According to the latest press on the newest flavour of Raincoast Crisps, the ‘cinnamon raisin crackers’ pair a hint of cinamon with sweet golden raisins and go well aged cheddar, manchego or asiago cheese.

So we took that, tossed it out the window and tried our own nutty* concoctions: buckwheat honey, rhubarb & vanilla artisianal preserve and a gourmet mustard.

How did they rate?

Round 1 – Buckwheat Honey – slightly bitter, this monofloral honey is more effective than over-the-counter cough syrup at treating childhood cough.

Result? Well, I don’t have that cough anymore. Crackers took well to the honey, I’d say about a 5 out of 10 on the Raj scale of yumminess.

Round 2 – Rhubarb and Vanilla Artisianal Spread – one of my friends has a theory that the addition of Vanilla to anything makes it better. He cites Vanilla Coke as one of the examples of this triumph. Considering the raging market success that Vanilla Coke has had on the market, maybe he’s talking about a different coke… the South American variety, perhaps? Either way, I ain’t buying it.

Result? Not bad at all. The Artisianal Spread is actually part of Vista d’Oro’s Spring Line. So we’re mixing a fall flavour from Lesley Stowe with a spring flavour from Vista d’Oro and whaddya get? Pure summer! 7 outta 10 on my made up scale of culinary greatness aka the Raj scale of yumminess.

Round 3 – Extra Hot Gourmet Mustard – there ain’t nothing like gourmet mustard. When one old boy points at another old boy and says “he’s got the mustard,” usually giving a slight nod of approval, it isn’t something to be taken lightly. SO here we have it, now Lesley Stowe, or rather, Lesley Stowe’s cracker has the mustard.

Result? POW! I nearly burnt my freaking face off with that extra hot mustard. Note to self, use less! I think I need some sparkling spring water… or buckwheat honey…  hhhhoott. I can’t say this one even makes my scale – the mustard totally overtook the cracker and then burnt a hole in my desk and the floor below it, so we put that in the unrated category and then called the local hazmat team at the fire department.

I spose the sane should stick to aged cheddar, manchego cheese or asiago cheese. Lesley Stowe’s Cinnamon Raisin Crisps – now available in stores but beware!, highly addictive.

Find out more on her website, HERE.

* no nuts were harmed nor were any used in the creation of this blog post (yet)

For background on the delicious little crisps, keep reading, after the jump.

The original release, 9/15/2009:

In 2005, acclaimed chef, entertaining expert and cookbook author Lesley Stowe introduced Canada’s culinary scene to an original artisan style cracker that quickly became known as the “crispy conversation starter.” Since then, raincoast crisps have been a savoury addition to appetizer spreads and party menus across the country. Just in time for the upcoming entertaining season, Lesley launches her newest flavour – cinnamon raisin – at fine food retailers nationwide today.

With a hint of cinnamon and the sweet taste of plump golden raisins, the newest flavour of raincoast crisps can be enjoyed on their own for a delicious breakfast on the run and also pair perfectly with aged cheddar, manchego or asiago cheese. Lesley’s famous gourmet snack food is made from scratch in small batches, using only the finest ingredients.

Wow! That week went so fast that I forgot to post up the latest Bacon Quest episode! What’s that, you ask? Well, it’s the search for Vancouver’s undiscovered bacon! You can download the published version (that appeared in 24hrs) in PDF format HERE (or grab the full newspaper HERE,) or just keep reading (the unrated version) below.

Bacon Quest – the search for Vancouver’s undiscovered bacon.

Episode 5 – Drink your Bacon

The thought of drinking one’s meal is a foreign concept – I remember years ago when then Captain of the Canucks, Messier, anted up to the table at the Ken Bogas’ Yaletown hotspot Mangiamo (now Goldfish), jug of green liquid in hand, singing the praises of such a beverage.

I thought he was nuts.

In hindsight, regular consumption of this green beverage is probably the reason why Bogas, the Alpha-male I once looked up to, is sporting a new set of tits and goes by the name of ‘kaitlyn.’

Back to Messier, what type of crazy person drinks a jug of green stuff and calls it their breakfast?

Isn’t the consumption of food more than just the process of mastication?

It’s about sitting down at a table and  sharing , isn’t it? Sharing with friends, family, felines and even foes.

Well, a couple of days ago, the talented mixologist and self proclaimed bacon aficionado David Wolowidnyk from West restaurant demonstrated to me that breakfast could be both sipped and shared.

Upon hearing of his bacon-infused bourbon creations, I immediately challenged him to change my mindset, and in response what he created was the ‘All-day Breakfast;’ a bacon and egg flip comprised of Bulleit Bourbon infused with bacon, a whole egg, Cointreau, Angostura Orange bitters, orange juice and garnished with spiced-pear jelly on toast.

Everyone at the bar got a sip that day and we agreed, bacon, eggs, toast, OJ and bourbon is a great start to anyone’s day.

—

Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media thought leader and part foodie. He runs urbanmixer.com, publishes a miscellany of his musings at raj.jp.

After years of research, a steak that I can call my own is finally a reality. It’s no secret that I photograph my steak and describe the sights, the sounds, the smells and the subsequent mastication in a manner that would make the editor of Penthouse Letters blush. In the past, I’ve embarked on various journeys, enjoying a threesome (two 16oz steaks and I) at Italian Kitchen (see ‘Steak vs. Steak‘), moderating the ‘WE Love STEAK‘ flickr group for the voyeuristic folks out there, and even proclaiming Shore Club and Pinkys Steakhouse as having the the best ribeyes I’ve ever set my eyes on in Vancouver.

Recently, I met with the new owners of Capones in Yaletown – Rick Momsen the experienced restaurateur who most recently departed from Flite and Jeff Wiegel who I’ve known for some time and have shared many a steak with. Both expressed interest in expanding their menu and wanted to do ‘ole daddy Raj proud by naming a steak after me – after all, who knows steak better? So given their interest, I treated them to my very fave in the city and said, “match this, if you dare…”

… and they really delivered. For the main event, I brought along two accomplices, Mr. Z and Mr. M, who both previously expressed to me, a deep, dark desire to sample in earthly, exotic delights.

Well, then let them indulge their pleasure and their own standard of values let them make love and drink; let them pass  their old age as they have spent their youth, in banquets, in a state of unconditional surrender to their bellies and the most unseemly part of their bodies… – Sallust – The Jugurthine War

What was delivered was astonishing – a petite 20oz ribeye with a beautiful complexion, cooked medium rare, moist and pink through and through, and garnished with garlic, rosemary and lots of love. What happened after laying eyes on such a beautiful steak is a bit of a mystery – perhaps we’ll never tell, but safe to say, the three of us left the room without saying a single word but nonetheless, very satisfied.

Capones in Yaletown
1141 Hamilton Street (MAP)
Vancouver, BC V6B 5P6

TEL: 604-684-7900

WEB: www.caponesrestaurant.net

HOURS: Brunch: 10:00m – 3:00pm – Saturdays & Sundays, Dinner: 5:00pm – late – Monday – Sunday

On the note of good steak talk, check out Kate Zimmerman’s ‘The Old Man and the Beef,’ HERE.

This could be an April Fools joke.. but on the other hand, it could be a successful campaign. I’ve been on Twitter for some time and have seen the emergence of hashtags (or inserting the hash (#) in front of a subject keyword) as a powerful way to find stuff on a specific topic.

Now, K’NAAN has taken the idea of the hashtag to a whole new level with the idea of his new song (as publicised by the lovely Emmylou Benson at Universal Music):

K’NAAN TO RELEASE ‘TWITTER SINGLE’

ASSEMBLED FROM FANS’ TWEETS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(TORONTO, April 1, 2009) – Somali-Canadian musical trailblazer K’NAAN is about to collaborate with his fans in an unprecedented way –assembling a new version of his song “People Like Me” from their tweets on Twitter. On April 1, K’NAAN will invite his Twitter followers to download the special instrumental version of the song, created specially for this promotion, and submit their own lyrics for the story via his Twitter.  All fan tweets tagged with #knaansong will be considered for inclusion in the final song. Deadline for submissions is May 1. Following that, K’NAAN will assemble the best tweets and record the results. The final track will be made available to fans via free download on K’NAAN’s Twitter page at http://twitter.com/thedustyfoot and his official site at http://knaanmusic.com.  This will mark the first time Twitter will be officially used for the creation of a song.

K’NAAN’s latest album, Troubadour, was released on Feb 24 and debuted at #1 and #3 on the digital album charts in Canada and the United States, respectively: sure evidence of the electronically-oriented nature of many of his fans. This Twitter song collaboration is a logical extension of the new relationships being forged by artists and their audiences in an increasingly interconnected world.

More information can be found at http://www.amoctone.com/knaan/plmtweet/

knaanmusic.com
myspace.com/knaanmusic
getmusic.ca

For those not familiar with hashtags, Sudha Krishna recently pushed out some details via Twitter, HERE. You can read the Ultimate Guide to Twitter Hashtags, HERE.

It’s been a while since I’ve had a decent umbrella. For those long time readers, you’ll recall that I have a track record of treating umbrellae poorly. After trashing my last LV Monogram umbrella, I took it back to the LV store for repairs and they insisted I present a receipt in order for them to look at it.

Now, in fairness to the folks at the Louis Vuitton store in Vancouver, I don’t think the issue was whether the umbrella was authentic or not – just that they wanted to be sure the umbrella was purchased at their store. At $500 a pop, and considering this treatment, the immediate thought that comes to mind is that Louis Vuitton (owned by LVMH) is the K-Mart of the new Millennium – and I ain’t having it, no blue light specials for me.

Rather than go through the Spanish inquisition, I wrote LV off, walked accross the street and dropped a nickel on a Hermes brolly. Only hours later, I was convinced by a tactical genius (bedmate) that the umbrella was too feminine for me. So I gave it up (to her) and never spoke of the matter (until now.)

A few months back, I came accross Sruli Recht‘s creation, the Umbster, on the Coolbuzz site (HERE) – I was immediately taken by its aesthetic. The design of a brass knuckle, integrated into the handle? Geez – all they’re missing is a built in sword – then it would be the ultimate protective implement.

Would you rather be wet or cold (as in dead)? The Umbuster is one tough umbrella that wants to make sure that you are safe from not only rain but a host of other difficulties that await you on the mean streets. The handle of this concept umbrella is designed as a brass knuckle. It is so formidable a weapon that the Victorian Police has classified it as a Class 5 weapon, requiring a license for possession. Also the knuckle design makes it kinda easier to grip the umbrella. So if you are going on a dirty errand on a wet and windy night, Umbuster is one companion that you’d surely want by your side.

An excerpt from the product description does as much justice to the product as holding it in my hands.

Each handle is individually CNC cut in a 5 hour process by the enduring Mr Liu.
The umbrella itself is provided by the good Guy de Jean of France.
And finally packaged in the boxes designed with the good Snorri Már Snorrason here in Reykjavik Proper.

I wonder, was Mr. Recht a Mr. ‘Q’ in a previous life? It strikes me that supplying the likes of Mr. Bond would be right up his alley, but I digress. The acquisition was a no brainer. Another nickel later (about 250 Euros), and a couple weeks later, I have my Umbster, and I’m one happy camper.

Thank you, Mr. Recht!

The CBC is on to me! They’ve identified my ‘Fuddle Duddle’ video as copyrighted content.

So far, the video has reached over 20,000 views and almost 100 comments. People in this country seem to have a certain sense of nostalgia – especially when it comes to Trudeau. In this instance, the fine folks at CBC have been kind. Read more about the notice they sent, via YouTube, after the jump.

Here’s the notice from YouTube – it appears that they won’t take the content down. Instead, they’ll monitor it and post ads:

Dear dsdxd,

Your video “Fuddle Duddle as coined by Pierre Trudeau” has been identified by YouTube’s Content Identification program as containing copyrighted content which Canadian Broadcasting Corp. claims is theirs.

Your video “Fuddle Duddle as coined by Pierre Trudeau” is still available because Canadian Broadcasting Corp. does not object to this content appearing on YouTube at this time. As long as Canadian Broadcasting Corp. has a claim on your video, they will receive public statistics about your video, such as number of views. Viewers may also see advertising on your video’s page.

Claim Details:

Copyright owner:	Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
Content claimed:	Some or all of the audio and visual content
Policy:	Allow this content to remain on YouTube. Place advertisements on this video’s watch page. Applies to these locations: Everywhere

Canadian Broadcasting Corp. claimed this content as a part of the YouTube Content Identification program. YouTube allows partners to review YouTube videos for content to which they own the rights. Partners may use our automated video / audio matching system to identify their content, or they may manually review videos.

If you believe that this claim was made in error, or that you are otherwise authorized to use the content at issue, you can dispute this claim with Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and view other options in the Video ID Matches section of your YouTube account. Please note that YouTube does not mediate copyright disputes between content owners. Learn more about video identification disputes.

Sincerely,
The YouTube Content Identification Team

In 1999 – 2000, Jay Mohr played the role of Peter Dragon in Action!, a TV series that hit the FOX and then FX.

In Hollywood you’re only as good as your last flick, and Dragonfire Films exec Peter Dragon has hit bottom with his $150 million bomb “Slow Torture.” His only hope to get back to the way things were is the shoot-’em-up film “Beverly Hills Gun Club,” and the only person that will help him is ex-child star turned hooker Wendy Ward – written by Jeff Cross.

Here’s a clip of Peter Dragon letting the employee of the month know that he’s the employee of the century. The delivery is fantastic.

The show was canceled after the first season – they didn’t get their budget from HBO, probably because the genre of dialog (witty) and the subject matter was still too highbrow for mass consumption (the American TV viewer). Check out more clips from the show after the jump.

In the following clip, Peter Dragon and his assistants pitch lead male roles to their financier, Bobby G. After the meeting, Peter Dragon meets with Scott Wolf from Party of Five.

“You know why god invented the theater? So the ugly actor would have a place to work!”

Okay, then there’s the part where an agent tries to pitch Peter with O.J. Simpson for the male lead:

Agent: Pete little children in Calcutta know his face.
Peter Dragon: Yes, they know to run away from it.
Agent: The name is more recognizable than Tom Hanks.
Peter Dragon: Okay, you know what – but to be fair, Tom Hanks refuses to go that extra mile and hack his wife to death…

Then there’s the scene where Sandra Bullock clocks Peter Dragon in the head for taping a sex video of her and putting it up for sale on the Internet, ‘Sandra Buttock stars in While you were sleeping on my face,’ making it the number one video in Taiwan.

Peter Dragon (addressing Sandra Bullock): I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves. This isn’t exactly about the video, is it Sandy? I think it’s about a certain actress that fell for a certain big shot producer. And, uh, you know things didn’t work out, producer’s a little bit too busy for her and hurt her feelings – and I’m flattered, Sandy. In a perfect world it might have worked out but come on, let’s admit it, you’re a slut.

Peter’s life isn’t all roses, he’s only as good as his last picture, especially when trying to get his regular seat at the local fine dining establishment.

Peter Dragon: Hey, Raffi here’s written the best script since Chinatown and the whole time he was writing it, he only had one name in mind for the female lead, Salma Hayek.
Salma Hayek: You don’t remember meeting me, do you? It was a long time ago in your office. It was my first audition for a big Hollywood movie producer.
Peter Dragon: Oh yea, how did it go?
Salma Hayek (slaps Dragon)
Peter Dragon: Maybe you caught me on a bad day?
Salma Hayek: You wanted me to take my shirt off.
Peter Dragon: Sometimes, Salma, a little nudity is intrinsic to the story, you know, for the role.
Salma Hayek: I was auditioning for the role of the nun.
Peter Dragon: What nuns don’t take showers now?
Salma Hayek (slaps Dragon)
Salma Hayek: So I guess you would have no recollection of you drawing a little face on your little penis and asking me to put on a puppet show.
Peter Dragon: No, no, no, no – hey that’s not my style, that’s inappropriate, that doesn’t even sound like me, does it?
Adam Rafkin aka Raffi: Sure it does.

I almost pissed myself at this scene. Dissed by the Maitre d’, dissed by Salma Hayek. Who next?

There’s the classic Keanu Reeves scene:

Peter Dragon (to Keanu Reeves): What do you think of the movie?
Keanu Reeves: Much better explosions than the last one.
Peter Dragon: I’m really looking forward to us working together.
Keanu Reeves: Peter, I have some concerns…
Peter Dragon: I’d like to hear about them.
Keanu Reeves: I’m a little concerned that your date has her hand down my pants.
Wendy: I’m a big fan….
Keanu Reeves: Why thank you, I’m beginning to become a pretty big fan of yours too…

As for the hero that I referred to? Peter Dragon shows his brass balls infront of a Senate committee on violence in movies… Keep in mind that this was shot almost 10 years ago.

Peter Dragon: I never voted to subsidize the growing of tobacco while turning my back on food programs for starving kids. I never vetoed a gun control bill – all my guns are fake, Senator! I’ve never rushed in the defense of Kuwaiti oil fields while ignoring genocide in Africa because big oil companies that line your fat pockets aren’t concerned with black Africa. Those are all productions of your company, Senator. This company right here.
Senator: Now you are perilously close to being cited for contempt, Mr. Dragon!
Peter Dragon: I’m already in contempt! I’m in contempt of all of you old whores and hypocrites. At least I’m giving the American people what they want.
Senator: And just exactly what is it that you think they want?!
Peter Dragon: I’ll tell you exactly what they want, Senator. They want chase scenes and car crashes. They want firm breasts and tight assed Latino men. They want their cowboys to be strong and silent. They want their cops to bend the rules to get the job done. They want the boy to get the girl. They want the alien to be killed unless he’s cute. They want the good guy to win. They want the bad guy to die, hopefully in the biggest explosion the budget will allow. But most importantly, Senator, they want to walk into a theatre and for 90 minutes forget the fucking mess that you have left of this nation.
Senator: You, sir, are a malignancy on America!
Peter Dragon: I’m a malignancy? Well if I’m a malignancy and my movies are cancer, I hope the whole damn country gets cancer.

I have the video tapes… somewhere but If there’s still a DVD of the whole 13 episodes available, I’m going to get it. Any tips, appreciated.

UPDATE – September 8th, 2008:

Looks to be a pretty important topic out there. It appears that one out of a thousand visitors that view this blog post thinks that either I’m facebook or that I’m affiliated with facebook. Let me be clear:

I am neither facebook, nor am I affiliated with facebook.

I repeat,

I AM NOT FACEBOOK.

Leaving a comment on this blog asking to be reinstated will only lead you to being publically ridiculed.

Now, back to regular programming…

Earlier this year, in January, my facebook account got suspended. I’ve always seen it as an opportunity to talk about the various implications (and opportunities) presented by this suspension but it’s taken me forever to finally get to it.

Read past the jump to find out more about it.

The setup – after rising from my slumber on January 15th, I noticed that I was no longer able to log into my Facebook account. No biggie, a growing social network always has problems, fine. After reviewing my email, I noted two messages in succession:

From: Facebook [mailto:info+oplfdpiz@facebookmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 10:25 AM
To: Urban Mixer
Subject: Warning: Your Facebook Account

Hi,

Your account has been disabled for persistent misuse of the site. Please contact disabled@facebook.com for more information.

The Facebook Team

From: Facebook [mailto:warning+oplfdpiz@facebookmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 10:29 AM
To: Urban Mixer
Subject: Facebook Warning

Hello,

You uploaded a photo that violates our Terms of Use, and this photo has been removed. Among other things, photos containing nudity, drug use, or other obscene content are not allowed, nor are photos that attack an individual or group. Continued misuse of Facebook’s features could result in your account being disabled.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can visit our FAQ page at http://www.facebook.com/help.php?page=33.

The Facebook Team

Okay, so maybe something I’ve uploaded to Facebook was considered to be inappropriate. I initially considered the Hotbox photos since they contain painted girls…

The only photos that I have uploaded appear to still be intact in my profile – so to date, the phantom photo or photos in question have never been identified.

The back-and-forth – after sending my initial response, I received a canned message from Facebook regarding posting photos of ‘this kind.’

From: appeals+d7x20fu@facebook.com [mailto:appeals+d7x20fu@facebook.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 1:56 PM
To: Urban Mixer
Subject: Re: RE: RE: Facebook Warning raj@urbanmixer.com

Hi Raj,

Facebook has limits in place to prevent behavior that other users may find annoying or abusive. These limits restrict the rate at which you can use certain features on the site. Unfortunately, we cannot provide you with the specific rates that have been deemed abusive.

Your account was disabled because you exceeded Facebook’s limits on multiple occasions when requesting friends, despite having been warned to slow down.

However, after reviewing your situation, we have reactivated your account, and you should now be able to log in. Please be aware that if your account is disabled again, we will not be able to reactivate it. Once logged in, please slow down the rate at which you request friends. We appreciate your cooperation going forward.

Also, some photos that you uploaded have been removed for violating Facebook’s Terms of Use. Photos containing nudity, drug use, or other graphic content are not allowed, nor are photos that depict violence or that attack an individual or group. Unfortunately, for technical reasons, we are unable to provide further information about the removed photos.

In order to prevent this from happening in the future, please refrain from posting photos of this kind and remove any that still exist on the site. For more information on conduct prohibited by Facebook, please read our Terms of Use, which can be accessed by clicking on the “terms” link at the bottom of any Facebook page.

Thanks for your understanding,

Bella

Customer Support Representative

Facebook

I’m happy to say that I still don’t know what ‘kind’ of photos they’re referring to. Now they’re accusing me of something different – adding friends too quickly. They’re probably right, but I never received a warning in doing so, but yes, I did ad alot of friends on FB in spurts to grow my profile. Being in the media business means you know ALOT of people. And the vast majority seem to be on facebook, how serendipitous, I say.

It’s interesting to note that about 4 hours into the situation, friends and family started sending emails asking me if I had removed and blocked them from being friends with me in Facebook. According to those still in Facebook land, it appears that I completely disappeared from the network including all my content – videos and photos tagged with friends in them.

If one could fast forward a few decades, imagine the implications of how the world will change and how easy it may be to just flick a switch to literally shut down a person’s communications with the outside world. Can you say Miniority Report?

Anyways, they reinstated my account … or at least partially so. Upon reinstatement, friends still had problems seeing content related to my profile. It took a few days and subsequent emails to facebook to get this up and running. Check out the image gallery below to see how it all looked (you might have to zoom all the way).

Here’s the original dialog:

From: Facebook (raj@urbanmixer.com)

To: info@facebook.com

Subject: Groups Help: account in weirdness mode

Dear Facebook,

Since being reinstated back on Facebook,

1 – friends and family complain that they’re no longer on my friends list

2 – the groups that I administer think I’m no longer a member of the respective groups?

Browser: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11

—–End Original Message to Facebook—–

From: appeals+d7x20fu@facebook.com [mailto:appeals+d7x20fu@facebook.com]

Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 9:23 AM

To: Urban Mixer

Subject: Re: RE: RE: Facebook Warning raj@urbanmixer.com

Hi Raj,

We are aware of the problem that you described and hope to resolve it as soon as possible. Sorry for any inconvenience. Let me know if you have any further questions.

Thanks for contacting Facebook,

Bella

Customer Support Representative

Facebook

From: appeals+ngl5yt1@facebook.com [mailto:appeals+ngl5yt1@facebook.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 1:19 PM
To: Urban Mixer
Subject: Re: Re: RE: RE: Facebook Warning raj@urbanmixer.com

Hi Raj,

This problem should now be resolved. Sorry for any inconvenience, and enjoy the site! Let me know if you have any further questions.

Thanks for contacting Facebook,

Clark

User Operations

Facebook

From: Rajesh Taneja On Behalf Of Urban Mixer
Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 11:27 AM
To: ‘Facebook Support’
Cc: Urban Mixer
Subject: RE: RE: RE: Facebook Warning raj@urbanmixer.com

Yes,

Considering that my profile is 100% intact even though in two cases now I’ve been banned for inappropriate content (photos?), I am concerned that I’ll be banned again for the same offending item since nothing has been removed.

Can you comment on this? Alleviate my concern, perhaps – let me know that as at current my profile is fine, not offensive and not at risk of being deleted?

Regards,

Today’s quote of the day:

“To reach (our goal), we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it. But we must sail and not drift, not lie at anchor.”

– Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., physician

Rajesh Taneja,

President

SSID Inc., A Venture Technology Firm

+1 800 688-1868 x 911

Visit our website at http://www.ssid.net

From: appeals+d7x20fu@facebook.com [mailto:appeals+d7x20fu@facebook.com]
Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 1:55 PM
To: Urban Mixer
Subject: Re: RE: RE: Facebook Warning raj@urbanmixer.com

Hi Raj,

For technical reasons, we are unable to provide you with the removed photos. We recommend that you refrain from posting any photos on the site that may violate our Terms of Use in order to prevent future complications with your account. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Thanks,

Bella

Customer Support Representative

Facebook

In the end, I’ve seen a few more blips on Facebook. Writing on a wall, for example almost got me booted – it was confirmed as a system error by customer support. One wonders if the original issue, above, was also a Facebook error.

via Pownce, and the good man Jake J., an amazing video by Tay Zonday promoting Dr Pepper’s limited time only Cherry Chocolate beverage.

As Tay likes to describe it:

dark sweet unexpected -

taste the secret you’re infected -

your my body’s deepest craze -

brought the thunder made it rain

From what I see on the Dr Pepper website, there appears to only be the Diet Dr Pepper Cherry Chocolate flavour:

The great taste of Diet Dr Pepper is now mixed with a sweet cherry dipped in chocolate to bring you Cherry Chocolate Diet Dr Pepper. That’s zero calories and 100 percent satisfaction. So go ahead and lick your lips to savor every sip. But you’d better hurry. Cherry Chocolate Diet Dr Pepper is only available for a limited time.

BTW – video bonus, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, DMX and Jay-Z all in one voice (Aries Spears) on Live 105:

Another awesome video! Never knew Aries could hit it like that.

Last week, I decided to head to the Italian Kitchen on Alberni Street to check out two varieties of the same steak side by side.

What type of nut would eat two 16 ounce steaks in one sitting? A frame of reference to help you understand, might help..

CrossFit Vancouver, the gym of champions, featuring a workout geared to total overall fitness looks at all aspects – exercise, sleep and diet. Members of the gym, given the intense and ever-changing training regimen, gradually become animalistic in their tendencies. Imagine, you’re a ravenous jungle beast and no one steak can satiate you. Well, that’s essentially I felt like that night especially after having restrained myself from eating the finger foods at an AceTech event earlier in the evening.

Rather than gnawing on the bumper of someone’s car.. you feed the beast… order two steaks, the 40 day aged rib steak and the regular rib steak.

What’s the big deal about a slab of meat that’s been sitting in the cooler for 40 days?

A 40 day aged rib steak contracts over it’s course in the cooler and it becomes denser and drier. More flavour but more meat to make a steak, too. So, it’s more costly, leaner, flavourful and complex. Most restaurants that carry this type of product have to plan well ahead to ensure they have enough quantities for their customers – if they run out, it can take days to get another batch prepared.

The 40 day aged steak is darker whereas the other steak is certainly pinker – the 40 day steak was a slight bit more tender too!

So what’s the verdict?

Overall, this process isn’t suited to a fatty steak like the rib eye but works wonderfully for the steaks like the strip loin or New York steak. So there will have to be another installment of the Steak vs. Steak sometime soon.

Next time you’re in at Italian Kitchen, definitely check it out!

Italian Kitchen
1037 Alberni Street,
Vancouver BC V6E 1A1

TEL: 604-687-2858
WEB: www.glowbalgroup.com