https://estrip.orgen-ushttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssPaul Visco's surebert framework RSS creatorhttps://estrip.org/articles/read/ih8gates/38931/Chocolate_is_King.html
I decided that I should at least do a taste test, before writing the beans off completely. There were 2 unlabeled Ziploc bagfuls, which I will now refer to as Group A and Group B. Sampling a bean from Group A first, I was instantly struck by its overall gritty texture. This sandy candy was not for me. I then put that bag down and tried a bean from Group B. These beans were much more fruity in flavor, and less gritty overall. With clearly identifiable flavors such as green apple and coconut, I couldn't help but enjoy several of each color. The yellow ones tasted more like liquid lemon Pledge than citrus flavored candy, but I guess that's all one can expect from artificial flavorings.
]]>Tue, 17 Apr 2007 18:22:03 -0400https://estrip.org/articles/read/ih8gates/38931/Chocolate_is_King.htmlhttps://estrip.org/articles/read/ih8gates/38126/On_the_origins_of_office_furniture.htmlchronicle of the ultimate office furniture proved interesting. How cool to hear from the "father of the cubicle" himself. If I had created such a beast, I'd be a little bummed, too. I have to forgive the guy, though. The cubicle is just another case of a designer's creation being mangled by economics.

Note: An installation of the Herman Miller Resolve furniture ("1999" in the article's Photo Gallery) was completed on the 1st floor of RIT's Wallace Library during my years there. It looked pretty spiffy.
]]>Thu, 15 Feb 2007 00:28:50 -0500https://estrip.org/articles/read/ih8gates/38126/On_the_origins_of_office_furniture.htmlhttps://estrip.org/articles/read/ih8gates/37947/Green_beans_anyone_.html
Tonight's episode, which focused on cans and canning, introduced me to a company called Edlund, and a great mechanical beast known as the 825A Can Opening System. This is the most awesome can opener I've ever heard of. It opens, dumps, cleans, and crushes 30 cans per minute

Now I know why the old southern lunch ladies at my high school always looked so chipper. They never had to break a sweat, because all their cans were opened for them. In fact, this thing reminds me of a scene in the movie Super Size Me, that features a cafeteria worker brandishing a box cutter. She proclaims it to be their most common tool of the trade.

Soylent Green, anyone?


]]>Wed, 31 Jan 2007 23:34:24 -0500https://estrip.org/articles/read/ih8gates/37947/Green_beans_anyone_.htmlhttps://estrip.org/articles/read/ih8gates/37709/New_year_new_laptop_.html
When I found that the Toshiba booth at this year's Consumer Electronics show was giving away chances to win one of their laptops, I thought mine was in the bag. So I took my seat in the audience to play their version of the game show Deal or No Deal. I was the first contestant called on stage that round. I made small talk with the host, eyed the wall of cases behind me, and decided that Case #6 must contain the laptop.

Had I chosen wisely? They tried to bribe me with a padded laptop-toting backpack, but I don't need one of those for my aging PowerBook. My good ol' man-purse case works just fine for this tiny machine. The audience shouted CASE! CASE! CASE! I made my decision; the case it must be. As the lovely stage hostess cracked that silver briefcase, my hopes for portable computing in the new year faded a little. I won...another backpack.

]]>Mon, 15 Jan 2007 23:34:03 -0500https://estrip.org/articles/read/ih8gates/37709/New_year_new_laptop_.htmlhttps://estrip.org/articles/read/ih8gates/22995/Different_things.html ]]>Tue, 12 Dec 2006 23:01:55 -0500https://estrip.org/articles/read/ih8gates/22995/Different_things.html