OCTOBER 2014
Wednesday 2014.10.29
Very Pinteresting
I finally got around to creating a Pinterest account. Sometimes I think I procrastinate doing something until it is no longer fashionable. I might have gotten to Pinterest on time though. It's still popular.
Pinterest is part of my efforts to steer this web site into a more commercial direction. I don't like commercialism. I avoided it for a long time, but (as I've said too many times recently) I need to do something to offset the costs. My recent purchase of veal for two videos, at a cost of over $66, is just one more example of hemorrhaging too much money.
I like learning new things, which is probably why I enjoy making cooking videos — they force me to do research. There is sometimes a dauntingly steep learning curve, which frustrates me too often. As I get older, learning becomes more challenging, but there are occasions when the curve is such a gentle slope I am surpised with the simplicity.
With Pinterest I was faced with the laborious task of sorting through my thousands of food photos and then resizing them for pinning. To quote the late, great John Pinette, "I say, 'nay, nay'!" I already have all the best photos, my "royals," on this web site, at the top of each of my recipe pages. Pinterest lets me enter the URL to the recipe. It displays the photo. I ony need to click "Pin it" and add a description. What could be easier than that? Even the URL, which I thought I'd need to add later, is already included in the pin. I love the ease of it all. Now I understand why Pinterest is so popular. And, unlike Google/YouTube, they don't ask for my private, unlisted phone number.
I currently have only one "Board" on Pinterest. I created a board specifically for my recipes that use phyllo dough pastry sheets, such as Baklava. I love Baklava. It's as much fun to make as it is good to eat. Even before it is beautifully plated, it looks delicious.
More interestingly, as I pin each image I get a note informing me that some Pinterest enthusiasts have already been pinning photos from this web site. I was getting exposure without knowing it. And I can see why Pinterest is addictive. It's so easy.
More on the Osso Buco
The recipe worked well. I wasn't as enthused about the veal as I was the sauce. It was delicious. The meat was a little tough. I probably should have braised it longer. When I write the recipe I'll increase the cooking time. As for the flavor, I'm not a big fan of beef anyway. I prefer the flavor of lamb. But I'm sure the Osso Buco will be enjoyed by those who love beef.
Other Stuff
Yesterday I surrendered to the obvious on my other computer. Every few seconds a report popped up from MalwareBytes, advising me it had blocked a sinister attack. The IP addresses traced back to Russia. Resigned, I removed the hard disk and formatted it in preparation of a fresh install of the operating system. The 1TB drive took eight hours to format. I'll start the installation later today. When things go bad, bake bread. It makes me feel better. I baked two loaves yesterday afternoon.
And, finally, I read an interesting news item about Google/YouTube. They are supposedly setting up a paid subscription service. Not everyone will need to pay, yet. The initial rollout is to people who don't want to be subjected to the advertising. I can't predict where it will lead. But I do have questions. Will YouTube eventually charge everyone for watching videos? Will the creators of those videos be asked to pay a fee if they want their videos to be available for free? I'm thinking I decided to pull out of YouTube just in time.
Sunday 2014.10.26
In the Vault
I managed to accomplish a lot during the few days the neighbor was away with the dogs. He said he'd be gone all week, but he returned on Wednesday. Although I wasn't able to accomplish as much as I had hoped, I nonetheless put five videos in the vault. I am currently in the process of editing and encoding those videos, as well as writing the recipes that will eventually be encoded as PDFs for download.
Those, along with two I had made earlier, put seven videos in the vault. There was a time, only a few weeks ago, when I had published my only remaining video. That was the Rosemary Filoncino. I had nothing more to offer. And speaking of Rosemary Filoncino, I used rosemary infused olive oil that I prepared myself.
Moving to Curious.com requires a different way of publishing my content. Unlike YouTube, on which my videos were immediately available for viewing, the videos on Curious go through a review process. There is a web page that is supposed to report the videos that have gone public, but there are evidently some leaks. I checked on Friday and one video that was still "under review" was not only being watched by others, someone had already left a comment on it. I wanted to feature that video here on my Home Page, but I wasn't certain yet of its availability. It can take more than a week or two before videos are reviewed and made public.
There is more than one workaround, and I'm exploring those. I'd like to keep this web site as current as possible. However, I must also face facts. I am not as productive as I used to be. For four years I never failed to upload a video to YouTube every Sunday. Since August I've been slowing down. Partly it is due to age. It isn't as easy to be that productive. Part of it is lack of ideas. And the worst part is that I am making too many mistakes. My skills are beginning to decline, probably due to age as well. Some days I make a really dumb mistake and I can't help asking, out loud, "Did I just suffer a stroke?"
It's comical afterward, but it can ruin an entire day of video work. I've been referring to those mistakes as mental tunnel vision. Maybe that's just my way of avoiding an admission of old age. Perhaps I'm in denial.
The best workaround for the video review delay is simply to upload several videos. Eventually they will be approved. Then I can feature them, even though the "Feature" might be several weeks after the video goes public. When I was able to use YouTube (before Google wouldn't approve my uploads until I gave them my private, unlisted phone number), the whole process could be accomplished in one day. I'd upload my latest video each Sunday morning and then publish my web site updates, featuring the latest recipe and video.
Of course, the positive side of all this is that I am now a paid video artist.
And speaking of being a paid video artist, thankfully the expense of making these videos is beginning to be recovered. This week marks the first time my featured recipe is one offered by Curious.com for a small fee of $1.99. I also moved ten of my poorest performing YouTube videos to Curious. This week I plan to create a Pinterest account and promote my content there as well as on my Facebook fan page.
Two of the videos I never got to this week involve expensive veal. I want to do osso buco (AKA ossobuco) and veal piccata. I dropped off an old computer monitor at the electronics recycling center and while down in the city I stopped at one bougie food store — not the really expensive bougie food store, but the sort of expensive bougie food store — and bought sliced veal shanks and veal scallopine. Cost? $66.14. That's for only two recipes and that's just the meat. Add other ingredients and the recipes will probably total nearly $40 each. I really do spend that kind of money to prepare some recipes for this web site. I'll do the veal later today and tomorrow.
And I'm out of bread; so I also need to bake bread this week. I'm busy.
Wednesday 2014.10.22
An Amusing Experiment
But first: I've been wanting to shoot some of my oldest videos again, now that I have my own camera and a kitchen counter that allows me to face the camera directly. The one I most wanted to do was my Almond Biscotti video. That was first video we recorded, "we" being myself and a friend who studied cinematography in college. I learned a lot from those early attempts, not the least of which was that I needed to build a work surface where I could put the camera on the opposide side.
Back then Eric handled the camera. He needed to shoot from the side or over my shoulder. There was no way to put the camera in front of me because all the kitchen counters face a solid wall. I'm not all thumbs with a skill saw, wood glue, and clamps. The counter turned out so well, I'm still using it four years later. And so I decided it was time to shoot the Almond Biscotti video again.
This week I purchased the ingredients I needed. I roasted the almonds, ground them in a food processor, assembled my dough, and began shaping my loaves — and then I noticed the little glass bowl of baking soda, forgotten to one side. There was no way to add the soda at that point. It needs to be added to the flour with the salt before the wet ingredients are added. I stood there a few seconds, tried to imagine how I might fix the problem, and realized it was hopeless. I scooped up all the biscotti dough and dumped it in the trash. I'll call that another of my mental tunnel vision moments. I had to start the recipe all over again to do the video.
Another of my mental tunnel vision moments was thinking I wanted to try making stew with oxtails. That was my amusing experiment on Monday.
It turned out well enough, for Oxtail Stew. The soup was fairly good. The buttermilk dumplings were better. But the oxtails were, well, let's just say I wouldn't rank them among my experiences with elegant, fine dining. This was not a Chicken and Spinich Pie, nor a Cannelloni Florentine, and definitely not a Rabbit with Saffron. If Pasta Fagioli has its origins in peasant food, oxtails were what the peasants fed their dogs. If the food you love most is beef fat, you might appreciate oxtails as manna in the desert.
Maybe I'm being a little harsh. There are people who love the stew. I've seen it prepared on TV. I wouldn't define my tastes as ecclectic. I'm perfectly content with one of my Minute Meals, which I've been eating a lot of lately. There is much to be said for good, balanced nutrition. It certainly keeps the depression away.
If you haven't already guessed by now — yes, the stew joined the biscotti dough in the trash. I'll still upload the recipe here and put the video on Curious.com. I'm sure there are some people who will want to give it a try. The flavors are actually pretty good. If anything, the video shows my sense of adventure. I'm willing to try something I've never attempted before. The fact that it turned out correctly in my first attempt is a good testament to my skills as a cook. Would I serve it to my friends? Some friends, yes. I know of one in particular who would not only enjoy it, he'd want to take some home. Most of my friends, however, would prefer my Pesto Lamb with Eggplant Parmesan on the side.
So what's next? There are some elegant lacy cookies with an orange cream filling that look perfect for my needs. It's a rebound effect. I need to do something refined and sophisticated. I need to see beautiful filagree, and breathe a perfumed aroma that might come from the kitchen adjacent to a South Carolina garden of moss grown trees and lillies in bloom. The cookie recipe doesn't list Cointreau among the ingredients, but that's the direction I need to go as I put oxtails behind me. When I write the recipe I'll say, "Modified from a recipe in a magazine." The modification will be Cointreau. It needs to be there, like cake at a wedding reception.
And one final point worth mentioning: The check arrived in the mail on Monday. I received payment for my set of videos sent to Curious.com. I am now a paid professional.
Sunday 2014.10.19
Cooler Weather
Autumn has arrived at last. Let the cooking begin.
This week will be a big cooking week for me. I was outside on Friday, sitting on my concrete driveway, pounding basil in a plastic bag with my WhackerSpoon. The neighbor, with the obnoxious dogs, heard the noise and came over to investigate. While there, he told me he was driving to Arizona to spend the week at his home there, and he is taking the dogs with him. We talked again about the nuisance those dogs are. He knows it. He and his girlfriend feel stuck with the dogs, and there's not much they can do about it. I could give them some ideas, but maybe that might be inappropriate. I love dogs, but I know they can be taught not to bark. I grew up with dogs. Training is hard work. If a dog can be house broken, it can be bark broken too.
As for cooking, there are several recipes I want to try. One will be an experiment. Can you make a Chicago-stye deep-dish pizza without the dish? I like a pizza crust that is baked on a hot pizza stone. There is a way. You might be surprised when you see the video — if the experiment is successful. I'm confident it will.
There is a pudding recipe someone sent me. I need to do that one. I also want to upgrade some of my oldest videos. If Costco has wild salmon in the case, I'll make Salmon Jerky again, and record a new video. I also need to make a new video for my Almond Biscotti recipe. That was the second recipe I published (White Bread being the first). There is a cookie recipe I want to try and someone sent me a link to a bread recipe (that can be improved by making a cinnamon bread) that intrigued me. Attempting all these in a single week might not be possible, even with the best of planning. I'll do what I can.
Meanwhile, a couple computer stories:
Those of you who follow my blog (all two of you) know that I am not all thumbs when it comes to computers either. I build my own. I have two. Both of them can run either XP or Windows 7. My Internet computer (Computer-1) is my "production rig," the one I use for email, researching recipes and ingredients, uploading videos, etc. I do most of my writing on that computer because it has a printer. However, my printer is an old Hewlett Packard LaserJet 4100 office printer (a really good one), but Windows 7 sometimes doesn't like it when using some software. (That's the reason I still have, and use, XP.) The printer is still on its first cartridge (which is low on toner) and I still have a new cartridge in a box. I can't part with that printer yet. And sometimes Win7 is perfectly happy with the printer. Go figure.
The other computer (Computer-2) is my "creativity rig." It is disconnected from the Internet, to keep it really safe from viruses. That's the computer I use for editing cooking videos, writing recipes, writing this blog, and updating my web site. I connect only for the minute or two to upload files to my web site's hosting service, and then disconnect again. I'm obsessed because…
Last week Computer-1 was hit, again, with a virus. This one was more annoying. Among other things, it changed my Administrator permissions so that I could no longer delete files. Norton Antivirus did what it could, but it couldn't remove the problem entirely. MalwareBytes took care of it and the computer was soon back to normal again. This kind of nuisance is the reason I keep Computer-2 off the Internet. It just isn't worth the risk. One computer on line is enough.
Computer-2 doesn't have a printer, which is also a nuisance, but I can work around it. That leads to my second computer story.
I decided to look on the Costco web site for computer printers. They had a $210 HP LaserJet marked down to $100, more than 50% off, "while supplies last." I ordered one. It arrived quickly — while I was shooting a video — and when I had some time I hooked it up and let it install the drivers, etc. All is well. The printer works. Computer-2 now has a dedicated printer. Happy, happy.
However, I like having a spare toner cartridge. This one is rated for only about 2,100 pages (compared to the 61x cartridge in my other printer, which is good for about 10,000 pages). Back to the Costco web site. A new toner cartridge costs about $73. Hmm. I think, By spending only $27 more, I can get the same toner cartridge and it will come with a spare LaserJet printer in the same box. Where can you buy an HP LaserJet printer, new in box, for only $27? What would you do? Yesterday I ordered a second printer.
And, finally, because every silver lining has a dark cloud: Yesterday morning I biked to the store to get what I needed for my next video. On the way there one spoke in my rear wheel broke. I managed to get to the store and back, but it took four hours to replace the spoke. Even though I drew a diagram, I couldn't figure out how to put the rear axle back together again. A look at a few diagrams on the Internet solved the problem and now my bike is fixed. Sometimes I forget what it means to get older. My thinking gets fuzzy and it's like I get tunnel vision — not real tunnel vision, mental tunnel vision. I think I see what something means, but I still miss a lot.
Wednesday 2014.10.15
Progressions
Progressions intrigue me. It's almost as if there is some higher order to things because some progressions are so predictable. Those involving laws of physics, of course, are the easiest to understand. It will be dark outside after several hours and then many more hours later it will get light again. The earth's rotation is as predictable as, well, night and day.
The progressions in human nature are much more fascinating. Someone demonstrates some talent. Maybe they are an unknown, an obscure and starving artist, struggling to pay their bills each month. Their talent eventually gets attention, they become recognized, and soon they are a paid professional earning a living (if not enough to buy a castle in Scotland like J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books.) What is it about human nature that leads to recognition and popularity, and how do we get it?
Maybe an even greater mystery is that we might not gain recognition and popularity no matter how hard we try. I could never succeed as a musician. I might learn to read music and plink out a few simple tunes on a piano, but I have no talent as a musician. When asked if I play a musical instrument, I answer, "Yes, the stereo." (Does anyone call them "stereos" anymore? When I was a kid they were "hi-fis" as in high-fidelity.)
I'm more talented as a writer. I've written five books and three of them are published. I can't write novels. I'm a lousy story teller. But I can write nonfiction. Look through this web site. I've written more than 200 recipes and I've been blogging for more than four years. I'm adept enough at grammar that in my former job all the department's publications were given to me to proofread and edit before going to print. It wasn't my job, but somebody had to do it and they knew I was available.
I've been discussing the mystery of recognition, popularity, and success with some friends lately because, finally, after four years, my talent as a creator of cooking videos (and maybe some recognition as an accomplished cook) is finally getting a little attention. I know from my attempts as a writer that soliciting agents and publishers is almost a fruitless labor that typically leads nowhere. There is a lot of competition out there. However, when they come soliciting me, inviting me to submit a proposal, that's a good indication that they looked at my content and saw something of value.
Of course, not all solicitations are useful. Almost daily I get flattering emails telling me how wonderful my stuff is and, by paying them a monthly fee, they can increase my success. I get invitations to submit my content to web sites where, for a modest monthly fee, they will promote my work for greater recognition. They never offer to pay me anything. It's the other way around. However, even that is a form of recognition. They see the potential in my content. The quality is good enough. And they want to use it to make money for themselves.
I'm not pricing castles in Europe. It's too cold there anyway; I prefer Southern California. I'm not talking to real estate agents, hoping to maybe move into a larger mobile home. I'm content where I am. I like my neighbors (but not their dogs). I'm not even shopping for copper pots and pans like those hanging from the kitchen ceiling in Gordon Ramsay's videos. (How many thousands of dollars were spent on that cookware?!) However, there are few toys I'd like to get. Maybe I'll even get a few All-Clad stainless steel pans someday.
Sunday 2014.10.12
"Something New"
Hopefully you will be as delighted as I am that my 12-lesson course, Kitchen Basics for Beginners, was approved for publication by Curious.com. I expect to receive payment in the next seven days. After four years of producing cooking videos and writing recipes, this is my first paid gig.
Although Curious charges a small fee (mine are either 99¢ or $1.99), the first lesson in the course is free to watch. The only small caveat is that you join Curious as a lifelong learner. It's free, but don't feel obligated. In this course I show a few tips to beginners and teach a few cooking procedure. Most of you, if not all, have probably progressed beyond the beginner stage. Most videos, and this includes most of my own videos, assume some level of expertise. I wanted to do a series of videos devoted entirely for the beginner. And the time had come to go commercial.
Going commercial is difficult. The final decision to move to Curious.com was reinforced during the past few weeks by several factors.
They are friendly and responsive. We've been regularly communicating as I've been learning the process of using their web site to structure teaching lessons and assemble them into a course. Google never responded to any questions or requests.
They promptly paid the advance on royalties they promised. How many companies are that reliable? As I mentioned in an earlier blog, the advance isn't enough to buy a car, but it is substantial and far more than I ever earned in the four years I've been creating recipes and videos for this web site and YouTube.
They pay well. Artists/creators receive a generous royalty, unlike the pennies Google pays unless I create a video that goes viral and gets millions of views.
It all boils down to simple economics. I invested nearly $12,000 on audio/video equipment. I bought expensive stuff because I wanted to produce professional-grade videos.
Then there is the cost of software, web site hosting, URL registration, etc. Now add in the cost of food and alcohol, if used, for each video. One video can easily cost me as much as $30 — more if I need to shoot the video more than once to get everything perfect.
How much do liquors cost? I have more than a dozen bottles of various alcohols I purchased for cooking. I don't drink. I can't imagine how much I spent to make my Quadruple Rum Cake, twice, because it didn't come out right the first time. And I don't even want to think about the Gâteau Paris-Brest that I made 14 times before I finally got it right.
Multiply those costs by the more than 200 recipes/videos I produced for this web site. Then there is the additional equipment: Skillets, a wok, a Kuhn-Rikon Duramatic pressure cooker, bakeware, cookware, knives, dishes for photography, etc. It all adds up to probably more than $20,000 so far.
Some hobbies/pastimes are expensive. However, I never intended this web site to operate at a loss. I always maintained the expectation that it would eventually pay for itself. And there was always that dream in the back of my mind that producing cooking videos might eventually supplement my retirement income. I'm content to live in a mobile home; I don't require a home in the Hamptons. But I can't keep hemorrhaging money.
Will I lose a few fans? Yes. Possibly more than a few. Change isn't easy for some people. I struggle with it too. Those of you who have been following my blog know that I've been agonizing about the future of this web site for many months.
For the most part, however, the fans have been wonderfully positive. I've received some very encouraging emails. I love you guys! The comments on my Facebook fan page have been very helpful. Some have already joined Curious.com, willing and wanting to pay a dollar or two to see my latest video. I can't thank you enough. It might only be one or two dollars, but it adds up and, collectively, you make my efforts worthwhile. Really. You make me feel better about the tough decisions I've been forced to make.
Hopefully as the weather cools I will get back into cooking and making videos. In the meantime, I've been updating my old videos with my latest branding, bringing them up to modern times. It has been fun to visit them again.
Wednesday 2014.10.8
Second Thoughts
Lately I've been considering, yet again, about whether or not to move my videos to Curious.com. "Move" might be the key word here.
Two years ago I sent them ten videos to help them get started. I haven't paid much attention since then, despite the daily emails announcing their Curiosity of the Day features. On Monday I decided to make a note of the videos they already have before I start uploading additional videos — no point in making unnecessary work for myself. That was when I noticed something odd.
They had shortened all the videos I'd sent them, some by only 15 to 20 seconds, others by several minutes. One was cut by more than nine minutes. I'm not one of those "my artistic vision" types who oppose all cutting and cropping. I'd like to edit those videos again, bring them up to the more modern branding I developed. However, there are only ten, so there is no need to become hopelessly obsessive about it.
I make videos with the hope of driving traffic to this site. I don't earn any income by putting them on YouTube. As much as I dislike the cliché "Thanks for sharing," it's what I do. I share. On Curious, however, they charge a small fee for viewing and I would earn a percentage. Therefore, I'd like my videos to look as good as possible.
So if I am leaning in any direction at all, it is toward removing the YouTube videos that are getting the least number of views. I want to edit them with the new front graphic and the new branding, removing white-trash-cooking.com and replacing it with MobileHomeGourmet.com. Both URLs lead to the same web site; so it is only a matter of appearances. The content remains the same.
Okay, enough of that. Now for an idea that has been in the works since last week. I will be cooking it later today, with a friend.
We were talking about lamb. We agreed that Americans are funny about lamb. Europe and especially New Zealanders and Australians eat lamb like we eat chicken. Americans, however, shy away from it. They'll embrace sushi before lamb.
I've done some videos on lamb, which, not surprisingly, do not get many views on YouTube. In fact, one of my favorite dishes, one that is often requested by friends, is my Lamb and Pappardelle. However, it is the least viewed of my YouTube videos — 209 views in four years. My Lamb Chops with Salsa Verde runs a very close second, 215 views. By comparison, my French Bread video has been viewed more than 84,000 times.
Do a little arithmetic with me. Curious.com usually charges $1.00 to view a video for the first time. (Some videos cost more.) After that, each subsequent viewing is free. Of that, I would earn a 70% royalty. 84,000 views. 70%. I'd be looking at close to $60,000. Okay, I agree, that's an ideal way of looking at it, but hopefully you begin to see the temptation.
One friend of mine has been planning to make a dinner for me. I didn't formally teach him to cook, but he has learned a lot from me and he regards himself as my student. He wants to do lamb, but he wants to do something different, something neither of us has cooked before. He also likes my pesto made with oil-cured sun-dried Italian olives. I thought about involtini. I made Veal Involtini, but never with lamb.
Involtini means rolls. You roll up stuffing in veal scalopping (thin slices), tie it, then cook it in a skillet. They're very good.
The plan is to pound pieces of lamb meat (cut from a boneless leg of lamb), like making chicken piccata. Then spread them with olive pesto and roll them up into involtini. They can be wrapped in a slice of prosciutto for added flavor. They should cook in a skillet easily, cooking to an internal temperature around 125°F (52°C). Sautéed Brussels sprouts and Risotto will be served on the side. Maybe cook up a little chorizo to serve with the risotto.
And here's an idea we came up for munchies while cooking: Roast some garlic. Cut Roma tomatoes in half through the equator (not top to bottom) and clean out the seeds. Put some roasted garlic inside the empty seed chambers and roast until the tomatoes are tender and collapsing. Spread on toasted French bread slices, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and maybe garnish with a little grated Parmesan cheese and/or freshly ground black pepper. Yum.
I'll video what I can and then…who knows where the video(s) might end up?
Finally, an Addendum:
The affordable dentist fixed the problem yesterday. It was quick and easy. My cost with insurance was about $95. I would have spent nearly 20 times that with the expensive dentist who wanted to include two crowns. I'll say it again: Get a second opinion.
Sunday 2014.10.5
Two Steps Forward…
Just when I think I'm getting ahead, time and unforseen circumstances rear their ugly heads.
As mentioned on Wednesday, I signed the contract with Curious.com to do the 12-video teaching course on Kitchen Basics for Beginners. When they give their final approval, I'll get my advance on royalties. It isn't enough to buy a new car, but it's more than enough to buy a new toy. I'm thinking about one of those all metal meat grinder/sausage stuffer attachments for my Kitchenaid stand mixer. (Kitchenaid makes a plastic one, but I want the durability of metal.) Think of the prospects: A video of me making my own sausages. I got a book of recipes. The possibilities boggle the mind.
So I went to the dentist on Thursday morning for my usual cleaning and exam. I know this dentist. He loves crowns. Everything, even a broken fingernail, requires a crown. Worse, he charges a premium. My insurance pays for half and he charges me the full amount. And he wants to do two crowns. I know I'm looking at a bill for close to $1,800. That my portion.
The story gets worse. He doesn't do root canals on molars (and one might be necessary). Those require a specialist. If the tooth in greatest danger also needs a root canal, that's anothor charge, even more expensive, and I could be teetering on the edge of $3,000. At that price, I'm better off thinking about an implant. I have one. It was easy. And even if I live a very long time, I probably will never need to do anything about that tooth again.
I left the office thinking, "Hey! Wait a minute! A crown is not a toy!" He drilled through a crown once before to do a root canal. Why can't he drill under the edge of a crown to do a filling and save the crown? Why two new crowns?
About a week ago I met my former dentist in Costco. Long story made short: I switched dentists because a former, former dentist (whom I liked) moved back into town and opened a practice again, and it was within walking distance of my home. When he finally retired, the crown dentist bought his practice. While in Costco I told the dentist about the crown guy and he said, "Come see me if you ever want a second opinion. I won't charge you."
So when the expensive dentist said "two crowns," I thought "second opinion." As soon as I arrived home I called the other doctor. He could see me the same day. I had been thinking of switching back to him anyway because he has a different philosophy about dentristry — do as little (and inexpensively) as possible to keep a tooth healthy and save the drastic and expensive stuff, like a new crown, as a last resort. When there is nothing else that can be done to save the tooth, then think about an implant. I'm all about saving a tooth because implants are expensive.
Granted, I'm 63 years old. I grew up during the time when dentistry was closer to butchery than medicine. As one older dentist put it, "We are victims of early dentistry." Back then everything was drill and fill. The adult teeth that replaced my baby teeth are nearly as old as I am. They don't last forever. But neither does the money in the bank.
So, finally, the second-opinion dentist gave me the opposite diagnosis. Not only are the two existing crowns fine, but removing them to drill and fill the cavities would only increase the possibility of the teeth splitting, which means extraction and implants. Better to leave the existing crowns in place; they're stabalizing the teeth. He even took an x-ray (the first dentist didn't) to make certain there were no invisible issues. None. The cavities are small. A simple drill and fill is all that is necessary to fix this problem. And I can buy my toy after all.
As for unnecessarily recommending crowns that are not needed, just to get extra money, that's malpractice. I won't do anything about it, other than switch dentists. Needless to say, I called the first dentist and cancelled my appointment. No need to see him again. People will often get a second opinion when they receive a dire medical diagnosis. You can do the same with dentistry.
As for Google…they asked for a phone number again; so I am now preparing videos for Curious.com instead. There is an approval process, which can take — according to them — seven to nine days. Therefore, the videos won't be immediately available and I have a dozen already under consideration. It's a different process and it will take me a while to figure it all out.
Wednesday 2014.10.1
New Home?
No, I'm not planning to move into a new mobile home. I'm thinking of a new home for my cooking videos.
If you are the one or two people who follow my blog regularly, you saw last month that I got a little pissed off at Google for wrangling my phone number out of me. I've since changed my number, but what if Google asks for it again when I upload my next video on Sunday (Spareribs with Coleslaw — so delicious!)? I won't give it to them, and will that mean I am no longer authorized to upload videos to YouTube? This week I tried to log into my YouTube account to check my stats. Again, Google asked for a phone number and wouldn't let me bypass the authorization page by clicking the "Skip" link. (However, I found a way around.) Oh well. There are other options.
I'm thinking of moving my videos to another web site, Curious.com. By now you're probably tired of my saying: "Every silver lining has a dark cloud." The issue here is that Curious is a pay-per-view site. The cost isn't much, something like one or two dollars per video. And I think people pay only one time for each video — after viewing the video they can watch it again for free as many times as they want. The "silver lining" for me is that I earn a percentage. 70% of $1.00 isn't much, only 70¢, but over time it might add up. Imagine if I had more than 200 videos on Curious rather than on YouTube.
Some of you might remember my mentioning Curious.com before. Recently they approved my proposal for a lesson set, Kitchen Basics for Beginners — 12 video lessons covering such basics as pots & pans, cutting boards, knives, and basic procedures for clarifying butter and cutting up chickens, etc. The lessons lead into a couple quick and easy recipes for getting a meal onto the table in minutes. Those recipes aren't listed here, although they probably should be. I am still thinking about it. The problem was that I never took any photographs. I would need to buy the food again and prepare the meals again to get the photographs. It would be worth the effort, but there are other projects on my "To Do" list.
It is easy to become distracted with potential new projects when I have friends who are not only interested in food and cooking, but they send me recipes with excellent possibilities. On Monday three new ones arrived. Two are chicken recipes. I'll probably set those aside for a while. One is for a beef stew with dumplings. I love dumplings. I have oxtails in the freezer. This stew recipe might be exactly what I am looking for to create an oxtail stew, and another opportunity to use my pressure cooker again.
Besides the possibility of earning a few dollars, there are other reasons why I like Curious. They have a "Lesson Builder" that "Certified Teachers" (me) can use to not only upload the cooking video, but also add some interactive features. I can add links to the recipes in my web site here, i.e. drive more traffic to my web site (hopefully). I can add exercises. And get to create and use my own thumbnail image. It's a little more work, but it's fun and I might get paid for the effort.
One of my goals four years ago when I started this site was to hopefully transition my content into some sort of small revenue generator. As a pastime in retirement, it keeps me entertained and occupied. It also keeps me well fed (although most of the time I eat my Minute Meals for lunch and dinner).
When the permanent change will happen depends a lot on Curious. Since Sunday I've been uploading videos and converting them into lessons. So far so good — I finished yesterday. If the experience turns out positive I'll probably start using their site rather than YouTube. One point in their favor: They are excellent communicators. Questions (I have plenty) are answered helpfully and they maintain a pleasant, positive attitude. Unlike Google, they have more of a small town, little company feel to them. I like working in that environment.
As for cooking: I hope you're reading, Curt. I finally found a way to use apples. Today I am baking an apple bundt cake with a caramel glaze on top.