by rustedrobot | Jan 26, 2009 | Media
I’ve decided that the safest thing to race out and buy “the day it comes out” is any book by Jeffrey Eugenides or any Sloan, Built to Spill or Band Of Horses album. That’s pretty much it. Five years ago I probably would have raced out and gotten myself in line for an IPhone on the day it was released. Now I’m not so much into “having it on the first day.” Don’t get me wrong – I’m a gadget freak, just ask my poor wife. The minute she gets herself accomodated into a remote control, there will be a new one. The week she’s comfortable with Apple TV, I’ll hack Boxee into it. So by no means am I turning into a luddite. I’m just a little more mild, given a) the economy and b) priorities.
So I’ve been struggling on this IPhone/Blackberry Storm thing, building up to last Friday, which was the day I was eligible for a new phone. My decision? I very well may wait it out. I’m now month-to-month on my Verizon contract and that’s pretty comfortable, knowing I’m not locked into anything, especially given the state of the nation. Blackberry’s Storm is more like a light rain, it seems. My experience with it so far has been underwhelming and buggy. Hey Verizon store, the display phones are supposed to work seamlessly! The IPhone looks so sweet, but I’m not sure it’s sweet enough to switch to AT&T and lock myself into something until 2011. Someday the carriers will get it and free their customers from the shackles. If you want a great write-up on all this, just click here for some professional writing courtesy Om Malik – he’s basically saying what I’m trying to say, only more clearly.
So my decision right now: no decision. I reserve the right to change my mind anytime.
However, the idea of completely getting rid of cable TV came one step closer to reality this weekend when I discovered this site. Live sports via torrents! Not sure this will feed the appetite, but it could be a start. It’s also an indication that I need to do more web-digging.
by rustedrobot | Jan 8, 2009 | Food, Media
I like you, Coconut. Lots.
I’m continuing on my theme this week of food and allergies. Not “food allergies,” per say, but food AND allergies. Just forget it. Today I need to report to you on my latest obsession. But first, some background. For a long time back in the ’90s and in the earlier part of this decade, I would have a LOT of ice cream. Like, every night. I am not kidding. Sometime in 2004 or 2005 time frame, I made a vow to myself to not consume ice cream from roughly mid-September through April every year. That is the time period that the fabulous local ice cream stand, Eriksons, is closed for the season. My new twist this year was blocking out the week before and the week after Christmas to fall off the ice cream wagon.
So, what have I replaced it with? Oh, an occasional tub of Trader Joe’s rice pudding is a nice treat. Some cookies here and there. But over the last couple of months it has been a new addition – Haagen Dazs Coconut Sorbet. Holy freaking hell, this shit is good! And yeah, sorbet doesn’t count as ice cream, so don’t even try. If you like coconut, you need to have this. Tonight. So go get some. It’s a little smoother than your typical sorbet, so it kinda feels more like ice cream, but it’s not. Some of the Edy’s sorbets are damn good, too. Just a couple of weeks ago, I mixed the coconut sorbet with some Edy’s Pomegranate sorbet and it was a very good combination. My sister-in-law recently suggested I add some warm chocolate sauce to a cup of coconut sorbet, but I’m not sure I’m going there yet. Sounds awesome, but it would kinda-sorta defeat the purpose of my being off ice cream.
Anyway, give it a whirl. You won’t regret it. Unless you hate coconut, of course. Then you will regret it.
IPhone vs. Blackberry Storm update: right now I’m leaning IPhone. I sampled both for about five minutes last night during a quick shopping trip and there’s just something far more seamless about the IPhone. Smoother. The jury isn’t back in the box yet with their final decision, but that’s the way I’m leaning right now.
