I was chatting with Dave from Kimaya (Tyson's new father), who is earning a bit of extra cash doing some writing on the internet. He gave me some pointers of where to go and what to say to get work, which I have to admit were quite helpful.
Actually, with a little bit of effort, I theoretically could move back to Asia next week. But (a) if I quit my transcription job (which, although the pay has gone down since its' heyday is still good for $20 an hour) I'd be struggling to get by on the other income (probably good for only $400 or $500 a week), and (b) my focus and interest is now on (1) my wife getting to America and getting her American citizenship, and (2) developing a proper income — not just enough to "get by and have fun" as I've been doing for the last 20 years. Once Epril has her green card, we can travel back to Asia for a month or two at a time, work permitting.
I've been watering the grass — if you can call it "grass" — for a couple of days now. The piebald collection of green weed-like plants interspersed with blades of grass is an eyesore, but adding in large swathes of brown deadness gives the place an "empty lot" look to it. So, yes, I'm trying to grow weeds to spruce up the place a bit.
My e-mail account got hacked tonight. I'm quite surprised: First time in 20 years on the internet that I've been properly hacked. I really have no idea how it happened: I've got up-to-date ISP-provided antivirus software on all 3 of my computers, and I never click on or open stupidity. I've been using monthly changed alpha-punctuo-numeric passwords since 1995 too.
Being that my e-mail address is a web-based Yahoo account that has never been opened in Outlook or any other e-mail software, it most certainly means that my password was compromised. According to my web guru, the spam/virus e-mail my account sent actually came from Yahoo servers too, so it was a bona fide hack and not an address spoof. (But, amazingly, my Sent Items list showed no sign of activity and the thieves left my account seemingly as they found it.)
Well, sorry to the 700 of you who were spammed by me. I've changed my password and deleted the contents of my address book, and hopefully that solves the problem. If not, there is always GMail.
Ah, now that I give it some thought, I'm pretty sure I know what happened: A bit of software that I downloaded from one of the online work websites is a workflow aid, and I'll bet that it was hacked at the factory into a key logger. I accidentally left it open after installing it. Won't use that again.
I discovered quite a nice drink tonight that I copied off of ABC's website (and adjusted a bit), a "Green Ghost":
2 parts gin
1 part Midori melon liquer
1 part blue curacao
1 part peach schnapps
4 parts whiskey sour mix
Quite good!
I'm almost to the point where I need to do some grocery shopping. It will eventually take me more than a month of focused eating to finish all of the leftovers mom and Paul left behind: I've only spent about $10 on groceries since they left and I still have a couple weeks' of food to make my way through.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Daily Report: GIGO
I spent all last evening crunching up all of the cardboard boxes I had received in the mail over the last few weeks and getting them ready for the trash. All the recyclables were set out, and the week's trash as well.
At noontime when I woke up today, the recyclables had been picked up, but the trash was still in the bin. There was some bubble wrap I had put on the very top... and a bit of stinky rotten food on the bottom. I figured maybe the garbage men had rejected my offering on the fact that bubble wrap should be recycled, or maybe it was just too stinky. I didn't know. I wheeled the garbage can back inside the garage and figured I would ask Uncle Bob what had gone wrong later in the day.
At 2:00 this afternoon, I was in the shower when the garbage truck came trundling around the cul-de-sac looking for my garbage. (I forgot that the recycle men and the garbage men stop by at different times of the morning... or, day on certain occasions apparently) Not wanting to go running down my driveway, naked, dripping wet, pulling a trash bin behind me... I figure the garbage will just have to wait until next week. (Though I'll probably need to buy a new garbage bin because the stink embedded in the plastic from the rotted food will be other-worldly.) Hopefully next time they won't be 8 hours late.
It was a god-awful dark gray day today. I had the lights on in the house at mid-afternoon. Got work done on editing and the Bubba Gump project. After that, Uncle Bob came over for cocktails, and then we went out to the Chinese buffet for dinner.
At noontime when I woke up today, the recyclables had been picked up, but the trash was still in the bin. There was some bubble wrap I had put on the very top... and a bit of stinky rotten food on the bottom. I figured maybe the garbage men had rejected my offering on the fact that bubble wrap should be recycled, or maybe it was just too stinky. I didn't know. I wheeled the garbage can back inside the garage and figured I would ask Uncle Bob what had gone wrong later in the day.
At 2:00 this afternoon, I was in the shower when the garbage truck came trundling around the cul-de-sac looking for my garbage. (I forgot that the recycle men and the garbage men stop by at different times of the morning... or, day on certain occasions apparently) Not wanting to go running down my driveway, naked, dripping wet, pulling a trash bin behind me... I figure the garbage will just have to wait until next week. (Though I'll probably need to buy a new garbage bin because the stink embedded in the plastic from the rotted food will be other-worldly.) Hopefully next time they won't be 8 hours late.
It was a god-awful dark gray day today. I had the lights on in the house at mid-afternoon. Got work done on editing and the Bubba Gump project. After that, Uncle Bob came over for cocktails, and then we went out to the Chinese buffet for dinner.
You're So Very Fired, Crazy Racist Pilot Guy
Pilot takes plane back to gate to kick the Muslims off his flight.
I'm assuming that nobody, not even Crazy Racist Pilot Guy himself, lives in a world where the entire airline industry, or the American people in general, or even the other people on the flight, would say, "Right on Crazy Racist Pilot Guy! Thanks for taking a stand." Therefore, this must have been an ultra-psycho, maximum-idiotic, full-flavored version of "fuck this job" that happened here... or Crazy Racist Pilot Guy just departed from sanity in an ugly, career-killing sort of way.
I don't feel too awful bad for the two Muslim guys who got thrown off the plane by Crazy Racist Pilot Guy:
(1) I'm sure that the other passengers, the flight crew, the people at the airport who begged Crazy Racist Pilot Guy to reconsider... they were all equally embarrassed and apologetic... I'm sure people stood up for these two guys from all corners;
(2) being the target of (nonviolent) animosity from a single whacko who has obviously but inexplicably gone off the rails is a bit weird and potentially embarrassing, but not the worst thing that can happen to a person... its more a story for the grandkids;
(3) both gentlemen most certainly now have a platform upon which to stand and denounce anti-Muslim racism which they did not have before... their Crazy Racist Pilot Guy experience will show how much Americans have to get over;
(4) you know damn well that in exchange for having to suffer through Crazy Racist Pilot Guy, those guys will be flying first class on Delta for the rest of their lives... and probably getting a nice cash settlement too; and
(5) these two fellows can call up Crazy Racist Pilot Guy at home every day for the rest of his sad, unemployed life and say, "Can I fly with you today? No? Why is that? Is it because I'm a Muslim or because YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO FLY FOR A LIVING AGAIN DICKHEAD!?" That'll be cool.
I'm assuming that nobody, not even Crazy Racist Pilot Guy himself, lives in a world where the entire airline industry, or the American people in general, or even the other people on the flight, would say, "Right on Crazy Racist Pilot Guy! Thanks for taking a stand." Therefore, this must have been an ultra-psycho, maximum-idiotic, full-flavored version of "fuck this job" that happened here... or Crazy Racist Pilot Guy just departed from sanity in an ugly, career-killing sort of way.
I don't feel too awful bad for the two Muslim guys who got thrown off the plane by Crazy Racist Pilot Guy:
(1) I'm sure that the other passengers, the flight crew, the people at the airport who begged Crazy Racist Pilot Guy to reconsider... they were all equally embarrassed and apologetic... I'm sure people stood up for these two guys from all corners;
(2) being the target of (nonviolent) animosity from a single whacko who has obviously but inexplicably gone off the rails is a bit weird and potentially embarrassing, but not the worst thing that can happen to a person... its more a story for the grandkids;
(3) both gentlemen most certainly now have a platform upon which to stand and denounce anti-Muslim racism which they did not have before... their Crazy Racist Pilot Guy experience will show how much Americans have to get over;
(4) you know damn well that in exchange for having to suffer through Crazy Racist Pilot Guy, those guys will be flying first class on Delta for the rest of their lives... and probably getting a nice cash settlement too; and
(5) these two fellows can call up Crazy Racist Pilot Guy at home every day for the rest of his sad, unemployed life and say, "Can I fly with you today? No? Why is that? Is it because I'm a Muslim or because YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO FLY FOR A LIVING AGAIN DICKHEAD!?" That'll be cool.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
"Cold Blood"
One of the earliest "facts" revealed about the killing of Bin Laden (on that Sunday night, it was revealed) was that Bin Laden did not have a weapon in his hands when he was shot.
The first thought that immediately came to my mind was, "Twenty five of the world's best soldiers, each more deadly than Rambo, each better programmed than The Terminator, performing the most important covert military mission in world history against one of the most valuable military targets in world history, and they are 'forced to kill' their unarmed target?"
They couldn't just taser him?
Don't get me wrong: I'm perfectly happy that Bin Laden is dead. Rotting on the bottom of the Arabian Sea is a thousand times preferable to having him alive, drawing attention and infamy. But I don't doubt it for a minute: SEAL Team 6 set off to execute Bin Laden, and that is exactly what they did. Whether the White House elected to execute him with a cruise missile or a shotgun blast or a knife to the throat, they should have just said that their intention was his death right from the beginning and been done with it.
The difference between the execution of a dangerous criminal and the murder of an unarmed man is one of probity: Demonstrating moral clarity and certainty in the action is what ultimately makes it right... as compared to hiding behind half truths, evasions, and suppositions, which is nothing but the sign of a guilty conscience.
The first thought that immediately came to my mind was, "Twenty five of the world's best soldiers, each more deadly than Rambo, each better programmed than The Terminator, performing the most important covert military mission in world history against one of the most valuable military targets in world history, and they are 'forced to kill' their unarmed target?"
They couldn't just taser him?
Don't get me wrong: I'm perfectly happy that Bin Laden is dead. Rotting on the bottom of the Arabian Sea is a thousand times preferable to having him alive, drawing attention and infamy. But I don't doubt it for a minute: SEAL Team 6 set off to execute Bin Laden, and that is exactly what they did. Whether the White House elected to execute him with a cruise missile or a shotgun blast or a knife to the throat, they should have just said that their intention was his death right from the beginning and been done with it.
The difference between the execution of a dangerous criminal and the murder of an unarmed man is one of probity: Demonstrating moral clarity and certainty in the action is what ultimately makes it right... as compared to hiding behind half truths, evasions, and suppositions, which is nothing but the sign of a guilty conscience.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Layoff Letter
May 2, 2011
Dear Employees:
As the CEO of this organization, I have resigned myself to the fact that Barrack Obama is our President and that our taxes and government fees will increase in a BIG way. To compensate for these increases, our prices would have to increase by about 10%. But since we cannot increase our prices right now due to the dismal state of the economy, we will have to lay off sixty of our employees instead. This has really been bothering me since I believe we are family here and I didn't know how to choose who would have to go.
So, this is what I did. I walked through our parking lots and found sixty 'Obama' bumper stickers on our employees' cars and have decided these folks will be the ones to let go. I can't think of a more fair way to approach this problem. They voted for change. I gave it to them.
I will see the rest of you at the annual company picnic.
THE BOSS
May 14, 2011
Dear Employees:
When I went through the parking lot the other day, laying off all of the Democrats, I failed to realize that every one of the PhD's working in our Research and Development department is a Democrat and that I accidentally laid off all of our scientific staff, about 80% of the IT department, and a good portion of our marketing department.
Don't worry though, I laid off 20 more employees (sorry... couldn't find any more "Obama" stickers in the parking lot, so I laid off people driving Japanese cars... always the sign of a liberal) and hired a fantastic Chinese research laboratory to carry on where our Obama-loving Commie R&D Liberals left off, hired an Indian firm to handle the networking that those geeky MIT Obamabot nerds were handling, and I found a nice Russian company to handle the marketing that those San Francisco Pelosi pansies were doing... all for half the price.
By the way... did you see that the price of our company stock has gone up 30% due to my awesome management skills? I made a cool $7 million! How much did you make? Good thing the stock market doesn't listen to Obama's anti-American rhetoric, eh?
Anyway, see the rest of you at the annual company picnic!
THE BOSS
June 2, 2011
Dear Employees:
Sorry, but I've had to lay off another 50 employees. I'm spending so much time flying back and forth between China, India, Russia, and our headquarters here in Denver, that I needed to buy a private jet. I went through the parking lot and found all the cars that were newer than 3 years old, since those people obviously got involved in that un-American Cash-For-Clunkers bullshit that the Democrats suckered America with.
Now I know you remaining employees can double your output to make up for the shortfall that getting rid of those Prius-driving blue-state liberals will cause. Obviously... sorry... I can't be raising salaries with times as difficult as they are right now, but I'm sure you understand: Times are tough for everyone with the liberals in charge of things, and the cost of jet fuel is a pain.
See the rest of you at the annual company picnic!
THE BOSS
June 16, 2011
Dear Employees:
I'm sorry that you couldn't keep up with the increased demand. I understand though, it was a bit too much to ask. Fortunately, I was able to lay off another 20 employees (they were wearing sunglasses when they pulled into the parking lot in the morning... a sure sign of hippie marijuana use), and I hired an entire Vietnamese company to take 40% of your workload off your hands to give you a break. Now you only need to work 20 hours a week (without a single Democrat in sight)... take it easy and relax! Isn't that great?
Man, you all should come for a ride with me in my new jet. It's just awesome.
Oh... on a personal note, due to the long flying times between Mumbai and London (where the kids are in school), I bought a fantastic villa in the south of France as a comfy little layover spot. If any of you make it over there on your vacation, stop by and have a drink!
See the rest of you at the annual company picnic!
THE BOSS
July 4, 2011
Dear Employees:
As you can see, it is Independence Day. I'm writing this memo to let you know that you are now Independent Workers! Isn't that exciting? What I've done is moved our world headquarters to Beijing, and made you all independent contractors. Being an independent contractor is great. That's what I did when I was at Cornell getting my MBA, and see how things turned out for me? (And just think, you'll never have to sit down at work next to a nasty Democrat again! Double bonus!)
Anyway, now you get to stay at home with your kids, and we will ship all of the parts to your house, and you can assemble them there. I went through the parking lot and found 4 Humvees. Since nobody with a Humvee could possibly have voted for that Nigerian usurper, I've kept you 4 people on to help close up the plant in Denver. (Oh... Have that portrait of Andrew Carnegie that is hanging in my office over the mantel sent to my lodge in Vail.)
Those of you who can fly to my villa on the Côte d'Azur... see you at the annual company picnic! (No sorry, the jet is filled already... got the family, the household staff, and Tiger Woods flying with me.)
THE BOSS
Dear Employees:
As the CEO of this organization, I have resigned myself to the fact that Barrack Obama is our President and that our taxes and government fees will increase in a BIG way. To compensate for these increases, our prices would have to increase by about 10%. But since we cannot increase our prices right now due to the dismal state of the economy, we will have to lay off sixty of our employees instead. This has really been bothering me since I believe we are family here and I didn't know how to choose who would have to go.
So, this is what I did. I walked through our parking lots and found sixty 'Obama' bumper stickers on our employees' cars and have decided these folks will be the ones to let go. I can't think of a more fair way to approach this problem. They voted for change. I gave it to them.
I will see the rest of you at the annual company picnic.
THE BOSS
May 14, 2011
Dear Employees:
When I went through the parking lot the other day, laying off all of the Democrats, I failed to realize that every one of the PhD's working in our Research and Development department is a Democrat and that I accidentally laid off all of our scientific staff, about 80% of the IT department, and a good portion of our marketing department.
Don't worry though, I laid off 20 more employees (sorry... couldn't find any more "Obama" stickers in the parking lot, so I laid off people driving Japanese cars... always the sign of a liberal) and hired a fantastic Chinese research laboratory to carry on where our Obama-loving Commie R&D Liberals left off, hired an Indian firm to handle the networking that those geeky MIT Obamabot nerds were handling, and I found a nice Russian company to handle the marketing that those San Francisco Pelosi pansies were doing... all for half the price.
By the way... did you see that the price of our company stock has gone up 30% due to my awesome management skills? I made a cool $7 million! How much did you make? Good thing the stock market doesn't listen to Obama's anti-American rhetoric, eh?
Anyway, see the rest of you at the annual company picnic!
THE BOSS
June 2, 2011
Dear Employees:
Sorry, but I've had to lay off another 50 employees. I'm spending so much time flying back and forth between China, India, Russia, and our headquarters here in Denver, that I needed to buy a private jet. I went through the parking lot and found all the cars that were newer than 3 years old, since those people obviously got involved in that un-American Cash-For-Clunkers bullshit that the Democrats suckered America with.
Now I know you remaining employees can double your output to make up for the shortfall that getting rid of those Prius-driving blue-state liberals will cause. Obviously... sorry... I can't be raising salaries with times as difficult as they are right now, but I'm sure you understand: Times are tough for everyone with the liberals in charge of things, and the cost of jet fuel is a pain.
See the rest of you at the annual company picnic!
THE BOSS
June 16, 2011
Dear Employees:
I'm sorry that you couldn't keep up with the increased demand. I understand though, it was a bit too much to ask. Fortunately, I was able to lay off another 20 employees (they were wearing sunglasses when they pulled into the parking lot in the morning... a sure sign of hippie marijuana use), and I hired an entire Vietnamese company to take 40% of your workload off your hands to give you a break. Now you only need to work 20 hours a week (without a single Democrat in sight)... take it easy and relax! Isn't that great?
Man, you all should come for a ride with me in my new jet. It's just awesome.
Oh... on a personal note, due to the long flying times between Mumbai and London (where the kids are in school), I bought a fantastic villa in the south of France as a comfy little layover spot. If any of you make it over there on your vacation, stop by and have a drink!
See the rest of you at the annual company picnic!
THE BOSS
July 4, 2011
Dear Employees:
As you can see, it is Independence Day. I'm writing this memo to let you know that you are now Independent Workers! Isn't that exciting? What I've done is moved our world headquarters to Beijing, and made you all independent contractors. Being an independent contractor is great. That's what I did when I was at Cornell getting my MBA, and see how things turned out for me? (And just think, you'll never have to sit down at work next to a nasty Democrat again! Double bonus!)
Anyway, now you get to stay at home with your kids, and we will ship all of the parts to your house, and you can assemble them there. I went through the parking lot and found 4 Humvees. Since nobody with a Humvee could possibly have voted for that Nigerian usurper, I've kept you 4 people on to help close up the plant in Denver. (Oh... Have that portrait of Andrew Carnegie that is hanging in my office over the mantel sent to my lodge in Vail.)
Those of you who can fly to my villa on the Côte d'Azur... see you at the annual company picnic! (No sorry, the jet is filled already... got the family, the household staff, and Tiger Woods flying with me.)
THE BOSS
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Complainonline.net and FastMediate.com Gone
Harris Black, the convicted sex offender on the run from a Canadian arrest warrant for rape, hiding out in Thailand on an expired visa, has had his little foray into the extortion game last barely a month before I — with the help of hundreds of his victims whom I e-mailed warning them not to pay Harris' attempts at black mail; whom I encouraged to contact Harris' sites' service provider, SoftLayer — had it shut down.
The amazing thing is that I ultimately only have Harris Black to thank for the results I achieved. Without his help at every step of the way, none of this would have been possible:
In return for the name calling, I stopped Harris' little money-making scheme, shut down a website that was slandering hundreds of innocent people, and saved several of the more gullible people Harris contacted hundreds of dollars, and hopefully put Harris squarely on the radar of American, Canadian, and Thai law enforcement agencies in the process.
Oh, and of course, hopefully I've given Harris' cash flow such a smack that he'll be stuck eating nothing but vegetable fried rice and bottled water for the next 6 months.
Thank you to everyone who participated. Again, to each of Harris' victims, I'm sorry that you got involved in the low-brow, low-intelligence, low-yield game that Harris decided to play. But your help in spoiling it has contributed to the most entertaining and rewarding undertaking I've had in many a month.
In the end, Harris, as always: you've been unfailingly amusing, you've been utterly harmless, and you've ultimately left me with a smile. Another win.
By the way, if you were one of the victims of the "complainonline/ fastmediate" scam and ever are contacted by another website in another attempt to extort money, please leave a comment here to let me know immediately. Thanks.
The amazing thing is that I ultimately only have Harris Black to thank for the results I achieved. Without his help at every step of the way, none of this would have been possible:
- Thanks to Harris Black for leaving that comment on my blog. When I mentioned that my Virtual Assistant site was up and running, Harris said he was going to be messing with my attempts to start an online business. Thus, I knew to keep an eye out for typical Harris antics.
- Thanks to Harris Black for leading me directly to ComplainOnline.net by putting up a post about me there saying (more coarsely and with poorer grammar) that I was a bad virtual assistant.
- Thanks to Harris Black for letting me know without any doubt that he was the one running ComplainOnline.net (instead of just having an account there and posting "complaints" and "comments" on somebody else's site) by setting up the site so that wherever anybody typed "Harris Black" into a comment box, those words were replaced with "Hulk Hogan".
- And, of course thanks to Harris Black for so kindly publishing the e-mail addresses of every single one of the people he was trying to extort money from on ComplainOnline.net, so that I could contact them personally and warn them not to pay any money, and to instead contact the FBI, RCMP, SoftLayer, and even the Thai Police. (Based on replies to my e-mails, about 50 of you took the time to contact those entities. Hopefully many more of you did the same yet did not take the time to let me know.)
In return for the name calling, I stopped Harris' little money-making scheme, shut down a website that was slandering hundreds of innocent people, and saved several of the more gullible people Harris contacted hundreds of dollars, and hopefully put Harris squarely on the radar of American, Canadian, and Thai law enforcement agencies in the process.
Oh, and of course, hopefully I've given Harris' cash flow such a smack that he'll be stuck eating nothing but vegetable fried rice and bottled water for the next 6 months.
Thank you to everyone who participated. Again, to each of Harris' victims, I'm sorry that you got involved in the low-brow, low-intelligence, low-yield game that Harris decided to play. But your help in spoiling it has contributed to the most entertaining and rewarding undertaking I've had in many a month.
In the end, Harris, as always: you've been unfailingly amusing, you've been utterly harmless, and you've ultimately left me with a smile. Another win.
By the way, if you were one of the victims of the "complainonline/ fastmediate" scam and ever are contacted by another website in another attempt to extort money, please leave a comment here to let me know immediately. Thanks.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Daily Report: Nickels And Dimes
I went back to the library today to renew my book ("Storm of Swords", part of the new series being played on HBO) and was told that other people wanted to borrow it and I could not take it back home.
Sigh. I'm giving up on the library: First off, I read too slowly (I like to do 1 chapter per day, and in a 90-chapter book... well, you do the math); second, I always wind up renewing my books a day or two late, and pay $3 or $4 in late fees for each book; and three, other people can't read the book when I have it out for 3 months at a time... or I get it snatched away from me halfway through.
So I went to Books-A-Million and bought "Storm of Swords" for myself. Now I'm going to go about ordering an Amazon Kindle so that I can download my books from the internet and read them that way. I used my mother's Kindle when she was here and it was quite nice: easier to hold and read than a regular book. As long as the hardware lasts for 4 years or so, I should break even on the up-front investment.
After that, I stopped by Wal-Mart. Sale on Diet Cherry Doctor Pepper today, the world's best diet soda. They were sold out. In fact, Wal-Mart was sold out of nearly every kind of diet soda they stocked. Lots of the fattening stuff though. You think they would keep better track of what was popular.
From there, I went to Target where I bought a little 4-inch skillet to fry an egg in for $6. Then I went next door to Office Depot where I spent $80 on a new wireless keyboard on which I'll do my transcription work. (The third time in 10 years that I've changed keyboards for transcribing.) My desktop is now completely wire free. Very cool.
Work was good today and this evening. I tore through 1500 lines in 4 hours. Then, I kicked the spurs into the Bubba Gump project for about an hour. After that was a bit of channel surfing and a beer. Then, into bed with my book, where I read yet another solitary chapter.
Sigh. I'm giving up on the library: First off, I read too slowly (I like to do 1 chapter per day, and in a 90-chapter book... well, you do the math); second, I always wind up renewing my books a day or two late, and pay $3 or $4 in late fees for each book; and three, other people can't read the book when I have it out for 3 months at a time... or I get it snatched away from me halfway through.
So I went to Books-A-Million and bought "Storm of Swords" for myself. Now I'm going to go about ordering an Amazon Kindle so that I can download my books from the internet and read them that way. I used my mother's Kindle when she was here and it was quite nice: easier to hold and read than a regular book. As long as the hardware lasts for 4 years or so, I should break even on the up-front investment.
After that, I stopped by Wal-Mart. Sale on Diet Cherry Doctor Pepper today, the world's best diet soda. They were sold out. In fact, Wal-Mart was sold out of nearly every kind of diet soda they stocked. Lots of the fattening stuff though. You think they would keep better track of what was popular.
From there, I went to Target where I bought a little 4-inch skillet to fry an egg in for $6. Then I went next door to Office Depot where I spent $80 on a new wireless keyboard on which I'll do my transcription work. (The third time in 10 years that I've changed keyboards for transcribing.) My desktop is now completely wire free. Very cool.Work was good today and this evening. I tore through 1500 lines in 4 hours. Then, I kicked the spurs into the Bubba Gump project for about an hour. After that was a bit of channel surfing and a beer. Then, into bed with my book, where I read yet another solitary chapter.
My Wife Is Still Beautiful
Actually, she just keeps getting more beautiful as time goes by.
I'm lucky.
I'm lucky.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Oh Snap.
By the way, Andrew Sullivan notes an interesting coincidence:
The eighth anniversary of "Mission Accomplished." To the day. The 66th anniversary of the anouncement of the death of Adolph Hitler. To the day.Actually, I do wonder if the date of the mission was changed... if Obama realized at some point, "Man, this day is pretty close to the 'Mission Accomplished' stunt President Bush pulled. We've been planning this for 8 months: Let's delay the mission by a day or two to tweak Bush's nose a little bit." I wouldn't discount that. Or maybe it was the Hitler connection that they were shooting for; those guys at the White House don't miss much.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Holy Mackerel, Watch This Lady Get Discounts
I was channel surfing, and came across this lady whose whole life revolves around collecting coupons... you know: 50 cents off here, buy-one-get-one-free there.
At first, I just thought she was crazy, stopping by her neighbors and local businesses and taking their old circulars and newspaper inserts.
But wait until she gets to the grocery store and see what happens: Your jaw will drop.
Yeah: You're the one paying $230 for $230 worth of groceries, while she buys the same stuff and gets change from a $10 bill. Who's crazy now?
Here is an article on how it is done.
At first, I just thought she was crazy, stopping by her neighbors and local businesses and taking their old circulars and newspaper inserts.
But wait until she gets to the grocery store and see what happens: Your jaw will drop.
Yeah: You're the one paying $230 for $230 worth of groceries, while she buys the same stuff and gets change from a $10 bill. Who's crazy now?
Here is an article on how it is done.
Sexy Car For Sale
Bertone, the funky Italian car designer behind lots of famous sports car marques, is having an auction of some of their one-off, one-of-a-kind, 1970s concept cars. This 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero is going to fetch somewhere around $2 million.
What a fantastic (but utterly impractical) vehicle.
Friday, April 29, 2011
The Perfect Cosmopolitan
It's funny how memory works, where some big details slide into the abyss while small details stick so well.
New York City, Summer 1997. I was at a dinner party at this incredibly wealthy fellow's townhouse in (of all places) Spanish Harlem... all the way at the end of East 118th Street. I was invited as a friend of a friend at the party: I don't even remember the friend, the friend's friend, or the host. (The friend was this Swedish girl who lived in my building; her friend (the friend of a friend) lived in an apartment down the street from the wealthy guy / host. I remember that part.)
After dinner, the entire party went down to this bar in the Village... West of 7th Avenue and North of Christopher Street — one of those places you normally don't get into without wearing $600 shoes — that was supposed to have the World's Best Cosmopolitans.
Well, they were. That's pretty much all I remember about that night.
I sat up tonight trying to get the right combination of ingredients to recreate that Cosmopolitan they served and on the 5th try, finally got it right. Here is a reasonable reproduction of the World's Best Cosmopolitan:
8 parts Citron vodka
4 parts triple sec
1 part Rose's lime juice
8 parts cranberry juice
Add cracked ice (the most important part) and shake. Pour in a cocktail glass. No garnish.
(I measure in "parts". A part can be whatever you want it to be... it's a relative system of measuring: twice as much Citron as triple sec; a quarter as much lime juice as triple sec; same amount of vodka as cranberry.)
The cracked ice is the important part because the broken ice should chip off and add just a bit of frozen water to the mixture and perhaps some small bits of ice in the final product.
There you have it. Or, you can go buy a plane ticket to New York, some Berlutis, and spend $12 a glass at this bar I visited, assuming you can find it and assuming it is still there after 14 years in the fickle Village. Your choice.
New York City, Summer 1997. I was at a dinner party at this incredibly wealthy fellow's townhouse in (of all places) Spanish Harlem... all the way at the end of East 118th Street. I was invited as a friend of a friend at the party: I don't even remember the friend, the friend's friend, or the host. (The friend was this Swedish girl who lived in my building; her friend (the friend of a friend) lived in an apartment down the street from the wealthy guy / host. I remember that part.)
After dinner, the entire party went down to this bar in the Village... West of 7th Avenue and North of Christopher Street — one of those places you normally don't get into without wearing $600 shoes — that was supposed to have the World's Best Cosmopolitans.
Well, they were. That's pretty much all I remember about that night.
I sat up tonight trying to get the right combination of ingredients to recreate that Cosmopolitan they served and on the 5th try, finally got it right. Here is a reasonable reproduction of the World's Best Cosmopolitan:
8 parts Citron vodka4 parts triple sec
1 part Rose's lime juice
8 parts cranberry juice
Add cracked ice (the most important part) and shake. Pour in a cocktail glass. No garnish.
(I measure in "parts". A part can be whatever you want it to be... it's a relative system of measuring: twice as much Citron as triple sec; a quarter as much lime juice as triple sec; same amount of vodka as cranberry.)
The cracked ice is the important part because the broken ice should chip off and add just a bit of frozen water to the mixture and perhaps some small bits of ice in the final product.
There you have it. Or, you can go buy a plane ticket to New York, some Berlutis, and spend $12 a glass at this bar I visited, assuming you can find it and assuming it is still there after 14 years in the fickle Village. Your choice.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Daily Report: Bad Numbers
The Bubba Gump Project has been going through a reconfiguration. The initial setup didn't yield the expected results and we had to reset the project and start from scratch. It wasn't entirely unexpected.
I set up an account on Xoom — as reader Kathy had recommended — to send money to Epril in The Philippines. It worked just as expected: Create an account, say where you want to send money, who you want to send money to, how much you want to send, enter your bank account information, and for a charge of $6 you can send up to $3,000 within minutes. (Epril picked up her money at a local bank just steps from her house.)
My Best Buy Card online payment was rejected today. "Insufficient funds." Obviously a mistake. I went back and checked the bank account number (copied off a bank statement) and the routing number that I used to set up the online account. Everything was fine. I called customer service to find out what went wrong.
Eventually it was determined that I had accidentally used the account number for an expired line of credit that was attached to my Chase Manhattan account instead of the account number itself. Putting in the correct account number solved everything.
Unfortunately, when I sent money to Epril last night, I used the same incorrect account number. Second unfortunately, Epril still picked up her money: Xoom authorized payment without checking whether the account I entered actually had any money in it. (You think that would be something they would check on.) I had to call my bank and Xoom and explain to both what happened.
I got my new Microsoft Wireless keyboard. I'd like to thank Mambo Electronics for being so overly reasonable, immediately understanding, and taking the extra step to ensure that I was a satisfied customer.
I went to the pool today and had a soak in the hot tub and did some laps in the pool. Now that everyone has gone back north, there were only 6 of us at the pool. Uncle Bob came over for cocktails as per usual. I made some Hamburger Helper, but instead of hamburger, I chopped up some pork. After work, I worked on making Cosmopolitans, and watched the movie "2012" on Netflix.
Yet another standard Florida day flying solo. 150 days to go.
I set up an account on Xoom — as reader Kathy had recommended — to send money to Epril in The Philippines. It worked just as expected: Create an account, say where you want to send money, who you want to send money to, how much you want to send, enter your bank account information, and for a charge of $6 you can send up to $3,000 within minutes. (Epril picked up her money at a local bank just steps from her house.)
My Best Buy Card online payment was rejected today. "Insufficient funds." Obviously a mistake. I went back and checked the bank account number (copied off a bank statement) and the routing number that I used to set up the online account. Everything was fine. I called customer service to find out what went wrong.
Eventually it was determined that I had accidentally used the account number for an expired line of credit that was attached to my Chase Manhattan account instead of the account number itself. Putting in the correct account number solved everything.
Unfortunately, when I sent money to Epril last night, I used the same incorrect account number. Second unfortunately, Epril still picked up her money: Xoom authorized payment without checking whether the account I entered actually had any money in it. (You think that would be something they would check on.) I had to call my bank and Xoom and explain to both what happened.
I got my new Microsoft Wireless keyboard. I'd like to thank Mambo Electronics for being so overly reasonable, immediately understanding, and taking the extra step to ensure that I was a satisfied customer.
I went to the pool today and had a soak in the hot tub and did some laps in the pool. Now that everyone has gone back north, there were only 6 of us at the pool. Uncle Bob came over for cocktails as per usual. I made some Hamburger Helper, but instead of hamburger, I chopped up some pork. After work, I worked on making Cosmopolitans, and watched the movie "2012" on Netflix.
Yet another standard Florida day flying solo. 150 days to go.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Things That Make You Go Hmmm
Story Reported:
Hmmm.
My guess: Drug-shopping Japanese gangsters get popped by Burmese drug dealers. Thai guy takes the fall for incentives/threats yet to be discovered.
A Thai tour guide surrendered himself to the police confessing that he had shot dead one Japanese tourist and wounded another, after a heated argument during the trekking in Chiang Rai, northern Thailand.Other information neglected to be reported:
On 26th April, 2011 the tour guide, Apichart Inphisak, 41, turned himself in to the police and admitted to the crime that he had committed earlier at 10 a.m. Mr. Inphisak guided two Japanese tourists, Hiromichi Nagano, 59 and Takushi Condo, 43, to Chiang Rai mountainous area, visiting the Lisu people, a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group.
Takushi was constantly complaining and cursing especially about the tour while travelling in the green Suzuki jeep, Mr. Inshisak said. Even when they were trekking in the woods, the complaining continued, he added. When Mr. Inshisak could not tolerate the criticism any longer, he started his verbal retaliation which subsequently instigated an intense argument between the guide and tourists.
A Japanese alleged yakuza gangster was shot dead in northern Thailand by a local tourist guide in suspicious circumstances, Thai police said Wednesday.And...
They had guns on them and $10,000 in cash. This Takushi guy is also meant to be the leader of the third largest 'gang' in Japan according to the article.So a prominent Japanese gangster goes into the jungle of the Golden Triangle world capital of illegal drug trafficking with a big pile of cash and a gun. And he's only there to visit the Lisu? A Thai tour guide is taking tourists into the jungle while carrying a gun, and pops his 2 paying customers because they are loudmouths?
Hmmm.
My guess: Drug-shopping Japanese gangsters get popped by Burmese drug dealers. Thai guy takes the fall for incentives/threats yet to be discovered.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Daily Report: Where The Wild Things Are
I stopped by Chase Manhattan bank this morning. Epril's ATM card is expiring in The Philippines and I wanted to see if there were alternatives to an ATM withdrawal to get my wife the cash she needs.
There weren't. Well, obviously there were, but I didn't like any of them. International money transfers to Epril's bank account would cost $45 each (quite a bit more than I pay in ATM fees every 2 weeks). Western Union would be even more, especially for the $1000-plus transfers. PayPal would be free, but it would take at least a week to get the money from my bank account to my PayPal account then to Epril's PayPal account, then to Epril's bank account: Not good for emergencies. In the end, what we'll do is have Epril change her bank to Citibank, which has a branch in Cagayan De Oro. Then, I should be able to go to Citibank here in Florida and deposit money in her account there. That should be the fastest method.
I was looking at rental properties in the area the other day. The most expensive place on the list caught my eye: $5,000 per month, fully furnished. But what a deal if you could afford it: A massive lakefront mansion. Since it was only a couple of miles away from my bank, I drove over to take a look at it.
It's only (comparatively) moderately impressive from the front, but look at it from the air. It sits on 5 acres of lakeside land. You can also check out a slide show of the house here to see the interior. I know... just a dream. But when I was living in Thailand, I was paying 70,000 baht per month for my house there... and this house rents for only a little over twice that... and is 4 times the size, 10 times prettier and fancier, and 20 times the amount of land. Anybody on the West Coast of Florida want to share rent costs?
I saw this fellow walking across the street today. He was about the size of a watermelon... or a rugby ball. Apparently these guys are endangered. Since you don't want to see one get squished on a highway, I pulled over, helped the fellow get to the other side of the road, and then snapped his photo for my scrapbook.
After the bank, I did a bit of shopping. I bought a desk lamp and a miniature 4-inch fan for my office. (Now I don't need to turn on the air conditioning as often.) I also finally had to go to the grocery store and buy stuff, even though my fridge is not yet empty: I ran out of coffee, without which I cannot survive.
When I got back to the house, I left the car port door open as I carried in the bags, and a cardinal flew in behind me and went straight through to the veranda, where he got trapped by the screen.
Fortunately Cousin Paul stopped by at that moment to invite me over to dinner, and he got a towel and trapped the scared bird and set it free.
I had a great day of work today and tonight.
Back in The Philippines, Epril was out today with her father and Susan (recently returned from Holland). Then she was back at the house watching movies with her friends. I'm happy with her new living arrangements: Now that she is out of Jasaan, things have quieted down considerably, and she has a nice circle of friends who always keep her company.
There weren't. Well, obviously there were, but I didn't like any of them. International money transfers to Epril's bank account would cost $45 each (quite a bit more than I pay in ATM fees every 2 weeks). Western Union would be even more, especially for the $1000-plus transfers. PayPal would be free, but it would take at least a week to get the money from my bank account to my PayPal account then to Epril's PayPal account, then to Epril's bank account: Not good for emergencies. In the end, what we'll do is have Epril change her bank to Citibank, which has a branch in Cagayan De Oro. Then, I should be able to go to Citibank here in Florida and deposit money in her account there. That should be the fastest method.
I was looking at rental properties in the area the other day. The most expensive place on the list caught my eye: $5,000 per month, fully furnished. But what a deal if you could afford it: A massive lakefront mansion. Since it was only a couple of miles away from my bank, I drove over to take a look at it.
It's only (comparatively) moderately impressive from the front, but look at it from the air. It sits on 5 acres of lakeside land. You can also check out a slide show of the house here to see the interior. I know... just a dream. But when I was living in Thailand, I was paying 70,000 baht per month for my house there... and this house rents for only a little over twice that... and is 4 times the size, 10 times prettier and fancier, and 20 times the amount of land. Anybody on the West Coast of Florida want to share rent costs?
I saw this fellow walking across the street today. He was about the size of a watermelon... or a rugby ball. Apparently these guys are endangered. Since you don't want to see one get squished on a highway, I pulled over, helped the fellow get to the other side of the road, and then snapped his photo for my scrapbook.After the bank, I did a bit of shopping. I bought a desk lamp and a miniature 4-inch fan for my office. (Now I don't need to turn on the air conditioning as often.) I also finally had to go to the grocery store and buy stuff, even though my fridge is not yet empty: I ran out of coffee, without which I cannot survive.
When I got back to the house, I left the car port door open as I carried in the bags, and a cardinal flew in behind me and went straight through to the veranda, where he got trapped by the screen.
Fortunately Cousin Paul stopped by at that moment to invite me over to dinner, and he got a towel and trapped the scared bird and set it free.I had a great day of work today and tonight.
Back in The Philippines, Epril was out today with her father and Susan (recently returned from Holland). Then she was back at the house watching movies with her friends. I'm happy with her new living arrangements: Now that she is out of Jasaan, things have quieted down considerably, and she has a nice circle of friends who always keep her company.
Daily Report: Easter Sunday
It was off to my cousin Jonathan's house up in Sarasota today. He's got a nice place just a block back from the inland waterway.
Here's my cousin Jonathan cooking steaks on the grill.
In addition to Jonathan's family (his wife Nicole, and his 3 children), his father-in-law Clarky was there, as well as his sister-in-law and her daughter, and his father, my uncle, Bob, and his brothers, my other cousins (in this photo from left to right, oldest to youngest, Bobby and Paul... and Jonathan).
A great day, great steaks, and some really great brownies for dessert.
Went home, did some work, and then watched the premiere of Season 6 of Doctor Who.
Here's my cousin Jonathan cooking steaks on the grill.
In addition to Jonathan's family (his wife Nicole, and his 3 children), his father-in-law Clarky was there, as well as his sister-in-law and her daughter, and his father, my uncle, Bob, and his brothers, my other cousins (in this photo from left to right, oldest to youngest, Bobby and Paul... and Jonathan).
A great day, great steaks, and some really great brownies for dessert.
Went home, did some work, and then watched the premiere of Season 6 of Doctor Who.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
To Thais: I Recommend Avoiding Google Translate
My friend Franky wrote, in Thai script on Facebook, something about having fun.
Wanting to post a response in Thai script so I'd appear ever-so-clever, I went to Google Translate and typed in "More girls, more beer, more life" (an axiom of Pattaya Beach), and got "สาวเพิ่มเติมชีวิตเบียร์มากขึ้น" as a result and posted my response to Franky.
Unfortunately, when I put "สาวเพิ่มเติมชีวิตเบียร์มากขึ้น" back into Google Translate for the Thai to English translation, the result was "More beer, more young lives."
Either M.A.D.D. has hijacked Google's system, or their Translate engine needs a bit more work.
Wanting to post a response in Thai script so I'd appear ever-so-clever, I went to Google Translate and typed in "More girls, more beer, more life" (an axiom of Pattaya Beach), and got "สาวเพิ่มเติมชีวิตเบียร์มากขึ้น" as a result and posted my response to Franky.
Unfortunately, when I put "สาวเพิ่มเติมชีวิตเบียร์มากขึ้น" back into Google Translate for the Thai to English translation, the result was "More beer, more young lives."
Either M.A.D.D. has hijacked Google's system, or their Translate engine needs a bit more work.
Daily Report: Other Than That
I mostly just cleaned today. I watered the flowers. (Just like I promised Mom and Paul, they're quickly dying under my brown-thumbed ministrations.)
I made an appetizer today as part of my attempt to empty out the fridge. Here we have miniature crackers, cheddar, and onion dip made with cream cheese, mayonnaise, and onion soup. Bachelorific culinary score of 6, but minus 2 points for using a recipe on the soup package. Uncle Bob and Paul, when they came for cocktails, did not seem to mind though.
For dinner, I made spaghetti with sauce made from tomato paste, large chunks of bacon, minced jalapeño peppers, big onion slices, garlic, and spices. It took about 10 minutes to prepare (not including waiting for water to boil), but only tasted fair. I'll give it a 7 on the originality of ingredients, 6 on the preparation time, and 5 on the taste... so 6 overall.
This evening I made a brandy daisy, a cocktail from the 1870s. In essence, it is a "brandy sour" with a splash of dark rum and orange curacao. Quite a nice cocktail for sipping, if you lean more towards the cognac end of the preference spectrum. (There is also a recipe that uses chartreuse, but that stuff costs $60 a bottle, so I'm sticking with the curacao instead).
After that, I tried a recipe that I found on my local liquor store's (ABC Fine Wine And Spirits) website, called "Reggae". I adjusted the recipe slightly: 1 part vodka, 1 part banana liqueur, 1 part orange juice, 1 part pineapple juice, 1 part grapefruit juice, and a splash of grenadine. Worked out well.
I watched "District 9" on Netflix tonight. Second time I had seen it, and an awesome movie. It actually fills the same cinematic niche that Robocop filled when it first came out. It's fantastic the way it switches from "documentary" to "local television coverage" to "security camera" to "god's eye view" so seamlessly. The location of Johannesburg for the movie is simply perfect, keeping things familiar and alien at the same time. The lead character of Wikus was perfectly cast and written. All in all (the cursing and blood and guts aside) one of the top 10 Sci-Fi movies of the last 10 years.
I made an appetizer today as part of my attempt to empty out the fridge. Here we have miniature crackers, cheddar, and onion dip made with cream cheese, mayonnaise, and onion soup. Bachelorific culinary score of 6, but minus 2 points for using a recipe on the soup package. Uncle Bob and Paul, when they came for cocktails, did not seem to mind though.
For dinner, I made spaghetti with sauce made from tomato paste, large chunks of bacon, minced jalapeño peppers, big onion slices, garlic, and spices. It took about 10 minutes to prepare (not including waiting for water to boil), but only tasted fair. I'll give it a 7 on the originality of ingredients, 6 on the preparation time, and 5 on the taste... so 6 overall.
This evening I made a brandy daisy, a cocktail from the 1870s. In essence, it is a "brandy sour" with a splash of dark rum and orange curacao. Quite a nice cocktail for sipping, if you lean more towards the cognac end of the preference spectrum. (There is also a recipe that uses chartreuse, but that stuff costs $60 a bottle, so I'm sticking with the curacao instead).
After that, I tried a recipe that I found on my local liquor store's (ABC Fine Wine And Spirits) website, called "Reggae". I adjusted the recipe slightly: 1 part vodka, 1 part banana liqueur, 1 part orange juice, 1 part pineapple juice, 1 part grapefruit juice, and a splash of grenadine. Worked out well.I watched "District 9" on Netflix tonight. Second time I had seen it, and an awesome movie. It actually fills the same cinematic niche that Robocop filled when it first came out. It's fantastic the way it switches from "documentary" to "local television coverage" to "security camera" to "god's eye view" so seamlessly. The location of Johannesburg for the movie is simply perfect, keeping things familiar and alien at the same time. The lead character of Wikus was perfectly cast and written. All in all (the cursing and blood and guts aside) one of the top 10 Sci-Fi movies of the last 10 years.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Daily Report: Thank You Mr. Postman
All of my stuff from Amazon.com decided to arrive on the same day, today.
First arrival was my new 1 gigabyte video card. I had purchased it so that I could play Civilization V over 2 monitors, which the 512 megabyte version did not have the power to handle. Unfortunately, once I got the new video card installed, I found that it configured two monitors differently than the old video card, and would not allow Civ V to play on 2 monitors. Sigh. Well, I now have enough video power to do my rendering without it dragging my computer to a crawl.
Next to arrive was my Microsoft wireless keyboard and mouse matched set. I had purchased these items used for $30 from a company in Illinois. Unfortunately, when the keyboard and mouse arrived, they did not work. I spent an hour trying everything: Downloads, updates, reconfiguring... none of it got them to work.
I sent an e-mail via Amazon.com to the seller letting them know that I would be returning their products.
(Now, for any Filipinos and Thai people reading, pay close attention because this is why it seems like Kanos/Farangs are always bitching about "customer service" in your countries: What happened next for me is really what generally happens in our countries when products, companies, and things go wrong.)
Thirty minutes after sending the e-mail, I got a phone call from the owner of the company who sent me the second-hand keyboard. He was very apologetic, and he first took 5 minutes to ask me all the proper questions to make sure I had not missed anything during installation. (He seemed to know this product rather well.) Then, after concluding that neither of us could figure out why the product (used, but determined to be functional when it left his company) was no longer working, the owner of the company told me to put the used keyboard back in the mail (he would pay any costs associated with the return shipping costs), and he would go out and buy a NEW version of the same keyboard today (cost: $60, compared to the $30 I paid) and send that to me instead at no additional cost.
Once I receive the new keyboard, obviously I will be writing a glowing review of that fellow's company both here and on Amazon.com. (And, no: I never mentioned to him that I write online or anything. To him, I was just a guy who had purchased a single item from his company that did not work... that's all. His only concern was that he never have a single dissatisfied customer.)
Next to arrive after that was my 5.1 surround sound speaker set for my computer (Logitech, $60). That set up nicely and without any problem... except that I cannot figure out how to get the center speaker to work. (It's a software problem, I'm sure.) The system sounds fantastic though regardless. The subwoofer is great for the size of the room.
Finally, my pipette arrived for mixology. Now I can make a Long Island iced tea in a cordial glass if I want, and it will taste just like a grown-up version.
Uncle Bob came over for cocktails as per usual, and Cousin Paul invited me over for a roast chicken dinner. (It's hard to clean out the refrigerator if I'm always eating out.)
Work was great. Recently, I've sat down and transcribed and everything seems effortless. Some days it really sucks, where the same amount of effort yields a fraction of the result, but I haven't had any of those days in over a week.
I signed up for Netflix, which allows me to watch high-definition movies over the internet. As a bonus, the BluRay player in the living room has internet access to Netflix, so I can queue up my movie selections on the laptop, and then play them on the living room TV. Anyway, I sat in bed and watched Toy Story 3 on my computer. (Good movie.) Netflix is a good deal if you haven't gotten it yet: $8 a month for unlimited movies streamed over the internet (first month free too). You can also pay an additional $4 per month if you want to have them mail you the BluRay discs or DVD's (free of charge mailing and sending back)... though I doubt they'll mail to Asia. Hey: $8 per month was what I used to spend on the $1 pirated DVD's in Asia, with their handi-cam pictures, muffled soundtrack, and Russian subtitles. (Netflix requires about a 500 Kbps internet speed to function at its best, though it will work on less, if you are interested. Surprisingly, you can share your username and password with as many people and computers as you want — Netflix said so right in their FAQ.)
It's Easter in The Philippines. Epril did her annual Sore Feet For Jesus walk up a 2000-foot mountain at 4 a.m. She was quite happy.
First arrival was my new 1 gigabyte video card. I had purchased it so that I could play Civilization V over 2 monitors, which the 512 megabyte version did not have the power to handle. Unfortunately, once I got the new video card installed, I found that it configured two monitors differently than the old video card, and would not allow Civ V to play on 2 monitors. Sigh. Well, I now have enough video power to do my rendering without it dragging my computer to a crawl.
Next to arrive was my Microsoft wireless keyboard and mouse matched set. I had purchased these items used for $30 from a company in Illinois. Unfortunately, when the keyboard and mouse arrived, they did not work. I spent an hour trying everything: Downloads, updates, reconfiguring... none of it got them to work.
I sent an e-mail via Amazon.com to the seller letting them know that I would be returning their products.
(Now, for any Filipinos and Thai people reading, pay close attention because this is why it seems like Kanos/Farangs are always bitching about "customer service" in your countries: What happened next for me is really what generally happens in our countries when products, companies, and things go wrong.)
Thirty minutes after sending the e-mail, I got a phone call from the owner of the company who sent me the second-hand keyboard. He was very apologetic, and he first took 5 minutes to ask me all the proper questions to make sure I had not missed anything during installation. (He seemed to know this product rather well.) Then, after concluding that neither of us could figure out why the product (used, but determined to be functional when it left his company) was no longer working, the owner of the company told me to put the used keyboard back in the mail (he would pay any costs associated with the return shipping costs), and he would go out and buy a NEW version of the same keyboard today (cost: $60, compared to the $30 I paid) and send that to me instead at no additional cost.
Once I receive the new keyboard, obviously I will be writing a glowing review of that fellow's company both here and on Amazon.com. (And, no: I never mentioned to him that I write online or anything. To him, I was just a guy who had purchased a single item from his company that did not work... that's all. His only concern was that he never have a single dissatisfied customer.)
Next to arrive after that was my 5.1 surround sound speaker set for my computer (Logitech, $60). That set up nicely and without any problem... except that I cannot figure out how to get the center speaker to work. (It's a software problem, I'm sure.) The system sounds fantastic though regardless. The subwoofer is great for the size of the room.
Finally, my pipette arrived for mixology. Now I can make a Long Island iced tea in a cordial glass if I want, and it will taste just like a grown-up version.
Uncle Bob came over for cocktails as per usual, and Cousin Paul invited me over for a roast chicken dinner. (It's hard to clean out the refrigerator if I'm always eating out.)
Work was great. Recently, I've sat down and transcribed and everything seems effortless. Some days it really sucks, where the same amount of effort yields a fraction of the result, but I haven't had any of those days in over a week.
I signed up for Netflix, which allows me to watch high-definition movies over the internet. As a bonus, the BluRay player in the living room has internet access to Netflix, so I can queue up my movie selections on the laptop, and then play them on the living room TV. Anyway, I sat in bed and watched Toy Story 3 on my computer. (Good movie.) Netflix is a good deal if you haven't gotten it yet: $8 a month for unlimited movies streamed over the internet (first month free too). You can also pay an additional $4 per month if you want to have them mail you the BluRay discs or DVD's (free of charge mailing and sending back)... though I doubt they'll mail to Asia. Hey: $8 per month was what I used to spend on the $1 pirated DVD's in Asia, with their handi-cam pictures, muffled soundtrack, and Russian subtitles. (Netflix requires about a 500 Kbps internet speed to function at its best, though it will work on less, if you are interested. Surprisingly, you can share your username and password with as many people and computers as you want — Netflix said so right in their FAQ.)
It's Easter in The Philippines. Epril did her annual Sore Feet For Jesus walk up a 2000-foot mountain at 4 a.m. She was quite happy.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Daily Report: Florida Days
Nothing much has happened over the last 2 days. On Wednesday, I wasn't feeling all that great and barely got out of the house... just to Uncle Bob's next door where I had dinner (some really good steak). Today was 88° and sunny with a mild breeze... fantastic day, really. I cleaned, did laundry, did some work, went to the pool, sat in the sun, and had a soak. (A lot of the families are down from the north for the holiday weekend, so there were kids at the pool today.) After getting back from the pool, I had cocktails with Uncle Bob. Other than that, not much news.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
An Old Hit Relived, Revived, and Re-appreciated
I was sitting in my college radio station in 1993 sifting through these "sample CD's" that music companies sent us. They would slap on all sorts of music to see if anything would catch the deejay's ear, and possibly birth a hit.
On one of those CD's was a song from The Bulgarian Women's Choir, which absolutely fascinated me. I recorded a copy of the song and kept it as part of my "favorite mix" for years. The only problem was this: The "sample" that the music company sent of The Bulgarian Women's Choir was a single... a one off song... in essence, a rarity. It does not appear on any of the "official" albums this choral group ever recorded. I lost the tape God knows when, but the name stuck with me, and every couple of years since then, I would try to find that old lost song.
Finally, somebody put it on YouTube.
This is simply the best singing the Bulgarian Women's Choir has ever done. Everything that makes them special all in one song: The closed throat singing, the clapping and shouting, the haunting chords, and the happiness and joy is all there.
Why this song never was a headlining piece for the Bulgarian Women's Choir (instead of a B-side single) is beyond me. It really is as perfect a piece... as representative a piece as they have ever recorded.
On one of those CD's was a song from The Bulgarian Women's Choir, which absolutely fascinated me. I recorded a copy of the song and kept it as part of my "favorite mix" for years. The only problem was this: The "sample" that the music company sent of The Bulgarian Women's Choir was a single... a one off song... in essence, a rarity. It does not appear on any of the "official" albums this choral group ever recorded. I lost the tape God knows when, but the name stuck with me, and every couple of years since then, I would try to find that old lost song.
Finally, somebody put it on YouTube.
This is simply the best singing the Bulgarian Women's Choir has ever done. Everything that makes them special all in one song: The closed throat singing, the clapping and shouting, the haunting chords, and the happiness and joy is all there.
Why this song never was a headlining piece for the Bulgarian Women's Choir (instead of a B-side single) is beyond me. It really is as perfect a piece... as representative a piece as they have ever recorded.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Daily Report: Scoring Points That Only I Understand
Started off the day by throwing open the large wall of sliding glass doors and letting in the warm breeze coming off the Gulf of Mexico. (It's over there somewhere.) After that, a bit of house cleaning, then sitting down for a bit of editing work.
Lunch time! More leftover chicken, mushroom soup for gravy, Stove Top stuffing, leftover corn. (Okay... all the food is leftovers; that that for granted from this point forward.) Preparation time 10 minutes. Bachelorific culinary score**: 6 out of 10. 
Next, watered the plants once the sun was past it's blazing zenith. That bush is still smelling good Mom, though I've forgotten the name. After that was phone call with business partner about Bubba Gump Project. Still there man!
Dinner: Hotdogs smothered in sauteed onion, mushroom, and green pepper, microwaved to melt shredded chedder cheese. Preparation time 20 minutes. Bachelorific culinary score** of 4, but I give myself an extra point for serving on the cutting board to avoid dirtying dishes: total 5.
After night job, made an "Old Fashioned". Jungle Jil Official Recipe: 2 ounces Jack Daniels, 0.5 ounces simple syrup (sugar water), 3 shakes of the bitters bottle, squeeze in one quarter wedge of orange juice and zest of one strip of lemon peel. Dash of soda. Garnish with cherry, orange, and lemon peel.
Next, made a Tom Collins. Jungle Jil official recipe: 1.5 ounces gin, 0.5 ounces lemon juice, 0.5 ounces simple syrup (or 1 tablespoon of sugar mixed into 2 tablespoons of water), topped up with soda and garnished with a maraschino cherry.** Bachelorific Culinary Score: My own scale that I just created, scored from a low of 1 to a high of 10. Positive factors include original and unexpected use of ingredients, simplicity, and an ethereal quality of how close the dish prepared comes to what could best be termed "comfort food". Negative factors include preparation time, being unoriginal or common, and being too outré with ingredient selection.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Daily Report: Experimentation
Maid Debbie was here today to clean the house. I thought she was coming on Tuesday. It was embarrassing enough that I left the kitchen a mess for Debbie to clean up, but I also went to sleep last night with my bedroom door open. I'll leave it at that.
Mom and Paul left Puppy Gracie's Flat Rat toy behind. I took that to the post office and mailed it up to New York. Cost more than the toy to send it, but I know that Gracie will appreciate the effort: She loves that silly lump of cloth.
I sat down to my first day doing my virtual assistant work. Nothing too exciting or difficult, and overall an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.
I made a steak sandwich from the first of the leftovers for lunch. One food item down, close to 100 to go.
In the evening, Uncle Bob came over for cocktails.
For dinner, I got rid of some of Paul's wraps that he uses for sandwiches, some mozzarella cheese, part of a roasted chicken, and — as promised — spaghetti sauce. I think, for my first time out, I scored about a 9½ out of 10 on the Bachelorific culinary scale. Tasted great, took about 3 minutes to make (including the photo op and microwave time), and it left a nice red stain on my T-shirt. You can't ask for more from Bachelor food.
I ordered a pipette from Amazon.com for drink measurements. I've been looking up new drinks on the internet to make, but my booze rule is only 4.5 ounces (3 shots) of mixology fun per evening (cordials and liquers count as half)... then a beer before bed. (That's still more than any doctor would recommend, but...) So, if I want to enjoy more than 1 or 2 drink experiments per evening, I need to go halvesies (or more) on my measurements. Ever tried pouring teaspoons? Yeah... tedious. But that's what I did tonight anyway, and will continue to do until my 25 mL pipette arrives.
Tonight, I tried brandy drinks: Brandy Alexander, a nice winter drink; a brandy daisy, a recipe from the 1870's, which was quite complex and sippable; then a second brandy daisy, using a modern recipe, which was awful; a French connection, an IBA official cocktail, which was nice but too strong; and a Golden Cadillac, which was really good. I truly enjoy discovering those old cocktails... tasting drinks that people were sipping at bars 50 or 100 years ago. I don't mess around with the new drinks that much... at least not now. (And yes, I go out and get ALL the proper ingredients. No subbing allowed. I even got my Mai Tai's orgeat syrup shipped all the way from the original Trader Vic's in California, and I'm using the oldest Singapore Sling recipe I can find, with real Heering Cherry liquer.)
Anyway, 3:00 a.m. Time for bed.
Mom and Paul left Puppy Gracie's Flat Rat toy behind. I took that to the post office and mailed it up to New York. Cost more than the toy to send it, but I know that Gracie will appreciate the effort: She loves that silly lump of cloth.
I sat down to my first day doing my virtual assistant work. Nothing too exciting or difficult, and overall an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.
I made a steak sandwich from the first of the leftovers for lunch. One food item down, close to 100 to go.
In the evening, Uncle Bob came over for cocktails.
For dinner, I got rid of some of Paul's wraps that he uses for sandwiches, some mozzarella cheese, part of a roasted chicken, and — as promised — spaghetti sauce. I think, for my first time out, I scored about a 9½ out of 10 on the Bachelorific culinary scale. Tasted great, took about 3 minutes to make (including the photo op and microwave time), and it left a nice red stain on my T-shirt. You can't ask for more from Bachelor food.I ordered a pipette from Amazon.com for drink measurements. I've been looking up new drinks on the internet to make, but my booze rule is only 4.5 ounces (3 shots) of mixology fun per evening (cordials and liquers count as half)... then a beer before bed. (That's still more than any doctor would recommend, but...) So, if I want to enjoy more than 1 or 2 drink experiments per evening, I need to go halvesies (or more) on my measurements. Ever tried pouring teaspoons? Yeah... tedious. But that's what I did tonight anyway, and will continue to do until my 25 mL pipette arrives.
Tonight, I tried brandy drinks: Brandy Alexander, a nice winter drink; a brandy daisy, a recipe from the 1870's, which was quite complex and sippable; then a second brandy daisy, using a modern recipe, which was awful; a French connection, an IBA official cocktail, which was nice but too strong; and a Golden Cadillac, which was really good. I truly enjoy discovering those old cocktails... tasting drinks that people were sipping at bars 50 or 100 years ago. I don't mess around with the new drinks that much... at least not now. (And yes, I go out and get ALL the proper ingredients. No subbing allowed. I even got my Mai Tai's orgeat syrup shipped all the way from the original Trader Vic's in California, and I'm using the oldest Singapore Sling recipe I can find, with real Heering Cherry liquer.)
Anyway, 3:00 a.m. Time for bed.
A Thing I Can't Embed But You Still Should Hear
I was in the car today listening to Public Radio and the two most fantastic songs in a row came on the radio. The first was a trio of Norwegian ladies singing a traditional song called "Till Till Tove". Then came an absolutely amazing piece: A mouth harp duet. The sonic subtleties were absolutely jaw dropping.
Now, PublicRadio.org fortunately has archives of their shows, but they only have them in hour-long blocks... and you cannot embed them on your own website. (Well, you could if you wanted to go through the rigamarole of rewriting the Javascript links for their media player... but NPR might not appreciate that.)
Anyway, click here (opens in new tab). Then fast-forward to the 6:30 point to hear the Norwegian trio called Trio Medieval sing "Till Till Tove." And immediately after they finish, at the 11:30 mark, Birger Mistereggen and Torunn Ostrem Ossum perform the mouth harp duet "Sordolen", which is just the coolest thing I've heard since Fratres by Arvo Pärt.
Now, PublicRadio.org fortunately has archives of their shows, but they only have them in hour-long blocks... and you cannot embed them on your own website. (Well, you could if you wanted to go through the rigamarole of rewriting the Javascript links for their media player... but NPR might not appreciate that.)
Anyway, click here (opens in new tab). Then fast-forward to the 6:30 point to hear the Norwegian trio called Trio Medieval sing "Till Till Tove." And immediately after they finish, at the 11:30 mark, Birger Mistereggen and Torunn Ostrem Ossum perform the mouth harp duet "Sordolen", which is just the coolest thing I've heard since Fratres by Arvo Pärt.
A Thing I Can Embed That You Should Hear
A bunch of bands were asked to write a piece in the style of Kitaro (a Japanese new age musician), and this is what the band Peas came up with. I love the way they play with the beat break to create a secondary rhythm with negative sound.
If you want to know what kind of music I still groove to no matter how old I get, this is it: Trip Hop and everything that flows from it.
If you want to know what kind of music I still groove to no matter how old I get, this is it: Trip Hop and everything that flows from it.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Daily Report: Oh Solo Me-O
Mom and Paul and Gracie left for New York today, leaving me alone here until next September or October. (I'll be flying up to New York for a week during the summer, and when Epril gets here, I want to drive north with her to see the fall foliage.)
The first thing I did after Mom and Paul left was to turn off that infernal air conditioning and throw open all the windows and sliding glass doors, and get back to the proper Jungle conditions to which I am accustomed.
I have a unique challenge in the coming weeks: Mom and Paul have left me a house full of food, especially in the freezer and refrigerator. My challenge is to not go grocery shopping until all the food I have now is gone (or spoiled, though I hope to avoid that). I'm sure towards the end, I'll be eating some weird combinations of disparate food items mixed in spaghetti sauce and served on crackers in order to achieve my goal.
The refurbished computer that I bought for $400 stopped working. That computer guy I found really kind of sucks: first my uncle was unhappy with the service (I referred him there because his laptop had a virus), and now I as well. One of the memory sticks was bad, so I took it out and now the computer is working again, but with only 1 gigabyte of memory. (I ordered 4 gigabytes of memory from BestBuy.com for $80, and that should be here next week.)
Surprisingly (and not the computer guy's fault) my game, Civilization V, absolutely murders the 512 megabyte video card that the computer has. The video card was barely keeping up with one monitor running at 1024 x 768; when I tried to run the 2 monitors together at 3860 x 1080, the game wouldn't even show up on screen; at the lowest dual-monitor resolution setting I could find, Civilization V ran for about 30 minutes and then went graphically kerplooey. So I ordered an $80, 1 gigabyte video card from BestBuy.com while I was at it. I hope that works.
On Amazon.com, I ordered a used wireless Microsoft keyboard and wireless mouse combination. (I'm attempting to do away with as many wires as I can on my desk.) That was a good deal at $25, compared to $50 new.
The first thing I did after Mom and Paul left was to turn off that infernal air conditioning and throw open all the windows and sliding glass doors, and get back to the proper Jungle conditions to which I am accustomed.
I have a unique challenge in the coming weeks: Mom and Paul have left me a house full of food, especially in the freezer and refrigerator. My challenge is to not go grocery shopping until all the food I have now is gone (or spoiled, though I hope to avoid that). I'm sure towards the end, I'll be eating some weird combinations of disparate food items mixed in spaghetti sauce and served on crackers in order to achieve my goal.
The refurbished computer that I bought for $400 stopped working. That computer guy I found really kind of sucks: first my uncle was unhappy with the service (I referred him there because his laptop had a virus), and now I as well. One of the memory sticks was bad, so I took it out and now the computer is working again, but with only 1 gigabyte of memory. (I ordered 4 gigabytes of memory from BestBuy.com for $80, and that should be here next week.)
Surprisingly (and not the computer guy's fault) my game, Civilization V, absolutely murders the 512 megabyte video card that the computer has. The video card was barely keeping up with one monitor running at 1024 x 768; when I tried to run the 2 monitors together at 3860 x 1080, the game wouldn't even show up on screen; at the lowest dual-monitor resolution setting I could find, Civilization V ran for about 30 minutes and then went graphically kerplooey. So I ordered an $80, 1 gigabyte video card from BestBuy.com while I was at it. I hope that works.
On Amazon.com, I ordered a used wireless Microsoft keyboard and wireless mouse combination. (I'm attempting to do away with as many wires as I can on my desk.) That was a good deal at $25, compared to $50 new.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Suncoast BBQ Bash In Venice, Florida
I went to the Suncoast BBQ Bash at the Venice Airport Festival Grounds today. (Mom and Paul stayed home, as they were busy packing; it was just me and all the BBQ and chili I could eat.)
Entry was free. Then you went and traded in your dollars for "BBQ Bucks", which the exhibitors and competitors used as currency. Also you could buy a chili ticket that gave you 8 cups of chili for $5. (All proceeds went to the Suncoast Foundation, which helps handicapped children.) So I arrived, got 20 BBQ Bucks, and one Chili ticket, and started my way round the place.
My first stop was the chili competitors, of which there were about a dozen. They were off in one corner of the grounds.
To be honest, I didn't find any of the selections incredibly good. A couple were surprisingly quite bad. I was most surprised that one of the chilis tasted exactly like the chili that I cook, and I throw that stuff together in 20 minutes with Hunt's BBQ sauce, tomato paste, and cayenne.
In the end, after 8 bowls of chili, I gave my fully-punched ticket (the way that you vote for your preferred competitor) to the representative from The British Open Pub on Route 41. He had cooked a chili using all imported ingredients, and its base was bacon soaked in maple syrup. It wasn't a fantastic chili, but it was quite intriguing.
In addition, only one or two of the chilis was spicy in any way (which I prefer), only one or two of the chilis had beans (which I prefer). Heheh: I would even consider entering my own chili in the competition next year, but as you can see by the photos, unless you don't come with an entire stand, and a truckload of themed tchotchkes, you wouldn't fit in.
Lots of local businesses also had displays up. Apparently (and here is where I could get into the competition if I wanted) they pitch their business, plus enter their own BBQ and chili. I think the folks with the boats though: They just showed up and parked their stuff for people to look at.
After the chili, I stopped by the soda place. I saw the girl in front of me ordering and getting a 16-ounce soda for $2. I figured I could take two of those large sodas. I asked for two large Sprites. The lady comes back with two 32-ounce sodas and says, "That'll be eight BBQ Bucks." Doh. I didn't have the heart to tell her I'd made a mistake, so almost half my BBQ bucks were gone in an instant.
That was almost okay though: I finished half of the first soda and threw the rest of it away so I would have a free hand. The other soda kept me hydrated and the rest went home with me. Then it was on to the main concourse where the BBQ competitors were. I'm a rib man myself so I stuck strictly with ribs and skipped the chicken and pulled pork. (You can only eat so much, you know.)
All of the competitors here were really serious about their BBQ, with their pavilions and trophies and motor homes and giant smokers. You could buy a single rib for 2 BBQ bucks, and each rib was pretty meaty. After 4 ribs, I really was full.
You know what? I am genuinely surprised to say this after having been to this place with all of the ribs (and several others before): Bob's BBQ in Pattaya Beach, Thailand still has the best ribs I have eaten. The size of Bob's ribs and amount of meat per rib may not be as good as these ribs today, but that's a matter of supply that Bob can't control. (But, in fairness, Bob was a champion on the Texas BBQ circuit — the world capital of BBQ — while the people at this competition were all mostly local Florida folks.)
Two of the rib samples I tried were tough and rubbery. One of the ribs I tried was greasy and gooey. The fourth that I sampled was the best, but was still not as tender and fall-of-the-bone simple to eat as Bob's. I was really surprised. The best ribs I have had since coming back to America are at Ivy's Steak House in Venice, but they were $18 per half rack, and essentially matched Bob's ribs in texture and taste. Rib City in Venice was second best... and better than Ivy's when you factor in the price of $9 for a half rack.
But it was still enjoyable to walk around the grounds and see all the people and smell the smells, listen to the live band, and look at all the equipment. (Check out the photo to the left: A crazy BBQ kitchen on a trailer.) I'll go back again next year, but I'll skip the chili, go straight for the ribs, and obviously only buy one soda at a time.
Oh: I still had 4 BBQ bucks when I left. They can't be traded back, so I gave them to the security people and parking guides working in the hot Florida afternoon sun. Good job to them and all the other people at the Suncoast Foundation who put on a very nicely organized and laid out event.
Entry was free. Then you went and traded in your dollars for "BBQ Bucks", which the exhibitors and competitors used as currency. Also you could buy a chili ticket that gave you 8 cups of chili for $5. (All proceeds went to the Suncoast Foundation, which helps handicapped children.) So I arrived, got 20 BBQ Bucks, and one Chili ticket, and started my way round the place.
My first stop was the chili competitors, of which there were about a dozen. They were off in one corner of the grounds.
To be honest, I didn't find any of the selections incredibly good. A couple were surprisingly quite bad. I was most surprised that one of the chilis tasted exactly like the chili that I cook, and I throw that stuff together in 20 minutes with Hunt's BBQ sauce, tomato paste, and cayenne.
In the end, after 8 bowls of chili, I gave my fully-punched ticket (the way that you vote for your preferred competitor) to the representative from The British Open Pub on Route 41. He had cooked a chili using all imported ingredients, and its base was bacon soaked in maple syrup. It wasn't a fantastic chili, but it was quite intriguing.
In addition, only one or two of the chilis was spicy in any way (which I prefer), only one or two of the chilis had beans (which I prefer). Heheh: I would even consider entering my own chili in the competition next year, but as you can see by the photos, unless you don't come with an entire stand, and a truckload of themed tchotchkes, you wouldn't fit in.
Lots of local businesses also had displays up. Apparently (and here is where I could get into the competition if I wanted) they pitch their business, plus enter their own BBQ and chili. I think the folks with the boats though: They just showed up and parked their stuff for people to look at.
After the chili, I stopped by the soda place. I saw the girl in front of me ordering and getting a 16-ounce soda for $2. I figured I could take two of those large sodas. I asked for two large Sprites. The lady comes back with two 32-ounce sodas and says, "That'll be eight BBQ Bucks." Doh. I didn't have the heart to tell her I'd made a mistake, so almost half my BBQ bucks were gone in an instant.
That was almost okay though: I finished half of the first soda and threw the rest of it away so I would have a free hand. The other soda kept me hydrated and the rest went home with me. Then it was on to the main concourse where the BBQ competitors were. I'm a rib man myself so I stuck strictly with ribs and skipped the chicken and pulled pork. (You can only eat so much, you know.)
All of the competitors here were really serious about their BBQ, with their pavilions and trophies and motor homes and giant smokers. You could buy a single rib for 2 BBQ bucks, and each rib was pretty meaty. After 4 ribs, I really was full.
You know what? I am genuinely surprised to say this after having been to this place with all of the ribs (and several others before): Bob's BBQ in Pattaya Beach, Thailand still has the best ribs I have eaten. The size of Bob's ribs and amount of meat per rib may not be as good as these ribs today, but that's a matter of supply that Bob can't control. (But, in fairness, Bob was a champion on the Texas BBQ circuit — the world capital of BBQ — while the people at this competition were all mostly local Florida folks.)
Two of the rib samples I tried were tough and rubbery. One of the ribs I tried was greasy and gooey. The fourth that I sampled was the best, but was still not as tender and fall-of-the-bone simple to eat as Bob's. I was really surprised. The best ribs I have had since coming back to America are at Ivy's Steak House in Venice, but they were $18 per half rack, and essentially matched Bob's ribs in texture and taste. Rib City in Venice was second best... and better than Ivy's when you factor in the price of $9 for a half rack.
But it was still enjoyable to walk around the grounds and see all the people and smell the smells, listen to the live band, and look at all the equipment. (Check out the photo to the left: A crazy BBQ kitchen on a trailer.) I'll go back again next year, but I'll skip the chili, go straight for the ribs, and obviously only buy one soda at a time.Oh: I still had 4 BBQ bucks when I left. They can't be traded back, so I gave them to the security people and parking guides working in the hot Florida afternoon sun. Good job to them and all the other people at the Suncoast Foundation who put on a very nicely organized and laid out event.
A Bit Of Parliamentary Funny In Congress
Okay, get this, because it is funny:
Yesterday in the House of Representatives, the Republicans passed that budget written by Paul Ryan. However, there was a second, alternative Republican budget, called the "RSC Budget" that also required a vote. This budget was apparently much harsher, nastier to poor people, nice old ladies, and innocent kittens, and just a little too damaging to the Republican image.
Thankfully, Republicans had the Paul Ryan budget, and it was already passed. All they had to do was take a minute to vote on this second "RSC" budget, make sure it failed (because if it passed, it would supersede the Paul Ryan budget), everything would be fine, and they could go home.
Unfortunately (a) most Republicans didn't want to get caught voting "no" for an even more austere budget on this symbolic vote; they wanted to be true to their image of cutting the budget anywhere, anyplace, anytime — but they had enough Republicans willing to vote "no" with the Democrats to make sure this second budget did not pass — and (b) they didn't count on the Democrats messing around with them.
The Republicans all voted "yes" to pass the second fuzzy-bunny-murdering budget, except for the few enough Republicans who voted "no" to ensure its failure.
Then, all the Democrats started their little prank: They started voting "present" — neither "yes" nor "no". There were suddenly way to many "yes" votes and not enough "no" votes. The wrong budget was going to pass, and Paul Ryan's much friendlier budget was going to go out the window.
Well, the Republicans realized they had been pranked and did exactly what the Democrats expected them to do: They held the vote open for a couple of extra hours, twisted the arms of several dozen of their various Congressmen and convinced them to take a little lump on their reputation of "saying yes to any budget cut, no matter what" and got them to vote "no" on their own second budget so that it would fail and save the first "Paul Ryan" budget.
Just a little bit of congressional and political horse play... well done.
Yesterday in the House of Representatives, the Republicans passed that budget written by Paul Ryan. However, there was a second, alternative Republican budget, called the "RSC Budget" that also required a vote. This budget was apparently much harsher, nastier to poor people, nice old ladies, and innocent kittens, and just a little too damaging to the Republican image.
Thankfully, Republicans had the Paul Ryan budget, and it was already passed. All they had to do was take a minute to vote on this second "RSC" budget, make sure it failed (because if it passed, it would supersede the Paul Ryan budget), everything would be fine, and they could go home.
Unfortunately (a) most Republicans didn't want to get caught voting "no" for an even more austere budget on this symbolic vote; they wanted to be true to their image of cutting the budget anywhere, anyplace, anytime — but they had enough Republicans willing to vote "no" with the Democrats to make sure this second budget did not pass — and (b) they didn't count on the Democrats messing around with them.
The Republicans all voted "yes" to pass the second fuzzy-bunny-murdering budget, except for the few enough Republicans who voted "no" to ensure its failure.
Then, all the Democrats started their little prank: They started voting "present" — neither "yes" nor "no". There were suddenly way to many "yes" votes and not enough "no" votes. The wrong budget was going to pass, and Paul Ryan's much friendlier budget was going to go out the window.
Well, the Republicans realized they had been pranked and did exactly what the Democrats expected them to do: They held the vote open for a couple of extra hours, twisted the arms of several dozen of their various Congressmen and convinced them to take a little lump on their reputation of "saying yes to any budget cut, no matter what" and got them to vote "no" on their own second budget so that it would fail and save the first "Paul Ryan" budget.
Just a little bit of congressional and political horse play... well done.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Epril's Trip To Bohol
Epril just finished a 3-day trip to Bohol with her friends that I bought for her as a present for being so patient while waiting for her visa to America to be finished. Here are the photos.
Geeked Out
I've rebuilt a smaller, humbler version of Control Center 107 (the name for my old wall of technology back in New York City). Smoke was coming off my Best Buy Credit Card today... and got some good deals in the process.
From left to right:
New Plantronics noise-cancelling earphones, $40
Matching 23" AOC monitors, $170 each
Wireless Mouse, $20
(Down below) A 2 terrabyte external hard drive from WD elements, $100.
The monitor in the center and the netbook I already had. The monitor over on the right isn't actually connected to anything... I just stuck it on there, but might use it for my old beater computer if I get a new one to replace it in the next year or so.
The Most Enjoyable Thing I've Ever Written
You know Harris, in all seriousness, I knew you weren't a smart guy, but I never guessed how much of an idiot you really were until just now when I got an e-mail from one of the physicians whose name appears on your website.
You actually CONTACTED the hundreds of people you smeared on your ComplainOnline.net website and tried to extort money from them? Over international borders??? You really are a genuine retard. Yours went from a petty, passive fishing scam, waiting for gullible people to patronize your "business"... to attempted (or actual... if anybody actually paid you) international racketeering and extortion in one dopey step with those faxes and e-mails.
And then... THEN!!! You left the contact e-mails of every single one of the people you tried to blackmail right there on your website so that I could contact them. Oh lord, you are so busted.
I just got done filling out my own report to the FBI's IC3 division. Of course, I sent an e-mail message to... oh... about 300 people with whom I happen to have your URL in common and suggested they do the same. I've saved copies of your websites on my computer for the investigation of course.
You do realize this actually could mean THE REST OF YOUR LIFE IN PRISON, right? 300-or-so counts of international wire fraud? Ho. Lee. Shit.
Oh, please-please-please make sure you blame only me for what happens to you. I don't want anybody else to get the credit for this.
CLICK HERE to read the original post on this subject.
If you were listed on Harris Black's "ComplainOnline.net" website, and then subsequently were contacted by somebody claiming to represent either "ComplainOnline.net" or "FastMediate.com", I highly recommend you contact the FBI at http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx and submit a complaint. It's quick and easy. If you are in Canada, you can also contact the FBI, or you can contact the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's fraud department at http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/.
Additionally, if you would like to contact the Thai authorities, click http://ecybercrime.police.go.th/ (link opens in new window) to go to the Thai police's cyber crime report page. Once you get to this page, select the fourth menu item on the left (3 below the "tan" top selection). Once you click on that, the form will appear. For the pulldown menu in the first box, select the first option. In the second box, type "www.complainonline.net". In the third box type your complaint. (You might also want to mention that Harris Black lives in the condo called "View Talay 6" between Soi 9 and Soi 10, between Second and Beach Roads in Central Pattaya, and you might also want to mention that in addition to the crimes he is committing online, he has an outstanding arrest warrant in Canada for a rape there, and he has also been in Thailand since August of 2007 without renewing his visa.
You actually CONTACTED the hundreds of people you smeared on your ComplainOnline.net website and tried to extort money from them? Over international borders??? You really are a genuine retard. Yours went from a petty, passive fishing scam, waiting for gullible people to patronize your "business"... to attempted (or actual... if anybody actually paid you) international racketeering and extortion in one dopey step with those faxes and e-mails.
And then... THEN!!! You left the contact e-mails of every single one of the people you tried to blackmail right there on your website so that I could contact them. Oh lord, you are so busted.
I just got done filling out my own report to the FBI's IC3 division. Of course, I sent an e-mail message to... oh... about 300 people with whom I happen to have your URL in common and suggested they do the same. I've saved copies of your websites on my computer for the investigation of course.
You do realize this actually could mean THE REST OF YOUR LIFE IN PRISON, right? 300-or-so counts of international wire fraud? Ho. Lee. Shit.
Oh, please-please-please make sure you blame only me for what happens to you. I don't want anybody else to get the credit for this.
CLICK HERE to read the original post on this subject.
If you were listed on Harris Black's "ComplainOnline.net" website, and then subsequently were contacted by somebody claiming to represent either "ComplainOnline.net" or "FastMediate.com", I highly recommend you contact the FBI at http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx and submit a complaint. It's quick and easy. If you are in Canada, you can also contact the FBI, or you can contact the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's fraud department at http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/.
Additionally, if you would like to contact the Thai authorities, click http://ecybercrime.police.go.th/ (link opens in new window) to go to the Thai police's cyber crime report page. Once you get to this page, select the fourth menu item on the left (3 below the "tan" top selection). Once you click on that, the form will appear. For the pulldown menu in the first box, select the first option. In the second box, type "www.complainonline.net". In the third box type your complaint. (You might also want to mention that Harris Black lives in the condo called "View Talay 6" between Soi 9 and Soi 10, between Second and Beach Roads in Central Pattaya, and you might also want to mention that in addition to the crimes he is committing online, he has an outstanding arrest warrant in Canada for a rape there, and he has also been in Thailand since August of 2007 without renewing his visa.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Daily Report: Call It What You Want
I've got another new internet project going on, and this time I've got a partner. He has his own name for the project, but I'm calling it The Bubba Gump Project, after the scene in the movie Forrest Gump where Forrest and Lieutenant Dan get caught out at sea in a hurricane and thus miraculously miss the destruction of the entire Gulf Coast shrimping industry back on shore, which leaves them alone to catch all the shrimp and reap untold riches. No, of course you don't understand the relevance: That's the point. Other than my name for it and the fact that I'm doing it with a partner that's all I can tell you; the rest is a secret. I put in a few hours on it yesterday as we get it up and rolling. Within a month, we'll know if we've struck gold, tin, or "out".
Also, I'm getting set up with my first Virtual Assistant client. We'll be starting work together next Monday: 10 hours a week doing proofing and editing of copy written by Filipino writers. It's a bit funny: I haven't advertised the Jilw.US site anywhere, but somebody has been going around putting up links to the site which actually wound up giving it a page ranking.
Thanks. Unfortunately those links don't help my business much: I have a second Virtual Assistant site using my real name (the name that I don't go splashing around on the internet for obvious reasons; the one on my passport, et cetera) that I won't link to on this blog. That is the website that I'm advertising, linking to on the Virtual Assistant forums and other places where V.A's advertise, putting on my business card, et cetera: those Jilw.US links are only linking to the site targeted solely at my blog readers. No offense, but I need to keep some of you people separate from my "official life"... my "professional life"; something I've been doing ever since I first logged on the internet.
Yes, dear readers: "Jil Wrinkle" is merely a nom de plume. (Epril is really Epril, but the "Wrinkle" part doesn't show up on paper anywhere.) I was born with the last name Wrinkle, but legally changed that name 14 years ago to the family name my grandfather (father's father) was born with. Hence the initials: J.I.L., which was also my internet moniker for years — going back even before the official name change — all the way to the old university computer bulletin boards in 1992. I stuck the "Wrinkle" back on when "J.I.L." (the initials) turned into "Jil" (the name) while I was in Thailand and I needed a last name. (I spent a lot of time on the various Pattaya community websites as J.I.L. before moving there, chatting with residents and gathering information. When I arrived in Pattaya — the first time my "real life" and "cyber life" had ever intersected — everybody I had met online just kept calling me "Jil" and the name stuck.)
So in truth I guess I should say "Jil" started off as just a nom de plume: But now everybody calls me by that name, even my family, and that's how I introduce myself at parties. But for employment and taxes, official documents, bank accounts, the people I work with (or might work with), I use the legal, "secret" J.I.L. name.
(... and now you know the rest of the story.)
Mom has continued buying stuff for Epril and my new apartment. Yesterday she even showed up with a medicine cabinet: Aspirin and other pain relievers, allergy medicine, antacids, lotions, et cetera. Mom says her mother did this for her when she married my father and they got their first place, buying all of the hundred little things that a home needs. She has rented one of those storage rooms in which to keep all these things, and it is really filling up with pots and pans, plates and bowls, forks and knives, glasses and mugs, spatulas and ladles, oven mitts and dish towels, and many other things.
I've sent Epril off on a vacation to Bohol with her friends as a present since I got my tax return. She is going to visit the Chocolate Hills, and she said something about going to see Tyson on the island, but I think I misheard. She and her two friends (the Demon Girls) are trying to hunt down the fourth member of their Demon Girl circle of friends from high school whom they haven't heard from since, who moved to Bohol shortly after graduation.
The Cul-de-sac I live on is almost empty now: the Florida high season is finished. Soon it will be just me and Jim across the street, while the other 6 houses sit empty until next fall. Uncle Bob will still be just across the back yard though, and Aunt Alice up the road about half a mile.
Also, I'm getting set up with my first Virtual Assistant client. We'll be starting work together next Monday: 10 hours a week doing proofing and editing of copy written by Filipino writers. It's a bit funny: I haven't advertised the Jilw.US site anywhere, but somebody has been going around putting up links to the site which actually wound up giving it a page ranking.
Thanks. Unfortunately those links don't help my business much: I have a second Virtual Assistant site using my real name (the name that I don't go splashing around on the internet for obvious reasons; the one on my passport, et cetera) that I won't link to on this blog. That is the website that I'm advertising, linking to on the Virtual Assistant forums and other places where V.A's advertise, putting on my business card, et cetera: those Jilw.US links are only linking to the site targeted solely at my blog readers. No offense, but I need to keep some of you people separate from my "official life"... my "professional life"; something I've been doing ever since I first logged on the internet.
Yes, dear readers: "Jil Wrinkle" is merely a nom de plume. (Epril is really Epril, but the "Wrinkle" part doesn't show up on paper anywhere.) I was born with the last name Wrinkle, but legally changed that name 14 years ago to the family name my grandfather (father's father) was born with. Hence the initials: J.I.L., which was also my internet moniker for years — going back even before the official name change — all the way to the old university computer bulletin boards in 1992. I stuck the "Wrinkle" back on when "J.I.L." (the initials) turned into "Jil" (the name) while I was in Thailand and I needed a last name. (I spent a lot of time on the various Pattaya community websites as J.I.L. before moving there, chatting with residents and gathering information. When I arrived in Pattaya — the first time my "real life" and "cyber life" had ever intersected — everybody I had met online just kept calling me "Jil" and the name stuck.)
So in truth I guess I should say "Jil" started off as just a nom de plume: But now everybody calls me by that name, even my family, and that's how I introduce myself at parties. But for employment and taxes, official documents, bank accounts, the people I work with (or might work with), I use the legal, "secret" J.I.L. name.
(... and now you know the rest of the story.)
Mom has continued buying stuff for Epril and my new apartment. Yesterday she even showed up with a medicine cabinet: Aspirin and other pain relievers, allergy medicine, antacids, lotions, et cetera. Mom says her mother did this for her when she married my father and they got their first place, buying all of the hundred little things that a home needs. She has rented one of those storage rooms in which to keep all these things, and it is really filling up with pots and pans, plates and bowls, forks and knives, glasses and mugs, spatulas and ladles, oven mitts and dish towels, and many other things.
I've sent Epril off on a vacation to Bohol with her friends as a present since I got my tax return. She is going to visit the Chocolate Hills, and she said something about going to see Tyson on the island, but I think I misheard. She and her two friends (the Demon Girls) are trying to hunt down the fourth member of their Demon Girl circle of friends from high school whom they haven't heard from since, who moved to Bohol shortly after graduation.
The Cul-de-sac I live on is almost empty now: the Florida high season is finished. Soon it will be just me and Jim across the street, while the other 6 houses sit empty until next fall. Uncle Bob will still be just across the back yard though, and Aunt Alice up the road about half a mile.
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