twothirds

I have spent the past two-days trying to get Opera Mini to work on my new Blackberry Curve. I am a smart guy, or at least I can generally figure these things out. For whatever reason, I could not get the bloody app to load. It would complain about a missing network connection. After reading countless forum posts, performing various config tweaks and restarts, I finally figured it out. The APN gateway is “wap.voicestream.com”. For some reason, I was entering “wap.voicestream.NET”. Doh! So, if you are struggling with an opera mini install on a T-Mobile blackberry device, make sure you are using the “.com” address.

The full steps:

Options -> Advanced Options -> TCP
Enter the following APN setting:
wap.voicestream.com
Do not enter a username/password
Save

Note: GCalSync also needs these same settings

I have bought way too many bottles of ~$10 beer in my life, but even I have limits. $28!!! Sheesh.

The trigger has been pulled and the blackberry curve has been “unboxed”:

I cannot take a picture of the device since my phone is my only camera. So, you will only get the box.

I have just spent way too much money on a phone, but so far I like it. My only issue is an inability to send attachments to my mobile blog through the blogger email interface. Bummer.

I was sure to get a 1-year plan. This is the old phone, the “Dash”, after 11 months:

Yesterday I was hunting around looking for a new cell phone. I don’t really want to spend the money, but I am sick of Windows Mobile and my slow ass Dash. It seems my phone sensed something was up.

My Phone Wants a New Owner
This morning, while waiting for the train, I put my newspaper and phone on a ledge. When the train arrived, the newspaper made it on the train, but the phone was left behind. Doh! At the last minute I jumped off the train just before the doors closed. Close call. My phone obviously wanted a new owner.

Ritual Suicide
At a meeting this morning, I pulled the phone out of my pocket. Somehow, this cracked the LCD screen. WTF!! My phone just seppuku’d itself.

So, now I have to go into T Mobile and get a new phone with no leverage what-so-ever. I am in the “upgrade” window for a new phone, but you can always pull a better deal as a new customer. I am pretty sure I will be picking up a T-Mobile Blackberry Curve. It allows you to make calls via wifi which should help subsidize T-Mobile’s crappy network coverage. It is also not “windows”, so I’ll have that going for me.

I am a bit upset that new customers are getting the phone for free from resellers. My original plan was to game the cell phone companies and:

• Unlock the Dash
• Cancel my T-Mobile account at the end of the contract
• Switch to a non-contract “Go-Phone” from AT&T and use the Dash
• Wait 90 days so I can be a “new customer”
• Get the Curve from a reseller

There goes that plan…

I was in the craptastic San Mateo Bevmo today. God I loathe that place. Every time I am in there I fear I am going to:

• Knock over an entire display case because it is soo friggin’ small
• Get my ass kicked by one of the clientèle using their pay check to buy booze

Anyway, I finally picked up a bottle Green Chartreuse. This was the missing ingredient preventing me from mixing up a “Sappho“. I finally mixed one up today, but sure enough, the glass I used cracked after my first sip. Considering I am low on Gin and I only have Triple Sec (not suggested Cointreau), I figure I will defer the Sappho for a later date. It just wasn’t meant to be tonight.

On another note, I did take a swig straight from the bottle (room temperature). My first impression seems to sync up with this guys description:

Green Chartreuse is a liqueur that was invented when Satan was tired of peeing in the mouths of the damned with his eight-headed penis.

I imagine the drink takes on different characteristics when mixed or cold, but this is not intended for “neat” at room temp. At least it is not intended for me.

I picked up some bitters today and conquered the Rosita. Unlike the Negroni, I will not be seeking this drink during local and/or cross country visits to bars. While I like the initial hit of the bitters and Campari, the Tequila finish is way too strong. This probably has more to do with my limited bar and not necessarily the drink as I only have the more flavorful “Anejo” Tequila. The next time I have some Silver around the house I’ll give Rosita another try.

Looks like epicurious.com is not ready for all of the pre-Thanksgiving meal planning.

A wedding brought me to NYC enabling me to push my Negroni quest across the country. NYC definitely kicks the Bay Area’s ass when it comes to Negroni skills.

NYC produced four successful Negroni orders without hesitation. One restaurant even had it on the drink menu. Too bad the food sucked.

The Negroni winner overall was the Waverly Inn. They go through the trouble of first chilling the mixture and flaming the orange peel (per drink spec). Most places cannot be bothered with these details. Good thing Waverly Inn is ~3000 miles from home. The drinks are in the double digit dollar range.

I still need to procure some Green Chartreuse for a Sappho. In the mean time, I should be able to whip up a Rosita.

Rosita

Makes 1 drink

* 1 1/2 ounces Tequila (100 percent agave blanco or reposado Tequilas work best)
* 1 ounce Campari
* 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
* 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
* 1 dash Angostura bitters
* 1 lemon twist, for garnish

Instructions: Pour all the ingredients into a large old-fashioned glass filled with crushed ice. Stir briefly and add the garnish.

Every-so-often, I come up with a great idea. These ideas generally come to me in a bar or a dimly lit room after one too many drinks. Due to laziness, inebriation and the ludicrousness of these “business plans”, the chance of me acting on them are rather slim. Today, I found out one of my great ideas has officially been productized.

Let me explain….

Dogs are cute. Right? Puppies are even cuter.

Who likes cute things? Chicks, man!

What if there was a way to rent a puppy. That would turn the renter into a babe magnet. The world would be yours for the taking!!!

In a nutshell, my idea was a puppy rental business. Sure there are ethical concerns and the whole “adult” dog issue, but on paper it is a great idea. (Just like communism.)

It seems some entrepreneur has capitalized on my idea with “Flex Pets“, a pet rental business. I guess I won’t be going into the puppy rental business any time soon with competition like this.

(For the record, I think this is a horrible idea and smells like a for-profit dog pound. Sorry Rover…)