Things I Like: Task &; Purpose

The humble cutting board‚ whether plastic‚ wooden‚ or glass‚ is a staple of the kitchen. That being said‚ if they’re not looked after properly‚ they can quickly become much more problematic by harboring some of the pesky bacterial species that can cause food poisoning.So just how much bacteria can be found on the average cutting board? Quite a lot‚ as University of Arizona microbiologist Dr Charles Gerba told BBC News back in 2012."Usually there are about 200 times more faecal bacteria on the average cutting board than on a toilet seat‚" said Gerba. That doesn’t mean that someone (or something – we’re looking at you‚ cats) is secretly pooping on it though; the bacteria usually originate from raw meat products.Whether or not they hang about on the board and end up causing you a harrowing 48 hours in your bathroom depends on two main things: cross-contamination and cleaning. Although it’s commonly thought that one type of cutting board is safer than the other (it’s not)‚ these factors can catch you out regardless of whether it’s made from plastic or wood.Cross-contaminationCross-contamination is when bacteria from a food or a surface spread to other foods. In this case‚ it could occur if you use a single cutting board for preparing all kinds of foods‚ like chopping up raw meat and then food that isn’t going to be cooked‚ like veggies for a salad or bread.If you thought it was common sense to at least wash it in between‚ you’ll have to think again. A study of 70 households from the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) found that on 25 occasions‚ people used a cutting board to prepare meat‚ fish‚ or poultry‚ and didn’t clean it before preparing another food group. The risk of cross-contamination doesn’t just lie in food preparation on the same board either – the study also found that on several occasions‚ people put their plates‚ saucepans‚ and utensils on the unclean board.To avoid cross-contamination from cutting boards (particularly if you haven’t got the time to wash them up on the go)‚ the US Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recommends using two separate boards: one exclusively for preparing raw meat‚ poultry‚ or seafood‚ and the other exclusively for fresh produce and bread.Cleaning a cutting boardIf they’re insufficiently cleaned‚ cutting boards can have harmful bacteria on the surface regardless of what material they’re made from. So how exactly are they supposed to be cleaned?Plain old water won’t do the trick‚ although that doesn’t mean people don’t do it. The FSA study found that out of the 140 occasions where people prepared meat‚ fish‚ or poultry on a cutting board‚ 20 percent of the time‚ users only gave the board a quick rinse with water‚ heightening the risk of cross-contamination.Instead‚ the FSIS suggests that all types of cutting board should be washed with hot‚ soapy water each time they are used and rinsed off with clear water‚ followed by either air drying or patting with clean paper towels – regular kitchen towels are a paradisaical breeding ground for bacteria. After this‚ boards can also be sanitized using a diluted chlorine solution and left to stand for several minutes‚ before rinsing off and drying.It’s also important to keep an eye on any cracks‚ grooves or well-worn areas of cutting boards. These can eventually get so deep that they’ll hold bacteria no matter how carefully you clean‚ so be sure to throw a board out once it reaches this point.All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text‚ images‚ and links may be edited‚ removed‚ or added to at a later date to keep information current.  

A Pew Research poll last week found that Donald Trump’s favorability rating is only three points higher than Joe Biden’s. Among black respondents‚ Biden leads his Republican opponent in popularity‚ 54% to 12%. One-quarter of those polled‚ however‚ indicated that they have an unfavorable view of both candidates. This negative attitude may explain why‚ despite the appalling screwups that Biden and his party have inflicted upon the country‚ our president is still very much in the race. Although he is widely viewed as senile‚ incompetent‚ or both‚ he is nonetheless only about two points behind Trump in a two-person race among likely voters. Being against Trump’s off-putting style is more socially fashionable than noticing Biden’s comparisons of Trump to Hitler. A conventional explanation for this close match between two geriatric presidential candidates is that neither one has much appeal among “moderate” voters‚ particularly among those who want an end to divisive politics. Presumably‚ if we had nice young people running in presidential races‚ then we’d all come together and find common ground. Allow me to present a different view: Our society is deeply divided both politically and culturally. While plenty of voters claim to be in the middle‚ most of those I meet or hear on TV agree with the left on social and constitutional questions but would also like a more vibrant economy or more military aid to our allies. I see no evidence that those who do not lean rightward are as critical of Biden’s vile partisan attacks and use of police power against Republicans and religious Christians as they are of Trump’s rhetorical excesses. Being against Trump’s off-putting style is more socially fashionable than noticing the savagely partisan tactics of the Democrats or Biden’s references to Trump voters as “extremists” and his comparisons of Trump to Hitler. This greater indulgence toward the left springs partly from ignorance but also from the attempt of many Americans to line up with those who have power. The conservative media may also be exaggerating their edge on wedge issues. They may be generalizing excessively about the popular reaction to broken borders‚ cities being overrun by violent illegal aliens‚ the social effects of inflation‚ or LGBT and critical race propaganda being forced down our throats. Most of those who support Biden may not care about these particular issues‚ or else care about them much less than they do about resisting white racism and homophobia‚ fighting for unrestricted abortion rights‚ or showing greater sensitivity to migrants. The mistake that many on the right — really the center-right — continue to make is imagining that everyone in America feels exactly the way they do about all the same issues. Republican commentators also seem to believe they can prevail everywhere once they explain themselves fully‚ particularly once they reach racial minorities with the “message.” Obviously‚ some of this message is getting through to Hispanic voters‚ who are deserting the Democrats en masse. But I doubt this conversion is happening to the same degree among black voters‚ although I’d be happy to be proven wrong. And I’d also be surprised if suburban women were undergoing a change of heart about their bleeding-heart social priorities. If 28% of Americans‚ according to a recent Gallup poll‚ think illegal immigration is the most important electoral issue‚ one can find many voters who are fine with Biden flooding the country with migrants and letting drug cartels run amok. And these people would have to be cognitively impaired not to notice the effect of this policy‚ which is to create a one-party leftist‚ centralized state. Presumably lots of those who support Biden’s border policy would be happy with that result. Please note that I’m not saying that Trump and his party have no path to victory. They should be able to pick up plenty of Hispanic voters this fall and may be able to reach those without party affiliation by stressing inflation and the higher cost of living. What is less clear is that the left’s opponents will be able to convert tens of millions of voters in the other ideological bloc‚ that is‚ those who don’t resonate with the Republicans’ list of grievances. Letitia James‚ who ran for New York attorney general on a “Get Trump” platform‚ garnered almost 55% of the votes in winning a second term in 2022. It is hard not to believe that millions of New Yorkers fully share James’ obsessive hatred of Trump and applaud her attempt to beggar a hated Republican hero. Self-described centrists often lament that Americans live in different echo chambers and haven’t found ways to listen to each other. The New York University social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has established an entire cottage industry consisting of publications and speeches about how we can all discuss our differences in a respectful environment. According to Haidt‚ such polarization is needless and perfectly avoidable. Good luck to those pursuing such a pipe dream! Our warring blocs are likely to remain where they are‚ and those on the right will need to find a way to reach those who are still reachable. But first conservatives must abandon their own illusion that everyone will agree with their message once they hear it.

Based in Greenwich Village‚ Heterodoxy had just one requirement for membership: An applicant must "not be orthodox in her opinion"

French Senate Report Calls 'Gender-Affirming Care' the Greatest Ethical Scandal in Medical History

While weapons and armor can be enhanced in DD2‚ some are just naturally better than others‚ having higher base stats that further scale when upgrading that item. This makes it important to always be looking for a new weapon‚ swapping out your older one if it starts to fall behind.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 15‚000 Signatures for Ballot Access in Nevada Are Void Due to VP Requirement

Apple is expected to launch an innovative program to update iPhones in stores before the boxes are even opened‚ starting this April. This plan was initially reported last October by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman‚ and it's now about to spread to all US store locations. According to him‚ in his Power On newsletter‚ Apple developed a proprietary system that allows iPhone software to be updated at a retail store without the need to remove it from the box. Here's how Gurman describes this technology: "The system looks a bit like a metal cubby for shoes. It can use MagSafe and other wireless technologies to power up the iPhone without ever cracking open the packaging. It downloads and installs new software and then powers the phone back down." While the journalist previously expected this technology to roll out by the end of 2023‚ Apple has taken longer to ensure everything worked smoothly. What makes this feature so exciting is that users usually take quite a while to update their newer devices to the latest version before transferring iCloud data. Image source: José Adorno for BGR Since Apple offers in-store setups‚ this could also significantly improve the time customers need to spend at the store to update and transfer all the old data to the new iPhone. For example‚ with the iPhone 15 release‚ users had to update to iOS 17.0.2. If they ignored the process‚ they couldn't finish setting up their new iPhone and had to start all over. With that‚ several users complained that setting up their latest device wasn't as smooth as it should have been. That said‚ if you're planning to buy an iPhone in the near future‚ it's possible that its setup process will be more straightforward‚ as it will likely have the latest update available with it. For sure‚ it will greatly improve the setup process for the upcoming iPhone 16 models. Don't Miss: iPhone 16: Everything we know so far The post Apple developed a way to update iPhones in sealed boxes before they’re sold appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Amazon Big Spring Sale: Thursday’s top deals on Apple‚ Sonos‚ Keurig‚ Ninja‚ Shark‚ Sony‚ Roku‚ more Today’s deals: $15 TOZO earbuds‚ $199 Ninja CREAMi ice cream maker‚ mattresses‚ ASUS gaming laptops‚ more Today’s deals: PS5 &; Switch video game sale‚ $180 Roomba‚ GE smart bulbs‚ Breville espresso machines‚ more Today’s deals: $302 Apple Watch S7 in stainless steel‚ Dyson vacuums‚ Kick scooters‚ Samsung monitors‚ more

Documents released by America First Legal reveal that the Biden administration offshored censorship requests the U.K.-based Center for Countering Digital Hate and reappropriated infrastructure used during the war on terror to support CCDH's global censorship campaign.

Former Rep. Ken Buck told ABC News' "This Week" on Sunday that he has no regrets about resigning from his seat on Friday before the end of his term.