Holy shit... if you remotely like ginger ale... these are delicious. I literally eat them like candy. Highly recommended from Walt Clyde.
Monday, January 12, 2009
I have found my new crack
Holy shit... if you remotely like ginger ale... these are delicious. I literally eat them like candy. Highly recommended from Walt Clyde.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Wawa's Irish Cream
Anybody who has had coffee at any convenience store knows the cream selection they have. I am an Irish Cream guy. Especially since I moved to South Jersey and have had the ability to stop at glorious, beautiful Wawa, I have fallen more in love with the Irish Cream coffee. I even buy the take-home creamers for use with my morning coffee.
However, recently I'd been finding the Irish Cream harder and harder to locate at whatever Wawa I was in, either in the store's coffee section or in the refrigerated, take-home size. Needless to say, I was concerned. So did I just ponder nostalgically about it? Hell no! I emailed the company. And, lo and behold, I got an answer!
Here was my question:
Comment or Question: Are you phasing out Irish Cream? I used to buy the little containers of them to bring home for my coffee and have not seen them at any local Wawa in the past month or so. Additionally, only sometimes are there large Wawa Irish Cream containers available when I fix my coffee in the store, where they used to be available all the time.
And here is their response:
Dear [Walt],
Thank you for contacting Wawa Consumer Relations regarding the discontinuation of Irish Cream creamer. We truly appreciate it when our customers contact us with comments, suggestions or concerns.
Wawa strives to keep our product offer fresh and interesting. This involves a continual search for additions to our product line that will satisfy our customers' high standards as well as the ongoing reassessment of existing items. From time to time, we must discontinue products. We recognize that these decisions will disappoint some customers and we hope that we can fill the gap with new or existing alternatives.
I apologize that the discontinuation of Irish Cream creamer has disappointed you and I will pass your comments on to the Marketing team. It is our sincere hope that we can offer you an acceptable alternative within our current or future product line.
Thank you,
Sarah V.
Wawa Customer Relations
1-800-444-9292
Incident 1900412
Ok, so... what are the odds that my comments will passed on to the Marketing team and/or that their "sincere hope" that an acceptable alternative in their product line will come to fruition? Still, I suppose it was nice to get an (albeit generic response) letter...
However, recently I'd been finding the Irish Cream harder and harder to locate at whatever Wawa I was in, either in the store's coffee section or in the refrigerated, take-home size. Needless to say, I was concerned. So did I just ponder nostalgically about it? Hell no! I emailed the company. And, lo and behold, I got an answer!
Here was my question:
Comment or Question: Are you phasing out Irish Cream? I used to buy the little containers of them to bring home for my coffee and have not seen them at any local Wawa in the past month or so. Additionally, only sometimes are there large Wawa Irish Cream containers available when I fix my coffee in the store, where they used to be available all the time.
And here is their response:
Dear [Walt],
Thank you for contacting Wawa Consumer Relations regarding the discontinuation of Irish Cream creamer. We truly appreciate it when our customers contact us with comments, suggestions or concerns.
Wawa strives to keep our product offer fresh and interesting. This involves a continual search for additions to our product line that will satisfy our customers' high standards as well as the ongoing reassessment of existing items. From time to time, we must discontinue products. We recognize that these decisions will disappoint some customers and we hope that we can fill the gap with new or existing alternatives.
I apologize that the discontinuation of Irish Cream creamer has disappointed you and I will pass your comments on to the Marketing team. It is our sincere hope that we can offer you an acceptable alternative within our current or future product line.
Thank you,
Sarah V.
Wawa Customer Relations
1-800-444-9292
Incident 1900412
Ok, so... what are the odds that my comments will passed on to the Marketing team and/or that their "sincere hope" that an acceptable alternative in their product line will come to fruition? Still, I suppose it was nice to get an (albeit generic response) letter...
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Random Stuff 12.6.2008
- The first post I made on this blog was over a year ago, in October 2007. Of course, you remember every word of it anyway, but here's the link to it. At that time, Side Bar (of Where's Luke superstardom, of course) predicted that Teaneck's Five-Star Cafe would go out of business quickly with a Dunkin Donuts across the street. Well, lo and behold, Five Star is fully operational. Infact, Sunday 11/30 I enjoyed a Hobo Con Queso to go. Of course, arriving home an hour and a half later, I had to pay the price on the toilet for a few minutes, but it was well worth it. Delicious breakfast and a laxative in one, can't beat it.
- Back in the 90s, a guy named Darcy Frey went into Coney Island (apparently, very ghetto there) and followed around three basketball players and chronicled their struggles to make it to success after high school basketball in a book called The Last Shot. (Joey may have gotten this as a gift for me.) Anyway, the story also touches on a cocky freshman who was on the team with this group of seniors named Stephon Marbury. After recalling his background, I'm not that shocked that "Starbury" self-destructed eventually when he was not having his ass kissed from all angles. Consider an excerpt from this review that touches on Steph:
The book does contain a fourth player, less involved in the central events of the book than the other three, a tiny freshman phenom of a point guard and basketball savant, with blazing speed, a yo-yo handle, otherworldly court vision, and a deadly shot. He is the most cocky and the most jaded of the four, always flapping his mouth and even deriding Tchaka's abilities to his face. He had not one, not two, but three older brothers show promise in high school but ultimately fail to make their 700 and end up in some sort of juco purgatory, and the experience has clearly impacted his family; his father approaches Frey directly and asks him how much he's going to be paid for Frey's book, having seen too often how young players are chewed up and spit out by those looking to profit off them and left with nothing. Unlike the other three, the freshman is shameless about hitting up Frey for meals at McDonald's and soda money, and is clear about his intentions to get his from college recruiters, admonishing the other three for not asking for any illegal gifts; he dreams of getting hooked up with a white Nissan Sentra, which are, in his own words, "milk." But he also benefits from his loss of innocence -- he vows that he won't turn out like his brothers, and puts in hours with tutors every day so that he can live up to that vow. He turns out to be the book's lone success story, propelled out of Coney Island by immense talent and confidence and a drive forged by the crushing failure that had preceded him. His name? Stephon Marbury.
- Man, I can't stop (re-)listening to Gnarls Barkley's St. Elsewhere album. My current song du jour off of it is Necromancer. Just weird, quirky, and clever music. Has anybody heard that song Big Brother on Kanye West's Graduation album? Interesting description of his feelings about Jay-Z. Any thoughts on that?
- Just rented the Muppet Movie. It was ahead of its time and a lot of fun.
- Back in the 90s, a guy named Darcy Frey went into Coney Island (apparently, very ghetto there) and followed around three basketball players and chronicled their struggles to make it to success after high school basketball in a book called The Last Shot. (Joey may have gotten this as a gift for me.) Anyway, the story also touches on a cocky freshman who was on the team with this group of seniors named Stephon Marbury. After recalling his background, I'm not that shocked that "Starbury" self-destructed eventually when he was not having his ass kissed from all angles. Consider an excerpt from this review that touches on Steph:
The book does contain a fourth player, less involved in the central events of the book than the other three, a tiny freshman phenom of a point guard and basketball savant, with blazing speed, a yo-yo handle, otherworldly court vision, and a deadly shot. He is the most cocky and the most jaded of the four, always flapping his mouth and even deriding Tchaka's abilities to his face. He had not one, not two, but three older brothers show promise in high school but ultimately fail to make their 700 and end up in some sort of juco purgatory, and the experience has clearly impacted his family; his father approaches Frey directly and asks him how much he's going to be paid for Frey's book, having seen too often how young players are chewed up and spit out by those looking to profit off them and left with nothing. Unlike the other three, the freshman is shameless about hitting up Frey for meals at McDonald's and soda money, and is clear about his intentions to get his from college recruiters, admonishing the other three for not asking for any illegal gifts; he dreams of getting hooked up with a white Nissan Sentra, which are, in his own words, "milk." But he also benefits from his loss of innocence -- he vows that he won't turn out like his brothers, and puts in hours with tutors every day so that he can live up to that vow. He turns out to be the book's lone success story, propelled out of Coney Island by immense talent and confidence and a drive forged by the crushing failure that had preceded him. His name? Stephon Marbury.
- Man, I can't stop (re-)listening to Gnarls Barkley's St. Elsewhere album. My current song du jour off of it is Necromancer. Just weird, quirky, and clever music. Has anybody heard that song Big Brother on Kanye West's Graduation album? Interesting description of his feelings about Jay-Z. Any thoughts on that?
- Just rented the Muppet Movie. It was ahead of its time and a lot of fun.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
More Videos and Links
1)
An oldie but a goodie.
2)
How To Shower: Men Vs Women - Watch more Entertainment
This is funny if you live with someone of the opposite sex.
3) If you've somehow never seen "Dick in a Box"... well, you must. Click here.
4) A somewhat contrived but yet thoughtful website about our political state here.
5) Finally, a classic if you've ever remotely loved the Howard Stern show: The Gary Tape. "I miss you, man."
An oldie but a goodie.
2)
How To Shower: Men Vs Women - Watch more Entertainment
This is funny if you live with someone of the opposite sex.
3) If you've somehow never seen "Dick in a Box"... well, you must. Click here.
4) A somewhat contrived but yet thoughtful website about our political state here.
5) Finally, a classic if you've ever remotely loved the Howard Stern show: The Gary Tape. "I miss you, man."
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Sleeptalking
This post is primarily for Daffy and my brother Evan.
This morning, Lisa (my wife) said, "You said the funniest thing last night in your sleep. I made a mental note of it so I can tell you this morning. You said, 'How are the vegetables growing today, Harold?' I asked you, 'The vegetables, honey?' You repeated it a couple of more times."
I laughed and laughed. Then, I explained where that came from, and how often Daffy, Evan and I listened to the Scary Stories tape, for whatever reason.
Click here for text or here for audio. Amazingly, a Google search for "scary stories vegetables Harold" turned up these two links.
This morning, Lisa (my wife) said, "You said the funniest thing last night in your sleep. I made a mental note of it so I can tell you this morning. You said, 'How are the vegetables growing today, Harold?' I asked you, 'The vegetables, honey?' You repeated it a couple of more times."
I laughed and laughed. Then, I explained where that came from, and how often Daffy, Evan and I listened to the Scary Stories tape, for whatever reason.
Click here for text or here for audio. Amazingly, a Google search for "scary stories vegetables Harold" turned up these two links.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Three Videos
Touching...
...hilarious.
And, not as funny as Bowser's Minions, but still chuckleworthy.
...hilarious.
And, not as funny as Bowser's Minions, but still chuckleworthy.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Recent Images
Some images that have grabbed my attnetion recently...
Sorry, Mets fans. Yes, I'm across the Phila. bandwagon these days. Even the Sixers.
Lisa and I saw Joan Osborne perform at the World Cafe Live in Philadelphia. You remember Joan Osborne, don't you? Well, her voice is sexy and incredible live. She's one of those rare performers who are actually better live than on album. I would highly recommend seeing her if she's ever performing near you. She mainly sings rock / blues type of music. She also sang the song my wife and I danced to at our wedding.
Recognize this country? It is ours! This is something called a cartogram, and it's very interesting. The sizes of things are not actual land sizes but instead are drawn proportionately to statistics about the things. You can read more here.
And finally, here's us not more than a couple hundred feet away from our President-Elect when he was campaigning in Philadelphia. Obama!
Sorry, Mets fans. Yes, I'm across the Phila. bandwagon these days. Even the Sixers.
Lisa and I saw Joan Osborne perform at the World Cafe Live in Philadelphia. You remember Joan Osborne, don't you? Well, her voice is sexy and incredible live. She's one of those rare performers who are actually better live than on album. I would highly recommend seeing her if she's ever performing near you. She mainly sings rock / blues type of music. She also sang the song my wife and I danced to at our wedding.
Recognize this country? It is ours! This is something called a cartogram, and it's very interesting. The sizes of things are not actual land sizes but instead are drawn proportionately to statistics about the things. You can read more here.
And finally, here's us not more than a couple hundred feet away from our President-Elect when he was campaigning in Philadelphia. Obama!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
November 4, 2008 - a series of moments
Glued to the TV from the couch with my wife, my best friend, by my side, both of us filled with nervous energy, ready to be uncorked like lightning before a storm.
The reflection of what this night truly was, for us: the months of waiting for the culmination for us of our hope, our donations, our trip to Philadelphia to call homes to get out and vote, both of us believing in Barack Obama's message, his vision which for once to me seemed more than a politician's rhetoric, the hope that this truly was, as I believed, the leader I've been waiting my whole life for.
Lisa and I watching the faces and listening to the voices that have been our guides for this election on MSNBC background for the past few months: Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, etc... (who have seemed admittedly biased in these past few months - but only because I think they're all intelligent and couldn't hold back their honest feelings anymore).
Our optimism tempered by MSNBC's early declarations that "so far, this is unfolding like 2000... Obama hasn't turned any red states yet...", not recognizing it for the building-the-suspense, stay-tuned ruse that it was.
The early eruptions, like twin claps of thunder, of Pennsylvania... followed later by Ohio... and a sense of the inevitable unfolding... the commentators admitting that the path for McCain winning was dwindling quickly.
The realization of what would happen at 11:00 Eastern, when the West Coast states' polls closed.
The return from commercial. The historic announcement at 11:00. The talking heads being quiet for several minutes and letting the images flood into our TV, the gravity of what has transpired just starting to pour onto on all of us, saturate us, fill us, watching ecstasy and jubilation in various places across our country, places chosen by MSNBC to illustrate the variety of places shown.
The overwhelming scene from Chicago. The unbelievably moving sight of Jesse Jackson unable to control his emotions throughout the evening. The culmination of the legacy of Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and everybody in between who fought on the side of fairness, equality, and justice.
And finally, after an hour of this surreal feeling, Barack speaking and giving the most miraculous speech I've heard in my lifetime. Barack summarizing what has happened, and delivering the promise I've been waiting to hear, recognition of the task at hand with optimism that we truly will do it together. Barack saying things that I cannot hope to adequately capture with description, with adjectives, with any sense of eloquence.
Finally, for me, a sense of true *promise* and not just a promise... the sense of history being created in every sense of the word, the chance that everything about our country and our world may be different in a few short years.
I'll remember these snapshots, these moments of my life, forever. I feel baptized, renewed.
The reflection of what this night truly was, for us: the months of waiting for the culmination for us of our hope, our donations, our trip to Philadelphia to call homes to get out and vote, both of us believing in Barack Obama's message, his vision which for once to me seemed more than a politician's rhetoric, the hope that this truly was, as I believed, the leader I've been waiting my whole life for.
Lisa and I watching the faces and listening to the voices that have been our guides for this election on MSNBC background for the past few months: Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, etc... (who have seemed admittedly biased in these past few months - but only because I think they're all intelligent and couldn't hold back their honest feelings anymore).
Our optimism tempered by MSNBC's early declarations that "so far, this is unfolding like 2000... Obama hasn't turned any red states yet...", not recognizing it for the building-the-suspense, stay-tuned ruse that it was.
The early eruptions, like twin claps of thunder, of Pennsylvania... followed later by Ohio... and a sense of the inevitable unfolding... the commentators admitting that the path for McCain winning was dwindling quickly.
The realization of what would happen at 11:00 Eastern, when the West Coast states' polls closed.
The return from commercial. The historic announcement at 11:00. The talking heads being quiet for several minutes and letting the images flood into our TV, the gravity of what has transpired just starting to pour onto on all of us, saturate us, fill us, watching ecstasy and jubilation in various places across our country, places chosen by MSNBC to illustrate the variety of places shown.
The overwhelming scene from Chicago. The unbelievably moving sight of Jesse Jackson unable to control his emotions throughout the evening. The culmination of the legacy of Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and everybody in between who fought on the side of fairness, equality, and justice.
And finally, after an hour of this surreal feeling, Barack speaking and giving the most miraculous speech I've heard in my lifetime. Barack summarizing what has happened, and delivering the promise I've been waiting to hear, recognition of the task at hand with optimism that we truly will do it together. Barack saying things that I cannot hope to adequately capture with description, with adjectives, with any sense of eloquence.
Finally, for me, a sense of true *promise* and not just a promise... the sense of history being created in every sense of the word, the chance that everything about our country and our world may be different in a few short years.
I'll remember these snapshots, these moments of my life, forever. I feel baptized, renewed.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
End?
So, I'm wondering if I should keep blogging. The only person that has been reading recently has been Pax who has been arguing with me politically. I appreciate his interest in what I'm saying and a link to his blog has been posted at left with the other blogs that friends have.
(A sidenote: I did to Pax what I've been accused of doing for a while now by friends and family - on Facebook, I started a debate with him and then backed out because I didn't feel like debating with him once he started - and just said, "Yeah, you're right, I know nothing" and acted sarcastic. I can't believe that I actually do this. I will read his blog and engage in more fair dialogue with him in the future.)
Anyway, we started commentary with each other here and here but Pax is the only guy that has commented in a long time.
I know I don't post that regularly, and I haven't been invited join any groups of bloggers like this one, or been successful in starting my own group. Maybe I'm not a great writer, and what I write is being read but is not compelling enough to comment on. Maybe what I write doesn't lend itself to commentary. Maybe it's because this blog isn't eponymous.
I joined Facebook and put a link to this blog but do not seem to have attracted any traffic.
So I ask, "Hello... is there anybody out there? Just nod if you can hear me..." Should I keep blogging here? Does what I write, albeit inconsistenly, interest you enough for me to keep writing? Or, should I just keep my own journal, like Doogie Howser M.D.?
Comment or email at spinningandwinning@gmail.com if you care to!
(A sidenote: I did to Pax what I've been accused of doing for a while now by friends and family - on Facebook, I started a debate with him and then backed out because I didn't feel like debating with him once he started - and just said, "Yeah, you're right, I know nothing" and acted sarcastic. I can't believe that I actually do this. I will read his blog and engage in more fair dialogue with him in the future.)
Anyway, we started commentary with each other here and here but Pax is the only guy that has commented in a long time.
I know I don't post that regularly, and I haven't been invited join any groups of bloggers like this one, or been successful in starting my own group. Maybe I'm not a great writer, and what I write is being read but is not compelling enough to comment on. Maybe what I write doesn't lend itself to commentary. Maybe it's because this blog isn't eponymous.
I joined Facebook and put a link to this blog but do not seem to have attracted any traffic.
So I ask, "Hello... is there anybody out there? Just nod if you can hear me..." Should I keep blogging here? Does what I write, albeit inconsistenly, interest you enough for me to keep writing? Or, should I just keep my own journal, like Doogie Howser M.D.?
Comment or email at spinningandwinning@gmail.com if you care to!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
No Limit Poker
If you are don't know anything about poker or are just not interested in it, skip this post.
The last time I played poker in A.C., after busting out of the tourney I was in, I sat down for some 1-3 NL (I was at Bally's, and they do 1-3 NL instead of 1-2 NL there). I usually buy in for the maximum $300, even though I probably do not plan to go all-in unless I have the absolute nuts. (I don't want the rest of the table to know this, of course.) I probably shouldn't be buying in for the maximum amount I've set on my bankroll - didn't I learn anything from Mike McDermott in Rounders?
Anyway, I went through a big swing on two big hands that illustrate how great and awful no-limit cash table poker can be, and how, even when I feel like I played the hands described well, luck can either help or hurt you tremendously on any given hand of poker.
So I'm playing...
1) I'm in late position with A-10 of clubs. About three people limp in between the blinds and me. I raise $10 up to $13 total. The blinds call and two limpers call, including one who has just thrown his last $8 in. (Pot has about $60 now.) So now I'm in last position.
Flop comes 7-7-4 rainbow. Everybody checks to me. Fearful that somebody is slowplaying a 7, I make a continuation bet of $25 anyway. The small blind calls after much hesitation and everybody else folds. Now we're at about $110. I eye down the small blind and decide if he checks, I bet no matter what.
Turn is a blank. He checks, I bet $60, and he thinks for a while, then shows 8-8 and folds. Since somebody is all in, I have to show my bluff. It turns out the all-in guy had something random like Q-6 and I won the pot. I probably overplayed it but was proud of myself.
A couple of hands later...
2) I'm in middle position with Q-J diamonds. I just call $3. Everybody folds. The small blind, a tight player, raises to $13. The big blind and I call.
The flop is A hearts - K hearts- 6 diamonds. The small blind bets $10. Big blind folds. I have no business calling, but think maybe he has a middle pair or a flush draw now, and call.
The turn is 10 of diamonds. I now have the nuts and a flush draw. Small blind bets $25. (The pot was about $50). I hollywood for a little while, then raise to $75. He looks over at my stack and says "How much do you have left?" I have about $110 more. He has about $200. I tell him. He thinks for a while. In my head, I'm chanting "PUT ME ALL IN PUT ME ALL IN PUT ME ALL IN". Eventually he just calls.
River is K of clubs. Fuck. He value-bets $25. I know he's got a full house now, but I call anyway, hoping he has a hand like K-Q. Nope, he had A-K the whole time, and he takes down the large pot, more than erasing my winnings from earlier.
I Phil Hellmuth him for about 5 minutes - "do you know you only had 4 outs going into the river?, etc..." He smiles quietly. "What are you smiling about? How freakin lucky you are?" etc... He never responds. The big blind, who folded after the flop, informs me that he folded 10-10 after the flop and would've made the second best hand, and I would've lost to them both anyway if he had called the $10 flop, which he doesn't know why I did. I tell him to fuck off and we continue to play.
Moral of the story: No Limit can be brutal if you don't have a big bankroll!
The last time I played poker in A.C., after busting out of the tourney I was in, I sat down for some 1-3 NL (I was at Bally's, and they do 1-3 NL instead of 1-2 NL there). I usually buy in for the maximum $300, even though I probably do not plan to go all-in unless I have the absolute nuts. (I don't want the rest of the table to know this, of course.) I probably shouldn't be buying in for the maximum amount I've set on my bankroll - didn't I learn anything from Mike McDermott in Rounders?
Anyway, I went through a big swing on two big hands that illustrate how great and awful no-limit cash table poker can be, and how, even when I feel like I played the hands described well, luck can either help or hurt you tremendously on any given hand of poker.
So I'm playing...
1) I'm in late position with A-10 of clubs. About three people limp in between the blinds and me. I raise $10 up to $13 total. The blinds call and two limpers call, including one who has just thrown his last $8 in. (Pot has about $60 now.) So now I'm in last position.
Flop comes 7-7-4 rainbow. Everybody checks to me. Fearful that somebody is slowplaying a 7, I make a continuation bet of $25 anyway. The small blind calls after much hesitation and everybody else folds. Now we're at about $110. I eye down the small blind and decide if he checks, I bet no matter what.
Turn is a blank. He checks, I bet $60, and he thinks for a while, then shows 8-8 and folds. Since somebody is all in, I have to show my bluff. It turns out the all-in guy had something random like Q-6 and I won the pot. I probably overplayed it but was proud of myself.
A couple of hands later...
2) I'm in middle position with Q-J diamonds. I just call $3. Everybody folds. The small blind, a tight player, raises to $13. The big blind and I call.
The flop is A hearts - K hearts- 6 diamonds. The small blind bets $10. Big blind folds. I have no business calling, but think maybe he has a middle pair or a flush draw now, and call.
The turn is 10 of diamonds. I now have the nuts and a flush draw. Small blind bets $25. (The pot was about $50). I hollywood for a little while, then raise to $75. He looks over at my stack and says "How much do you have left?" I have about $110 more. He has about $200. I tell him. He thinks for a while. In my head, I'm chanting "PUT ME ALL IN PUT ME ALL IN PUT ME ALL IN". Eventually he just calls.
River is K of clubs. Fuck. He value-bets $25. I know he's got a full house now, but I call anyway, hoping he has a hand like K-Q. Nope, he had A-K the whole time, and he takes down the large pot, more than erasing my winnings from earlier.
I Phil Hellmuth him for about 5 minutes - "do you know you only had 4 outs going into the river?, etc..." He smiles quietly. "What are you smiling about? How freakin lucky you are?" etc... He never responds. The big blind, who folded after the flop, informs me that he folded 10-10 after the flop and would've made the second best hand, and I would've lost to them both anyway if he had called the $10 flop, which he doesn't know why I did. I tell him to fuck off and we continue to play.
Moral of the story: No Limit can be brutal if you don't have a big bankroll!
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