March 30, 2007
Friday Top 5: Milwaukee Places
Top 5 places to see in Milwaukee.Sure, I may be jaded, any top five list about Milwaukee undoubtedly has a series of bars and restaurants in it, but not mine. Bars are great, but they are not that great. No, my list doesn't have any actual consumer establishments in it, largely because these things are covered in other lists that people actually get paid to write.
5) 1622 E Irving Place
Any true list about Milwaukee wouldn't be complete without my apartment in it. It is one of the places in Milwaukee that I tend to enjoy immensely, and even though it isn't of interest to anyone else, this is the top 5 according to Adam.
4) Lake Michigan
Sure, Lake Michigan is huge, sure Milwaukee and Chicago both use it for a certain brand of sightseeing pressure, but Milwaukee has done it right. The Lake is buffered from the city by a half mile or more of green park spaces that go all the way up from the river to UWM. That's a lot of prime real estate, and the city has kept it as parks out of respect to the citizens of the city. Kudos to you, Milwaukee.
3) Gallun Tannery
Not everyone likes to poke around abandoned buildings, but I do, I do very much. Gallun Tannery is the first of my excursions into urban exploration, and one of the most memorable. This building may or may not be torn down or renovated. I'd love to see it get renovated, it's a great old structure.
2) Milwaukee River
Similar to the lake, the river has no development along the banks (at least not West of downtown) and is lined with hiking/mountain bike trails. There are a few waterfalls along the trip out to suburbia, and it is an extremely fun ride/walk.
1) Pfister Vogel Chemical Processing
This place is by far the most interesting thing that I've seen for a number of years. It has a massive plot of land just West of downtown, right near all the bars on Water St. that people are so intent upon. Filled to the brim with awe inspiring examples of urban decay, the chemical plant takes #1 easily.
Labels: top 5
March 28, 2007
It's all about the electricity.
Josh mentioned something about the use of solar (or wind or any other renewable energy source) in conjunction with a hydrogen fuel cell in an attempt to clean and free up current energy usage. A respectable goal, and one that we should all be working toward in any small way that we can.Hydrogen fuel cells are clean (mostly) and reliable, and as such they appear to be the technology of the future. There are, however, there are some things about Hydrogen fuel cell technology that most people don't know.
Hydrogen fuel cells work by combining Hydrogen and Oxygen into ozone and water, and using the tiny bit of energy that is let off from this reaction to power an electrical engine. The mechanism itself has no moving parts, and is relatively inexpensive to produce, save for some rare hazardous metals in the transfer plating. A fuel cell using hydrogen is not to be confused with an internal combustion hydrogen engine, since both are being tested, and both have a strong following.
So why do I have reservations regarding Hydrogen fuel cell technology? It is a new middle step in the energy equation. Essentially all we are doing by using a hydrogen fuel cell is replacing our dependence of oil with a dependence on hydrogen. Hydrogen is very common, but it isn't just floating around in midair, it is combined with other atoms to form molecules, mostly water. Splitting water molecules to get at the hydrogen uses some energy, as well as pressurizing the hydrogen for transport and storage, and what you end up with is something that is only marginally efficient, just like oil, only with no exhaust.
On the other hand, we have purely electric cars starting to hit the marketplace. The Tesla is a great example that I've discussed in the past, and the hybrids that the major automakers are coming out with are a step in that direction. There is really no need to put a new middleman in place with the advent of lithium-ion batteries, since all the hydrogen fuel cell is doing is generating energy for an electric motor. EV (electric vehicles) are the real solution, in my book, since it doesn't matter where you get the electricity from, it will still run the car. Build a hydrogen fuel cell power plant, and it will power your electric car. A coal power plant does the same thing, only marginally messily. Put a wind turbine (or photovoltaics) up on your house and let that charge your batteries, and you've got a fully sustainable closed system.
Essentially what I'm saying is this: Hydrogen fuel cells are a neat technology, but they have no place in a car or truck, leave them at the power plants. Transportation lends itself to a straightforward electrical engine, in which the only fuel that you are bringing with you is the sandwich and juice that you need to keep from falling asleep at the board meeting.
March 27, 2007
I missed another top 5
I apologize again. Although I know that I don't get too many hits on the blog, I still like to keep to a schedule.In other news, Vicki, Joe and myself will be taking up residence at the coolest house in existence, over by Mounds Boulevard. Just East of St. Paul, it has a tower, and a wicked cool stairwell. This is all you need to know for now. Perhaps soon some pictures will surface, but not right away.
I already know what my top 5 for this week will be, so I won't forget. At least, I better not, or else I'll make myself drink hard liquor, which I hate (seriously).
March 22, 2007
Apologies and Congrats
1) Apologies: Sorry I missed the weekly top 5 this past Friday, I had a good reason.2) Congrats: People have been congratulating me all weekend, I went back to MN and got myself a job. A real job. Not something at FedEx or the like, something with benefits and a 401K and all that jazz.
I start on May 21st, so Vicki and I will (pending signing a lease at Tower) be moving all our stuff home to MN on May 12th. I will actually take up residence at the place on the 20th, and Vicki will take up residence there on June 13th. Odd, I know, but that's the way it is working out.
March 9, 2007
Friday Top 5: Slow-Fast Food
Slow-Fast food might not be the right name for it. Perhaps it would be better designated as Mid-fast food. What I'm talking about are places that take some time to make your food from scratch, instead of squeezing a soup mixture out of a giant bag into a Styrofoam bowl. These places are trying to bring taste and craft back into easy food, and though they can't compete with real restaurants for quality, they can take a step in that direction.5) Jimmy John's
Jimmy John's really shouldn't be on this list, since it is faster than most fast food. As most people know, usually by the time that you are done paying for your sandwich, it is flying at you from across the room. Literally, they throw sandwiches around. The concoctions are tasty, and though they are usually slathered with mayo (making them less than health food) they are of moderate-high quality. Pretty much the only thing that JJ has in common with the rest of the places on this list is that it is uber-trendy. They like you to think that they have a sense of humor up there in corporate, which they actually might, with signs like "free smells" plastered on their building.
4) Noodles & Co.
Noodles and Company has been a staple in the Slow-fast food buisness for quite awhile now, and has become something of a regularity in my life. The dishes are good, the atmosphere is laid back, and you can have some wine or beer with your food if you so desire. If you haven't tried it, get the Pasta Fresca with feta cheese and tofu. It tastes like greatness. I'm still impressed with it every time. An excellent example of the median between McDonald's and your local Nice Sit-Down Place.
3) Quizno's
I was iffy about including two sandwich places on this list, but it's hard to deny the impact that Quizno's has had on the industry. The sandwiches are expensive, but they taste fantastic. I haven't had a chance to try their veggie sub since I've gone vegetarian, but their meat subs leave the eater wanting very little. Even though you'll be left with a mess when you're done, you'll also be left with a happy face. Try the Turkey Bacon Guacamole on wheat, if you haven't.
2) Pei Wei
Pei Wei is to Asian food what Noodles and Co. is to Italian. It's pretty heavily americanized, but it tastes fantastic. The food is a pretty good deal, as long as you stay away from appetizers and whatnot, and the portions are more than ample.The main reason that Pei Wei makes it this far up on the list is because they have a comparatively large selection of tofu dishes that really hit the spot, and that's important for veggies like me.
1) Chipotle
I hae a hard time imagining anything that could be better than a nice puffy Chipotle Burrito. To be honest, the first time that I had Chipotle I hated it, mainly because I was expecting some Taco-Bell-like sham. I have learned, however, the true nature of Chipotle, and it makes me well. The food is gargantuan and taste-tacular, and they aren't afraid to make it spicy. It's americanized, like the rest of the stuff on this list, but I'm American, so that makes it easily accessible.If you want more reasons to support your local Chipotle branch, they are one of the leaders in organic and fair-trade foods, one of the only mass-market places in the country that is actually making a point to serve high-quality ingredients. Sure, Chipotle is owned by McDonald's but Jaguar is owned by Ford, and they are still able to make some nice cars.
Labels: top 5
March 7, 2007
Consumer Report
Salsa is like beer. There are thousands of varietals, and each has a very specific taste. Someone who is a lover of either or both goes out of their way to try as many as possible to find favorites. Most big name brands are mediocre (watery crap) at best (Pace, Budweiser, etc.) and the smaller ones can be expensive and hard to find. Obtaining a balance can be difficult.
Enter Mrs. Renfro.Specifically, Mrs Renfro's Chipotle Corn Salsa. This salsa has it where it counts. It's a medium-spicy salsa, and even that is a generous descriptor; If my wife can eat it, than anyone can.
The salsa has a very distinctive taste that adds seasoning to food, not just tomato juice and spiciness. It's affordable, and you will probably be able to find it at your local mega-grocery-warehouse.
Buy it, try it, and buy a jar of the Green Salsa as well if you're looking for something with a bit more bite to it.
March 2, 2007
Friday Top 5: SciFi Novels
Top 5 Science Fiction Novels.Mayhaps Fantasy will be next friday.
5) Sun of Suns
Only released recently, this book hasn't had a chance to get anywhere near the big dogs like Dune, but it is on my Top 5, which is definitely something for a series that has only begun.
Sun of Suns is the first book in the Virga series, which takes place in a massive pressurized balloon which holds its very own star. The world creation at play here is awe-inspiring, and though the book is somewhat short, the sheer intensity of the visuals that one gets from reading it more than makes up for its brevity. Entire cities have to be spun up in order to create artificial gravity, and wars are mainly concerned with the smaller city-sized suns that orbit inside the balloon.
I can only assume that the forthcoming books will be just as good as the first one, and if they are, this series could well overtake some of the other books on this list. We'll have to wait and see.
4) Ender's Game
Ender's Game is one of the seminal SciFi novels of my generation, and it holds sway over a large following. The novel is heartfelt and extremely enjoyable, if not extremely deep. It has a lot going on, but it asks easy questions, and in predictable circumstances.
The story follows a young kid named Ender who is enrolled in a military academy during a lull in a intergalactic war with the first alien race that humans have ever encountered. Throughout the book, Ender's special talents are brought into the light, and the book evolves through him into a well rounded and fulfilling story. Bring the rest of the novels in this series into the picture and you have a compelling story that every Science Fiction fan should be consumed by.
3) Snow Crash
Neal Stephenson has proven himself to be an author of many talents, so much so that he would likely have a place in any genre-based novel-list that I could come up with.
Snow Crash is his first really popular book, and it was released alongside Neuromancer, in the Cyberpunk vein. I have read both, and I find Stephenson's work to be much more enjoyable than Gibson's.
Snow Crash follows a computer hacker (what else, this is cyberpunk) through a halfway dystopian world in which the mafia are the good guys, virtual worlds are the mainstream, and a loaf of bread costs millions of dollars (inflation run rampant). The book asks a number of extremely provoking questions, and leaves more than a few up to the reader. It is a joy to read, through and through.
2) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
This book would be in the #1 slot if the list were more lenient, but The Hitchhiker's guide is more about the comedy than the Science Fiction. That is not to say, however, that the SciFi in this series is worthless, on the contrary, it is sublime.
The book invents laws of physics left and right, and bends them to whatever convoluted corner of the galaxy the heroes are in at present. The names of people and places by themselves are enough to make even the most serious English grandmother titter with delight.
I have never had such an enjoyable experience as I had while reading this series of books, leading me to believe that Douglas Adams was a genius. He was fantastic in every way.
1) Dune
Dune will likely always win any SciFi showdown that it is placed into (unless it is a movie showdown). This series is so mind-numbingly enjoyable that I can't find the right adjectives to describe it.
Herbert's universe is a mashup of ancient Greece and modern technology. Each world has a feel to it, and while the lines between good and evil start out very clearly drawn, they blur quickly, and the reader finds themselves placed into the shoes of vastly different characters throughout the six books.
As the series winds down, you find yourself faced with so many philosophical and ethical questions that entire chapters go by while you contemplate earlier concepts.
Anyone looking to burn a few months should pick up the six books in the Dune series and read them as close to back to back as possible. It will alter your outlook, guaranteed.
Labels: top 5