Sep 09 2012

Zen Thai and Japanese Cuisine – Saint Louis, MO – review

This past Friday night, Deb and I had planned on going out to a restaurant in Chesterfield, but there were pretty bad storms and, as such, we didn’t feel like driving that far. Instead, we went to a place that we had been several times in the past: Zen Thai and Japanese Restaurant. They offer pretty good traditional Thai and Japanese dishes, and they are significantly closer than many of my preferred eateries.

This night, I decided to get a classic offering called Thai Rama, which is broccoli, carrots, and a choice of protein with a peanut sauce on top:

Zen Thai and Japanese Cuisine, Crestwood, MO - Thai Rama

I was going to get chicken, since my favourite protein (tofu) is generally twice-fried when it comes in Thai Rama. They typically deep fry it, and then add it to the wok whilst they stir-fry the vegetables. However, our nice waitress offered to steam the tofu for me instead. I thought that sounded like a great alternative to having it the “standard” way.

Though the meal was quite tasty, I wouldn’t say that it was exceptionally prepared. The part that bothered me about it (and does so about Zen in general) is the ratio of portion size to price. The prices are fairly low, but I would expect a little more food. That being said, it is convenient, the staff members are friendly and courteous, and some of their dishes are very well-made. I especially love the traditional Thai dessert of Mango sweet sticky rice.

Cheers,
Zach

Sep 07 2012

Sandisk Sansa Clip Zip

After having used my Sandisk Sansa Clip+ for about a year or so whilst running and exercising, it finally died, and I started looking for a new one. Though the Clip+ wasn’t exactly state-of-the-art, had everything that I needed for a workout player:

  • Small profile
  • Flash-based instead of disk based (to endure the shock of exercise)
  • Ability to play Ogg Vorbis (as all of my music is either Vorbis or FLAC)
  • Decent sound output

The amount of storage space wasn’t drastically important to me, given that my workouts average about 60-90 minutes, and I could readily change the tracks on it whenever I want. I decided to look around and see if any new, but similar, players had hit the market since then. I found out that Sandisk had released the Sansa Clip Zip, which introduced a colour screen, and the capability of also utilising a microSD card for additional storage.

Sandisk Sansa Clip Zip - blue

The Clip Zip does the job, and I do actually fancy the the colour screen. However, it has a fatal flaw, and one that I recognised after using it for the first time. The headphone jack is loose, and will sometimes cause either crackling noises, or one of the headphone connections to cut out. That was what finally killed my previous Sansa Clip+, but it started happening with the Clip Zip almost immediately! I should have sent it back at the first sign of the cut-out, but I didn’t. It isn’t too bad when I get into a steady pattern on a treadmill, but whilst running outside, one side or the other will stop functioning fairly regularly.

Overall, it is a decent player, but I would like to find one that can meet my requirements above and that doesn’t have as fragile of a headphone jack. I think that Sandisk should focus on the functionality before adding any new features.

Cheers,
Zach

Sep 06 2012

Funny signs

A friend of mine recently sent me a list of funny signs that were actually spotted out and about, and I thought that I would share them here.

Golf club in Scotland:

  1. Back straight, knees bent.
  2. Feet shoulder-width apart.
  3. Form a loose grip.
  4. Keep your head down!
  5. Stay out of the water.
  6. Try not to hit anyone.
  7. If you are taking too long, let others go ahead of you.
  8. Don’t stand directly in front of others.
  9. Quiet please… while others are preparing.
  10. Don’t take extra strokes.
  11. Well done. Now flush the urinal, go outside, and tee off!

In an office:
Toilet out of order; please use floor below.

In a Laundromat:
Automatic washing machines: please remove all your clothes when the light goes out.

In a London department store:
Bargain basement upstairs.

In an office:
Will the person who took the step ladder yesterday please bring it back, or further steps will be taken.

In an office:
After tea break staff should empty the teapot and stand upside down on the draining board.

Outside a second-hand shop:
We exchange anything – bicycles, washing machines, etc.
Why not bring your wife along and get a wonderful bargain?

Spotted in a safari park:
Elephants please stay in your car.

Seen during a conference:
For anyone who has children and doesn’t know it, there is a day care on the first floor.

Notice in a farmer’s field:
The farmer allows walkers to cross the field for free, but the bull charges.

On a repair shop door:
We can repair ANYTHING
(Please knock hard on the door – the bell doesn’t work)

Hope some of those made you chuckle. 🙂

Cheers,
Zach