"Let's put up a bunch of guillotines and gallows"

ACT! 2010, Now With More Plastic

I just received the upgrade software for some of our ACT! users and immediately noticed the huge plastic CD/DVD case. I was expecting to find a cash rebate or some other prize for shelling out the insane amount of money that ACT! costs, but alas, only the CD and basic user's manual were inside. Last year, these same items fit into a normal single-sized CD/DVD case.



We clearly see where ACT! stands on this whole "green" thing.

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How Are YOU Gonna Carry the iPad?

The iPad will soon be upon us. It's time to think about how I'm going to carry the thing around since none of my current clothing has 10-inch pockets.

I wonder if clothing manufacturers are pondering the same thing right now.

Here are some thoughts, featuring original hand-drawn art by yours truly:

A shirt with a huge pocket on the front. The pocket can be made so the iPad slides in from the top, or from the sides. Heck, make the pocket have velcro on three sides and sewn together on the bottom, so you can fold the pocket down when you want to use the iPad and then velcro it back up when you're done.


None of my pants have 10-inch pockets. Instead of having two back pockets, just put a large pocket right smack dab in the middle. One iPad-sized back pocket. Are you listening Wrangler?


The original iPod Shuffle came with a neat lanyard. Maybe Apple will include one with the iPad. If they do, I will run a giant clock screensaver when I wear it around my neck, so I can be like Flava-Flav!


I still have a few weeks to figure out the logistics of carrying the iPad around.

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[UPDATE:
Someone with a lot more artistic talent that I have had the same thought about the uni-pocket jean design. See here. Make them in carpenter style and I'm buying, yo.]

BPA In the News

From the We're Still Trying To Figure Out How To Not Kill Our Customers department:

Here's a timely article in the Washington Post outlining the struggles the US foodmakers are having with BPA (Bisphenol A). I say timely because just yesterday I posted about my own BPA-avoidance experience.

Cuisinart Is Awesome

I have been making a concerted effort to avoid BPA (Bisphenol A), a nasty chemical that leaches from plastic containers (or plastic linings inside metal canned goods) into the food they contain, especially when said plastic is exposed to high temperatures, such as microwaving.

I stopped drinking bottled water quite some time ago. I replaced my plastic food containers with BPA-Free versions. If you take a look at the underside of plastic containers, there's a triangle symbol with a number in it. These numbers identify the type of plastic. Numbers 3 and 7 should be suspect of containing BPA. When I bought my containers, I looked for wording that said "BPA Free".

Next on the list was the coffee maker. Oh, the coffee maker. What would I do without it? I love my morning cup of coffee, of course preferably, without added BPA. And the 'Geek just got me a new Cuisinart coffee maker with bean grinder for Christmas (which, by the way, makes an awesome cup o' Joe). So yeah, I was a little hesitant.

I checked the Cuisinart web site but there was no information regarding the plastic content of their coffee makers. I used their Contact form and fired off an email asking if any of their coffee makers were BPA free. To my surprise, I received a phone call from someone at Cuisinart who explained they had received my inquiry and wanted to tell me personally that ALL of their coffee makers are BPA free. Awesome. Now that's customer service...and a relief, since I really like my new Cuisinart!

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