The other day I read an article asserting that Best Buy was doomed because of poor service and a failed business model. After my experience today trying to use their in-store pickup service, I am inclined to agree. What makes this even more amazing is how badly things have changed in just a few weeks, at least at my local store in Marlborough, MA.

In between Christmas and New Year’s I needed a USB sound card for my laptop. The Best Buy web ordering experience couldn’t have been better. I placed the order one evening and went to the store the next morning. Best Buy had a parking space near the door reserved for in-store pickup customers (which I didn’t use). Whe I walked through the door, the pickup desk was literally 5 feet inside. I walked up, handed the clerk a copy of my order e-mail, showed my ID and paid. The door guy wished me a good day and I was on my way. In and out in under 5 minutes.

Contrast that with today. I decided it was time to get the keyboard dock for my Asus Transformer TF101 tablet. I found it online for $25 less than the Best Buy price, but I was willing to pay the difference in order to have it today. I placed my order, and about 30 minutes later the confirmation e-mail arrived, so I headed to the store. That’s when I saw how much had changed in just a few weeks. When I walked in, the pickup desk was no longer conveniently right by the door. I asked the fat, greasy door guy in the terrible yellow polo shirt where the pickup window went. He told me pickups now had to go to customer service. So I walked over and got in line behind 4 other people carrying things they were cearly returning.

I don’t know who at Best Buy came up with this plan, but one of the first rules of retail is: when a customer wants to give you money, take it
! Do not make them wait in line behind 4 other people who are going to cost you money. As I was standing there wasting time, it occurred to me that it probably would have been faster to just walk to the computer department, find a keyboard, and go through the normal check out. But I figured I’d get a whole bunch of reminder messages that I didn’t want to deal with, so I stayed.

The line was slow. It didn’t help that one of the original clerks decided that it was time to answer phone calls and stop helping people in line. This is always a source of irritation for customers – your floor people should never be taking phone calls. I’ve taken the time to drive to your location – phone customers are still on the fence. See my previous rule: if I’m waiting in line to give you money, take it. Don’t blow me off to prospect with people on the phone.

So I finally make it to a clerk. Things start pretty well – I show him the confirmation e-mail on my phone, he locates the box, and things look OK. Then I realize that the seals on the box are broken. The ones that ASUS puts there which say, “Check contents if seal is broken.” The box itself was scuffed and the keyboard inside was wrapped in a plastic sleeve that was ripped as though it had been opened. I asked the clerk why it was open and he said I shouldn’t worry – it wasn’t a floor model or anything. I still asked him to replace it with an unopened box. With a couple of quick calls on the radio and a 5 minute wait, someone brought up a new one. I don’t blame the desk clerk – but I’m willing to be several people at Best Buy had their hands on this box and not a single one of them cared enough to point out that it was open and replace it with a new one. That says a lot about Best Buy’s culture of service.

So I finally had my keyboard and it was time for my final indignity. I know Best Buy has always placed an employee near the exit to harrass customers on their way out the door rather than invest in real security. That this is an acceptable practice to them when their main competition is the convenience of online shopping probably says all you need to know about their culture. I hate this – and I barely tolerate it on a normal day because I know that the Best Buy door guy has absolutely no power to stop you from leaving the store. Today I was already fed up with my experience and was in no mood to stop. So when I was offered a bag at checkout I declined and headed for the door with my receipt and box in plain view. Keep in mind that I could see the front doors the whole time so it’s not like I was coming from some back corner of the store.

Sure enough the door guy asks for my receipt. I stop and show him the receipt which I’m holding right on top of the box. Instead of quickly looking and letting me go – I mean I bought 1 single thing, which wasn’t in a bag, in plain view of his little desk, he instead says, “Just a second,” and turns to accost a family leaving with stuff in a bag. I can only assume they got his immediate attention because they were much darker than either he or I. He tells them he needs to see what’s in their bag, at which point my switch flipped. I simply announced, “I’m leaving now,” and started walking out the door hoping they would follow instead of letting some minimum wage sloth paw through their property. The door guy said, “Wait … I have to,” and before he could finish I said, “You know you can’t stop me.” All he could say was, “Really, Sir?” “Really,” I replied.

So at this point I agree 100% with Larry Downes – Besy Buy is doomed. And good riddance. It amazes me that Best Buy has abandoned the one thing that seperates them from their competition – good service. And I’m not talking about complex systems either. I mean basic service: allow your customers to spend money easily, pay attention to them while in the store, and don’t harrass them and treat them like criminals when they leave. I mean really, a door receipt checker? If you are worried about cashiers mis-checking items hire some better cashiers and put in some cameras to watch them, not me. I wouldn’t think of letting a random stranger in the parking lot touch something I just paid good money for, what makes you think it’s OK if it happens just inside the door?

See you Best Buy – it will be a cold day in Hell before I enter one of your stores again.

No related posts.

I was working from home today and in the middle of the morning I realized that something really amazing was happening. I was working in a truly connected home. I paused for a moment to reflect on all the things which at that moment were transmitting or receiving data over my FiOS connection:

My work laptop was connected to a WebEx meeting.
My Belkin desktop Skype phone was connected to an audio conference via VOIP.
My personal laptop was uploading music to Google Music.
There were three cell phones connected tonWiFi in the house.
My Android tablet and my wife’s iPad2 were connected to WiFi.
A Squeezebox radio was streaming NPR in the kitchen.
My weather station server was cintinuously broadcasting data to the Internet.

For someone who once connected to BBS systems via a. 400 baud Hayes modem, this is pretty amazing.

Related posts:

1. How Good is my New FiOS Connection?

In my first chainsaw post I discussed saw sizes and components. No component is more important than the chain that does the work. And no aspect of a chainsaw is as controversial and creates more arguments among users than the type of chain you should use.

Chainsaw Chain Basics

A chainsaw chain consists of drive links, cutters, tie straps, guard links, and the rivets that hold them all together. Oregon has a great picture showing these parts at http://www.theoregonshop.com/userimages/ChainParts.jpg.

By Horst74 (Own work) (Public domain)

All the parts are also shown in the photo at left. The parts don’t matter to most users since most people don’t assemble their own chain. But understanding them helps when it comes to understanding chain sizes.

Chain Sizes

Saw chain size is defined by three parameters:

1. Gauge, or the length of the links.
2. Pitch, or the thickness of the drive links.
3. Length, or the number of drive links.

There’s a picture of this on the page at http://www.stihllibrary.com/pdfs/SawChainSelection.pdf from Stihl. Remember that chains are sized according to the bar they run on, not necessarily by the size of the powerhead, although larger powerheads tend to run larger bars, so there is some relation. In general, smaller saws with bars under 16″ run chain as small as 1/4″ pitch. Medium size saws with bars between 16″ and 20″ run .325″ or 3/8″ pitch chains. Larger saws with bars longer than 20″ may run .404″ pitch chain.

Chain information stamped on my guidebar.

For example, my 18″ Rollomatic E bar on my Stihl MS 290 runs .325″ pitch chain, .063″ gauge, with 74 drive links. here is the information plate from the bar. I also have an older Rollomatic E bar that is the same 18″ length which I used to run on my old 032AV, which is actually a 3/8″ pitch, .050″ gauge, and takes a chain with 66 drive links.

Although it’s important to buy the correct size chain for your bar, most people don’t pay much attention to other parameters. Some people like to argue the merits of .325″ pitch chain vs. 3/8″ pitch, but most people don’t care. What people do care and argue about is the type of cutters on the chain.

Chain Cutter Types

The number one argument among chainsaw people is whether full-chisel or semi-chisel chain is better. What’s the difference? It has to do with how much of the cutter is sharpened and the geometry of the cutter on the chain itself. A simple explanation is that if you look at a full chisel chain end-on, the cutter looks like the number seven “7″. A semi-chisel chain looks like a question mark, “?”. There is also a difference in how much of a point is filed into the front profile of the cutter, with full chisel chain having a sharp point, while semi chisel is flatter.

Wikipedia says this:

Full chisel chain has a square cornered tooth, splitting wood fibers easily in the cut for fast, efficient cutting in clean softwood. Semi-chisel chain has a rounded working corner formed by a radius between the top and side plates. While slower than full chisel in softwood, it retains an acceptable cutting sharpness longer, making it the preferred choice for dirtier wood, hard or dry wood, frozen wood or stump work, all of which would rapidly degrade full chisel chain.

Chain Types (from Bailey's)

Bailey’s, an excellent source for chainsaw parts and chain for all brands posts this picture describing chain types. (Note that what I call full chisel they call round chisel – same stuff.) For homeowners and non-professionals the choice is really between full or semi chisel. The other stuff, especially square chisel, is used only by pros and really dedicated amateurs.

The Argument

One of the best sites for chainsaw information on the Internet is Arboristsite.com. And they relish the debate over full or semi-chisel chain.

For example, see this thread from 2007. Or this thread from 2004. Or this thread from 2006. Or this thread from 2004. Or this recent thread from 2011. Get the picture?

Reading through all those threads the consensus opinion is that full-chisel chain cuts faster when sharp, but loses its edge quickly, especially in “dirty” wood. Semi-chisel chain cuts a little slower, but holds its edge much better. So which is better? For homeowners and occasional users it really doesn’t matter. You see, most of the argument happens between guys that cut wood for a living. Or at least serious amateurs who spend hours in the field on any given day. So to them, the speed that a chain cuts makes a difference in how much money they make. For me it doesn’t. I simply don’t cut that much wood.

And the definition of “dirty” certainly isn’t standard. Is dirty wood a log that has been skidded on the ground through a swamp and is caked in mud? Some people in those threads argue that trees which grow on the side of dirt roads count as dirty because of the microscopic sand embedded in the bark. The point is – the posters are technically right. In my experience full-chisel chain dulls quicker than semi-chisel. But since I don’t cut ten trees a day it doesn’t matter to me if it dulls and slows down much. I’ll spend a few more minutes with the file between tanks of gas if I have to – it gives my back a rest! So read the posts and make up your own mind. But realize that for occasional use, it probably won’t make much of a difference.

What do I Run?

Keep your chain out of the dirt. Here I am using a timberjack to lift a large trunk off the ground to prevent running my saw into the dirt.

Mostly full-chisel chain. Currently I have four loops of Stihl RSC (Rapid Super Comfort) full-chisel hanging in my tool shed. I also have two loops of Stihl RMC (Rapid Micro Comfort) semi-chisel hanging there. Most of the time I run the RSC full-chisel. Even in hardwood (I cut mostly oak and maple here in Massachusetts, with some white pine thrown in) and even in cold weather when the wood may be frozen. But I am very careful, and after years of experience am quite adept, at keeping the bar out of the dirt. Because it doesn’t matter whether you’re cutting hardwood or softwood and whether the wood is dirty. Nothing will kill your chain faster, whether full or semi-chisel, then running your bar into the dirt and rocks under a log!

Note that I mentioned using a file. Yes – you must sharpen your saw chain. No, taking it back to the hardware store doesn’t count. Sure, all chains need to be reground periodically, but a single chain is only going to last a couple of hours, even in clean wood, before it needs to be touched up. In this area the forum consensus is also right: semi-chisel chain will go longer between filings. If you have no intention of learning how to file a chain, you need to assume that you will go through three to six chains in a full day of work and plan on buying that many. So if you only want to to take them back to the store for sharpening, buy six or eight or ten loops to get you through a full weekend’s work.

So my recommendation comes down to this:

• If you are careful with your cutting and keep your bar out of the dirt, full-chisel will work for most applications, if you’re willing to occasionally file and maintain the chain.
• If you are new to using a saw and don’t want to file your own chains, run semi-chisel.

Regular or Reduced Kickback Chain

In my previous post about guidebars I mentioned that manufacturers make both regular and reduced kickback bars. I said that there wasn’t a tremendous difference between them and I saw no reason not to run the reduced kickback versions. The same is definitely not true for chain, where there is a tremendous difference between regular and reduced kickback versions.

This is an argument that the guys on ArboristSite REALLY like to engage in. Look no farther than this 8 page thread from 2009. There is another good one from 2010 also. In their world, reduced kickback chain is called “safety chain” and all safety chain is shit. My experience tells me that the real world isn’t so cut and dried. I started cutting long before the ANSI B 175.1 chainsaw safety standard was introduced in 1985. So reduced kickback chain wasn’t readily available until I had already been cutting for close to ten years. And current reduced kickback chain has improved tremendously over the stuff that was originally available.

That said, it is generally accepted that modern reduced kickback chain cuts a little slower and less aggressively than regular chain. This varies considerably between manufacturers and even within a manufacturer’s line between chain types. Because I am familiar with Stihl, that’s what I’ll use for my comparison.

When I bought my MS290, it came from the dealer with a loop of Stihl RSC3 full-chisel reduced kickback chain (identified by a green master link). When I first started the saw and cut with it I thought it worked pretty well, though it didn’t “pull” into the cut in the way I was used to with my old saw. But it cut well enough. After a while I switched over to a loop of RSC full-chisel regular chain. And the saw instantly felt more like I was used to. It really grabbed and pulled into the cut. But this same aggressiveness is what can make the saw kick back if the operator isn’t careful.

So I’m not going to get deep into this argument. From my personal experience, modern reduced kickback chain works well. I had no real problems with the RSC3 chain that came on my saw, and I certainly have the loop sharpened and ready to go. If I ever loaned my saw to someone, this is the chain I would give them until I really trusted them. But I admit that I do use the yellow link regular RSC chain most of the time. With all the years I have behind the saw I feel I’m prepared for the increased kickback potential. Your situation may be different. On your first saw I would always recommend a modern reduced kickback chain. Read the threads I referenced above if you want to learn more.

Good luck and safe cutting.

No related posts.

R.I.P. - 1982 to 2011

A couple weeks ago, Mr. Murphy paid me a visit and I had to replace my beloved 29 year old Stihl 032AV chainsaw. Soon after I wrote about how awesome and reliable it was, a valve in the chain oil system cracked and the part wasn’t available for a saw that old. So I had to buy a new one.

What I realized during my research is that there is a lot of confusion about the basic components of a chainsaw and few places where someone can find comprehensive answers. There are some great sites with very comprehensive answers and where professionals share their experience with homeowners, but it would still help to have an grasp of the basics before wading into these arenas.

What gives me the right to talk about this? I consider myself an advanced amateur. I grew up in a time and a place where there were far fewer nanny state rules. I was given my first real gas powered chainsaw at 10 years old and, after watching my dad for a while was given the intensive safety training of, “Don’t kill yourself,” and turned loose on brush piles with a Homelite saw with a 12″ bar. Bu the time I was 13 I was given a new Stihl 032AV (pictured above) and turned loose on 75 acres of fields and woods to cut whatever the hell I wanted. As long as there were a few cords of firewood for winter, no one cared. I used to practice felling trees by driving sticks into the ground in a field where I wanted the tree to fall and trying to drive them into the ground by dropping the trunk on top of them. Since then I’ve felled hundreds of trees, cut many cords of firewood, and cleaned up after dozens of storms. For a summer I worked for the US Forest Service in the early 90′s and that’s where I actually learned about safety and technique. I didn’t get to run the saw, but I was on work crews with guys who really knew what they were doing. And I soaked in everything I could.

What I wear now.

Gone are the days of being an invincible kid with no safety gear at all. You will never catch me cutting now without my full compliment of chaps and forestry helmet (hard hat with built in face shield and ear protection).

So, based on that experience, here’s what you need to know.

Types of Chainsaws

Manufacturers usually divide their chainsaw lines into three categories. Known by various names, I will call them: Homeowner or Occasional Use saws; Medium Duty saws; and Professional or Heavy Duty saws. In general, as you move up from Homeowner to Professional saws you get larger sizes (both bar length and engine displacement), more power, and more advanced features (like high efficiency engines and anti-vibration features).

I am partial to Stihl chainsaws, for no reason other than I have always lived near quality Stihl dealers. So I’ll use their line as an example.

A middle of the pack Occasional Use saw might be the MS 211. Offering a 2.2 in³ engine that produces 2.3 horsepower, Stihl recommends guide bars in 12″, 14″, or 16″ length. Other than some new engine technology Stihl is introducing, there are no special features to this saw, though some Homeowner saws have “convenience” features like easy start systems. Saws in this class would typically be used for cutting small trees (up to maybe 16″ in diameter), large branches and pruning ornamental plants, and light cutting of firewood.

Out with the old and in with the new. My new MS290 and my old 032AV

A Medium Use saw is the MS 290 (my most recent saw). The 290 has a 3.45 in³ engine making 3.8 horsepower (65% more than the MS211). Stihl recommends guidebars in 16″, 18″, and 20″ lengths. In addition to the basic features, medium range saws offer adjustable chain oil rates, anti-vibration systems (which help reduce fatigue when using the saw for hours at a time), and easy access maintenance features. Medium use saws might be used for felling trees up to 36″ in diameter, limbing large trees, and bucking (cutting into smaller lengths) trees for firewood.

A Professional saw is the Stihl MS460. With a 4.6 in³ engine making 6.0 horsepower (58% more than the MS290). For this saw, Stihl recommends guidebars in 18″, 20″, 22″, or 28″ lengths. Saws in this range get the latest features to make them light and powerful. This saw might be used for felling trees to 48″ in diameter and bucking large trees. The largest Professional saw in Stihl’s line, the MS880 Magnum can take a guidebar up to 59″, for felling trees 6, 7, 8, or even 10 feet in diameter.

What Size Saw Do You Need?

Because chainsaws tend to be tools for men, there is a perception that bigger is always better. That perception is commonly held by people who have watched too many episodes of Ax Men on TV and have never spent a day bent over cutting firewood with a 20 lb. chainsaw.

Chainsaws can be dangerous, and a bigger saw can let you get into dangerous situations faster than you might expect. So it is important to match the saw to the job you will actually be doing. For example – even when I fell a 30″ diameter tree, that whole process might take 120 seconds of actual cutting. But the next two hours will be spent limbing and bucking that tree into firewood. So as nice as an MS880 Magnum would be during the felling process, my back is much happier limbing with my MS290 for the next two hours because it weighs ten pounds less.

You need to realistically assess the size jobs you will really do. Will you really be felling three or four foot diameter trees? That can be difficult and dangerous work and it’s way too easy to drop a tree on your home or car if you don’t know what you’re doing. Want proof? See this video:

Or this one:

Or this one:

Remember – each of these guys thought they were smart enough to handle the job. Although lack of safety equipment, no felling wedges, or no notch and back cuts is usually a dead giveaway that someone doesn’t have a clue.

Here’s your first pro tip – the saw binding in your felling cut is nature’s way of telling you something is screwed up and the tree isn’t going the way you expect. This is why they invented the felling wedge.

Here’s your second pro tip – if you don’t know what a felling wedge is, stick with an Occasional Use or smaller Medium Duty saw.

If you want to know and see how they are used properly, this guy on YouTube gives a great lesson in cutting a tree that’s leaning in the wrong direction and safely directing it where he wants it using wedges. When you can do cuts like this, you’re ready for a large saw and larger trees.

Chainsaw Parts

To many people, this whole system is a “chainsaw.”

In fact, a chainsaw is made up of several components, and it is common to mix components from a variety of manufacturers. The basic anatomy of a chainsaw is:

• The engine or powerhead. This consists of the engine and related controls, the oiling system, and related components.
• The guidebar. This is the bar on the front of the powerhead around which the chain runs.
• The cutting chain. Exactly what the name says. This is the chain that does the cutting.

Information about the proper chain to use is on the guidebar, not the powerhead. Here's the block on my Stihl MS290.

On all but the cheapest Occasional Use saws, you can buy chain and guidebar systems from a different manufacturer than made the powerhead. For example, many Stihl chainsaw owners use guidebars and chain made by the Oregon company.
Here’s the important thing to know: the chain on a chainsaw must be matched to the guidebar, not to the powerhead model. And the drive sprocket must be matched to the chain as well. So there really is no answer to the question, “What chain do I run on a Stihl MS290?” The answer is, it depends on what bar you have. The picture on the right shows the information from my MS290. It tells me I should run a .325″ pitch chain, .063″ gauge, with 74 drive links on this 18″ bar.

Guidebar Types

In America, there are really only two guidebar manufacturers. Stihl and Oregon. Any brand of chainsaw other than Stihl uses Oregon manufactured bars, even if their own brand name is on it. And regardless of which manufacturer you use, there are two broad categories of guidebars, regular and reduced kickback.

Kickback is the rapid and unexpected movement of a chainsaw towards the operator caused when the chain on the top of the guidebar sticks in a cut or contacts something in a dangerous and unexpected way. If this happens at the tip of the bar, the movement of the saw and running chain is both back toward the operator and up towards the operator’s head. This is perhaps the most dangerous type of chainsaw accident and a very common occurrence. A good demonstration by a chainsaw instructor is in this video:

A common way for kickback to occur is during plunge cutting (when the tip of the guidebar is pushed straight into a cut, rather than a slicing cut made with the top or bottom of the guidebar). To lessen this, reduced kickback guidebars tend to be fatter in the middle and tapered towards their ends. Compare the Stihl Rollomatic E reduced kickback bar against the Duromatic E standard bar on this page for an example. Note that in the picture, the Rollomatic bars have a green dot at the end and the Duramatic bars have a yellow dot. Stihl uses this color coding system to designate bars and chain as reduced kickback (green dot) or regular (yellow dot). Oregon uses blue dots for reduced kickback and yellow for regular.

I have run reduced kickback bars on my saws for years and never missed my old straight bars once. In my mind, there really isn’t a decision to be made here. If you’re reading this you should be running a reduced kickback bar.

Chain

The next discussion is about chain types. But this discussion among chainsaw people is like asking someone what beer is the best or which football team to root for. There is a lot of fighting and arguing that takes place, so I intend to cover this in a second post. Keep an eye out.

No related posts.

I wrote before about how I have traveled Amtrak’s Acela Express from end to end – that is from Boston to Washington, DC. In fact, when I travel to DC, the Acela is my preferred mode of transportation. Some (most) of my friends can’t understand why. Why would I sit on a train for 6+ hours when a plane takes 1½? This question inevitably follows the puzzled look when I tell I am taking the train, because most people don’t know anyone who has ever taken Amtrak anywhere.

I’m writing this on yet another train trip to DC, doing 120+ m.p.h. between Back Bay Station in Boston and Rt. 128 Station in Westwood, MA. And I will be the first to admit that six hours on the train is a long time. But as I make this trip I am trying to put down in words what it is that makes me choose the train again and again over what would arguably be a simple airplane flight. I think the train does hold some advantages over the plane that help to reduce the time penalty and make the 6+ hours bearable.

Good morning America, how are you?

‘Said don’t you know me, I’m your native son.

I’m the train they call the city of New Orleans,

I’ll be one 500 miles when the day is done.

The Whole Experience is More Civilized

Part of the allure of the train is that, relative to modern air travel, trains are still much more human. Airports and particularly airport security are cold and impersonal. The train has none of this silly security theater. No x-rays, no full body scanners, no groping by TSA goons. No lines, ID checks, or being herded like cattle through velvet ropes. Hell, if you pick up your e-ticket with a credit card, you rarely even need to show ID on Amtrak.

You know how you are warned never to leave a bag unattended at the airport? At an Amtrak terminal station (South Station, Penn Station, and Union Station on the Acela route) just drop your bag with an Amtrak Red Cap and they watch it while you roam around and do whatever. And, you know how in the airport, regardless of the best intentions of the crew, boarding the plane is always a long line and a fight for overhead bin space? The Red Cap Service gets you priority boarding as well so you can pick your seat and they will stow your bags for you too. All for the price of a tip (I usually give $5 a bag).

Train stations, even the amazing ones like Union Station in DC, are still built on a more human scale than airports. No shuttle buses, trams, or trains. No endless moving walkways or underground light shows. Just easy to navigate, usually historic buildings, in downtown locations.

Dealin’ card games with the old men in the club car,

Penny a point; ain’t no one keeping score.

Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle,

Feel the wheels rumblin’ ‘neath the floor.

As the sons of poor man porters and the sons of engineers

Ride their fathers’ magic carpet made of steel.

Mothers with their babes asleep,

Are rockin’ to the gentle beat,

And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel.

The On-board Accommodations Are Better

Everything on the Acela is business class or better. Like Jet Blue, all the seats are wide and leather-covered. The tray tables are huge and all the seats recline comfortably. But they go beyond that – seats are 2 x 2 and every seat has 110V electrical power. There’s FREE Wi-Fi on all Acela trains, and it works pretty well. Cell phone use is allowed at all times, as are all other electronic devices. Want to get up and move around? Go ahead. There are no seatbelts and no restrictions on when and where you can stand. Want to stretch in the area at the end of the cars – no complaints from the crew. The even have a snack car and you can go there whenever you want – not just when they feel like bringing you a 6 ounce beverage in a cheap plastic cup. For this trip, I arrived at South Station about 45 minutes before my train’s departure. Dropped my garment bag off with a Red Cap, then went to the ATM without having to lug the extra bag everywhere. Grabbed two slices of pizza and a Coke at Pizzeria Regina, and headed back to the Red Cap area 35 minutes before departure. We headed out to the train 30 minutes before departure. I picked whatever seat on whatever car I wanted and the Red Cap through my bag in the overhead for me. I sat down, reclined my seat, dropped my tray table, got out my computer and phone, plugged in, and had a little lunch. No one made me “return your seat back and tray table to the upright position.” I had a nice lunch, got up and threw away my trash, and returned to my seat to write this.

The windows are huge and there is actual scenery to see. Railways run through the heart of our cities. On the east coast, that means getting a close-up view of places like Newark, NJ, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. It’s important for people to see these areas – so many of which have been forgotten. Abandoned factories and run-sown housing remind us that not all of America has prospered in the last decade and there are areas that still need help. The train serves this important function well.

It also means that you get some spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean and the coastal areas of Connecticut, Delaware, and Maryland.

But all the towns and people seem,

To fade into a bad dream.

And the steel rail still ain’t heard the news.

The conductor sings his song again,

The passengers will please refrain.

This train got the disappearing railroad blues.

Good night America, how are you?

‘Said don’t you know me, I’m your native son?

I’m the train they call the City of New Orleans,

I’ll be gone 500 miles when the day is done.

Rail is a Worthwhile Cause to Support

Many of my friends say they support high speed rail in the US, but have never ridden a train. I believe there is an important place for rail in America and I choose to support that with my money and time. Do I wish that the Acela didn’t make so many damn stops between Boston and DC? Absolutely. I mean do we really need to stop in Stamford, CT; Penn Station, NY; Newark, Metro Park, and Trenton, NJ, and then Philadelphia? No. The stops should be Boston, New Haven, New York, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, and DC. But I deal with it because I think that rail would better serve these short-range trips better and more efficiently than planes. So I vote with my butt and with my time and occupy a seat whenever I can. I have to say – in all the times I’ve ridden the Acela – at least 5 round trips now, every train has been full, so it can’t just be me with this idea.

There are a host of other personal reasons as well … for someone feeling busy and over-scheduled, the six hours of productive time on the train is a welcome respite from the rush of airport commuting. When else would I have had time to do this post?

I’m somewhere near New London, CT now and still speeding along on one of the last truly high-speed sections of track. I’m going to recline my seat, close my eyes, and listen to some music. Somewhere past Philadelphia I’ll be back online preparing for work tomorrow.

But for now I’m riding the rails …

Related posts:

1. Riding the Acela From End to End

A few weeks ago I wrote about how country people and city people do things differently. This weekend’s weather reminded me once again how true those words are.

We had a rare early-season Nor’easter that dumped record-breaking snow on much of New England.

Really?! This is BEFORE Halloween?

The big problem is that this snow was really heavy and wet, and most of the trees still have their leaves, so the storm snapped off millions of tree branches. There are power outages everywhere … by this afternoon (Sunday, 10/30/2011) the Boston Globe was reporting that 669,000 customers were without power.

We lost power around 6:45 pm on Saturday. It stayed off … for 10 seconds because my whole-house backup generator came on. But my generator has been running for 22+ hours now. My local town news website reports today that we can expect to have no power for the next four days. I may need to beg my propane company for an emergency refill, but that shouldn’t be too much of a problem. As of this morning I calculated that I had at least 50+ hours of generator runtime with my current propane supply. If I am careful about my use I can probably get 72 hours out of it.

But none of this is what made me think about the country people / city people thing. What got me thinking about it was this:

Can you see it in there ... yup, that's my car.

This was what greeted me this morning. My car under the top of an oak tree. Upon closer inspection there didn’t appear to be any real damage. The glass was intact at least. But it was certainly under there.

Here’s a view from the backside:

It's certainly under there alright...

And based on the reactions of a couple of neighbors, I realized this was the perfect symbol of my country/city comparison. Because I realized that when presented with these circumstances…

City people call their insurance company and get the phone book to try and find a tree cutting service for an emergency call. Country people get their 19 year-old chainsaw and just cut their damn car out.

And that’s what I did …

About an hour's work.

Now I can open the door ...

And I owe it all to the fact that I am prepared and have the experience to run a chainsaw without killing myself. Above all I’d like to thank my Stihl 032 AVEQ, which is at least 19 years old.

Never failed me!

So which are you? A country person? Or useless …

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No, not the crappy pieces of tough beef cut into small chunks, slathered in cheap marinade and then passed off as quality beef to unsuspecting New Englanders steak tips … this is some advice I gave to a novice griller for getting a good sear on a real steak. I originally answered this on the BBQ Source message board. But I thought I’d reproduce my answer here.

His question was:

I am an absolute grill novice. Just got my first full time charcoal grill. Nothing fancy, just a Weber 18.5″ One-Touch Gold. I use lump charcoal. For my first venture, I tried some NY Strips. I pulled them to sit for about 30 minutes. Half way into that, I added course ground salt and pepper. Just before throwing on the grill, I added some olive oil. Now I used the direct to indirect to finish. (Blasphemy, I know, but I like a medium well steak. I like pink, but cant do a red/raw center.). I can’t even say what temp, but my lump was hot. Went direct for 2 min rotations. (4 total for 8 minutes.). Finished on indirect for a few minutes. Now the sear was PERFECT for me. So much flavor, even my GF commented and asked what seasoning I used. I love a heavy sear, even a bit of a crust. The inside color was even great. Had a touch of pink. Problem was, it was tough. I assumed too much sear time. (these are like 1″ cuts of Choice Angus.)

…

I just wonder how I can get that great sear without a tough steak? I’m obviously going to try cast iron fried one day, but I’m interested in direct grilling for now.

My response follows:

I can think of a few things that will help … but fundamentally there is a conflict between cooking a steak to medium or beyond and having it stay juicy and tender that is VERY hard to resolve. It’s just the nature of protein … animal muscle protein contracts and gets tough when cooked beyond 140 degrees. Only the best, most expensive prime cuts can stay close to tender when cooked to a barely pink medium, and some (myself included) feel that it’s kind of a shame to waste good prime beef by cooking it to anything beyond medium-rare.

That said, there are some different techniques I suggest for getting a good sear. These are complicated by the stock grates on the Weber One-Touch. The thin plated bars are not at all conducive to creating grill marks or a good sear. They simply don’t have the thermal mass and rough surface area needed to really facilitate the Maillard reaction that creates a good sear and that seared flavor. But a few tricks can help. A replacement set of cast iron grates would help more (I have no affiliation with this company at all and I am not recommending them specifically).

First, the surface of the steak needs to be really, really dry for a good sear. If there is even the slightest hint of moisture, the surface will generate steam when it hits the grill grate and not sear. The same goes for oil … although for flavor olive oil is helpful, it actually hinders the searing, so I’d leave it off and just give the grate a light coat of oil (I actually use cooking spray). Patting the surface of the steak with paper towels isn’t enough either. One trick I picked up from Cook’s Illustrated a few years ago is to season the steak with salt, let it sit for a while to come to room temperature (like 40+ minutes, more on why below; I often let my thick steaks sit salted overnight in the refrigerator), then pat it dry with a paper towel. Then, sprinkle both sides lightly with a mixture of kosher salt and corn starch (equal parts by volume) and place it on an elevated rack in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. The key to this is that freezers are extremely dry and usually have air circulating, so this helps dry the surface thoroughly. And the corn starch absorbs any other moisture. Plus, the freezer cools the outside layers of the steak, so when it’s back on the grill it will cook a little slower and won’t get so tough while the middle, which stays close to room temp, cooks through.

The reason that the steak is salted before being dried is to help with the Maillard reaction. This reaction requires amino acids (protein building blocks) and the presence of a reducing sugar to occur. The primary reducing sugar available in steak is the glucose trapped in the cellular fluid. The idea behind salting the steak is to draw some of this cellular fluid to the surface of the meat. As Tubby’s Smokehouse points out, the longer salt stays on the surface of the meat, the more moisture is pulled out … to a point. If left on long enough, the osmotic pressure will equalize and fluid will begin to redistribute back into the steak, bringing seasoning with it (this is the principle behind brining chicken for example). Although there might be a slight net moisture loss, the steak should be more flavorful and the surface will end up with the right compounds to facilitate the Maillard reaction. There’s a great explanation of this at the Serious Eats website.

Try this method and see if your results are better. With a thin (1″ or less) steak the standard sear and then cook over lower heat should work. For thicker steaks (1.5″+) cooked to medium or beyond I actually recommend an opposite approach, starting over low heat and getting a sear at the end.

Finally … I can’t emphasize this enough … get a really good, accurate thermometer. I use a Thermoworks Thermapen but there are less expensive alternatives. Cook to reach the desired intrnal temperature, not the desired look on the outside. After some practice you’ll get the timing correct so that a 5-step, 1-flip procedure (On the grill, quarter turn, flip, quarter turn, remove) will give you a nice cross-hatch of grill marks. But until then concentrate on not overshooting your desired temperature and you’ll be rewarded with great steak.

Good luck and I hope you post some pics!

Related posts:

1. On Grill Marks
2. An Iron on the Fire
3. The Sizzle-Q – My Other Favorite Grilling Accessory

A little while ago I wrote about some of the debates that give bar-b-que people something to talk about. One that I forgot to mention is how you actually spell the word. For this blog I have standardized on “bar-b-que.” But people commonly use “barbeque,” “bar-b-q,” or even the abbreviation “BBQ.”

I picked bar-b-que for no particular reason … but I recently saw a video which might make me rethink that spelling – it can lead to some unexpected issues:

Related posts:

1. A Yankee’s Guide to Real Bar-b-que
2. Latest Bar-B-Que Tool

I live back in the woods, you see,
A woman and the kids, and the dogs and me.
I got a shotgun rifle and a 4-wheel drive
And a country boy can survive.
Country folks can survive.

I can plow a field all day long;
I can catch catfish from dusk till dawn.
We make our own whiskey and our own smoke too
Ain’t too many things these ole boys can’t do.
We grow good ole tomatoes and homemade wine
And a country boy can survive.
Country folks can survive.

Because you can’t starve us out
And you cant makes us run,
‘Cuz we’re them old boys raised on shotgun.
And we say grace and we say Ma’am,
if you ain’t into that we don’t give a damn.

We came from the West Virginia coal mines
And the Rocky Mountains and the and the western skies.
And we can skin a buck; we can run a trot-line
And a country boy can survive.
Country folks can survive.

- from A Country Boy can Survive by Hank Williams Jr.

I spent a lot of time growing up in the country. I am firmly planted in a suburb now, but I still retain some remnants of my earlier days. I lived in Wayne County, PA for much of my childhood. In 2010, Wayne County had just over 52,000 people in it. In the whole county … that works out to just over 65 people per square mile. In contrast, I now live in Worcester County, MA, considered “the country” by many in Massachusetts, and the population density is ~500 people per square mile. I went to college and lived for several years afterwards in Cheshire County, NH, which has about 77,000 people in it and a population density of just over 100 people per square mile. I worked for a while on the Medicine Bow National Forest outside of Laramie, WY and lived for a summer in the tiny town of Albany, WY. As of the 200o census, there were 80 people in the town of Albany, WY with a population density of only 4 people per square mile.

A couple of months ago, Christopher Kimball, editor of Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines and host of the America’s Test Kitchen TV show wrote a forward to an issue of Cook’s Illustrated about the differences between country people and city people. It really got me thinking … here’s my take on it.

1. Country people carry pocketknives. Almost without exception, I have carried a small folding lock-blade knife in my pocket every day for 29 years (since I was 12 years old). I carried it to high-school when I was a kid (long before total “weapons” bans … heck until the shootings at Columbine kids would bring hunting rifles to school during deer season so they could go hunting on the way home – they were simply locked in a room during the school day) and I carried it onto airplanes in the years before 9/11. Now it flies in my checked bags and is usually removed as soon as I reclaim them.
2. Country people know how to sharpen knives and tools. And I don’t mean by taking them to the sharpening store. I mean on different grade oilstones the way you’re supposed to.
3. Country people prepare for disasters/storms differently than city people. The recent passing of hurricane Irene reminded me of this. As people around me prepared for the storm nearly every bottle of water for miles was sold out. Why? A hurricane tends to bring a lot of rain … the last thing you need to do is buy more water. Stick some pots outside – problem solved. You really need food that can be cooked over an open fire and stuff to build that fire with. In preparation for the storm I tweeted, only half-jokingly, “City ppl buy: water, eggs, bread. Country ppl buy: beer, hot dogs, ammo.”
4. Country people don’t rely on professional rescuers/services. The evidence of this: country people will always have most of the items on this list in their car/truck at all times: jumper cables, tow chain/strap, duct tape, bungee cords, basic tools, blanket. And if they still live in the county, a gun. City people figure if they have their cell phone they’re good to go. Most probably wouldn’t know where to hook a tow chain anyway without ripping a body panel off their vehicle.
5. Country people own chainsaws. Gas-powered ones. City people hire landscapers and arborists. And no, your electric chain saw doesn’t count. The only thing electric chain saws are good for is carving ice sculptures. (My saw is a 1980 Stihl 032 AVEQ).
6. City people bag the leaves that fall in their yard and hire someone to dispose of brush. Country people wait for the right time after a rain and just light all that stuff on fire.
7. Country people shoot nuisance animals. Squirrel on the bird feeder? Chipmunk digging in the garden? Nothing a nice .22 rifle won’t fix. Raccoon in the garbage? Skunk bothering the dog? .357 magnum fixes that in a hurry. Bear on the deck pushing against the sliding glass door at 8 pm? 5 shots from a 9mm to the head stopped that. Coyotes attacking an outdoor cat one night? Spotlight and a .270 fixed that problem. All of these happened to me growing up. All but the bear more than once.
8. Country people aren’t afraid of wildlife. Honest conversation in my kitchen as a kid … “What the hell is the dog still barking at? Go see what the hell is the matter.” I go outside with a flashlight … as I re-enter the kitchen door. “Well?” “He’s got a bear up a tree.” “Oh. Do me a favor and hand me that plate. You want dessert?” No calls to animal control. No panic. As long as the bear isn’t trying to get in the house, no problem. Bears are supposed to live outside. And if they try to get in … see #7.
9. Country people cook outside … over real fires. Life on weekends and during hunting season revolves around an outdoor fire. And not in some fancy outdoor fireplace … usually an old oil drum will do. And what’s the use standing around an outdoor fire if you don’t put it to use? Slab bacon or sausage on a stick. Bread toasted with the drippings. Coffee (or hot chocolate) warmed over the flames. No grill needed.
10. Country people give driving directions with distances. City people give driving directions with time. When I was home and someone asked, “How far is the lumber yard,” I’d say, “25 miles towards Newfoundland.” Now when someone asks me “How far is Logan airport,” I say “45 minutes with no traffic, 2 1/2 hours at rush hour.”
11. Country people own kerosene/oil lamps. We know that generators can fail, candles are dangerous, and batteries die. But a 5 gallon can of kerosene and a few oil lamps will light your house at night for a month. (I still have three with my emergency supplies.)
12. Country people know why an agricultural tractor has two brake pedals.
13. Country people know that you drive in the middle of the road during mud season and before the snow is plowed.
14. Country people still use strike-anywhere matches.

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The most important tool that a bar-b-que cook needs is a good thermometer. In fact, a bar-b-que cook needs more than one. Because to really produce a good final product, the cook needs to monitor the temperature of the BBQ pit, and the food.

Most commercial pits come with one or more thermometers. But the accuracy of these dial thermometers is dubious. Meathead over at Amazing Ribs has one of the best articles on BBQ thermometers ever written on his site. You should read it. Now. Go on….

I agree with his assessment that the ThermaPen by ThermoWorks is the best instant-read thermometer and I own one myself. I even recommend it in my own list of must-have BBQ equipment. There will come a time in your BBQ career though when you will want to simultaneously monitor the temperature of two separate things to a high degree of accuracy. Like the temperature of the pit and the shoulder cooking in it. Or the temperature of the grill and the juicy T-bone you have on it.

Model TW8060 2-channel thermocouple sensor.

For this very application, ThermoWorks has come t the rescue again. My newest addition is their new model TW8060 2K Two-Channel Thermocouple With Alarm. Here is a pic of it in action during my recent summer BBQ party. It worked fantastically over two days simultaneously monitoring my pit and my food.

The coolest thing about this device, and what sets it apart from the BBQ thermometers you buy in the store is that this is simply a read-out for any standard industrial/commercial Type-K thermocouple. And ThermoWorks sells a bunch of different ones for whatever application you need, from simple food probes that work as fast as the ThemaPen to ceramic-sheathed probes which cam measure up to 2500°F. There is a sampling of available probes on the TW8060 page linked directly above.

I bought mine with two probes – the 113-177 smokehouse penetration probe which I leave in whatever I am cooking and the 8468-22 hi-temp alligator clip oven probe (good to 950°F). The alligator clip probe clips right t my smoker or grill grate and gives me a temperature right down by the food where I need it. Both performed flawlessly through 12 hours of shoulder, 5 hours of ribs, and 4 hours of bacon cooking. You can set a high and low alarm point for one channel which I used for my pit temperature. But if you wanted to, you could easily use this with dual food probes and monitor things cooking on different areas of your grill at the same time. Or multiple pit probes to look for hot spots.

The unit itself is inexpensive at only $69 + tax and shipping direct from ThermoWorks, but you will also have to buy two thermocouple probes and they are expensive. The smokehouse probe I bought costs $52 and the alligator clip probe costs $59. But for accurate measurements I can’t think of anyone besides ThermoWorks who makes this kind of quality equipment available to the home cook. And, their customer service is second to none. My interaction with them when I placed my order was excellent. I placed it on the web and the alligator clip probe was listed as out of stock. The site said t order anyway and a representative would contact me. Sure enough the next day I heard from someone named Lisa via e-mail and she was extremely helpful in exploring other probe options and telling me what was available and when they expected their backorder to be available. I couldn’t have been happier with their service.

28 lbs. of great shoulder!

All of this leads up to the results … using this new temperature monitor I cranked out 28 lbs. of about the best shoulder I’ve ever made. Thanks ThermoWorks!

So if you’re looking for a versatile tool to add to your arsenal I recommend the TW8060 from ThermoWorks. With the right selection of thermocouple probes you can have a highly accurate instant-read food thermometer, a BBQ pit thermometer, a grill thermometer, and even a high-temp oven thermometer for something like a wood-fired pizza oven. Nothing you are going to find in your local hardware or cooking store is going to match that kind of versatility.

Go out and get yourself one of these!

Related posts:

1. A Yankee’s Guide to Bar-B-Que – Part 2 (The Tools)
2. A Yankee’s Guide to Bar-B-Que Part 3 – So You Wanna’ Buy a Grill?
3. More Bar-B-Que Debates