Ageism?

Erica is convinced that's what she experienced at a consignment shop last week.

In one of her annual cullings, she came up with her usual three piles of clothes. Garbage/rags, Goodwill, and real good stuff that should go on consignment or given to someone she knows and likes.

She's never had that much luck with local consignment shops, but her consignment collection this year was 5 bags, so she had to figure something out. We're talking dresses and gowns that went for $100, $200, $300 - one does have to look hot and stylish at The Travers, you know - and higher-end basics from Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Ralph Lauren, etc.

She asked around, and someone recommended a new place. Here's their ad, and Erica's notes:


A couple 20-something girls working the register. They look at her, give the bags a very cursory perusal, and don't want anything. Five bags, maybe $1000 worth of clothes. Nothing.

Ooooooh Kaaaaaay.

So, Erica does the next best thing - gives the bags to a fellow teacher of hers, who's much lower on the pay scale (Erica's in her 18th year.)

P is very happy to get them. As was her 18-year-old daughter, who promptly tore through the bags and stole half of it.

This was the e-mail:
"In fact, I was going to contact you to let you know that K [the daughter] actually found a few things she really liked. She is going out tonight with a few friends and is wearing one of the shirts. She seemed to like quite a few things. I let her go through the bags with me. She told me that out of the ones she picked "we could share." Nice of her, right? Anyway, thanks again for the clothes. You definitely have great taste. After going through the clothes, it's even more bizarre that they wouldn't take them."

Yes, the exact same clothes that Plato's Closet didn't want from the "old chick," were highly desired by a 18-year-old who goes to high school in a snooty area (and really, what high-school girl isn't image conscious?)

The next step is for K to take some of those clothes back to the shop and see what happens. We'll keep you posted.

Movie Review

Finding Neverland

Well, so much for a light, escapist movie on a Friday night.

Jeebus Tittyfucking Christ, was the room dusty tonight. That's my only excuse, because I sure as hell wasn't wearing my contacts. If the scene at the end, with JM Barrie and Peter sitting on the bench and that boy's big blue eyes welling with tears doesn't just break your heart and fill you with hope at the same time, then you're just not human. Oh yes, there may be tissues involved. But not in the porn kind of way.

I went into this with no background on Barrie the man, other than he wrote Peter Pan. I've not read nor seen anything else he's done. For all I know, he's a one hit wonder. I'll have to find out more. It's funny, as much as I love to read, and I do so constantly, I never seem to catch up on my list, much less make progress. I swear, if I won the lottery, I'd play golf, work for charity, travel, and read. And I still wouldn't feel like I read enough.

Johnny Depp is his usual great self, Kate Winslet is very good, and Freddie Highmore as the real-life Peter is just friggin' outstanding.

4 stars.

Movie Review

Babel

Wow. I honestly still don't know what to make of this. I think I really like it. The basic structure, I definitely like. Three separate stories, seemingly unrelated, yet all linked in ways soon to be discovered. Layers of an onion, I guess, peeled away.

I don't know that I can even discuss basic plot points without revealing too much to those that still intend to see it (maybe it's on your queueueueue?).

Some good socio-political commentary. And I must echo all the critics who positively fawned over the Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi,who played the deaf/mute girl. A truly amazing portrayal of youth, vulnerability, and sadness. She alone is worth the price of entry.

4 stars.

Movie Review

Empire Falls

Well, more of a mini-mini-series. An HBO original, based on a novel by Richard Russo. He's probably my favorite short story writer, yet I've never read any of his full-length novels. As soon as I fucking get Cryptonomicon off my table, I'm ready to attack the stack, and I will soon rectify the Russo/novel situation. I will probably start with this very story, because it's so fresh in my mind, and because it's not that often I get to do the book-movie thing in reverse. Usually, I've read the book, and dread the movie, or possibly look forward to it with reservation.

In any case, I highly recommend this 2-disc set, which we Netflixed. A stellar cast (Ed Harris, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Helen Hunt, Robin Wright soon-to-be-ex-Penn, Paul Newman, Aidan Quinn, Joanne Woodward, Dennis Farina, and on and on), a stellar character study.

Miles Roby (Ed Harris), is a simple man (note: not simpleton), living a quiet life in a quiet town in Maine. He wants more for himself and his daughter (he's soon to be divorced), but is afraid to pursue his dreams, crippled by the ever-present fear of change. There are always reasons, always excuses. Even his current responsibilities are just crutches, really.

You must watch this.

5 stars.

Hellooooooo....

Wow, it's been a while since I've written something original, as opposed to just some silly link.

Time to step up to the plate.

I don't know what's funnier here

The mishap itself, or the guy crying for mama.

You tell me.

The greatest blog post in the history of blogkind

Would be this one.

You see, it's beautifully, amazingly, ridiculously funny, in a completely esoteric way. You get it, or you have no fucking idea what's going on.

"But there a million funny posts out there, full of esoterica," you say? Well, you are correct. I must grant you that.

They didn't take this much math. And they weren't about baseball. So they lose.

This one's for you, Mike.

Some T&A

Only good sites, I promise...

But dude, if you don't have good anti-virus and firewall, what can I do for you?

Klaudia
Klaudia again
Corinna, our favorite CGI masterpiece.
Amandine
Pia
Dasha
Tatyana
Sandra
Mona
Danae and Antea

Silly e-mail forwards

Some of these are old, some I haven't seen before, but what the heck?!

(h/t Erica)

New music - Free!

You know what I love? (Well, Erica, of course, but that would be "Do you know who I love?" you damned nit-pickers.)

Anyway, you know what I love? All these year-end "Best Of" music lists.

Especially the web sites that have that cool little embedded Flash player.

Especially if you can go to "view source" and find the direct link the the file right there in the HTML.

Especially when you paste all those links directly into an e-mail to yourself.

Especially when you get that e-mail, right-click on all those links, and "save target as."

Bam! 25 new songs, for nothing.

Yeah, I love that.

Sunday booze-bloggind

Lactaid Egg-Nog and Gosling's Black Rum? Yes, please. A. Also, a very nice ingredient list on the nog part. Milk, sugar, eggs, cream, vanilla, etc. The chemicals are WAY WAY WAY down the list. Great stuff.

Van Gogh Espresso Vodka. A++++. Wait, there's vodka in this coffee? Is that why I'm stumbling around the house like an idiot?

No, seriously. I fully acknowledge I drink a little too easily, so stuff like this is buttah to me. But take your average drinker, and pour them a glass of this, over ice. Say you have a normal 12-oz rocks glass, and they get 8 oz vodka, and 4 oz ice.

They will complement you on your drink mixing. They will think they have 1 oz vodka, 1 oz coffee liquer, and 6 oz something else. But they will be wrong. And they will soon be kissing the porcelain FSM. Because they will be schnockered.

This is the most dangerous, potent, delicious liquid in the world.

It should come with a disclaimer.

UPDATE: I just noticed the typo in my headline. I was going to correct it, but that just proves the power of the Van Gogh. Holy fucking booze.

I'd have something to say about this but...

...I just came all over my keyboard.

The talent in this little get-together is beyond comprehension.

This happens to me all the time.

If I had a dollar for every time a masturbating kangaroo interrupted my golf game...

Ok, then.

Oh happy day!

Today, my copy of the 2008 edition of this wonderfully nerdtastic book arrived in the mail. One of the three baseball books I buy every year, and probably the best of the three.

Cryptonomicon will have to take a break for a couple days while I do my cover-to-cover browse of all this statistical goodness.

Then I'll slowly attack the hard-core analyses chapter by chapter, especially the new WPA and defense stuff.

Mmmm, numbers.

I should have been a fucking actuary.

Have another beer!

Gotta pay those player salaries somehow.

And really, how difficult are those lyrics? No amount of beer should make you forget those six simple words...

Um, dude? No. Just no.

This man needs to go hunting with Dick Cheney. Stat.

Fun Pants? Are you motherfucking kidding me? Is your ass so fucking tight from Sunday through Friday that, when you finally "let loose" on Saturday, this is what you bust out of the old armoire?

For more Brooks Brothers, and some comment hilarity, see the girls at Jezebel.

Of course they do

Via copyranter.

Movie Review

Superbad

Best. Movie. Ever.

In case you were wondering why GM sucks so much

12 Cars with the Least Customer Satisfaction

Model / Satisfied Owners
Chevrolet Aveo (sedan) / 44%
Ford Ranger / 44
Mazda B-Series / 44
Ford Freestar / 44
Chevrolet Aveo (wagon/hatch) / 44
Chevrolet Equinox / 41
Jeep Grand Cherokee (V6, gas) / 41
Chevrolet Colorado (4-cyl) / 40
GMC Canyon (4-cyl) / 40
Buick Terraza / 34
Saturn Relay / 34
Chevrolet Uplander / 34


In other news, Honda sales up, Totota sales up, and GM sales down 11%.

What? People used to swear in the good old days?

This is awesome.

But I was wrong, dead wrong. Robert Edward Auctions, which is a seriously high-brow baseball collectibles company, got their hands on an 1898 MLB document that is rife with expletives. It seems at the time, MLB wanted players to avoid using "any indecent or obscene word, sentence, or expression" on the field (or have directed at fans). So they sent a out a league-wide document that gave examples of what they didn't want players saying. Here are some of the "brutal" things they didn't want to hear, and remember, this was a league-wide, uncensored, document that was sent out.

"You cock-sucking son of a bitch!"

"A dog must have fucked your mother when she made you!"

"You cunt-lapping dog!"

"I fucked your mother, your sister, your wife!"

"I'll make you suck my ass!"

She rises in the east

Just in case you fucking Republicans didn't quite get what your party is about

Trying to maximize the last year of GOP rule to screw America as much as possible:

Business lobbyists, nervously anticipating Democratic gains in next year's elections, are racing to secure final approval for a wide range of health, safety, labor and economic rules, in the belief that they can get better deals from the Bush administration than from its successor.

Hoping to lock in policies backed by a pro-business administration, poultry farmers are seeking an exemption for the smelly fumes produced by tons of chicken manure. Businesses are lobbying the Bush administration to roll back rules that let employees take time off for family needs and medical problems. And electric power companies are pushing the government to relax pollution-control requirements.

"There's a growing sense, a growing probability, that the next administration could be Democratic," said Craig L. Fuller, executive vice president of Apco Worldwide, a lobbying and public relations firm, who was a White House official in the Reagan administration. "Corporate executives, trade associations and lobbying firms have begun to recalibrate their strategies."

Sunday beer boredom

So, Bill and I have been brewing for a few years now, and we've always used Warsteiner bottles, because that's one of my favorite winter beers (the Dunkel).

They're a pain in the ass to cap, and that leads to one or two duds per batch, but the last two times we used them we each had to pour out 12+ bad bottles. That's unacceptable.

I since switched to drinking beers using the more common bottle used by Sam Adams, Saranac, Dogfish, and pretty much every other craft brewer. At BJs yesterday, I was looking for a case of Sam Lager, but they only had the mixed Winter case.

Four each of Lager, Winter, Old Fezziwig, Holiday Porter, Cream Stout, and Cranberry Lambic. I didn't really want that, but there was nothing else that interested me, so I figure that would be an interesting beer-blogging experiment, if nothing else, especially on the heels of Toast's little experiment last week. Of course, that was a little unfair, pitting a rookie up against the Master, but still the key point was this: This is a perfect example of what can go wrong when American craft brewers recklessly expand their catalog...

Absofuckinglutely. Every time I see that ad where they ask people how many beers Sam Adams makes, and the answer is 27 or something, I just cringe. At least 20 of those are a waste of time.

So, in short order:
1) Sam Adams Lager - B. The perfect "standard beer." You know that if you walk into the divy-est of dives, with tap after tap of Coors, Coors Light, Michelob, MGD, Bud, Bud Light, you'll at least be able to get Sam in a bottle, if not on tap. And you can enjoy your evening.

2) Old Fezziwig - B-. Darker Sam Adams. A little maltier. OK.

3) Holiday Porter - D. Really? That was a porter?

4) Winter Lager - D. Watery, and a touch of cinnamon. Winter my ass.

5) Cranberry Lambic - F. Putrid fruit juice, with a hint of beer. Never, I repeat never, buy a "lambic" or otherwise fruit-adjuncted beer from an American mass-market brewer. No sense of taste, class, or moderation. Beer for chicks who don't like beer.

6) Cream Stout - B-. Not bad. Creamy and Stouty, as labeled. Just mediocre in its category, that's all.

UPDATE: Fridge, in his drunken-Giant-fan revelry, went and gave the Holiday Porter a 4.

Let me revisit this, in full-blown beer-blogging style:

Sam Adams Holiday Porter, 12 OZ, 5.8% ABV

The Pour: Standard pour, thick head, but very lightly colored for a porter.

The Color: Completely opaque. I held it up to the brightest light I have here in the cave, and see that the base color is reddish.

The Nose: A little burnt toast over malt. A touch of coffee?

The Taste: Again, the burnt toast, with a slightly creamy mouthfeel. A good amount of hop bite, seems out of balance with the style.

The Verdict: C. The second impression worked out a little better, but still, nothing to write home about. Beer. If you handed me one of these, I wouldn't complain. Not what I would want when thinking of a "holiday porter" though.

OK, maybe I was too flip the first time, but I'm still not seeing it.

That's OK, different strokes. But I'm glad I revisited it. And I'll make sure it's the first beer I drink tomorrow before the MNF game, just to see what else I can get out of it.

I'm sure Michelle Malkin will be all over this...

A right-wing "reporter," sending in false dispatches from Iraq?

Inconceivable!

Cheat With Giuliani

One week ago today...

A bunch of fucking morons went shopping.

This can't be for real...

A letter to the editor:

Stunned by play's content

To the editor -- My husband wanted to surprise me with tickets to see a Broadway musical, The Producers," at the Capitol Theatre on Nov. 17. We were both very surprised.

We saw producers, assistants and others endeavoring to produce a play. They were hoping to have a flop, close it down and pick up the remaining finances.

Eventually, after enlisting other people and groups, they did succeed in producing a successful musical called "Springtime for Hitler."

We saw the SS troops with swastika armbands, German soldiers in uniforms and even Hitler sang and danced.

Our President Roosevelt appeared on stage in his wheelchair -- Hitler pushed him off the stage.

Sunday morning I awoke and was sure it had all been a dream. No! That really happened at the Capitol Theatre in Yakima in the United States of America.

A tribute to a monster responsible for millions of deaths.

AUDREY JESKEY
Prosser

(h/t The General.)

Victoria's Secret?

If you've ever bought anything at Victoria's Secret you'll be interested to know how it's treating its workers in Jordan:

All overtime is mandatory, and workers are routinely at the factory 98 to 105 hours a week while toiling 89 to 96 hours. Workers who fall behind on their production goals, or who make even a minor error, can be slapped and beaten. Despite being forced to work five or more overtime hours a day, the workers are routinely shortchanged on their legal overtime pay, being cheated of up to $18.48 each week in wages due them. While this might not seem like a great deal of money, to these poor workers it is the equivalent of losing three regular days' wages each week. Workers are allowed just 3.3 minutes to sew each $14 Victoria's Secret women's bikini, for which they are paid four cents. The workers' wages amount to less than 3/10ths of one percent of the $14 retail price of the Victoria's Secret bikini.

This is why the product you buy is cheap...

Yowza.

Of course, regulations can be ridiculous and overbearing.

But come on.

I guess anything that keeps taxes low is worth a few crippled and disfigured furriners.

Beer blogging

Another Sunday, another day of typesetting travel brochures in Japanese. The only solution is, of course, more cowbell. And lots of beer.

And off we go...

Corsendonk Christmas Ale, 12 OZ, 8.9% ABV, $3.50

The Pour: Low foam, but swirling in the brandy snifter stirs it up nicely for a minute or so.

The Color: Orange-amber, nice clarity.

The Nose: A nice nutty malt. I can tell this is going to be sweet.

The Taste: Smooth malt, sweet, just enough hops for balance, and a nice carbonation bite, almost champagne-like. Doesn't bowl me over in any special way. Cherry? I'm not sure. A little citrus to it; I don't know if that's floral notes from the yeast, or adjuncts in the brewing process. I'm also not getting any of the spice that "Chistmas ales" are usually overloaded with. Rate Beer does, I don't. For me, that's a good thing, because most people go overboard with the nutmeg and the clove.

The Verdict: B. A good beer, but not spectacular. Certainly worth a shot.

Bud Points: 1.78. (I'm feeling the glow already...)

Scaldis Noël, 25.4 OZ, 13% ABV, $15.99

The Pour: Nice thick head. Using the snifter again, btw.

The Color: Another perfect orange-amber, just what you'd expect from a Belgian heavy.

The Nose: Sweet malt, a little orange, alcohol.

The Taste: Orange, malt, alcohol. Yes Virginia, this is a strong beer. It's not off-putting, but obviously stronger than the Corsendonk, all else being equal. Though very very similar to Corsendonk, this feels a little better "put-together" for some reason.

The Verdict: B+. Another solid Belgian.

Bud Points: 5.5 (7.28) Um... this may not have been the best idea for a second beer. Will I even make it through the 4pm games? And through this brochure?

Avery "The Kaiser", 22 OZ, 9.4% ABV, $6.99

The Pour: Tall head, but large soap-bubble-like foam, dies quickly.

The Color: Copper. Copper. Copper. This is one of the most inviting-looking beers ever.

The Nose: Skunk. WTF? Try again. Skunk. Fuck. It says right on the bottle, 2007. Let's let this sit for a little while. OK, 10 minutes later, I get skanky pussy. Did this bitch just run a marathon? Wait some more... hey, I've got beer! Hops. Hops. Malt. And a touch of pussy. Is that a standard characteristic of the Imperial Oktoberfest?

The Taste: Something's wrong here. Well, I've had many a corked wine before, but never a bad beer. I sure hope they weren't trying for this. We'll give it 10 more minutes. Good time to pound some water and rehydrate. And... we're back. Nope. This is a bad, as in sick, beer. Sanitation much? Oh well. I'm getting my money back for this one.

The Verdict: ???

Avery Fourteen, 22 OZ, 9.5% ABV, $6.99

The Pour: Beautiful, thick head, with that top-to-bottom cascade of bubbles that I think is so pretty. A good sign. Can Avery redeem themselves?

The Color: Exactly as you see in the picture. And I'm even using an imperial pint glass! I rock.

The Nose: Smoke, burnt toast, caramel.

The Taste: A little more of that smoke, lots and lots of malt. Burnt caramel. Creamy mouthfeel at first, but it does thin out a little too quickly. More hops than you usually get from the maltbombs. Not at all out of balance, just more than usual. These are usually more about the sweet.

The Verdict: B-. This is the kind of beer I make when I'm not trying any specific recipe. Really. I think I've made this exact beer. "Oh, I don't know, three pounds of this, 6 pounds of that, 2 pounds of this..." Um, yeah. My regular homebrew is someone else's Fourteenth Anniversary Special. I'm not sure what to make of that. Of course, when I make this, it's about $1.40 for the same amount. So, when I make this for shits and giggles, it's damned good. When I have to pay $7 for it, it's just OK.

Bud Points: 3.48 (10.77)

Young's Winter Warmer, 17 OZ, 5.2% ABV, $3.49

The Pour: Watery, average head.

The Color: Copper-brown, high clarity. Beautiful.

The Nose: Malt, spice. I'm a little stuffy right now.

The Taste: Beer. Some nutty tones, but enough about me. A bitter afternote.

The Verdict: C. Eh. Beer. I'd rather have a plain old Sam Adams.

Bud Points: 1.47 (12.24)

OK, I swore I wouldn't do this tonight, but I finished my work earlier than I expected. And if I drink this one tomorrow, I'll probably space half the Steeler game.

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA, 12 OZ, 20% ABV, $7.99

The Pour: Syrupy, standard head.

The Color: Orange. The bubbles are moving really slowly through this stuff.

The Nose: Citrus, hops, alcohol, spice. HUGE nose.

The Taste: Sweet and bitter, tart citrus, HOPS!

The Verdict: A+. This is certainly not for everyone. But holy motherfuck! As complex as any wine, more complex than all but maybe 5 beers I've ever had. Just ridiculous.

Bud Points: 4.0 (16.24)

Movie Review

I watched this a couple weeks ago, but forgot to post. Watched it twice, actually, once with Erica and once with TJ.

Funny enough, touching enough. Still, I felt something lacking. (SPOILERS AHEAD!!)

I think it was the stupid plot devices that kept breaking me out of the suspension of disbelief:

• The girls running around buying what probably amounted to $600 worth of home pregnancy tests. (Tart posted about this long before I saw the movie.) You only need one box, and you're going to the doctor regardless of the result. Right?
• The guys discovering that their business idea had already been done. You know, when they first described what they were doing, I said to myself "oh, Mr. Skin!" and let it go, because who knows, maybe this movie is set in the mid 90s, and these losers/dorks/schlubs will get rich. But no - very soon after, there was some dialogue and some music that killed the benefit of the doubt I was trying to give them. I'm sorry, it's just fucking impossible that not one of them would find this out somehow, much earlier in the process. So that bugged me the whole time.
• The whole "fantasy baseball draft" thing. Really? Pete had to sneak away and lie about it? And how about the fact that there is only one draft, per league, per year? In March. Everything else can be managed via computer/phone. That pissed me off almost as much as when other movies show people "hacking," and there are all sorts of flashy 3D graphics and whatnot.

Anyway, it may not sound like it, but I enjoyed this movie. Some really funny situations and lines, and some decently realistic relationship/drama issues.

4 stars. Could have been 5 if I wasn't annoyed.

Inaugural QotM*!

Inspired by Erica.

What songs make you cry/well up/choke up, even just the mention of them?

Erica's list, no particular order:
Don McLean - And I Love You So
Don McLean - Vincent (Starry Starry Night)
Mike & the Mechanics - In the Living Years
Amazing Grace (bagpipes, especially)
Sunrise Sunset (from Fiddler on the Roof)
Depeche Mode - Somebody
Andy Williams - Moon River
John Lennon - Imagine
Puccini - Nessun Dorma
The Platters - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
Elvis - I Can't Help Falling In Love With You
Lyle Lovett - Smile

My list:
Springsteen - Long Walk Home
Springsteen - Thunder Road
Lyle Lovett - Pontiac
Lyle Lovett - If I Were the Man You Wanted
Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly Now
Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill
Johnny Cash - Bird on a Wire
Johnny Cash - Give My Love To Rose
Grateful Dead - Brokedown Palace
Counting Crows - Sullivan Street
Neil Diamond - Solitary Man
Lyle Lovett - She's Already Made Up Her Mind
Lyle Lovett - Ballad Of The Snow Leopard And The Tanqueray Cowboy (lyrics David Rodriguez)
Melissa Etheridge - You Used To Love To Dance
Mike Doughty - Sunken-Eyed Girl
Neil Young - Wrecking Ball
Pearl Jam - In My Tree
Pearl Jam - Given To Fly
Tori Amos - Northern Lad
U2 - Red Hill Mining Town
Leoncavallo - Vesti La Giubba
Χαρις Αλεχιου - Για ενα ταγκο
WASP - Fuck Like A Beast

(*Question of the Moment. Stolen from Toast. I don't have enough readership for a QotD, so this will hang around until the next one comes up.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

My brain needs a reboot.

OK, I never post from work, but I have to share this one.

I just spent the last 5 hours typesetting a brochure in Hebrew. That means flipping the binding order, flipping all the art and text boxes on the pages to face the spine as in the English, and then formatting all the text.

I finished up, ran a PDF proof for the linguist to verify, and opened another file to work in Spanish. Except I can't.

My brain has completely switched to right-to-left mode, and even typing in English is difficult. I'm looking at my monitor and it's confusing to see things the "right" way. This must be what it feels like to come back from a 2-week vacation to a place where the traffic flows in a different direction. A lifetime of training undone in 5 hours.

I am so fucking discombobulated right now. Trippy.

Lawsuits, baby. Lawsuits.

Possibly the most ridiculous thing I've read this week.

Well, what my friend Ari discovered is that some of the personal details listed on your Facebook profile aren't things that you listed, or things that you even knew were listed about you at all. In fact, they're details about your life that Facebook has decided to publish to the world on your behalf. In Ari's case, he found out that his Facebook profile reported that he had bought tickets to a movie the other night - it even listed which movie and the date and time he bought them (oops, and his boss thought he was working). Kind of creepy if you consider that Ari could have told his fiance that he was working late that night while Facebook said otherwise (he didn't, but I'm just saying). Or how about if Ari kept buying tickets to gay films, would that have been an interesting fact for Facebook readers to know about, let alone Ari's fiance? (Again, he hasn't... well I think he hasn't, maybe I need to check Ari's Facebook profile.) And God only knows if Facebook has similar info-sharing deals with Amazon or other book vendors. Buy any books lately on herbal remedies for cancer, AIDS, or any other disease? Or how about a book entitled "So you've had an affair" or "So you're gay" or "Coping with mental illness." Buy any sex toys or condoms online? You get the picture.

From what we've been able to glean, Facebook automatically opts its users in to this privacy-violating pyramid scheme and the only way you can get out of it is by visiting every single one of Facebook's corporate partners (whoever they are, we only know about Fandango at this point), and telling each and every one (if you can figure out where to tell them this) to stop publishing your private information on Facebook. God forbid that Facebook asked its members to opt in to this little scheme and/or gave its members a one-button opt-out rather than requiring them to visit every site on the Internet and search for the Facebook-privacy-violation-opt-out-button. And, even after you do that, it's still not clear if Fandango and others are still sharing your movie-going habits and other purchases with Facebook.

It's about fucking time

The greatest "Unplugged" ever.



Finally on DVD.

Software is stupid. Please stop trying to prove otherwise.

Are you French? Or gay?

Mr. Iwanyk, 32 years old, first suspected that his TiVo thought he was gay, since it inexplicably kept recording programs with gay themes. A film studio executive in Los Angeles and the self-described "straightest guy on earth," he tried to tame TiVo's gay fixation by recording war movies and other "guy stuff."

"The problem was, I overcompensated," he says. "It started giving me documentaries on Joseph Goebbels and Adolf Eichmann. It stopped thinking I was gay and decided I was a crazy guy reminiscing about the Third Reich."

I used to have this problem with Amazon all the time. I didn't even buy, but just browsed for a particular children's book. One book, just searched for it and looked at the page. For months afterward, more than 1/2 my Amazon "recommendations" were children's items, from books to clothes to toys. It became a useless "feature."

Just stop. Software is stupid. Let's focus on making it work. Maybe in another 3 decades, we can work on having it make decisions. Remember though, it won't make it's decisions, it will be making your decisions, coders. So, if you're an idiot? Just walk away from the compiler please...

You've Been Told

Yes, there's a little irony here after two days of beer-blogging, but this is a very important post.

Who knows, someone may be able to pass this on to someone who needs it.

And picking up where we left off...

TCD is coming up tonight so we can bottle our seasonals.

I'll kick the night off with:

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout, 12 OZ, 18% ABV, $7.99

The Pour: Motor oil, very little head settling down to just a meniscus.

The Color: Just look at the picture. Speaking of which, I didn't get that kind of pour, and I wasn't babying it. Too cold maybe?

The Nose: Smoke, alcohol, port.

The Taste: Burnt caramel, a sweet brandy/port alcohol burn, low carbonation but just enough to stimulate the senses. Rich mouthfeel.

The Verdict: A-. A very strong beer. Not for everyone, but I love this shit. Three ounces in, and I can already feel it.

Bud Points: 3.60.

Next!!!

Bill brought up an Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence, which we drank at room temperature. All three of us (wife resampled also), agreed that it's very good, and very chocolaty. My upgrade to B/B- yesterday was justified. Still, for the price, it doesn't come close to Young's Double-Chocolate Stout.

I had half of this, so...

Bud Points: 1.48 (5.08)

Next!!!

Dogfish Head Pangaea, 25.6 OZ, 7% ABV (pussy), $8.99.

The Pour: Large, foamy head.

The Color: Whoa! A beer I can see through! There's a curveball for you. Golden-amber.

The Nose: Ginger ale. Unanimous.

The Taste: Given the strong ginger aroma, I was worried that this may be a little too strongly "adjuncted," to make up some bullshit word. But no, fine balance, slightly more than a hint of ginger (but not too much), and nice hops balance. Clean, slightly tart finish. Yes, there is a slight schweppervescence, but balance is the key here.

The Verdict: A-. An excellent one-off. There are no stylistic comparisons to make here, so it is what it is. And it is good.

Bud Points: 1.48 (6.56) again, I had only half.




Next!!!!



Weyerbacher Insanity, 22 OZ, 11.8% ABV, $6.99

The Pour: No head, just traces of foam. It's a little colder than recommended, but not fridge cold.

The Color: Very very very cloudy orange. Obviously a low-flocculating yeast, and no filtration. This is not necessarily a problem – I don't filter my home-brews – but strange to see in a commercial beer. Probably one out of twenty beers I buy are this cloudy.

The Nose: Brandy, horse manure, hay, barn. Wow. Now this is what you look for in a nose. As complex as the best wine, and way beyond 98% of beers you'll ever try. I'm giddy in anticipation... (Also, they recommend a brandy snifter for this one. So I used one. Now I know why.)

The Taste: Fucking wow. Brandy, earth, a wonderful balance of malt and hops. Fantastic. And the deeper I get into the bottle, the better it gets.

The Verdict: A. Just as Bill predicted, I liked this much better than the Blasphemy. Like I said yesterday, the Blasphemy wasn't bad, per se, but just a victim of its hop-crazy competition (ahem, Dogfish, Stone, etc.). On the other hand, Insanity is something I've never had before. If you're looking for your next generic six-pack for a football Sunday, this ain't for you. But if you're willing to experiment, I cannot recommend this enough.

Bud Points: 4.07 (10.63)

And, considering it's Monday night, we'll just leave the last two in the fridge for next Sunday.

Sunday Epic Beer-blogging

First up: Sierra Nevada "Bigfoot Ale" (Barleywine Style), 12 OZ, 9.6% ABV. $2.75.

The Pour: nice rich head at first, settling into a 1/4" head, leaving long legs of foam down the side of the glass. That's alcohol, baby! (This is still a little warm, because I'm impatient.) Good beer doesn't need to be cold though, so I'm not worried.

The Color: Rich, reddish brown, with a touch of gold. Perfect.

The Nose: I'm not getting too much, and my sinuses are fine today. Just the basic aroma of rich, sweet malt. Not that that's a problem, but I can usually detect other aromas. Hmm.

The Taste: Right there with style expectations. Heavy, creamy mouthfeel, the requisite sweetness balanced by the right amount of hops to keep it balanced. Very cockle-warmening. I felt a nice glow just seconds after the first sip. A touch of bitterness in the finish.

The Verdict: B. True to the style, no glaring flaws. I've had better, but a very solid effort from one of the larger "micro" breweries. (Note: I edited this down from B+.)

(Just for fun, I'm going to keep a running count of how many "standard" beers worth of alcohol I'm drinking today. All of today's beers are very strong, and many are larger than the standard 12 oz. The reference is Budweiser, at 5% and 12 ounces.)

Bud Points: 1.92.

Next!!

Flying Dog "Horn Dog Barleywine" 12 OZ, 10.5% ABV. $3.25.

The Pour: Two-layered head, regular-sized bubbles topped by a 1/4-inch layer of pure cream. Settling slowly.

The Color: So dark it's opaque. Holding it up to the strong light I get some red highlights.

The Nose: Same. Rich, sweet malt, not much else. My nose just may be off today. Oh well.

The Taste: Wow. Even creamier than the Bigfoot. HUGE mouthfeel, warm and sweet and brandy-like, with just enough hop-bite to provide excellent balance. It just lingers and lingers, and warms the heart going down.

The Verdict: A-. True to the style, yet with a character of its own that makes it stand out.

Bud Points: 2.1 (running total 4.02)




Next!!!



Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence, 25.4 OZ, 7% ABV. $9.95.

The Pour: Maple Syrup, with a head.

The Color: Maple syrup, with an orange undertone (according to Erica).

The Nose: Big surprise! A packet of dried hot chocolate powder, or maybe some unsweetened baking cocoa.

The Taste: We're drinking this a little too cold, so I will let it sit for a while, but the first glass has a nice thick stout mouthfeel with chocolate undertones. We were expecting overtones, based on the labeling. Like one of my perennial favorites, Young's Double-Chocolate Stout.

We interrupt this beer-blogging session to inform you that Erica has started doing a phenomenally sexy cheerleading routine right here in my basement, in her painting clothes. I was playing a stadium-rock type tune, that lends itself perfectly to such behavior. There may have to be an intermission soon....

The Verdict: C. I may have to update this when we let it get back to room temperature, but for now, we're kind of disappointed. This is one of the top breweries in the world, and I expect nothing but the best from them. So this would have to count as a miss.

(Update: Now a B/B-. The chocolate came out more as the beer warmed. This was my fault. Also, as I commented at Toast's place: I think it's our own expectations. Ommegang, Rare Vos, Three Phils, and Hennepin are four perfect beers. Just perfect. ... [I'm] just not used to anything from Brewery Ommegang being "normal."

I still rate this below Young's, but it's a fine beer.

Bud Points: 2.96 (6.98)

Next!!!!!!!

Weyerbacher Blashpemy, 22 OZ, 11.8% ABV. (label quote: "When they first suggested we age our QUAD in Oak Barrels, I said THAT'S BLASPHEMY!") $6.99.

The Pour: Not much head, and it faded quickly.

The Color: Clear amber.

The Nose: Hello hops! And oak. Yup, just as labeled. Caramel.

The Taste: Hello hops! Very sweet, I guess as one would expect from the ABV. It is balanced but a large hop bite, being a quad and all. I'm getting some caramel also, but that's influenced by the nose.

The Verdict: B-. Tastes great, but nothing I haven't experienced before, from better mega-beers like Dogfish Head. A victim of its competition.

Bud Points: 4.33 (11.31)

Next!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Young's Old Nick Barleywine, 17 OZ, 7.2% ABV. $3.49.

The Pour: Very thick head, slow to settle.

The Color: Brown-opaque.

The Nose: Malt. Ok, that's 3 out of 3 barley wines that didn't express themselves. Erica says caramel/malted milk-ball. I'm still getting nothing. OK, that's a caveat for all of today's reviews. My nose is useless today.

The Taste: Deep sweet malt, with a little burnt toast. Plenty of hops to achieve balance.

The Verdict: B. True to the style.

Bud Points: 2.04 (13.05)

Sunday Sunday Sunday!

Oh, what a glorious day. Got a lot of work done around the house yesterday, Erica and I went to a book signing/art show, I cooked up a MEAN venison beans and rice, and we knocked a ton of stuff off the DVR.

Today, a few more errands, a little more cleaning, and then, the football!

My Steelers are on the teevee today, because they're playing the J-E-T-S Suck Suck Suck!

Toast and I have a six-pack on the line for this game, as he is a Jets fan. And in a very cool coincidence, he and I are also going head-to-head in my fantasy football league too.

I bought an epic selection of beers for blogging, and if I haven't died from all of those, I'll throw in some wine-blogging too, as this year's Nouveaus are out.

Oh, the drinks we will drink and the trash we will talk.

Join us over at TwoGlasses for the Virtual Couch™, if you will, and yap away.

Yes!

I never use the Cover Flow feature in iTunes, don't have (or plan on getting) an iPhone or an iPod Touch. Yet it always pissed me off that 90% of my library doesn't have the artwork, and that the built-in "Get Album Artwork" feature from iTunes didn't do much to rectify the situation.

I'm strange like that.

I asked my IT guy at work, and he told me MediaMonkey. Of course, that's only for PCs.

After further research, I came across "Album Cover Finder" (creative!) for my Mac.

If you don't have a large library, the free version is fine. You can update as you play. But I don't have that kind of time time, and I also rarely use iTunes itself as a player. It's just management and keeping the iPod full.

I spent the $11 on the full version, and had it plow through my 12000-song database. It found artwork for everything but my most obscure imports and Greek music. Every folder has a jpg just in case I need it for future use, all the ID3 tags are updated, and the iTunes library is updated too. Wow.

Thank you, madams and sirs.

I need a personal tank

Watch the video.

Where the nearest metal shop?

In which I hate Shakespeare's Sister

For inflicting this on me.




Wow. Just wow.

I can just picture the Old White Male TV Executives trying to relate to "today's youth" with this powerful message about the danger of gangs.

Just wait until I get ahold of her...

Like me when I was 16.

OK. Now, too.

And definitely keep Sooty away from her...

On wine tasting

Good piece.

Brew-blogging update

Saturday, I racked my beer (and TCD's of course) down into the secondary fermenters.

12 days is longer than I like to wait, but I've been really busy, and these are really strong beers, so they can take it.

His is a deep, deep brown, very aromatic and mighty tasty. I added two vanilla beans for him, cut into 1-inch chunks.

Mine is black as tar. Even in the racking tube, it was solid black, 0% opacity. Oh, baby. Also tasted great, with chocolate and some burnt undertones. We'll probably bottle next Monday, and let them sit until the holidays. They'll need it, for the flavors to really blend.

I forgot to test the densities, stupid me, but on flavor alone, these will definitely pass 9%, and probably 10% when all the sugar is gone. Rock on.

More graphical silliness

Weekend babes

Dido
Eva
Luba!!!
Singola
Carina
Ariel

Update: removed some links.

Do they not play defense in college football?

Seriously, wtf?


And this. Why wasn't this game available on my TV? 74-62? Are you kidding me?

Wow. Just wow.

This link, via Toast, is just insane.

This one right here, though, takes the cake. The more I study it, the more I laugh.



Brilliant.

Toast-meme

From Toast:

1. At what age did you start shaving? 16.

2. How often do you shave? Every weekday.

3. Last time you shaved? Friday morning.

4. What's the longest you can go without shaving? Not sure what you're getting at. I could care less, my beard doesn't itch or anything. I just do it for work or for going out.
   

5. What kind of razor do you use? Gillette Sensor. Those 3-4-5 bladers are too unwieldy.
   

6. How often do you change blades? Every 2-3 weeks.

7. Ever use an electric razor? Yeah, every now and then. Just doesn't work as well, but it's good in a pinch.
   

8. Ever use a straight razor? No.
   

9. Do you own/use a facial hair trimmer? Yes.
   

10. Do you own/use a nose hair trimmer? Yes. It's a combo package. I use it to even the sideburns, do neck hair, nose hair, ear hair, etc.

11. What shaving substance do you apply? J/A/S/O/N cream, Nivea pre-wash. I try other shit too, but those are the old standbys.
    

12. And what balm, if any, do you use afterwards? Nivea® for Men (skin essentials) After Shave Replenishing Balm.

13. What do you shave? Just my face.

14. With the grain or against? With only.

15. Ever shave your genital hair? Yes. Well, trimmer, no blades. I'm not crazy. I use the Phillips BodyGroom. Safe on the kiwis.
    

16. Place you hate shaving the most? No problem areas.
    

17. Ever use chemical hair removal treatments? Nope.
    

18. Best part of shaving? I look clean-shaven?
    

19. Worst part of shaving? Just the PITA factor.
    

20. Worst shave you've ever had? None that come to mind.
    

Lyyyyyyyyyyle!!!!!

Here, finally, is my impression of Lyle Lovett's new album, It's Not Big It's Large.

Tickle Toe - PheeeeeNOMenal interpretation of an old Lester Young tune. Your ass will demand you get up and boogie to this one. The Large Band is out of this world.

I Will Rise Up/Ain't No More Cane - Deep, dark, bluesy spiritual; mostly a Lyle original with some of ANMC, an old Southern work song, woven in. Quite powerful, and the backing vocals are, as usual, outstanding. Sweet Pea, Harry, Francine, Arnold, and Jason nail this song.

All Downhill - Sublime silliness. I don't think any lyricist makes me smile as much as Lyle does.

I've had an excellent time so far
There's only one thing that I fear
I've been up so long on this lucky star
It could be all downhill from here

Of course, being the poster child pessimist/self-saboteur, it's as if he's talking directly to me.

Don't Cry a Tear - Where are my razor blades again?

South Texas Girl - A very nice reminiscence. So detailed and specific that it loses me a bit, because it's difficult to find a metaphorical connection. Still, good story.

This Traveling Around - Yes. And I don't even go anywhere...

And I'd change my ways
If I knew how else to be

Up In Indiana - Kick-ass country swing. Emphasis on the swing. And lo and behold, intelligent lyrics! What 99% of country lacks. Dance, motherfuckers!

The Alley Song - Pensive, regretful, with a touch of chasing the dream.

And even when you're not the best
You still try hard as hell

No Big Deal - Cheating bitch! Oh, wait... I did it first. And if you're thinking "that old country cliché," you couldn't be more off-base. A wonderfully bluesy/jazzy shuffle, and lyrically outstanding. This type of song is his forté. Outstanding. Yeah bitch, I said it twice.

Make It Happy - Shit, and I already used "sublime silliness." OK, fine, just multiply that by 10. Ridiculously infectious music, simple but not simplistic lyrics, instant-smile-on-your-face perfection. This song alone is worth the $12.99. All-timer.

Ain't No More Cane - The actual "traditional, arranged by Lyle" version of the old work song. Excellent.

Rating: 4

I love this album, but I already have four of his albums rated 5, and this isn't quite there. Victim of his own standards, I guess.

Wine blogging

By popular demand! And by popular, I mean the 8-10 lushes that join us for Sunday football blogging at Toast's place.

First up: Falanghina Dei Feudi Di San Gregorio, $15

We've had a long week, as evidenced by the post below, so no cooking for us. The Wife suggested sushi, and I'll never argue with that call. While she was waiting for the order, she popped next door to one of our two wine shops, and asked for a recommendation. The main issue being, of course, that not many wines can stand up to wasabi (we like our soy dip hot to VERY hot) and/or don't go well with the raw ginger.

This was the guy's suggestion.

Thank. You. Sir.

Visual: high clarity; pale yellow fading to clear at the edge

First nose: TW said peach, pear, and banana. I said apple and peach and what was either oak or malolactic fermentation.

(NOTE: These things are highly suggestible, so we keep our impressions to ourselves until we decide we both have something to share. If one person just says "APPLE!" out loud too soon, the other tends to have trouble smelling anything other than apple.)

Second nose: She didn't get my apple, I didn't get her pear, but I did get her banana.

Does that sound dirty?

And I also decided on malolactic over oak. They confuse me sometimes, but made a decision here.

Taste: thick, rich, creamy, and dry on the finish. After tasting, all TW could say was "banana cream pie." I had to agree. Though I still got my apple.

Anyway, I was right about the malolactic (further research confirms stainless/malolactic fermenting). The cream just gave it away.

It went very well with the sushi/sashimi, and gamely held its own vis-a-vis the wasabi and ginger.

$15 isn't exactly in the "every day" budget range, but well worth it for a nice Friday splurge.

Now, to decide on a ratings scale...............

0-5 is fine for music and movies, but I have to go to 0-10 for wine. Just too much variety.

8 points.

R.I.P., Shatzi

Yesterday afternoon, it was time.

Shatzi, beloved companion of The Wife's for 18+ years, and of mine for 5, mustered up her last purr, draped over TW's shoulder, her favorite perch.

Last December, we found out she had symptoms of early stages of kidney failure. OK, we figured, we'll give her the special renal food, the saline IV to help keep her hydrated, and see how she does, as long as she's not suffering. We were prepared for the worst.

This, of course, was her cue to stick around for a while. Her weight stabilized, and that was that. Blind and deaf and cranky as ever, she continued to join us on the couch for TV time when she felt like it (or if she smelled people-food), continued to ignore us until she decided she had had quite enough of us not paying attention to her (if I understand cat logic correctly), and continued to play hit-or-miss with the litter box.

A couple weeks ago, she dropped from 7 pounds to 6, and last week, from 6 to 5. Her behavior never changed, but she was skin and bones. She still ate, and she still loved curling up on the couch. But Wednesday, that all changed. In the course of 24 hours, she lost all her strength. Whereas Tuesday night I saw her jump right up to her futon after her $5 stinky-food, Wednesday night she could barely walk. That was it.

Let's just say she got carried around and held and petted and brushed and snuggled and kissed and petted some more a lot that night. She ate that shit right up, I should add. She was probably wondering what the occasion was. And where was the damned steak/venison/catfish?

We set TW up with a mattress so she could sleep in Shatziland. I put Shatzi down on the mattress and stayed with her until TW was done with the pre-bed routine, and she curled right up and went to sleep, purring and flitting her tail all the while.

Thursday TW took Shatzi to the vet, and it was confirmed. "You know it's time. There's nothing else we can do."

Of course, of all fucking days, I was in a meeting with a potentially HUGE client. I've been at the new place for 2 months, and this was absolutely positively the first day where I could not have just packed a bunch of work for later on a jump drive and left. WATFO?!?!? I had already told TW that since that meeting was 66% of the way home, I wasn't going back to the office, so I'd either meet her home or at the vet's office, just leave a message on my phone. Her initial intent was to wait for me, but then she decided not to prolong the agony. The last message on my phone was to meet her home. I got there first, and put out a glass of wine and some chocolate.

We found a nice spot in the back yard that we can see from all the windows, especially TW's window at her computer, and buried Shatzi there with her favorite brush. I read the eulogy, it got a little dusty outside, and we said our final goodbyes.

Then I'm going to eat the fucking thing.

You'll be missed.