have any of you lovely Lifehacker readers been bullied at work? How did you handle it?

[ Stop the office bully - Lifehacker ]

Oddly we have no bullies at my job. It's like I tell the low-life losers that I work with, "Get my work done on time, make sure the lunch your wives make are suitable to my taste, and no one gets hurt."

Over on the Slashfood there is an article about Hershey's kisses that starts with this:

The house that gave out Hershey's kisses on Halloween was inevitably considered to be the "cheap" house, the one that wouldn't spend the extra dollar to upgrade from the tiny chocolates to miniature candy bars.

[ Hershey's Kisses for Halloween - Slashfood ]

I don't know if it is age, or the neighborhood where I grew up, but Kisses are more than welcome. Cheap is the house with bags of stale popcorn...

Price ($250) and date (November 19) have been announced (update: officially), and soon we'll all look like this:

Not girls, but wearing all white in a big white room! Or maybe just kinda hunched over waving a wiimote around...

Nintendo has posted a promo video showing the launch lineup:

Lots of great stuff in there, too much for me to mention without reviewing the video 100 times or so, so I'll just point out the return of Ridley:

Not Mecharidley, or Protoridley, or Whathaveyouridley, it looks like the real thing. 'course I don't know where this Metroid title fits in the timeline, or if it really is Ridley (could be his younger brother Budd, who knows?), but a new Metroid title? And a new Zelda title? On a new console? And I'm already poor?

Thank you Brothers Chaps, bawk bawk.

If your commute involves 395, you've likely been asking yourself what the freak are they building next to the Pentagon:

I've heard all sorts of theories, but today I finally remembered to google it. Turns out it is just a new memorial, the Air Force Memorial to be specific. And the models/plans look pretty hot actually.

Based on what I'd read, and the assertions of groups like ISNA, I've been saying for years that if you don't sight the moon, it just doesn't count. Apparently that's not the case any more:

The Fiqh Council of North America after careful research, deliberations and discussion has adopted a new position regarding the determination of the beginning of the Islamic lunar months

[ Read News: ISNA.net ]

In reality I've just followed the guidance of ISNA, and I guess if they've taken a new stance, then I'm all for it. This certainly helps for scheduling things. Maybe some day I'll be less busy and can investigate the jurisprudence behind this.

So, based on the new ruling, and fancy schmancy mathematical calculations:

According to the calculation criteria for determining the Islamic Lunar dates adopted by the Fiqh Council of North America, following are the dates for Ramadan and Eidul Fitr for the year 1427.

Ramadan 1427 - First of Fasting September 23, 2006
Eidul Fitr 1427 - First of Shawwal October 23, 2006

Canned haw is our advantaged product, and canned haw is incredible canned product. Our Canned haw gets widely recognition by Chinese people. Haw is a specially Chinese fruit. We select best quality fresh haw then processed canned haw. Because fresh haw tasted will be little tart, but as the canned haw , the syrup in the canned will add more sweet, so it will be suite for eating after dinner. If you like sweet and tart same time, please enjoy our canned haw .

[ Canned haw|china canned fruit manufacturer ]

My recent contribution to the candy cam included chinese preserved fruit, and for a limited time that included a special treat (while supplies last). Today Cory found the special treat and it turned out to be Haw. Haw? Fruit of the Hawthorn tree? One site mentions that it is a cousin to the crab apple, but that's not helping much. Why am I blogging this? Because the site above has some great Chingrish.

Lookee what is just 1.7 miles up the road from me:

Fallsgrove is a mixed-use neighborhood development on the former Thomas Farm, a site approximately 257 acres located east of Shady Grove Road opposite the Shady Grove Medical Center in Rockville, (Montgomery County) Maryland.

[ Fallsgrove Village Center ]

Sure, blah blah blah, but what stores could they possibly have that I'd care about? For starters:

• CheeBurger CheeBurger (seems like a Five Guys...)
• Chipotle Mexican Grill
• EB Games
• Häagen Dazs
• Krispy Kreme
• Moby Dick House of Kabob
• Panera Bread
• Ritz Camera
• Smoothie King
• Starbucks

Not bad for the evil side of the Potomac, eh Dari?

Karen's favorite Chinese place:

There are two ways to experience an authentic Szechuan Chinese restaurant. One is to hop on an airplane and fly to China, the other is to go to Joes Noodle House in Rockville.

[ Joes Noodle House ]

Should be the site of Sunday dinner. Hope it's not all too spicy, Iman does need to eat too.

Good news for me:

The work in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition dispels the common belief that tea dehydrates. Tea not only rehydrates as well as water does, but it can also protect against heart disease and some cancers, UK nutritionists found. Experts believe flavonoids are the key ingredient in tea that promote health.

[ BBC NEWS | Health | Tea 'healthier' drink than water ]

I'm not a big fan of water, and lately I've been on a big iced tea kick, especially iced green tea when I can get it.

Sorry, Spork.

Try again:

About 2,500 experts were in Prague for the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) general assembly. Astronomers rejected a proposal that would have retained Pluto as a planet and brought three other objects into the cosmic club.

[ BBC NEWS | Special Reports | Pluto loses status as a planet ]

Perhaps we will finally have peace in the middle east, I'm sure this is what the brouhaha has been all about.

Almost 2 years later, and I've finally eaten at Amina Thai (first Halal Thai restaurant in the DC area).

I got some mussels, shrimp, and squid in lemongrass and chili peppers dish, Yaty just got a super spicy shrimp in lime juice salad. Both quite yummy.