weier.net

A lot of people keep asking my why I want to use foursquare (or "4sq", if you want to be lazy - like I do).

I admit, giving out your location at the moment to a large group of friends is a bit weird - but I feel it is doing two things for me:

1. Let's people know where I have eaten if they want to ask any questions. (I used to try to do reviews, mostly so that I could remember what I liked/didn't like for our next visit, but like a gym membership you know how those kind of intentions work.)
   
2. Coupons. This is the big one - I had read some articles that on the East and West Coasts restaurants had started to give out deep discounts to their mayors. (If you don't follow 4sq, the "mayor" is the person who has been to the location the most times of anyone on the planet using 4sq).

Well, it finally happened...when I was at Sea Change the other week...I got my first offer of a mayor discount - and not a shabby one either, probably around $25 of free goodies. (See attached picture.) ...of course, I was not the mayor yet - so I couldn't cash in this time...BUT...this is proof that the day is coming soon in Minneapolis where I will be able to cash in at one of my more regular joints.

All this is of course in addition to the plain fun of trying to beat the entire world by "collecting" locations...it is almost like playing Monopoly with GPS and 3 million people.

Bro#3 and I went out for some mid-winter golf refresher, indoors at Bunkers.

I shot an 82 at Troon...got my first ever eagle. Again, just like every time I golf a PGA level course.

While fat-fingering the standard (complete-lack-of-ergonomics) Comcast remote (Motorola DCT 3412) I discovered a feature that might make life a lot more livable with this piece o' crap DVR interface of theirs.

While in playback mode if you hit the [Page Up/Down] buttons you get longer skips than the basic 30s forward/7s reverse:

   [Page Up] = 5 minute (forward) skip
   [Page Down] = 5 minute reverse skip

You can really burn through a show when it is crap - or to get back to the position in the show where you were at when the DVR forget to remember for you.

PS: I am not sure if this is a new feature or what...but I am seeing reports of new features being rolled out - not that I have seen any of these they are talking about personally yet.

PPS: If you never did activate your 30s skip yet...do it....never watch a commercial again.

A ton of things have changed since last time I posted a review of Big Daddy's BBQ. Last summer they started serving both on Friday and Saturday. This meant that I was able to go with coworkers once during work lunch. Big Daddy's had added a couple of rickety high-tops so we were able to eat as soon as the food hit our mitts...sadly, I am still not that impressed with the offerings even though I want to be.

...and then they closed their doors to move....twice.

Big Daddy's is moving to a new location across the intersection on University - and the doors will open March 1st...and will once again be take-out only. This move allows for their continuing operation while a new building, Frogtown Square, is erected in their previous location on the NE corner of University & Dale. They will become the ground floor tenant - with seating...end of 2011/beginning 2012.

...and regardless of my whining, I will be back again, after all it is probably safe to say it is the best BBQ in the Cities....for what little that means.

   

Dara's Minnesota Monthly Article

Wow! I got - I think - my first useful piece of chain-email. (I snopesed it and it was amazingly enough true! http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/stroke.asp). Perhaps the doctor in the family will chime in here if my info is off-base - I don't want to be spreading misinformation if the Internet is wrong...but that never happens, right?)

This email purported that one could minimize a stroke's effects if - and only if - you got the victim to the hospital within 3 hours of the event. HOWEVER, the big problem with this is that very people know how to recognize a stroke having just occurred.

So here is the mnemonic to help you question whether you need to rush to the hospital IMMEDIATELY:

Test the first three letters of the word "STRoke" by having the suspected victim:

S = SMILE
T = TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (coherently) (i.e. "It is sunny out today.")
R = RAISE BOTH ARMS

...if they fail any one of these tests....get medical attention immediately.

More info:
   CDC on Stroke Prevention