missing flavors.

Have you ever noticed in grocery stores that there are more flavors of Yoplait Light yogurt than the Original kind?  I always like to try new flavors when buying yogurt, but really want the fat-included, lots of calories kind of yogurt, not the fat-free, low calorie kind.  I'm always disappointed because all of the "fun" flavors are in the Light variety. 

I checked the Yoplait website and the Original

 variety has 25 flavors, while the Light kind has 21.  In the stores, the ratio is probably 2 Light flavors for every 1 Original flavor.  Lets fix this flavor injustice, call your local grocery store, and ask for the real yogurt.

Thanks.

I hate Vikings.

At 12:58 pm, I officially ruined my entire Sunday. I spent the majority of the rest of the day saving Vikings from the perils of the icy sea.   Please don't begin saving the Vikings unless you can commit a few hours to the rescue effort.   Link

DataDrivenCoho

see RipenedCoho

a usability analysis.

I've lived many different places in the past 5 years.  From the Penn State dorms, to K4, to a condo in Chapel Hill, to a almost new townhome in Raleigh, to a new apartment building at Penn State, to my current apartment in Conshohocken.  With these six or so different residences, I've experienced many different microwaves.  Yes, microwaves.

Somehow, with my awesome microwave abilities, I got the microwaves in the dorms to say CHILD and not work.  Our K4 microwave just had a little knob that you turned to set the time, I could handle that.  Very easy to understand user interface.

My first experience with a newer style microwave was in my townhome in Raleigh.  This microwave had the "popcorn" button and beeped every minute if you didn't open it after your food was done.  That was so annoying.  Don't they know that Lean Cuisine has to sit a few minutes before you eat it?

These new microwaves have buttons for about everything.  My parents just got a new microwave and I still don't know how to use it.  All I want in life is a microwave that defrosts, cooks, and maybe even times.  I don't want a popcorn button.  I don't need a potato button.  WTH does the Melt button do?  Being forced to look-up codes to use the Defrost button, thats terrible usability.  

My current apartment just got a brand new microwave, and while I like that its all shiny and clean, I hate 21 of the 35 buttons.  I only like the numbers 0-9, Start, Stop, Power and Cook Time.  Inside the microwave is a huge table of numbers that I don't even want to look at.  I'd rather just guess how long to defrost a dinner plate, or cook a pizza, or soften...whatever you'd soften in the microwave.  

I just tried to use the microwave, and left it the kitchen while I let it do its thing.  It beeped at me, multiple times while I was trying to defrost chicken.  Halfway for turning, and at one minute, to warn me? Then it beeped when it was done.  Then a minute after that, and a minute after that...

Those microwave designers must think we all wanna be spaceship pilots with all those buttons.  I think they should be fired for their terrible user interface and usability.

Congratulations Jason & Caitlin!

A few of my favorite Twitter things

If Twitter has taken over your life, you're not alone.  If it hasn't, shame on you, go join.  Below I've gathered some of my favorite Twitter "tools".  Tons more exist, so if I missed your favorite, let me know!

Qwitter is a tool that helps you figure out when someone unfollows you (gasp!) on Twitter, and the last tweet you tweeted before that mean person unfollowed you.  All you have to do is sign up with your twitter username and email, and they'll email you when someone decides to pull your plug on twitter.  I hope I won't be getting many of those emails after I post this...   http://useqwitter.com/

This site is a great tool for those people who are OCD about making sure they only follow active Twitterers.  I had a few friends that joined, and then decided Twitter was not for them (Pat), or an a great idea of a Twitter account that just never took off (StateCollegePD).  MyCleenr goes through your Twitter friends and sorts they by the time they tweeted last.  It was interesting to see how infrequently some people tweet.  You can even delete Twitter friends right from their site (harsh, I know, but someone has to do it).  http://www.mycleenr.com/mycleenr

Some of my good friends have found me on Twitter just because I was friends with their friend (Caitlin).  Instead of stalking who your friends are @-ing, use Twubble.   This site searches your friends friends and picks out people that you might like to follow.   http://crazybob.org/twubble/

My favorite, and nerdiest Twitter related site has to be TweetStats.  This awesome site gives you most any statistic you can think of related to your Twitter account. From how many tweets per day (tpd) to Tweet Density to Daily Tweets, Hourly Tweets, to Interface used to a Tweet Cloud.  TweetStats provides hours (maybe I'm just weird) of entertainment analyzing your tweets.  I found out my top 5 Twittered words were going, good, fun, today and think.  I tweet most on Wednesdays, and somehow, have tweeted every single hour of the day, but 3pm seems to be the high point with 62.  http://tweetstats.com/

I hope you have as much fun with these as I did, because if you don't that just means I'm really nerdy.

Telemarketers...

A telemarketer called my house today.  Here is what I remember from the conversation:

Telemarketer: I'm calling from Omega [something].  Have you seen our commercials on tv?  They're on CNN, History Channel etc...

Me: I don't watch TV.  

Telemarketer: Me either.  We're a new company in the area and we'd like to give you a free estimate on a home remodeling project.  Can I ask a few questions?

Me: Sure

...So she goes on and on suggesting things that I would need fixed, windows, siding, doors, roof.  I kindly let her know that we've replaced everything in the house in the past 5 years...

Telemarketer: Are there any other home remodeling projects you were thinking of?

Me: A tunnel.

Telemarketer: A tunnel?

Me: Yeah, the mailbox is really far away and it gets so cold in the winter, it'd be great if I could just go through my tunnel to the mailbox.

Telemarketer: How far is your mailbox?

Me: About 300 yards, its really far.

Telemarketer: [thinking] Well that is a good idea, I'm not sure if we can do that, can I call you back?

Me: Sure

I was pretty sure that the telemarketer had given up on me and my tunnel.  I had developed a pretty bad accent/lisp during the phone call and was asking her to dig a 300 yard tunnel from my house to the mailbox. 

A few minutes later though, the phone rings...

Telemarketer: Hello, Ms. Graham?

Me: Yup, hi.

Telemarketer: We wouldnt know how to do that.  We don't know how to do tunnels.

Me: Oh darn.

Telemarketer:  Do you know anyone who would make a tunnel?

Me: Well I imagine if I pay enough money, someone would make me a tunnel.

Telemarketer: True.  Are there any other projects that you'd like done, like a gameroom?

Me: I don't play games.  Its against my religion.

Telemarketer: Well a game room would be a place where you could sit down and watch TV...

Me: TV is against my religion.

Telemarketer: Oh... what is your religion?

Me: I'd rather not talk about it.

Telemarketer: Well... If you do think of any projects you'd like a free estimate on, you can look us up in the phone book.

No tunnel for me.  Fail.

Western PA Lawn "Art"

Note: These are not actual pictures, however, very similar instances do exist in Indiana, Pa

Art can come in many different forms.  Top Gear recently said the Alfa Romeo 8C was "a centerfold...fourteen feet of art."  However, the 8C is 159,300 euros or $205,000 US Dollars.  I don't think many people in Western PA can have the 8C sit in their yard as a piece of "art."  So what do people in Indiana put in their yard to decorate?

Toilets.  Yes, toilets.  Maybe this was part of a neighbor feud, but a house less than one mile from mine has two toilets (with plants in them) outside...

Flamingos.  I admit, I've put flamingos in yards before - but it was to raise money for my church youth group.  People would pay to "flamingo" someone elses yard, and then the unlucky family had to pay to get them removed.  It was alot of fun to try and stealthily put 30+ flamingos in a yard without getting caught.  Problem is, some people really have them as decorations.

Fake Deer.  Now this, I really don't understand.  We have enough deer around here that you can look out your window and see real living deer instead of a badly painted replica.  Nevertheless, fake deer lawn ornaments are very popular.  Usually seen in small groups of two or three, these deer are a great addition to the Western PA lawn.

Dish Network Likes Notes

So I decided to call back the Dish Network people and try a different approach.  I had a lady answer this time who seemed nice, so I was nice to her.  I brought up the issue of the DVR fee that should have been waived.  She went back through our account comments (many of which were wrong) and agreed to transfer me to a person who could deal with the problem.

While on hold, I wrote them a note:When I got off hold, the fee was waived, no problem.  So my advice, if you have problems with Dish Network, write a note.