What a fantastic term: yak-shaving. Will expand and comment later. In the meantime, the link captures it quite nicely.
Yak-shaving yak-shaving yak-shaving. Yep, it's a winner.
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Kids these days.
Yesterday I was on a mission to look for J's beloved apple-cinnamon Pop-Tarts along with my usual groceries. Reading about her inability to find them piqued my interest, especially since her birthday is coming up. I figured this would make a great birthday gift: it is exactly what she wants, and would be easy to ship, especially if I manage to snag a case of these things. Add a brown paper wrapper and the address and it's all ready to go!
The only problem is they don't sell that particular flavor here, either. They seem to be phasing out the non-fruit varieties and anything that isn't frosted. Seriously, though, how can you tell the difference between "french toast", "brown sugar", and "s'mores" anyways? They are all brown. If we lived in Canada, I am sure there would be a "maple" flavor, too.
Now I am going to say some things that will make me sound very old, because I guess I am.
My first encounter with Pop-Tarts was in grade school because previously, all food was eaten with the family at home or in a restaurant. Pop-Tarts were forbidden because they were (are) clearly made of unidentifiable ingredients. They were a strange food because we had no idea what they were. Breakast? Snack? Dessert? The kids at school would pack them in their lunches, in much the same way I would pack a cookie to go along with my sandwich and fruit.
I remember reading the label at the supermarket once, back when fruity flavors dominated the lineup, and seeing it claimed to provide one exchange of fruit. If you're eating a fruity flavor, this makes sense. There is some fruit inside, even if it is dyed and sugared and the consistency of paste. A little bit like eating jam straight out of the jar.
The brown flavors can make no such claim, as far as I can tell. I first sampled Pop-Tarts several years later, when we somehow got a free sample of the new "s'mores" flavor. The verdict? Maybe you're supposed to toast them first instead of eating them cold. I got the incredible sensation of eating tooth-achingly sweet cardboard. If I were stranded on a desert island with no other supplies but a case of those, I'd use them as bait for fish.
That said, they would have been ridiculously easy to ship to J for her birthday. But since I couldn't find them, I think her best bet is to buy them in Canada: http://www.kelloggs.ca/cgi-bin/klog-canada/product.pl?product=486&company=2.
While you're up there, J, perhaps you could pick up some Allegra for me.
The only problem is they don't sell that particular flavor here, either. They seem to be phasing out the non-fruit varieties and anything that isn't frosted. Seriously, though, how can you tell the difference between "french toast", "brown sugar", and "s'mores" anyways? They are all brown. If we lived in Canada, I am sure there would be a "maple" flavor, too.
Now I am going to say some things that will make me sound very old, because I guess I am.
My first encounter with Pop-Tarts was in grade school because previously, all food was eaten with the family at home or in a restaurant. Pop-Tarts were forbidden because they were (are) clearly made of unidentifiable ingredients. They were a strange food because we had no idea what they were. Breakast? Snack? Dessert? The kids at school would pack them in their lunches, in much the same way I would pack a cookie to go along with my sandwich and fruit.
I remember reading the label at the supermarket once, back when fruity flavors dominated the lineup, and seeing it claimed to provide one exchange of fruit. If you're eating a fruity flavor, this makes sense. There is some fruit inside, even if it is dyed and sugared and the consistency of paste. A little bit like eating jam straight out of the jar.
The brown flavors can make no such claim, as far as I can tell. I first sampled Pop-Tarts several years later, when we somehow got a free sample of the new "s'mores" flavor. The verdict? Maybe you're supposed to toast them first instead of eating them cold. I got the incredible sensation of eating tooth-achingly sweet cardboard. If I were stranded on a desert island with no other supplies but a case of those, I'd use them as bait for fish.
That said, they would have been ridiculously easy to ship to J for her birthday. But since I couldn't find them, I think her best bet is to buy them in Canada: http://www.kelloggs.ca/cgi-bin/klog-canada/product.pl?product=486&company=2.
While you're up there, J, perhaps you could pick up some Allegra for me.
Friday, March 04, 2005
不行。
I think I am coming down with a cold or the flu. Whatever it is that's going around. I have a new idea. I now believe if you are sick, you should come to work, and if you are not ill, you should stay at home.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
麻烦。
Multiple near-identical machines. Which one does everyone want? That's right, the one I'm using.
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