chemistry dot crap

this was a free weekend on chemistry dot com... so i visited and answered their questions and the site gave me ten profiles they called matches and not one matched my criteria and i did not match any of the ten (i mean way off on critical criteria, not even close) and after clicking them away, they didn't have any other profiles for me to see... so the free come on was bogus, so trusting the site with something as important as an introduction to my heart and mind is out of the question...

don't they get that? :}

ford fiesta and other failures

car buying sucks in many ways when money is an object (and remembering a time when money was almost no object brings a whistful smile, but that's another story for another horse of a different rider, or something like that), but car buying is much worse when there are no cars to choose from... take about a sellers market, sheeesh...

so i very well would have bought a ford fiesta se with auto and the 203a option package (just in case any ford dealers are savvy enough to be googling out there) and the blue with black/blue interior would likely have iced it, but there were none to be found in the country, apparently, and in their infinite wisdom to make the extra buck, the very few that were available were packaged for optimal profit for the car seller and not for the buyer...

research showed me that reliability aside (and while that would be a large set of dice to roll, i was ready to take that gamble), the new 2011 fiesta was the best bang for the buck in sub-compacts offering the best gas mileage and best options packages...

while honda and toyota may still have the best reliability and longevity ratings and resale value (though gm has the longest warranty), they've come down in stature in recent years and their cars themselves are no longer ranked in the top few of subcompacts... add to that the fact that their prices have risen above most of the other brands, especially when you compare the option packages... ford is the first manufacturer to offer the good options in the subcompact model and still brings the car in at a price under the bare bones models of the perennially most reliable foreign makers...

the 100,000 mile warranty gm offers almost had me going for the chevy aveo but it ranked fairly low on the scales i reviewed (for instance, using multiple other reports and this methodology) as did many other small cars that were at the top of the rankings for most of the last twenty years...

i decided there was no good reason to compromise on what i felt was the best car package for me for under $20,000 so i am tossing the $2000 i would have put as a down payment on the fiesta into the old cavalier which means no new car (read my lips) for at least a year or two or maybe few since the cavalier has just 82,000 miles on it and that means it should have another few years of low cost after these big repairs are done... as long as aamco does them right, that is...

maybe i'll actually clean and even paint the old flippantly casual automobile now :)

don't buy a car in orlando, fl

prices are way inflated when compared to other parts of the country... there is almost no selection, no selection if you are looking for a smaller economical car... and used cars are high mileage with prices that can get you a new car in other parts of the country...

that's just the way it is...

new toys

did i mmention the htc inspire?... if not, look again, i'm sure there's an entry somewhere about it, at least... meanwhile, i just ordered this... i will let you know about it when it arrives and i have the chance to play with it a bit...

meanwhile, the htc inspire is doing well :)

inspired

well, i certainly hope so... cuz i bought one, an HTC Inspire 4g, that is... i am not promoting AT&T here, cuz they've got lots of flaws and destroyed my main website without enough warning for me to save it after it had up for more than 10 years and their service is mediocre, but then, who expects more than mediocre from a phone company?... so with that said, i suppose i shouldn't expect much from HTC and so far, my expectations have not been exceeded...

i am on my fourth HTC Inspire 4G in 24 hours... yes, three exchanges in 24 hours... this last time they found a way to give me the phone for free, which is excellent service, so a bit of the sour taste that may never go away because eracing ten years of my website building and personal writing is a lot to forgive was lifted today, but i am still paying more for phone service than i would with any other carrier and the service is no longer the best because AT&T is way behind in the 4G race... Verizon's 4G LTE has the clear lead there, but i am loyal (or stupid) and follow the devil you know philosophy when it comes to phone companies...

the HTC Inspire 4G is an impressive phone, when it works... there is a clear battery issue in that they boosted all the power needs without upgrading the battery in order to keep the phone thin and not make it heavier than it is... outstanding screen, decent, but not wonderfully intuitive interface, and all the android apps for fun and whatever... the issue so far has been the phone operation (and maybe the point is that is not why people buy a smart phone after all)...

the first phone out of the box at radio shack who was charged half of what AT&T was charging could not read the SIM card... they created a new SIM card and nothing... they tried it with known working SIM cards from their own phones and nothing... the second phone out of the box, same thing... the third phone out of the box actually read the SIM card, whoopie... so after three hours of trial and error, i walked out of radio shack with a working phone and a whole lot to learn...

i only went into radio shack because AT&T did not have any accessories for the phone... irony... i called HTC customer support to let them know about my HTC buying experience, to ask them if they had any plans for upgrading the battery cuz it was definitely inadequate for the souped up phone, and to find out where to get the right accessories for the phone cuz they weren't even available on the HTC website...

the next day, which would be today, i find the phone suddenly (like from one call to another after a five minute break) stopped sending my voice to callers... three different callers could not hear me... so i called HTC customer support and they couldn't hear me either... microphone problems, i heard the csr say with advice to take the phone back for an exchange...

so i went back to radio shack and asked for a refund... they were not pleased and tried every trick in the book and then credited my credit card and i walked over to the AT&T store and explained that i needed a phone today and i didn't want to hear that it takes a few days to transfer the upgrade and when the store guy said there might not be anything i could do but wait a few days i said fine, cancel my AT&T service i'll walk a few doors down and get a different provider... the guy asked me to wait a minute while he goes into the back to see the manager and see what he could do...

when he came out he said they were able to get the ungrade reinstated immediately and they were giving me a $100 discount on any phone in the store (except the iPhone) so i got the fourth HTC Inspire 4G for free... heck, if it breaks again, it was free and i have 30 days to exchange...

the basic choices for me, after researching fror several hours, was the HTC, the Motorola Atrix 4G, and the iPhone 4... the latter is the most reliable based on track record, but $200 without accessories everywhere... the Atrix is $200 at AT&T and $149 at radio shack without accessories... and the Inspire is $99 at AT&T and $49 at radio shack... the Atrix is a monster, the first dual-processor phone and other major upgrades including a computer dock, but maybe too much too soon because all reports say it's buggy and overpriced... so i went with the Inspire because they major flaw is battery life and that just means get a spare battery ($10 at radio shack) and charge it nightly... and when i almost splurged on the iPhone after three strikes, the Inspire for free brought home a fourth try...

so, the HTC Inspire 4G... poor battery, but so far, i see potential for much fun and usefulness and great screen graphics (and 8MP camera)... as far as how good a phone it is for simply making and receiving calls, the jury is out...

moldy nuts

the 2 LBS 1 OZ container of Planters nuts was disappointing at first, probably because i am not used to eating halves and pieces, but when i got about a quarter of the way through i found the discoloration was mold... that sucks so much cuz i ate almost half a pound over the last few days...

i told them about it online, but there's not much they can do about the bad taste in my mouth about planters nuts... from not on i'll but the cans, not the clear plastic containters, and the smaller packages... and whole nuts, no more of the scraps from the bottom of the assembly line... and probably not planters...

most of all, i'll be inspecting the nuts before i put them in my mouth...

i love nuts...

not mold...

best middle eastern gyro

you can enjoy the best middle eastern gyro west (or east, for that matter) of the middle east mondays through saturdays at

The Mediterranean Deli
981 W. Fairbanks Ave
Orlando, FL 32804
(407)539-2650


i get hungry just thinking about this place... the friendliness and freebies just make the over-stuffed gyros taste even better... the food is fresh and prepared right in front of you... the rest of their menu is just as delicious... the prices are fantastic... you might drive up and not be impressed with the tiny strip mall store, but walk in and you will be welcomed as a friend... you can find the owner on myspace ...

myspace
yelp
chow down

equity residential

arriving home i found a notice at the door that warned of eviction if the rent was not paid... so what happened to the auto-pay i had authorized for more than two years that the new office staff (and the old office staff and every office staff at every apartment community that was owned by Equity Residential) said "no problem, the auto-pay will transfer as soon as you sign the lease", i wondered... i rushed over to the office and found it locked, but one of the staff came to the door and did not have answers about why the auto-pay did not switch over and refused to take a check saying i could only pay with a money order and when i asked why a check was ok last month there was, again, no answer... meanwhile, they want $78 in a late fee... very curious way of extorting a late fee from a resident...

so i wrote a few emails to their corporate offices and hopefully will find some responses on monday and then, we can discuss what went wrong and why my rent check was refused and whether they actually want me to pay rent and how i can actually do that... they can also explain how they justify a late fee when they stopped my auto-pay and refused my check...

meanwhile, the previous equity residential apartment community where we experienced the worst service i ever experienced in an apartment community at the highest prices i ever paid in an apartment (more than $1200 for a two bedroom) tacked on a $100 additional fee to clean the carpet over the $400 they originally took as a non-refundable deposit for a pet... the carpet had no stains or smells and was immaculate except for normal wear on the entry path, but $400 was not enough to clean it... meanwhile, local professional carpet cleaners will clean a whole apartment for under $100 and we can only imagine the cost when the contract is for cleaning thousands of apartments (which is what equity has in this area)...

Equity Residential has an F grade at the Better Business Bureau and after a year at the most expensive Equity Residential owned apartment community in the area, i understand why...

remind me to update one of these days...

medical marijuana

so you want to buy some medical marijuana and you don't want to just let your doctor choose what strain is best for you, well, you're in luck because i found some information for you on the cnbc website where someone or a few experts (i have no clue as to their credentials, but it's a job i might consider if there was an opening... Danny Danko is the senior cultivation editor for High Times Magazine and wrote the High Times Field Guide to Medical Marijuana Strains {I am obviously in the wrong field}, so he's the primary expert cited in the cnbc article) declared the following list to be the top 16 medical marijuana strains...

now while some might find it quite amusing as it seems to suggest some of these strains are excellent aids for budding couch potatos (pun intended... to quote the description of the first strain as "soothing qualities can induce a peaceful, easy feeling just perfect for sitting on the couch", narf), there is much validity in the benefitial use of drugs and marijuana in particular is a very versitile herbal drug that would have many effective uses, many more than alcohol, if it were not illegal (and the debate over why it is illegal, much like the debate over whether big corporations prevent good things from being marketed in order to keep their market shares in their industry {big oil vs alternative energy and transportation, cigarette and alcohol vs marijuana and other drugs, and so on}, can wait for another time)...

seriously, puns and eagle's lyrics aside, you may be surprised at the claims for medical marijuana uses from reducing muscle pain, to calming nasuea, to reducing symptioms for glaucoma, back pain, depression, asthma, hepetitis c, anxiety, insomnia, anorexia, impotence, sad, ptsd, add and adhd and the list goes on... so ready or not, here they are (I'll leave the photos on the cnbc site for now):

White Berry
According to Danko, White Berry can make a great nighttime smoke, claiming its soothing qualities can induce a peaceful, easy feeling just perfect for sitting on the couch. He also recommends White Berry for relieving muscle spasms and restless-leg syndrome.

A-Train
The hybrid genetics of this strain is a mix between Humboldt County “Trainwreck” and “Afghani Mazar,” giving the user a favorable taste and the grower an easier plant to grow. Danko claims this strain enhances appetite and lowers ocular pressure, which is particularly important for glaucoma sufferers.

“Trainwreck” is a staple of Northern California, says Danko, and the A-Train strain has “a kick all its own.” It was named the High Times top 10 strain in 2009 and is known for its spicy flavor and citrus after-taste.


Dr. Grinspoon
Named in honor of noted cannabis researcher and author Dr. Lester Grinspoon, a Harvard Medical School professor and advocate of marijuana for over 40 years. “Long-lasting and very cerebral, this is a true connoisseur’s strain,” says Danko. Danko says this strain can be used for the treatment of depression and nausea.

Blue Dreams
“Over the past few years, the sativa-dominant Blue Dream has become a real dispensary favorite on the West Coast, especially in the Bay Area,” says Danko, noting that it’s become a staple at many medical-cannabis collectives. He describes it as “as full-bodied in odor, flavor and high, the colorful strain provides a richness of experience lacking in many other “meds.”

Danko also notes that Blue Dream allows the user to be fully functional and lacks sedative qualities present in many other strains, although the euphoria experienced is relatively strong. He offers this strain may be a remedy for chronic stomach or back pain.

G-13 Haze
A perennial winner in High Times’ ‘Cannabis Cup’, this strain is a combination of successful types of marijuana to create this highly praised variety. Danko notes that G-13 Haze, developed by the European company Barney’s Farm, exhibits spicy and sweet flavors as well as an uplifting high for users and can be used to treat depression, ADD and ADHD.

Canna Sutra
“True connoisseurs know the many positive effects of sativas, including their ability to inspire sensual thoughts and feelings,” says Danko. The effect is to “elevate and stimulate the mind” while burning off in an incense-like smell. He says this strain may assist bronchial dilation, helping to alleviate symptoms of asthma-related conditions.

Lavender
Described by Danko as “the all-time-best mellow, violet colored indica-dominant strain available to the public today,” it is also popular among medical marijuana users and growers. The foliage of the plant has also been recognized by marijuana enthusiasts, featuring orange veins and dark-purple leaves.

The strain provides a relaxing high, says Danko, with a taste of plum and pomegranate, and is best recommended use at a time of low activity. Users claim its relaxing qualities have been useful for treatment of insomnia.

Crimea Blue
Crimea Blue, a favorite of Danko, is described as having “connoisseur-level detail” in its make-up. It is a prizewinner that is a combination of genes from Ukrainian Hash and Blueberry strains and is noted for its complexity. The strain also includes scents of lemon and pine, delivering a high that may foster creativity.

Possible medicinal values include treatment for muscle-spasms for multiple sclerosis patients and pain reduction from neuropathy suffered by HIV/AIDS patients.

Nigerian
Sometimes referred to jokingly as “ampheta-weed,” this strain tends to energize the user to the point of paranoia in amateur smokers.

Possibly recommended for medical patients treating depression, seasonal affective disorder, PTSD and some forms of anxiety. Danko suggests to prepare mentally to anticipate the rising high and then sit back and enjoy the ride.

Mazar
Placing second in HIGH TIMES 1999 Cannabis Cup winner for Indica, Danko claims strains from this area in Mazar-i-Sharif region in Afghanistan appeal to indica lovers interested in power from their pot. Users claim to feel strong sedating properties, possible recommended for patients who need muscle relaxation or are looking for help falling asleep at night.

Purple Kush
This almost pure indica strain has its origins in the Pacific Northwest, but according to Danko has become increasingly popular and available worldwide. Users note these grape-flavored, violet-colored nuggets can help patients appreciate the deep body stone, which may be helpful in treating chronic pain and depression.

Satori
Danko says this strain is perfect for those with a higher THC tolerance since it combines an “up” high of a longer-flowering plant with the hardiness and rapid growth typical of shorter, stockier indica . Users point out Satori’s abilities to ease depression and anxiety (unlike some sativas that can make the heart race).

Romulan
British Columbia established itself long ago as the pot paradise of Canada’s provinces, and the strain called Romulan led the way. According to Danko, Romulan buds are prized by medical patients for their pain-relieving properties and devastatingly powerful couch-lock high. Users can enjoy the piney odor and peppery flavor.

S.A.G.E.
Danko claims patients who smoke Sativa Afghani Genetic Equilibrium, S.A.G.E. for short, may help treat mood swings, hepatitis C and PTSD. Users report enjoying its sandalwood scent.

Vortex
Danko says this fruity flavored strain has a high pistil-to-leaf ratio that makes smoking it a treat since there’s very little leaf on each bud and a thick coating of resin. Users report this strain can help with appetite for those suffering from nausea or otherwise unable to eat.

Jack Herer
Bred and named in honor of the late marijuana activist Jack Herer, this strain is called the “Champagne of Strains” and has frosty and bubbly characteristics, says Danko. Jack Herer has several related strains, including Jack Flash, Jack’s Cleaner, Jack Candy, Jackie O and Jackie White, which Danko notes is a testament to the strength and beauty of this variety, as well as its versatility in breeding programs. Patients suffering from anxiety disorders and fibromyalgia report relief from using Jack Herer.

toshiba

it dawned on me that this blog may take on a rather negative tone if i just come here to rant about faulty products (is that what i've done so far?... i haven't been here in so long i've forgotten and don't feel like looking back before writing this)... and i also realized that i type most of the words i type daily (not to mention all the web wandering and communicating i do via the net) on this toshiba laptop and over the years toshiba has proven to me that they deserve some kudos...

of all the electronics i've owned or used, maybe 40% have been toshiba products and the memory is consistently positive... in spite of the windows vista crap on this laptop, it performs very well and none of the issues lead back to toshiba... they do put too many programs on the machine as most manufacturers do, but they worked ok and the laptop is fine with them turned off as well...

so thank you toshiba, for solid products...