This Saturday marks the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. I have been fortunate to have attended twice, once when working and living in Louisville years back where I got a lot of the local flavor of the event leading up to it. Though I usually watch it every year on TV, I don’t get into it as much as I did when I was there.

Then the other day I found out one of the horses running is named Dunkirk! Its jockey even wears a blue jersey. As of the writing of this post, Dunkirk is listed with 4-1 odds and some news stories I have read have it picked to win. Whether it wins or loses, gotta love the name Dunkirk. Well, at least I do. I don't know for sure if it is named after the city in New York (as my Internet consulting firm is) or the city in France (which the city in New York is named after), but I do know who I will be cheering for.

Go Dunkirk! I will be watching with more enthusiasm this year!

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The decluttering continues! On the heels of selling my XO laptop, I have decided to go analog for my next item, and sell my Canon ELPH 370Z APS Film camera.

This camera was a wedding gift and we used it for about 2 years until we got a digital camera. It has just sat there in its protective case now for several years. It is in good working order and has no noticeable marks. It’s just that it is a film camera, taking the APS/Advantix film cartridges, which allows you to take wide panorama pictures, which I think is the best feature of the APS film.

The bidding starts at one penny. It makes a great gift for that friend or relative who just won’t go digital.

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Congratulations to the Boston University Mens Hockey team for winning the 2009 national championship last night in Washington, DC! The accompanying photo was taken by my friend Adam, who was at the game last night, shortly after they got a goal in overtime to beat the University of Miami of Ohio 4-3.

It was an outstanding game to close out an amazing season for the Terriers. BU was behind to a formidable opponent in the Miami RedHawks 3-1 when they scored 2 goals in the last minute of regulation to tie it up at 3 all and send it into overtime, when Colby Cohen’s goal broke the tie and sent BU to win its 5th national title. This capped off a season where they won every tournament they were in, including the famed Beanpot tournament, and Terrier Matt Gilroy won the Hobey Baker Award, the Heisman Trophy of college hockey.

As a longtime fan and season-ticket holder of the Terriers, it was an awesome night. Congrats to Coach Jack Parker, all the players and Terrier fans near and far on another exciting season, and here’s to a banner-raising party in the fall at Agganis Arena!

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I love coffee. There’s nothing like starting the day with a cup of fresh hot coffee cut with a little milk. Ok, make it several cups and don’t limit it to the morning. And sure, the caffeine is more than an added bonus. But I enjoy the flavors from a cup of coffee derived from freshly ground beans in concert with filtered water.

This wasn’t always the case. I didn’t start drinking coffee until I was out of college and at my first job. Coca-Cola was my chosen caffeine delivery vehicle before that time. It was the free coffee at my first job as a COBOL programmer computer consultant in the Berkshires that converted me. At first I didn’t own a coffee maker, so my first coffee at home was instant coffee from a red can with Folgers on the side. Yes, instant. That didn’t last long, as I learn to appreciate – and brew – my own coffee and I never looked back.

I thought about this as I prepared to taste my sample of Starbucks Via, the coffeehouse chain’s newly released instant coffee, which has been launched in 3 cities including Chicago. Like many people, I asked why? But as I tried it, it started to come clear to me.

The sample I had was of their Via Columbia blend. There is also an Italian Roast, and other blends are supposed to be forthcoming. It comes in a short, slender sealed poly tube, and one tube is good for exactly an 8-ounch cup of coffee. I emphasize exactly 8-ounces as I was told this specifically by the barista who gave me the sample.

So I heated a cup of exactly 8-ounces of water in one of few remaining Dunkirk Systems, LLC coffee mugs, added the coffee and stirred. It had a slight (for lack of a better word) "film" on top which reminded me of the Folgers I drank long ago. I then added some skim milk and took a sip. It had a good robust taste, which was not too far from what I would expect from a brewed cup of coffee with freshly ground beans. As I finished the cup, it kept its taste and was a fulfilling taste of coffee.

So would I buy this? Yes, but not all the time. As I have stated here on The Hot Iron before, I tend to buy coffee in large quantities. The packaging is too wasteful for typical day-to-day coffee consumption. I will buy it for when I travel, as many of the friends I visit are not coffee drinkers, plus hotels never have enough coffee in-room. Well, not enough for my liking.

I will bring Starbucks Via on my next journey and will experiment with their other blends. Apparently this has been in the works for over 20 years, which interestingly is around the time I discovered coffee. I doubt this is a coincidence!

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For all of my readers in the US, including those visiting here from far-off lands, a friendly reminder to change your clocks tonight as Daylight Savings Time begins tomorrow.

Keeping true to the mantra of “spring ahead, fall behind” move your clock ahead 1 hour, which means you will lose 1 hour of sleep. Even those who have computers and mobile devices that should move ahead automatically, double-check them before you head out, or set an alarm on Sunday morning an hour earlier just in case. I will be changing the pictured clocks in the Dunkirk Systems, LLC office, as well as those throughout my home.

The change in clocks is also a recommended time to check and change the batteries in the smoke detectors in your home. Even if your smoke detectors are powered by electricity, they may have a battery backup.

Here’s another suggestion – change your passwords. As it is always advised to change your passwords on a regular basis to keep them secure, why not do it at least twice a year?

Here’s to a safe and accurate good night’s sleep tonight!

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