Year: 2002

No Survivor Spoilers, Please

Ashley BischoffLeave a comment

This evening, I’ll be going to the December Slashdot Meetup for Dallas, so I won't be able to watch Survivor (though I’ll be sure to record it on TiVo). I’ll probably be able to watch it on Friday or Saturday, but please don’t tell me who wins.

Let’s see — it’s down to Brian, Clay, Helen, and Jan. It’s been uncovered that Brian is a soft-core porn star, but I don’t hold that against him. And, both Helen and Jan seem harmless enough (though Jan seemed a bit of a kook at times, what with her burying every dead animal that they came across).

However, I do not want Clay to win. Not only has he been lazy in the tribe, but he’s also financially irresponsible with a load of self-imposed debt. Says The Smoking Gun, “[the] deadbeat Chuay Gahn tribe member was unemployed and collecting $949 in monthly unemployment benefits when a federal judge signed an order wiping away Jordan's whopping six-figure debt.”

Slashdot Meetup – December

Ashley Bischoff2 Comments

This evening, I’ll be going to the Slashdot Meetup for Dallas. Like last month, it’s at Cafe Brazil this evening (the venues are chosen through voting, and it so happened that Cafe Brazil won both times).

I often order a make-your-own omelette, and I’m tempted to do so again. My favorite combination is sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese, and chorizo sausage. The problem I run into — every time — is that I’m never sure how to pronounce “chorizo” ;). Is it SHOR-zio? CHORE-zio? SHOR-see-oh? shor-SEE-oh?

I’m also looking forward to the dessert options available. With a dessert menu like theirs, I don’t think I could resist ;). I’m a big fan of chocolate-enhanced baked goods (chocolate cake, brownies, and so on) so I decided last time that I would have chocolate cake.

Of course, Cafe Brazil has about half a dozen varieties of chocolate cake, so I asked our waitress, “Which of your cakes is the most chocolaty?“ I could almost visualize the gears slowly turning in her head as she attempted to deduce the correct answer. After a moment, she replied “Well, I think triple-chocolate layer cake would be.“ (apparently using the line of reasoning that, if “one-chocolate” is a baseline, then “triple-chocolate” must be super-chocolaty indeed).

The cake was delicious — don’t get me wrong — but it was a bit of a chocolate disappointment. The icing was chocolate-flavored, but not intensely so. And, the cake-portion of the slice was almost sponge-like instead of a more preferable soft-and-moist texture.

So, this time around, I may still venture for a slice of chocolaty goodness. But, I’ll either decide on my own or decide after consulting with my dining companions (though not with the wait staff, natch).

QOTD – Marshall on Helvetica

Ashley BischoffLeave a comment

I was amused by today’s quote from this quote of the day mailing list:

“Every now and then you’ll see a tattered piece of 1950s signage, something exuberant that harks back to flash bulbs and frozen glamour. Most have been torn down now, replaced by brutal information boards stamped out in Helvetica, the official typeface of purgatory. Helvetica isn’t designed to make you feel anything good, to promise adventure or gladden the heart. Helvetica is for telling you that profits are down, that the photocopier needs servicing, and by the way, you’ve been fired.”

—Michael Marshall, The Straw Men, on the way to Santa Monica.

Hmm, I wasn’t aware about the photocopier ;).

Ride to the Airport?

Ashley Bischoff1 Comment

My flights are booked for visiting Pittsburgh over Christmas, Sunday through Sunday (Dec 22 - 29). Would anyone be able to give me a ride to or from the airport on either of those days?

To Pittsburgh:

  • Northwest Airlines flight 698
  • Depart: Dallas/Ft Worth, TX (DFW) - Terminal E, Sun, Dec 22 at 12:30 pm
  • Arrive: Detroit, MI (DTW), Sun, Dec 22 at 4:01 pm
  • Northwest Airlines flight 1914
  • Depart: Detroit, MI (DTW) , Sun, Dec 22 at 4:55 pm
  • Arrive: Pittsburgh, PA (PIT), Sun, Dec 22 at 5:55 pm

Back to Dallas:

  • Northwest Airlines flight 3489
  • Depart: Pittsburgh, PA (PIT), Sun, Dec 29 at 12:00 pm
  • Arrive: Minneapolis/St Paul, MN (MSP), Sun, Dec 29 at 1:26 pm
  • Northwest Airlines flight 405
  • Depart: Minneapolis/St Paul, MN (MSP), Sun, Dec 29 at 3:27 pm
  • Arrive: Dallas/Ft Worth, TX (DFW) - Terminal E, Sun, Dec 29 at 6:02 pm

Update: Katie has offered to give me a ride to the airport on Sunday, and Gary may be able to give me a ride back on the following Sunday.