Friday Four

1. It's high time for a beer recommendation: Sierra Nevada's Narwhal Imperial Stout:

Narwhal Imperial Stout is inspired by the mysterious creature that thrives in the deepest fathoms of the frigid Arctic Ocean. Featuring incredible depth of malt flavor, rich with notes of espresso, baker's cocoa, roasted grain and a light hint of smoke, Narwhal is a massive malt-forward monster. Aggressive but refined with a velvety smooth body and decadent finish, Narwhal will age in the bottle for years to come.

And, now that I know this one is suited for aging, it looks like my aging bottles of Blithering Idiot and Bigfoot barley wine will soon have company.

2. Eye exams just became a lot easier and, dare I say, portable:

Peek Retina slips neatly over the in-built camera on your smartphone. Used with the Peek app, hold the phone close to someone's eye and it will auto-focus to show you the retina on screen.

The high image quality means you can view cataracts clearly enough for treatment classification, detect signs of glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and signs of nerve disease. Other health problems such as severe high blood pressure and diabetes can also be identified with a good view of the retina.

Using an ophthalmoscope used to be difficult and time-consuming. We've made it as easy as taking a photo.

The images can also be shared easily and securely, for viewing by a specialist.

3. Faking your own death is harder than you might think:

Do change your light bulbs: Bennie Wint had been presumed dead since staging a drowning in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1989. He'd been involved in a narcotics ring and believed the cops were after him. After swimming a mile down the shore with $6,500 stuffed in his swim trunks, he hitched a ride with a trucker and spent the next twenty years selling NASCAR merchandise out of his home, under the name William James Sweet. During his tenure as Sweet, he shacked up with a common law wife and had a son, but never filed for an ID under his new alias. So when he was pulled over in North Carolina in 2009 for not having a $1.50 light bulb over the license plate of his car, he couldn't produce a driver's license and was booked in jail as John Doe before ultimately coming clean. [format edits]

The story also contains a handy "Should You Fake Your Own Death" flow chart.

4. You've bought the bumper sticker. Now, play the game: Cthulhu for President. The box decor, depicted at the link, is just about reason enough to purchase it. (Hint, hint, Mrs. Van Horn!)

-- CAV