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About skipbensley

Unabashed father, AV genius, part time dark knight, foodie, amateur chef, antifascist, volunteer and rabid Boston sports fan.

For those of us in New England Struggling with Snow…

Chant and Repeat as often as is necessary for desired relief. Please also remember to lift with your legs while shoveling.

Catchers and Pitchers report in 12 days, Catchers and Pitchers report in 12 days. Catchers and Pitchers report in 12 days.

 

 

Picture stolen like 2nd base from the Boston globe 2010 Spring training pictures

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Chicken and Basil

I make some simple foods sometimes. One of my favorites is Basil Chicken, My 7 year old also loves it.

Wash off chicken breasts and dry with paper towel.

Put enough olive oil in a wok or fry pan to coat bottom.

Sprinkle ( fresh if you got it) dry basil over both sides of Chicken breasts, 

Place in hot olive oil and pan sear, lightly sprinkle with Garlic salt and fresh ground pepper.

When you turn hit the other side with Garlic Salt and pepper.

At the turn, lower heat to medium and cook an additional 15 minutes turning until golden brown.

Serve with Brown rice and Broccoli. Bon Appetite 

Picture lifted from “for the love of cooking.net”

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What’s in your Chili?

Here is the listing for what is or isn’t in the Taco Bell Chili.  This is a cut and paste from their website. The website link below is their ingredient website.

CHILI

Beef, Water, Seasoning [Isolated Oat Product, Salt, Chili Pepper, Onion Powder, Tomato Powder, Oats (Wheat), Soy Lecithin, Sugar, Spices, Maltodextrin, SBeef, Water, Seasoning [Isolated Oat Product, Salt, Chili Pepper, Onion Powder, Tomato Powder, Oats (Wheat), Soy Lecithin, Sugar, Spices, Maltodextrin, Soybean Oil (Anti-dusting Agent), Garlic Powder, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Citric Acid, Caramel Color, Cocoa Powder (Processed With Alkali), Silicon Dioxide, Natural Flavors, Yeast, Modified Corn Starch, Natural Smoke Flavor], Salt, Sodium Phosphates. Chili Seasoning: Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour (Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Spices, Modified Food Starch, Salt, Paprika (Color), Maltodextrin, Tomato Powder, Dehydrated Onion, Garlic Powder, Sodium Alginate, Malic Acid, Monocalcium Phosphate, Extractives of Paprika (Color), with not more than 2% Silicon Dioxide added as an Anticaking Agent. CONTAINS WHEAT.

oybean Oil (Anti-dusting Agent), Garlic Powder, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Citric Acid, Caramel Color, Cocoa Powder (Processed With Alkali), Silicon Dioxide, Natural Flavors, Yeast, Modified Corn Starch, Natural Smoke Flavor], Salt, Sodium Phosphates. Chili Seasoning: Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour (Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Spices, Modified Food Starch, Salt, Paprika (Color), Maltodextrin, Tomato Powder, Dehydrated Onion, Garlic Powder, Sodium Alginate, Malic Acid, Monocalcium Phosphate, Extractives of Paprika (Color), with not more than 2% Silicon Dioxide added as an Anticaking Agent. CONTAINS WHEAT.

For more nutritional content visit  http://www.tacobell.com/nutrition/ingredientstatement

 

Anyone worried now about those microwave Burritos besides me?

Picture lifted from Dudesfood.com

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The Apple Saga Finally Ended Today in a nano second.

Almost a month after I ordered my Dad’s Gift Card from Apple all debts and credits have been satisfied albeit non conventionally. Sami List was assigned to me by apple after a horde (6-7) different reps at apple had made a real mess of my credit, re-issue of card and then refund. I kept getting emails from apple saying that I had been refunded but of course they refunded the money to a long dead and dormant account I stopped using 6 years ago. But they kept saying it was in my itunes account and I kept saying no it’s not.
The way apple went about issuing a new gift card for my Dad was very interesting. They bought a card from the local apple store near my dad’s house in IL. They then had the store manager read the card # to apple in Cupertino who relayed it to me then my Dad. He was able to use it on Christmas eve. Mission accomplished.

The 2nd part was even weirder. I sent an email wanting credit for the shipping. I figured since they delivered it to me in MA and not to my Dad in IL they should take care of it. They agreed and tried to credit it back. No luck, because Fedex said they delivered the package they never got a signature for. Hmmm. Apple then said they would credit me the shipping and my father’s new gift card because of all the trouble I went through. I said that wasn’t necessary but excepted readily.
They left a message saying the credit had gone through and I checked and it had not. This went on another ½ week with apple trying to apply a credit to my functioning itunes account with no luck at all. Everyday Sami checked in to see if I saw anything. It was funny.

Finally Sami called and said they found what was happening and they (apple) offered me a new 8 gb Nano. The value is about 150.00. I said sure and thank you.
Sami list should be promoted to manager at apple. I sense she is former military and was a no nonsense problem solver that finally had to laugh with me at the situation that was created at apple. I told her the backlash of me writing this blog is apple might make her a pariah of sorts for doing such an amazing job in sorting out the mess that is apple
online purchasing. Thanks apple for finally solving this mess in a nano second.

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My Top ten favorite iphone / Itouch Apps so far…

My Sister Robin got an Itouch for Christmas, and immediately wanted to know about apps to download. I explained there are free apps and apps you pay for. I of course prefer the free ones. Here is my top Ten list of favorites with hyper links to each one.

1. Siri . Voice activated concierge, slick even when it does not work perfectly.

2. Dropbox Share files with clients, friends and complete strangers

3. Facebook If you don’t know facebook by now your dead, or on life support in a coma.

4. Hootsuite takes some of the stress out of being socially relevant.

5. Linkedin or Facebook for business people. I can’t say that now they may go public.

6. ESPN Know the score, nah nah nah nah nah nah.

7. Wallet Zero Take all those club cards and plu scan plastic things and enter them into app. Then scan phone at checkout. Toss plastic in recycling. (TYJM)

8. Pandora or Satellite radio for the free world. You can stream it to your car. I do. Figure it out spanky.

9. Mapquest 4 Mobile Too cheap for a GPS I give you Mapquest for Mobile. Allow time for getting lost.

10. QIK Video yourself and others live or to your phone to view or share later.

Have fun with this list and let me be the last to say Happy New Year

Why I dumped 4 square

I’m older I have kids a real life and I think letting others know I am not home is fundamentally unsound. If I was better organized I’d rob all your homes while you are at SXSW later this year. many of you plancasted that in September. I plan to not worry where others are in 2011 and worry more about things that really matter to me most. Sorry in advance, but if we are really friends this too shall pass. I should also say that I am interested in what it is your are doing, how life is treating you, and if I can be a better friend and helpful somehow. At midnight on New Years Eve I will checkin off the grid indefinitely.

Happy New Year 2011

Apple lied… Don’t order online at Christmas…

Don’t ever order anything on iTunes at Christmas they will create emails and minutia, they will spin their wheels and lie to you, they will submit notices of pending internal discussions that yield nothing. I was told that my dad would get a new card sent this has not happened, it won’t happen. They said they were refunding my money but that did not happen yet either. I am out 50.00 and 5 hours of my life enduring 11 phone calls that have yielded nothing. This may be the worst customer experience ever.  All over a $50.00 gift card. They sent it, it was lost, they said they would send a new one, but they can’t is the message I have gotten. Next time I will go buy one in person and mail it myself. 

Merry Christmas Apple

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An Apple angel to the rescue

I had a snafu getting my dad an iTunes gift card sent to him for Christmas. I placed the order on the 18th, and it shipped on the 20th overnight.  Somehow the order got sent to me instead of my dad. When I got the email at 6:30am I called Apple at 9:00am. I explained and they said they would ask fedex for a re-route of the package. Fedex never got the message about re-route and left it on my snowy stairs. (Apple hates when FEDEX does not get a signature)  it’s in their contract.  When I called FEDEX they said they would retrieve the package but would not reroute it anywhere but back to Apple. Thank you Mrs Scrooge at the FEDEX  Framingham Depot on New York Ave you were anything but helpful.  

I called Apple back and an Apple Angel resent a new card to my Father overnight. I hope it gets to him before Christmas. I also hope Apple shipped it UPS. The Apple angel fixed the problem, and took the time to make things right. I know, “ that’s what they are supposed to do”  Its still nice when it happens.

 

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If I am creepy, you must be socially retarded.

So I am am AT SMB#21 last week and was glad to see lots of people I have not seen since like August. I was so glad in factthat I added a bunch of people in the room to a check-in I did on Facebook. It went rather un-noticed until one person in the same room with me decided what I did was creepy.  He posted it on his wall. Nice, we are in the same room, maybe 6 people apart and  Iam creepy?  How about getting off your fat ass walking over and being a man and explaining it, I would have taken it down of course ,But calling me creepy in this case just makes me think WTF.   Are you so socially retarded that talking isn’t part of your social mix? I think this social media thing needs an enema.  

A few weeks ago there was this incident at USC. Bill Nye “Mr Science” fainted and nobody came to his aid. Everyone was tweeting about his fainting and taking pictures to upload. Clearly we are starting to send the wrong message to our kids. 

What do you think?

 

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