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So I was showing Peggy, my lovely girlfriend, the coolness of Google Voice. I asked her to leave me a voicemail on my google voice number and let her watch as it transcribed the messages.

Embedded below is what she said and what was transcribed…

What an amazing service!

It not only transcribed but also translated for me what she really meant. We both had a good laugh. Needless to say, she’s convinced that we’re meant to be together per GV.

I hope to see more uses of this feature in the future.

Ever have deviled eggs? Ever have deviled eggs that have that distinctly foul odor? I have.

I don’t understand why people put up with eggs that are over boiled. If you watch people, you’ll see that the smell (in the absence of eggs) results in a swift move to cover the nose and breath safe air.

How can people screw it up? I’ll accept absentmindedness as an excuse but come on man! You’ve got eggs boiling!

I only recently took this up as a challenge as Peggy, my lovely girlfriend, manages to over boil eggs all the time and frankly it’s annoying.

First egg!

Here is an example of a perfect egg. Note how the yellow has no GREEN or BLUE! It’s because I didn’t overcook it and when I was done cooking it, I shocked it in ice water to stop the cooking. It also helps a bit with peeling them.

You can also make this happen in your kitchen as I have documented all the instructions you will ever need. The altitude of your location will have some effect on this process but I’ll rely on your intelligence to guide you through it.

1. Select the number of eggs you wish to boil. I usually go with 3 or 4. I’ve seen people do them in batches of 12 or more. I don’t want to put all my eggs in that basket so to speak.
2. Select a pot in which you will be boiling the eggs you selected in Step 1. Select another pot where you can setup an ice bath (ice + water)
3. Place eggs in said pot.
4. Add water to said pot until eggs are fully submersed. Water temperature can be room or a bit cooler.
5. Place pot on source of immense heat and set a timer for 10-12 minutes. I set it for 10.
6. Here is the crucial part. In 10 minutes, when the timer goes off, go back to the pot and check on it.
7. If it’s about to begin boiling, then let it continue for about 1-2 minutes. I stick to 1 minute exactly.
8. Turn off the heat and let cool for 1-2 minutes. I stick to 1 minute again.
9. Pull out one egg, place it in the ice bath and let it stop cooking.
10. Peel it to see if it’s fully cooked. If so, repeat step 9 for every egg you have placed in the pot.

Once you’re done shocking all the boiled eggs, you can store them in the fridge for days to weeks. Mine don’t last that long.

It’s a fairly long process but it’s not difficult. All the hard work is based on timing. If you time it right, you will always get perfectly boiled eggs and believe me that a perfectly boiled egg is actually quite delicious.

My favorite way to eat them is to devil them the poor mans way.

Sprinke of salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper or chili powder (maybe some cumin)

Hope you get to enjoy them. Please let me know if you find something better, easier and reliable.

So last week I try to get a hold of someone at TCF bank to get info about a safe deposit at one of their locations. This was a call made for a friend.

To be certain that we would be able to have someone go in and take a look at the box, I tried to call the bank directly. Believe it or not, there is NO way for me to call someone at that bank directly. I have to call some bullshit TCF bank call center that then takes a message and will have someone call me within 24 to 48 hours. So I have to wait two days for a call back? I can’t get transferred to a personal banker. I can’t even get transferred to someone who manages the safe deposit boxes. It’s fucking brilliant!

You’re a fucking bank! I’ve been there and from the looks of it, you’re not going to last very long TCF! There was no one there except me, two tellers, and a security guard because the bank managers are gone too!

The person who picks up the phone at the call center (no, it’s not in India) has absolutely no information about the kind of documents that I need.

Customer Service Rep: “You need to get a document from the state.”
Me: Fine, what is the document called?
Customer Service Rep: Oh I don’t know. It’s from the state.
Me: Where can I go to get this document? Do you maybe know a website or a number I can call?
Customer Service Rep: No you have to contact the state.

Well thanks a fucking bunch for the shit ton of information lady. If you don’t have the fucking information then how about you get off your ass and get a hold of someone who definitively has the answer. Believe me, you won’t look like a fool for asking a proper question.

What world do we live in where it’s becoming more and more common to simply drop the guy on the phone so you can fuck over the next caller?

We are a service based economy. We provide services mainly as opposed to manufacturing which went offshore to other nations that do it cheaper (and maybe better). If we’re giving up that last value then there is no hope for Change.

My point is simple. I’m not banking with anyone if I don’t have a direct line to the folks that took my money in the first place. If Chase can do it, any one can!