Kasia Made the Big Time

Wow.  Now she's officially really geeky -- she's featured in the Register.  I'll bet Slashdot is next.  Congrats!  [_Go_]

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Into Blogging?  If so this is Wicked Cool -- Your Blog Neighborhood

Heck ... Its wicked cool even if you aren't.  Recommended.  [_Go_]

View My Blog Neighborhood

Note: What this is showing you are blogs that you'd probably enjoy reading if you aren't i.e. they are "neighbors" of yours that you might not have been introduced to yet.

Congrats to Veer and the rest of the team on this one.  Good job guys. 

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Can't Win for Renting and Can't Win for Owning...

Warning: Somewhat self pitying blog entry ahead.  Read at your own warning or at least enjoy a good laugh at my expense!

There are times it seems like you just can't win when it comes to real estate.  As many of you know, I sold a house this past fall and moved into a rental.  Now I spent much of the winter of 2002 nursing an old, somewhat twitchy oil furnace with repeated visits from the furnace man, hoping only to sell the house before a) the furnace needed to be replaced and b) it got cold and the oil smell became evident again (this is why you always, always, always have a home inspected before you buy it; remember that).  And thankfully I did.  Then I found out the new owner was planning to install a gas furnace immediately on occupancy so I didn't even have to feel bad about this. 

So I figured that since I was now living in a rental, I wouldn't have to worry about this type of crap anymore, Right?  Nope.  As I type this, it is probably 50 degrees in my new place -- that's right.  No heat.  I started smelling that nasty oil smell late yesterday and initially dismissed it -- imagination, fuel must have just been delivered, whatever.  When it got bad enough, I ventured downstairs to the basement -- to encounter lots and lots of choking, thick fuel oil smoke -- nothing quite so upsetting as smoke when you're wearing slippers.  It makes you feel both foolish and unprepared.  Now since it was a rental, you probably can guess that I didn't know where the emergency shut off was, right?  That would be correct Virgina, but I did find it and managed to shut down the furnace.  Then I got the door open to air it out and proceed upstairs where I could have a nicely sized coughing fit. 

My next step was calling the emergency service number for the oil company, and battling with the technician on call that I really did have a problem (if you can believe it, he had me turn it back on for 20 minutes to make sure that the smoke was really coming out again with the wonderful words of "Don't worry.  Its not dangerous").  He finally arrived a few hours later, disassembled the furnace and discovered that it hadn't been cleaned in 2.5 years according to the service tags!  Glad I pay such pricy rent.  Sigh.  And then to make matters just plain perfect, he didn't have the tools on the truck to actually service it fully.  Apparently you actually just "vacuum out" a furnace when it needs to be cleaned and he left the vacuum back at the shop.  I felt a wee bit like "Matilda the Maid" was explaining why she couldn't clean the carpet!  He departed with a promise to return "tomorrow".  No mention of when tomorrow and I wasn't bright enough at that point to ask -- must have been all the smoke I inhaled.

So the heat has now been off for almost 16 hours.  Last night was definitely chilly and I now have the cats wrapped up in little blankets.  Its actually quite cute.  They're a bit grumpy about it but they're both staying in the blankets which means they are really cold.  And typing is definitely chilly since gloves just plain don't work for this.  Oh and showering?  Lets just say that the amount of "hot" water when you have heat is enough to wet down but not really wash. 

Update: I just spoke to my landlord and "the oil company is coming very soon now".

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A Very, Very Cool "404" Page for WMD

Thanks to my good friend Guy K. Haas for sending this along.  Whether you're for war in Iraq or against it, definitely check this out.  [_Go_]

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Product Review: The 7-11 "Dream Donut"

Plebian though they are, I have to admit a fondness for the common donut.  When fresh, sugary and paired with caffeine, they are indeed a treat.  And, among all donuts, Krispy Kreme strides above the landscape like a god.  While I know that some don't like Krispy Kreme, for those that do, there is nothing finer.  So when 7-11 corp began recently advertising their "Dream Donut", which looked suspiciously like a Krispy Kreme, I was both intrigued and frightened.  Could the lowly 711 corp so quickly achieve the level of donut perfection that Krispy Kreme regularly graces us with?  Could the sugar infusion they are promising equal with degree of diabetic coma that a single Krispy Kreme induces?  Would it induce the "donut-gasm" known to true Krispy Kreme fans?

With these questions prodding at my consciousness, when I passed a 711 yesterday, I was compelled to enter and seek the truth.  I figured if nothing else it would make an amusing blog entry.  I purchased two plain glazed "dream donuts" for .69 each.  The very 1st thing I noticed was their presentation -- which was poor.  While I applaud 711 in storing their donuts in an attractive glass case, I found that the door kept wanting to shut itself while I was getting my donuts -- not helpful.  Additionally there were none of those "donut grabbing papers" in evidence.  A less than healthy thing I'd suspect.  At .69 apiece, they'd be an expensive treat for a dozen but for one or two, the value is good. 

After paying, I departed to my car where I consumed the first one.  Unlike a Krispy Kreme which is kept in a heated cabinet, these were at room temperature or colder.  And that's not positive for a donut like this.  Although 711 claims that they are "delivered fresh daily", it certainly tasted stale to me.  Of course I did eat it in full -- the things I do for my loyal readers.  Oh and I purchased these at approximately noon so they certainly shouldn't be stale at just a few hours old.

I thought it would only be fair to wait until I was home and consume the second one heated -- in as close to the proper, molten sugar bomb like consistency of a true Krispy Kreme as I could achieve.  So I popped the donut on a plate, microwaved it for 28 seconds and poof!  Much, much better.  Not quite the magical experience of a Krispy Kreme but substantially improved.  If you buy these, don't eat them in the car, get them to a microwave and then enjoy the love.

The Verdict:

Drum roll please ...

 

Category	Score (10 point scale)
Freshness	6
Sugariness	7
Mouth Feel	6
Presentation	4
Out of the Box Experience	2
Overall	5

"Worth trying but don't kill yourself for.  Still if you have that Krispy Kraving then this is an acceptable substitute."

Note: The Dream Donut may not be available in your area.  Although it is available in the Boston area and being featured in television ads, it is not anywhere on the 711 web site which makes me think it is still in test marketing.

 

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