Made in China
Ahem.
Corn Juice, Corn Bottle
If you can stand the loung-o-rific snooze tune playing in the background, check out this short video clip depicting the manufacture of plastic bottles from a mixture of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), recycled plastic, and plant sugars:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqoPivZ2vuI&hl=en&w=580&h=485]
I researched this a little further and discovered that NatureWorks, the company which produces this plastic, is a joint venture between Cargill and Japan's Teijin Limited. With Cargill's involvement, I bet you can guess where those natural plant sugars come from...
Well just in case you can't, NatureWorks fills in the gap on the home page telling us that corn is used. Okay, so maybe it's not just corn - they say it comes from renewable sources "such as corn," but all their PR-speak FAQs refer to corn. I'm fascinated by the possibility of plastic manufacture from renewable sources, but knowing Cargill's impact on our farms and food culture, I can't help wondering what adverse affects this product would have if it took hold in the packaging industry.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqoPivZ2vuI&hl=en&w=580&h=485]
I researched this a little further and discovered that NatureWorks, the company which produces this plastic, is a joint venture between Cargill and Japan's Teijin Limited. With Cargill's involvement, I bet you can guess where those natural plant sugars come from...
Well just in case you can't, NatureWorks fills in the gap on the home page telling us that corn is used. Okay, so maybe it's not just corn - they say it comes from renewable sources "such as corn," but all their PR-speak FAQs refer to corn. I'm fascinated by the possibility of plastic manufacture from renewable sources, but knowing Cargill's impact on our farms and food culture, I can't help wondering what adverse affects this product would have if it took hold in the packaging industry.
Superstition on Sesame Street
This is almost seven minutes, but it's like fuel injection for your soul. Plus, the little kid waving his head around like a maniac is totally awesome.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ul7X5js1vE&hl=en&w=580&h=485]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ul7X5js1vE&hl=en&w=580&h=485]
Mario Kart Wii First Impressions
I'm not a huge video game player, but there are some series of games which I adore. Mario Kart is one of them, so today I purchased the latest title for the Wii.
This game is AWESOME.
The steering seems reasonably sensitive out of the box, the tracks are excellent (especially Wario's Gold Mine), and the addition of motorcycles seems like a brilliant idea (it feels like way different steering dynamics to me). I was sure to purchase an extra wheel so Valerie and I can play the same way together, and I'm really jazzed about racing some of my friends who live elsewhere. This game has the potential to be another huge hit for Nintendo.
This game is AWESOME.
The steering seems reasonably sensitive out of the box, the tracks are excellent (especially Wario's Gold Mine), and the addition of motorcycles seems like a brilliant idea (it feels like way different steering dynamics to me). I was sure to purchase an extra wheel so Valerie and I can play the same way together, and I'm really jazzed about racing some of my friends who live elsewhere. This game has the potential to be another huge hit for Nintendo.
Baby Mama...Drama Not Included
I'm a huge fan of 30 Rock - Tina Fey's razor sharp writing and comedy timing keep me entertained for thirty minutes every Thursday night. So I was okay with the idea of going on a date with my wife which included a viewing of Baby Mama, which opened last night. Until I watched it.
To be fair, the parts that were funny were EXTREMELY funny, and Steve Martin's character was one of the funniest parts he's played in years. But the rest of the movie was absolutely ridiculous. Cliche jokes, over-predictable situations, and stereotypical characters plagued the feature throughout, and I couldn't help feeling like the lead actors were stifled by an underwritten script. But the script wasn't written by Fey - it was written by Michael McCullers. McCullers has such stellar writing credits as the last two Austin Powers movies and Undercover Brother. w00t!
Two out of five, man, because this movie didn't even meet the lukewarm expectations I barely had.
To be fair, the parts that were funny were EXTREMELY funny, and Steve Martin's character was one of the funniest parts he's played in years. But the rest of the movie was absolutely ridiculous. Cliche jokes, over-predictable situations, and stereotypical characters plagued the feature throughout, and I couldn't help feeling like the lead actors were stifled by an underwritten script. But the script wasn't written by Fey - it was written by Michael McCullers. McCullers has such stellar writing credits as the last two Austin Powers movies and Undercover Brother. w00t!
Two out of five, man, because this movie didn't even meet the lukewarm expectations I barely had.
Rui Palha
Dave comes through again with another stellar recommendation. Rui Palha's black and white photography is impossibly good from start to finish. His ability to capture a sense of isolation or transition is impeccable. It's hard to choose a favorite, but if I had to, I'm sure I could come up with a short list.
Different Space Shuttles
Our current model of space shuttle has ben in service almost 7 months longer than I've been alive. Don' you think it's time for some alternatives?
Like They Invented Hot Dogs
Dinner tonight was magical. I went by the butcher shop for a special trip because I knew they'd have freshly made hot dogs.
Let me repeat that. FRESHLY MADE HOT DOGS.
The Belmont Butchery makes their own links from (I believe) beef shoulder, presumably garlic, salt, some fat, and whatever other seasonings they choose. They handle the stuffing and smoking, and I was delighted to see them trussed up with string when I arrived. They're a quarter-pound each, so I grabbed two for dinner.
I decided that I'd try my hand at deep frying, so there was a reprise of my potato chips - only this time cooked in peanut oil. MUCH better. They cooked considerably faster, were more evenly crispy, and delightfully browned. I toasted up some nice rolls while the hot dogs cooked up...
I felt as if I'd never eaten a real hot dog until tonight.
I'm finding that I'm consistently delighted (but not surprised) by the extreme difference in quality and flavor between what I'm buying from the butcher and what I've previously eaten in its industrial format. The snap of the casing, the juiciness, the texture, the taste! You can't begin at one without the others. I'd have a hard time getting these for a cookout (they're not cheap), but I think my every-two-or-three months hot dog habit is about to change to once-a-month.
I washed down this perfect warm weather meal with some lemonade, and now I wish I had some gelato to cap off my evening's meal :-)
Let me repeat that. FRESHLY MADE HOT DOGS.
The Belmont Butchery makes their own links from (I believe) beef shoulder, presumably garlic, salt, some fat, and whatever other seasonings they choose. They handle the stuffing and smoking, and I was delighted to see them trussed up with string when I arrived. They're a quarter-pound each, so I grabbed two for dinner.
I decided that I'd try my hand at deep frying, so there was a reprise of my potato chips - only this time cooked in peanut oil. MUCH better. They cooked considerably faster, were more evenly crispy, and delightfully browned. I toasted up some nice rolls while the hot dogs cooked up...
I felt as if I'd never eaten a real hot dog until tonight.
I'm finding that I'm consistently delighted (but not surprised) by the extreme difference in quality and flavor between what I'm buying from the butcher and what I've previously eaten in its industrial format. The snap of the casing, the juiciness, the texture, the taste! You can't begin at one without the others. I'd have a hard time getting these for a cookout (they're not cheap), but I think my every-two-or-three months hot dog habit is about to change to once-a-month.
I washed down this perfect warm weather meal with some lemonade, and now I wish I had some gelato to cap off my evening's meal :-)
From the Trash
It must be Nostalgia Day here at the 'General, because I can't help but run in to little blasts from my past. BEHOLD, Garbage Pail Kids:
This came from Flickr user Mauricio Montoya, who has an entire set dedicated to the fabulously disgusting trading cards.
This came from Flickr user Mauricio Montoya, who has an entire set dedicated to the fabulously disgusting trading cards.
Popoids
Oh childhood, where did you go?
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br9K8qnD5E0&hl=en&w=580&h=485]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br9K8qnD5E0&hl=en&w=580&h=485]
Taxing
Last year I received a notice from a collection agency regarding unpaid personal property taxes on my old 1991 Toyota Camry. It was about $25, I think, including the interest for paying late. The problem is, I'd traded in the car in 2004 when I purchased my Jetta. I basically had to contact the dealership and have them send me a copy of the sales information from their records so I could fax it to the city as proof that I really had sold it. Phew...that was settled.
Until this year.
I received THREE tax bills this year - one each for Valerie's and my Jetta, and one for a 1991 Toyota Camry. That I still didn't own.
Today I called the city offices and pressed "3" for the Department of Finance or whatever. When I told the customer service gal that I had a problem with my personal property tax, I was informed that that department was currently unavailable because of high demand. That is, the very group with which I had a problem during tax season wasn't taking calls during tax season since IT WAS BUSY BECAUSE OF TAX SEASON!
So I left a freaking message. I may be too generous in assuming they keep records of what people paid in years past, but if they did, they should be able to see that I clearly paid only for two Volkswagens, and didn't do a thing about a Toyota. We'll see.
Until this year.
I received THREE tax bills this year - one each for Valerie's and my Jetta, and one for a 1991 Toyota Camry. That I still didn't own.
Today I called the city offices and pressed "3" for the Department of Finance or whatever. When I told the customer service gal that I had a problem with my personal property tax, I was informed that that department was currently unavailable because of high demand. That is, the very group with which I had a problem during tax season wasn't taking calls during tax season since IT WAS BUSY BECAUSE OF TAX SEASON!
So I left a freaking message. I may be too generous in assuming they keep records of what people paid in years past, but if they did, they should be able to see that I clearly paid only for two Volkswagens, and didn't do a thing about a Toyota. We'll see.
Distrust is Free
READ. LAUGH. Unless...you don't hate Montana, do you?
Light
ecoKEG
Yeah, I know, it's Earth Day, but I wasn't actually searching for something related to the environment. I was researching the design and manufacture of beer kegs when I came across the ecoKEG, developed by an Australian named Warwick Field.
This keg is made from fully recyclable plastics, weighs about 30 pounds less than a standard keg, and has the potential for keeping beer fresh for longer than metal. It's still a standard size and shape so it's supposed to work with existing beer logistics. There are financial incentives to beer distributors, too, since it's a lower cost of materials and lower risk for lost or damaged kegs.
I'd like to keep an eye on this, because it'd be interesting to see how well they work in practice and whether they make their way to the United States. I'd also be interested to research the comparative polluting effects of manufacturing and recycling polyethylene terephthalate vs. steel or aluminum.
This keg is made from fully recyclable plastics, weighs about 30 pounds less than a standard keg, and has the potential for keeping beer fresh for longer than metal. It's still a standard size and shape so it's supposed to work with existing beer logistics. There are financial incentives to beer distributors, too, since it's a lower cost of materials and lower risk for lost or damaged kegs.
I'd like to keep an eye on this, because it'd be interesting to see how well they work in practice and whether they make their way to the United States. I'd also be interested to research the comparative polluting effects of manufacturing and recycling polyethylene terephthalate vs. steel or aluminum.
Review: Fritos
For some additional history on Fritos, and the man who turned them from a Mexican beach snack into a major American munchie, check out NPR's piece on the corn product.
Paypal not blockheads after all?
MacNN is reporting that Paypal claims they won't block any modern browser, including Safari. Woohoo!
Chip
I made my own potato chips for the first time tonight.
I used the mandoline to slice up a large Yukon Gold potato which I then tossed in a drizzle of extra virgin live oil and some Kosher salt. I roasted the slices (I didn't feel like deep frying for the first time when I was cooking other things), flipping once after about ten minutes. Once finished, I dressed the crisp slices with another sprinkle of Kosher salt (though perhaps it should have been the only salt), fresh ground black pepper, fresh thyme, and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
They are pretty much my new favorite potato chip.
I used the mandoline to slice up a large Yukon Gold potato which I then tossed in a drizzle of extra virgin live oil and some Kosher salt. I roasted the slices (I didn't feel like deep frying for the first time when I was cooking other things), flipping once after about ten minutes. Once finished, I dressed the crisp slices with another sprinkle of Kosher salt (though perhaps it should have been the only salt), fresh ground black pepper, fresh thyme, and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
They are pretty much my new favorite potato chip.
Paypal's Stupid Move
I've known for a little while now that Paypal is planning to block browsers that don't have anti-phishing measures built in.
I've given this some though, and I think this is a stupid idea. I understand phishing is a legitimate security threat, but it's one which requires user interaction at a higher level than most exploits. To prevent me from intentionally going to the Paypal website directly or from eBay is off-putting. It's not a crisis for me to open Firefox when I want to use eBay, but it's pretty crappy user experience if I have to remember to open one browser for one use case when I'd otherwise rather use Safari. I think this really boils down to me not liking a website/company telling me which browser to use.
I guess there's naught that I can do but hope Apple includes support for Extended Validation certs in a (near) future version.
I've given this some though, and I think this is a stupid idea. I understand phishing is a legitimate security threat, but it's one which requires user interaction at a higher level than most exploits. To prevent me from intentionally going to the Paypal website directly or from eBay is off-putting. It's not a crisis for me to open Firefox when I want to use eBay, but it's pretty crappy user experience if I have to remember to open one browser for one use case when I'd otherwise rather use Safari. I think this really boils down to me not liking a website/company telling me which browser to use.
I guess there's naught that I can do but hope Apple includes support for Extended Validation certs in a (near) future version.
The News
Jack Donaghy: Don't you watch the news?
Liz Lemon: The Food Network doesn't have a news show.
30 Rock, 4/17/2008
Delicious Designs
Tonight I'm heading to Delicious Designs with Valerie - an annual event hosted by her trade organization, the American Society of Interior Designers.
At this event folks construct architectural, interior, or furniture elements out of edible materials. I've seen copies of famous buildings, a sagging toilet made out of rice crispy treats, and the totally-not-fair-but-somehow-won-anyway pirate ship made almost entirely out of pickles. Lots of this stuff is super kitschy, some of it's downright stupid, but some of it is quite clever and creative. Valerie is working with some others to construct a sample board, and her part included some "wood" made from chocolate, and "cork flooring" made from two kinds of graham crackers. I'm hoping to get loads of pictures from the event, but considering the low indoor lighting, that may be wishful thinking...
At this event folks construct architectural, interior, or furniture elements out of edible materials. I've seen copies of famous buildings, a sagging toilet made out of rice crispy treats, and the totally-not-fair-but-somehow-won-anyway pirate ship made almost entirely out of pickles. Lots of this stuff is super kitschy, some of it's downright stupid, but some of it is quite clever and creative. Valerie is working with some others to construct a sample board, and her part included some "wood" made from chocolate, and "cork flooring" made from two kinds of graham crackers. I'm hoping to get loads of pictures from the event, but considering the low indoor lighting, that may be wishful thinking...
Early to Rise
Last night I actually managed to get to bed before 7:30 and - Miracle of Miracles!!! - fall asleep before 8:00.
I did this because I semi-voluntarily came into the office this morning at 4:15 to oversee my portion of a production database release. I woke up once at about 11:40 to hit the head, and then only woke up again at 3:25 this morning, five minutes before my alarm was to go off anyway! So now I'm sitting here in the office at 4:45 AM typing a blog post.
If there's any advantage to being up SO early, it's that I'm leaving the office around 2 PM this afternoon. I plan to take a nice full hour-long lunch at noon - anyone care to join me? - and then finish up my day before heading out to FINALLY shoot that roll of B&W film in what's supposed to be a glorious afternoon. Heck, if today is as sunny as it's supposed to be, maybe I'll even fire off that roll of slide film in my bag...
I did this because I semi-voluntarily came into the office this morning at 4:15 to oversee my portion of a production database release. I woke up once at about 11:40 to hit the head, and then only woke up again at 3:25 this morning, five minutes before my alarm was to go off anyway! So now I'm sitting here in the office at 4:45 AM typing a blog post.
If there's any advantage to being up SO early, it's that I'm leaving the office around 2 PM this afternoon. I plan to take a nice full hour-long lunch at noon - anyone care to join me? - and then finish up my day before heading out to FINALLY shoot that roll of B&W film in what's supposed to be a glorious afternoon. Heck, if today is as sunny as it's supposed to be, maybe I'll even fire off that roll of slide film in my bag...
A Sea Change In the World of Computers
Oh my...this is rather big news, I think.
RoughlyDrafted is reporting that IBM has created a Mac-switching pilot program internally.
That's huge. Really huge. I remember when I was younger arguing with my Mac friends when the major alternative was IBM. Now that Big Blue is out of the hardware business, it seems they're looking to move away from Windows. Image the increase in Mac adoption if this expands! Work users looking for Macs to use as personal computers, more enterprises deciding it's actually okay to use OS X instead of Windows...I can't emphasize enough how significant this will be if it takes off.
(via MacNN)
RoughlyDrafted is reporting that IBM has created a Mac-switching pilot program internally.
That's huge. Really huge. I remember when I was younger arguing with my Mac friends when the major alternative was IBM. Now that Big Blue is out of the hardware business, it seems they're looking to move away from Windows. Image the increase in Mac adoption if this expands! Work users looking for Macs to use as personal computers, more enterprises deciding it's actually okay to use OS X instead of Windows...I can't emphasize enough how significant this will be if it takes off.
(via MacNN)
eBay Cretaceous
According to the BBC News, the skeleton of a freakin' triceratops will be auctioned off in Paris, France.
Now where can I find a half million Euros and a larger living room?
Now where can I find a half million Euros and a larger living room?
Hardee's can eat it.
Attacking a Hardee's commercial is a little too easy these days. Whether it's for chauvinistic portrayals of women or the seeming attempts to make their burgers look as sloppy and disgusting as possible, the fast food chain's TV ads don't seem to find much praise outside the frat boy set. I usually just ignore the commercials, but this one finally ticked me off:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOJdsOCRaxU&hl=en&w=580&h=485]
Besides the obvious offense to me as a guy who DOES bake (and cook all sorts of other things), there's a really stupid element to this commercial that I can't get over.
Can you honestly tell me that if a dude walks into a room with fresh-baked biscuits that the other fellas are going to look at him funny instead of greedily snatching the food right off the tray? I can't think of a guy who'd rather stare at a baking man than eat the freely offered baked goods. Now I love me some Hardee's breakfast, and their biscuits ARE tasty, but come on. This is ridiculous.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOJdsOCRaxU&hl=en&w=580&h=485]
Besides the obvious offense to me as a guy who DOES bake (and cook all sorts of other things), there's a really stupid element to this commercial that I can't get over.
Can you honestly tell me that if a dude walks into a room with fresh-baked biscuits that the other fellas are going to look at him funny instead of greedily snatching the food right off the tray? I can't think of a guy who'd rather stare at a baking man than eat the freely offered baked goods. Now I love me some Hardee's breakfast, and their biscuits ARE tasty, but come on. This is ridiculous.
Penzeys
Holy crap, Richmond has a new spice store!
Penzeys is a chain based Wisconsin that's just opened their 26th location in Carytown, and the store is full of a spectacular selection of whole and ground spices as well as herbs and spice mixes. There are at least three different curry powders, for example, and at least as many chili powders!
I purchased a tube of three whole Mexican vanilla beans, and I look forward to exploring the shelves at Penzeys in the future.
(via Brandon Eats)
Penzeys is a chain based Wisconsin that's just opened their 26th location in Carytown, and the store is full of a spectacular selection of whole and ground spices as well as herbs and spice mixes. There are at least three different curry powders, for example, and at least as many chili powders!
I purchased a tube of three whole Mexican vanilla beans, and I look forward to exploring the shelves at Penzeys in the future.
(via Brandon Eats)