The pitfalls of Twitter

A great one from the Penny Arcade.



(h/t smadin in a comment at Shakesville)

It must be time for Alumni Weekend

I got 8 inches of snow in Saratoga...

No idea how Troy is, but come on!

We are so fucked

No work. Anywhere.

I could link every damned post on this blog. Just go read it yourself.

And this one.

Mighty blow!

Wonderful takedown of the perfesser.

There's no action on this pin

We had a little after-work corporate bowling outing today, good time was had by all. Well, those of us that turned out.

I haven't bowled since... (hold on, I'll be right back) November 2007.

And before that, more years than I can remember. I bowled really well that time, but I just couldn't find the slot today. I kept crossing my body too much, and hitting the head pin on the wrong side, if not overshooting it completely. Couldn't get a rhythm going. Bowled 142, 145, 139, 145. Ugh, ugh, and more ugh. With a dash of suck.

Fun flash game

Just the right amount of thinking. Not difficult, just a little tricky sometimes.

UPDATE: I took out the embedded version, as they started playing ads. Play it here.

Some sanity

On steroids.

You just know the story will not end well..

...when it includes this sentence:

Police are retracing the route the van drove in attempt to find body parts, he said.

Don't ask, don't tell

Also, don't dare show your face in public because some cocksuckingmotherfuckingpieceofshitdouchebagwasteofhumanity civilian co-worker might see you with your girlfriend at Target when you were off duty and start an e-mail campaign to get you kicked out of the military.

I smell years of lawsuits

A building planned for 49 stories has been cut to 28, because of "improperly installed rebar" on the first 15 floors.



Who's going to want to go near that thing anyway? Yes, I'm sure the engineers have adjusted for the new load-bearing capacity of the bottom floors, and 28 stories is well within standards. It's just creepy knowledge to have.

Would Wade Boggs have tested positive?

Chicken and steroids.

Bwaaaaaahhhh!

Any wonder cars aren't selling? Really, Mr. Pontiac Dealer? A markup of $10,000? The comments are good.

Also, a $40K ford Taurus? I don't fucking care what's under the hood.

Note to self

Make a Deep Fried Peanut Butter-Covered Brownie Wrapped In Cookie Dough.

Quote of the day

"Everybody needs to grab a hose, and that's what Charlie Crist is doing here today."
- President Obama

On sale, cheap!

Holy emmer effing ess

Did the world almost collapse on 9/18/2008?

Hah!

(h/t Atrios)

(NSFW and kids!)

Morons

First, read Josh's post, then click to watch the video.

Denial isn't going to help anyone.

What A-Rod really took

Very interesting.

Again, to those who don't know – steroids don't magically build muscle while you sit on the couch eating donuts. They make your workouts more effective, and shorten recovery time.


Shysterball has a great post.

As does the Hardball Times. This is exactly how I feel. I just don't care any more.

Juiced

Well, at least he admitted it and got it over with.

Let's see if he gets the Pettite/Giambi treatment, or the Bonds/Clemens treatment.

Social experiment begins... now.

(h/t for the image - tj)

Awwww yeaaahhhhh

At this point, they should just rename SNL - maybe call it "Andy Samberg and some other idiots."



Holy crap this keeps cracking me up.

"never thought I'd be on a boat..."

Gotta give it up to Seth Myers for this segment of the Weekend Update



So, there you go. One and a half hours of SNL, in a nutshell.

Crash!

So I have have the Buick Open on TV, and the cameras cut away to the California surf (fuck you), and then up to a guy flying a parasail around. Of course, he immediately goes into a death spiral and disappears over a cliff, out of the camera view.

It was a planned move, but it looked pretty damned scary. It was quite amusing how the announcers were freaking out.

The guy was flying around again a few minutes later. That was a great 5 minutes of television.

Friday linkdump

Krugmania!

Spudsy is righteously angry. More. More.

Ezra snarks. McCain is such a fucking fraud.

Family planning and womens' health IS an economic issue. But it's a human issue first. It's just that Republicans aren't human.

Again, this chart shows exactly why spending more is considerably more effective than taxing less.

More "two cows" analogies

This is hilarious.

Until you realize that this is the state of economy.

Could you run that by me again?

Sub. Tle.

For Your Consideration - Least Subtle Product Placement In TV History @ Yahoo! Video

Why can't it be this way?

I've been rereading my Asimov robot stories recently too. Donovan and Powell and Calvin, oh my.

More cool stuff here.

Linkdump

Marshawn Lynch is some kind of awesome.

KSK's football/sex advice column is wonderfully offensive as usual.

Deadspin's last Jamboroo of the season.

The "two cows" explanation of how the banking system collapsed.

BIIIIIIIGGGGG shitpile. Which is why no money should go to banks until shareholders are completely wiped out.

I know, you won't believe this, but wingnuts are lying about health care reform again.

Stimulus for the rich only.

No loans for used cars. Regardless of your credit score.

Something tells me this asshole won't be in the Mets bullpen next year.

24 Army suicides in January alone.

Holy emmer effing ess

Remember when millions of unsold cars were being parked everywhere?

Well, it gets better.

Cargo ships loaded with cars will be STAYING loaded with cars. Face it, if they unloaded, there would be nothing to put back on the ships for them to take back to Japan or wherever.

Fasten your seatbelts...

Perspective. UR DOIN IT RONG.

Yes, for years and years now, the package contains fewer and fewer cookies. And costs the same. It's called inflation. If the price point has to be $3, the amount you get goes down.

I only wish that instead of trying to get away with the lie, the packaging would get downsized also. Have you seen the space between cookies in some of those boxes? There's more plastic than product.

Yes yes, less product, I get it. But throw some green concern in there while you're ripping us off.

You think your shit don't stink?

Well, you may be right!

Great post.

Though I have no problem dropping the kids off at the pool in a non-home environment, as long as it's clean (office, friend's house, etc.). When nature calls...

Best. Slippers. Ever.

Saw these at Uncrate last week, and ordered them tootsweet, once I found a coupon code to get them down to $20.



Literally sleeping bags for your feet, made by a big name in outdoor gear.

Softer than you can believe, warm as hell, and they breathe, so they won't become stinkbombs within 2 months.

Recommended. Even though my wife laughs at me.

What Michael Phelps should REALLY say to the world

Dear America,

I take it back. I don’t apologize.

Because you know what? It’s none of your goddamned business. I work my ass off 10 months per year. It’s that hard work that gave you all those gooey feelings of patriotism last summer. If during my brief window of down time I want to relax, enjoy myself, and partake of a substance that’s a hell of a lot less bad for me than alcohol, tobacco, or, frankly, most of the prescription drugs most of you are taking, well, you can spare me the lecture.

...

The whole thing is awesome. Spot freakin' on.

I'll have what he's having

Also making its way around the tubes in record speed (I first saw this at around 3 pm; when I got home it was on almost every blog I read).

UPDATED with working video

Cancel the internets

Batman wins (NSFW NSFW NSFW)



The backstory: Christian Bale blew up on set of the latest Terminator flick, and unleashed a profane tirade of epic proportions. That audio is around everywhere, but it's mostly just:

"Fuck fuck fucking fuck fuck fucking FUCK FUCK fucking fucky fuck!!! You fucking fuck fucker!!! Who the fuck do you think you are? Do you know who the fuck I am?! Fuck fuck fuck, fuck fuck, to the fuck of the fucking fuck! FUCK! What the fuck?! Fucking fuckity fuck fuck. I am the Mayor of Fuckington and you are a fucking fuck fuckerfuck! Have you ever heard anyone say fuck so much?! I am LORD FUCK, you fucking fucker! And don't fucking forget it!"
(Transcript courtesy Melissa McEwan)

Anyway, Bale REMIX is much more entertaining.

LOLbardi

KSK brings the LOLNFL funny again. Plenty more over there.

Someone's losing a job

How is this even possible?

Stillers!!!!!!!

One for the cock, baby. Make that an extra large.

Quote of the day (paraphrase)

"I can do 11 minus you divided by FUCK!"
-Jeff

It was so ridiculous, and we laughed so hard, that we immediately forgot the exact sequence of words, but it was something along those lines.

Bill's tweet at 3:28 am says "I can do you divided by fuck" but that's can't be right, because there was definitely an "eleven" in there somewhere.

I think it had something to do with the final beer of the evening/morning, Weyerbacher's Blithering Idiot, which weighs in at 11.1%.

But that's just a theory, because it was such a random outburst.

Here we go

That is all.

Homebrew Report - 1/31/09

Kegged my beers from three weeks ago, and I am mighty pleased with the results.

The Amber is big and bold, and fortunately the accidental extra ounce of hops didn't ruin the thick and malty character I was going for.

The Pale Ale is not hoppy enough to be an IPA, but hops is definitely the dominant characteristic, as it should be. It's perfectly light and clear, with a thick foam that holds its peaks like whipped cream. A success.

Now, it's time for names and silly labels.

UPDATE: Forgot the most important stuff! The Amber is 8.9%, the Pale Ale is 5.8%.

Rock Band - the reunioning

Bill, Jeff, Dave and I spent yesterday evening in one of our marathon Rock Band sessions.

When Bill upgraded to RB2, our original band information didn't make it over, so Three Dorks Down is no longer, and in its stead we are Drunk on Homebrew. Not as punny, but quite apropos.

Many a laugh was had, many a ball was busted, and there was much out-of-key singing.

Bill's bud point analysis of the night was 40.88, which seems low considering some of the high-test stuff we were drinking, but what're ya gonna do?

Good times.

UPDATE: From Bill in comments, here's the list...

ESB Homebrew (4.8%): 4 litres, 10.82 BP
Palo Santo Marron (12%): 12 oz, 2.4 BP
Troegs Scratch #16 (6.3%): 48 oz, 5.04 BP
Wachusett Black Shack Porter (unknown, guessing 4.5%): 60 oz, 4.5 BP
Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot (11.1%): 36 oz, 6.66 BP (Hail Satan!)
Westmalle Dubbel (7%): 44.8 oz, 5.23 BP
Allagash White (5.2%): 25.4 oz, 2.2 BP
Brown's Rauch (5.5%): 44 oz, 4.03 BP

I forgot about the ESB. We drank lot of that because it was outstanding, but at 4.8%, it's in regular beer territory.

And that Rauch, holy SHIT! Talk about breakfast in a bottle. Smoke, bacon, sausage, toast... and beer! Quite intense, and definitely a sampler beer, not a pounder. Anyway, one of my fraternity brothers' little brothers has been the brewmaster at Brown's practically since they started. He makes good shit, and this was no exception. Not a style for everyone; in fact, a style for very few. But this was a winner in the category.

UPDATE2: Here is Bill's write-up, with more beer info.

Gigapan? I hardly know her!

I've only seen this referenced at Sully's and tech blogs like Gizmodo, so I'll do my part to spread it around.

What you're looking at is a 1474 gigapixel image, assembled from well over 200 images shot using a specialized rig that scans and pans at intervals you can set to establish both a wide range and a lot of depth.

Here's a screen cap of the whole thing:


And here is a zoom of Chimpy, Darth, and families. Even here, Bush is making a shitty little poutyface. Man, he needs to fall headfirst into a gaping void.


Here are two more with some pretty impressive detail considering the specks they represent in the main shot.




Seriously, go get lost in that thing.

This is how you kickstart a weekend...

h/t deadspin

Snow

I don't know what the hell Toast is talking about...

Dirty Jobs

Holy crap this is pitch-perfect.

This is just embarrassing

I need to find a new team...



from KSK

Chist I hate Sean Penn

Shitty actor; annoying celebrity; smug, self-righteous prick.

I had the SAG awards on, not really paying attention, just background noise. Something started annoying me. I look up, and sure enough, it's fuckwad on my TV. He won for Milk.

I had to change the channel.

Fuck... me....

So I get an invite: "View my profile on facebook!"

Normally, I turn those down. As I said at Toast's place, in answer to the question "why would someone not be on facebook?":
Too much damned work. No real need to create something else to worry about. I already got roped in to LinkedIn, and that's too much too. It does serve a work purpose, so that's fine, but I don't need any more shit in my life.

But this one was from my wife.

Guuuuuuhhhhhh.

So, I'm on there. Friend me! Or holla! Or whatever you do. Just don't poke me. Poke Tracy instead.

Recipe Share - Angle's Kitchen Sink Beef Stew

The ingredients:
2 red onions, diced
2 habañeros, minced
1 small bunch of scallions, chopped fine
1 large clove elephant garlic, minced
3lb beef, 3/4-inch cubes (or so)
1 bay leaf

2 green peppers, diced
10-12 carrots, diced
1 green apple, diced
3 beets, diced
1 big bunch spinach, chopped

In the big-ass pot:


Heat a cop or so of olive oil, add onions, garlic, habañeros, scallions, salt and pepper to taste, bay leaf.

When soft, add the beef and brown thoroughly. When it's sufficiently brown, turn pot to low and cover. Let simmer for 1 hour 2 hours, stirring at the mid-way point if you want, be we also want to keep all the moisture in. So leave it alone already!

After those couple hours, when the meat is really tender, add all the other stuff. Stir thoroughly, cover, simmer for another hour or so, stirring occasionally.

Add some cornstarch and flour, just a little of each, to thicken everything up, and black pepper to taste.

Serve over rice or pasta.

UPDATE: Wow, this was good. And chock full of healthy.

Stop! Ninja time.

Ran some errands today, groceries, BJs etc, and stopped at the liquor store. I felt like something different. I didn't know what it was yet, just in a browsing kind of mood.

Wound up with this ($21.99):


Pours perfectly clear, a little thick, with an orange-gold hue.

The nose is huge. Vanilla is by far the dominant note, with a little lime. The vanilla does fade after a few minutes, bringing the lime out a bit more, along with a hint of cinnamon and an alcohol note (at 92 proof, as opposed to the usual 72-80, not surprising).

Decent mouthfeel, more vanilla, a lot more lime,

Goes down very warm (alcohol!), leaving a nice burn on the back of the tongue and a tingle in the cheeks, and goes right to your head.

Not bad at all at the price point, worth trying but nothing special. If I had any actual lime and some Coke, I'd try it in a Cuba Libre. That will have to wait until tomorrow.

Skillz

I'm not really sure what to do with this:



I like it, though.

h/t copyranter

100% divorced from reality

This is phenomenal.

Monty Python shows MPAA/RIAA how it's done

Give people access to your content on-line, then link heavily to places where the product can be purchased.

Duh.

There are maybe 15 artists whose CDs I'll buy the day they come out, no questions asked. I trust the value I will get.

But I never would have purchased dozens of CDs if I hadn't been able to listen to them first. I would have never spent $25 or so on Against Me! if I hadn't "found" some MP3s online that duly impressed me. Hell, I never would have heard of them! I found Thrash Unreal and Stop! on-line, listened to them non-stop, and went out and bought the whole album. How could I not? Then I went and bought a couple previous EPs too!

Put some free songs on your web sites. Nice bit-rate, no DRM, no registering on the site, nothing. You want 3 million people e-mailing the files and the links to each other. You want those songs on everyone's iPod or whatever. Ever heard of free publicity? Jeez.

More on Gillibrand

Some info on her voting record and other things.

And more.

Guuuuuuuhhhhhh

Fuck you Bill Simmons. Just fuck you.

That's what I needed to read right now. Or ever.

Yes!!!

More, more.

Yes, I'll be sad to lose her from my district, but she did oust that fucking scumbag Sweeney. So, she's already served me more than enough. Good luck.

UPDATED: Oops, I meant to edit this post, and deleted it. Anyway, there are concerns about some of her "Blue Doggish" ideas, but overall, she's been pretty decent for us. And it appears she's already flip-flopped on a couple of them, I presume to make her appointment more palatable. We'll see.

Yup

Comment at this thread:
"I had a conversation with a guy at work about foreclosures. In 5-10 years they are going to be like tattoos - once the domain of a fringy and scorned group but now pretty commonplace."

Excellent flash games

It's been awhile since anything has really sucked me in, but here are a few of the ones I've found lately:

• Electric Box. Very cool, set up a Rube Goldberg-type series of events to get power from the generator to the target.
• Color Infection 1 and 2. Simple, but a fun diversion.
• Bureau of Steam Engineering. That's not a direct link to the game, but to an explanation page. So you know what you're getting into.
• Codex of Alchemical Engineering. Again, that link is to the description page. Tough.
• Grid. More power-circuit adventures.

Good stuff.

Oh the humanity

This is nuts:


(be sure to click and expand)

(h/t sully)

Bruce Dickinson puts his pants on one leg at a time

Then he rocks you, the he flies the plane to the next place he's going to rock you.

Oh yeah, we'll be bouncing right back

Every wonder what happens to all the cars we didn't buy?

This isn't even the scariest picture.

It is official. And it is good.

Time to let the big boys and girls get to work. There's a lot to do.

Some Tuesday Funnies

This is amusing:


This, however, had me crying:

Want a house? $0 down?

Oh, wait. I mean $0 period.

LOL NFL

OK, all of these are good, and the AFC ones too, but this one right here has been KILLING me all afternoon.

Quality

You know what's fun? Sitting through an ISO training video with a bad hangover.

At least I could amuse myself counting the fucking typos on the screen while the guy was droning on and on about quality!

That was the black fly in my chardonnay, people.

PS: Hey, there, mister training video director. Considering you're filming some woman talking about "quality" in a vulcanized rubber products factory, I think it's safe to assume you failed in the "artist" department. So cool it with the edgy camera angles and the funky zooms.

I'd better find me some black friends!

Sheesh.

Championship Beer Blogging

Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock, 25.4 OZ, 5.5% ABV, $14.99

The Pour: Rich pour, nice tall head in my goblet. Settled relatively quickly.

The Color: Opaque, black/brown, upon first viewing. It was so think, I put a 1.5-million candlepower lantern behind the glass, and I could barely see it. The base tone is actually reddish and the clarity is perfect. No detectable haze whatsoever.

The Nose: Chocolate, malt. I know - shocker, right? Not much else.

The Taste: The first pour resulted in a disappointingly thin mouth-feel. The whole first glass kind of annoyed me. Fifteen bucks for this?! Then I got caught up in a couple things, and the second glass didn't get poured until about 45 minutes later. Much better. I've been savoring this for an hour and a half, and it keeps getting better. Just like last year with the Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence, the lesson is, don't let this get fridge-cold — I'd say no lower than 50 degrees and you'll be fine.

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

Bud Points: 2.33.

Next!

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron, 12 OZ, 12% ABV, $3.50
Yeah, yeah, I know, but holy crap this beer is good.

The Pour: Thick and meaty.

The Color: Black as tar, brown head, completely opaque even to that lantern I have.

The Nose: Cardamom, raisins, earth, wood, coffee, caramel, vanilla, and some fruit I can't quite put a name on. This may be the most complex beverage I have ever had.

The Taste: Sweet and tart, very full mouthfeel. All of the aromas carry over into the flavor, and more. Enough hops to provide balance, but sweetness is the dominant sensation. A brandy-like warmth (and alcohol-presence) accompanies each sip as the perfect carbonation tickles your tongue. This is, in all seriousness, an experience.

The Verdict: A+. This is a tough call, but I think I have to make this my new favorite beer, narrowly edging out Péché Mortel. I need to buy a lot of this and age it in the cellar. Meantime, they'd better get their asses in gear and arrange for the next shipment of the palo santo wood. They can never stop making this beer.

Bud Points: 2.40 (4.73 total).

Victory Storm King Imperial Stout, 12 OZ, 9.1% ABV, $2.25

The Pour: Standard thickness in the pour, big head that almost overflowed.

The Color: Again, black as tar, brown head, and completely opaque to 1.5 million candlepower.

The Nose: I'm getting very little out of this. A little molasses, some coffee. Slight vanilla?

The Taste: I don't know, maybe my nose is shot already, but this packs a flavor that the nose just doesn't predict. The perfect balance of malt and bite from the carbonation and hops. Textbook stout of the Imperial variety.

The Verdict: A. Great beer, great value. Makes me want to knock the Sam Chocolate down to a C, just because of the strong disparity in buzz/buck value.

Bud Points: 1.82 (6.55 total).

I love Matt Taibbi

As much as I hate Tom Friedman.

Stone Cold Lead Pipe Locks - Playoff Edition

I am fucking KICKING myself over switching that NYG-PHI pick. Gah!



Anyway, we all suck.

Homebrew Report - 1/12/09

Bill and I brewed Monday, and it was about time. My two kegs were drained at my December party, and I haven't had time since, with the holidays and all.

Batch 1: Strong Amber

• Bring 9 lbs Munton's Amber DME to a boil in 3 gallons of water
• Add 1 oz Centennial Hops and 1 oz Saaz hops (bagged)
• Boil 45 minutes
• Add 1 oz Saaz hops (bagged)
• Boil 15 minutes
• Add 1 oz Cascade hops (loose)
• Boil 2 minutes, remove from heat

Batch 2: Pale Ale

• Bring 6 lbs Munton's Extra Light DME to a boil in 2.5 gallons water
• Add 3 oz Nugget hops (bagged)
• Boil 45 minutes
• Add 1 oz Nugget hops (bagged)
• Boil 15 minutes
• Add 1 oz Liberty hops (loose)

Now, this was a fuck-up on my part. One of those ounces of Saaz from the first batch was supposed to be the finishing hops for the second batch. I wanted the Amber to be heavy and malty, and the pale ale to be regular strength and really hoppy.

Oops!

Fortunately, Bill had some hops left over because he bought 2 oz bags and only needed one ounce of the Liberty.

Mine were perky bright and early the next morning, and of course Bill's was not. I have no idea what he does to yeast... we follow the same damned procedures! Cool the wort to 75-80, add yeast, aerate thoroughly. That his never start within 24 hours makes no sense to me.

Anyway, I'll definitely have to rack them down this weekend, to get mine off the hops sludge (both my beers had the final ounce loose in the wort, as opposed to being removed when the boil was over). I'll gravity-test and we'll make sure there was no sticking.

Where the sweatshop is the dream

Very interesting article.

Ezra with a good take on it.

What if I stick my cock in his ass?

h/t Sully

You guys and A-Rod

Top 10 By Rickey and Rice
by beisbolct

Jim Rice and Rickey Henderson on Letterman.

Reason #23415 to love Tina Fey

Must read

The full story behind the VW short-squeeze.

Ladies and gentlemen...

Your New York Knicks!

Awards and alcohol

We got off to a late start, because of my football joy.

But YAY to BROOOOOOOOOOCE winning an award.

8:22 EST - Starting now...

8:24 - I am already drunk. Just so you know.

8:28 - I had no idea Sally Field was even working. No matter - Anna Paquin's tits win.

8:47 - I have no idea what that was all about. But she was touched, apparently.

8:52 - Jake is confused.

8:58 - Yes for Heath in Dark Knight. I finally watched that Friday night. Amazing performance.

9:11 - All those nominees were "older." I don't mean to deny the fact that women get no respect in Hollywood, especially as they age. But that entire roster of nominees was downright great.

9:19 - Elizabeth Banks is hot.

9:20 - I plan on watching Slumdog Millionaire this week. The raves are just too much to ignore. And Danny Boyle is a great director.

9:22 - Alec Baldwin plays one of the best characters I've ever seen on TV. I hope he wins.

9:23 - YESYESYES!!!!!!!!

9:24 - It is truly the funniest show on TV. And props to Alec for giving props to Tina. She rules.

9:30 - No idea about The Reader. Never even heard of it.

9:32 - I haven't seen any of John Adams, but Paul Giamatti always rocks. Yup. Rocks.

9:34 - 30 Rock is absolutely the funniest show on TV.

9:36 - YES!!!!

9:38 - I don't care what happens from here on out. That was the most deserved award I've ever seen.

9:53 - OK, I may have been too early. Anything 30 Rock gets is more derserved than you can imagine, if you don't watch it. LOVE. THAT. SHOW!

9:55 - I forgot what I was going to type here

10:03 - What's the point here, with Spielberg?

10:20 - Sorry, conversation-with-the-wife-break, which derves its own post.

10:30ish - Sasha Baron Cohen is funny.

10:38 - We haven't seen this movie yet. We need to do a big pre-Oscars movie binge.

10:41 - Erica: sleeping babies are fucking cute.

10:46 - A friend of mine just watched Revolutionary Road road and said he liked it. I'll grab it from him to check it out, pre-Oscars. But others have said it's remarkably depressing. Verdict: up in the air.

10:51 - Erica: who is that? (meaning the blond on stage with the dude from The Office.) Angelos: No idea. Erica: She's Kate Hudson, Molly from Ugly Betty, and a few other people. Angelos: She's everyblonde.

10:58 - Go Mickey!!!!!

11:10 - OK, I guess Slumdog Millionaire is this week's must-watch.


Sorry this was so spare, but this was a pretty snark-free awards show. I'm disappointed, frankly. Except for the bird right at the end there, this wasn't quite the alcohol-fueled craziness it usually is.

Greece pictures are up

Here.

I will put together an abridged version in travelog form here, too, but the pictures themselves are ready. About 100 out of 500 taken.

What a day this is going to be

Let's see...

Wake up and snowblow, again!
Get the split-pea & ham soup going
Eagles - Giants
Chargers - Steelers
Golden Globe Awards

If I can even sit upright by midnight, much less type, it will be a miracle.

Recipe Share - Angle's Split-pea and Ham

The materials:
Chop fine: 2 red onions
Dice: 1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper
Mince fine: 3 red cherry peppers, 2 habaneros
2 tbsp crushed red pepper
Fresh-ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
Some fresh rosemary, thyme, and basil, chopped

7-8 carrots, sliced thin
2 ham hocks, scored plentifully to about a 1/2 inch depth
One package cooked ham, 2-3 lb, diced into 1/2" cubes
2 lbs split green peas



In a large pot (I use a 9-qt Lodge cast iron Dutch Oven - I love that thing):


Heat a 1/2-cup or so of olive oil, throw in the onions until they start getting soft and translucent, then throw in all the peppers. Sweat for 2-3 more minutes.

Add ham hocks, cover with water, add bay leaf, herbs, crushed red pepper and grind as much black pepper as you'd like in there.

Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 1.5 hours.

Remove ham hocks.

Add diced ham, carrots, and split peas.

Bring to a boil, cover and simmer low, stirring occasionally, for as long as it takes to soften split peas to aaaaalllmost a mush. You want them to be plenty soft, but you want some texture in there, not baby food. My rule is, if vigorous stirring makes mush, stir gently just enough to mix everything one last time (the veggies tend to float) and turn off heat.

Let sit uncovered for another 1/2 hour or so, to let any remaining water get absorbed/evaporate.

Done! One-pot cooking at its finest.

Now, judging from my sample just a few minutes ago, this is freakin' hot. So, again, adjust the cherry/habanero/crushed peppers to taste.

That's more like it

Would the Big 3 be looking for bailout funds if they actually made cars like this, and had a semblance of quality in the fit and finish?

Hey, we need some diversity in this here ad

Cool, boss, I'll just throw a black chick in there somewhere. And some more white dudes of various size.



(h/t Photoshop Disasters)


And while we're at it: let's play count the legs!

Stone Cold Lead Pipe Locks - Playoffs (FIXED Edition)

OK, my spreads were ALL fucking wrong. They were on ESPN, but apparently that was an average of reader opinion or something. Here's the updated sheet.



I changed one pick, to Philly. I see that being a field goal game, max. And I REALLY don't like that Pittsburgh spread.

But then I see that's I've picked all four road dogs, and that can't be right either.

I'm so confused.

Numbers, stat!

Placed my order for my three annual baseball books (for about a decade now), plus second editions of a couple more recent additions to the collection.

Within a few days, these two will be on my coffee table and/or at my bedside:



And as they're released in February, these will get added to the pile.



Oh. Baby.

I cannot tell you how many times I've read 2007's first edition of The Fielding Bible, or 2008's Gold Mine. And the Hardball Times Annual? Chock full of good shit every year.

Of course, I've got Anathem to work on too. It will be a good Winter/Spring for reading. Then again, it always is.

Linkdump

Work is kicking my ass again...

How to announce your company's books are a fraud.

If you use one of these passwords, you're an idiot. Still, the fact that 4 out of the top 10 involve 1234... is astounding. I know people are stupid, but come on!

Is consumer reports trying to protect domestic automakers? Well, they do think Norton makes good software...

Want to understand why American cars suck? Here you go. Yes, it's just one anecdote. But it's the perfect anecdote.

Pasta.

Save the bees.

Your tax dollars at work.

You're gonna love my nuts

This kicks the ShamWow's ass.

Gesundheit

"You know her as Lisa Bonet from "The Cosby Show," and Lilakoi Moon (Bonet changed her name in 1995) has given birth to her third child: Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa.

Lilakoi, 41, has a daughter Zoe, 20, with ex-husband Lenny Kravitz and a daughter Lola, 20 months, with boyfriend Jason Momoa of "Stargate: Atlantis" fame."

Frank Zappa thinks she's a freak.

You know, just last week I was trying to scale a tall building

But I didn't have a pocket grappling hook.

Come on, granny!

Obama wants to extend the cutoff date for analog transmission of TV signals.

Ugh.

What is a word?

Interesting. I'm down with "conversate," but I don't care what anyone says, "irregardless" blows chunks.

Stone Cold Lead Pipe Locks - Playoffs

OK, just me and TJ from here, and I grabbed Toast's and Shift's prediction from over at 2G.

Splooge

Only $160,000?

Stone Cold Lead Pipe Locks - Week 6 - The Reckoning

Yep.

This is why Vegas keeps building hotels...

I think the Sands is renaming one of their rooms the Chemist Suite.

That's helpful!

You gotta love, when you're trying to figure out how to trim the budget, having to install a new furnace.

Anyway, we got it done yesterday. It's not like we had a choice. I think it will work out in the long run, but damn we didn't want to add more shit to our credit cards...

It cost $3300. Minus $500 rebate from our power company, $150-200 from the state and federal tax returns, figure a net outlay of $2600. We'll save about $100 off the natural gas bill over the next 5 months too.

$2500 net cost to us, and another nice bonus in our favor when we try to sell the house again in the spring.

Recipe Share - Angle's Jambalaya

Meats:
Brown 3 lbs ground beef
Cut 6 links hot italian sausage and 5 links andouille sausage into 1/2-inch slices (about 2.5 lbs worth of sausage total), brown that shit right up

Veggies:
Dice two bell peppers (any color, I used 1 yellow and 1 orange)
Mince 2 habaneros, very fine
Dice 2 red onions
Chop finely a bunch of fresh mint and a bunch of fresh basil

Liquids:
In any pot, bring to a boil 4 cups of water with 2 "servings" of low-sodium chicken boullion and 1 pack of that dried onion dip/soup crap. Turn off heat, let cool a bit, stir in 1 pint heavy cream

Dry:
2 tbsp crushed red pepper
2 tbsp ground black pepper
2 cups basmati rice

In a large oven-safe pot & lid combo, add any lube you prefer (olive oil, butter, bacon fat), and heat the onions until slightly soft, then add the rest of the veggies and stir until it's all getting soft and sweaty.

Add the remaining ingredients, stir thoroughly, and pat down with your stirring spoon so everything is as covered as possible by liquid (but no loose liquid on top). Add a little water if you need, but you'd rather pack it down just tight enough to get everything to the level of the liquid than add too much liquid.

Cover and put in 350 degree oven for 1.5 hours.

This came out great, perfect texture on the rice and the sausage bits, quite spicy. (I have a high tolerance for heat, and so does Erica. It had a nice, slow burn to us, but might be too much for others. Adjust red pepper and habaneros to your own liking.)

Nectar of the Gods - Part 2

I posted this from my phone Wednesday night, drank another one after that, and gave one to one of the guys that was at that party.

The fourth, I made my first beer of the day. Fresh palate and all.

This immediately makes my top 5 beer list. I just have to figure out where.

All the complexity of a good wine or a good scotch, but a beer first and foremost.

I've had a few beers aged in fresh oak that were OK. I've had a couple beers aged in used whiskey barrels, both of which made me want to puke. I've had a couple beers aged in used wine barrels, one of which was by Dogfish, and they were decent to good.

This thing, though, is pheeeeenomenal. More smells and flavors and layers than you can shake a stick at, in a beer. Perfect. A+.

This will shock you

I know, it's tough to believe, but when presented with the choice between a simple, workable plan and one that creates a whole bunch of technical and bureaucratic challenges, a state government is looking into the difficult one.

UPDATE: Yes, I know I should have just post this post in the Drafts folder, but I was in a hurry and annoyed. OK, to answer TJ's very valid question.

Let's say I drove 15,000 miles last year, getting 30 mpg in my Toyota. I bought 500 gallons of gas at $3. The state's current gas tax is $.20 per gallon, so I paid $100 in gas taxes, and $1400 for fuel. That works out to 0.66 cents per mile in taxes.

If I buy a hybrid today that gets me 60 mpg, I'll be paying $50 in gas taxes, and $700 for fuel this year. Slap $50 in fees on my registration. I'll pay it with a smile, because I'm still saving $700, and the state still gets $100 from me to pave the roads I'm using.

Ten years from now I buy a full-electric car. Slap $100 on my registration fee. I'll pay it with a smile and a hard-on.

Now, the technological hurdles maybe aren't as steep as I implied. I suppose when I get my annual inspection at my state-licensed shop, they can plug into the car's computer and figure out that I drove 14,982 miles since the last inspection and hand me a bill for $99.88.

But why? I don't see how that discourages gas use. Fucking double the gas tax RIGHT NOW. Make gas more expensive to buy, period. Minor fees on hybrid and electric cars, so they do pay their share of the road maintenance budget, can be easily calculated based on the real numbers behind established miles-per-vehicle averages, MPG numbers, etc.

Yes, you could eliminate the gas tax. but why would you want to? Gas should not be cheaper.

Best of 2008

Music
Here is everything I listened to that was released in 2008, ranked.

Mike Doughty - Golden Delicious - Hands down. I listened to this more than all the below combined, probably.
Kings of Leon - Only by the Night - Great songs. Damned compression...
Rise Against - Appeal to Reason
The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
Guns 'n Roses - Chinese Democracy - I'm still shocked. This had disaster all over it. It's really good!
Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
Foxboro Hot Tubs - Stop Drop and Roll!!!
David Byrne & Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Kaiser Chiefs - Off With Their Heads
Weezer - The Red Album
Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
REM - Accelerate
Beck - Modern Guilt
Metallica - Death Magnetic
Judas Priest - Nostradamus
The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing
Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
AC/DC - Black Ice - Blech.
Rachel Yamagata - Elephants... Teeth Sinking Into Heart - Blech.

Other stuff, not released in 2008 but new to me:
Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild (soundtrack). Mellow and meditative, good instrumentation and singing. I haven't seen the movie yet, but this sounds like it would be just about right.

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights. Wild, funky, soulful, amazing album. The Dap Kings are part of the period-music movement, playing vintage instruments and recording on vintage analog equipment. You may know them as the band on most of Amy Winehouse's Back to Black. Sharon Jones was a struggling backup singer, discovered by two members of the band. Awesome.

I completed my Queens of the Stone Age collection. I fucking love that band. Pure unadulterated id.

10 Years - The Autumn Effect. My buddy the IT guy at work was talking these guys up, and let me borrow this CD. They're a real good band, but just didn't grab me with any emotional connection. I listened to the album a few times, and they show up in a shuffle every now and then, but nothing made me say WOW!

Movies
I only saw two movies that were actually released in 2008. So, here are all the movies I saw, ranked:
Life is Beautiful - yes, I know I'm just a decade or so late to the party.
Walk on Water
Children of Men - wow.
Speed Racer
The Girl in the Cafe
Juno
Pi
Simpsons Movie
Harold and Kumar 2 (2008)
The Squid and the Whale
Ready-to-Wear
The Break-Up
The Incredible Hulk (2008, with Ed Norton) (Hey, I was trapped on an airplane. Just awful.)

That's all I can remember, with the help of the Netflix history. I'm sure there are a couple movies I can't remember that we DVRed and watched.

Year-end meme, revisited

We're bringing this back, though not much has changed. Why the heck not?

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Attended a Greek Orthodox funeral.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t really make them. This year, though, I will work out more.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My wife's friend Mary.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My grandfather in Greece.

5. What places did you visit?
Greece, Boston, Philly (twice), Atlantic City.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
More money, more time to play golf, more couch time with Erica.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Election Day.

8. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
I don’t really think in those terms. I just do things.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I’ll just keep those private, thanks.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
No major purchases for me. Erica is digging her new smartphone though, that I got her for Christmas.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Erica still cranking away at her second Masters.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Republicans.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage, life/disability insurance, gas.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I’m a little too mellow for three reallys, but I did take my first vacation in 16 months at the new place, and went to Greece for the first time in 5 years.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Fort Hood.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) Happier or sadder? even
b) thinner or fatter? a little fatter
c) richer or poorer? richer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Play golf, photography.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Talk about money.

20. How did you spend Christmas last year?
In Greece, just dinner with family.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Always.

22. How many one-night stands?
None.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
30 Rock.

24. What did you do for your birthday in 2008?
The usual. Dinner, etc. That’s always around the time of my party at the Saratoga Racetrack, so I usually have friends up.

25. What was the best book you read?
I'm drawing a blank here. Not a good year for books for me.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Rise Against were new to me.

27. What did you want and get?
A new PC.

28. What did you want and not get?
Xbox 360.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
I don't think I've seen anything released in 2008, but the best movies I saw were Life is Beautiful and Walk on Water.

30. Did you make some new friends this year?
No.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Meh.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Basic. Jeans, polo shirts at home. Slacks and collared shirts at work.

33. What kept you sane?
I’m not sane.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
No one comes to mind.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
The election.

36. Who did you miss?
I sucks that my Dad lives in Greece.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
No one comes to mind.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
None, really.