The World of Scott Mindeaux

Top Chef 5.10 – Super Bowl Chef Showdown

Last week’s restaurant wars is over and we are down to 7 chefs in the kitchen. I think the morale of our chefs is down and we’re going to see more of that this week. Leah and Hosea are realizing that thier little “fun” last week can’t ever happen again. The stakes keep going higher and higher.

It’s a new week so let’s watch as the chefs enter the kitchen for the Quickfire Challenge!

To read the rest of this recap, visit my Food blog, FoodieInDisguise.com

The Mac Turns 25!

It was 25 years ago today, that Apple Computer introduced the first Macintosh. Who knew that this little box with a built in screen, keyboard, mouse, MacPaint and MacWrite would change the world forever??

My first “Apple” was actually an Apple IIe, then we moved up to a IIc, a Frankin (IIc clone), then a IIgs. My first Mac was a 512k, then a Mac Plus, the SE, SE30, LC, LCII, Quadra 800, Performa, G3, G4, MacBook, MacBook Pro and finally a MacPro.

Whew! My entire professional career was built around that little machine. Today I’m a Macintosh Technologist supporting Creative IT systems for a large marketing and advertising agency. I’ve worked with Macs selling them at Wabash Computers and OnLine Computers here in the OC. I’ve sold Macintosh SCSI External hard drives for CMS. I sold printer adapters and MS-DOS co-processor cards for the Mac with Orange Micro. Later I would work for a Defense contractor and got to work with Macs at the Pentagon. During that time I was also a local Apple Rep for Apple for CompUSA and Sears. Next I would be making a social/political statement and working as one of the first IT Directors in the gay and lesbian movement working for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. After that I would also work with other organizations like GLAAD, LLEGO, PFLAG and HRC. Next I became a toymaker (well…sort of). I worked in IT for Mattel supporting the toy and packaging designers in El Segundo. After Mattel I took a sabbatical and ran a cooking school for a few years. I worked on a Windows machine, but I did all the artwork and most of my analysis work on my personal Mac! I returned to IT and worked for a PC Consulting firm as a Project engineer and their primary Mac support guy. This now brings me to my current job!

Thank You Apple! I look forward to another 25 years!

Top Chef 5.9 Restaurant Wars

Let me start this recap by saying that I was on the edge of my seat for my friend Carla throughout the whole episode! Plus all that drama between Hosea and Leah – uh yeah..that’s why romance in the workplace is such a bad idea.

One more item of note. The word is RESTAURATEUR not Restauranteurs. There is no “N” in that word.

Now onto the recap.

To read the rest of this recap, please visit my foodblog, FoodieInDisguise.

Hope Across the Land

People from all over my office were gathered around computer screens and radios, while I had my iPhone in my hand streaming President Obama’s Inaugural Speech.

Watching the images of the day, I wish I was back home in Washington DC, celebrating one of the happiest days of my life. President Obama became the 44th President of the United States today!

People all across our great country celebrated with friends, coworkers and family as we usher in this new time of hope…

What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

Danger, Will Robinson! Bob May has Passed

Bob May the actor who was the B-9 Robot in the TV series, Lost In Space, has died at the age of 69.

Bob wasn’t the voice of the robot, that was Dick Tufield, Bob was the person behind all the moves the Robot made. 

Bob says he got the job because he fit into the suit! he was on the studio when someone saw him and told him to report to Irwin Allen. Irwin said if you can fit into the robot, the job is yours.

Bob has appeared at many sci-fi conventions and will be missed. Bob May died of congestive heart failure.

My Family and Hospitals

A friend recently asked, “What is it about your family and hospitals?”

My 15 year old nephew was in a skateboarding accident on Saturday and suffered a skull fracture and a broken clavicle. The fracture in his head is too close to an artery. They have been CAT scanning him to make sure there is no further hemmoraging. 

So far the swelling has been minimal. He drifts in and out of consciousness, but most probably due to the pain killers, but he is somewhat responsive, which is good.

My sister stayed with him last night and I stayed as long as I could. He is in the CHOC PICU and under good care.

He was skateboarding with a bunch of friends that video records everything. The accident was caught on tape. I don’t know that I can watch it. My sister and my brother-in-law have seen it.

Be well Damian.