Communal restroom etiquette

cynosure — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:34:06 GMT

When you burp, your first instinct is to apologize, especially if it was unintentional.

Then why is it that I never hear someone apologizing for farting when their in the communal restroom?

Does the communal bathroom provide comfort that such behavior is tolerated, is it understood and accepted in the communal bathroom? I get a little annoyed at the mudda facker that stands next to me while urinating and then proceeds to let out gas, all the while acting like nothing happened.

today, i looked at this facker and said that's rude...he responded by saying "sorry, but this is the restroom," as if, i was the rude one for complaining.

was i wrong?

Will give $$ for old cell phones

Quanzaa — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:15:02 GMT

Sell your iPad, iPhone
and more for cash!

Fast Payment, Fair Prices, Free Shipping

go to http://gazelle.com

Yummy

CUPHEAD — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:13:38 GMT

Starkist can kiss my fanny.

This is my favorite tuna:

yummy!

memory foam = no sex

Quanzaa — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:47:22 GMT

Sex or Sleep?

Sales of memory-foam mattresses have skyrocketed to almost 20% of the mattress market. They induce a blissful snooze but make sex a challenge.

By Miriam Gottfried | Barrons.com – 22 hours ago

Something surprising is going on in the American bedroom. In droves, people are outfitting their beds with a plush, squishy, and decidedly controversial type of mattress. While these products support the body just-so during sleep, they distress some people during sex. The complaint is lack of "traction," if you get the drift. "It's like trying to do it in quicksand," one owner writes on an Internet message board. New York sex therapist Sari Eckler Cooper couldn't be clearer: "There's a lack of resistance for the knees and feet. And whoever is on the bottom is sinking into the bed."

These are memory-foam mattresses, and they are far and away the fastest-growing segment of the $4.6 billion wholesale market for U.S. mat-tresses. Memory foam's market share has shot up from 14% to nearly 20% in just the past eight years. In other words, mattress shoppers are weighing the risk -- bad sex -- against the promise -- good sleep -- and are voting with their eyelids: They choose to snooze.

[Related: Weird Reasons You're so Tired]

It's no secret that people are stressed out and exhausted in these hurried times. Baby boomers, the chief buyers of memory-foam mattresses, have the additional problem of creaky bones. Everyone could use a deep, soothing sleep. But at the possible expense of sex?

The idea of sex versus sleep has sparked some spirited marketing in the mattress industry. Sealy (ZZ), the largest maker of traditional mattresses, launched a sexy new ad campaign during last year's Super Bowl. The 30-second spot features a series of couples between the sheets with satiated looks on their glowing faces. And lest you miss the point, the lyrics, "Just a little lovin', early in the morning," play in the background. The commercial, which has garnered more than two million views on YouTube, closes with the slogan, "Whatever you do in bed, Sealy supports it."

The clear target of the ads is Tempur-Pedic (TPX), which makes the majority of memory-foam mattresses. Since issuing shares to the public in 2003, Tempur-Pedic's stock price has soared 274%. Sales have risen to $1.4 billion, topping all other mattress makers. But Tempur-Pedic's rise has gotten bumpier in recent years as traditional-mattress makers have begun offering memory foam.

From January of this year through mid-April, this seeming cult stock rocketed 66%, to an all-time high of $87. Then the company reported first-quarter results, suggesting that a competitor (Serta's iComfort line) was making inroads in the memory-foam market, and the stock plunged 21% in a day. It continued its descent, closing Friday at $52.30.

The 14 analysts who cover Tempur-Pedic have an average price target of $78.75 on the shares, according to FactSet Research. That may be a tempting bet for traders. But the company's market-share growth could be coming to an end. Brad Thomas, an analyst at KeyBanc Capital Markets, notes that Tempur-Pedic's domestic revenue grew 17% in the quarter, compared with 19% growth for the industry. Given the slipping metrics and the stock's extreme volatility, long-term investors might do better hiding their money under the mattress.

[Related: When to Clean the Sheets]

Sealy, which was late to the memory-foam party, has seen its shares fall 89% since KKR took the company public at $16 a share in 2006. Late last week they fetched less than two bucks. Revenue this year, at an expected $1.25 billion, will be 27% below the 2007 peak. The stock has a market value of about $180 million and net debt of $680 million.

Sealy is fighting back on the memory-foam front, and not just with cheeky ads. It has created a special unit to make memory-foam products, and just rolled out a new product meant to address another complaint about the mattresses: They can get uncomfortably hot when bodies are actively rolling around.

The second-largest shareholder of Sealy, H Partners Management, has criticized the company for falling far behind Tempur-Pedic in memory foam. Last month the firm helped spur a vote of no confidence in the company's incumbent directors. H Partners is now looking to oust Sealy's CEO.

The other big publicly traded player in the mattress business, Select Comfort (SCSS), is expected to reach a record $929 million in sales this year, topping its 2006 peak for the first time. The company specializes in air mattresses that can be adjusted for firmness.

MEMORY FOAM IS A DENSE MATERIAL that softens in reaction to body heat; it is both denser and more responsive to heat than standard mattress foam. It consists of tiny air-filled cells that compress when pressure and heat are applied. The cells closer to the body release their air, allowing the foam to mold to the body's shape.

The material dates back to 1966, when it was developed for NASA to absorb shock in spacecraft seats. It also has been used in football helmets and padding for the insides of shoes. A North Carolina-based company called Dynamic Systems still manufactures memory foam for automotive and aircraft seating, though the patents on the technology have long since expired.

Memory-foam mattresses arrived on the market in the late 1990s, as work lives went 24/7 and folks began hunting far and wide for help in getting to sleep. Nearly 60% of Americans experience insomnia symptoms or sleep disorders, according to market-research firm Marketdata Enterprises. That, in turn, has created a thriving market for sleep aids, including pills, high-tech pillows, white-noise machines, aromatherapy, and, of course, premium mattresses.

Memory-foam mattresses, which can cost anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars, aren't the most expensive models on the market. A queen-size Tempur-Pedic mattress generally ranges from $3,000 to $7,500, depending on the materials. Mattresses from Sweden's Duxiana, made with multiple layers of more than 1,500 springs, are significantly pricier, at around $10,000, while $15,000 will get you a Relyon mattress, manufactured in the U.K. with hand-made coils. And Hästens, a 160-year-old Swedish manufacturer, makes the Vividus, a $67,000 made-to-order mattress. Hand-stitched, its mattresses are filled with an intricate blend of horsehair (good for ventilation), cotton, wool (for perspiration absorption), and flax (for strength and elasticity).

MEMORY-FOAM IS GEARED more toward the mass affluent, making it the Lexus of bedding, so to speak. Barron's recently visited a Sleepy's store in Manhattan to kick the tires.

We zeroed in on the $3,000 Cloud Supreme from Tempur-Pedic, and lay down on it. The surface seemed to melt away as the mattress began to conform to our particular shape. It seemed very NASA-like, putting us in mind of floating inside a space shuttle. At one point, the salesman put his keys down on the mattress and asked us to lay back down on top of them. The keys initially felt like a lump, then melted away into the mattress, becoming virtually unnoticeable. With memory foam, the princess never would have found that pea.

Then we got to that more delicate matter. "Is it difficult to have, ahem, 'relations' on one of these?" we asked.

The salesman blushed slightly, tripped over a few words, and then provided something of an answer. It isn't so much that it is difficult, he said. "It's just that coils give you bounce, which you don't get on memory foam. It's a lot more physically intense because you're not getting any help from the bed."

bacteria to power iPhones

Quanzaa — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:43:56 GMT

iPhone Powered By Viruses? Berkeley Scientists Move Closer

By Joanna Stern | ABC News – 23 hrs ago

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iPhone Powered By Viruses? Berkeley ��

Image credit: Berkeley Lab
Viruses might eventually be able to power the very phone, computer or tablet you're reading this article on. And we're not talking about those digital viruses or infestations - trojans, worms, and whatnot.
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Berkeley Lab have found a way to generate power using human viruses. Yes, those viruses inside your body. With a harmless specially engineered M13 virus, the group has been able to power a small display. The viruses can covert mechanical force into electricity.
"In near future, we believe that we can develop personal electric generators. Basically, all of our daily activity related to mechanical movement (or vibration): walking, jogging, typing, etc.," Seung-Wuk Lee, a faculty scientist in Berkeley Lab's Physical Biosciences Division, told ABC News. "For example, by installing our piezoelectric thin films on your shoes, we can convert our walking energy to electric energy. Therefore, with a phone in our pocket connected to our shoes, we can charge our phone."
So how does it all work? While there's lots of science to it all, the scientists tapped a finger on an electrode coated with the viruses and the viruses then converted the force of the tap into an electric charge.
And that force is critical to the equation. This is the first time electricity has been conducted by "harnessing the piezoelectric properties of biological material," Berkeley Lab's press release states. What that really means is that it is the first time electricity has been made by a combination of force and viruses.
But the scientists are picturing even broader uses. "In the future, because our M13 virus-based piezoelectric material is biocompatible, we can implant the virus-based piezoelectric power generator in our body and capture our heart perspiration as a electric power source of the biomedical devices or biosensors. Therefore, no more charging of your pacemakers, hearing aids, personal health monitoring sensors," Lee explained.
However, this is still a ways out. According to Lee, the current power generation from the virus-based generator is not enough to power a phone yet.
"We are currently working on enhancing the power output of the virus-based piezoelectric generators," Lee told us. "Through our approaches, we believe that we can achieve power enhancement 100-1000 times and develop the personal power generator in near future."