Why Security Screws Are Ineffective, Normal Screws are Problematic, and How to Fix Both

Posted by Justin A. Parr on April 21, 2015
Posted in: Good Design - Bad Design, Rants. 2 comments

Security screws are specially-designed fasteners that can’t be removed without the corresponding, specially-designed bit.

Security screws are an excellent way to help prevent people from tampering with public facilities and resources, and to help prevent someone from creating a public safety issue — for example, security screws can and should be used in buses, trains, and airplanes.

In most applications, however, they are more of an inconvenience than a deterrent.

Meanwhile, the two most common screw fasteners, “slotted” (standard) and Phillips, are both problematic.

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BBQ: My 4 Hour Smoked, Whole Brisket!

Posted by Justin A. Parr on March 16, 2015
Posted in: Food and Cooking, Other Stuff. Leave a Comment

Cooking a whole brisket is normally a 10 to 12 hour process for me, not including prep time, cooling time, nor the time it takes to cut it (brisket has to be cut properly, or it doesn’t turn out well).  End to end, that works out to 14 to 15 hours.

I worked out a process for cooking a smoked, whole brisket in 4 hours (cook time), making the end-to-end time about 5.5 to 6 hours.

You might think that I sacrificed flavor or texture, but I didn’t!

Click to keep reading!

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The Story of my Electric Broom (A Lesson in Customer Value)

Posted by Justin A. Parr on March 10, 2015
Posted in: Analyses and Responses. 1 comment

Or,

The Customer Value Chain is Only As Strong as its Weakest Link

 

This is an epic tale about my electric broom, but more importantly, it’s story about:

  • How your company can do everything right, and still fail to deliver on the promise of customer value
  • How a lack of aligned priority and perception between you and your vendor can break the value chain
  • How a failure to recognize opportunities for creating value, creates opportunities for failure.

Read on…

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How to Order Whiskey in a Restaurant

Posted by Justin A. Parr on February 18, 2015
Posted in: The Light Side. Leave a Comment

If you order a nice Scotch or Irish whiskey, you know that ordering it “on the rocks” waters it down.

What do you do, if you want your whiskey chilled?

At home, I use whiskey stones, but most restaurant servers don’t really understand that you want your whiskey cold, but not watered down.

Here is a good trick to use at restaurants:

  1. Order your whiskey neat (no ice), a second whiskey glass with ice in it, and some water
  2. Drink some of your water
  3. Empty the glass of ice in to the water (leaving an empty, cold glass)
  4. Pour the whiskey in to the cold glass
  5. Enjoy

 

A Note on Drinking Whiskey at a Bar

Adding about a teaspoon of water to a standard 1.5 ounce serving of whiskey dilutes it just enough to bring out the complexity of its flavors.

  • Option 1:  Order your whiskey neat, then add 1 to 2 ice cubes from your water glass.
  • Option 2:  If you have a really good bar tender, order your whiskey “shaken” (implying: “shaken over ice”).  A small amount of the ice in the shaker will melt and mix with the whiskey, but only a really knowledgeable bar tender will know what you’re trying to accomplish.
  • Option 3:  If your bar tender walks on water, order your whiskey in a chilled whiskey glass, with two ice cubes.  Only the most awesome of bar tenders will understand the complexities of whiskey, and have a chilled whiskey glass on hand.

Enjoy!

Serious Flaw Found in Internet Explorer

Posted by Justin A. Parr on February 4, 2015
Posted in: Analyses and Responses, Good Design - Bad Design. Leave a Comment

“Serious flaw found in Internet Explorer”.  That’s like saying, “garbage found in the dumpster”.  Although I don’t disagree that the flaw is serious, I DO question the utility and value of using Internet Explorer, as well as the ongoing expectation that IE is useful for anything other than downloading a competent browser.