Month: January 2013

Posted on

Review: Special K Cracker Chips

Special K Cracker ChipsI love new snack products – particularly when they are made by Pepperidge Farm. This time, I ventured into new territory. Kellogg’s created Special K Cracker Chips to compete with styrofoam cakes, alias rice cakes. They are much better, when that is the comparison. But when compared to Pepperidge Farm’s Baked Naturals, they are a faint shadow of snack goodness.

They are nicely crunchy, but the flavor is a bit weird. I only tried cheddar, but I’m not willing to buy the other flavors. The texture was not outstanding. I thought the price was a bit high: $3.79, which is a lot for just 4 ounces of snacks. Thus my my decision to not explore further flavors.

My wife likes these two aspects – they are low calorie and are pretty much gluten-free.

Verdict? Pass.

FacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail
Posted on

We love confined spaces

Christmas bulb Christmas treeWhy is it that we enjoy visiting nice hotels? They offer these wonderful things:

– Less room than our homes
– Fewer snack options
– The privacy of sharing a room with your kids (if you have kids)
– Possibly a noisy heating/cooling system

And yet we love the change. It’s a different environment than that of our normal life. Those little soaps and shampoos are amazing. And staying in a hotel means travel, if you like travel.

Disclaimer: This post does not apply to business travelers who are totally burned-out on staying in hotels.

Image info: I took this photo in the Gaylord Texan, a resort hotel very close to where my sister used to live. It’s an experience.

FacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail
Posted on

Getting published

A letter to the editorMy uncle snail-mailed me this letter to the editor he recently wrote. He was thrilled to see his name in print. I have wondered what makes some of us enjoy that recognition. Here are a few ideas why:

  • We like the idea that someone else thought our concepts were good enough to be seen by their audience.
  • We like the idea that our ideas are being seen by a larger number of people than if we were just talking with a friend.
  • There’s the possibility that someone will take our idea and make a difference – or give us a related idea that will make a difference.

By the way, I appreciate his point in the letter. I am very frustrated when I see the numbers spinning past so fast. ($10,000 is added to the US national deficit every second.)

FacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail
Posted on

Swiss vs. German

Switzerland-Germany FlagsI’m a big fan of both Swiss and German engineering. The Germans make the finest cars on the planet. The Swiss make the very best watches available.

My brain fits better with the Swiss model. I am fascinated by small things. (However, I did have major fun, the last time I drove a BMW!)

Why is it that these two similar countries excel in these two areas? I am not sure, but a Swiss or German graduate student should do a PhD dissertation on that topic.

FacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail
Posted on

Visit a museum

Ross and Lula May PerotRoss Perot and his wife have an amazing museum in Dallas, Texas. Their collection of science-related exhibits opened December 1, 2012. There were still a few bugs that needed to be worked out, but it’s still totally worth your time to visit, if you live anywhere close.

Ross and his wife Lula May kindly posed for my camera. (They were very still – this was a portrait of them holding a portrait of themselves in younger days). This picture was part of an exhibit showing the effects of aging.

Two things I learned that I will remember for several years are:

1. My nose is cold. I knew that already, but the live infrared video camera showed how my nose was colder than the rest of our entire party (seven people). Now I know why I need to carry kleenex all the time!

2. Birds’ eggs are permeable. They allow oxygen to enter and carbon dioxide to exit.

If you live in a big city, you have several options. Visit one of the museums available for your viewing pleasure. Most good museums offer interesting things for people of all ages. You might be surprised what you will learn.

Finally, here’s one of the not-finished aspects of the Perot Museum:

Founding Donors

FacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail