With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner, lovers of all things Irish now can now order the "world's best" corned beef for their festivities. Just be prepared to pay a sirloin steak-sized sum for the prized pickled brisket.
Chicago-based Vienna Beef is serving up a 5-pound package of cooked, pre-sliced corned beef — the historic staple of Irish peasantry — that can be ordered online for just $49.99. That's $10 a pound for something that costs about $2 a pound at your local supermarket, although you'll have to do the boiling and slicing yourself.
"Vienna Beef's corned beef pack is considered the world's best, according to the [gourmet-food newsletter] Rosengarten Report," says Peter Sload of Vienna Beef. "St. Patrick's Day is a time to celebrate with your best friends and enjoy the best food." Just be prepared to part with some of your pot of gold.
Not-so-bad ideas
- Now that you've dined on the Gaelic version of haute cuisine, how do you please the palette of man's best friend? How about some lobster for your finicky Fido?
- Homeowners everywhere wage a never-ending battle against a variety of vermin, but one entrepreneur has targeted one particularly nettlesome pest — the woodpecker.
"Woodpeckers cause millions of dollars in damage each year to homes and buildings across the U.S.," said Jim Tassano, biologist and wildlife-control expert. "These persistent birds drill holes into wood siding, eaves, window frames and trim in search of food, to make nests and to find mates. We've invented a safe and cost-effective way for homeowners to combat troublesome woodpeckers."The solution — the Birds-Away Attack Spider. "We've found that the Attack Spider saves homeowners from costly repairs and the nuisance of woodpecker noise more effectively than fake owls, snakes and other scare devices," Tassano says. "At first glance, it might seem unusual and even comical, but customer loyalty proves that it works."The Attack Spider is a battery-operated device that claims to scare off woodpeckers. Activated by sound, the spider quickly drops down on an 18-inch string while making a loud noise. After spooking Woody, the spider then climbs back up the string, ready to attack again.The Birds-Away Attack Spider is available for $15, a small price to pay to frighten away all wood-boring birds, and maybe a few small children.