We’ve all seen the commercial on TV about monkey hooks, they are used to hang pictures, with out a hammer and nail.   They claim they can hold 50lbs.   But with all this hype, can it do the job.

Yes!  They are awesome.  I love them.  I found them at Harbor Freight, they cost me about $1 for each hook, or about $4 a pack..  a bit pricey, but I got one pack and said why not, test them out.  I went back and bought 6 packs, they are worth it.  Easy to use and they hold the heaviest of frames that we have.  

I love em!

“Of course life is bizarre, the more bizarre it gets, the more interesting it is. The only way to approach it is to make yourself some popcorn and enjoy the show.”  –unkown

It’s no secret I love me some popcorn.  Over the past few years working at MailWise I have grown to love it even more, but I have a long history with popcorn and I enjoy it. So with that said.   I wanted to go over with you some of my findings, the whirly pop is by far the best popcorn maker out there. (read my prior post on it)  If you thought movie popcorn was the best, you have yet to taste the power of the whirly.   (May God forgive you!) 

Now, popcorn is good based on the popcorn maker?  Yes, that is true, it is very good based on the maker, but what makes popcorn shine is the kernels themselves.  Just like linux, one of my favorite operating systems, popcorn, one of my favorite foods, is made from Kernels.   All this said, the kernels you use for your popcorn determines you enjoyment when they are popped.   

Your basic kernel that you can get from anywhere (walmart, etc) is the Orville Redenbacher’s brand.  There is nothing wrong with going with basic, it’s cheaper, very fluffy and generally a little will go a LONG way.   Now, the saying is also true, you get what you pay for.  Premium popcorn comes at a cost, and that’s what I want to talk about.  I buy this stuff at the grocery store called “Black Jewel”  it’s great popcorn.  So great, that they other day the store was running a sale on it for $.70 cents off.  I took 10 bags home.   One trick with premium popcorn, the whirly pop, and your stove, cook it at higher temps, where as the cheaper grade kernel you get, cook at lower, i.e. med heat.

A co -worker, who runs http://impossiblefactory.com noted that it must be that way cause it’s more dense.   I believe he is right on the money.

For a while now I have been working on a desk with at least 2 computers (most of the time more).  Each computer runs a different OS.  (Linux / OSX / Windows)   While over the past few years I have upgraded my desk a few times, going from the door on saw horses to the long tables you get at Samsclub really cheap to a really nice desk, still a table top, but a bit nicer looking.   I’ve always preferred these type of desks because of what they can hold – monitors!     I learned a while back that having a keyboard on my desktop for each machine was a lot of clutter.   Enter an app I’ve grown to love over the past few years.  Synergy.   It’s over due worthy for a post.    Synergy allows me to take a number of computers and use 1 keyboard/mouse combo for them. 

Basically the setup is easy:  

Say I have 2 computers at my desk.   My work Mac Book Pro and my beloved linux box (in this case it’s running Ubuntu)   I really like my Apple hardware, the famous flat keyboard and the mighty mouse and I use my Mac Book Pro a majority of the time.   So I pick my MPB to be my “server” for synergy.  My linux box will be the client machine.   I setup the server with a quick configuration: 

mbprover-2:synergy-1.3.1 jhigley$ cat synergy.conf 

section: screens

       mbprover-2.local:

       jamesh-desktop:

    end

    section: links

       mbprover-2.local:

           right = jamesh-desktop

       jamesh-desktop:

           left = mbprover-2.local

    end

Now I run synergys (the server) on the MPB and on the linux box I run the client, you guessed it, I run synergyc and tell it to connect to the server.  There are a few tricks, be sure to use the “hostnames” of each box in the config.  You can customize the config all you want, I just wanted to show you how to get it up quick.  

Visit the synergy website for more info:  http://synergy2.sourceforge.net/

Price:  Free!!  (this is why opensource software is so cool.) 

Now your getting confused.  A couple weeks ago I bought a Tomtom 720, I even write a review on it, now today I’m writing a review on the Garmin Nuiv?  That’s right!  As I had mentioned in my review of the Tomtom 720, we where going on a trip up to Michigan.   A driving trip with two small kids, requires a few more stops than the norm.  So we needed a GPS.  

I had first purchased the Tomtom 720 because of the feature set it has over the Garmin Nuvi 750.  The tomtom has bluetooth, is very customizable, and your able to apply user modified maps. (error corrections) So on the day we where leaving the MI, I applied updates, added some fun points of interest, synced my iPhone phonebook, added route and was ready to hit the road.  The tomtom took a few minutes to grab satellite positions, and off we where, well just the kids and I to AAA to get our paper maps and state books. (With Hotel info and such)   On the way, the tomtom put us about 20 feet off the road,   I decided it was an update I applied, so on the way, I reset the unit to factory defaults, this took about 5 minutes, it acquired the satellites again, and had it positioned correctly on the road.    I stop, get my stuff from AAA and return, turn the unit back on, and we are again miss positioned on the map again.  So on the way out, we where passing SamsClub, where I bought the unit, and I decided to take the tomtom back. 

Welcome the Garmin Nuvi 750, I traded in my tomtom 720 for the Garmin Nuvi 750, and so far could not be happier.   Yeah, the nuvi does not have bluetooth, or lacks some of the features of the tomtom, and was $15 more expensive.   But it’s a solid GPS.  Has tons of features, and works like a champ.  Spot on addresses, and updated maps.  Both tomtom 720 and Garmin Nuvi 750 are about the same size. 

So we had the Garmin Nuvi 750 on the trip and it performed like a champ. On the way up we stopped to get Pizza for the kids, salads for us, so we wanted a Pizza place, and no not Pizza Hut or anything common, we wanted a good local place and we did not want to eat in, it was a beautiful day out and the kids had been in the car all day, we wanted to our dinner at a park so we could run around and play in the swings, the garmin helped us find both, (and both with in 1.5 miles of each other ) As a treat the park was next to the local high school and it was home coming weekend, and the band was outside practicing. 

A GPS greatly improves a long driving trip.   I highly recommend one for those long trips, granted, they are not cheap, this was around $300, and they help you spend money, where are the Starbucks on the route?  :-)

Over the past month we have been trying to conserve energy, be more efficient, and do all the good stuff we should to be “green”.   Please note that I am not on the Al Gore bandwagon, while saving planet earth is not a bad thing, my motives are probably more selfish than honorable, but that’s ok, we can all work towards something “green” right.   I personally like green paper bills. 

Back on track.  We lowered our energy bill almost $75 in one month.  Here is a list of goodies we have done: 

• turn lights off behind us (simple) 
• set the a/c to run a better schedule  (73-75 in the day, 69 at night, we had it at 70 in the day and 67 at night) 
• get our whole a/c unit and ducts cleaned (http://www.enviroductcleaning.com/) please see my prior post on this
• use less a/c  - we had a couple of cool night that we didn’t use the a/c at all
• turn computers and monitors off when not in use, since I mostly use a mac book now, my other box are off more than on. 
• watch less tv – now that Elliana is getting very mobile, we have a lot less sitting time. 

Ok, so that’s it.  I really think cleaning the air ducks and a/c unit out helped with it’s more efficiency.   Now to see if this is a trend or a lucky month!   Good luck to you on lowering your bill, please do share how you did it!

This weekend we went out shopping for a GPS Navigational unit for our car.  We are about to go on a small road trip to Michigan to see my grandmother and we wanted to a device to help us on the way.  Our wants in a GPS is, something with exceptional mapping, get me from point A to point B in the best way possible, we wanted something loaded down with POI (points of interest), we want to know where all the Starbucks are, and on a lessor note, something that is easy to sync up, to get new maps, updated POI, and such.

Well as the title suggest, we went with the TomTom GO 720.  I took my daughter out to Best Buy and found it there for $399.99, I thought that seemed a tad higher than I wanted to pay for a GPS, so we waited and went to SamsClub the next day.  I found the same unit for $284.00 (and I bought the bumper to bumper 3 year warranty for $39.00)

The unit itself is a great size, not so small that everything is cramped, and not so big that you can’t see out of your windshield.   The screen is 4.3 inches big. It has great options, like Bluetooth, iPod connector (uses built in FM transmitter to play though car stereo), has a 3 hour battery life (or car adaptor), docking station for your desk. 

One of the other options I really wanted in a GPS unit would be that it would work natively on OSX.  TomTom does this.   They have software for the OSX and it works great.   I was pleasantly surprised at how well it works. 

So far I give this unit high ratings, until I take a trip and really test it out, I won’t know for sure. (I can tell you the speaker phone through my bluetooth work great)

If your a popcorn fan like me you might already be privy to this device.  If not, and your still popping popcorn in the microwave, have I got news for you.   The Whirley-Pop is a very simple device that has probably 

been out for hundreds of years, in many different forms.  Wabash Valley Farms was smart enough to capitalize on it’s design and make one for the home user, or camper.  The design is very simple

, a large 6qt pot with a lid, in the center of the pot a rod comes down that is turned by cranking the spinner on the end of the handle.    (hint:  just look at the picture)

So we have talked about design, let’s talk about taste.  Microwave popcorn taste great, but it’s not like theater   popcorn is it?  Microwave popcorn is also filled with preservatives that can’t be good for you.  Have you ever wanted to make 100 cal popcorn that actually had taste and crunch?  No joke, the Whirley-Pop can do this.  It puts theater popcorn to shame.   

I personally use these with my Whirley-Pop: 

• “Red Raven”  red popcorn. (Red popcorn that pops snow white red) 
• Orville Redenbacher’s “popping and topping” Oil

Oh, no need to clean it out if you use it at least once a week, it’s becomes like a good seasoned iron skillet. 

I bought mine for just under $30 USD at Bass Pro Shop. 

I highly recommend this cool gadget!!!!

We adopted an (then) 16 year old who has now moved out. (she’s 18 now, going on 25)  As she moved out we gave her our older Espresso machine, it was a Target Hamilton Beach one.  It was a good machine, had a 15 bar pump (a heck of a lot better than those steamers). 

We decided not to mess around this time, and did some research.   We then narrowed it down to two machines with in our price range. (was willing to go up to $300)   The machines we came down to where the Via Venezia from Starbucks and the Nespresso machine. Both had good points and bad ones. Let me explain.

Nespresso:

The Nespresso D290. Priced around $300 USD.

Espresso used:  Nespresso Pods

I was first introduced to the Nespresso line of products by my boss, who is an avid espresso drinker as well, when it comes to Espresso, he knows his stuff!   At the office we have a D290 machine and it pulls some awesome shots.   Here is what I really liked and disliked about this machine. 

         Likes:

• it’s clean, the pods are disposed of in the machine leaving no mess
• pulls a wonderful and consistent shot each time (great crema)
• has great attachments
• very little maintenance 
• is the future of espresso machines

The Via Venezia by Saeco (made for Starbucks).   Priced around $200 USD.

Likes: 

• Solid machine, made with high end parts
• pulls a wonderful shot with the pods, perfect and consistent each time, great color, great crema
• cheaper than we expected to pay, $200 from starbucks
• can take pods or ground espresso 
• is a standard style espresso machine

I’m taking the train into Boston from Beverly.

So yesterday I had Enviro-Air (of Springfield, MO)  come out to to clean our air ducts in the house, you can read previous post about this.   The service tech’s showed up around 10am and started working on the system.  They where professional and did a great job.  After all was done, they finished things off, put together the furnace and attempted to fire it up, no luck.  After a few attempts they notice they hooked the blower wiring up to the wrong thing. (two white wires) After again getting shocked a few more times, they decided to call in a repair man.  It’s almost noon the next day and I’m still out of a A/C unit.   It’s around 80 in the house as I write this, I have the attic fan on, the rest of the family is up at the in-laws keeping cool. 

Here are some pics from yesterdays cool equipment they had: