Honorary Rider
Posted by seed @ 12:46 PM
Whomever wrote the sign held by the person in the right-hand side of the above photo.
Awesome!
There is Hope Yet
Posted by Savage Henry @ 11:14 AM
Seed and I regularly converse about the apparent slide into nanny-statism in the US through a combination of apathy and idiocy.
Fortunately, we still have one governmental body that is capable of reasoning clearly and well on the most basic issues.
Supreme Court Shoots Down D.C. Gun Ban
While this sides with my view of the constitution, I should note that I take extra pleasure in this because I tend to see the Supreme Court as an amazingly strong deliberative body that, even when I don't happen to like the outcome in principle, still gives me confidence that the issue has been debated and reviewed with the highest level of consideration.
The other thing I'd say is that one should read as much of the actual opinion as possible. Like most things in the media, you're likely to only hear about what it says in sweeping generalities. The position, however, is nuanced and many-faceted.
Presto: Pesto
Posted by seed @ 10:09 AM
Pesto Sauce | |
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You guys might already have something like this in your back pocket. If not, here you go. This is something that is wicked simple to make and keep on hand. Impress your friends the next time you toss some chicken on the grill. Baste it with the pesto a couple of minutes before you pull it off. The next time you have pasta night, toss it [preferably linguini] with the pesto and a couple pats of butter**. Maybe you're having guests over for some cocktails. Thinly slice a loaf of french bread and baste each slice with the pesto. Toss the bread in the broiler until golden in color.
If you get that down, you can experiment a bit. Try sun-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, olives, capers, pecorino & grueyere cheeses, cilantro, oregano, etc. If you have a decent palette, try a range of olive oils or balsamic vinegaretes and note the different profiles.
* This is when extra-virgin olive oil is required. Pony up for the medium price range. When you have guests, and you should pretend that every dinner guest is your mother, throw down more cash for the really good stuff and note the difference. Most people use extra-virgin oil exclusively. This is a waste. Use this rule of thumb: If you are going to sweat, saute, reduce use the non-virgin variety; if you intend on serving the oil uncooked, like on a salad, or toast point, use extra-virgin. The reasoning behind this is the same as wine/beer usage. Basically, you're not going to grab the $50 bottle of Cote de Rhone for your Coque au Vin recipe. Treat olive oil the same way.
** Why should real butter be used? Real butter is part animal fat. Animal fat melts at body temperature, which just happens to be the same temperature as the inside of your mouth. The melted butter unifies the flavors of the food and evenly coats the inside of your mouth when it melts. That's what makes you shudder when you put that croissant in your mouth and the flavor of the dough treats your tastebuds like stay at a 4-hour asian hotel. Margarines and non-saturated fats are plant fats that do not combine as well with animals. You don't have to use it all the time. Just know the difference.
*** Don't even get me started on salt.
Summer
Posted by seed @ 7:17 AM
Digital composite : 15mm : f8 : 4s, 8s, 15s : ISO100
Didin't want to miss the official start of summer this weekend. The weather around this part of the country is so shitty that I find myself watching the calendar with pagan anticipation.
Cocktail hour on the back veranda is anytime after 4:30.
Ms Bike 2008: Totals
Posted by seed @ 9:42 AM
A full recap of the weekend's events will be directed to the donor list. For our purposes here, the totals (MS Bike 2008 route):
Saturday
101.43 miles
5h:22m
avg: 18.9mph
Saturday was a barn-burner. I left at 6:00am sharp and ahead of the 50+ member team that was starting the race. I held the pole-position and didn't see other riders until the century loop doubled-back on itself around mile 68. It's a total rush when the SAG truck pulls along side of you as you're barreling down a country road and the driver tells you you're the lead rider. Anyway, I skipped a few rest stops and was able to shave a solid 25 minutes off my normal finishing time. The last 25 miles were mostly heading into a strong 15+mph NNW wind and took the top off what would have been a great pace. But the course takes, and then it gives...
Sunday
81.49 miles
4h:16m
avg: 19.1mph
Sunday we left at the back of the pack, 7:30am. The legs were strong enough to get past the northern sections of the course and keep a good 22+ pace with the gravy at my back heading east. Overall, this route had a nice rolling quality to it. There were enough slow inclines and declines to stand up once in a while and really tuck at other times. Coming out the headwind (westward) section after the last rest stop I hit the pedals and held a solid 25mph pace into the finish.
The ladies all finished their routes and were great company. Overall, no technical difficulties, though we're all sitting on ice bags.
Friday's drive by
Posted by seed @ 3:39 PM
MS Ride: Ignition
Posted by seed @ 11:13 AM
Giddy-up folks. By this time tomorrow I hope to have 75 miles in the rearview and 25 on the horizon. This weekend is the MS Society's charity bike ride. This year I'll be taking the long road solo, minus Bergeron, with a group of ladies on the 35-mile route. Maybe this year my lazy ass can break the 5:30h barrier my century seems to stuck against. Or I could be ass-up on a ditch by mid-day. Anyway...
If you've donated, you rock.
Detour Taken
Posted by seed @ 11:34 PM
Lemme tell you a little story: My bro-in-law is a temporary employee for the USPS. Nice kid. He's waiting to get into the CPD academy, which is like waiting for the great unknown. He took a job as mail carrier that fills in on routes when there are gaps in coverage. He's freezing his ass off in the winter and keeping trim in the summer time. Simple enough.
With this, I've been given a brief insight into the USPS and the BS that goes with the federally guaranteed employment. Here's a few one-hitters:
1. The route he is given on any given day needs to be completed prior to the end of his hours. Zero exceptions. Well, as a temp. he gets different routes all the time. He is a college grad. but even that doesn't ensure that he can keep pace with a carrier that has been at the beat for several years. His supervisor told him that the mail cannot come back to the post office undelivered. "Make sure every piece gets into a box." Really, as long as he doesn't come back with it they don't care where it goes.
2. As a temp. he earns time off. It's not paid, but at least he can get a break from the six-day weeks. As it turns out, he's been instructed again by superiors that he should not request time off because it will most likely be denied. In which case, an absence on a day that was requested but denied will be a red flag. So, he should just call in sick on days he need off.
Now, I don't mean to suggest that this kind of delinquent crap does not happen in the private sector. The riders here have been employed by and worked with enough fuck-sticks to confirm otherwise. The difference is that the private sector has a method of removing the schmucks. Not that the private sector is void of useless dolts, I'm just saying that if you encounter a complete jackass that has been in the same field for decades - that person is most likely: a union member, a gov't employee, or both.
Yeah, I know. I'm a complete dick for saying that.
That is the crux of my beef with Big Gub'mint. It's not that I don't understand the desire to have the Fed make things better. Government can make a great deal of improvements and legislate changes that are beneficial and that would not necessarily happen if the private sector had free reign. Top-down beats bottom-up in certain situations. I'm thinking national parks, 40-hour work weeks, SEC regulations, FDIC, health codes, etc. It's worth pointing out that unions were an aid in those types of things.
The issue is that now, after a large portion of the heavy lifting has taken place (for the most part), big Gub'mint continues to fuck with things. We get foie gras bans, labor strikes for pay and benefits that exceed what can be had for equal qualifications in the private sector, gov't sanctioning of marriages, smoking bans, exaggerated taxation of successful companies, and on and on.
This leads me to a post that Savage made a while back [I won't dig for it because I'm lazy, and not in the mood for self-gratification.] regarding Scalia and his views on originalism. My take out of that [On second thought: here] piece and applied to this discussion is that government can only get bigger. Sure, there are bubbles that burst; see also: France. The outward expanse will not stop. For example, teacher's unions have been around for the better part of the last century. Take a guess when its ranks tripled in size. You got it, the 1960's. Since then the Fed Education system is one of the largest expenditures of cash and public schools are avoided like the plague - not everywhere, mind you. But try mentioning to people that you are planning on raising your kids and live in Downtown Chicago. Hilarity ensues. There's no way to thin the ranks at the public trough. Meanwhile, consensus is that more cash is the best way to fix the system. Does anybody see a third of the people employed by the public system packing up shop and heading to the private sector? When it's clear to anybody that looks at the data that the best way to fund a public edu system is to funnel the cash to schools through parents that are involved. Instead you get DC.
To get back to Savage's subject, I don't see a problem with the Fed stepping in after 9/11 and creating the TSA to standardize security at airports. Fine. What should happen is that those standards should be applied to a privatization of the system. Let the Fed set-up the system and then have it get the fuck out of the way. Instead, you get your airport security handled by the same type of people that work at the USPS.
The bloat is on.
Security Detour
Posted by Savage Henry @ 11:00 AM
I love to travel.
I hate to fly. I hate it because it means I have to deal with the TSA. As of right now there is no better example in this country of the sheer idiocy of government than these people. They do nothing, NOTHING to keep you safer while flying, and in payment for this the US citizen is treated like cattle and subjected to the most gross violation of basic civic rights I have ever seen. Making a joke near one of these people can land you in jail. I’ve actually seen a guy hauled away for picking fun of the morons that man the security checkpoints.
Worse still, we don’t do anything about it. These are people who cannot get jobs elsewhere, have absolutely no motivation since a promotion is meaningless, and we’ve given them a job for life (barring something like child pr0n on their computers or proof that they raped someone, you can’t get a government worker fired — period). There is no popular uprising to get these dumb fuckers fired and run out of town. Life’s least capable are now given ultimate authority over whether you can carry shampoo onto a plane or not. The amount of lost time and productivity for the people who go through this hassle is in the tens of billions. Yet there they are, day after day.
And now they want more respect
Read the whole link, and the links it has, but this is the best line:
“You want respect? Earn it. Respect those around you, and those you’re supposed to serve. Tin-plate badges make you look like you’re desperate.”
Every time I fly I weigh the cost/benefit of telling these people they are the jokes, that they are making me less safe, and that I’d be willing to bet that the next bomb on a plane will be placed by someone who works for the TSA. See if they lock me away. I want to fight it as far as I could, but would need a serious lawyer willing to take the case for the fame.
Oh, and to connect this to some other topics of interest: the next time you fly, imagine that dumb fat fucker feeling up your wife or grandmother in a windowless office deciding whether or not the diabetes treatment you want is really going to be issued.
What, you think that universal health coverage means that trained doctors are making the choices? Those people will be mechanics, calling back to the mothership to see what they can and can’t fix. When it comes down to completing paperwork, it’s the TSA-Type that will be making life and death choices.
Can’t. Fucking. Wait.
Chips and salsa
Posted by seed @ 9:56 AM
Had a chance to get together with Chuck this past weekend. Brought a few libations and chips-n-salsa. It was received so well that I was asked for the recipe. Here's a general direction:
Apricot-Peach Salsa | |
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* Use wood cutting surfaces exclusively. Ceramic cutting boards will dull your blades and they lack friction, which makes them unsafe. Plastic boards can deteriorate, leaving plastic in your food. Be mindful of sanitation and use wood.
Jackass of the month: Steinbrenner
Posted by seed @ 4:26 PM
"The National League needs to join the 21st century. They need to grow up and join the 21st century." Steinbrenner said he was angry and added: "I've got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. He's going to be out. I don't like that, and it's about time they address it. That was a rule from the 1800s."
Awesome.
What a fucking jackass statement. The DH is quite positively the worst thing to happen to baseball, ever. Sure, big money caused the specialization that resulted in position platoons, middle relief and closing pitchers. The DH removed a player from the offense and completely changed the strategy of the game. In exchange for a permanent pinch hitter, you no longer have to worry about double-switches, player positioning in the line-up [which spot in the line-up you start and end innings on], or even bunting for that matter. Add to that the fact that the DH position has become a graveyard for players who can no longer field a position, see also: Frank Thomas. It's one thing to have a player not in the line-up everyday that can swing the bat in a pinch. It's a tragedy to have a permanent spot on the bench taken up by a player that is single-faceted.
Next up, pitchers will pitch from behind a cage like BP and there will be a new position added to the bench: designated fielder.
Seriously folks, it's times like these that I wish the reporter taking these comments had an extra-wide pink fat bat.
Testing: One, two
Posted by seed @ 10:49 AM
Riders:
I added a few plugins to the MT dashboard. One is a third-party copy of My Blogs that displays the Dashboard in a way that is similar to MT3.X. The other is a quick reference guide that I created for CSS and HTML code, for things like the MintJams Pop-Up, multi-col text, etc.
Login and on the Dashboard you will find a pulldown that contains the plugins. Select the ones you want. Remove them by clicking the X button on the right-hand side.
That is all.
Friday's Jams : District Line
Posted by seed @ 10:51 AM
I had a few chances to spin this album* over the weekend. Overall, not bad. There's a few meandering tracks and a couple of thumpers.
Long gone are the days of Husker Du, where Mould used to make the feedback bleed from the walls of the Metro in Chicago. Still, I dig this guy's work. By no means is District Line at the same level of Workbook, or even Body of Song* for that matter. [I pulled that album back to the Jams for reference. The original post is here. It's definitely worth another spin.]
* The MintJams are strictly listen-only. Click here if you wish to purchase:
District Line, Body of Song
Grill like a pro: glazing
Posted by seed @ 9:20 AM
Say you find yourself this weekend, with a bird on the barbie and you are considering grabbing the bottle of Open Pit, or equivalent, out of the fridge and drenching it with basically ketchup and molasses. I know, I too have taken the easy way out at times.
Next time try something else:
Mustard-Ginger Glaze | |
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2C orange juice 1/2C honey 1T dry ground mustard 1T ground ginger 1tsp. crushed red pepper |
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If the glaze is not thick enough continue to reduce on the stove. Glaze the bird just prior to coming off the grill. If you are using a rotisserrie turn on the burner directly beneath the bird. Use a high, direct heat to carmelize the sugars - just a few minutes will do.
Of course, this glaze is in addition to a well-seasoned bird: Onion powder, garlic, cumin, marsala, cayenne... you name it.
* Non-stick pans are your worst enemy, really. Keep one NS saute pan for eggs, and other delicate stuff. Keep another NS for Uncle Ben's type dishes. Throw the others away. Whether you use All Clad, or cheap AL & SS like me, you'll be much happier with natural reductions and fond.
** A slurry is used to combine a small amount of dry ingredient with a small amount of liquid to better facilitate to solution's distribution, ie: no clumps. Mix the dry and wet ingredients in a small dish. Most commonly used with corn starch, arrow root or other thickening agents.
Buy The Ticket
Posted by Savage Henry @ 2:24 PM
Friday's Jams, a day early
Posted by seed @ 2:44 PM
I mentioned this to Savage a while back, I had gotten into Interpol quite a bit at that time. I uploaded the files to the Jams: Antics*, and then never got around to the post.
It's definitely not summer time grooves, but I find the british-style beat with the Jim Morrison/Dave Gahan nasal droning quite catchy. Interpol's music kinda strikes me as what Depeche Mode would have sounded like if they hadn't gotten old. Though, Interpol is a bit more neglected and brooding. Maybe it's just that the two seemed to have similar musical solutions to very different challenges. I'm not sure if Interpol names DM as an inspirational band.
Bergeron mentioned to me that he heard more Michael Stipe. I guess I can hear that too. Although, REM is at the complete opposite end of the spectrum, in terms of attitude. As for the Doors, again it's probably just the nasal-droning that I'm picking up on.
Anyway, I did pick-up their latest album, Love to Admire. Ehh, it's not quite as chewy as Antics is. I might come back to it in some time.
You know, there is something about brutally honest, cathartic, introspective tunes that make me nod along while tightening my grip on things, and loosening it on others. Anyway, if you just a few minutes, hit the following: Evil, Narc, Slow Hands.
Dig.
*The Jams are strictly listen only. Those who wish to purchase the album can click the big dummy button at the top of the post.
Dick Morris: Spot On.
Posted by seed @ 12:41 PM
Countless Americans remain deeply pessimistic about Iraq; recent successes get judged in the light of past, false optimism.
But that also means voters have no problem envisioning disaster should we pull out our troops too soon - the possible slaughter of pro-American Iraqis, plus police and government officials; perhaps a takeover by Iran; a comeback by al Qaeda and other terrorist operatives. The key is to force Obama to face these dangers - and explain what he'd do.
1. He could deny the possibilities - and come off as a naive, wishful thinker; most unsuitable in a president.
2. He could waffle - but then McCain would press. If Obama kept it up, voters would see indecision or evasion - evidence he's in over his his head on foreign policy and national security.
3. He could say that he'd use diplomacy to handle the situation - but Americans are rightfully skeptical about the chances for a diplomatic resolution, especially if the United States pulls out its troops. As Frederick the Great said, "diplomacy without force is like music without instruments." McCain could always press and ask, "What do you do if diplomacy fails?"
4. Which brings us to the inevitable answer he must give: I will go back into Iraq with troops.
Now, the question is whether or not McCain can back the junior senator from Illinois into that corner. And furthermore, whether or not the media and the general public can pay attention for more than thirty seconds to figure out that the man from fantasy island is in a dead end. If McCain can do that, and Iraq remains relatively quiet from now until the general election, then Obama's claim to never authorizing the war in the first place becomes irrelevant.
Of course, in order for Obama to never have officially authorized the war he would have to been a senator when the authorization was voted on. Which he wasn't. Obama's authorization as a state senator is meaningless. He had an opinion. Whoo-hooo.
Savage and I have been tossing things back and forth on the OB1 v. McCain election. His point about having to see them in the same room at the same time rings solid. There will be a night and day difference between the two. And I'm not sure McCain has the ability to nail him in a debate without getting testy. But in all honesty, McCain is the most qualified candidate we've had for president, excluding incumbents, since... crap, I cannot think of a past candidate that has had twenty years in the rearview plus military service. In terms of experience, there wasn't a candidate in the entire 2008 field, on either side of the aisle, that could match McCain's exposure to the current issues. Period.
It may not translate well to the masses, but I can cut McCain some slack for getting irritated when the kid from Illinois starts to talk in circles.
and that's 16 above
Posted by seed @ 12:12 AM
And eight in a row. The Yankees are below .500 and the Cubs have the best record in the entire league. The current temperature in hell, a comfortable 65ºF and dropping.
HDR images
Posted by seed @ 9:17 PM
Quick note here:
I've spent some time exploring HDR images and digital photography. For those who are unfamiliar, High Dynamic Range images are composites made by gathering the tonal range from multiple exposures of the same image, or exposure brackets. Basically, you take the best parts of each exposure setting and combine them. Riders that are intrested can read more here: HDRI Handbook
single exposure : F11 : 1/80 : ISO 100
HDR composite of three brackets, at one-stop separation : F11 : 1/40, 1/80, 1/160 : ISO 100
I spent the day roaming around Chi-town with the digital slr, a tripod, ripcord and a few lenses. Pretty kick ass. Here's a listing of software links, I use this one: Photomatix Pro
