Hiking in National Parks

Posted on April 15, 2008
Filed Under Personal | Leave a Comment

The past two weekends, I’ve been out in the world, working my legs. Sara and I went to Jasper two weeks ago (photos will be uploaded to Flickr in the near future), and we were out at Elk Island this past Saturday.

It’s been a while since I’ve really been out in the woods, hiking. While we stuck to the trails and didn’t really do anything too intensive (though, Maligne Canyon was slipperier than I remember it being at this time last year, which made staying on one’s feet a difficult task at times), it was good to be out and moving.

It’s good to finally be walking, and moving, and breathing fresh air. It’s good to finally be working off some of the winter weight. Hibernation is good, but it’s time that it comes to an end for another season.

Perhaps more important than the end of hibernation is the feeling that one is communing with nature. I’ve seen a great deal of wildlife in the past two weeks—elk, deer, and bison—and I’ve felt energized and alive by being out in the forests and grasslands of Alberta.

With the weather finally turning nice, I plan to do a lot more of this. Really, I should have been doing it all through the winter, too. But, that’s a thought for next year.

Blogger Appreciation Day

Posted on April 14, 2008
Filed Under Personal | 7 Comments

Today is blogger appreciation day. I heard about it from Chris Garrett, but the unofficial “holiday” was actually thought up by Darren Rowse of Problogger. According to Darren, the idea behind the day is that blogging is about collaboration, so why not have a day to encourage and help one another out?

We’re in it together, blogging is about collaboration and together going further than we can by ourselves - so why not help another blogger today by shooting them a word of encouragement, a pep talk, a congratulations, an idea to help them improve or some other positive constructive message. Better still, do it publicly on your blog and tell the world about another blogger who you appreciate.

I figured that I’d send my public appreciations to some of the bloggers who have helped me become a better blogger, a better writer, a better web user, and even a better person. Whether they know it or not, all of the people I’m about to link to have helped me better myself or my blog(s) in one way or another.

Most of these people, I’ve come to know fairly well, and almost all of them are people I’d love to meet in person one day (some, I already have). For now, though, Twitter will have to do.

Anyway, without further ado, let’s get to the list, shall we?

I’m sure there are other people who I’m forgetting, and I apologize to whom ever they might be. To those I have listed, and to those I have undoubtedly forgotten: thank you! You’ve helped me become a better blogger, a better writer, a better “citizen of the web,” and even a better person. Keep doing what you’re doing, and I’ll keep on learning from and enjoying it.

Industrial Park Cafe

Posted on April 11, 2008
Filed Under Entertainment | 2 Comments

The industrial park cafe is an anomaly in the restaurant business. It is among the only establishment that can survive despite being in a constant state of disrepair. A disproportionate number of these establishments border on unsanitary—always dreading the next visit from the health inspector. In spite of this, they rarely go out of business.

photo credit: Here in Van Nuys

The industrial park cafe is the perfect example of real estate’s “location, location, location” cliché. These places often exist in areas that have no food services other than, perhaps, a slop wagon that doesn’t always arrive on time. They can get away with charging the hardhat set $7 for a day-old clubhouse sandwich because, short of brown bagging it, there is no other lunchtime alternative.

Despite their ridiculous prices and often mediocre food, industrial park cafes have a certain charm about them. They are usually Mom & Pop deals, and the owners are usually the same people who are serving your food. They’ll often get to know their regulars, and the best of them will prepare your regular dish ahead of time, so that it’s ready as soon as you walk through the door.

The industrial park cafe will never be the dining experience you rave to your friends about, but you’ll always recommend it to the new guy at the office. You’d never go there for dinner (not that the place would be open past 4 o’clock), but you’ll be there at least once a week—at quarter to noon so you can beat the rush. The food will never be fine dining, but it’ll always manage to recharge both body and soul when midday strikes on Monday.

The Greatest Burgers I Have Ever Made

Posted on April 10, 2008
Filed Under Entertainment | 4 Comments

Last night, I BBQed some bison burgers for Sara and I. They were the best burgers I have ever made. It wasn’t the first time I’d made bison burgers, but it was the first time I’ve used the recipe that made them so great.

The recipe is actually pretty simple:

Ingredients:

Approx. 454g (1 lb.) of ground bison*

Approx. 2-3 teaspoons of roasted pepper pesto**

Directions:

Preheat the BBQ to a low-medium heat (slightly lower than the temperature you normally use for beef burgers; bison is a very lean meat, and cooking it too quickly will dry it out).

While BBQ is preheating, mix ground bison and pesto. Form mixture into patties.

Put patties onto the grill. Brushing them with a bit of olive oil ahead of time will help prevent sticking, but isn’t really necessary.

Unlike beef burgers, which should only be flipped once, you should flip bison burgers more often, to make sure that the leaner meat doesn’t dry out.

Cooking time will vary depending on the BBQ you are using, and how thick you have made your patties (I can get 3 large patties or 4 smaller ones out of this recipe), but it should take about 10-15 minutes to fully cook the burgers.

Serve on a bun with your choice of condiments.

Enjoy!

*The bison I use comes from Planet Organic, and comes in packages that are approximately 454g (1 lb.).

**I used Berni Pesto ai Peperoni. In Edmonton, it is available at the Italian Centre Shop.

Save On Foods Sucks

Posted on April 8, 2008
Filed Under Personal | 7 Comments

Dear Save On Foods,

If I forget my Save On card at home, why can’t I just give you my phone number like I can at every other store? I’m pretty sure you asked me for my number when I first signed up for the card. What’s the deal?

The only reason I didn’t drop my groceries and walk out of the store was because I had put in a significant effort of my own time to go around your store and pick them up. And, luckily for you, you’re still cheaper than Safeway on most items, even when I don’t get the card discount.

Of course, it doesn’t matter. I rarely shop within your walls. And, I’ll be less likely to do so in the future.

Respectfully,

Adam Snider

Post Script: Jay makes a valid point in the comments, which is probably the reason why Save On requires you to have your card, and not just your phone number (and it’s probably also the reason why you can bring in your receipt and your card at a later time to get your discount and points).

What is Your Favourite Kind of Beer?

Posted on April 7, 2008
Filed Under Entertainment | 5 Comments

Recently, I asked my Twitter friends what their favourite type of beer is. I got a few different answers and, to my surprise, there was no clear winner.

While I realize there are dozens of commonly available beers on the market (hundreds if you include all the micro-brews and other “hard to find” suds), I figured there would be at least one or two that got mentioned a lot. This wasn’t the case.

Guinness did get mentioned more than once, but given the small sample size I was working with, I’d be hesitant to call it the overall favourite.

The results looked something like this:

Mack D. Male said:

Domestic - Kokanee, Import - Stella Artois

Michael Martine said:

The kind with malt and hops and yeast.

Crystal said:

Newcastle Brown Ale

Brad Grier said:

…depends on mood. Pilsner, Keiths, Guinness or Kingfisher

Bruce Clarke said:

Favourite local beer currently is Rickard’s White. Import is Grolsh

Steven said:

Guinness

As you can see, there was a wide range of tastes and, while Guinness was mentioned more than once, there is really no clear winner. Even with my own personal votes tossed in, it would be hard to determine a popular favourite among those polled.

For what it’s worth, my choices would be (in no particular order):

Guinness
Rickard’s Red
Alley Kat Charlie Flint Lager
Alley Kat Amber
Big Rock Traditional
Innis & Gunn

I could probably go on. I really enjoy quite a wide range of different beer, and I’d be hard pressed to pick just one single favourite out of all the beers I enjoy.

What about you? What’s your favourite? Can you choose just one, or are you like me, and have to list at least half-a-dozen different brews among your favourites?

The Wendy’s Spicy Baconator

Posted on April 3, 2008
Filed Under Entertainment | 7 Comments

photo credit: Eli Hodapp

For weeks, I’ve been seeing ads for the new Wendy’s Spicy Baconator. For a while, it didn’t really appeal to me. Despite being a fan of bacon, cheeseburgers, and bacon cheeseburgers, I have never been a particularly big fan of Wendy’s. Moreover, when I do choose to eat at Wendy’s, I generally stick to their Spicy Chicken Sandwich.

Recently, though, I’ve been hearing a few of my peers speak of their great desire to have a Baconator. Evidently, word-of-mouth marketing is effective, because the mention of this monster of a burger by people in my social circle caused me to really want to eat the Spicy Baconator.

Last week, I finally decided to take the plunge.

The first thing you should know about the Baconator is that it’s expensive. It was about $8 for a combo with fries and soft drink.

The second thing you need to know is that it’s an artery-clogger of epic proportions. Both the regular and spicy version of the Baconator have almost 1,000 calories. If you eat this thing on a regular basis, it will kill you.

But, despite the cost and calorie-count, the Spicy Baconator is awesome. It’s certainly not the best burger I’ve ever eaten, but it’s probably the best fast-food burger I’ve ever eaten.

I have read that the original Baconator is not particularly good. It’s apparently quite bland, and the bacon is apparently soggy. The spicy version, though, is a near perfect blend of texture and taste.

The spiciness of the jalapeños, the pepper jack cheese, and the spicy ranch dressing add just the right amount of zest to what would probably be an otherwise bland and typical fast-food burger. The bacon is crisp without being crunchy, and the beef is thick and juicy.

The thing is huge, too. It looks about the same size as a typical Wendy’s Double Burger, but it’s dense. It weighs far more than it should. The thing is a meal in it’s own right, and you’d do well to skip the side dishes when you order one.

When I ate mine, I almost didn’t finish my fries. And, given that Wendy’s fries aren’t particularly good in the first place, skipping them isn’t a big loss. Skip the fries, eat the burger, and then go for a lengthy jog to burn off the ridiculous amount of calories you’ll have packed on.

Thoughts About the Blog

Posted on April 1, 2008
Filed Under Tech | 4 Comments

I’ve been pondering about this website ever since it disappeared from the Internet a week or two ago. For a while, I though that the database was destroyed, and that I’d be forced to start from scratch.

At first, the idea of starting over bothered me quite a bit. Then, I thought it might be a good thing. if I was forced to start from scratch, I could take the site in any direction I wanted.

Of course, being adamsnider.com would limit me in some ways: It would still have to be a site written by and/or about me. But, as a writer who is very aware of the power of the Internet to self-market, I had/have no intention of making this site anything other than a site about Adam Snider: Author.

Still, starting with a clean slate would allow me to redesign the site, if I so desired. It could become a portfolio site. The blog could be moved to a subdirectory (technically, this is still possible). I could do anything.

I think I am still going to be making some changes around here. I will probably make me writing samples more prominent. I will be removing the “services” page for the time being (though I will probably replace it with something similar in the future).

The blog will not get moved to a subdirectory. It will still be the first thing you see when you arrive on adamsnider.com. It may get a new name, though. As much as I like the name Ink Slinger, it sometimes feel strange to have a blog who name does not match it’s URL.

Should I change the name? Would a simple adamsnider.com be better? What about other ideas: Adam Snider’s Weblog, or Adam Snider Online? I’m reluctant to give up the name Ink Slinger, especially since I rank #1 for the term [ink slinger] on Google.ca.

However, [ink slinger] isn’t a common search term, and the people who do search for it tend to be looking for information about tattoos and tattoo artists. These people are not my target audience.

I rank well for my own name, which is something that is important to me. That’s about all that I rank well for, as far as terms that I want to rank well for go. Considering I’ve never really done any SEO for this site, that doesn’t strike me as particularly surprising.

What does all of this rambling mean? I’m not sure yet. I think I’m going to work on rebranding the site/blog over the coming weeks & months. It will still be a place to read my thoughts and ramblings. It will still be a personal blog, but it will focus much more on my writing.

I don’t want to turn it into a blog about writing, but I am a writer more than anything else, so it makes sense that this should be a focus.

At the same time, I don’t want it to be a self-absorbed wankfest (which it really has been, at times). I want my personality to be evident, and I want to market both myself and my writing here, but I don’t want to come across as writing about things that no but me cares about.

I know what I want my blog to be, even if I’m having trouble putting it into words. I guess the reason that I’m writing this post is 2-fold.

I’m writing this to give all of my readers (i.e.: you) an idea of what to expect in the coming weeks. But, the main reason I’m writing it is to get a few things straight in my own head. Plus, putting these thoughts in writing and making them public will, hopefully, keep me a bit more focused on the “new direction” of the blog.

On the more technical side of things, I’ll be using a new theme (which is already in place), and I’ll be simplifying the navigation by reducing the number of categories, and making sure that past posts are categorized as appropriately as possible.

When will these changes start taking place? I’m not sure. Soon. Probably this evening. They won’t likely be large changes. I’ll still be writing about a lot of the same things, I’m just going to try and make them more interesting and relevant to people who aren’t my close personal friends.

The changes, therefore, will likely be subtle and almost imperceptible to some of you. But, to my more casual readers, I expect that they will be very significant. Hopefully, they will change casual readers into subscribers and fans.

Ink Slinger is Back!

Posted on April 1, 2008
Filed Under Tech | 1 Comment

Well, it took a while (mostly because of my own lack of time), but Ink Slinger is back online.

I still have to do a few things: like reinstall my old theme (though, I’ll probably install a new one, just for fun), and reinstall all of the plug-ins that I lost, but other than that, it appears that everything is back to normal around here.

I’m pretty sure I’ve got everything back where it should be, but if you notice any errors, please let me know.

Cigar Gatherings

Posted on March 7, 2008
Filed Under Entertainment | 2 Comments

I enjoy a good cigar. Unfortunately, winter in Edmonton means that I can’t enjoy them year-round.

I mean, I suppose I could smoke in my apartment. Even though I technically live in a non-smoking building, everyone seems to smoke in their apartments. I’ve even seen people walking through the halls with lit cigarettes between their lips—the resident manager included.

However, I don’t want to smoke an entire cigar in my small apartment. The stale smoke will linger for days, and I don’t like that. Maybe if I have a powerful air filter…

Anyway, the weather is finally starting to warm up, which means that I can occasionally sit out on the balcony and enjoy a good cigar, as long as it’s a shorter stick (since, even at 5C it starts to get chilly after a while…it’s above zero, sure, but it’s also about the same temperature as the inside of a refrigerator).

While I certainly enjoy a solitary smoke—it’s quite a contemplative experience—I’m beginning to see cigars as more of a social experience (I’ve got a pipe for my solitary, contemplative smokes). I much prefer to smoke a cigar over the course of an hour or two while talking to friends (who are, presumably, also enjoying a cigar) than to sit around and smoke one by myself.

Basically, what I’m getting at here is that I’m looking to enhance my cigar smoking experiences by combining them with social experiences. If you’re up for a smoke and a conversation, let me know and we’ll see what we can arrange. If I’m feeling generous, I might even let you pick something from my personal collection (as small and humble as it may be).

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