Glibertarians.com 2018 Archive

Author: SP

  • Saturday Night Open Post & Coming Attractions

    Well, by now, the cool kids know this is where they can get a preview of the next week’s post lineup here at Glibertarians.com. Think of this as a glib TV Guide. Don’t forget to set your VCR so you don’t miss any important articles. Or, better yet, just tune in all day every day! We need that sweet, sweet ad revenue.

    Yeah, yeah, get on with it so we can get to the Open Post!

    First up, we’ve got the weekly astrological skinny from Not Adahn, then Web Dom gives us an easy and cheap vegan recipe. Monday, Gadianton is back with more inside info on what The Church believes and DblEagle has a harrowing/exhilarating libertarian activity suggestion for you.

    Tuesday is Election Day here in the US. There might be a topical midday post from SugarFree (no pressure, dude), but there will definitely be a political post from CPRM in the evening. Wednesday, we are hoping for even more SugarFree, although after the great run of double bills in October, he might be too burned out. But there will certainly be a GlibFit post from Mr and Mrs trshmnstr (yes, you are running out of time!), and my regular weekly poll returns Wednesday evening.

    Thursday, we’ve got an all Kitbash day! UnCivilServant takes the midday spot, and Yusef Drives a Kia is back with a new project in the evening. Friday, PieInTheSky takes us to a summer lunch in Romania, while Saturday, mexican sharpshooter returns with another review/not review.

    Along the way, you can expect Daily Links to ignore from Sloopy, Brett L, OMWC, and most likely the blockhead and the SMITH family.

    Want to contribute an article? Go find out how YOU can be added to the Contributing Writers page. We sincerely appreciate each and every community member who takes the time to write for the rest of us, even those of you who still have something languishing in draft stage.  😉

    Future programming note: on Sunday, November 18, there will be a(n American) Thanksgiving food post in the regular food spot at 1400. If you’ve got a special recipe you’d like to include, send it along to me: sp@ this website. I’ll be formatting each of them so they can be downloaded in pdf format for your cooking pleasure.

    Public Service Announcement: If you live in one of the numerous retarded locations that mess around with the damn clocks, set the stupid clock back an hour and gain an hour of extra sleep tonight. Or an extra hour for drinking and snarking on Glibs. Your choice.

     

    And now…drumroll, please…enjoy everyone’s favorite…SATURDAY NIGHT OPEN POST!

     

     

  • Poll: Nicknames

    A while ago in one of the comment sections, we had a discussion about names and nicknames. It was revealed that I hate, despise, loathe the most common nickname for my given name. In fact, I’m not all that crazy about my given name, but at least it’s tolerable and not stupid. Did I mention I detest the usual diminutive?

    When I graduated from high school in my tiny hometown, I was determined to be called “nickname” no longer. So I laid down the law to my family and friends, and started correcting local shopkeepers who had known me my entire life by “nickname,” and was generally a pain in the ass about it to everyone. But it worked.

    My Mom settled on just shortening my name by lopping off the very end. My Dad shortened it even further, just calling me by the first syllable; he’d done that most of my life anyway.

    Whenever I met someone new, I’d introduce myself by my entire name, and if they immediately used “nickname” I would gently correct them. That worked well for most of my life.

    Then I allowed OMWC to convince me to relocate to the Midwest.

    People who are from here, and that seems to be almost everyone I meet–either nobody ever leaves or they all come back–invariably immediately assign “nickname” to me in their minds, and that is what they call me forevermore. No matter how I protest. *sigh*

    In my non-GlibWorld interactions with Glibs, it seems many prefer their whole given name, too, which brings me to this week’s poll questions:

    1. Do you have any preference between your given name or a nickname? Or do you just not care?

    2. Are there people in your life who get a pass on what they call you?

    3. Do you have a nickname not related to any part of your name? Did you make it up yourself, T-Bone? (I suspect many Glibs are called unflattering things, even–or especially–by strangers.)

    In case you’re curious, my current intimates–OMWC, the Founders, and other very close friends–often just call me the initial of my first name. When my children want to be assholes, they call me the abhorrent nickname.

    Yes, they are already disinherited.

  • Coming Attractions and, yes, Saturday Night Open Post

    Good evening, my dear Glibs. This is coming to you from [REDACTED] where OMWC and I are visiting RAHeinlein and family. I know, you wish you were us. Well, you aren’t. So we shall enjoy ourselves immensely on your behalf. We’re only doing it for you.

    This coming week here at Glibertarians.com is–again–jam-packed with terrific posts from your fellow community members.

    We’ve got your links, morning, afternoon, and some miscellaneous evenings, thanks to Sloopy, Brett L, OMWC, and possibly those SMITH boys and their compatriot, the giant floating stone head. Maybe even some relievers stepping in here and there.

    On Sunday, we have Not Adahn’s informative (and sometimes worrisome) forecast for the week, and Web Dom is graciously moving over to the traditional Sunday afternoon food post time so we can run Gordilock’s account of a meeting with NYS LP gubernatorial candidate Larry Sharpe on Monday night. Earlier on Monday, Plisade stops by with a pondering.

    Tuesday, Evan from Evansville takes us along on a fascinating trip and banginglc1 goes on another kind of journey.

    On Wednesday, which happens to be Halloween, get ready for more SugarFree! The midday and evening spots are both his. If that doesn’t put a fright into you, nothing will.

    Thursday brings an extremely useful post from defense attorney ElspethFlashman. You will definitely want to read this first part of a great three part series. Then, after BakedPenguin’s NFL Pick-’em, I have a little poll for you.

    On Friday, Animal submits a report from the hunt and Saturday brings mexican sharpshooter’s review of the week.

    Whew. What a line-up! I’m exhausted just writing about it.

    OK, I’m heading back to the party. Try to behave in…the Saturday Night Open Post!

  • SPontaneous Thursday Afternoon Links

     

    Hey, kids!

    I might just possibly be procrastinating on handling more important things, but when Brett L sent up a flare to have someone rescue the afternoon links, I volunteered sharpish.

    However, it was kind of last minute, so you get no fancy formatting, no theme, and undoubtedly links you’ve already seen. Since you only want the new post for a blank page on which to enshrine your bon mots, I figure this will do.


     
     

    • I can see my dog doing this. But it would be Lou Malnati’s.
    • Nobody needs this many species.
    • More of a press release, but having lost a Great Pyrenees companion animal to this disease, I am glad to see this development, if a decade too late. And…fuck cancer.
    • Really? Shouldn’t the people who purportedly have the same goal be working together on this proposition? Wait, you mean several of these groups just want press and money? Dude, you’re cynical. (Which doesn’t make you wrong.)
    • Do you or don’t you? I don’t. But you do you.

     
    Don’t let them work you like a dog this afternoon! Later gators. (I guess I had a theme, after all.)

    Obligatory, predictable music.

  • Coming Attractions

    Happy Saturday night, my dear (and not so dear) Glibs. Just kidding! You know I love all of my (non-pineapple pizza) peeps.

    Keeping this short and sweet because I need to go make real pizza and drink some more wine.

    Next week, there are great articles scheduled for your edification and delight, courtesy your fellow members.

    We’ve got the links brought to you by the Usual Suspects–Sloopy, Brett L, and OMWC, with possible last minute subs if anyone is questionable (hahahah those guys are ALL questionable!) or out with a hammy or torn ACL. I expect the Giant Floating Stone Head and/or the SMITH family may surprise us sometime during the week, too, and by surprise, mean…surprise.

    Tomorrow, Not Adahn is warning you about the coming week and OMWC is sharing a trio of delicious recipes. Gadianton and Web Dom both return on Monday. Tuesday brings a non-GlibFit post from trshmnstr and a “Working Your Wood” post from I.B.McGinty. Wednesday wends weird thanks to two, count ’em, TWO posts from SugarFree. trshmnstr and the missus will be along with a GlibFit post, too.

    Thursday, UnCivilServant has another Kitbash installment for us, BakedPenguin helps you with your legal wagering activities, and CPRM talks about everyone. Friday brings the ever popular What Are We Reading Post. Saturday mexican sharpshooter brings us a review, possibly about beer, possibly about something else. And that brings us full circle!

     

    So, that’s what’s coming up. Now I’m back to Pizza Night and you can comment, snark, vent, rejoice or whatever on the Saturday Night Open Post!

     

  • SPectacular Tuesday Afternoon Links

     

    Good afternoon, kids. I bet you thought you were going to receive SPectacular links, or at least a SPectacular layout thereof. But no.

    SPectacular applies to the Tuesday Afternoon part of the title. It is a beautiful autumn afternoon here, if a little windy.
     

    Well, let’s see what is going on in the rest of the world.

     
     

    I like them all and couldn’t choose, so you get three musical selections.

    A standard.

    A little darker.

    And one for the Old Guy.

  • Coming Attractions & Saturday Night Open Post

    Good evening, my dear Glibs.

    We’ve been super busy here at Chez OMWC/SP. As OMWC mentioned, we have a dear friend, [REDACTED], making his annual visit from Europe, and I’ve just had a final project due for my pharmacology course, along with taking the final exam yesterday. I did have to miss the family reunion that was also scheduled for this weekend in Western PA. Bi-location fail!

    But tomorrow, much fun will ensue. OMWC and [REDACTED] and I will be meeting up with Swiss and three of his dearest friends for brunch. Don’t you wish you lived near us? (Stay alert for a Go Fund Me appeal for bail money.)

    Anyway! You didn’t come here to read about my life. You want to know what’s happening on the site next week. And, of course, you want your Saturday Night Open Post.

    We have much more great content coming up than some of you deserve. Of course, we have the standard linkages from OMWC, Sloopy, Brett L, and possibly others who might be pressed into service as the need arises. I suspect the giant floating stone head and that forest lawyer fellow might put in an appearance.

    Tomorrow we have Not Adahn’s weekly GlibCast (look out!), then we segue into CPRM’s latest animated Hat & Hair episode. (Not to embarrass CPRM, but, if you’ve got some spare change and you enjoy the animated H&H, please consider throwing some coins at him via PayPal. Send to: his handle at myself.com These take a considerable amount of time and effort on his part. Show some love. /fellow starving artist)

    Next up, Swiss has sent an Afghan update for tomorrow evening. Monday, we have a very good question from BakedPenguin, OMWC explains why “fuck you, cut spending” won’t work for Illinois, and Web Dom has another tasty recipe.

    Tuesday, Evan from Evansville takes us on a trip (not THAT kind), and Aus provides some cover tunes with which to sing along. Wednesday is pretty much owned by SugarFree, but we will have a respite in the middle provided by Mrs trshmnstr’s and trshmnstr’s weekly GlibFit wrap-up. Thursday, UnCivilServant gives us some advice, BakedPenguin likely predicts NFL Week 7 outcomes, and Yusef Drives a Kia out to the desert. Friday, Animal shares a visit to a shoot-y part of Massachusetts. Then, on Saturday sit back and relax with part two of mexican sharpshooter’s beer-and-book review. (Drinking and thinking at the same time…I dunno, that seems hard.)

    The fun never stops here at Glibertarians.com!

    And now…even MORE fun, with the Saturday Night Open Post. Have a great rest of your weekend!

  • Sourdough Soft Pretzels

    When one has sourdough starter, one is obligated to use it regularly. I am one of those people who can’t stand to throw out the discard when I feed it, and, happily, with this recipe, I don’t have to.

    For those of you without sourdough starter on hand, I suggest you try either Baking God Peter Reinhart’s recipe or Alton Brown’s. I’ve had success with both. For shaping technique, definitely check out Peter’s video.

    However, I, immodestly, like my recipe better.

    Tips:

    1. Some recipes will tell you that you do not need to do an alkali bath. They are wrong. It is crucial to getting the outside texture and color right. DO NOT SKIP IT.

    Usually, I use a simple homemade concentrated baking soda (which I also use when making bagels), but this time I didn’t realize I was out until time to add to the pot of water. Oops. So, regular baking soda will definitely do in a pinch. You’ll lose some of the deep mahogany color, but that’s OK! I can assure you that the pretzels will still be pretty and taste fabulous.

    2. Many bakers, including Peter Reinhart, will tell you that you don’t need to do a boiling water bath for the alkali dip. When I was first learning to bake, I was taught to do the boiling water thing, so I still do. YMMV. Experiment! Whether doing boiling water or room temp, using a “spider” skimmer when removing the pretzels will minimize the amount of residual water you add to the baking sheet.

    3. I like to weigh all my ingredients for baking, instead of using a volume measure. (I use this scale.) However, since many people lack a kitchen scale, I’ve written the recipe out in volume approximates. You may need to adjust as you go.

    4. You are going to want to dive into these immediately upon removing them from the oven, but you really need to wait 3-5 minutes so as to not scorch the roof of your mouth. Use the time to portion out some mustards or other dipping sauces, and take photos for your social media or to share here.

    5. You can certainly serve these with cheese sauce. I use my regular queso recipe, but any would work.

    6. These are obviously great with beer, if you’re into that kind of thing (I’m not). I prefer to pair with a margarita if serving with my queso, which is quite spicy.

     

     

    SP's Sourdough Soft Pretzels

    Super simple, super scrumptious.

    For pretzels

    • 3/4 cup warm water
    • 1 cup sourdough starter (either unfed or fed will work)
    • 3-1/4 cups unbleached bread flour ((approximate))
    • 1/2 tbsp sugar
    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 2 tsp instant yeast
    • whole wheat flour, as needed (optional)
    • coarse salt for sprinkling on pretzels before baking

    For alkali bath

    • 1/2 cup baking soda
    • 4 cups water

    For the dough

    1. Mix water, sourdough starter, flour, sugar, olive oil, salt and instant yeast in a medium bowl until well combined. If the dough is too wet to knead, mix in whole wheat flour until a kneadable dough is formed. This will vary based on how liquid your sourdough starter is. I usually add about 1/3 cup whole wheat flour at this point.

    2.  Knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth, slightly tacky ball. 

    3. Place the dough ball in an oiled bowl and cover. Allow the dough to rest until puffy, about an hour. It doesn’t need to double, but it’s fine if it does.

    Shape the pretzels

    1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

    2. Deflate dough and divide into 8 uniform balls. 

    3. On a floured surface, shape each dough ball into a long rope, at least 18 inches long. The final shape and size of your pretzels will depend on this step. Make the rope longer and thinner for a more open pretzel form.

    4. Form a large U shape with one dough rope, with the open part of the U facing away from you.  Cross one end of the rope over the other, forming an X at the top center of the open space with about 3 inches of extra rope at the ends. Twist the ends around each other once more, and bring the ends toward you to rest on the curved section of dough that is closest to your body. Press the ends onto the dough. (See linked video above for shaping help if needed.)

    5. Gently lift your formed pretzel and place on the lined baking sheet. 

    6. Repeat until all pretzels have been formed.

    Bake and serve

    1. Place 4 cups water in a sauce pan and add the baking soda. Mix until thoroughly dissolved. Bring the water to a boil.

    2. Working one at a time, gently lift a formed pretzel and place in the boiling water. Boil the pretzel for 15 seconds. Turn over and continue boiling for another 15 seconds. Lift the pretzel out of the water using a skimmer and place it back on the baking sheet.

    3. Repeat until all pretzels have been boiled.

    4. Sprinkle the pretzels with coarse salt to taste.

    5. Bake pretzels until deep brown, approximately 16 minutes.  Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool for 5 minutes.

    6. Serve with a variety of mustards and dipping sauces, or cheese sauce.

     

  • Saturday Night Open Post (And Coming Attractions)

    Click to enlarge.*

     

    Happy Saturday evening, Glibs.

    Lots of great content continues to be created on your behalf by your fellow Glib denizens. The best content. Classy content.

    Along with your usual links served up by Sloopy (and a yet-to-be-designated pinch hitter on Monday), Brett L, OMWC, and an assortment of the ZARDOZ-SMITH FAMILY cabal, posts are coming your way from BakedPenguin, Not Adahn, SugarFree, Gadianton, PieInTheSky, Web Dom, UnCivilServant, mexican sharpshooter, CPRM, RC Dean, and Sensei. And I’ll have my sourdough soft pretzel recipe for you tomorrow.

    trshmnstr and Mrs trshmnstr will whip you into shape on Wednesday, hopefully with no WordPress scheduling fail. Keep up those HIIT workouts, kids. I can see the difference in your collective physique already!

    A programming note. Because we of the editorial team are notoriously bad planners, I didn’t warn you that my regular Wednesday night polls will be on hiatus until November so we can bring you SugarFree’s Subaru Horror Theatre, which will climax (phrasing!) on Halloween.

    Alrighty then! On to everyone’s favorite Saturday Night Open Post. Have a great rest of your weekend, if you are so inclined. If not, fuck off, Tulpa!

     

     

     

    *This image has nothing to do with anything, I just liked the way the information was presented. And, no, I’m not a geek. Why do you ask?

     

  • CriSP Autumn Morning Links for Friday

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    Good morning, my dear Glibs. How are you all today? You know me and mornings, so while I pour more coffee, I’ll just say it is a delightfully criSP morning here, down in the low 50s to start the day. The mosquitoes are finally leaving me alone. What a relief!

    Sloopy is off actually working (yes, it’s true Rufus!), so you get my typical links today. But they will be better than no links.

    Probably.

    (You can always ask for a refund of your subscription price. See our refund policy here.)

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    On this day in history

    1829: Chester A. Arthur was thrust upon the world. I was torn between history and birthdays for this listing. Looks like history won.

    1947: Harry Truman ushered in the dark age of presidential media usage by making the first live televised speech from the White House. And this set a very bad precedent, which has led to Trump tweeting incessantly and all presidents being constantly seen on TV, even after they are out of office. (GO AWAY, OBAMA.)

    1974: David Kunst finished a little stroll.

    2011: Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, Inc died.

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    Oh, Elon.

    No shit. H/T OMWC

    Good.

    Check your doorstops.

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    Born on October 5

    Louis Lumière (1864); Giorgio Abetti & Robert H. Goddard (1882); Larry Fine & Ray Kroc (1902); Bill Willis (1921); Bil Keane (1922); Steve Miller (1943); Brian Johnson (1947); “Fast” Eddie Clarke (1950); Bob Geldof (1951); Michael Andretti (1962); Mario Lemieux & Patrick Roy (1965); Kate Winslet (1975); Kevin Mirallas (1987)

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    Kids. What can you do?

    Florida Boy: “Don’t tell the teacher.”

    One of those awkward conversations with teenagers. “Dad, what have you done?”

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    Royal Mail begs customers not to post criSP packets back to Walkers after campaigners urge people to return the bags in protest. Idiots. Social media could actually be used for good. I swear, it could.

    Most of North Carolina usually doesn’t have the same criSP mornings we do in Chicagoland in early October.

    We’ll have to ask our ex-pats in Japan if this is even remotely true: More Japanese workers are ditching criSP business suits?

    Some manufacturers in Iceland are producing a new “festive” criSP for the holidays. I think I’ll pass.

    And just because it fits my theme and I had forgotten how droll the man was: Quentin CriSP. Oh, and, his HAIR!

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    No, I have never used the secret ingredient in my fruit criSP topping. Yes, I am going to do so immediately.

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    (Or mornings, either.)

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    I’m not going to tell you what to do, but I’m going to have a great day. Right after I take a nap.

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