numberonebus

Liz Weiss of US News and World Report has produced an essential travel document, one to keep in your wallet when you leave home. It is a guide to America’s Best Ice Cream stores.

http://travel.usnews.com/features/Americas_Best_Ice_Cream/

America’s Best Ice Cream

Liz Weiss

On a warm summer day, nothing’s more enticing than a creamy scoop of America’s most delectable frozen treat. Whether they are artisan creations or from a homemade batch, these tantalizing swirls delight sweet-toothed enthusiasts of all ages. And as the warm air wafts through our windows, we can almost taste the melted deliciousness dripping from a sugary waffle cone…
That brings us to another subject. Few topics are as controversial among dessert-lovers as ice cream. Taking parlor reputation, flavor diversity, and online reviews into consideration, U.S. News Travel has compiled a list of America’s best ice cream spots to indulge in this summertime delight.
12. Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor
Chicago
Favorite Flavor: Chocolate Peanut Butter (Cost: $2.99)
In 2004, Connie and Matt Brown decided to open an old-fashioned soda shop, where Windy City residents could savor original homemade delights like banana splits and “The Trough” (a 21 scoop sundae). Since the store’s debut, Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor has lured sweet-toothed admirers with signature creations like “Ellie’s Turtle Temptation” (vanilla ice cream covered with smooth whipped cream, caramel, hot fudge, pecans, and, of course, a cherry on top) and the classic Brown Cow (an old-fashioned root beer float with vanilla ice cream). You’ll find Brown Cow on West Madison Street in Chicago.
11. Moomers
Traverse City, Mich.
Favorite Flavor: Cow-a-bunga (Cost: $7.99)
With more than 120 homemade flavors, this family-owned shop appeals to a variety of ice cream lovers. Moomers’ myriad of treats range from old-fashioned sodas to banana splits. For a unique twist on this chilly treat, order the “Cow-a-bunga” (two scoops of ice cream layered with Oreos, hot fudge, a brownie, and a cherry on top) or design your own signature sundae. You can pick up a cone on North Long Lake Road in Traverse City, located on the northwest side of Lower Michigan.
10. Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Favorite Flavor: Mint Chocolate Chip (Cost: $3.75)

Run by Peter Freeman and Gia Giasullo, Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain adds an inventive twist to classic flavors with ingredients like toffee and maple egg cream. Inside the Farmacy (or “The Farm” for those in the know), you’ll find an eclectic mix of creamy malts, floats, shakes, and egg creams. Standouts include the “Rocket Shake” (a milkshake laced with fresh coffee and scoops of coffee ice cream) and the “Flatbush Ave. Float” (a blend of your choice of ice cream layered with chocolate or vanilla egg cream). Should you prefer a decadent sundae rather than a float, try the “Sundae of Broken Dreams.” This frosted dessert (vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce, whipped cream, and crispy pretzels) keeps customers smiling.
9. Roots Ice Cream
Charleston, S.C.
Favorite Flavor: Beet (Cost: $3)
As its name suggests, Roots Ice Cream is all about showcasing Charleston flavors by sourcing fresh ingredients from local farmers. And with its versatile array of seasonal specialties, including Cucumber-Mint, Bourbon-Peach, Beet, and Sweet Tea, Roots Ice Cream has become a local favorite. Although Roots has no official parlor, you can find its artisan blends at farmers markets throughout the Lowcountry, including in Marion, Kiawah Island, and Mt. Pleasant.
[See: America’s Best BBQ Cities]
8. Capogiro Gelato Artisans
Philadelphia
Favorite Flavor: Cioccolato Scuro “Bitter Chocolate” (Cost: $4.50)
If you’re craving a spoonful of pure bliss, it’s hard to match Capogiro’s artisan gelato. Owner Stephanie Reitano has mastered the art of flavor, infusing her signature sorbets and gelato with seasonal ingredients. Capogiro’s offerings vary from tried-and-true Nocciola Piemontese (hazelnut gelato made with nuts from Italy’s Piedmont region) to bold flavors like peppery Basil. For a rich treat, try Cioccolato Scuro (Bitter Chocolate), a favorite among loyal fans. You can order a cup or cone at 13th Street in Philadelphia or at one of the other three locations in Pennsylvania.
7. Sweet Action Ice Cream
Denver
Favorite Flavor: Strawberry Balsamic (Cost: $2.75)

Courtesy of Sweet Action Ice Cream
[more photos]
With 24 delectable flavors enriched with local ingredients, this trendy shop values quality as much as inventiveness. Its eclectic blends were not under the radar for long. Food & Wine labeled Sweet Action “One of the best ice cream spots in the U.S.” and USA Today praised the parlor as the best ice cream shop in Colorado. From Salted Butterscotch to Lemon Ricotta, Sweet Action Ice Cream crafts each variety with care. For pure sweetness, give the Strawberry Balsamic or Pistachio flavors a whirl.
6. Graeter’s
Cincinnati
Favorite Flavor: Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip (Cost: $2.75)
This fourth-generation landmark creamery dates back to 1870 when Louis C. Graeter crafted the original confection in Cincinnati. The secret behind Graeter’s recipes is the elaborate French Pot swirling process. Fresh cream and egg custard are gradually folded together until they reach a thick texture and one-of-a-kind rich taste. Then, fresh ingredients are sprinkled in, like liquid gourmet chocolate and Madagascar vanilla beans. Signature flavors include Butter Pecan (endorsed by Oprah Winfrey), Cinnamon, and Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip. Other Graeter’s branches can be found in Columbus and Dayton, Ohio, and Lexington and Louisville, Ky.
5. Sweet Republic
Scottsdale, Ariz.
Favorite Flavor: Salted Butter Caramel (Cost: $2.95)
Since 2008, Sweet Republic owners Jan Wichayanuparp and Helen Yung have attracted ice cream connoisseurs with their homemade batches. The milk and creams used are provided by local dairy farms, while tasty toppings, including marshmallows, brownies, and waffles, are all made by hand. And that’s not all: From its birchwood ice cream sticks to its recycled glass bottles, this shop prides itself on its eco-friendliness. To indulge your taste buds with an extra burst of flavor, try the zesty Honey Blue Cheese or decadent Mayan Chocolate flavors. You’ll find Sweet Republic headquartered on Scottsdale’s Shea Boulevard. Sweet Republic products are also sold at select grocery stores throughout the state.
[See: Best Summer Vacations for Families]
4. Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream
Seattle
Favorite Flavor: Salted Caramel (Cost: $3.45)

Kathryn Barnard / Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream
[more photos]
Since opening in spring 2008, this beloved Seattle ice creamery draws dessert fanatics far and wide. In fact, Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream’s handheld delights have become so popular that customers are willing to brave long lines for a single scoop. Fans go wild for the Salted Caramel and “Theo Chocolate” (fudgy chocolate ice cream drizzled with fair-trade Theo chocolate bars) flavors. Another favorite: Balsamic Strawberry (made with locally grown strawberries and a honey balsamic reduction). The original Molly Moon’s is located on North 45th Street, though the company also operates four other stores in the Seattle area.
3. Bi-Rite Creamery & Bakeshop
San Francisco
Favorite Flavor: Salted Caramel Ice Cream (Cost: $3.50)
For a cool, creamy batch crafted from scratch, look no further than Bi-Rite Creamery & Bakeshop, a San Francisco landmark set in the heart of the Mission District. Aside from its signature creamy scoops, Bi-Rite boasts a versatile selection of delicacies, ranging from ice cream sandwiches to popsicles to fully-loaded sundaes. To top it off, owners Anne Walker and Kris Hoogerhyde pride themselves on making all the toppings—including marshmallows, peanut brittle, and hot fudge—at their adjoining bakery. For intense flavor, try their “dainty gentleman” signature sundae (honey-lavender ice cream lathered in hot fudge, sea salt, and blood orange olive oil).
2. Toscanini’s
Cambridge, Mass.
Favorite Flavor: Burnt Caramel (Cost: $4.25)
With brag-worthy accolades from the New York Times, People magazine, Bon Appetit, and Gourmet magazine (to name a few), it would seem misleading not to include this Boston-area gelato shop on our list. With its setting in the heart of intellectual academia, Toscanini’s draws a cerebral clientele that sparks fresh ideas for bold flavors. Kulfi, an intense blend with pistachios and cardamom, was inspired by a Harvard professor from India. Other notable gelato flavors include Grape-Nut, Pear Chardonnay sorbet, and the beloved Burnt Caramel. The secret behind owner Gus Rancatore’s much-admired caramel concoction: Heating the sugar until the crème caramel—the golden delicious crust—appears on the surface (much like a crème brulee) and then off-setting the prominent sugary taste with cold cream and milk. You’ll find Toscanini’s on Main Street in Cambridge, just a short stroll from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
1. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
Columbus, Ohio
Favorite Flavor: Brambleberry Crisp (Cost: $4.50)

Courtesy of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
With its broad selection of creative flavors—ranging from Wildberry Lavender to Riesling Poached Pear Sorbet to Brambleberry Crisp—it’s no wonder Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams has foodies swooning across the nation. Jeni Britton Bauer’s handmade sorbet, frozen yogurt, and ice cream push the boundaries of dessert artisanship. What makes her batches so delicious? Key ingredients, like grass-grazed cream, whole fruits, and fair-trade vanilla. You’ll find Jeni’s original shop in the North Market of Columbus. There are currently eight other stores spread across the state and two additional locations in Nashville.

May 29

Cambridgeday.com writes about closing of Harvest Co-op and C3 Cafe.

I read Cambridgeday.com every day. Everyone should. Here is a long story about the sad news that Harvest Co-op and Clear Conscience Cafe are being forced out of their present location.

Harvest will move across the street but it is uncertain what will happen to C3. Every day owner Dan Goldstein was a vivid force in Central Square. He hosted weekly meetings about Central Square conditions and recently lead the Sunday cleanup by volunteers.

By Marc Levy
Published: May 25, 2012 at 11:29 AM
Central Square’s Clear Conscience Cafe will be closing at the end of August, along with the Harvest Co-op grocery store behind it. (Photo: Jenn Mau)
Central Square’s iconic Harvest Co-op grocery store and the Clear Conscience Cafe at its front will be closing at the end of August, but only the grocery store knows its future: moving across the street to the former Jax Liquidation Outlet space, which is a little over half the grocer’s current size.
Daniel Goldstein, who made his Clear Conscience Cafe the meeting place for an ad hoc Central Square improvement committee and himself a champion for that improvement, isn’t sure where he’ll go.
“There’s a lack of clarity about what will happen. We will step out to a different space, go on hiatus, I don’t really know how to answer it,” Goldstein said. “I became enamored with this community. I always tell friends, there’s no other place in Massachusetts that has that kind of energy, a sense of being pulled together. If I were in Greenwich Village, I’d have the same sense — it’s eclectic, alive, in motion, with a full spectrum of the social fabric that makes the place amazing.”
Goldstein opened the cafe in 2007, a refugee from 10 years in the financial services industry who went a different path, of of organic soups, salads, breads and sandwiches, shade-grown and fairly traded coffee and free Wi-Fi. The cozy, earth-toned space is crowded from opening to closing with people ducking out for some peace from the buzz of Central Square.
The moves are a result of rising rents that made a new lease impossible, he said. The leaser is Morris Naggar’s 3MJ Realty, of Central Square. It’s not known what the current 581 Massachusetts Ave. space will become; a message was left at 3MJ’s offices Friday morning.
Goldstein is philosophical about the changes, noting the massive developments going on nearby and citing last week’s $40 million purchase of 625 Massachusetts Ave., which holds such tenants as Boston Sports Club, Harmonix Music System, Harvard University, TD Bank and Walgreens, by The Samuels Property Group. “The value proposition of real estate changes … and there may be some casualties along the way,” Goldstein said. “I’m one of them, unfortunately.”
Chris Durkin, director of membership and community relations at Harvest Co-op Markets, is able to take a sunnier view for the grocer, its 4,000-plus members and those who rely on it for food and other staples: When it re-opens in September, it’ll be smaller but just upstairs from where it was it was founded in 1974 — the basement of the art store at 580 Massachusetts Ave. What gets lost when it shrinks to half its current size isn’t known. “That’s up in the air right now,” he said.
“Things that could be lost with Harvest’s move are the farmers market and all the CSAs that used the Harvest parking lot. That includes the new Cape Cod Fish Share community-supported fishery that will be bringing me fresh-caught lobster tomorrow,” resident Monica Velgoas said. “After all the committee meetings and all the Central Square discussions for a couple years now, how could such change just sweep in without warning?”
Naggar’s 3MJ Realty is listed as a member of the Central Square Advisory Committee, but the changes at 581 Massachusetts Ave. were not publicized or discussed there, according to members and a city official.

May 28

Reusing teak from 1981 and thinking of many things

Toscanini’s opened in 1981 and we originally used large ice and salt freezers that were manufactured by White Mountain Equipment Company of Winchendon, Mass. Our store was built by the same people who recently renovated it, Community Builders Cooperative of Somerville, Mass. Marc Rudnick and Sally Wetzler built a beautiful worktable from teak to hold the ice cream machines. One of the last parts of our recent renovations was to install a counter top along the ice cream dipping cabinets and the original teak was used or reused. There is at least some resonance of almost long ago times in Central Square. If I rest my ear on the wood I can hear Chain Lightning by Steely Dan.

Ice cream for sundaes on Mo May 28, 2012. Labor Day

George Howell has created a flagship for his coffee company, at 311 Walnut Ave. in Newtonville, the neighborhood with the former Star Market suspended over the Mass. Turnpike. Howell has revived ideas from his first company, the legendary Coffee Connection. Howell originated the Frappuccino which Starbucks has mutated in unusual ways since they purchased Coffee Connection. The original recipe is available in Newtonville but is now called a Frosty George. The store has good coffee and t shirts with a new logo that is very evocative of the old Coffee Connection logo. One change is the almost-inevitable presence of High Lawn milk on the menu. High Lawn has the most famous cows in New England.

May 06

Ice cream flavors for sundaes on Su May 6, 2012

French Vanilla
Belgian Chocolate
Coffee
Hydrox Cookie
Cookie Dough
Grape Nut
Chocolate Chip
Sweet Cream
Green Tea
Maple Walnut
Bourbon Chocolate Flake
Mocha
Nocciola
Burnt Caramel
Mango
B3
Mixed Berry
Blackberry Basil
Salty Caramel
White Russian The Dude
Vienna Finger
Butter Almond
Salted Saffron
Just Fluff
Goat Cheese Brownie
Earl Grey
Chocolate #3
Coffee Hydrox
Toasted Coconut
Guinness

Mango Sorbet
Coconut Sorbet

May 03

Nyan Cat attacks City of Cambridge and ether

Rofl.con is Friday, Saturday, May 4/5. We have made an ice cream flavor in celebration of the Nyan Cat meme. Our flavor is made with Cherry Pop Tarts and brightly colored anise candies from India. There are actually two versions. One uses Vanilla ice cream as a base and the other is a vegan sorbet made with Coconut Milk.
We have made Rofl.con Nyan Cat ice cream. Why? In some sense, “Who knows?” or “Why Not?” Here is some information about this important internet meme. Next year we hope to make a kimchi flavor in honor of the 21rst century’s Abbot & Costello, the clowns at Justkidding.com.

What follows is from
http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/117424

Nyan Cat, also known as Pop Tart Cat, is an 8-bit animation depicting a cat with the body of a cherry pop tart flying through outer space. While absurd themes like flying kittens and pastry cats have been around for some time, the surreal humor behind this particular combination has captivated YouTubers and online art communities, spawning fan illustrations as well as user-interface designs and homebrew games across multiple platforms.
Origin
The Pop Tart Cat animation was posted on the daily comics site LOL-COMICS[1] run by illustrator Chris Torres, also known as prguitarman, on April 2nd, 2011. The original drawing was based on his own Russian Blue cat, Marty, and was drawn after receiving two separate suggestions for a cat and a pop tart during a Red Cross charity drawing event on Livestream[28]. Prior to the Pop Tart Cat, prguitarman had already gained a relatively large audience with a few other instances of comics circulating on the web. The GIF animation was also reblogged via Tumblr[2] on April 2nd, 2011, accumulating over 3,000 notes (likes & reblogs) in its first two weeks:

On April 5th, 2011, YouTuber saraj00n posted a video titled Nyan Cat[3], using comic artist prguitarman’s Pop Tart Cat animation set to the well-known Japanese Vocaloid song Nyanyanyanyanyanyanya by Japanese artist Daniwell-P looping in the background, Although the song had been originally composed for Hatsune Miku to sing, The version used in the video was of the cover sung by the Utauloid Momo Momone. The video gained over one million views in its first two weeks:

Spread
On April 10th, the Nyan Cat video was picked up by popular blogs and social networking sites including Memebase[4], Buzzfeed[5], Tumblr[6], and Facebook[7] among others.
Beginning on April 12th, Tosh.0 blog[8] posted the Nyan Cat video, as well as CollegeHumor[9] and G4TV.[10] There are several remixes and spinoff variations of the original video circulating on YouTube, many of them customized with alternative characters and background music.
Nyan Cat has been also briefly seen on Sprint’s Nexus 4G “Cats” commercial[16], which featured a number of popular cat video clips.
There’s also a website[20] showing a mash-up animation of Nyan Cat and Speedy Cat.
Slipknot’s Psychosocial Video
YouTuber xDaZJMx[11] commented on the original Nyan cat video by saraj00n telling viewers to watch Slipknot’s Psychosocial (muted) with the Nyan cat song playing in the background. The comment instructed other YouTubers to play the Nyan Cat video and hardcore rock band Slipknot’s “Psychosocial” music video simultaneously in synch, which virtually resulted in a Nyan Cat audio dub.

xDaZJMx’s instruction quickly gained hundreds of likes, was featured as the highest comment, and many users began flooding the Psychosocial video’s comments[12] with Nyans. As of April 26th, 2011, Slipknot’s “Psychosocial” music video page on YouTube has over 111,000 comments, with tens of thousands reading “NYANNYANYANYANYANYANYANYANYANYANYANYANYA.” This caused confusion among Slipknot listeners, and further spread the Nyan cat meme and its hilarity.

Single-Serving Sites
Nyan.cat[13] was launched on April 13th, 2011, featuring the text “NON-STOP NYAN CAT” and another single serving site Slowbro.org[14] was launched on the next day, featuring a “rainy” version of the original. The flash game version featuring a timer display similar to Nyan.cat was uploaded by Newgrounds[15] user Blind-Bane on April 27th.

Games
 Many game developers began to create assorted Nyan Cat games, such as Nyan Cat Lost in Space, Snake Nyan Cat, Nyanicorn (Robot Unicorn Attack variant), and Nyan Cat Fly, among others. A site listing all the Nyan Cat games while also hosting one of its own is located at Nyan-Cat.com. Some Nyan Cat games have also been released onto the mobile platform, enabling use on various smartphones. A small tech demo of Nyan Cat that will work on the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) has also been created,[27] It currently runs on NES emulators.

Nyan Cat has also been referenced in “Buffalo Bison Revenge”[29]. The game, developed by Juicy Beast Studios[30], uses in-game items, held by gummies, to temporarily benefit the player. One item is a poptart that causes the player to turn into a poptart bison and fly for a few seconds, trailed by a rainbow.

PBS LulzSec Hack

 On Sunday, May 29th, the PBS website was hacked by the group “LulzSec”, and several of the website properties were defaced with Nyan Cat related images. The group claims the hack was a reaction to the Frontline episode called “Wikisecrets”, that some felt was biased against Wikileaks. LulzSec released the following statement explaining the motivations behind the hack:
Greetings, Internets. We just finished watching WikiSecrets and were less than impressed. We decided to sail our Lulz Boat over to the PBS servers for further… perusing. As you should know by now, not even that fancy-ass fortress from the third shitty Pirates of the Caribbean movie (first one was better!) can withhold our barrage of chaos and lulz. Anyway, unnecessary sequels aside… wait, actually: second and third Matrix movies sucked too! Anyway, say hello to the insides of the PBS servers, folks. They best watch where they’re sailing next time.[17]
On May 30th, 2011, LulzSec tweeted a link to a pastebin post saying that PBS was not hacked by SQL, but rather a “0day we discovered in mt4 aka MoveableType 4”.[18][19]
Nyan Cat Progress Bar

On June 16th, 2011, YouTube enabled a custom flash player for the original Nyan Cat video that showed an animated mini Nyan Cat flying across the progress bar with a rainbow trail. A screen shot was posted to Reddit[21] the same day. On 5th of July 2011, YouTube made a global update on video player user interface and to everyone’s disappointment the Nyan Cat custom progress bar was permanently removed.
Also quite remarkable are the efforts made by some developers to recreate YouTube’s progress bar and integrate it to different operating systems as a fancy replacement for some user interface elements. On June 24th, 2011 InstantElevatorMusic (@instantelevator) released Nyan Cat ProgresAbout
Nyan Cat, also known as Pop Tart Cat, is an 8-bit animation depicting a cat with the body of a cherry pop tart flying through outer space. While absurd themes like flying kittens and pastry cats have been around for some time, the surreal humor behind this particular combination has captivated YouTubers and online art communities, spawning fan illustrations as well as user-interface designs and homebrew games across multiple platforms.
Origin
The Pop Tart Cat animation was posted on the daily comics site LOL-COMICS[1] run by illustrator Chris Torres, also known as prguitarman, on April 2nd, 2011. The original drawing was based on his own Russian Blue cat, Marty, and was drawn after receiving two separate suggestions for a cat and a pop tart during a Red Cross charity drawing event on Livestream[28]. Prior to the Pop Tart Cat, prguitarman had already gained a relatively large audience with a few other instances of comics circulating on the web. The GIF animation was also reblogged via Tumblr[2] on April 2nd, 2011, accumulating over 3,000 notes (likes & reblogs) in its first two weeks:

On April 5th, 2011, YouTuber saraj00n posted a video titled Nyan Cat[3], using comic artist prguitarman’s Pop Tart Cat animation set to the well-known Japanese Vocaloid song Nyanyanyanyanyanyanya by Japanese artist Daniwell-P looping in the background, Although the song had been originally composed for Hatsune Miku to sing, The version used in the video was of the cover sung by the Utauloid Momo Momone. The video gained over one million views in its first two weeks:

Spread
On April 10th, the Nyan Cat video was picked up by popular blogs and social networking sites including Memebase[4], Buzzfeed[5], Tumblr[6], and Facebook[7] among others.
Beginning on April 12th, Tosh.0 blog[8] posted the Nyan Cat video, as well as CollegeHumor[9] and G4TV.[10] There are several remixes and spinoff variations of the original video circulating on YouTube, many of them customized with alternative characters and background music.
Nyan Cat has been also briefly seen on Sprint’s Nexus 4G “Cats” commercial[16], which featured a number of popular cat video clips.
There’s also a website[20] showing a mash-up animation of Nyan Cat and Speedy Cat.
Slipknot’s Psychosocial Video
YouTuber xDaZJMx[11] commented on the original Nyan cat video by saraj00n telling viewers to watch Slipknot’s Psychosocial (muted) with the Nyan cat song playing in the background. The comment instructed other YouTubers to play the Nyan Cat video and hardcore rock band Slipknot’s “Psychosocial” music video simultaneously in synch, which virtually resulted in a Nyan Cat audio dub.

xDaZJMx’s instruction quickly gained hundreds of likes, was featured as the highest comment, and many users began flooding the Psychosocial video’s comments[12] with Nyans. As of April 26th, 2011, Slipknot’s “Psychosocial” music video page on YouTube has over 111,000 comments, with tens of thousands reading “NYANNYANYANYANYANYANYANYANYANYANYANYANYA.” This caused confusion among Slipknot listeners, and further spread the Nyan cat meme and its hilarity.

Single-Serving Sites
Nyan.cat[13] was launched on April 13th, 2011, featuring the text “NON-STOP NYAN CAT” and another single serving site Slowbro.org[14] was launched on the next day, featuring a “rainy” version of the original. The flash game version featuring a timer display similar to Nyan.cat was uploaded by Newgrounds[15] user Blind-Bane on April 27th.

Games
 Many game developers began to create assorted Nyan Cat games, such as Nyan Cat Lost in Space, Snake Nyan Cat, Nyanicorn (Robot Unicorn Attack variant), and Nyan Cat Fly, among others. A site listing all the Nyan Cat games while also hosting one of its own is located at Nyan-Cat.com. Some Nyan Cat games have also been released onto the mobile platform, enabling use on various smartphones. A small tech demo of Nyan Cat that will work on the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) has also been created,[27] It currently runs on NES emulators.

Nyan Cat has also been referenced in “Buffalo Bison Revenge”[29]. The game, developed by Juicy Beast Studios[30], uses in-game items, held by gummies, to temporarily benefit the player. One item is a poptart that causes the player to turn into a poptart bison and fly for a few seconds, trailed by a rainbow.

PBS LulzSec Hack

 On Sunday, May 29th, the PBS website was hacked by the group “LulzSec”, and several of the website properties were defaced with Nyan Cat related images. The group claims the hack was a reaction to the Frontline episode called “Wikisecrets”, that some felt was biased against Wikileaks. LulzSec released the following statement explaining the motivations behind the hack:
Greetings, Internets. We just finished watching WikiSecrets and were less than impressed. We decided to sail our Lulz Boat over to the PBS servers for further… perusing. As you should know by now, not even that fancy-ass fortress from the third shitty Pirates of the Caribbean movie (first one was better!) can withhold our barrage of chaos and lulz. Anyway, unnecessary sequels aside… wait, actually: second and third Matrix movies sucked too! Anyway, say hello to the insides of the PBS servers, folks. They best watch where they’re sailing next time.[17]
On May 30th, 2011, LulzSec tweeted a link to a pastebin post saying that PBS was not hacked by SQL, but rather a “0day we discovered in mt4 aka MoveableType 4”.[18][19]
Nyan Cat Progress Bar

On June 16th, 2011, YouTube enabled a custom flash player for the original Nyan Cat video that showed an animated mini Nyan Cat flying across the progress bar with a rainbow trail. A screen shot was posted to Reddit[21] the same day. On 5th of July 2011, YouTube made a global update on video player user interface and to everyone’s disappointment the Nyan Cat custom progress bar was permanently removed.
Also quite remarkable are the efforts made by some developers to recreate YouTube’s progress bar and integrate it to different operating systems as a fancy replacement for some user interface elements. On June 24th, 2011 InstantElevatorMusic (@instantelevator) released Nyan Cat Progress Bar, a modification for Windows default progress bars.[24]

Also, on 19th of July 2011, Nikos Lykousas (@dummydev) released NyanSliders for jailbroken apple devices, a tweak which aims at replacing any slider in iOS with an animating Nyan Cat leaving rainbow trail, just like the original YouTube progress bar.[25][26]

May 02

Thanks to Community Builders Coopeative and their industrious friends and subcontractors we reopened at 6P. Tonight we’re open until 11P. Tomorrow we reopen at 8AM and go to 11P. The Nyan Cat flavor we made for Rofl.con will appear on Friday.

The Phoenix says nice things about Nyan Cat ice cream for Rofl.con

http://thephoenix.com/Boston/food/137999-on-the-cheap-nyan-cat-ice-cream-from-toscaninis/

Gus Rancatore, co-founder and proprietor of Toscanini’s Ice Cream in Central Square, isn’t afraid of a good challenge. Toscanini’s is renowned for its roster of oddball ice-cream infusions (get your hands on the Earl Grey, it’s ethereal), and this weekend finds itself in the middle of Cambridge’s third annual ROFLcon.

Last year, Rancatore had some good-natured fun with the ROFLcon die-hards, whipping up a new flavor you may not have heard of: “The Internet.” What does the Internet taste like, you ask? Intangible space? Computer wires?

“It was a simple flavor in the spirit of playful nerdiness,” he says over the phone from Cambridge. The recipe? Vanilla ice cream with Nerds candy mixed in.

That flavor was an immediate hit with both the city’s geeks and ice-cream lovers, so ROFLcon approached Toscanini’s with a new challenge for 2012: create an ice-cream flavor that would evoke the same hysteria as the original meme-du-jour, Nyan Cat.

“They very specifically came up with this idea,” he says. “I was actually unfamiliar with it, but one of the other ice-cream makers knew what it was immediately.”

What does he make of the strangely popular Pop-Tart cat?

“It’s just silly,” he says, laughing. “It’s one of those silly Internet things. Fine by me!”

Rancatore and his team tested about five different versions before they were satisfied, he says. “We spent a lot of time talking about how the heck we were going to do this, and we decided to downgrade the cat idea and just focus on the fact that it’s just a Pop-Tart with colored speed lines.”

The ice-cream artisans eventually settled on a combination of creamy coconut sorbet, studded with chunks of cherry-flavored Pop-Tarts and, in a revolutionary move away from standard rainbow sprinkles, muhkwas — the candy-coated fennel seeds found in some Indian restaurants.

“When you put Pop-Tarts in ice cream, it’s a little like putting cookies or brownies; it’s mostly a textural contrast,” he explains. “The muhkwas have a very strong taste for something so small, so what you really notice with them is the taste, not the texture. So you have this relatively sweet, dull Pop-Tart, and then these sharp fennel flavors.”

He says the store will be well-stocked during the conference for all the meme-enthusiasts, then promises, “If it’s popular, we’ll have it forever.”

And you thought the Internet was the only way Nyan Cat could keep hurtling through space until the end of time. Never underestimate an ice-creamery with a good sense of humor.

TOSCANINI’S ICE CREAM AND COFFEE, located at 899 Main St, Cambridge, is open Monday–Saturday, 8 am–11 pm, and Sunday, 10 am–11 pm. Call 617.491.5877 or visit tosci.com.

Apr 30

Closed for renovations but working on new flavors

We will be doing work on our counters and the coffee bar. The new design work like the original store is by Sandra Fairbank and the work will be done by Community Builders Cooperative of Somerville, Mass.

Sunday was the last day of the Cambridge Science Festival.
The Independent Film Festival Boston continues until May 2.

We have been working on a Nyan cat flavor for Roflcon, which starts on Friday. This new flavor, based on the internet meme about a cat consists of pieces of cherry Pop Tart in a coconut sorbet, with brightly colored anise candies called Mukhwas. Mukhwas are the small candies Indian restaurants offer to departing diners.

Nyan Cat is the name of a YouTube video uploaded in April 2011, which became an Internet meme. The video merged a Japanese pop song with an animated cartoon cat with the body of a Pop-Tart, flying through space, and leaving a rainbow trail behind it. The video ranked at number 5 on the list of most viewed YouTube videos in 2011.^[1]

Apr 23

The wall-size photo mural at the MIT Museum for its upcoming Berenice Abbot show, opening May 3.

Flavors for Mo Ap 23, 2012

It may stop raining. It will certainly get dark. The Cambridge Science Festival continues. The Independent Film Festival Boston will start on We Ap 25.

French Vanilla
Belgian Chocolate
Cocoa Pudding
Cookie Dough
Grape Nut
Chocolate Sluggo
Butter Chocolate Chip
Nocciola
Khulfee
Black Bottom Pie
Rum Raisin
Mango
Green Tea
Burnt Caramel
Maple Walnut
Hydrox Cookie
Cake Batter
Bourbon
Mixed Berry
Junior Mint
Cardamom Coffee
Earl Grey
Almond Joy
Lemon Espreso
Vienna Finger Cookie
Salted Caramel
Goat Cheese Brownie
Raspberry Thin Mint Candy
Buckeye
Espresso

Mango Sorbet
Coconut Sorbet

We also have Hot Fudge and Hot Spicy Butterscotch

Apr 16

Where to eat after The Marathon

Salts
Gabriel Kremer, Food & Wine Best Young Chef
905 Main St.
617 876-8444
www.saltsrestaurant.com

Craigie on Main
Tony Maws, Food & Wine Best Young Chef and James Beard Award winner
Snout to tail, famous for its hamburger and much more.
853 Main St.
617 497-5511
www.craigieonmain.com

Rendezvous
Lifetime Achievement Award to Chef Steve Johnson
502 Mass. Ave.
617 576 1900
www.rendezvouscentralsquare.com

Bondir
Jason Bond’s very individual take on farm to fork locavore
279 Broadway
Ste A
Cambridge, MA 02139
617 661-0009
www.bondircambridge.com

Area 4
Michael Leviton takes the turnpike in from Newton’s Lumiere
Very good pizza plus
500 Technology Square
On Main St but the address is disguised with a real estate address that doesn’t tell you much at all.
www.areafour.com/

Catalyst
Bill Kovel from Aujourd’hui in Boston
300 Technology Square
Where your venture capitalist takes to give you good news or very bad news.
Close to Area Four but both addresses might as well be in different languages.

Moksa
Asian fusion and mashup with a club. Patricia Yeo from NYC’s AZ and Ginger Park in Boston and Om in Harvard Square.
450 Mass. Ave.

Central Kitchen
Gary Strack’s hip bistro
567 Mass. Ave.
617 268-0106
www.enormous.tv/central

Firebrand Saints
Gary’s new restaurant in once-lonely Kendall Sqaure
1 Broadway
617) 401-3399

Meadhall
4 Cambridge Center
617 714-4372
www.themeadhall.com
Beer drinking engineers. Yes!

Central Bottle
handsome wine store, great cheeses and meats and wonderful small bites inspires by Venetian cichetti.
196 Mass. Ave.
617 225-0040
www.centralbottle.com

Flour
The third bakery from Joanne Chang. Sandwiches, home-made pop tarts and more.
190 Mass. Ave.
617 225-2525
http://flourbakery.com/

EVOO/ ‘Za
‘Za is the pizza and salad cafe. EVOO is Patrick McCarthy’s restaurant. Extra Virgin Olive Oli.
350 Third St.
617 661-3866
www.evoorestaurant.com

Abigail’s
291 Third St.
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
617 945-9086
A hip gastropub that just opened across from EVOO and next to Abigail’s. Part of the group of places that might be traced back to East Coast Grill.
abigailsrestaurant.net

Fuji
303 Third St.
Sushi on a street that suddenly has a lot of people on it.

Miracle of Science
The perfect bar for this quirky neighborhood. Lots of engineers, labtops for tables and photos of Einstein and Dr. Land. Good ice cream too.
321 Mass. Ave.
617 868-2866.
www.miracleofscience.us/
l
Middlesex
The guys from Miracle of Science open a lounge-scene.
315 Mass. Ave.
617 617 868 MSEX
www.middlesexlounge.com

AFRICAN
Bytes
Hidden down an alley and not really on Sidney Street. Great West African food and American lunches.
64 Sidney st.
617 621-3513

Baraka Cafe
Northern African food. Best lemonade in the world and much more.
80.5 Pearl St.
617 868-3951
www.barakacafe.com

Asmara Ethiopian
Central Square’s first and third African restaurant.
739 Mass. Ave.
617 617) 864-7447
www.asmararestaurantboston.com

Coffee shops
1369
757 Mass. Ave.
617 576-4600
www.1359coffeehouse.com

Dwelltime
364Broadway
http://dwelltimecambridge.com/
Cambridge’s newest very good coffee shop. Run from Hi Rise to Dwelltime and then on to Voltage. You will run very fast and be happy.

Voltage
Another new neighbor in once empty Kendall Sq. Across from EVOO and next to Abigails.
295 Third St.
617 714-3974
www.voltagecoffee.com

Starbucks
Venti and Trenta and singular Panini. Worst Italian in American
655 Mass. Ave
617
www.

Dunkin Donuts
Munchkins!
Mass. Ave.

Toscanini’s
899 Main St.
617 491-5877
www.tosci.com

ASIAN

Mary Chung’s
Dan Dan noodles!
464 Mass. Ave.
617 864-1991
www.marychung.com

Fuji Sushi
300 Third St.
Kendall Sq.
Cambridge, Ma.

Royal East
Where parents of MIT students eat.
792 Main St.
617 661-1660
www.royaleast.com

Pu Pu Hot Pot
The real name is No. 1 Scholar’s Special Eating Place
907 Main St.
617 491-6636
www.pupuchinese.com

All Asia
The Cape Cod League of Boston’s music scene
332 Mass. Ave.
617 497-1544
www.allasiabar.com

Floating Rock
Great Cambodian food from Revere
485 Mass. Ave.
617 455-4009
www.floatingrockcambridge.com

Pepper Sky
Thai
20 Pearl St.
617 495-2541
wwww.pepperskys.com

Rangzen Tibetan
24 Pearl St.
617 354-8881
www.rangzenfood.com

Theolonious Monkfish
524 Mass. Ave.
617 441-2116
www.facebook.com/theloniousmonkfish

Thailand Cafe
A great Szechuan restaurant hidden inside a Thai restaurant.
302 Mass. Ave.
617 492-2494

INDIAN
Royal Bengal
Mass. Ave.
617

MIDDLE EASTERN FOOD

Middle East
472 Mass. Ave.
617
www.mideastclub.com

Zu Zu
474 Mass. Ave.
617 864 -3278 x 237
www.zuzubar.com

Karl’s Rant@Zu Zu
is the daytime version with ouside seating, brunch and lunch

Olive Tree Cafe
245 Mass. Ave.
617 441-8689
www.

BURGER Chains
Wendy’s
Mass. Ave.

Four Burgers
704 Mass. Ave.
617 441-5444
www.fourburgers.com

McDonald’s
Mass. ave.

PIZZA
Every band eats here, and their fans.
Hi Fi Pizza & Giant Sub
496 Mass. Ave.
617 492-4600

Cinderella’s
They deliver everywhere, have a big menu, stay open late and sell Toscanini’s. They’ll deliver ice cream too.
901 Main St.
617 576-0280
www.cinderellasitalianfood.com

Chicago Pizza
239 Mass. Ave.
617 497 - 5555
www.cambridgepizza.com

Apr 15

A better Marathon

First of all, while I used to run, and there was one day in Maine when I was tricked into running the equivalent of a marathon this year I would prefer to bicycle. And in a crabby “everything is getting worse” comment I have to say that since I first drove across the state to move to Allston the metropolitan area has sprawled in the same fashion as every other American city. Going from Hopkinton to Boston is not an appealing idea. Robert David Sullivan has astutely divided the state into Ten Regions and Hopkinton is part of what he calls Off Ramps.
http://www.commonwealthmagazine.org/News-and-Features/Features/2010/Summer/Deval-on-the-defense/The-10-political-regions-of-Massachusetts.aspx

You can guess what Off Ramps is like.

I think I’d start at Wellesley College. The College is pretty, with beautiful landscaping, some good buildings and a fine museum. Boston College is a good place for an early watering spot. Two streetcar lines end near the college, suggesting the limits of Boston’s inner core. Up and down hilly Commonwealth Avenue is a good ride with confusing or competing traffic signals for streetcars and auto traffic. When you get to Packard Corner there is a Turkish grocery and a big Asian supermarket with Japanese noodles. City life beckons. Continue to pedal down what was once a big strip of auto dealers. When you get to Peter Fuller Cadillac turn right and head for Audubon Circle and Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace. Bostonians are always giving directions that include vanished landmarks. Once you’ve reached the bike path you are safe from the bad car drivers and can glide between the Muddy River and another stretch of the Green Line. A very tranquil ride beneath old trees. Scamper across Route 9 and continue on the Arborway to Jamaica Pond and the Arnold Arboretum. I recommend a quick survey of the Arboretum. What’s in bloom? How are the Bonsai? How are the dog walkers? Then out the back entrance and over the decaying Casey Overpass. The view from the Overpass is superb and it is too bad that fifty years of negligent maintenance has doomed this span. You can see the Hancock Building miles to the north and discern the not quite good enough length of the Southwest Corridor, which also has a bike path. Next you have to brave a bad traffic rotary before getting into Olmsted’s Franklin Park. The direct route through the park takes you between the zoo and the golf course and leaves you at the intersection of Columbia Road and Blue Hill Avenue. This begins a long royal descent until you reach a beautiful sculpture of a pear and Edward Everett Square. Edward Everett Horton was the butler in all those movies. Edward Everett gave the long speech before Lincoln at Gettysburg. If you turn left at this intersection you can travel down a flat but dull section of Mass. avenue until you reach the Marathon crowds. If you can get through the mobs you pedal along Mass. Avenue and cross what is technically the Harvard Bridge even though it is near MIT. The bridge is measured in Smoots, which was the height of an MIT student who was laid end to end by his clever fraternity brothers. There is also a small plaque dedicated to Harry Houdini although I don’t know why.

You then reach the World’s Smartest Intersection where MIT students and faculty members wander across the street, walking from one side of campus to another. You’re getting close to Lafayette Square. You can stop at Central Bottle or Flour or the cleverly disguised Szechuan Restaurant called Thailand Cafe. If your bike needs a little love I’d suggest visiting Cambridge Bicycle. The intersection of Mass. Avenue and Main Street is considered part of Central Square by most people but old timers know that it is Lafayette Square. The Park is dedicated to Jill Brown Rhone. And now I’d recommend a scoop of chocolate chip with hot fudge.

The second day of a wonderful Marathon Weekend.

Sunday is the Sowa Potlatch with food trucks and other mobile vendors selling trinkets.
At 8PM in handsome Jordan Hall, the NEConservatory Percussion Ensemble will be playing for FREE. I’ve seen this in previous years and it is excellent.
Its hard to figure out whether the audience, the hall or the music is better.

The Brattle is showing a documentary about Hollywood discount king Roger Corman, now described as a rebel. http://brattlefilm.org/2012/04/15/cormans-world-exploits-of-a-hollywood-rebel/

French Vanilla
Belgian Chocolate
Goat Cheese Brownie
Chocolate #3
Vietnamese Coffee
Earl Grey
Espresso
Burnt Marshmallow
B3
Black(berry) & Blue(berry)
Bananas Foster
Strawberry
Maple Walnut
Butter Chocolate Chip
Sweet Cream
Cookie Dough
Gianduia
Hydrox Cookie
Cambridge Brewing Wort
Mango
Malted Vanilla
Grape Nut Raisin
Khulfee
Burnt Caramel
Buckeye
Girls Scout Thin Mint
Toasted Coconut

Mango Sorbet
Strawberry Sorbet

We also have hot fudge and hot spicy butterscotch.