Paul Lim then introduced me to the diminutive NuForce Reference 9 monoblock amps ($4200/pair) in their very attractive Rose Copper Special Edition finish. I'm all about the fancy colors, y'all.

Imagine HiFi's Paul Lim redirected my attention to Almarro's cute A205A amplifier in sassy iPod white finish. The price of this amp with iPod input has yet to be determined, but the standard version goes for $800.

Though the finish of the Cain & Cain speakers was lovely, all I could really focus on were their Frisbee-like belly buttons. I'm a little bit sorry to admit that, because I found the speaker itself unattractive, I lost interest in what it had to say. I couldn't get around the looks to examine the sound. This is something I will have to work on.

According to researchers at the University of Illinois, if you drop food on hardwood or tile floors and pick it up within five seconds, it probably <I>is</I> safe to eat.That's because it takes at least that long for germs to devour dropped dry food. It takes wet food less time to become contaminated&mdash;and if you drop food onto carpet, all bets are off. "That's an entirely different story and we haven't done that study yet."

<I>Physics Web</I> has a fascinating story on astronomers' newest theories on how far the Milky Way's arms extend. The illustrations are way cool, but I have to confess that it was the title that hooked me.

But it's a step in the right direction.

<I>Living In Stereo</I> posts Dave Marsh's 1983 must-read about Florence Thompson, the subject of Dorothea Lange's harrowing FSA photo portrait. It's a great read&mdash;and add <I>LIS</I> to my daily rounds of the 'Net.