Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
For political junkies
Cool statistics/polling site, written by a guy from Baseball Prospectus.
Numbers and pie-charts and cartograms, oh my!
Numbers and pie-charts and cartograms, oh my!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Yay!
Carpets have been munched put down.
What a difference. Now we just need the furniture-moving fairies to show up to put the rooms back together.
What a difference. Now we just need the furniture-moving fairies to show up to put the rooms back together.
Better to know your enemy?
TJ sent me this link to Mass Equality, an LGBT action group.
Listen to the audio clip.
Something tells me that hateful asshole identifies as "Christian" and "Republican." Just a hunch.
Listen to the audio clip.
Something tells me that hateful asshole identifies as "Christian" and "Republican." Just a hunch.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Flikr browsing
I hate Flikr, because it's too damned slow, but this is an amazing way to browse photos by tags.
Literary criticism and baseball, a match made in heaven
I heart the Dugout.
"We will now offer queries regarding the logic, circumstances, and meanings both ostensible and deconstructed."
That just kills me.
"We will now offer queries regarding the logic, circumstances, and meanings both ostensible and deconstructed."
That just kills me.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Memorial Day Weekend Wine and Food Blogging
We had to skip the Rusch's annual party this year, for the first time I can remember. Way too many projects to get done if we're going to get this house on the market for an open house on June 6th.
But, all work and no play makes us dull children, so good food and wine are in order. Our little reward system, if you must.
I don't even remember Friday's dinner, we probably just winged it with some eggs or something. But the wine... oh! the wine. The Colonial Estate Explorateur Old Vine Shiraz, Barossa Valley, 2005, $35. Wow.
The pour: very very dark. We settled on garnet. Nice clarity with very slight rim variation. Long, long legs.
Nose? You want nose?! Quick, go to your fridge, open up a jar of blackberry jam, and stick your schozz right in there. Then double it. And add some cherry jam, some wood, and some pepper. Huge! The taste followed suit. Thick mouthfeel, spices and fruits pinging every taste bud, the roof of your mouth, the back of your throat. Big, big wine. 8 points.
The weekend's menu was greatly enhanced by Erica's trip to the farmer's market. She brought home some just-picked arugula (elitist!), blue potatoes, bok choy, and lamb chorizo.
Saturday's menu:
Breaded catfish, rice, and bok choy. I make my own breadcrumbs most of the time, and there's no fixed recipe. Just toast the hell out of some not-so-fresh bread, and put it in the food processor with garlic powder, fresh ground pepper, sea salt, and whatever the hell else I feel like at the moment. For this meal, I added some bacon/horseradish dry rub to the crumbs. Dip the fish in eggs, batter thoroughly, and pan-fry in olive oil. The rice was basmati, to which I added nothing, because it would get the sauté liquids. The bok choy I had to research on the internets, and after checking out 5 or 6 preparation methods, settled on a 10-second boil in highly-salted water, followed by an immediate transfer to ice-water, then on to paper towels to get the water out of it. In a pan, I started up a sauce of olive oil, soy, sweet-n-sour, black pepper, and garlic. When the fish was almost done, I did a quick sauté of the bok choy in that sauce, just to get it back up to temperature.
No idea which wines we had. Oops.
Sunday's menu:
Sirloin steaks, mashed blue potatoes, sautéed arugula, and home-made bread. Very simple, but oh so tasty. I do my steaks in a cast-iron pan which I heat the hell out of for a nice sear, and then turn the flame way down to let residual heat take care of the rest. Just pepper and Greek sea salt, people. If you need to use A1, you're eating a bad steak. Basic mash on the potatoes: boil, then beat in the KitchenAid with tons of butter, fresh garlic, and half-and-half. They were so tasty. Must buy more. The bread was the hit of the day, though. I've been experimenting a lot with the bread-maker, because the recipes in the book always result in too dense a loaf. Tasted great, mind you, but I want my bread light and fluffy inside, with lots of bubbles. This was probably the best attempt yet. We nibbled at it all afternoon, and by the time dinner came around we had finished more than half of it. Plain, with butter, with gouda, plain, with olive oil, etc. Perfect. Just the right sweetness as it dissolved in our mouths. Mmmmmm.
The wines: a Mondavi Fume Blanc that I wasn't too fond of, but Erica enjoyed. I thought it was too grassy and raw. So I stuck with rum over ice, sipping slowly throughout the day. Very minor buzz, just enough to take the edge off the sheetrock and spackle and paint and putty and... Then, with dinner, Terra Única Tempranillo-Monastrel Reserva, Valencia, 2002, $9. Very nice wine, good spices, a definite hint of Spanish terroir. We forgot to take notes, unfortunately. Well worth it, if not spectacular. 7 points.
Monday's menu:
Who knows? I've got another loaf of bread going, and a turkey in the oven, but that's mostly for having food around during the week. Erica had mentioned grouper, so I might pull some of that out of the freezer. Leftover blue mash, maybe, and some more experimenting with the arugula.
The wines:
Our first bottle today, a McGregor Vineyard Pinot Noir Rosé. Perfect for a hot day. Crisp, with a nice mineral finish. Part of our membership package, it's not available to the public. Probably just didn't make enough.
Second up, McGregor Rosé de Cabernet Franc. Very tasty, and again, a perfect complement to the hard work and hot weather.
Third, an old Amarone di Valpolicella I rescued from the cellar. It was pricey 4 or 5 years ago, as all Amarones are, and I didn't want it to go bad. Also, the less wine we have to move, the better. Rich and fruity, with just enough tannin left to keep a balance. I love Amarones, but understand how they're too much for some palates.
No formal dinner, after all. We nibbled on turkey as I carved it, attacked the bread I made today, and I polished off the leftover catfish with some blue potato mash.
All in all, a very productive weekend. Four or five projects scratched off the list, and a few more started but not finished yet.
Thursday is the big day, when carpet gets put down in 4 rooms, and I start to tear apart the master bath.
Phew. Good fucking night, people.
But, all work and no play makes us dull children, so good food and wine are in order. Our little reward system, if you must.
I don't even remember Friday's dinner, we probably just winged it with some eggs or something. But the wine... oh! the wine. The Colonial Estate Explorateur Old Vine Shiraz, Barossa Valley, 2005, $35. Wow.
The pour: very very dark. We settled on garnet. Nice clarity with very slight rim variation. Long, long legs.
Nose? You want nose?! Quick, go to your fridge, open up a jar of blackberry jam, and stick your schozz right in there. Then double it. And add some cherry jam, some wood, and some pepper. Huge! The taste followed suit. Thick mouthfeel, spices and fruits pinging every taste bud, the roof of your mouth, the back of your throat. Big, big wine. 8 points.
The weekend's menu was greatly enhanced by Erica's trip to the farmer's market. She brought home some just-picked arugula (elitist!), blue potatoes, bok choy, and lamb chorizo.
Saturday's menu:
Breaded catfish, rice, and bok choy. I make my own breadcrumbs most of the time, and there's no fixed recipe. Just toast the hell out of some not-so-fresh bread, and put it in the food processor with garlic powder, fresh ground pepper, sea salt, and whatever the hell else I feel like at the moment. For this meal, I added some bacon/horseradish dry rub to the crumbs. Dip the fish in eggs, batter thoroughly, and pan-fry in olive oil. The rice was basmati, to which I added nothing, because it would get the sauté liquids. The bok choy I had to research on the internets, and after checking out 5 or 6 preparation methods, settled on a 10-second boil in highly-salted water, followed by an immediate transfer to ice-water, then on to paper towels to get the water out of it. In a pan, I started up a sauce of olive oil, soy, sweet-n-sour, black pepper, and garlic. When the fish was almost done, I did a quick sauté of the bok choy in that sauce, just to get it back up to temperature.
No idea which wines we had. Oops.
Sunday's menu:
Sirloin steaks, mashed blue potatoes, sautéed arugula, and home-made bread. Very simple, but oh so tasty. I do my steaks in a cast-iron pan which I heat the hell out of for a nice sear, and then turn the flame way down to let residual heat take care of the rest. Just pepper and Greek sea salt, people. If you need to use A1, you're eating a bad steak. Basic mash on the potatoes: boil, then beat in the KitchenAid with tons of butter, fresh garlic, and half-and-half. They were so tasty. Must buy more. The bread was the hit of the day, though. I've been experimenting a lot with the bread-maker, because the recipes in the book always result in too dense a loaf. Tasted great, mind you, but I want my bread light and fluffy inside, with lots of bubbles. This was probably the best attempt yet. We nibbled at it all afternoon, and by the time dinner came around we had finished more than half of it. Plain, with butter, with gouda, plain, with olive oil, etc. Perfect. Just the right sweetness as it dissolved in our mouths. Mmmmmm.
The wines: a Mondavi Fume Blanc that I wasn't too fond of, but Erica enjoyed. I thought it was too grassy and raw. So I stuck with rum over ice, sipping slowly throughout the day. Very minor buzz, just enough to take the edge off the sheetrock and spackle and paint and putty and... Then, with dinner, Terra Única Tempranillo-Monastrel Reserva, Valencia, 2002, $9. Very nice wine, good spices, a definite hint of Spanish terroir. We forgot to take notes, unfortunately. Well worth it, if not spectacular. 7 points.
Monday's menu:
Who knows? I've got another loaf of bread going, and a turkey in the oven, but that's mostly for having food around during the week. Erica had mentioned grouper, so I might pull some of that out of the freezer. Leftover blue mash, maybe, and some more experimenting with the arugula.
The wines:
Our first bottle today, a McGregor Vineyard Pinot Noir Rosé. Perfect for a hot day. Crisp, with a nice mineral finish. Part of our membership package, it's not available to the public. Probably just didn't make enough.
Second up, McGregor Rosé de Cabernet Franc. Very tasty, and again, a perfect complement to the hard work and hot weather.
Third, an old Amarone di Valpolicella I rescued from the cellar. It was pricey 4 or 5 years ago, as all Amarones are, and I didn't want it to go bad. Also, the less wine we have to move, the better. Rich and fruity, with just enough tannin left to keep a balance. I love Amarones, but understand how they're too much for some palates.
No formal dinner, after all. We nibbled on turkey as I carved it, attacked the bread I made today, and I polished off the leftover catfish with some blue potato mash.
All in all, a very productive weekend. Four or five projects scratched off the list, and a few more started but not finished yet.
Thursday is the big day, when carpet gets put down in 4 rooms, and I start to tear apart the master bath.
Phew. Good fucking night, people.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Brilliant, again
Wow.
I wonder how much that would have cost.
UPDATE: Fake. As many Giz commenter said at the time. Still a great piece, and still a work of art. Just in a different way.
I wonder how much that would have cost.
UPDATE: Fake. As many Giz commenter said at the time. Still a great piece, and still a work of art. Just in a different way.
Meme!
Well, that's one way to end the drought. Tag me with an alcohol meme.
I tag Bill. TJ, put yours in comments.
Beer, wine, liquor, mixed drinks. Rank 'em.
1. Beer
2. Wine
3. Rum
4. Bourbon
5. TequilaHow often do you drink?
Pretty much every day.
Favorite Scotch?
Laphroaig and Lagavulin.
Favorite Bourbon?
Maker's Mark
Favorite tequila?
None that I can think of. As long as it's 100%, and aged well, I'll try it.
Favorite Gin?
Bombay Sapphire
Favorite Vodka?
Whatever.
Favorite Rum?
Gosling's Bermuda Black
Drunkest you've ever been?
Probably when I funneled screwdrivers freshman year at RPI. 1 liter vodka, 1 quart OJ, less than an hour.
Red or White?
Red, but we enjoy busting out some good whites on the deck in the summer.
Best wine you've ever tasted?
No such thing.
Favorite type of wine?
I love so many varietals, I'm not going to try to pick a true favorite. Lately I've been gravitating to "non-standard" wines, like Malbec, Carménère, etc.. Always looking for new stuff.
Favorite every-day red?
Yellow Tail Shiraz Reserve. Really, spend that extra dollar. The difference between the generic one that took the country by storm a couple years ago and the Reserve is tremendous.
Favorite every-day white?
KJ Chardonnay is a little too expensive for every day, even at BJs, but it's real good.
Best value wine?
Too many to mention. Most of our drinking is "cheap" wine, from BJs. There's a ton of good stuff at $6 to $9.
Do you drink box?
There are too few good ones. It's a great concept, but I hate spending $20 (even if it's for 4 bottles of wine) and then feeling like I have to choke it down.
Fastest you've ever gotten drunk?
See: most drunk above.
Longest you've ever stayed drunk?
There were a few 4-5 day stretches in college.
Ever do anything you really regret while drunk?
Yeah, of course. A drove a lot in college, even if it was only 2 miles up the hill. Punched a window and wound up with a few stitches. A couple dickish things. You know the deal.
Favorite lager?
Grolsch.
Favorite IPA?
Dogfish Head 60-minute.
Favorite brown ale?
Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale
Favorite doppelbock?
Favorite Belgian?
Ommegang from the US, and Duvel's Tripel. (UPDATE: Chimay Blue, too.)
Favorite stout?
Péché Mortel and Dogfish World Wide Stout. I ain't pickin' just one. You can't make me.
Favorite Winter Ale?
Don't like most of them. Too much spice, instead of just a hint. If I have to pick one, I'll go Corsendonk.
Favorite Scotch Ale?
McEwan's. Nothing else comes close in this category.
Favorite Other? (Because I realize this is getting abusive to non-beer-nerds.)
Lots of barleywines are competing for this slot.
Favorite Brewery?
Dogfish Head
Favorite mixed drink?
Rum Swizzle. Cuba Libre. Manhattan. Mint Julep (made my way).
Favorite morning libation?
Bloody Mary.
Do you suffer memory loss when you drink heavily?
What?
Favorite place to drink?
Hmmm. I don't think I've been to a truly memorable bar. I've had great memories at many places, but to think of any of them as a destination... nope.
Favorite sports bar?
None. Never been to a chain, and the sports bar in downtown Saratoga sucks moosecock.
Ever consider AA?
No. I hate meetings.
I tag Bill. TJ, put yours in comments.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Yeah, yeah, yeah
One of these days I'll actually write something myself (or bring something out of drafts), before this thing becomes a total link-dump.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
America!
Harvey now works part time for $8 an hour, and she draws Social Security to help make ends meet. But she still cannot afford an apartment, and so every night she pulls into a gated parking lot to sleep in her car, along with other women who find themselves in a similar predicament.
There are 12 parking lots across Santa Barbara that have been set up to accommodate the growing middle-class homelessness. These lots are believed to be part of the first program of its kind in the United States, according to organizers.
Jeez, I suppose pinko commie liberal DFH-types think there should be ways to help these people. But what we really need are more tax cuts, so the riches trickle down.
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