It was May of 2009 and I had a decision to make.  Laptop or netbook.  I saw the benefits that both devices offered and made a choice.  I purchased a MSI Wind U100 Netbook because I wanted something ultra-portable that would also allow me to stream movies and due some basic web design and photo editing.  It has been almost two years and the U100 is still going strong.  I’ve hauled this sucker up and down and across the country and it has never failed to support my needs.  It has been used as both my primary computer and backup and even now it is being used daily for research and Netflix.  I must say, this has ended up being one of my wisest purchases in a long while.

And you may ask yourself why would I write a review on a series that was canceled after one season and to that I will respond with the following commentary.

Episode 17 finds FBI Special Agent Demetri Noh tied to a chair in front of this Rube Goldberg contraption that is aiming a gun at his chest.  If he attempts to move, this machine will pull the trigger and kill him.  If he sits there then a timer on the machine will eventually count down and pull the trigger and kill him.  So you see the dilemma.  At just the right moment, his friend and partner, Special Agent Mark Benford locates him and attempts to dismantle the machine before Demetri is killed.  Seriously, go to Hulu and watch this episode and you will see what I am about to say.  Rather than trying to guess at which wires to pull in the correct sequence why didn’t Mark Benford simply stick a key or a pen or some other object that he obviously had in his pocket behind the trigger of the gun?  This would have quickly and easily disabled the machine and allowed him to rescue his partner.

There, I’ve said my piece.

A very different kind of Starbucks is on tap. It will serve regional wine and beer. It offers an expansive plate of locally made cheeses — served on china. The barista bar is rebuilt to seat customers up close to the coffee.

Yup, in addition to yummy coffee we may soon be able to order up beer and wine, with cheese of course.  Personally, I am ready and waiting.  Three of my favorite beverages all at one location, how you can go wrong?  Unless you are the driver.  I’ll have to keep waiting because I seriously doubt that they will roll out this new menu at any of the Minneapolis Starbucks but who knows, perhaps when I return to Oregon there will be a pleasant surprise waiting for me.