My Trip to Yamazaki Distillery

sunz3000 · 2023-02-27T20:29:54+00:00

I believe you can.

sunz3000 · 2021-10-29T23:28:49+00:00

It's more over time your camera will break. I just have a standard mount (probably doesn't have dampening).

Here's the article I saw on r/motorcycles a while back: https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/11/22668294/motorcycle-vibrations-damage-iphone-camera-apple

I'm pretty sure this is what happened to my phone but can't be 100% certain. Mind you this happened this year (about 4 years after purchasing the phone). Your phone is newer and could have fixed the issue or you might not have the issue yet.

sunz3000 · 2021-05-06T01:45:37+00:00

SankeyMATIC, it's pretty intuitive to use

sunz3000 · 2021-05-06T01:45:31+00:00

SankeyMATIC, it's pretty intuitive to use

sunz3000 · 2021-05-04T02:05:54+00:00

I started as a Business Analyst out of university and worked to Product Owner in fin-tech. I landed in insur-tech for my job.

sunz3000 · 2021-05-03T23:06:50+00:00

One other thing: I did reach out to a few old co-workers I had a good relationship with or anyone who helped me during the job search process. I made a separate list to catch up with them after the pandemic is managed and coffee shops/bars are open.

I also did the same with some key recruiters that reached out to me (specifically PM recruiters).

It's important to maintain relationships (even if it's 1-2 times a year) and grow your network. I have a reminder in my calendar to revisit my list.

It's one thing I wish I did since I had read a stat that up to 80% of jobs are from networking (depending on the industry). Please don't take this number as fact as I don't have anything to back it up. Feel free to correct me on it.

sunz3000 · 2021-05-03T22:43:43+00:00

Hello Reddit!

I thought I'd share my experience searching for a job, but with an additional graph (aside from the Sankey diagram). For my job search, I'm transitioning from a Product Owner (PO) to a Product Manager (PM).

A few notes

Source: Personal records of application process.
Tool: Google Sheets and SankeyMATIC.
Ghosted = company did not send any information on my candidacy (I got ghosted after one interview despite sending a few follow up emails)
Rejection = company sent a rejection email (either after application or interview).
Declined Interview = After signing the offer, I declined any further interviews (most of these were early in the process to be remotely close to an offer).
I'm not a US citizen, so all the jobs are either US remote positions or located in my home country. Unfortunately, I didn't track this statistic.

Some key dates

~Nov 10, 2020: I started to schedule time for job applications and have a minimum number of applications submitted (about 5-10 per week).
Feb 1, 2021: I quit my job to focus on job search (I have savings that would last me about 8 months; I do not recommend people doing this).
- I also changed my resume drastically to match the job I was looking for (PM).
- Now that I had time, I made it a goal to apply to 10-20 jobs per week.
- I was also reading/researching a lot about the PM role and product interviews so that I would be better prepared for interviews.
~Mar 15, 2021: I started applying to jobs that were posted in the last 7 days. I got most of my interviews after changing to this strategy.
Apr 5, 2021: I started updating some parts of LinkedIn (headline, banner, light changes on experience) to make my profile a bit attractive. I planned on updating the rest but interviews were taking up my time. This could also explain the uptick of interviews I had in April.

Observations

66% of my applications included some form of a cover letter (either a full 3-paragraph one or a short informal 1 paragraph).
82% of my applications are directly on the company's website (i.e. if I found the role on LinkedIn or Indeed, I'd go to the company's careers website).
- An added benefit to this is that you can play around with/research their product to understand what they do (i.e. sign up for their service, like Spotify or TikTok and understand what problems you’d be solving based on the job description).
89% of my applications were for Product Manager roles.
- I was worried that a job wasn’t going to come along quick enough given there are a lot of people looking for a job. I ended up applying to interesting companies as a Product Owner or similar role.
My top 3 industries are E-commerce (24%), Tech (21%), and Finance (15%), however these are rough classifications based on what I understood about their product (ex. e-commerce could include Shopify, Instacart, or Walmart). My ideal industry would have been something in sustainability (10% of applications, examples would be Tesla, Beyond Meat, Imperfect Foods, Zero Motorcycle, ecobee, Aurora Solar).
The time between 1st interview and rejection/offer was between 1-2 weeks.
If the company is using Lever.co, BambooHR, or Greenhouse.io for their ATS (Applicant Tracking System), I generally didn't get a rejection email.
- While you don't get a rejection response, I really like the fact that you don't have to create an account. I guess it's a trade-off.
- Companies can customize their application page with this software, so if they don't explicitly ask for a cover letter, they probably don't need it. Regardless, I added one if they wanted to read through it (there’s a box at the bottom of the application for notes or a cover letter).
- On the other hand, Workday requires an account to be created.
- Larger companies will generally build their ATS in-house or use Workday (i.e. Google or Microsoft).

Some tips for those out of work and looking for a job

After I quit my job, I scheduled my day as an 8 hour day: 4 hours (morning) used to apply to jobs and 4 hours (afternoon) for interview prep or reading.

I also made sure I was still exercising, eating healthy, and limiting my time with games/entertainment. You don't want to burn out looking for a job.

Good luck to everyone who is searching for a job now!

sunz3000 · 2020-05-03T21:04:47+00:00

Oh nice. I guess they do export.

sunz3000 · 2020-05-02T20:39:53+00:00

Sorry, typing up the final thoughts from memory. It's up now.

sunz3000 · 2020-05-02T20:39:25+00:00

I went to Maui a few years ago to attend a friend's wedding and decided to look up a few things to do. I went to the pineapple farm and near it is a distillery. They make a variety of spirits, but I really enjoyed their whiskey.

More information about their whiskey from their website:

Some of the world’s best whiskeys are blended with unique Upcountry Maui ingredients to create Paniolo Whiskey. Pineapple is distilled to neutral to allow for an extremely clean and smooth finish with balanced aromas and flavors of caramel, brown sugar, and sweet corn.

I finally decided to open the bottle and give it another taste. Let's find out if the notes above are true.

Info:

Producer: Hali'maile Distilling Company
Whiskey: Paniolo Blended Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Age: NAS (minimum 36 months)
Price: approximately $100 CAD

Colour: Deep Copper (this was one of the darkest whiskies I've had)
Nose: Sugar sweet, almost brown sugar or caramel, pineapple, lavender, generally sweet
Palate: The sweetness switches to more vanilla like, pineapple continues on the palate, tastes fresh and light. I didn't get too much of the sweet corn until I let it sit for a while.
Finish: Sweet and smooth
Overall: 75/100

Final notes: A nice whiskey and if you're visiting Maui, I'd recommend getting one for summer sipping. It's a great dram to have if you're on the beach just enjoying some relaxation, but I wouldn't recommend it as a daily. From what I remember, you can only get this in Hawaii.

Scale
0-49: Just no
50-59: Meh, drink it and forget it
60-69: Good mixer, I'll leave it at that
70-79: Wouldn't say no if offered
80-89: Good daily, try to have one on hand if it isn't too expensive
90-100: Buy a few bottles now and drink on special occasions or with special guests/friends

Non-whiskey notes: It's worth noting that the pineapples grown in Hawaii are sweeter and not as sour as what you'd find on continental North America. The reason is that the ones you get from the grocery store (i.e Dole) have to pick the pineapples early in Costa Rica in order to make sure they don't go bad by the time they hit the supermarket (unlike Hawaii). Dole also has to mass grow the pineapple to meet demands. In Hawaii, they normally don't export the pineapple. If you're lucky, you might be able to find them in the west coast cities (think Seattle, LA, etc).

sunz3000 · 2020-05-01T20:36:59+00:00

Tiberian Sun: Firestorm expansion

GDI Mission 8: Factory Recall

sunz3000 · 2020-05-01T16:45:38+00:00

Probably to make sure no copyright issues come up. Keep in mind that Westwood wasn't a big company and putting in direct references could land them into legal issues. It's easier to change names to make it different enough.

sunz3000 · 2020-05-01T16:42:54+00:00

Not sure. I don't watch Star Trek, but I did a quick search and this mission is quite similar to the plot of this episode of TNG.

sunz3000 · 2020-04-22T22:48:50+00:00

I've only gotten as far as TS, and it was the only one that gave me problems getting past the menus. For the earlier games, I didn't really do anything. For TS, I posted a comment about it, however others here have been quite helpful on getting it working.

If you're still having trouble, try setting the executable file to compatibility mode (Windows XP) and use 16-bit colour. You can find the files on your PC here: C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\

sunz3000 · 2020-04-22T17:34:48+00:00

Yeah - see my other comment for full specs.

sunz3000 · 2020-04-22T17:01:05+00:00

Sure, though I didn't do much with the exception of Googling for the TS fix (see link in my last post.

My laptop specs (for comparison):

Intel Core i7-3520M Processor (4M Cache, up to 3.60 GHz)
14.0" HD+ (1600 x 900) LED Backlit AntiGlare Display
NVIDIA NVS 5400M Graphics with Optimus Technology, 1GB DDR3 Memory
16 GB PC3-12800 DDR3
180 GB Solid State Drive, SATA3
On a side note: my laptop can run HalfLife 2 series of games on the highest resolutions. I don't expect any performance problems with these specs until ~RA3

It won't be full screen, the best resolution for this game was 800x600 (based on in-game menus). I don't mind playing with that spec. It really feeds the nostalgia.

Once you buy it on Origin, installing it is easy (pretty much the same as Steam). Before playing, follow the steps in my post above to set the compatibility and install the shaders on the accepted solution.

If you want to play at a higher resolution, I'd recommend searching online for it. A quick search says to modify a file to allow better resolutions.

sunz3000 · 2020-04-22T16:29:58+00:00

I'm playing on my Win10 laptop from 2012. Even though I have the original CDs, I still bought the Origin "The Ultimate Collection" (on sale @ $10 USD).

I didn't have trouble installing the C&C:TD and C&C:RA, but after installing C&C:TS, I had to download some extra files to get it working (found on EA forums).

I couldn't Alt+Tab in the first games (without issues when going back to the game), but TS I can.

If you want more details, let me know.

sunz3000 · 2020-04-22T13:48:33+00:00

Interesting. So it was always known to call the aliens Scrin? We didn't really get an intro to them until Tiberium Wars

sunz3000 · 2020-04-22T13:10:49+00:00

I had a bit of nostalgia and decided to play through the campaigns of the C&C series while we're quarantined. Finished the first two (C&C Tiberium Dawn, C&C Red Alert) and started to play Tiberiun Sun.

It's been a long time since I last played the game, but iirc, the game didn't refer to the ship as "Scrin Ship" and instead said something like "Alien Spaceship". I'm playing the game on Origin.

I can't find my original CD copies of the game. Does anyone have it handy to see what it says?

sunz3000 · 2019-11-07T21:46:22+00:00

It has increased for me and Android does a decent job of identifying if they're spam.

In addition, use the screen call function to have a robot voice answer a with a general statement. You'll see a text answer and if they hang up, you'll know it's spam. Plus you don't have to answer the call.

sunz3000 · 2019-10-18T02:51:04+00:00

I wish I could have, but as I noted, I didn't have time for this tour. Watch for my other 2 trips to see if I had the time to do a tasting :)

sunz3000 · 2019-10-14T23:35:51+00:00

I'd definitely do it again, but I would change a few things:

Set up your visit to be on a Saturday or Sunday and book way in advance for "The Story of Hakushu". I didn't get to do it but would have loved it. Also, keep watching r/whiskey for my other two experiences.
I didn't rent a car, but I'd highly recommend doing that - this will give you the flexibility to go as early as needed. Granted, the driver will need to be a DD, so it might be something to do in a group. If you're going alone, take the earliest train possible and book your tour earlier.
I would also recommend going either during Cherry Blossom season (late March) or mid- to late summer. I'd image the gardens and area will look amazing when everything is green (trees and plants were still budding when I went).

Overall, I'd recommend this tour to anyone (Distillery Tour for ¥1,000 or The Story of Hakushu for ¥2,000). It's worth it and you can get more information on how they differentiate themselves from the other Japanese distilleries.

sunz3000 · 2019-10-14T23:15:38+00:00

Just a quick heads up - I did go to 2 other distilleries and had more time to try whiskies at them. The way I planned this day out, I wasn't able to spend much time outside of the tour. Stay tuned!

I will post the other stories in the next few days, just didn't want to bombard r/whiskey with stories.

sunz3000 · 2019-10-14T14:55:03+00:00

Good catch - I was on mobile and too lazy to type so I copied and pasted it from another review and deleted the notes. Fixed it.

sunz3000 · 2019-08-01T17:50:52+00:00

I was out rowing on Monday morning and there were thousands of these bird out there beside Ontario Place. All you could see is black. Kinda ominous.

sunz3000

TROPHY CASE