After our mixed experience at Brown’s Monday evening, my buddy Chris and I headed over to Holmes and Watson a few blocks away on Broadway in Troy. I wasn’t very hungry, but after walking inside, I could tell that the folks running Holmes and Watson were at least going to *act* more friendly than our …
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brown’s brewing
Monday night I went to Brown’s Brewing on River St in Troy. Their menu is wide-ranging, and many of the beers they serve they brew in-house. Seating is available on two levels, along with a sizable bar, and they were really busy for a Monday evening, so we sat upstairs. For dinner, I had the …
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man of kent tavern and cafe
My friend Chris has been bragging-up Man of Kent in Hoosick Falls for months. So on this foray to the Great White North (aka ‘home’), we decided to go out for the evening. They’re located at 4452 Route 7 in Hoosick Falls, on the south side of the road, about 20ish minutes outside of Troy. …
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gray!
In visiting my parents this week in upstate NY, I’m reminded of why I like winter – there’s snow, and it’s not nearly so bright out with lots of cloud cover. And at night it’s very easy to see because of the reflectivity of the blanket of snow on the ground. Ahh, home.
dirty jobs
While I wish my cable bill was a lot lower, or that they’d only give me the channels I’m interested in, being able to DVR my favorite shows like Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe rocks. Setting-up series to just auto-record any time it’s new is teh hotness. It’s the concept of VCR+ implemented in a …
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blacksburg is in the news too much
I heard this morning of the murder that took place in Blacksburg VA this past week. There were several other people in the Virginia Tech cafe when this happened, and while they called 911, none tried to stop the attack. The opening scenes of Boondock Saints has the following excerpt of the priest’s homily: “And …
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store brands are sometimes better
I shop at various grocery stores, and the cashiers generally look at my purchases a little askance: clementines, milk, ice cream, pot pies, beer, Ensure – they seem to get confused when I checkout with my selections. I was raised with a thrifty mindset, but am not afraid to spend money for better quality. For …
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eating at home has other benefits
Not merely saving money, but it’s also healthier. I’ve been eating dominantly at home – either mine or friends’ places – and have noticed that not only is each meal less expensive, but I can eat better food, too. Don’t get me wrong, those McDonald’s breakfast burritos are awesome. They’re also 300 calories a pop …
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The joy of giving
When I was a kid, I recall it being somewhat exciting and fun to drop a couple coins in the offering plate at church. Now it’s not so interesting. Most churches I’ve been to seem to have an undue focus on money; certainly there should be some focus, as the Apostle Paul directed the Corinthians …
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beer, bourbon, and bbq
Last year I went to the Beer and Bourbon Festival at Koka Booth in Cary. My buddy Jeremy and I had an absolute blast. They’re bringing it back this year in August again, and I’m planning to go again. There are some other shows before and after in the southeast, but the one in Cary …
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the best middle name. ever.
While I typically don’t repost, Seth Godin’s post was awesome. “The best middle name ever It’s not Warren or Susan or Otis or Samuel or Tricia. It’s “The.” As in Attila The Hun or Alexander The Great or Zorba The Greek. When your middle name is ‘The’, it means you’re it. The only one. The …
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a [short] review
Regardless of for whom you voted in 2000, 2004, or 2008, and regardless of whether or not you approve of the out-going president, or his replacement, certainly one thing can be agreed-upon. Less than 8 months after President George W Bush took office, some group of people hostile to the United States flew aircraft into …
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guglhupf
I went to Guglhupf in Durham today for lunch. I’d never heard of them before today, and only went with the group I had joined because Foster’s was slammed. Their soup selections change daily, and today I tried their scotch broth – which today was lamb-based. I also ordered a breakfast bread basket. My total …
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applesauce
This week I made a batch of applesauce from the macintoshes I had in my fridge before they went bad. While it tasted pretty good (if I do say so myself), I much preferred the batch from over Christmas made with Northern Spies. The Northern Spy is my favorite apple – great in pies, sauce, …
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eating at home
After finding Mint yesterday, I was freshly reminded of how expensive it is to eat out. For example, the least expensive meal I know of when I go out for lunch that isn’t fast food (though Chik-Fil-A is darned tasty) is about $8 including a soda; $6 with water. However, a bowl of soup and …
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minty freshness
I just heard about Mint.com today. Whoever thought this one up is a genius. They’ll keep track of your financial state, sending alerts if anything is amiss.
yes, i’m a dork
Certainly you’ve all seen Chuck Norris Facts. And some of you who may be on Stackoverflow have seen Jon Skeet Facts. But have you seen Bruce Schneier Facts? “The nuclear launch codes held by the President of the United States are secured by an unbreakable system: a plain brown envelope with a picture of Bruce …
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paddy’s bricks
So I write this note to tell you of my plight At the time of writing I am not a pretty sight My body is all black and blue, my face a deathly gray So I write this note to say why Paddy’s not at work today While working on the fourteenth floor, some bricks …
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tim finnegan’s wake
To the Irish! As copied from Wikipedia: Tim Finnegan lived in Watlin Street A gentle Irishman, mighty odd; He had a brogue both rich and sweet And to rise in the world he carried a hod. Now, Tim had a bit of the tipplers way With a love for the liquor poor Tim was born …
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yay for vacations
I just had a great week. From the afternoon (UTC) of 28 Nov through the afternoon (EST) of 7 Dec, I had no internet access. And until 0100 (EST) of 7 Dec, I had no access to my phone. It was phenomenal. And I didn’t miss anything “important”, either. This is the first multi-day break …
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things to be thankful for [so far] in 2008
Ignoring politics, the economy, and the world at large, here is my list of what I’m thankful for [so far] this year: Family – I have cousins, aunt, uncles, a grandparent, parents, and a sister all alive and kicking. Friends – folks who’ll go out for a night on the town, or sit around and …
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nucleation – the secret to maintaining a good head?
I had a Beck’s this evening with dinner. The special Beck’s glass, like the Samuel Admas Perfect Pint Glass, has a small segment at the bottom that forces the dissolved CO2 to form bubbles, and yields a [near] constant head on the beer. For those of you that saw the Mythbusters episode dealing with Mentos …
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us urges merchant ships to try steps to foil pirates
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/washington/20military.html?_r=1 “The commander of American and allied naval forces off the coast of Somalia has begun efforts to halt a spike in piracy, urging merchant vessels to sail with armed guards on board and to travel only within lanes now patrolled by warships. The commander, Vice Adm. William E. Gortney of the United States Navy, …
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more about minesweeper than you ever wanted to know
http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2007/02/column_beyond_tetris_minesweep.php I knew I wasn’t crazy – Minesweeper is NOT a waste of time! Wikipedia page
black carrot and hibiscus?
Today for lunch I popped out to M&S, which is a supermarket in the UK. With my combo meal I got an M&S Cola. Right on the front it claims “no artificial colours”. And based on the ingredient list, I’ll go along with agreeing. However, near the end of the ingredient list is ‘fruit and …
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