Matt Way’s Blog » archive for July, 2006

Taco Eating Methods

  • July 24th, 2006

I recently went on a trip out of town. I travelled about 3 1/2 hours one way. I decided I would stop and get something to eat. Since I wanted something quick I chose to stop at a Taco Bell. During my meal I found myself taking notice of the different methods people use to eat a taco. This post is the publication of my findings.
Method Analysis

For the most part, the methods I noticed differ only in the angle of tilt of the taco. As you would imagine, the head position corresponds to the tilt angle of the taco:Method #1

Method #1 - The head of the person eating is tilted to accommodate the level position of the taco, this method is very effective since the taoc remains at its prime position (parallel with the table). No taco filling is lost while using this method, however, if the eater has a big appetite or eats slow, there can be significant neck pain or fatigue.

Method#2

Method #2 - This method calls for the slight tilt in the angle of the taco so as to not require as much of a head tilt. Method #2 was the most common method I saw being used during my meal. Because some toppings and/or filler can fall from the taco shell due to gravity, one must exercise caution when utilizing this method. In case of a large degree of droppage, it is recommended that a spork be close by for emergrncy recovery efforts.

Method #3

Method #3 - This method is highly discouraged by me for the simple fact that it almost always results in a major loss of filling. Method #3 is executed by not tilting the head at all. Rather the taco is tilted fully to allow for the head of the eater to remain in a natural rested state. Many that use this method attempt to corral the runaway filling by cupping a hand over the back of the taco to hold the meat and cheeses in. The results have not proven effective in my observations. There is nearly always a large amount of “taco debris” that must be scooped up with a spork. This seems to detract from the taco eating pleasure for most.

Findings

Since my analysis is based on the observation of a small number of taco eaters, say, 20 or 30 there is not enough data to determine which taco eating procedure can be considered the best. I prefer Method #1 because I have a strong neck and I really enjoy the filling. Some however, prefer method #3 because it requires little neck movement.

The most used method I’ve seen thus far is method number 2, the “compromisational style”. Perhaps most people prefer this method because it is the best of both worlds.

All I know is that the definitive answer will require more studying.

Blogs and Sites

  • July 19th, 2006

I am very new to the blogging world and I have started offering to set up blogs as part of the websites I design for my clients. This post covers why I like using Wordpress for a blog CMS.

Going to Press

I have “skinned” a few content management systems (CMS) in the past, but never have I had such an easy time integrating them into an existing design as I have had using Wordpress. I don’t know if it is because it is that much easier or I have just gotten better at analyzing the code. One thing is for sure, I like this CMS enough to use it exclusively in my designs.

Another thing that is appealing to me is that there are so many free templates available for this CMS. This makes it much easier to get a variety of options from which to begin the customization process.

In short, I love it! Press on!

My Work is Web Design

  • July 11th, 2006

I figure three posts is about the right time to start talking about what I do for a dying. Yeah, normally that would be living, but I live in an area where not many businesses understand how beneficial it is to utilize a website and I design them.

Don’t get me wrong, there are many websites up for businesses in my area, it’s just that they generally fall into one of two categories: 1) They look like they were built and/or maintained by someone’s neighbor’s brother’s uncle’s niece’s friend’s sister’s cousin that read html for idiots. 2) They are using a web design company that is using them.

I’m not kidding, I did some consulting work for a resort last week and guess what I found, text hidden on the home page. (this can get your site banned from search engines) The development company wasn’t even doing it for the client, the text that was hidden was the web address of one of the web design company’s own websites. Yuk! It irritates me to no end.

Anyway, I am not really dying from not having any business. I actually have a meeting tomorrow with a local sports collectibles and apparel shop. They seem like bright business people that will see the many benefits of having a site. And I have other sites that I have either built or maintain for the client.

So there it is, my “what I do for a living” post.

Rainy Days and Mondays

  • July 10th, 2006

If rainy days and Mondays always get you down, today is a double shot! It’s Monday and it has done nothing but rain all day long. With nothing to do outside, I’ve pretty much sat inside all day and bounced around forums, set up this blog, and now I am blogging away.

The blog set up went pretty smooth, I just had a little difficulty with my rss feed. It didn’t want to work right. However, I figured it out. I had not set up my user information and when the entries feed link was clicked it would give a wierd error message. something about dc:content tag and <ADMINNICENAME> . Pretty strange if you ask me. But, alls well now and I’m posting away.

Until next time, see ya!

I’m Live!

  • July 10th, 2006

Wow, this is my first post on this blog and I hope it won’t be my last. I am not much of a writer, but I think I’ll learn and get better with more posts under my belt.

 Basically, this site is going to be the place I talk about things that interest, inspire, and incite me. Who knows what kinds of things I’ll write about. We”l just have to see.

For now though, Hello everyone!