Double standards

I've been reading comments about an SUV accident where a wheel came off on the drive home from the beach. Four children, sisters, died in the crash. There were 11 people in a vehicle without enough seating for that many. I see people screaming for the head of the mother driving for being so stupid and causing the death of her kids.
If you feel the same way, I want you to think about something.
If you've ever said, "When I was a kid we ____________ and we survived." like it was some kind of proud accomplishment, have you taken a few minutes to berate your own parent for being a child endangering moron? Have you told your mom that she should be in jail because you could have been killed? Did you tell your dad that your childhood memory of camping is overshadowed by knowing that you could have died sitting in the back of the truck?
Probably not. If you wouldn't call for the head of your own mother for what might have happened to you, don't do it now to this woman. Yes, it was a very bad choice to pile so many people into that SUV, but the only difference between your mom and this mom is luck.

Art Box

We used to have this stuff in several pencil boxes and plastic bags that were constantly shuffled around. I replaced some of the toilet paper tubes with packing tape tubes to hold the thick markers.

Kindle Fire and The Mysterious Parental Controls Password

I recently bought a Kindle Fire HD 7" (2014 version). When I made an app purchase a day or two ago, it asked if I wanted to turn on Parental Controls so that I would have to enter my password before completing future purchases. Since I let my kids play with it, I chose Yes. It didn't ask me to choose a password so I assumed it meant my Amazon.com password.

Today, I wanted to make another purchase. The Parental Controls password box popped up.

My Amazon.com password was not correct. The lock screen PIN was not correct. Leaving it blank was not correct.  Uh Oh.

I got on my computer to check the Amazon help files for my Fire. It said that if I forgot the Parental Controls password, I should reset my Fire to factory settings. That meant wiping out everything and starting over.

Google searching turned up a suggestion to deregister the device on Amazon, then reregister from the device. This was supposed to wipe out the parental control password.  It does not.

Other online advice was even less helpful, ranging from "Step One: Don't forget the password" to "You're too stupid to own tech."

In a fit of stubbornness, and even though I knew none would work, I started entering every password I could remember using since college. After about 10-12 wrong passwords, the heavens opened up and the Hallelujah chorus began, as a "Need to reset your password?" link appeared.

Yes, damn it, I sure do.

The lesson here is that sometimes you just have to push forward trying the improbable until things go your way.  

Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Naturals Popcorn, Garlic Butter and Sea Salt

This popcorn sounded so appealing! You know I love popcorn. I also like garlic. Plus, I really dig the bag that turns into a bowl. Unfortunately, the flavor is a solid Meh. The taste is garlic-ish, but doesn't seem authentic.

I've made garlic popcorn before - air popped corn, butter, garlic, salt.  It is really good.

The ingredients in the Orville Redenbacher's popcorn are - popping corn, palm oil, sea salt, "natural flavor" (including milk) and mixed tocopherols.

The word Garlic doesn't appear, specifically. This seems suspicious. If they used garlic, why not say so? It doesn't taste like real garlic was used. It isn't gross or anything, but it certainly isn't proper garlic popcorn.

Eating this left me with a mouthful of regret that can't be washed away by Pinot Grigio.
I still like the bag-bowl.

Sutter Home White Merlot

Look at this mini bottle that caught my eye at the grocery store:

http://www.sutterhome.com/wine/white-merlot#

"When you're craving a red, but your barometer is screaming white, our White Merlot wine comes to the rescue. This lighter, friskier Merlot has juicy cherry notes that mingle with fresh raspberries, leading to a crisp finish. Enjoy it chilled as an aperitif or pair with barbecue, seafood, and food with a little extra kick to it."

For $1.00, I'm game.  The bottle is 187 ml in size, which amounts to about 1.25 servings if you're being proper about it.

White Merlot is made from the same grapes as regular Merlot, but once crushed the juice is separated from the skins quickly, resulting in a Barbie-doll pink rather than a deep red.

That is a reusable plastic strawberry-shaped ice cube in the glass. I'm classy like that. Seriously though, it is a fast way to cool a single glass of wine without diluting your drink or ruining a bottle by over chilling. Besides, no one is around to judge when you're drinking all alone. *sobs* At least I didn't use a bendy straw in the bottle. I considered it.

It is sweet, but there is some weight behind it, and it lingers pleasantly for just a moment. This would make a good picnic wine on a warm day in the same way that mimosas great with breakfast crepes.  It isn't too sweet for red wine drinkers and not too heavy for white wine lovers. It's not complicated or special, but what do you expect for $1? Sutter Home has 12 varieties in mini bottles, so I'm picturing a cooler full of them to share with friends while we play Cards Against Humanity.

P.S. It pairs nicely with tater tots.