New iMac, Lots of Frustration

I purchased my wife a new iMac for Christmas.  Her old one was around 5 years old and extremely slow.  Apple (and Mac fan boi Walt Mossberg of the WSJ) tout how easy it is to transfer the old data to the new computer via a firewire cable.  So I hooked it up, and was presented with the option to either transfer basically EVERYTHING from the old computer, or wait and do it later.  I opted to wait, so that I could choose specific folders containing the iTunes songs and all of the photos from the last 5 years.  However, after doing the transfer, something happened so that the iTunes were in a separate, inaccessible folder that was locked.  After spending about two hours trying to fix this, I gave up and reinstalled the operating system, this time choosing to transfer everything at the initial stage.  Unfortunately, it transferred all of the crap that my wife had put on the computer.  Things are stored all over the place and it’s a complete mess.  One of the reasons I wanted to get her a new computer was for a fresh start.  My wife’s not an idiot and having worked at Oracle she’s pretty tech savvy.  It’s just hard to download and save stuff on a Mac.

So I just reinstalled the operating system, and she’s got a fresh, clean system.  I’ve got a neighbor that has used Macs for 20 years, and I’m going to see if he can transfer the photos and iTunes music from the old computer to an external hard drive, and then transfer the files on to the new computer.  At this point I’m not too optimistic.

Apple diehards are always screaming about how easy to use Macs are, and how great the software is.  But in this instance, a PC beats the thing hands down.  All I would have to do is drag and drop the folder, which I’ve done in the past.  On the other hand the Mac is pretty cool.  I’ll keep providing updates as my relationship with this iMac develops.

Bus Accident

30 Miserable Lives Lost In Greyhound Bus Crash

ALBANY, NY—Emergency crews called to the scene described the remains of the victims as "slightly more lifeless than they were before the accident."

Ultimate Martini Update

Per my post below regarding preparing the ultimate martini, I thought I would add a few things.  I attempted the recipe using Bombay Saphire Gin.  Neither my wife or I could drink it.  She has liked vodka martinis in the past, so I went to Beverages and More to buy Belvedere Vodka.  They had a gift box containing a 750ml bottle and one reidel martini glass for $30.  I did not buy it.  Instead, I went to Costco, where they have a gift box with a 1.75 ml bottle of Belvedere Vodka and two reidel martini glasses for $40.  Thus for ten dollars more you get an extra liter and an extra glass.

 

I also want to point out that Forbes magazine recently reviewed an updated version of “The Savoy Cocktail Book,” written by Harry Craddock, one of the most famous bartenders of all time (sorry Johnny Love) that features a variety of martini recipes.  You can read the entire article here.  Here are a few of the recipes:

 

Dry Martini Cocktail:

1/2 French Vermouth

1/2 Gin

1 Dash Orange Bitters

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass

 

Winston Churchill preferred this version:

Martini (Dry) Cocktail:

1/3 French Vermouth

2/3 Dry Gin

Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass

 

The article also mentions Craddock's “White Lady,” one of the most popular drinks of the Jazz Age:

 

White Lady Cocktail:

1/4 Lemon Juice

1/4 Cointreau

1/2 Dry Gin

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

 

Coincidentally, Eric Felten, who writes the “How’s Your Drink” column in the Wall Street Journal just had an article on the White Lady.  As of today, the article can be accessed here, but I believe Murdock has not yet made the online content free as promised.  Interesting quotes:

"All women like White Ladies," wrote romance novelist Maysie Greig in her 1938 "Men as Her Stepping-Stones." Explaining the cocktail's appeal to distaff drinkers, she said that "they appear mild, but they're potent." And she suggested that this was an aesthetic tendency with wide application for women: "She wants a thing to appear mild, but it must have a definite kick to it."

…

But the White Lady -- and the whole Bright Young Things aesthetic of London between the wars -- aged poorly. By the mid-1960s, Punch magazine looked back at those days with bemusement: "Can anyone remember the terrible taste of gin-and-cointreau? Or whether it was a Sidecar or a White Lady? Or how excited the papers got when Bertie the Barman shook up something new and fancy-named?" Then the magazine shifted from bemusement to disdain: "Is there anything more naïve than yesterday's sophistication?"

…

There are problems with the drink. The name doesn't exactly invite men to share an enthusiasm for the cocktail, even though it's no girly-drink. And there's the potential that the moniker might be perceived as having racial overtones, though it comes from the British phrase for a female ghost. But perhaps the most significant difficulty is that Punch magazine had a point about the taste of gin-and-Cointreau. The White Lady may have been a natural variation on the Sidecar theme, but gin doesn't blend as harmoniously as brandy with Cointreau and lemon juice. Even so, there isn't anything wrong with the White Lady that a little tweaking can't fix.

I like what can happen when white rum and gin are put together, and so I added some rum to the White Lady. It was better, but still not good enough. After a few hours of kitchen-sink chemistry experiments, I found that the addition of a little bit of simple syrup and orange bitters did the trick. It turns out that the Menlo Club (a 1940s San Francisco poker palace) had a house cocktail of striking similarity to our revised White Lady. I suggest we adopt the Menlo Club Cocktail as the worthy successor to Craddock's original.

 

Airline Panic Attack

I'm pretty sure if I was on this flight I would have grabbed someone's Zero Halliburton brief case and slammed it into his head.

Weaknesses in both Internet Explorer and Firefox

I’ve used Internet Explorer as my browser for the last 7 years.  While I’ve downloaded Firefox, I rarely use it.  Some annoying things with IE recently let me to switch to Firefox, but I’ve noticed several short comings with Firefox that have forced me back to IE.

The problem with Internet Explorer only occurs on certain websites.  The main one is Google Finance.  When I begin typing a company name in the search bar, Google automatically loads a drop down menu of companies that begin with the letters you are typing.  I’m not sure what this technology is called, but it causes problems in IE.  Certain letters do no register while typing.  You have to go back and type very slowly, sometimes hitting the same key several times.   This occurs on other sites as well.  This is an annoying problem for me, since I do a lot of Internet research.

Firefox does not have this problem.  However, it lacks a few things that forced me back to IE.  First, in Internet Explorer I can highlight a word in a document and drag it into the Google search bar in IE, and quotes are automatically added to the words I’ve selected.  The words remain in the document.  With Firefox, you can drag the words into the Google search box, but it removes them from the document.

The other problem is in inserting a hyperlink to words in a document.  When in Word, you simply highlight the word(s), right click, choose hyperlink, go to Internet Explorer, copy the URL, and then paste it into the “address” section of the Insert Hyperlink box.  Unfortunately, when you copy the URL in Firefox, nothing appears in the Insert Hyperlink box.

These two problems with Firefox outweigh the one problem with IE, so it’s back to IE for me, at least until I switch to an iMac early next year.

 

What is Google up to?

Google last week announced it will bid for part of the 700-megahertz wireless spectrum.  A Goldman Sachs analyst said that Google is doing this to “ensure that there is an open wireless network so that Google is not subject to decisions made by the carriers that would adversely impact the adoption of Google mobile services, products and applications.”  Per AP, Google is bidding on the "C Block" of the spectrum — which carries a reserve price of $4.6 billion — because regulators stipulated that whoever operates it must allow its users to download any software application they want to a mobile device.  Previously, Google announced that it will develop software for mobile devices, which now mostly run proprietary software limiting their use to certain mobile phone companies.

 

Most people view this as basically an attempt by Google to make an iPhone, but I think there is much more to it.  Last month Google announced that it is preparing a service to let users store essentially all of the files on their computers online.  An apparently inadvertently released Google memo from March 2006 indicated that the “GDrive” project was meant to “store 100% of user data,” including emails, web history, pictures, and bookmarks.”  Google has also been aggressive in enhancing their online word processing and spreadsheet applications, and email security (via Postini application), and already has a photo sharing site (Picasa), web calendar, social networking site (Orkut), instant messaging, and VOIP phone service (Google Talk).

 

The future of computing is moving away from having data stored on individual PCs and toward an online repository.  What if you could access everything on your hard drive from anywhere, including a simple device consisting of a keyboard and monitor? Larry Ellison tried to create such a device twice, first with Network Computer (later Liberate Technologies) and more recently with New Internet Computer (NIC), which shut down in 2003.  This was basically a web-surfing appliance that did not have a hard drive, instead running of a version of Linux stored on a CD-Rom.  I think Ellison was simply ahead of his time.  Once Google puts all the pieces together, a device like the NIC could be located anywhere – a coffee shop, airport, even in every room in your house, allowing you full access to your documents, multimedia, and applications.  Your television could be hooked up to your multimedia stored on Google’s computers, allowing you to watch stored shows, family videos, or pictures (I know this is available now through a variety of devices, but it’s a hassle).  With Google’s wireless bid, you could access everything from your car, a NIC-type laptop, or a mobile phone running Google’s operating system.

 

This is all just speculation, but each time Google makes an announcement it seems to mesh with my hunch.

What to do when iTunes doesn't have a song you want

Per my post below, I’m making the ultimate Christmas mix.  After much debate, I decided that Band Aid’s “Do they know it’s Christmas” should make the cut.  However, when I went to the iTunes music store, it was only available as part of an entire album for $18.99.  Since I had many of the songs, and the rest were terrible, I searched google and found a UK site called 7digital which had it.  However, after paying for it in pounds (I think it was around $1.25) and downloading it, iTunes would recognize or convert it, as it was in a protected WMA format and not whatever format iTunes uses.  After doing a little research, I found that if I simply burned the song to a disc in Windows Media Player, iTunes would then import it.

 

The problem with this is that my CD burner has not worked since I “upgraded” to Vista.  After about an hour, I was able to burn a disc and import it.  Suddenly the $18.99 didn’t look like such a bad price.  What a freakin’ hassle.  In addition, I have no idea if 7digital is legit…it could be some Ukranian-based identity scam that just loaded up my computer with Trojans.

The Ultimate Martini Recipe

My dad, a retired Marine Lt. Col., has drank martinis all his life.  He says the best one that he’s ever had was made by a fraternity brother of mine.  Yesterday I emailed my buddy, a former bartender, and asked for his recipe and technique, and he replied as follows:

 

Most people drink vodka martinis. I like Belevedere because it's made with rye. Kinda "crisp". I also like Rain, which was the top choice at the bar where I worked.  For gin, Junipero from Anchor Distillery is great. I have also enjoyed Bombay Sapphire.
 
In a professional bar, I pour a bit of vermouth in the glass, swirl to coat, and then dump the rest. At home, I use a little pump spray bottle. I only use a little dry vermouth, so it is not critical what type, but I prefer Martini & Rossi. I have gotten in the habit of using Lillet (a vermouth-type french wine) instead of regular vermouth. A bit less "distracting."
 
The garnish most prefer is a lemon twist. At the bar, I'd prep these in advance. At home, I use a kitchen gadget made for getting the skin off (and avoiding the bitter white rind) of citrus. The alternative is either olives or pearl onions. These are such a personal decision, that I only have them when I am serving olives anyway. In the bar, I'd dry the olive to prevent dirtying a "clean" martini. At home, I just drain the brine, and let them dry.
 
The ice you use must also be dry. This where an ice maker or large ice cooler is needed. At home, I take the ice directly from the freezer to the shaker. Wetter ice can be used to chill the glass with added water.
 
I never shake a martini unless asked to do so. That adds air bubbles. I like a clear martini. Shaking is really only meant for drinks with thick liquids like milk, cream, and fruit juice.
 
The glass is a key component. You want it to be big, thin, and with a slightly turned-in lip. Big to hold a decent martini and garnish without spillage. Thin to chill fast and stay cold. The turned-in lip helps keep it from pouring out when disturbed. The glass should be spotlessly clean and free of dust.
 
Any topless metal shaker will do. Use a coil strainer to hold back the ice. You are going to swirl the shaker until you can no longer bear the cold, so you will want a fast pour. The shaker should be very clean.
 
Keep the vodka or gin in the freezer. Keep the vermouth (or Lillet) in the fridge.
 
Alright...You have your chilled ingredients, nice cold, "dry" ice, and all of your other stuff close to hand...Ready, steady, go...
 
1. Add ice to your glass, then water. Leave to chill.
2. Dump the ice and swing the glass to dry
3. Add a splash (or a few sprays) of vermouth and swirl the glass to coat.
4. Dump the vermouth
5. If adding skewered olive/s, do so now
6. Fill shaker with ice
7. Add liquor to shaker (according to the size of your glass), and immediately begin to swirl.
8. Swirl until the pain from the cold is too much. The shaker should frost.
9. Immediately strain into glass - ice crystals should dance on the surface
10. If you are using lemon, twist over glass to release oils, and drop into glass.
11. Serve immediately

UPDATE:
So I made the martini, according to the directions above, and it came out perfectly...I even had the dancing ice flakes. However, I used Gin, and when I took a sip it was like drinking gasoline. Definitely a taste I'll never "acquire." Tomorrow I'm going to buy Belvedere vodka at Costco ($40 for a huge bottle and two Reidel (sp?) martini glasses). Perhaps vodka won't taste as awful. If it does, I'm sticking to Sapporo and red wine.

Christmas Mix

I’ve been working for quite some time in putting together the perfect Christmas mix.  Here it is as of December 6, 2007; it still needs some refinement.  Let me know if you have any suggested additions.

Baby, It's Cold Outside Dean Martin Blue Christmas Elvis Presley The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) Nat King Cole Christmas Time Is Here Vince Guaraldi Trio Deck the Halls Regina Music Box Frosty the Snowman Bing Crosby Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Dave Koz Here Comes Santa Claus Gene Autry A Holly Jolly Christmas Burl Ives I'll Be Home For Christmas Dean Martin I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm Dean Martin It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas Perry Como Jingle Bells Dean Martin Last Christmas Wham! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! (Reprise) Dean Martin Mistletoe and Holly Frank Sinatra The Most Wonderful Time of the Year Andy Williams O Come All Ye Faithful Regina Music Box O Holy Night Steel Drum Band O Tannenbaum Vince Guaraldi Trio Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy Bing Crosby & David Bowie Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Finale) Burl Ives Ruldolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer Billy May & His Orchestra With Vocal By Alvin Stoller Santa Baby Eartha Kitt With Henri Rene & His Orchestra Silver and Gold (Soundtrack Version) Burl Ives Silver Bells Dean Martin Skating Vince Guaraldi Trio Sleigh Ride Johnny Mathis (There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays Perry Como White Christmas Bing Crosby White Christmas Regina Music Box Winter Wonderland Bing Crosby Winter Wonderland Dean Martin   I’ve got these loaded in iTunes and play them on my JBL onstage II next to the Christmas tree.  Photos of our tree to come.