Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Monday, November 28, 2005
The Duke Goes Down
California Congressman Admits Taking Bribes - New York Times
The first (frist?) in a long succession of Republican resignations, we hope.
The first (frist?) in a long succession of Republican resignations, we hope.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Good Fortune
I got a fortune-cookie fortune Monday that read:
Pretty funny for a fortune cookie. Usually, I feel that fortunes should make a real prediction like, "You will fall down an open manhole sometime soon," but I'll make an exception for this one.
Once, within a week of each other, I got a fortune that said, "No man is without enemies," then another that said (roughly), "You are being watched." I couldn't eat in a Chinese restaurant for months.
There is no substitute for good manners except, maybe, fast reflexes.
Pretty funny for a fortune cookie. Usually, I feel that fortunes should make a real prediction like, "You will fall down an open manhole sometime soon," but I'll make an exception for this one.
Once, within a week of each other, I got a fortune that said, "No man is without enemies," then another that said (roughly), "You are being watched." I couldn't eat in a Chinese restaurant for months.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Is this True??
Mirror.co.uk - News - EXCLUSIVE: BUSH PLOT TO BOMB HIS ARAB ALLY
Would somebody please tell Bush that we're supposed to be the good guys. By definition, the good guys can't:
Yes, as the Good Guys, sometimes our hands are tied. We cannot engage in bad things because they are not... 'good', see? Sometimes it sucks to be the Good Guys. But most of the time, it doesn't.
Would somebody please tell Bush that we're supposed to be the good guys. By definition, the good guys can't:
- Torture
- Target civilians
- Use chemical or biological weapons
- Engage in terrorism
- Enact collective punishment
Yes, as the Good Guys, sometimes our hands are tied. We cannot engage in bad things because they are not... 'good', see? Sometimes it sucks to be the Good Guys. But most of the time, it doesn't.
Monday, November 21, 2005
Friday, November 18, 2005
Friday Beer Blogging LIVE!!!!
I'll be liveblogging my first encounter with a new beer tonight.
Equipment:
Laptop
Pilsner Glass
Bottle Opener
One (1) Bottle of Victory Hop Wallop Ale
Goggles
Condom
(last two items are optional)
OK. Opening the bottle. Wow. The hop aroma burns your nose (along with some help from CO2).
Pouring now... Kind of a flat, homebrewish smell. Tame head, pale ale color. It's very fresh and smooth. The strong hop flavor kind of rides on top of the beer like a very sharp, almost sour note. It doesn't have the full bitterness and powerful flavor of Victory's HopDevil. I think I like it better than Devil, it's more refined, easier to drink. The bottle's marked 8.5% ABV, but it doesn't really taste like a beer that strong. Watch out!
Another hit from a brand that rarely misses. Try it!
Update: Added links, corrected HopDevil to one word.
Equipment:
Laptop
Pilsner Glass
Bottle Opener
One (1) Bottle of Victory Hop Wallop Ale
Goggles
Condom
(last two items are optional)
OK. Opening the bottle. Wow. The hop aroma burns your nose (along with some help from CO2).
Pouring now... Kind of a flat, homebrewish smell. Tame head, pale ale color. It's very fresh and smooth. The strong hop flavor kind of rides on top of the beer like a very sharp, almost sour note. It doesn't have the full bitterness and powerful flavor of Victory's HopDevil. I think I like it better than Devil, it's more refined, easier to drink. The bottle's marked 8.5% ABV, but it doesn't really taste like a beer that strong. Watch out!
Another hit from a brand that rarely misses. Try it!
Update: Added links, corrected HopDevil to one word.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Hi, My Name is Mike, and I'm a Dwarf
Dwarvish
To which race of Middle Earth do you belong?
brought to you by Quizilla
Where's my great two-handed battle-axe!
Beer Blogging Deferred
I tried 'Cru D'Or' from The North Coast Brewing Company over the weekend. It was impressive. Very fresh tasting; it reminded me of a batch of homebrew I made once. They bill it as a Belgian Triple Ale:
I'm used to Tripels as being blonde in color with a bit less sweetness. This is a fairly sweet beer (which obscures the alcohol content well) with a deep red color. The carbonation wasn't too active and not much of a head formed. Hop flavor was subdued, and the fruity ale notes were prominent. I think the style of the homebrew batch that Cru D'or resembled was a Belgian Strong Ale.
So, the taste was good and the beer was very fresh (probably the most important factor in any beer tasting) and I give it good marks for that. As for stylistic accuracy, I'll have to say, 'Nice try!'.
I picked this up at Whole Foods. It may be available there exclusively. I see that North Coast also make the Acme brand of beers, which I remember as being very good.
Cru d'Or, a Belgian Triple Ale, is an homage to the magic of Belgian yeasts, legendary for their fruity flavor and floral bouquet. The result is a world-class beer, lush and profoundly aromatic with a warming finish. It too is organic, brewed with the same reverence for pure ingredients accorded the Abbey and Farmhouse ales of the past. Delicious. ABV is 8.0%.
I'm used to Tripels as being blonde in color with a bit less sweetness. This is a fairly sweet beer (which obscures the alcohol content well) with a deep red color. The carbonation wasn't too active and not much of a head formed. Hop flavor was subdued, and the fruity ale notes were prominent. I think the style of the homebrew batch that Cru D'or resembled was a Belgian Strong Ale.
So, the taste was good and the beer was very fresh (probably the most important factor in any beer tasting) and I give it good marks for that. As for stylistic accuracy, I'll have to say, 'Nice try!'.
I picked this up at Whole Foods. It may be available there exclusively. I see that North Coast also make the Acme brand of beers, which I remember as being very good.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Friday!
* Daniel Prayed - The Stanley Brothers
* Dirty Old Town - The Pogues
* Is She Really Going Out With Him? - Joe Jackson
* Jealousy - Natalie Merchant
* A Place To Stand - The Bathtub Virgins
* I'm Not Here (1967) - Mekons
* New Big Prinz - The Fall
* I'm Coming Over - X
* Love Is Blindness - U2
* Fall On Me - R.E.M.
* Dirty Old Town - The Pogues
* Is She Really Going Out With Him? - Joe Jackson
* Jealousy - Natalie Merchant
* A Place To Stand - The Bathtub Virgins
* I'm Not Here (1967) - Mekons
* New Big Prinz - The Fall
* I'm Coming Over - X
* Love Is Blindness - U2
* Fall On Me - R.E.M.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
The Physics of Cows
Cow Tipping? It's bullshit.
Update: Some Times readers submitted techniques they have used to effect a cow-tipping.
Update: Some Times readers submitted techniques they have used to effect a cow-tipping.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
The Most Strained Acronym of the Year (TMSAY) Winner!
New Scientist Breaking News - US military sets laser PHASRs to stun
This funky, Fifth Element-inspired boondoggle is supposedly an anti-personnel laser weapon that causes temporary blindess in targets. A laser weapon that can reliably avoid causing permanent blindness when shot into someone's eyes? Right. A team of doctors operating it on an immobilized subject would have trouble avoiding blindness reliably. But I'm sure the designers tested it out on themselves first, right?
Now, you may think that blinding someone is better than killing them or blowing their limbs off. I disagree. So does the UN.
And congrats to the military for another execrable, painfully dumb acronym. Whatever dipshit thought 'PHASR' up is really revealing hi s (or her) self to be a pathetic, Star-Trek-Original-Series fangeek of the very limited creativity variety. "Personnel Halting and Stimulation Response"?!?! Fucking idiots. And fuck the New Scientist editors for compounding the error with a stupid headline.
This funky, Fifth Element-inspired boondoggle is supposedly an anti-personnel laser weapon that causes temporary blindess in targets. A laser weapon that can reliably avoid causing permanent blindness when shot into someone's eyes? Right. A team of doctors operating it on an immobilized subject would have trouble avoiding blindness reliably. But I'm sure the designers tested it out on themselves first, right?
Now, you may think that blinding someone is better than killing them or blowing their limbs off. I disagree. So does the UN.
And congrats to the military for another execrable, painfully dumb acronym. Whatever dipshit thought 'PHASR' up is really revealing hi s (or her) self to be a pathetic, Star-Trek-Original-Series fangeek of the very limited creativity variety. "Personnel Halting and Stimulation Response"?!?! Fucking idiots. And fuck the New Scientist editors for compounding the error with a stupid headline.
Friday, November 04, 2005
FR10
• Smokestack Lightnin - Grateful Dead
• Gin Palace - Mekons
• Worried Brow - John Doe
• Dying - XTC
• When A Man Loves A Woman - Percy Sledge
• Louisiana Liplock - Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper
• Summer Swim - George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars
• Girls - The Beastie Boys
• The Big Ranch - Los Lobos
• I Feel Fine - The Beatles
• Gin Palace - Mekons
• Worried Brow - John Doe
• Dying - XTC
• When A Man Loves A Woman - Percy Sledge
• Louisiana Liplock - Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper
• Summer Swim - George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars
• Girls - The Beastie Boys
• The Big Ranch - Los Lobos
• I Feel Fine - The Beatles
Beer News Flash!
I just tried Samuel Smith Organic Lager. Not skunked. Not stale. Dark brown bottle. Excellent, try it!
Friday Beer Blogging
Today's beer is 'Blue Paw Wheat Ale', a blueberry-flavored wheat beer from The Sea Dog Microbrewery.
Fruit-flavored beers are very often based on wheat beer; the wheat ale's banana/clove flavor is compatible with fruit flavoring and doesn't overwhelm it. Wheat beer is almost always an ale rather than a lager.
Fruit beers are often fairly obnoxious, but the blueberry flavor in this ale is no too strong, and acheives a good balance. It's light and goes down easily. The only downside is an initial rank aroma you open up a bottle, which fades quickly.
What sets true Lambic beers apart from these fruit/wheat beers is the wild yeast used by Belgian brewers. This gives the Lambics a unique musty, sour taste that counteracts added fruit flavors.
This is the brewer's description:
This ale weighs in at a typical 4.6% ABV.
I'll give it a seven out of 10.
Fruit-flavored beers are very often based on wheat beer; the wheat ale's banana/clove flavor is compatible with fruit flavoring and doesn't overwhelm it. Wheat beer is almost always an ale rather than a lager.
Fruit beers are often fairly obnoxious, but the blueberry flavor in this ale is no too strong, and acheives a good balance. It's light and goes down easily. The only downside is an initial rank aroma you open up a bottle, which fades quickly.
What sets true Lambic beers apart from these fruit/wheat beers is the wild yeast used by Belgian brewers. This gives the Lambics a unique musty, sour taste that counteracts added fruit flavors.
This is the brewer's description:
Our unique contribution to the fruit ale category features the nutty quench of wheat ale combined with the delightful aromatics and subtle fruit flavor contributed by Maine wild blueberries.
This ale weighs in at a typical 4.6% ABV.
I'll give it a seven out of 10.
See James Cromwell as Nikolai Copernicus in 'The Heretic'!
That's why you have to find, dig up and reconstruct the heads of historical figures: to see who plays them in the movie.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
New Scientist Breaking News - Invention: Coffee beer
Coffee Beer?!
Not really. Actually fermented, but no alcohol:
Not really. Actually fermented, but no alcohol:
A drink somewhere between coffee and beer could soon be on the menu. Nestec, part of the Nestlé empire in Switzerland, has filed patents in every major market round the world on a "fermented coffee beverage" that pours and foams like beer, but smells of strong coffee and packs a concentrated caffeine kick.
The beverage is made in a similar way to beer, but fine-tuned temperature control stops the formation of ethyl alcohol. So the new drink could go down well with people who want a long tall pick-me-up while driving.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
The Italian Job
I usually wouldn't link to American Conservative Magazine, but this is great. I hope every word is true and that it explodes into the mainstream press!
Forging the Case for War
Forging the Case for War
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