Got my first MP3 player!

I got my first MP3 player!

The SanDisk Sansa m260 MP3 Player 4GB is completely GNU/Linux friendly. It is basically a sophisticated USB drive. You can move files on and off of it using whatever file management tools you use for anything else. It only took me about 5 min to install an extension on Ubuntu so that Sound Juicer would rip into MP3 instead of OGG files. Another 5 minutes to install EasyTag so that I could edit the ID3 tags MP3 players use to read and ( more importantly ) list MP3 files.

The controls are very easy to learn, you can get 85% there with 10 min of playing around. Nice size read out with no glare. Controls are nice and big for people who have real hands ( think about that Apple engineers! ).

It has a built in microphone. I can make recordings. I can listen to FM radio. It even has a stop watch mode. I wish I would have gotten an MP3 player sooner. I was so amazed that this thing that looks like a desk toy given away at a business conference has the sound and feature set of expensive stereo systems that typically take over a corner of a room. I’ve used Sony Walkman’s in the past and portable CD players. This MP3 player is so much less awkward. Wow.

All of this and it only cost me about $50. I got it refurbished. The Sansa m260 was over $200 new. Life is good if you can wait until you have the latest technology.

I remember a few years ago I wanted a key chain USB drive when they were new. There were so many choices I procrastinated about buying one. They went from $200, down to about $70, and I finally got a 1 GB USB key chain drive for *FREE* as part of a tech store promotional.

Sometimes it pays to wait.

I’m sure someday MP3 players will be found in boxes of Cracker Jacks 🙂

Cashew Curry Casserole

Most of my early cooking was done off of a hot plate in the years when I first left home and lived in places without kitchens. I never really learned many things that required an oven. This easy dish is one of the few casseroles I’ve made thanks to an old recipe at UrbanVegan.net

It is quick, healthy, tasty and fairly inexpensive. Very little clean up. I liked the Thai Curry Cashew sauce so much I’m going to use it on other things

6 Servings
Per serving: Calories 285, Protein 10.4g Sodium 482.2 mg

Ingredients

  • 1 head broccoli, chopped into 1 inch pieces, or one 1 lb bag of frozen broccoli
  • 1 15 oz can whole tomatoes
  • 1 16 oz can chick peas
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 T cashew butter
  • 1/2 cup rice milk [soy milk would also work]
  • 1-2 tsp red curry paste
  • 2 T fresh basil, chopped very fine
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Optional Ingredients:

  • 8 oz. mushrooms, thinly sliced;
  • 1 red or yellow pepper,
  • thinly sliced;
  • 1 yellow squash, sliced

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the cashew butter, rice milk and basil.
  • Add the curry paste, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until the sauce is as hot as you like.
  • Be sure to whisk well so no clumps remain.
  • Toss all the other ingredients in a large casserole.
  • Use a spatula to roughly break up the tomatoes, then pour on the cashew sauce.
  • Stir well until all ingredients are combined and well coated.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
  • Remove foil and bake another 15-20 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.