Tray

We'll be traveling to Portland for a con in March 2012 and hope to get in a day of riding. What's close? We're intermediate snowboarders, and can ride a lot of different terrain. But I'd like something user friendly and with a lot of options. Maybe something that won't break the bank?

I'm looking for a word that specifically describes the sort of globe in a stand or on a stick that rotates. Not orb or sphere. It may possibly begin with an "e". Not earth! ;)

We just ate out at a tapas restaurant, and I ordered a dish titled "Spanish Beef Stew" which, when it arrived, had an amazing tasting sauce/gravy, and all the pieces of meat were tough, difficult to chew, and similar in consistency with beef jerky.

I've had the Cuban version of this dish [I think it was called "ropas viejas" (old clothes)] and the meat was tender, and the sauce was similar in flavor: beefy, bay leaf-ish, a hint of red wine flavor.

In searching the internet, I've only found recipes where the stew should have meat that is cooked until tender.

I was unhappy with the dish I received at the tapas place, but want to be sure that it wasn't just that it was food I was unused to. Are there any dishes out there at all that incorporate a hard beef into the stew? Or did I just get a bad plate, or is the restaurant making their own version of the dish?

If there's *any* version out there with hard beef, I'd be interested to know.

I need to make a stock solution of an enzyme that will be 1 U/microliter.

The enzyme contains 12.7 mg of 63.0 U/mg powder, and should be reconstituted with 1mM CaCl2. The CaCl2 is a powder (MW = 110.98 g/L).

Please help!

I need to set up a serial dilution that is a serial 1:10 dilution of a stock reagent. It's performed in a 250 microliter volume, and the dilution must go down past 1:100,000. Help!

Not all players wear them, but I see them most often on the area just above the elbow. The bands are thin, ligature-looking, usually white or black in color. Why do some players wear these? What is the benefit? What are they called?

We work in a lab environment, and he's going from rural state to big city job. We already have some great ideas for useful, serious gifts, but we need ideas for fun, silly, gag gifts. I'd love to hear what gag gifts you've seen that have worked and been fun, or toss me any ideas you have for a good gag gift.