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Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Links
I've got nothing. Have some links.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Review of New Candy
Hershey's Caramel Cappuccino
 It's nice to see Hershey's innovating again, after several dismal attempts to improve on the Kit Kat. This time, Hershey's has hit a home run. Hershey's Caramel Cappuccino is a candy bar that you will want to share, for two reasons. First, there is a practical consideration: The candy is very, very rich, and you will want someone to help you finish it. Second, Hershey's Caramel Cappuccino is amazingly tasty, and you will want someone else to witness it. You will take a bit of the candy, and you will be surprised how effectively Hershey has blended the tastes of chocolate, caramel and coffee. It is sweet, but the acidic taste of the coffee effectively keeps it from being too sweet. "Mmmm... Try this," you will say, gladly handing over a piece of this bar to a friend. They will smile and nod approvingly, saying, "Hey--that's pretty good." And indeed, it is. So much so, in fact, that one wonders why this candy is a limited edition. Surely there is room in Hershey's stable for this new invention? Perhaps some of the other confections could be put out to pasture to make room, if necessary. For example, Hershey's has been hawking Krackel for years now, and even the most casual consumer of chocolate knows that Krackel is not, even on its best day, a substitute for a Nestle Crunch. Or, Hershey's could eliminate some of the redundancies in its lineup (For example, why make Skor when you also make Heath? Why continue the Symphony line, when it is obviously just a Hershey's Chocolate bar poured into a different mould?). It would be nice if the good chocolatiers from Pennsylvania would take a bold step towards innovation and find a way to continue to transition some of their more successful limited-run candy--such as the Caramel Cappuccino bars--into a regular product. Hershey's Extra Dark  The good news is that the Extra Dark label promises 60% cacao, which is refreshing, since the more cacao that is in the chocolate the better it is, generally. The bad news is that Hershey's is choosing to market this candy not with the promise of better quality chocolate--but by pointing out that chocolate contains antioxidants. Candy makers everywhere take note: If you have to market your chocolate by claiming that it is medicinal... Well, it might be time to go back to the drawing board. I am not much impressed with Hershey's Extra Dark. Despite the claims Hershey's makes, this chocolate is still not terribly high quality. I could digress into a discussion of the ratio of cocoa solids to cocoa butter, but I won't. I'll just say that Hershey's got it wrong... again. Additionally, the Extra Dark was tempered badly. (Tempering a complicated process which determines the texture of the finished chocolate. Among other things, well-tempered chocolate is crisp--when you break it, it makes a satisfying "snap." Read more about tempering here.) The poor tempering was obvious, as the chocolate melted all over my hands. And trust me, I wasn't holding it for that long. The flagship dark chocolate bar from Hershey's remains the Special Dark, which is not saying much for the chocolatier from Pennsylvania. If you want high quality dark chocolate, and if you are limited to mass-market chocolate, I recommend you go with Lindt.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Won't you be my neighbor
After four days off, it's very hard to get started this morning. I once had a client who referred to the period of adjustment after a vacation as "re-tox." I like that, and think it is appropriate today.
The vacation was nice, though. I had lunches with friends, took naps, read, decorated for Christmas, and shopped. (I purchased this tree, which is the cutest thing ever. And I came very close to purchasing one of these, but Jason would have killed me.) Having a few days off confirmed my suspicions that I work too hard the rest of the time. In other news, I once blogged about a house up the street from me that I adore. I even posted this picture:  Well, the house is for sale. I want it.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Watching the walls fall down around us
It's odd, but it's like the entire city is anxious.
I'm sure you've already heard the news: General Motors is getting rid of a whole lot of jobs. Delphi, an automotive supplier, wants to eliminate 24,000 jobs as well. Ford isn't far behind: The big blue oval will announce it's "restructuring plan" in January, and has already disclosed that it will eliminate at least 4,000 jobs. (Read the story here.) All of this is going down in what is already the nation's worst economy. Here in Detroit we have seen the loss of over 100,000 manufacturing jobs since 2000. We have the highest unemployment rate in the country, and for those who are still working--well, Michigan's median household income has decreased by almost $10,000 since 1999. Once, people moved to Michigan in order to find work in the booming auto industry. People came from the south and the rural midwest looking for steady work that paid well. Detroit seemed like the promised land. Today, the opposite is true. The Big Three automotive companies are trying to get smaller, and that means that there are fewer jobs in the local economy. People (particularly people with college degrees) are increasingly moving to other states to find better opportunities. The future is very bleak here in the Great Lake State.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Spam that merits further investigation
I received the following e-mail today:
To: matt@mattsweet.com From: A. Schweitzer Subject: Impress her with your organ! Physician-approved! I was tempted to click on the link in this message just because the obscure reference made me laugh. (If you don't get the reference, Google it. Learn something.) I wonder if this happened randomly? In any case, it got me thinking about other ways that spammers could get my attention. To: matt@mattsweet.com From: L. Cohen Subject: Personal Testimonial I wanted to share this tea and these oranges with you. The come all the way from China. Check them out. To: matt@mattsweet.com From: T. Amos Subject: Girls! Girls addicted to nicotine patches! Girls afraid of the light in the dark! To: matt@mattsweet.com From: W. Wordsworth Subject: Lonely as a cloud? Try Daffodil essence! Feel better without a prescription!
Monday, November 21, 2005
Weekend
Jay and I saw the Harry Potter movie Friday night. It was pretty good. I feel like the movie rushed the story, but I suppose that is inevitable when a book of this size is made into a movie. Much has been made of Daniel Radcliffe's poor acting (and indeed, he was a little wooden), but not much has been said about Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley. Grint is a surprisingly good actor for a 17-year-old. Go see the movie if you want to know what I'm talking about.
On Saturday, Jay and I cleaned all day in anticipation of hosting our relatives on Sunday. Saturday evening Jay and I rewarded ourselves by going to Baston, one of metro Detroit's finest restaurants. The food was, as always, spectacular. After dinner we went home and went to bed. Sunday I cooked all day. I served slow-roasted pork loin with apple gravy, sweet prune stuffing, green bean casserole, candied yams, mashed potatoes and baked acorn squash. Dinner was very well-received. After pumpkin pie and home-made whipped cream, we sat around the piano and sang Christmas carols. At the end, I played Horowitz's version of The Stars and Stripes Forever for everyone. All in all, it was a nice weekend. Oh, and this is the funniest thing I've seen in months. But it is not work safe.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Friday Culture and a Hot Guy [+/-] See it...Bill Watterson is the artist who brought the world the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin was one of the most popular comic strips of modern times, running in more than 2,400 papers at one point. It ran for 10 years--from November of 1985 until December of 1995, totalling 3,160 published strips. This month the definitive collection, The Complete Calvin and Hobbes, goes on sale. I think I'll let Calvin speak for himself. Click to view each strip in a new window. Calvin the mad scientist, building a Cerebral Enhance-a-tron. This strip shows some of Watterson's artistic talent. Calvin comes to terms with death and grief. The last strip. Today's hottie is Jason Seahorn. He plays for the St. Louis Rams, in case that matters to you.   
Thursday, November 17, 2005
I'm not dead yet.
Yesterday, I was sick. I stayed home. I slept, I played with the cats, and I read. It was a good day, except for the whole "being sick" thing.
Today, I'm feeling slightly better... well enough to be at work, anyway. For the record, I think it is grossly unfair that my cats get to sit at home and sleep all day while I have to toil away here at my office. Where do I sign up to come back as a pampered pet in my next life?
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Links
Does anyone else find Sherwin-Williams' the most disturbing corporate logo ever?
 This flash animation of a figure being drawn is pretty cool. New fashion for strippers. At a certain point, you just may as well be naked. Share a beer with your dog. It's just a harmless rabbit... or is it?
Monday, November 14, 2005
Meme meme meme meme meme meme meme.
If I were an urban legend...
If I were a junk e-mail...
If a drinking game were based on my life...
Friday, November 11, 2005
Friday culture and some eye candy [+/-] Culture is under the cut...Get out the djembe and light your patchouli--today I'm gifting you with two poems by Rumi. Celaladin Mehmet Rumi was a 13th century Persian Muslim theologian, poet and a Sufi mystic. Rumi's poems have influenced Iranian and Afghan music and culture for centuries. Rumi wrote about love, and God, and about passion. Probably because of this, he has become very popular with New Age-type spirituality. Here are some selections from his works. They are simple and beautiful. The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Rough trade is hot, which is why today's hottie is Diego Sanchez, from Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter.   
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Review of new candy
Chewy Sweet Tarts
 I was a little reluctant to try the Chewy Sweet Tarts, mostly because I don't care all that much for the regular old Sweet Tarts. But this blog doesn't write itself, so I bought the little things and tried to put aside my prejudices. And I'm glad that I did, because it turns out that the Chewy Sweet Tarts are much more manageable than their powdery cousins. As crazy as it sounds, I think the chewing action improves the flavor, somehow. In fact, they are slightly reminiscent of Laffy Taffy, which is a very good thing. Butterfinger Crisp  If Butterfinger and Whatchamacallit took a romantic trip to Paris and the two had a passionate, whirlwind love affair, this would be their love child. Hidden from public view and protected from the fame that surrounds her parents, Butterfinger Crisp was raised in Switzerland. The fame and wealth of her parents provided her with advantages most candies do not have. She was taught the proper comportment for a candy bar of her stature. She is well-educated and exposed to high culture. She is a society lady, but would never be so common as to appear on a TV series or in a tabloid. Butterfinger Crisp is light and well-behaved. She combines the best of both of her parents without ever being so gauche as to actually refer directly to them. Butterfinger Crisp is delightful; she stands head and shoulders above her peers.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
You feel your heart beat/You hit the concrete/Dance the mean street/Detroit City  Oh, how I love the City of Detroit. Yesterday, Detroiters decided to keep their mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick (shown here), despite rampant corruption and an insurmountable budget deficit. Receivership, here we come! In other news, my fruity-liberal suburb of Ferndale approved the use of medical marijuana. Damn, we're cool. I plan on celebrating by indulging in my own drug of choice. 
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Links
Hey you kids! Get off my lawn!
A light that makes your tap water glow blue. I kind of want one. Edit: My partner has posted a list of 10 Things about Matt. Go and read more about me.
Monday, November 07, 2005
Want to be sore in the morning?
Then spend your weekend doing yard work. Yes, I got a lot accomplished, but today I hurt everywhere. I plan on sitting very, very still and hoping that my clients don't notice my wincing in pain.
Ouch. In other news, here is an intresting article about Detroit. It points out exactly how much of a crisis this city faces. That is all.
Friday, November 04, 2005
Friday culture and a hottie [+/-] Culture under the cut...Lately I've been thinking about my living, so I'm giving you two poems about work today. I've posted the second one before, but it's one of my favorites, so you'll probably see it again. Workshop Where I come from, men worked all day, then came home and worked some more. Retirement just meant mornings in the basement or garage. And more than one of my neighbors dropped dead there, slumped by a whining band saw. These men walk beside me into my workshop where someone has already moved the chairs into a circle. They stand there and smoke or look down at their callused hands. The naked emotion embarrasses them, not to mention the girls' short skirts or boys with earrings. So they look at the window that won't close, eye the chair with one uneven leg, the desk that needs refinishing. Boy, if they could just get their hands on a hammer, a couple of shims, and some sandpaper they'd fix everything in no time flat. --Ron Koertge They had torn off my face at the office. The night that I finally noticed that it was not growing back, I decided to slit my wrists. Nothing ran out; I was empty. Both of my hands fell off shortly thereafter. Now at my job they allow me to type with the stumps. It pleases them to have helped me, and I gain in speed and confidence. --Ted Kooser Today's hottie is Justin Baldoni, from Everwood.   
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Things that bug me, part I
Intellectual laziness is my biggest pet peeve. Just thinking about it angers up my blood a little. You all know what I'm talking about--but in case you don't, I've made a handy little list of things that you can do to avoid being stabbed in the neck by a frothy-mouthed therapist:
1) Occasionally, just for shits and giggles, run the damn spell check. I understand that misspellings are a part of life from time to time, and I accept that typos happen. However, in the day and age of instant-click spell check, there really is no excuse for continued mistakes. If you are writing something longhand (I think I'm the only one who does this anymore), take the time to use a damn dictionary. 2) There is no such word as "irregardless." In fact, there never was. The word "regardless" is, and always was, sufficient. And while I'm on the subject, "penultimate" means "next to the last." Get it right. 3) Your individual lack of understanding of a complex concept does not mean that the concept is flawed. For example: You don't understand how evolution works because it is very complex? That, in an of itself, doesn't give any validity to your favorite creation fairy tale. 4) Any e-mails that you receive about immediate threats to life, liberty, computer integrity or financial security are probably false. In any case, take the time to do a little research before you spout foolish warnings to your friends and family. Just for the record, though: Not buying gasoline on a particular day will not lower the cost; there is no "worst virus ever" classification at Microsoft; the abolition of slavery will not expire. I'm sure I'll think of others. Stay tuned.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Review of New Candy
It's been a long time since I've done one of these, mostly because it's hard to find new candy in the rush up to Halloween. But I did not give up easily! I searched my usual supplier (a skanky little liquor store about a mile from my house that always has the weirdest candy) long and hard for you, gentle readers, and while purchasing gin the other day, I found...
Kit-Kat Extra Creamy  I was very excited that I had found a new candy about which I could blog. Writing about candy is easier than writing about life. I do not have to think of anything creative or funny! Nor do I have to write about my personal life, thus inviting much-feared intimacy! No! I can write about my new candy discovery! Except that... well... the new Kit Kat Extra Creamy tastes almost exactly like the regular old Kit Kat. I actually bought a regular Kit Kat for a comparison, and I was practically unable to tell the difference. Now, gentle reader, I can tell Godiva from Ghirardelli from Rocky Mountain from Lindt from Neuhaus. I know how chocolate is made, and exactly what processes give it different tastes. I understand how the ratios between cocoa butters, cocoa liquors, milk solids and sugars affects the taste of the finished product. So when I say that the Kit Kat Extra Creamy tastes just like a regular Kit Kat, trust me on this. There is only one, tiny difference between the two--the new "Extra Creamy" version is slightly sweeter--and since Kit Kats are cloying to begin with, this isn't an improvement. I am again disappointed with the American Candy distributors. Other countries get some serious Kit Kat variations--but we here in America have been treated to the "Inside Out Kit Kat" (made with white "chocolate") and the "Kit Kat Dark" (actually, this was an improvement, as the tartness of the dark chocolate removes some of the sweetness). I am frustrated that we here in America have to make due with the same old stale candy formulas when there are so many possibilities out there, such as Christmas pudding, blood orange, and passion fruit.   
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Tuesday links
Yesterday was Halloween, as I'm sure you all noticed. So, I took the day off work. Halloween is probably my favorite holiday--it's not overblown like Christmas, I don't have to see any relatives like Easter, and I'm not expected to cook like Thanksgiving. It's all about candy, giving things away, and focusing on having fun. I love it. Jay and I stayed home and gave out candy. This year we had about 150 kids. We probably would have had more, but it was raining.
Links: How to restrain a cat. The pictures are really funny to me, probably because I'm sick. |
