From: Food Allergy Initiative <info@faiusa.org>
To: Me <me@my.email.address>
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 12:30 PM
Subject: Message from FAI & Research America
| Finding a cure for life-threatening food allergies. | July 19, 2011 |
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Yearly Archives: 2011
Ernie and the Berts / Awful Waffles / Uke & Tuba – FRIDAY AT THE BBT!
If you didn’t catch us last night at the Fallout Shelter… and you probably didn’t… you have the chance to try again this weekend, and eat some pierogies!
Guitar Blog: The Paradox of Tone
Image via Wikipedia
Killer article about tone & the myriad of choices available today:
Guitar Blog: The Paradox of Tone
I don’t know how I missed it, it’s a rather old post… but is a great read. I’ve gone through bouts of “I don’t care what it sounds like as long as it’s loud and dirty”… mostly to ignorance, and I’m still like that for the most part… but I do know bad tone when I hear it, at least as it stems from my guitars/amps (the rare effect), and any more I’d rather not put out bad tone… I’d like my bad playing to come through as well as possible. Ha ha.
I’m pretty sure this is illegal. (Driving advice for horn-honking traffic trolls.)
I’m pretty sure this is illegal, but I see it happen all the time. Can someone of authority weigh in on this? Opinions are of course welcome, but if you’re going to claim why it’s legal/illegal… you have to give me some kind of backup.
Let me describe the scenario with the help of an illustration thanks to Paint.NET, Google Maps, & a Google image search…
This is a dick-move.
We’ll pretend I’m the blue car, behind the white truck, and in front of the little yellow bastard.
The white truck is trying to make a left at the light, only problem being (use your imagination here) a flurry of automobiles in the other 2 oncoming lanes coming forth with less than a car-length in between them, and at a speed well over the posted 25MPH limit. (Never-mind that here the middle lane switches traffic directions depending on the time of day – that’s a whole different ridiculous issue.)
Of course, the truck is forced to stop in what I would like to consider the middle of the intersection, causing frustration to rise exponentially for each halted vehicle behind the pale horse of immobilization.
As the truck plays the waiting game, and I hone my skills with the Force trying to will a break in traffic to allow him (or her) to turn and more importantly get out of my way… the impatient arrogant bastard behind me decides to honk the horn.
Honking the horn when one is stuck in traffic is the action of a self-absorbed angry little person. A honk is expected & appropriate if someone cuts you off, someone’s sitting at a green light, or backing into you. A honk is inappropriate when everyone is stuck, & no one can go anywhere.
Now, I know this indignant troll of a human being wanted me to take the path of the green arrow above… which is a common Pittsburgh driving move. I’m sure it happens elsewhere too, but it’s quite common around here. I believe said move is not only illegal, but also quite dangerous. I know passing on the shoulder is discouraged if not illegal, and doing it in the middle of an intersection isn’t the best idea.
It’s dangerous for the following reasons if you must know, traffic troll:
- Someone in the inside oncoming lane could also be making a left, not see me coming around the side of the truck, and we plow right into each other.
- The truck decides he’s (or she’s) had it with waiting to make a turn, and plows ahead in frustration as I move around & try to merge into that lane.
- Someone from the road on the right may be coming to the intersection to make a legal right on red while it’s obvious that oncoming traffic is at a stand-still.
- A final sequence, however unlikely… the light changes while I’m going around, and someone comes from the left straight through their way, and smacks into the side of me.
If you think of any other reasons why it’s a bad idea, please let me know. If you can show me a link where the laws concerning such vehicular interactions reside online (especially for PA), I’d love to pass the link along to the honking trolls out there.
If you’re a traffic troll, I’d like to express to you that all you’re doing is putting the person in front of you in danger, as well as potentially yourself, and adding to the aggravation levels of everyone around you… when they’re already sufficiently aggravated.
This has been brought to you as a public service announcement warning against the dangers of traffic trolls. I’m sure PennDOT and the State Police would get behind this if they read my blog.
You’re not a traffic troll, are you?
Ernie and the Berts needs your votes! (via Ernie and the Berts)
I am computer smart & very good with organization.
Worst resume ever? Perhaps. It’s pretty funny though… so maybe if the writer can harness the chaos, it can be put to good use. I wish I could take credit for writing or even finding this, but I can’t. It comes from a note posted on Facebook by my good friend Mike. I asked him if I could steal it to share with a wider audience, and he agreed that it’s too good to not be shared.
So, grab a cup of coffee, and pretend you’re looking to hire someone…
[Mike’s forward: This comes from my pal at a local coffee shop. This kid came in and insisted on including this resume with his application. I have not edited it for content, spelling or punctuation aside from anything containing his personal info. Have fun!!]
Resume of, AUTHOR.
Address: (Something, Pittsburgh PA 15219.)
Best way to contact: E-Mail.(email@college.edu.)
Attending college at: (College.)
Major of study: (Graphic Design, moving up to Game & Art Design.)
Degree earning: (Bachelor’s Degree, “4 years.”)
Years done so far out of 4: (almost a full 2 years total.)
Skill’s & Talent’s, which PERSON can bring to this job offer, is as followed:
- I have both my Adobe & Microsoft skills.
- I wield the knowledge & understanding on, how to properly function these programs.
- I am computer smart & very good with organization.
- I am a hard worker & I get stuff done right the first time around.
- I am very well, at English & speaking.
- I understand details very quickly & fluently as well.
I take direction extremely well & work as hard as I can, in order to guarantee success at whatever it is I am presently doing.
- I am a team player & can be greatly independent upon my efforts put fourth in my work too.
- I can give great advice to fellow students, if I do not know an answer to a question I will first try to see if I can figure it out, or guide them to the correct person in position to answer their questions.
- I am passionate at everything I do, I never waste time I work first & leave the relaxing time for when it can be enjoyed without consequence.
Background & Job qualifications.
You are probably asking yourself:
- “Why should I consider hiring, this college student?
- What makes him, stand out more than any other college student. who may be applying?
- Does he have the ambition & determination, to follow through with this job position?
- Will he ever fail me, or let me down in anyway imaginable?
- Can he be trusted & reliable, to do this type of work?
” These are all very good questions & I can inform security, that I can honestly answer them all, both correctly & factually, while backing up everything I am about to explain with evidence. ”
- I feel you should consider my employment, cause I am a working type of person almost 95 percent of my time, my life is what I do, in this cause art & employment, I seem to never stop moving or working on something important, while others party with friends I am either figuring out life arrangements, school finances & study, or just creating neat art, cause that’s what I came to an art college for.
I believe what makes me stand out, is my never give up attitude, my spunky side which shines through as a bubbly personality, my humor can be a personality trait in particular settings, I naturally love people & always give my all & best to help them, I would give a homeless guy the remaining dollar in my wallet & I have done that a lot, so I just believe with every good employee, comes a caring strong individual. I am a determined student, with one option only, success. Failure is a given, but I never allow it, it will never be3 a option for me, if I want this dream career & lifestyle I have to want it, I have to live it & most importantly I have to fight for it full throttle. I brought my GPA up this quarter from a 1.7 now is at a peaking 2.4 /2.5 & there are still a few grades that need to placed in their, but I know how I did by communicating with my professors, it will at least be a 2.5 if anything. I can guarantee excellent & efficient work ethic, delivered daily without any questions ask. I am up for change, so if details in the work environment turn to the left or to the right I am on the ball & never respond negatively to a changed course or daily pattern. I am a Full-Time Student, at the COLLEGE, in the Graphic Design Program (Bachelors Degree.) I came for Game & art Design. though my art work from high school, passed in insanely well, my mathematics’ is what I am working on in order to move up & soon enough I will do just that.
Personal Cover Letter.
I am a very determined person. I believe in promotion, even where it seems, down right impossible. I believe anyone of us, can succeed at what we dream. It’s not where you come from, that makes who you are today, It is what you went through & how you handled it, in order to get to where you are today. I do not believe in using your pass negative experiences, as an alibi, nor do I agree with, failure being an option. I came from a rough life, beofre I became the young successful man I am today. I was the boy on the streets, the boy with no father or mother, nor anyone to love him. I came from Foster Cares, an endless amount & I went through life’s tragedies at an early age. Though my life was difficult, I still dreamed of a brighter tomorrow, with that said, I always said I BELIEVE. I never listened, when family & outsiders use to say, give up that’s a fairy tale dream-life it will never happened I still held my head high & believed, their must be more to this world Everyone can not simply be this horrid, their must be a better life, out there just waiting around the bend, sure enough after 17 to 18 years of my life, I found out that I was in fact very correct. There was a dream-life outside of tragedy & despair & that’s what I found today, for 2 years right out of high school I jumped on the college bandwagon & never stepped off since, still dealing with tragedies sure we always will, but I deal with them, get through them, the mature way, the professional way & I still do what my work & schooling expects of me.
I did have a part time job at the local Dunkin’ Donuts, but ran into, some scheduling details that weren’t that well explained in this case, every week was a new schedule & it began to confuse many employees working on the site. I worked as a very hard worker for a solid month, to the point that, the Assistant Manager taking over soon, said I wish I was in charge right now cause you would still be my employee, he apologized & said you the only one here who cleans, closes & runs this shop like a professional & to the book, like me, everyone else seems to slide on through & slack off, he said my apologize. This was very difficult it hurt very badly to where I cried a bit, I never been rejected in that fashion, so I think we all, get that wake up call, that proves to us even if your doing everything in your power to be the best employee, sometimes life still happens, all we can do is cry, move on & change for the better in the end I am also applying for 2 part times or one Full time position this quarter I have to find a place to live come September 1h & I expect to be okay, come fall something tells me I will. I guarantee, though I work part time, I will have more than enough time to work for you, this is without questioning, I would have never applied if I couldn’t bring the goods to the table, trust me. Many days I sit bored in a dorm silly, cause I don’t work that day or classes are finished, so I have all the time in the world I am a hard worker & I believe living life to it’s fullest, takes effort in order to receive it’s glory
Did he get the job? Please, share your thoughts! I’d also love to know how much of this was put through Google Translate. Think any of it was? I hope some of it was, anyway.
What’s your favorite line? There are so many good ones! This should replace the standard lourem ipsum.
I will find the droids I’m looking for…
Star Wars meets Toy Story (via HeatherBlog)
I WILL FIND THE DROIDS I'M LOOKING FOR
So awesome…
via HeatherBlog
Epic Metal :: It’s not too late to join the quest!
So, the warriors of Dethlehem have dropped a second album, aptly named The Ghorusalem Codex Vol. 2: Of Magick and Tyranny. (This would be a follow-up to their 2009 disc, The Ghorusalem Codex Vol 1: Enthroned Upon A Spire.) If you’re a fan of metal, or a fan of chaos involving things like trolls and dragons and wizards… you need this album.
DETHLEHEM | The Ghorusalem Codex, Vol 2: Of Magick & Tyranny
Listen to this and try to tell me I’m wrong: Dethlehem “Hypergates of Infinitude” It’s one of my favorite tracks off of the album.
I’m big a fan of their first album, but this one blows it away in terms of recording, production, and overall album cohesiveness. The interludes in between songs have become a much better over-all narrative to help guide you along the quest. (The full story is coming soon to their website.)
Bovice and Hildor are the six-string men-at-arms, and the musicianship here makes me sick. The guitars are ridiculous, it’s almost too over the top… but with what Dethlehem has going on, it needs to be ridiculous. I’m talking shredding, sweeps, blazing riffs, and all manner of fretboard insanity. If I didn’t know these guys, I’d hate them… they make a punk rock power chord chump like me almost too embarrassed to pick up a guitar. Luckily for the Ernie and the Berts fan(s), I have no shame.
A slight lineup change on this album, Davidicus the Black replaces Galagore… not sure what the official story is, if Gallagore was eaten by a dragon or transformed into a toad by an evil witch or what. Davidicus is a wizard, and adds a dynamic both in story & in playing style. You can hear less doubling of guitar parts by the bass, more restraint where called-for musically, and stomping all over the place where appropriate.
Overlord Brom bangs on the drums like nobody’s business, and even my untrained ear can tell there’s all manner of math going on here with time-signature changes. This is not 4/4 rock n’ roll. Plus, when he plays live… he starts out with a bucket-like Helmet on his head where it must be impossible to see anything. (By the way, funniest character voice ever in the narratives.)
Lord Bonecrush has developed what I can only call a battle-hardened confidence in his vocals. While they were strong on Vol. 1, on Vol. 2 they’ve progressed to a point where any shred of vocal uncertainty is gone. The vocals are honed sharp like any good weapon should be before going into battle… yet there’s a double-edge… clean for slicing backed up with growling with a ferocity akin to aurally ripping you asunder. The backing vocals also stand out a little clearer on their own on this one… not sure who’s where… but it’s all done sparingly, tastefully, and appropriately.
While not a technical review by any means, I hope to have conveyed the overall feel of the album, and to have piqued your curiosity.
These guys put on an incredible live show… I suggest you buy the album to learn their songs, and then go see them when they come to plunder and pillage a venue near you. I’m not sure if you can fully appreciate the epic-ness through just a recording or video. They’re on tour now if you can catch them!
(In the interest of full disclosure, this may not be a completely objective review… I do know the guys, and they awesomely thanked me in the liner-notes of this disc… But I’d like to think that those who know me know I wouldn’t push crappy music on anyone.)
Our weekend of dining in PA Dutch country
Well, if you’ve been keeping up, you read about my plan for our trip, what we did on our trip, and maybe even the email from the Amish Village owner. This one’s all about the food. We ate a lot while we were out that way, but we didn’t hit the regular buffet/smörgåsbord places like Miller’s or Dienner’s.
If you’re reading this, you probably already know about my shellfish allergy. Buffets can be a nightmare for someone like me… not only do I have to worry about cross-contamination in the kitchen (like on shared cooking surfaces, utensils, or fryers), but I have to worry about my fellow slovenly patrons carelessly flinging bits of deathfish on to adjacent foods, or better yet inadvertently dropping some off of their plate while at a different table. No thank you. No worries though, with the internet I was able to do a lot of research ahead of time on shellfish-free and allergy friendly restaurants.
Classic Breakfast Sandwich on Ciabatta
The continental breakfast at the Super 8 in Lancaster was lacking, so we decided to check out the Prince Street Cafe first thing on Saturday morning. We were quite glad that we did! I had an email exchange going on before our trip with the manager that put me totally at ease. I noticed there was no shellfish on their menu, but I emailed them to be sure. It ends up that they do occasionally have a seafood soup and it would be in-house while we were there, but I wasn’t worried about the cross-contamination there after hearing how it was prepared and seeing that they acknowledged food allergies on their menu by offering gluten-free and nut-free options. I can’t stress enough what a relief & pleasure this type of email exchange was.
The place was packed and we got there shortly after 9:00am. The line before us went quickly & there were thankfully menus posted prominently in two places near to where you order. My wife & I both chose the classic breakfast sandwich on ciabatta, I opted for the addition of bacon. I also had an iced tea, and added some honey which was available on the counter… which made it absolutely perfect. The sandwiches were great, the eggs were cooked perfectly (by a microwave of all things, I think), the cheese was beautifully melted & the ciabatta was nice & fresh. I dug the nice slab ‘o bacon too, it didn’t overpower the sandwich.
All-in-all, this seemed like a great place to hang out. The employees were friendly, there was a really diverse crowd, it was very relaxing. We’ll definitely be back next time we’re in the area, perhaps for a lunch or even just some coffee.
Turkey Sandwich w/ Mild BBQ Sauce
I hadn’t seeked-out Jakey’s before our trip. I did find a business-card sized ad in the giant tourist brochure display wall in our hotel. I saw the word BBQ, and it was all over. I mean, I do love BBQ. I did find a menu online before going in, and again no deathfish, but I did do the usual awkward asking if there is/was every any shellfish prepared there before ordering & after looking over the menu. After a no from the waitress, a confused look, then a double-check with someone in the back, we were good. My problem in general with BBQ joints is that I want everything. Thankfully they usually have sampler or at least combo platters.
Since we were there for lunch though, and doing some touristy running-around, I came to the sad realization that I shouldn’t fill up on BBQ. I opted for the barbecue turkey sandwich with the mild sauce, and my wife went for the chicken sandwich. Sadly, you don’t see a lot of turkey BBQ ’round the ‘Burgh… so I was glad to have that as a choice. I had a side of fries, & Bethany got the macaroni salad. My sandwich was delicious. The turkey was nice & juicy, and there wasn’t so much sauce that you couldn’t appreciate the taste of the meat. I did grab the spicy BBQ sauce that was provided on the table… for the sandwich & for some french fry dipping. It wasn’t really all that hot for being the “spicy” sauce, but it was really good. I’d like to try the other meats & the Carolina-style sauce… Maybe some corn fritters instead of the fries? We’ll be through again when we’re back that way!
Added bonus, it had a real BBQ joint kind of vibe… it shared space with a T-shirt shop that sold all kinds of stuff, from religious to raunchy. The tables had that red & white checkered pattern tablecloth, and there were while plastic outdoor type chairs. The guy behind the counter who I must assume was the owner or at least a manager was very cool to his employees who seemed new, telling them they were doing a good job. He even sent out extra fries for us, apparently there weren’t enough on my plate when it came out! Ha ha. Our waitress did quite well, especially if she was new. The order was correct, quick, and we had sweet tea refills without even asking. Add this place to my list of favorite BBQ joints!
Family-Style Meal
Now, this place was just incredible. Again, I checked out the menu online beforehand, and asked the hostess about shellfish when we arrived. No deathfish in sight (or hidden in the kitchen), so I was good to go. It looks like a quaint little farmhouse with a beautiful garden on the outside, and once inside it doesn’t really lose that farmhouse appeal. We were seated in a room off to the side with smaller tables, as large tables filled the front room (& I believe around back) and were full of mostly families with a bunch of children. Our waitress could have played Granny in the Tweetie & Sylvester cartoons if they were to be made into a live action film.
On the way in the door, you opt in for (& pay for) the buffet, and then if you make it through that, you can order desserts à la carte. We didn’t make it to dessert. Why? Well, they managed to stuff me full of literally everything on the menu. I actually had everything too. It was quite comforting to not have to worry about any cross-contamination or hidden ingredients… and it helped that everything tasted perfect. first they brought out applesauce, pepper cabbage (a kind of cole slaw with red bell peppers & a vinegar dressing), chow-chow, and apple butter w/ white & wheat bread. It was my first time trying chow-chow, and I loved it. It tasted like bread n’ butter pickles, but was a mixture of cauliflower, carrots, green beans, cucumbers (pickles), kidney beans, and maybe peppers and onions? Next, she brought out everything else… Fried chicken, sausage, hamloaf, green beans, corn, buttered noodles, potato stuffing (I’ve heard it called potato filling), & sweet potatoes. All their meat comes from Stoltzfus Meats, right next door. The fried chicken was excellent, the breading was perfect & the chicken itself was delicious & succulent. I could eat potato stuffing all day… I mean carbs + carbs, covered in carb-filled gravy? Yes please.
I could go on, but you get the point. If you catch me on a craving & a free day… I just might drive out there to get a meal & come right home. It would be worth the drive! I wish I had room for the tapioca pudding.
Steak & Egg on 6" Ciabatta
It’s odd mentioning it with the other places, but we did eat breakfast there. I’m from the other side of the state where we have Sheetz & Get·Go… so of course I had to try a Wawa. I’m a huge Sheetz fan, and had it in my head that I already liked Sheetz better. I may be wrong. The girl that made our sandwiches was really friendly, and offered to help us with the touch screen if we needed it. (We must have appeared to be n00bz while we were blipping through checking out the entire menu.
My sandwich not only ridiculously large, but they eggs were really fluffy. I think the menu said something about them containing cheese? Whatever they do with them, it works for me. I got a steak egg & cheese sandwich and it was delicious. Wawa has the same problem as Sheetz & Get·Go as far as wrapping sandwiches though. No matter where I get touch-screen gas station food, there’s always more sauce/ketchup/dressing on the outside of the bun than the inside. You’d think that someone would have come up with a solution for that by now. Perhaps it’s a tie. Maybe Sheetz is still my favorite. It’s pretty close though. (Luckily, there was no deathfish on the menu, so it’s a safe place for me if not classy. Ha ha.)
Strasburg Railroad Trackside Café
Turkey sandwich, hamburger, & fries.
We stopped here to get some lunch after the first train ride of the day at the Strasburg Railroad. It was an OK cafeteria-style kind of joint, sadly cash only. I checked out the menu when we got in there, & did ask if they ever cooked shellfish. I was told they didn’t & felt safe. I got a turkey sandwich & Bethany got a burger, and we shared some fries. My sandwich was pretty good… but Bethany wasn’t a big fan of the burger. The fries seemed a little old for some reason. I think we both wished we had just went back to Jakey’s. Ha ha.
Overall though, I guess we got what we paid for, it was a nice cheap quick & convenient lunch. I did like the fact that they had up signs warning about the use of peanut oil for those with peanut allergies. For a family attraction & with food allergies on the rise, this is a responsible thing for a business to do.
Splits & Giggles
First off, best name ever for an ice cream shop. Secondly, the guys that own & run the place are very cool. I also can’t believe I didn’t pause to take a photo of the ice cream. This was another place that I had scouted-out beforehand, and found through either Urbanspoon or Allergy Eats. I saw that their menu was devoid of deathfish, so I sent the now standard just-to-be-sure email. They had a soup containing seafood, but it hasn’t been in-house for a while… so I was safe. These guys were really cool via email, and even dropped me a line about special hours for that Sunday when they noticed I didn’t stop in on Saturday.
I was hoping to make it there for a lunch or light dinner topped off with some ice cream, but as it happened we were heading home well after lunch & way before dinner, so we decided to ruin dinner & just have some ice cream. It was a good call. I had a hot fudge sundae in a waffle bowl, and Bethany went for rocky-road in a pretzel cone. The ice cream was great, and the place was really cool. It had a nice neighborhood vibe. They even took a bowl of water out for some customers who were outside eating some ice cream whit their dog. Next time we’re in the area, I’d like to get in & try one of their panini sandwiches. They get bonus points for the line “Please alert us of ANY food allergies or concerns you have before ordering.” on their menu.
Well, that was all of our meals while on our road trip. I won’t include the Hardee’s that we hit on the way home… it’s probably best for them if I don’t comment.
Ever been to any of these places? Let me know what you think!
Props to the Amish Village!
OK, so in my blog about our trip to Pennsylvania Dutch country, I mentioned the Amish Village & their “interesting” tour guide. The more I thought about it, the more a few things struck me as odd, so I slightly altered my original post to include the questions that were asked by the people taking the tour & answers given by the guide… and then I did something goofy. I decided to contact the Amish Village to tell them about it. I sent them this using their webform:
> From: Eric <my.email@ddre.ss>
> Subject: Tour. Guide.
>
> Message Body:
> Hello,
>
> My wife & I were in the Lancaster area this past weekend celebrating our anniversary. You have a beautiful area, and an excellent attraction. I enjoyed a view of the Amish lifestyle, and the stores & displays on site. I did learn quite a lot about the use of propane for lighting, refrigeration, and retro-fitting things like electric mixers.
>
> You. might. want. to. audit. your. tour. guides. though.
>
> Confused? Me too: http://wp.me/pwqzc-Ap
>
> Just some things that I noticed that were contradictory to some other tours & info that we had heard…
>
> Thanks!
> -Eric
>
> —
> This mail is sent via contact form on Amish Village http://theamishvillage.net/dev
And this was their reply…
From: Shane Ackermann
To: Eric <my.email@ddre.ss>
Sent: Thursday, June 2, 2011 3:07 PM
Subject: Re: Tour. Guide.
Eric-Thanks for emailing. I’m glad you and your wife enjoyed Lancaster area. We work hard to please our customers and have a unique attraction, after all, you are our life-blood. I saw this blogspot earlier today via google alerts and have already spoken with our team. Must have been an off day, he is one of our best.
Again, thanks for the feedback and please let me know next time you are through the area.
All the best-
Shane Ackermann
The Amish Village
Owner
704-726-6957ps- great pictures. Would you mind posting them to our FB page? I just started it and it needs some customer pictures.
First of all, Google is awesome for picking up my blog with Google Alerts. Second, and more important… Mr. Ackermann is awesome for having them set up for his business, so he can actively keep up on any sort of press and/or online musings. It’s great to see someone actively using technology to keep up with their business & help get the word out. The ridiculously quick reply didn’t hurt either.
Check out their Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Amish-Village/217619698257614 (Maybe check out their Twitter page too!)
Hopefully I’ll be able to upload some photos for them in the next few days.
Again, I’d like to stress that it’s definitely a cool/fun place to visit. Just read up on the Amish first, & grill the tour guides when you’re there! Ha ha.
World (and Lunar) Domination 