There is much that could be said about the hundreds of miles of driving to see family and then a houseful of family and good times before during and after Christmas. I won't bore readers of the blog about that but there is one thing I would like to share about one special gift I received. It is called Open It!
Some will immediately be thinking of Open IT as in "Open Information Technology". For example, Open IT Works is based on a simple concept borrowed from Open Source, and is about sharing of IT solutions, best practices, projects, and product and vendor reviews. The Open It I received for Christmas has nothing to do with any of that. My Open It is to open things that come packaged in blisters, clamshells, boxes DVD cases, and numerous other things unopenables that are packaged with the vendor in mind -- and with no thought about how the consumer might open the package without injuring oneself. The Open It is made from hardened and plated precision alloy steel, has has honed, angled, and offset jaws, and an ergo-comfortable handle. It has a built in retractable utility knife and an interchangeable Phillips & slotted screwdriver. (You can click here to get a complete product data sheet). If you have ever suffered "wrap rage", suffer no more. It really works. The only catch is that the Open It comes in one of those packages that you need an Open It to open it! Hopefully, I will not become the technical support department for this product like I did for the PepperBall.
Holiday time also allowed me to finish a couple of books. Indian Summer was an excellent history of India, Pakistan, Kashmir, and Bangladesh. The Iranian Time Bomb
is a wake up call to what has been going on for thirty years. Good investigative reporting went into this. It was a special pleasure to finish Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Prepare yourself for 944 pages. I learned many things I did not know about the civil war and about Abraham Lincoln. He was quite the political strategist and a superb manager. A very long read but worth it. Several new books in the read queue for January. The quarterly update on favorites is here.
Date of entry to Database: December 30, 2007 Type: Restaurant
III Forks
Owner/Author/Performer:
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Genre: Steak
Rating: 4
Comments: Club-like ambiance with an elegant bar and lounge. Superb service.
Date of entry to Database: December 28, 2007 Type: Restaurant
Bourbon Street Bar and Grille
Owner/Author/Performer:
5 Utility Drive, Palm Coast, Florida: (386) 447-3026
Genre: New Orleans
Rating: 4
Comments: New Orleans flavor like French Quarter File (USDA Prime) Shrimp Etouffe, Seafood Bonavista, Jambalaya & Gumbo. Good jazz.
Date of entry to Database: December 20, 2007 Type: Book
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Owner/Author/Performer: Doris Kearns Goodwin
Simon & Schuster
Genre: History
Rating: 4
Comments: Prepare yourself for 944 pages. I learned many things I did not know about the civil war and about Abraham Lincoln. He was quite the political strategist and a superb manager. A very long read but worth it.
Date of entry to Database: December 08, 2007 Type: Restaurant
Insieme
Owner/Author/Performer:
Genre: Continental
Rating: 5
Comments: Consistently great food and service
Date of entry to Database: November 13, 2007 Type: Book
The Iranian Time Bomb
Owner/Author/Performer: Michael a. Ledeen
Genre: Historical
Rating: 5
Comments: A wake up call to what has been going on for thirty years. Good investigative reporting went into this.
Date of entry to Database: November 04, 2007 Type: Book
Indian Summer
Owner/Author/Performer: Alex von Tunzelmann
Genre: History
Rating: 3
Comments: Excellent history of India, Pakistan, Kashmir, and Bagladesh
Date of entry to Database: November 02, 2007 Type: Concert
Denim and Diamonds with Clint Black
Owner/Author/Performer: Clint Black
Ridgefield Playhouse
Genre: Country
Rating: 5
Comments: Annual Playhouse Gala. Clint Black was awesome. Very down to earth. Six guys in the band were also great.
Date of entry to Database: November 01, 2007 Type: Restaurant
Coco Bongos
Owner/Author/Performer: Joe Osorjo
37 Ethan Allen Highway, Ridgefield, CT. Phone: (203) 544-0059
Genre: Nuevo Latino
Rating: 5
Comments: Nice décor. Excellent food. Very tasty. Brand new.
Date of entry to Database: October 19, 2007 Type: Restaurant
Iron Horse Grill
Owner/Author/Performer:
20 Wheeler Avenue, Pleasantville, NY. Phone: (914) 741-0717
Genre: Continental
Rating: 5
Comments: Supberb food and service
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