I found this freeware gem while I was looking for an easier way to slipstream the copy of Windows XP that came with Virtual PC for the Mac so that I could use it in Bootcamp / Parallels / VMWare Fusion. In short, nLite makes it easy to slipstream service packs and patches for Windows, while as a bonus, it enables you to remove unnecessary apps like Windows Media Player, Outlook Express, Messenger, etc. It makes a bootable image that you can save to iso or burn on the spot. Here’s the feature list from the developer: (more…)

For serious tea geeks, how about a tea-themed dinner?

“From tea-smoked salmon fillet, to herb-tea infused rice dishes, to green-tea flavored ice-cream or sorbet, premium teas are really a secret weapon to adding phenomenal flavor and depth to a variety of dishes,” said Thomas Griffiths, Certified Master Chef, professor in nutrition and culinary arts at the CIA.

Lipton-sponsored recipes included.

After a few days of running into sporadic IP conflicts within one of our sub-nets, it seemed likely that there may be an unauthorized DHCP service running on our network. There are a couple of ways one could troubleshoot such a problem, the first being to disable any authorized DCHP servers and attempt to release and renew the IP address of a workstation within the subnet. (if it renews you’ll have your culprit) This solution wasn’t very appealing nor was doing such a thing during production hours. The other option was spotlighted in this well written blog article by Chip Witt “Hunting a Rogue DHCP Server” Introduced is a command-line tool called DHCPloc that comes with any Windows 2000+ resource kit. The program is easy to use, just enter your IP address and DHCPloc will output information about all DHCP servers responding to DCHP requests from the input IP address. This program allowed us to easily recognize and disable the unauthorized DHCP service. Chip Witt’s article goes into much greater detail and presents some great insight on resolving such issues.

There are handful of music blogs I read that serve up a daily or weekly selection of mp3s, some for download, some just for streaming. I really enjoying finding new music this way, but it’s a lot of work to visit each site, figure out which tracks I want, then download individually. And it’s always disappointing when songs I haven’t heard are no longer available or when streaming-only tracks are the ones I want most.

Then LifeHacker turned me on to Peel last week, changing my music hoarding habits for the better. Peel is an iTunes look-a-like RSS reader specific to music blogs. I have all my favorite blogs in one familiar player that lets me click to listen, right-click to download (including the streaming-only songs), and even add directly to iTunes. Peel is for Macs only, and currently in beta. The beta is free, the official release will go for $15.

Ari hooked us up with some new Japanese green teas from Rishi (thanks, Ari!). Yesterday we brewed up the Kukicha, and it was delicious! Tasting notes coming soon, in the meantime enjoy the copy:

“Kuki” means twin in Japanese, and kukicha is one of the most popular types of green tea. Twigs from green tea contain polysaccharides that lend a sweet flavor and smooth mouthfeel to our blend. Rishi’s unique kukicha blend is infused with matcha which is prized for its high content of antioxidant polyphenols and the amino acid L-theanine, a natural anti-stress agent and nervous system relaxant found in tea.

A blend of deep steamed first flush fukamushi sencha tea leaves and twigs from he distinctly flavored Yabukita tea bushes of the Makinohara lowlands. Infused with matcha, this unique blend has a bright emerald infusion with a complex floral aroma, creamy body and sweet flavor.

The article Unhappy Meals in this last weekend’s (28Jan) NY Times Magazine is simply incredible. You should read it.

It fits in with other strands we see around us, such as Zingerman’s focus on traditional real foods, the Slow Food embrace of healthy food culture, the recent local problems of the Hebron Family and their raw milk service, and the popularity of Sally Fallon’s book Nourishing Traditions (in the 500 top selling books on Amazon.)