The Martini: Perfect v. Perfection
Posted by seed @ 3:04 PM
Suggested rading material: The Perfect Martini
a "cocktail" is not just a single predominate flavor, but it is a careful balance of flavors that form the basis of a cuisine. So a cocktail with just a single ingredient, is really not a cocktail. And a cocktail made with a spirit that is officially "tasteless, odorless, and colorless" (vodka), is nothing that even closely resembles a cocktail, much less a Martini.
I have been misguided. I too have lived an adult life under the guise that a martini gets no more than a wafting of dry vermouth. Oh jeezuz, a full ten once vodka martini, freezing cold for god's sake, and not even barely a breathe of vermouth. Oh the shame. I have been pouring sub-zero liquor greenades down my throat, two or three, or more sadly, in an evening without even the single moment's thought about what a cocktail actually is.
I have been so...very...wrong. How can I make it right?
I recommend a martini tasting--actual or virtual--among the riders.
(Note to Savage: there is still time to step over to the clean side.)
Mystery Solved
Posted by Savage Henry @ 11:55 AM
I've been drinking more Guinness lately. Not sure why, other than my taste for it seems to have heightened. So, nights out in front of the lovely blonde in a black dress invariably result in some discussion over the finer points of Guinness-ology. Prime among these? What the fuck is up the bubbles going DOWN?
Fortunately, there is science. And science is good. So why do we see bubbles FALLING in a Guinness when -- in a move that separates the good servers from the bad -- the barkeep sets it aside to settle before topping it off?
This is why:
And the other common myth, one no longer held by seed's close friends, is that the Guinness is better in Ireland. Why is this not so?
Nitrogen. Regular beer uses only CO2 to make the little bubbles. Guinness uses a mix of N2 and CO2. So find yourself a place that does this for Guinness, and it's far more likely you'll get the Meal in a Glass the way the Lord intended. (Some room for error here based on the attention the various establishments pay to the tap lines -- some not enough (mold), some too much (soap).) And if you have to get it in a to-go format, get the container that has the widget. That's the N2 goodness.
File under:
Posted by seed @ 3:34 PM
Assume a squatting position like a competitive ski jumper. Stick your ass out like a whore in a 50 Cent video. This is a good time to pretend you're not a miserable tourist with your pants around your ankles, squatting over a barbaric poo hole.
Use your left hand to aim it away from your trousers and underpants. Point it backwards between your legs - as if it were a rocket engine designed to propel you far away from this alien hellhole. At the same time be sure not to drop any of the objects in your left hand as they will be rendered horribly irretrievable should you do so.
*Crying with laughter.
Those were the days
Posted by seed @ 12:35 PM
SI: Top Draft Busts of the Last 20 Years
13:25 Rick Mirer After observing Mirer at Notre Dame, Bill Walsh called him the second coming of Joe Montana. Mirer wasn't even the second coming of Joe Pisarcik. The Seahawks took Mirer after Drew Bledsoe, and in four seasons Mirer tossed 41 TDs and 56 INTs. Mirer has the distinction of being a huge bust for two teams: The Bears traded a first-round pick to Seattle for Mirer in 1997, but he never won Chicago's starting job.
21:25 Curtis Enis The Penn State running back curse strikes again (see Thomas, Carter, etc.). Not only did this former Nittany Lion fail to produce, but the Bears also had the bad luck of picking Enis ahead of several future stars. Chicago looked seriously at Randy Moss but was scared off by his off-the-field issues. Enis spent three years in Chicago and averaged just 3.3 yards per carry, never reaching 500 yards rushing in a season.
22:25 Cade McNown This southpaw posted huge numbers at UCLA and was supposed to be the Bears' answer at QB. But in two years he started 15 games, throwing 16 TDs and 19 interceptions. His lack of accuracy, poor decision-making and an attitude that reminded many of Ryan Leaf limited his career in Chicago, and he was never able to stick with another team for any length of time. McNown did, however, date a Playboy model.
Where is Ricky Williams on this list?
More food porn
Posted by seed @ 7:27 PM
| Here's a summary of today's cook:
Heavy dusting of cayane pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Four hour roast over mesquite chips, shifting the bird from the left side of the grill to the right for even heating.
Honestly, I prefer hickory to mesquite. And I found that the hickory smokes better in my rig. The mesquite smoked for a much shorter period of time. Whereas the hickory smokes enough to call in the cavalry for dinner. |   |
Calling all locals
Posted by seed @ 8:40 AM
Flickerstick is hitting the DoubleDoor again next Saturday. It looks like Ticketmaster does not have the show in their line-up. Which means you will either have to call the DD or show up at the box office front door.
I'm getting two tickets tonight after I get out of work. The question is whether or not I will be going with wife or a bunch of fist-pumping, beer-belching men who know that high-octane music is a morale imperative.
That is all.
Random thought: Duke case
Posted by seed @ 1:49 PM
The initial civil rights movement of the late 50's and early 60's, led by MLK, shed a spotlight on the face of racism in this country. A woman being told where to sit on a bus, separate drinking fountains, civil confrontations, etc. With that, white society starts to re-evaluate the status quo. Indeed, there was a large number of racists. The majority of white society that just went along with them began to feel remorse and with this, a motivation to fix things and achieve results.
Basically, the exposed face of racism created a moral vaccuum in white society. Blacks interacting with whites became analogous to children arguing with their parents about drug use, when their parents are addicts themselves. Whites had no morale ground to stand on due to the fact that racism was present. In order to regain that ground, efforts were made to change the status quo.
The first results was the civil rights act of the late 60's--voting, desegregation, etc. But then things progressed to affirmative action, or reverse discrimination, quotas, enhanced opportunities, and so on. Included in the intent of the concessions was a desire by whites to distance themselves from the racism of the past. Focuses on diversity are merely a statement that denies being a racist.
Steele's book is a great read. It takes you from MLK and the initial goals of the civil rights movement, to today's Sharpton and Jackson trading in a currency of white guilt--playing the race-card to take advantage of a desire to deny racism.
Take that thinking and apply it to the overwhelming reaction to the initial reports of the Duke rape case--group of privileged whites sexually abuses a minority. Immediately, there is an attempt to declare oneself anti-racist by castigating the defendants. This behavior applies to both the public and the judicial system involved. Try this: if the case had been white-on-white, or black-on-black little attention would have been paid to it. Instead, the lacrosse team coach is encouraged, through white guilt, to resign in an effort to maintain his morale authority.
Now for the Prisoner's Dillema. In short, individuals have a choice between actions, each varying in levels of cooperation, and benefit to themselves. Cooperation is the best route to take. However, a lack of trust between parties results in an worse overall outcome for those involved. We mentioned that here before.
In the Duke rape case, the prisoners are not the defendants. They are the public and judicial representatives. The joint cooperation behavior would be for all those involved to calmly watch the details of the case unfold as it progresses through the judicial system, with action being taken after the case has been decided. The individual benefit comes from white guilt, and its motivation to appear anti-racist. Political and moral points can be earned by castigating all parties involved--defendants, coaches, college staff, and so on. Already mentioned are the actions taken by the team coach. Add to that a District Attorney that casually acquaints himself with the case and sees it as a way to earn political points in an upcoming election. Ultimately you get the worst outcome possible: a group of defendants that are convicted in the court of public opinion, a plaintiff whose intent causes a potential for the future questioning of accusers' integrity, and a judicial system that appears less than genuine.
Random Thought:
Posted by seed @ 12:03 AM
Duke Rape Case = Prisoner's dillema + White guilt.
More on this tomorrow.
Last dance?
Posted by seed @ 12:48 PM
There are some tasty tid-bits mentioned here: The Ultimate Cheesy-Ballad Playlist
Bryan (not Ryan) Adams - check and check
Wilson Phillips - Can we get an updated photo of the trio, since the Carney Wilson weight-loss, in something a little more comfortable?
Sting - check
Cetera - check
Collins - check
Those last three are at the top of my list that is titled lead singers that performed in great bands, only to move on to solo careers that produced the most complete and total musical-suckage of recent time. Good gawwwwwwd...
And to Laurie:
Any Scorpions ballad from the '80s. Oh, German lite metal, how I love you... --Laurie
You know, I haven't spent near enough time with my complete Scorpions CD collection as of late. And, since we have gobs of disc space available here, it's time to get my Scorpions Anthology back online. Thanks for the reminder.
Honorary Rider?
Posted by Savage Henry @ 5:16 PM
Ok, so he might go a step too far in hating on porn bimbos (I mean, come on...Asia Carerra is pretty damn hot), but this guy has the best idea I've heard this week:
Which is why I'm going to start writing and directing Geek Porno. I shall be the quintessential Nerd Porn Auteur. And the women in my porno movies will be the kind that drive nerds like me mad with desire.I'm talking about the girls that used to fuck up the grading curve.
The girls in the Latin Club and the National Honor Society.
Chicks with weird clothes, braces, four eyes, and 4.0 GPAs.
Brainy articulate bookworms, with MENSA cards in their purses
and chips on their shoulders.My porn starlets will come in all shapes and sizes.
My porn starlets will be too busy working on their PhD to go to the gym.
I'm always in favor of pro-porn people. And entrepreneurs. Geek women getting their kit off and getting their glow on?
Send me a copy.
So, you think you know...
Posted by seed @ 1:33 PM
Today's reading: E85 and its actual impact
Posted by seed @ 8:19 AM
The Ethanol Mandate Should Not Be Expanded
Beyond costs, the claimed benefits of ethanol use have not materialized. For one thing, it does not reduce oil imports as much as promised, partially because a gallon of ethanol can do the work of (and therefore replace) only two-thirds of a gallon of gas oline. In addition:
- A significant amount of petroleum-based prod ucts is used in growing corn, such as the diesel fuel for tractors and harvesters;[9]
- Certain components of gasoline must be removed before adding ethanol to prevent the overall blend from violating environmental requirements under Clean Air Act provisions, which are applicable in many parts of the coun try; and
- Transporting ethanol requires more energy than transporting gasoline because ethanol transported by pipeline (the most energy-effi cient means of transport) becomes contami nated by moisture along the way. Instead, ethanol is shipped via petroleum-using trucks, barges, and railroads.
File this new legislation with the Mint's discussion regarding CAFE standards and minimum wage hikes. Though it sounds great, it doesn't do much of anything. If you do not get through all of that, E85 is not the silver bullet it has been made out to be for a number of reasons. For starters, a gallon of ethanol is not as efficient as a gallon of gasoline. Outside of the chemistry, it takes gasoline to produce and transport ethanol. Unless John Deere is coming out with E85 tractors, more corn production equals more gas consumption. Add to that the fact that the transportation of ethanol is more involved that gasoline--pipelines tend to collect condensation with negatively affects ethanol. Then there's the farm subsidies that the Fed hands out which add to the cost of production.
Which leads to the total level of production capable. If the US farmers were maxed out, they would only be able to supply about 20% of the 145B gallons of fuel consumed each year by the United States. Unless the farm subsidies were removed, and the US was able to get ethanol from foreign markets, such as South America, there's little change E85 can make a dent in current oil consumption.
