The context-dependent iPad review

The Clase household loves it. All the “bad” stuff you’ve read is true, except we haven’t had any WiFi issues with it. All of the “good” stuff is also true. This is regardless of what you think of as “good” and “bad”. Most of the factual stuff is just that. This is one of those gadgets where you will just have to make up your own mind about what “good” and “bad” means.

The best part for me is that Plagioclase’s mother has willingly and of her own volition picked it up and started using it. (Scrabble was the wedge.) This is akin to your cat, who has always feared vacuum cleaners, running up to you one day and asking to be vacuumed.

This is not to say the device is perfect. I, like everyone, wish it were cheaper & lighter & easier to do x (for some values of x) on it. But you know what? That doesn’t mean I’m going to send it back.

 

Sunday Puzzle 3/28

I’ve pretty much stopped listening, but every so often I go to the website to see what’s there.

Next Week’s Challenge

This week’s challenge comes from listener Mike Reese who’s a former writer and producer for The Simpsons, and who co-created The Critic. What 6 letter word beginning with the letter “S” would be the same if it started with “TH?”

It’s a groaner…

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The Sunday Puzzle, 3/14

From NPR Weekend Edition Sunday:

Next Week’s Challenge

From Brett Yost via the Internet: Think of two words that are opposites, beginning with the letters “H” and “M.” Change the “H” to an “M.” Say the result out loud, and you’ll have the name of something nice to eat. What is it?

Depends on what you mean by “nice”. I don’t care for it, myself.

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Rice Cooker Chocolate Bread Pudding

Based on a recipe from my rice cooker manual/recipe book. I was looking for a pudding I could make in the rice cooker, and this was the only recipe I found that didn’t involve extra bowls and aluminum foil. I, of course, added the chocolate and reduced the sugar from the original.

* 5 slices of bread
* ½ stick butter
* ¼ cup sugar
* ⅓ cup cocoa (I used Droste)
* 1 cup milk
* 3 eggs
* ½ teaspoon vanilla

Tear the bread into bite-sized bits and put into rice cooker pot.

Heat the milk, butter, sugar and cocoa in a pan over medium heat until the butter melts. You could do this in the microwave, but be careful not to overheat the milk.

Beat the eggs with the vanilla. Slowly add to the milk mixture.

Pour the sauce over the bread and stir it a little so most of the pieces get some liquid.

Set the cooker to White Rice and push start.

Serve warm.

 

There are times

when you just want to scream. There are other times when you realize that it doesn’t really matter what you do — the universe is so very big and you are so very small.