Dear Followers...

This one goes out to all the "foodie" type people. Or anybody who likes to eat at all.

One would think I've abandoned this blog. And I suppose that technically I have... but I also like to think that I'll come back to it at some point here. I've got about a half-dozen replies or so that I still need to post, if I can find them. Overall, I'd say it was an interesting and educational experience in flexing my muscles as a consumer...

That said, I've got a new endeavor centered around being on the business side of things. My lady and I have decided to try our hand at running what I would consider a micro-business. The concept is that we'll create and sell via Etsy and in local markets on a mostly made-to-order basis some various confections. Specifically, gourmet marshmallows with other treats to follow if things go well.

I'd like to invite you all to follow us in this. It'll be far more candid and personal than this "writing-you-today" blog, and hopefully a lot more interesting. I also hope to keep up to date with some of you again, as I genuinely enjoyed reading and commenting on your blogs.

That said, here is the info.


www.thetwistedtine.net

Blog - thetwistedtine.blogspot.com

Facebook

Twitter

-Daniel

Dear American Scientific Glassblowers Society

Dear American Scientific Glassblowers Society,

I am writing you today to see if you could answer a question for me that I've had difficulty in getting answered. Recently, my girlfriend and I took an introductory course in artistic glassblowing at a private studio used by a couple local artists. I recognize that artistic glassblowing may be different from scientific glassblowing, but thought your group would be all the more wiser as to the technical side of working with this material. I was absolutely enthralled with being able to handle molten glass and to transform it into something beautiful, but was freaked out about possibly burning the flesh right off of my bones.

They told us in advance to not wear anything synthetic, as it could melt to our skin... and were also warned that it could potentially melt my contact lenses to my corneas. That right there was almost enough to make me ditch class, but I opted to continue with it.

The heat from the crucible was somewhere in the neighborhood of 2300° Fahrenheit. Standing only ten feet away from it when it was first opened, it felt like someone pressed my face into a barbecue full of glowing red charcoals. It was all sorts of awesome. When it was finally my turn to take my first gather from the vat of molten glass, the moment the lid was lifted from the crucible was only what I could imagine being set on fire might feel like. Even though it was only about a quarter the temperature of the surface of the Sun, I now understood what they meant about the whole "contacts will melt to your eyeballs" warning.

We asked about what would happen should a piece of this quick-running white-hot glass get on our skin. They said it'd likely fall off as soon as it touched us, but didn't really get into the physics behind the damage it might cause. I've seen guys with some glassblowing wounds before... this one guy out in California who would make large fluted vases and he had these horizontal scars on his shins where he'd accidentally slice himself as he swung the vase towards the ground on the blowpipe.

Does it basically cook your flesh and then blister? Or does it act as a sort of corrosive and eat away at anything in its way? What would be the best way to react in a situation were you to get some molten glass on your person? We were trying to debate in the car on the drive home on if we'd go for one of the buckets of water nearby, or if we'd risk batting it off with our hands. It seems to be a fail-fail all around. Any thoughts you have on glassblowing injuries, we'd be curious to hear about them.

Thanks for all your help in the matter.

Daniel

Dear Dreamfields Foods

Dear Dreamfields Foods,

I am writing you today to inquire about your low carbohydrate pasta products. While I personally do nothing to monitor my intake of carbs, I do have a young step-sister that has been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, along with some acquaintances that have a child or two of their own with the same affliction. I wouldn't consider myself an activist, but have recently started to think more about how drastically their lives are changed because of how they have to monitor every last thing that they eat.

That said, I've heard that your company makes large claims about the benefits of your foods for those suffering from diabetes. A serving of typical pasta seems to pull down about 40 grams of carbs, where your claim is that a serving of Dreamfields pasta is in the realm of 5 grams. You seem to have coined this terminology of "protected carbohydrates", but when I look at your nutrition label on the box, its saying you've got 41 grams per serving...

I found on your website that you're able to shield the majority of carbs past the digestion process by creating a protective barrier using only fiber and protein, which I don't quite understand. Wouldn't the process of merely cooking it cause this magical barrier to disintegrate?

Mostly, I'm interested in finding some supporting data from your team on the test results where you were able to block out the 30+ grams of carbs from being taken up by the body. There are some doctors and diabetics alike that have said your product is unfounded. How did you test to achieve these numbers? Are you continuing to develop the science behind this carb blockage thing? Any info you can provide would be much appreciated.

Thank you kindly.

Daniel

Dear Stir Fry Cafe

Dear Stir Fry Cafe,

I am writing you today to share about my recent experience at your fine dining establishment. What had happened was, my lady friend asked me if I'd like to join her for an impromptu lunch date. Not being able to come up with a joint to recommend myself, she asked if I'd be game for joining her at your place as she is a personal fan and frequently studies there during breaks. I've only eaten there one other time, and thought it was pretty good. I like the layout, and the artistic atmosphere is quite welcoming. It screams sophistication, never mind the fact that it is located in a strip mall. Yours is a gem in the rough.

Arriving just prior to 12:45pm, I sat down and found a table tent located on the condiment tray that was used to house the various sugar packets, extra chop sticks and the soy sauce. It read, "Half Price Sushi Every Wednesday & Saturday." You can view a photo of this advertisment here: http://i.imgur.com/7swoA.jpg.


That was my queue to order up a storm, and so I ordered the Stir Fry Roll, and a couple sets of nigiri pieces, while the lady ordered an eel roll. Between the lot of us, we shared a few beers as well.

And so we dined on sushi and beer until we were full, at which point the server brought us our check. And let me say, we were both surprised to find that it totaled out to nearly $50 for our lunch. We studied the check to find that we were charged full price on the sushi (my roll costing nearly $12), and then glanced back over at the advertisement sitting on our table... I lifted it up and out of the compartment that it sat in on the condiment tray to find that there was a small banner at the very bottom which read something along the lines of "After 4pm."

Sly. Very, very sly. Had there been an asterisk somewhere within view, I would've lifted up the entire ad to see what the stipulation was. Flat out, I feel cheated. Not just because of the hidden terms, but also because there isn't anything on your sushi menu that should cost nearly $12. Hailing from a coastal town, I've had quality sushi... and yours is merely average. Maybe it costs more because you have to get it transported inland, but I'd never ordinarily pay anything over $10 for even the best prepared sushi.

That said, I do appreciate the friendliness of your server and the cleanliness of your restaurant. I do hope to visit again if my lady friend wishes my company, but will carry with me the thought of this somewhat negative experience.

Sincerely,

Daniel

Reply - Dick's Sporting Goods

A reply from DICK'S Sporting Goods...

---

Click here to read my original letter to DICK'S Sporting Goods from December 16, 2010.

---

The reply:

Gotta love the form letter approach... I still don't quite understand why they even bother wasting the forty-four cents on postage for these things.

I see a couple things here... first, that Mary Jo and I are on a first name basis. Second, that the DICK in DICK'S Sporting Goods is all capitalized. Not that I'm implying anything with that or anything. It's just when you use phrases like "ensure our customer's satisfaction", "truly appreciate your time" and "value your patronage" all in the same letter, and neglect to sign the damn thing, it kind of strikes me as contradicting.

I'm still betting that if I walk into this location and try to browse their dart selection, not a thing would be changed. Come to mention it, the darts I had pictured with the original letter that I wrote to DICK'S is of a set I snagged from Sears... and it probably would retail at DICK'S for closer to $45 as opposed to the $8 I spent at Sears.

Ah well, you can't win them all.

Reply - Sharp Electronics

Another letter, this time from Sharp.

---

Click here to read my original letter to Sharp Electronics from December 29, 2010.

---

Their reply:


Now that is all sorts of classy right there... it seems that the manual for the particular typewriter I bought is extinct, but Donna Rice at Sharp sent me a 90-page copy of one for the PA-3140, nicely bound in a red folder with a clear glossy cover. I'm not sure of the age of the typewriter I've got, but there's a date on the inside of this manual indicating it could be from the 1980's.

There is some excellent info in the manual, too. I'll be putting this to use when I go to type up my next letter.

Reply - Binaca

A continuation of some replies that I received over the past week and a half.

---

Click here to read my original letter to Binaca from January 2, 2011.

---

Their reply:


I like it. The parent company for Binaca is called Dr. Fresh Inc, and I think they're a fairly small setup in terms of how many companies they do business with. They do sell direct, which I can always respect, and they didn't even have any specialized letterhead... but they did take the time to respond to my letter which goes a long way with me. I'd say this is a good response. Perhaps I'll invest in a case of their breath freshener...