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  • Thursday Morning Links

    Well the World Cup is about to kick off in a few hours.  I can’t wait to see how the USMNT does…in their MLS games that are still going on.  Stupid bastards not qualifying.  That’s what they get for assuming they’d coast through qualifying.  You know who else was wrong about coasting through an opposition?  The Cleveland Indians, apparently.  The Chicago White Sox beat them again, for a two-game winning streak. They’re solidly out of the basement and have their eyes set on a respectable third in their division.  Way to keep grinding, guys.  The Astros won again, as did the Dodgers, Padres, the BIG RED MACHINE, the Marlins, Rockies, Nationals, Mariners, Pirates, Red Sox, Rays, Braves and Brew Crew, who have now created just a little separation in the NL Central after dropping the Cubs two times in a row.

    Two other things of note in the sports world: the US Open kicks off today with a bevy of start teeing it up early.  Come on, Jordan, get the flat stick working this week.  Yeah, right. I’m thinking DJ or Dustin Thomas.

    And lastly, I’m absolutely stunned that ESPN let this story get published. It goes against their base instinct to only print negative articles on the subject.

    Harriet Beecher Stowe, coiner of the term “Uncle Tom” was born on this date. So were butcher/sociopatyh Che Guevara, President Donald Trump, guitarists Rod Argent and Barry Melton, singer and A-Team associate Boy George, tennis player and philanthropist (what she and Aggasi have done with their money is more than commendable) Steffi Graf and rapper MC Ren.

    PARDON THIS MAN OR DROP THE CHARGES!

    Its also the day the Continental Congress adopted the stars and stripes flag, Captain Bligh inexplicably made it to Timor, California declared independence from Mexico, Robert Bunsen invented his Bunsen burner, the first cycle in professional baseball was recorded, Hitler and Mussolini met for the first time in Vienna, Max Baer knocked Primo Carnera out, the first commercial computer, the UNIVAC 1 was put into service at the Census Bureau, Tricky Dick imposed a 60-day price freeze, signaling the absolute end of the free market, the Gong Show made its debut and Argentina capitulated to Great Britain, ending the Falklands War. Oh, and the Obama Admin charges Edward Snowden with Espionage.

    That’s better than yesterday, except for the lack of musical talent.  But you can’t win em all.  Anyway, let’s get to…the links!

    Oops!

    The Special Counsel’s office looks like its being run by amateurs. Or by deliberate leakers. Or something pretty absurd.

    The Horowitz report on the FBI’s handling of the Clinton e-mail crimes and exonerations will be released today. And its expected to not go easy on the FBI. Oh, speaking of the IG, when is that indictment he recommended for Andy McCabe expected to come down?

    Hey yo!

    Yo, Adrian! Get me a lawyer on the phone. Sly Stallone under investigation for rape that was supposed to have occurred in 1990.  No word on how deep the coma she was in for those 27 years to have just woken up to file a complaint this week.

    The modern-day P.T. Barnum finds his latest sucker. Surprise! Its the Chicago taxpayers. For extra lulu, its been nicknamed “Tesla-in-a-tunnel”. I guess they’re planning on it driving itself into a wall and incinerating everyone inside.

    Ugh. Too much fire water.

    Progressive, tolerant people want to erase history. And its looks like they’ll get a second chance too do so in San Francisco.

    Boston City Council makes sure the people who live there know there is no such thing as private property.  Fucking scumbags.

    Aaaaaaand the plague is back in the United States.

    It was either this or NWA. I chose to keep our family-friendly label.

    Have a great day, y’all.

     

  • Miércoles por la tarde ¡Enlaces a la Mundial de Fútbol!

    RUSSIA 2018!!!!

    Sé que estaba en los enlaces de la mañana, pero….Tenemos la Mundia de Fútbol 2026!

    Canadá, México y Estados Unidos organizarán el Mundial de fútbol de 2026.

    La candidatura conjunta recibió 134 votos, mientras que Marruecos, el otro postulante, recibió 65.

    Esta será la tercera vez que México organiza un Mundial, después de 1970 y 1986. Para Estados Unidos será el segundo, ya que fue sede en 1994, y la primera vez para Canadá.


    Canada, Mexico and the United States will organize the 2026 World Cup.

    The joint bid received 134 votes, while Morocco, the other candidate, received 65.

    This will be the third time that Mexico has organized a World Cup, after 1970 and 1986. For the United States, it will be the second, since it hosted in 1994, and the first time for Canada.

     

    *shudders* Argentines…

    They actually have a history of unethical behavior with regards to adoption. Feel free to look that up at your leisure.   I wonder if they asked to Pope to chime in on this one?

    Este miércoles la Cámara de Diputados de Argentina vota la ley de despenalización del aborto.

    Hay mucha incertidumbre sobre la decisión final porque en la antesala la votación es muy pareja. La Ley de Interrupción Voluntaria del Embarazo ha sido rechazada seis veces en once años.

    El debate comenzará a las 11 a.m. hora local este miércoles y se espera que se extienda hasta la madrugada del jueves.


    This Wednesday the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina votes the law of decriminalization of abortion.

    There is a lot of uncertainty about the final decision because in the anteroom the vote is very even. The Law of Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy has been rejected six times in eleven years.

    The debate will begin at 11 a.m. local time this Wednesday and is expected to extend until early Thursday.

     

    Corrupt Mexican politicians engage in a spirited, televised debate over who is the most corrupt…or least. I don’t for sure.

    A las 20:45 horas, quince minutos antes de que comenzara el debate, en la página de Youtube Caso Anaya se hicieron públicos un audio de casi cuatro horas y un video de 52 minutos sobre los presuntos actos de corrupción que habría cometido Ricardo Anaya en colaboración con el empresario Manuel Barreiro, un caso que ha marcado las campañas en la última semana.

    Sin embargo, el tema de estos nuevos videos pasó inadvertido por los aspirantes y los tres moderadores del debate, los periodistas Gabriela Warkentin, Carlos Puig y Leonardo Curzio. Como ha venido repitiendo desde hace días, Anaya aseguró que las acusaciones son una campaña sucia en su contra por parte del gobierno federal.

    “Yo he sido blanco de una campaña brutal de ataques, de infamias, porque cuando dije que cuando sea presidente habrá una Fiscalía independiente para investigar a Peña Nieto, para investigar Ayotzinapa, la casa blanca. Por decir esto, me atacan. No les tengo miedo”, dijo el panista.

    Anaya insistió en que López Obrador ha pactado con el gobierno de Enrique Peña Nieto para que éste último no sea perseguido.


    At 20:45 hours, fifteen minutes before the debate began, on the Youtube Anaya Case page, an audio of almost four hours and a 52 minute video about the alleged acts of corruption committed by Ricardo Anaya in collaboration with businessman Manuel Barreiro, a case that has marked the campaigns in the last week.

    However, the subject of these new videos went unnoticed by the aspirants and the three moderators of the debate, journalists Gabriela Warkentin, Carlos Puig and Leonardo Curzio. As he has been repeating for days, Anaya said that the accusations are a dirty campaign against him by the federal government.

    “I have been the target of a brutal campaign of attacks, of infamies, because when I said that when I became president there would be an independent prosecutor’s office to investigate Peña Nieto, to investigate Ayotzinapa, the white house. For saying this, they attack me. I’m not afraid of them, “said the PAN.

    Anaya insisted that López Obrador has agreed with the government of Enrique Peña Nieto so that the latter will not be persecuted.

    “I have not agreed with him. I have not seen him in six years, “Lopez Obrador repeated again and again.

    In response to the attacks he received from Anaya and Meade, Morena’s candidate said: “They are desperate. What fault do I have that you are tied? They believe that here in the debate they will go back 30 points. Serénense. ”

    At times, the central themes of the debate – economic growth, poverty and inequality, education, science, technology, health, sustainable development and climate change – were left aside by the aspirants

     

    Reconozco formas legítimas de defensa

    Let it be known that Nicaragua is still a hole filled with, well…you know.

    Las gasolineras y supermercados de Managua se desbordaron de ciudadanos este martes. Compraban e intentaban llegar antes de las seis de la noche a sus hogares, temerosos de los posibles ataques paramilitares en calles. Los empresarios acababan de dar un paso que no se habían atrevido a hacer hasta ahora.

    149 muertos después y ante el recrudecimiento de la violencia a manos de grupos paramilitares, los empresarios de Nicaragua decidieron jugar este martes su carta “más extrema” contra el gobierno de Daniel Ortega: la convocatoria a un ‘paro nacional’ para exigir la democratización del país y el cese inmediato de la represión.

    La patronal lo anunció la noche de este martes junto a los otros sectores que conforman la Alianza Cívica por la Justicia y la Democracia –que agrega a universitarios, sociedad civil y campesinos–, quienes han sido la contraparte en el diálogo mediado por los obispos, proceso que desde mediados de mayo está paralizado.

    “Nosotros, como miembros de la Alianza Cívica por la Justicia y la Democracia, ante las condiciones extremas que vive Nicaragua, en solidaridad con las víctimas y reconociendo el derecho a las legítimas formas de defensa hemos decidido: llamar a un paro nacional de 24 horas a partir de las cero horas del día jueves 14 de junio de este año y terminando a las 11:59 de la noche del mismo día”, informó José Adán Aguerri, presidente del Consejo Superior de la Empresa Privada (Cosep), organización que antes del inicio de la crisis sociopolítica el 18 de abril mantenía una relación “de diálogo y consenso” con la administración sandinista.


    The gas stations and supermarkets in Managua overflowed with citizens on Tuesday. They bought and tried to reach their homes before six o’clock at night, afraid of possible paramilitary attacks on the streets. The entrepreneurs had just taken a step that they had not dared to do until now.

    149 killed later and before the upsurge of violence at the hands of paramilitary groups, the Nicaraguan businessmen decided to play their “most extreme” letter against the Daniel Ortega government on Tuesday: the call for a “national strike” to demand the democratization of the country and the immediate cessation of repression.

    The employers announced it on Tuesday night along with the other sectors that make up the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy – which adds to university students, civil society and farmers – who have been the counterpart in the dialogue mediated by the bishops, process that since mid-May is paralyzed.

    “We, as members of the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy, faced with the extreme conditions that Nicaragua is experiencing, in solidarity with the victims and recognizing the right to legitimate forms of defense, have decided: to call a 24-hour national strike From zero hours on Thursday, June 14 of this year and ending at 11:59 in the evening of the same day, “said José Adán Aguerri, president of the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (Cosep), an organization At the beginning of the socio-political crisis on April 18, it maintained a relationship “of dialogue and consensus” with the Sandinista administration.

    Translation Services available from the Alpha Beta corporation.

  • The Hat and The Hair: Episode 82

    Trump-Kim summit: Deciphering what happened in Singapore

     

    Saturday, Canada, Air Force One

    “There’s nothing to be nervous about, Donald,” the hat said from his suit pocket. “The meeting with Kim will be tremendous.”

    “I’m not nervous. How dare you suggest I’m nervous. I am never nervous. I am cool. Collected. Calm. Other words that start with ’c.’ Be quiet or I’ll put you in the baggage hold,” Donald savagely whispered.

    The hair massaged Donald’s temples gently. “Do it. Put him in the baggage hold,” he said, the words resonating in Donald’s skull like the far-off explosion.

    “Both of you need to shut up,” Donald said as he mounted the moving stairs. He paused at the top a waved back to the G7 protesters that followed him from the summit. They booed.

    “Justin fans,” the hat sniffed. “What it is with Canada and faggots named Justin?”

    The Secret Service inside the cockpit door nodded as they walked onto the plane. “Skyscraper is on the plane,” he said into his wrist. “He has Wig One and MAGA Prime. Wheels up in twenty.”

    “WIG ONE?” the hair screeched. “I’m not a fucking WIG!”

    The hat chuckled darkly.

     

    Friday Night, Pyongyang, North Korea

    Un surveyed the dark skyline of his capital city from his Presidential suite. He was waiting for his barber to climb the twenty floors to his rooms. The elevator was broken again. The mules just kept dying.

    “Are you worried about meeting him?” his trilby asked.

    “Of course, not. He has played right into my hands,” Un replied. He lifted his pudgy hands in the gloom and squeezed them together painfully.

    “This is what I am going to meet him in,” Un said and twirled before his hat, the awkward coat-dress straining to hold back his stomach.

    “Very regal,” the hat said.

    “And it doesn’t make me look fat?” Un asked, twisting to show the trilby his fattened ass. He was wearing three pairs of Spanx smuggled in through his contacts in the Japanese government.

    “Not at all. You look trim. Athletic. The very picture of a modern Asian man,” the hat said.

    Un clapped his hands together and squealed with delight.

    “And the dreams?” the hat asked. “Are you still having the dreams?”

    A crease formed between Un’s brows and his expression darkened, like a toddler thwarted.

    “Un?” the hat prodded. “The dreams?”

    Un blushed and brushed his hand over his erection.

    “The dreams don’t matter.”

     

    Saturday, Pacific Ocean, Air Force One

    “They’re saying we snubbed Justin,” the hair said, flipping through the news channels.

    “I’d like to snub him in the taint,” the hat said. “I’d like to grow legs, grow feet, huge feet, put on a pair of huge boots and snub him right in the taint until his taint faints.”

    “He’s a smug little bastard, all right,” the hair said. “Let’s tell Sean to run another story about him being gay.”

    “I’ll call him right now.”

    “What time is it there?” the hair asked.

    “Who gives a fuck. We call and that little shit answers or we release the photos.”

    Donald snored loudly in the chair behind them. He choked and stopped breathing and woke up enough to mumble, “Kim is also a girl’s name,” and smiled to himself.

     

    Saturday Night, or Sunday Morning, or maybe Monday, Singapore

    Rumpled and gassy, Donald was wrestled into a new suit while Air Force One sat on the tarmac and pushed through the door into the humid Singapore night.

    “What fucking time is it?” the hair asked, barely holding on to Donald’s head.

    “Beats the fuck outta of me,” the hat muttered.

    “I’m hungry. Does this shithole country even have McDonald’s? Why is so dark? I need an ocean of Diet Coke,” Donald grumbled. The protocol droid prodded him toward the delegation there to meet him.

    “Yes, hello, hello,” Donald said, thoroughly bored. He shook hands with one tiny person after another.

    “Yes, historic meeting, honored to be here, lovely country, I guess, it is the middle of the night after all, blah, blah.’ He grinned toothily and stumbled into his limo.

    “I need to go back to sleep,” Donald said. He pulled out his phone and started scrolling through Twitter.

    “Fucking Jimmy Fallon,” Donald said. He lifted a leg and farted lustily. He pulled MAGA Prime from his suit coat and tossed him on the seat beside him.

    “Jesus Fucking Christ, Donald,” the hat groused. “It’s like your ass is where eggs go to die.”

    “Thank God I’m up here,” the hat said.

    “Shut up. I’m the President of the United States and I fart wherever and whenever I feel like it. It’s in the goddamn Constitution.”

    “Uh,” the hair said.

    “I said to shut it, mister,” Donald said. “Where the hell are we? I thought we were flying to Singapore.”

    “This is Singapore, Donald,” the hat said.

    “If this is Singapore,” Donald asked, “then why does everyone look Chinese?”

     

    Monday Afternoon, Air China, Somewhere over the South China Sea

    Un fumbled in the airplane bathroom for his penis, reaching deep in his gunt for the elusive erotic eel. The plane lurched and he lost it again among his protolabial folds.

    “What the fuck is that?” his hat asked.

    “Evasive maneuvers,” Un grunted. “To fool missiles.”

    “OK,” the hat said noncommittally.

    “I have many enemies,” Un said proudly. “I am going to execute many more generals in the coming weeks.”

    “Good for you.”

    “And the South Koreans all hate me. They hate me with their cell phones and their night-time young-oriented romantic drama TV programs and their working toilets.”

    The plane lurched again and their own toilet gurgled ominously.

    “Most of all,” Kim said, puffing out his chest, “They hate me with their lavish, wasteful buffets.”

    “There it is,” the hat said.

    Un’s erect penis poked out like the leathery head of a frightened terrapin.

     

    Tuesday Morning, Shangri La Hotel, Singapore

    “Un went clubbing last night,” the hat said, reading Twitter.

    “Of course he did,” the hair replied. “While we sat in this fleabag hotel and listened to Tubby snore and fart and sleep-eat Big Macs.”

    Donald shout-sang over the sounds of his shower, “I’m walking on sunshine, oh-whoa, and don’t it feel good!”

    “Hurry up in there!’ the hair shouted.

    “He didn’t even wake up for a Singapore piss hooker,” the hat said glumly.

    “They could have never gotten one up here,” the hair said.

    “The Secret Service can do it if they wanted to,” the hat said. “If there is one thing that Secret Service excels at, it’s hookers.”

    “Yeah, I guess,” the hair replied.

    “I bet they have good piss hookers too. Singapore is very clean,” the hat said. “Singapore piss is probably better for you than Oaxacan tap-water.”

    “ALL RIGHT, NOW!”

    “Donald!” the hair called, “Hurry up, we have to got get on a boat!”

    “A boat?” Donald asked, confused. He shut the shower off. “A boat?”

    “We are going out to an island for the summit.”

    “This is an island. Singapore is an island already,” Donald said.

    “A different island, Donald,” the hat said. “The summit is on a different island.”

    “I don’t like boats,” Donald said. “They sink. They sink in the water.”

    “I’m sure the boat is very safe, Donald,” the hair said soothingly.

    “NO BOATS!” Donald roared. He stomped out of the bathroom, wet, nude, bald, gross and swaying.

    “There’s a monorail,” the hat said, looking up from Donald’s phone. “Or we could just drive there.”

    “You can’t drive to an island, you idiot,” Donald sneered.

    “The monorail it is,” the hair said.

    “I told you: NO BOATS!” Donald shouted.

     

    Tuesday Morning, Sentosa Island

    “There’s no need to be nervous,” his hat said. Un dropped the newspaper he had rolled and unrolled compulsively, mindless, and finally twisted into a tight spiral until it creaked like an old hinge in his fat hands.

    “He is so tall. I will look like a fat midget next to him. I should have worn the shoes. The big shoes,” Un said miserably.

    “If the reporters had gotten pictures of those, they would have never stopped making fun of you,” the hat said.

    “I would have had them all put to death, even the foreign devils. Vlad will give me all the polonium I want. Vlad is my friend.”

    “They say Vlad is Donald’s friend as well,” the hat said in almost a whisper.

    “Nuh-uh!” Un said and pushed the hat off the divan. “Vlad said I was his best friend. We got tattoos together. He even let me lick his before he put it on!”

     

    Tuesday, Setosa Island

    Donald was just a few feet away. Un pushed down the sudden urge to wipe his sweaty hands on his coat-dress. His penis struggled treacherously against the stranglehold of the Spanx. He grinned widely and talked toward Donald.

    Donald tried to ignore the erection that his pants slid across sinuously with every step. He smiled and lifted his hand.

    Right before they touched, a tiny spark of electricity jumped out to join their hands. They looked into each other’s eyes and the smiles fell away. They knew each other’s dreams. And that they were about to become real.

     

     

    .

    .

    .

     

    Meanwhile, Back in North America

    Nancy, Chuck, Anderson, Dianne, George, Barry, and Michelle all kneel in a semi-circle around the young man.

    “Brave,” Nancy mutters.

    “So brave,” Chuck replies.

    “Resist,” Dianne hisses. The word makes its way through all the rest of their clenched teeth.

    Barry rises and holds up a biodegradable butter knife and proclaims: “THE TWINK IN THE NORTH!”

    The rest of them rise as well and hold up their own dull knives and hoarsely yell at Justin: “THE TWINK IN THE NORTH!”

  • Wednesday Morning Links

    Sorry, rest of the world.  The World Cup is headed back to America. Not the trophy, obviously, but the tournament.  We will be sharing it with America Jr and our Mexican brothers and sisters. But this will still be pretty cool for us.  Especially since, unlike the rest of the hosts over the past several cups, we won’t have to build all new stadiums for the thing.

    The Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies, Twinks, Marlins, Rays, White Sox…wait, what?  Wow, the White Sox really did win. Oh, sorry. I digress. The Brewers, Reds, Padres, D-backs, Mariners, Dodgers and ASTROOOOOOOS won yesterday.  The Ottowa Senators try to stop a catfight.  Seriously, what a psycho. And that’s about all that happened in the sports world that I can come up with.  Unless you guys want to talk college football recruiting and the best OL in the class spurning Bama, UGA and Clemson to head north to Columbus.  But we can talk about that later.

    Charles Algernon Parsons was born today.  He invented the steam turbine. So was Ma Furgeson, 1st woman elected governor of Texas. And she had the job twice!. Actor Basil Rathbone shares the date, along with “Flying Finn” Paavo Nurmi, football legend Red Grange, genius and nutter John Nash, conservative actor Tim Allen, brat packer Ally Sheedy, musician Rivers Cuomo, child actress and designer Ashley Olsen, child actress and cocaine aficionado Mary-Kate Olsen, and busty “actress” Kat Dennings.


    Hey, my eyes are u…aw, fuck it. Go ahead and look.”

    Its also the day King Ferdinand of Austria subjected himself to the Ottoman emperor Suleiman, The Marquis de Lafayette landed in the United States to help stomp the limeys, Simon Bolivar was declared dictator for life, Andrew Johnson signed proclamation for confederate reconstruction, Charles Lindbergh had a ticker-tape parade for his transatlantic flight, Hermann Goering established the gestapo, Babe Ruth gave his farewell speech in Yankee Stadium, the last British troops leave the Suez Canal (probably a mistake in retrospect), Vostok 6 took the first woman into space, Mick Taylor joined the Rolling Stones, Let It Be hit #1, “Grease” hit theaters, George Harrison released “This Is Love” and sadly this is the day that stupid asshole drunk limo driver destroyed the body of hockey great Vladimir Konstantinov. (I’d be in the stands the next year as the Red Wings swept the Caps to win the Stanley Cup in front of a sparse crowd at the MCI Center.)

    Lotta stuff there.  And now…the links!

    Do I look like I have a clue?

    While the boss is out there making flamethrowers, Tesla is cutting 9% of their workforce.  How much longer will their shareholders let this clown run their company into the ground?

    Ballot initiative to split California into three states earns a spot on the November ballot. I believe it was out very own Jesse who had some contact with the people heading up this campaign.  If I’m right, maybe we can get some inside dope on what’s happening.  If I’m wrong then…ignore me.

    Trump will be briefed on the IG’s report on the Clinton email fiasco before it is released to the public.  And on his birthday no less!  The tweets will be, how shall I put this, FUCKING EPIC!!!!!!

    “Don’t think I won’t intimidate you if you get too close to real oversight.”

    Apparently intimidation of witnesses or people with oversight of a federal department is no longer a crime.  This asshole needs to be fired and disbarred at a minimum.  He should probably be charged with something involving witness intimidation or contempt of Congress.  The people, after all, are merely asking him for records so they can perform their defined job of federal oversight of his department.

    Chicago taxpayers, I’m sure you’re happy about your skyrocketing property and sales taxes going to shit like this.  Hey, its better than the pension scam the cops and CPS are running.  Marginally.

    Damn, talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  And a horrible way to go, too.

    Gazan schoolchildren off to peacefully protest at the Israeli border.

    “Rights” group makes a statement.  I would assume Israel’s response will be: “and how many Divisions does the Human Rights Watch have?”  Seriously, HRW needs to eat a turd on this one.  Gaza is a shithole by design of Hamas and their barbaric death-cult followers.  There, I said it.  Israel has every right in the world to defend her borders from those who very vocally said their goal was to enter Israel and kill as many people as possible.  And anybody stupid enough to commingle with this idiots at the fence and burn tires and all kinds of other stupid shit deserve whatever they got.

    So many choices today. But really, its a no-brainer for me.

    Have a fantastic day, friends.

  • Tuesday Afternoon Links

    So the crappy part about living on a hill is that when you go for a run, every route is uphill on the way back. I knew that, but it was reinforced to me today when I ran down to the water to do hill sprints on the bridge. Guess who’s house is at a higher elevation than the bridge? Man, that jog back sucked. But I’m giving myself permission to fuck off the rest of the day, so… win?

    With enemies like Iran, who needs friends? Who is helped more by “you can’t trust this Trump guy, he’s crazy”? h/t Playa Manhattan

    The Singapore Summit has apparently been hard on Larry Kudlow and the Secret Service. In the case of the latter, I assume that finding hookers you can intimidate and being stupid drunk in public are a little tougher to do in Singapore than most places.

    Paul Manafort’s legal team will actually know who the prosecution interviewed in bringing charges against him. Its almost like he has a right to defend himself against these charges.

    Brexit hangs on in Parliament.

     

    In the spirit of my day.

  • How Bout a Cold Brew?

    Sorry for the clickbait, but I know what sells around here. Now if you came here today expecting to read about beer and are going to click off because this is about coffee, stay for just a minute. About a month ago, a coworker noted how much coffee I drink, which started a conversation about how little she drinks. “It’s just so bitter.” I explained the virtues of the cold brew method and this past week she told me how it completely changed her view on coffee. Every time she makes a cup she waits for the bitter bite but it never comes and is now drinking more coffee than ever. So stick with me if you think coffee is too bitter as we explore what cold brew coffee is and how you can make it at home.

    So what is cold brew coffee? Is it just another hipster fad to sell expensive coffee to basement dwellers? Well, yes and no. I know hipsters get a lot of flak here, but they have pushed the boundaries of good food and drink. CB coffee does have some chemistry to back up the hype of superior coffee in the cup. Some people are under the impression that CB coffee is just cold coffee. Although you can serve cold brew coffee over ice, you can also serve it hot, in coffee based drinks or use it for cooking. What makes cold brew cold is the brewing process, not the way it is served. Cold brewing extracts coffee at a lower temperature over a longer period of time. The real magic that the CB process brings is lower tannic acid. Tannic acid is responsible for the bitter/burnt flavor some people find off putting in coffee. Cold brewing also extract less caffeine, although it is not “caffeine free”. Less caffeine and less acid mean less stress on the stomach and a smoother, sweeter cup. Interested in trying it yourself? Read on friend.

    To make your very own cold brew at home you will need a cold brew coffee maker, obviously. Now before you say “Florida Man, I just blew my last paycheck on Blue Mountain Jamaican and a conical burr grinder,” take a breath. A decent cold brew system can be had for 15-20 bucks. I don’t know what that is in shekels so OMWC will have to do his own conversion. A cold brew coffee maker consist of a tube filter inside of a pitcher. The process is simple and pretty much fool proof. You’ll want to stick with a coarse grind, because it will give you a cleaner finished product and a fine grind will heat the coffee defeating the whole purpose. If you haven’t bought a conical burr grinder yet, fear not. Most specialty coffee shops and grocery stores will grind your whole been coffee to order. I would also suggest looking for a medium roast bean if you are trying to avoid that burnt taste. If you want even lower caffeine content, select a dark roast. Now that you have your coarse ground beans, simply fill the filter with ground coffee and fill the pitcher with filtered water. Some people use room temperature water and leave it to brew on the counter for 24-48 hours. I use cold water and let it brew in the fridge for 48 hours. Try it both ways and see what works for you. After the 24-48 hours you remove the center filter and now have a concentrated smooth, low acid coffee. “Now what, Florida Man?” Glad you asked.

    If you want a regular cup of Joe, just add hot water to your cold coffee concentrate. I fill half my mug with CBC and top it off with hot water. Add cream and sugar to taste. If you enjoy cold drinks, pour over ice, add cold water or cream and sugar to taste. I don’t make specialty coffee drinks, but if you do, just remember that this coffee is concentrated and make adjustments accordingly. Feel free to post recipes in the comments for drinks, desserts or even cooking with coffee. So on to the pros and cons of this system.

    Pro:
    Taste: Smooth, sweet coffee
    Reduced Acid: for those with sensitive tummies (lower caffeine)
    Convenient: you don’t have to baby sit this while it brews.
    Cost: The system is cheap.
    Clean up: Carafe does double duty, less to wash

    Con:
    Taste: Hey wait! Yes I put it in both pro & con. Some people like bitter (see IPA drinkers)
    Inefficient: The coffee to water ratio is higher than hot brew systems.
    Time: You can’t make a quick cold brew. You need to plan 24 hours in advance.
    Flexibility: This could be a pro. There are less variable with cold brew. You can adjust grind and steep time, but that is about it.

    Because of the warm response I received for my last article, I have invested my hard earned dollars in not one, but seven brew methods. I’ll write up a “how to” for the others with my famous pro/con opinions. Then, for a grand finale, I plan to do a blind taste test and crown a winner for best brew method. If you have any questions let me know in the comment section.

  • Tuesday Morning Links

    I woke up this morning and expected the world to have ended.  And according to MSNBC and CNN….it has. But more on that later.  Right now, I want to congratulate the Washington Capitals before they, and all of their fans, are too drunk to remember that I said it.  And I also want to say “PIIIIIIG SOOOOOOOOEY!” or whatever Arkansas Razorback fans say when they stomp on the Cocks and punch their ticket to Omaha.  Joining them are the Texas Longhorns, Texas Tech red Raiders and the Floriduh Gators.  The Yankees were off yesterday, which makes sense since they’ve played 7-8 fewer games than everyone else it seems. Rumor has it that Aaron Judge used the opportunity to sacrifice a live chicken to satisfy Jobu, who will help him eventually hit the curveball.  If only he’d give his life to Jesus, it would all be easier.

    No, this isn’t the deaf, dumb and blind girl.

    Hey, today is George HW Bush’s birthday. Dude made it to 94!.  Also born today were diarist Anne Frank, actor/singer Jim Nabors, tv announcer and convicted sexual assaulter Marv Albert, Pretender Pete Farndon, funny man and Canadian Scott Thompson, musician Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and former Liverpool star and current Barcelona benchwarmer Philippe Coutinho. Its also the day for revolting peasants in 1381’s England, Virginia adopted the Declaration of Rights in 1776, the gas mask was patented, the Philippines told Spain to fuck off, Babe Ruth was struck out three times in a row by Hub Pruett, Houdini did the straight jacket escape while hanging 40 ft in the air, Bobby Jones, one of the three greatest golfers to ever play, won the 1930 US Open, Al Capone was indicted, Germany launched its first V-1 attack on London, Cleopatra premiered in 1963…it ended sometime the next day, Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison, and the “colorful” Sparky Anderson was hired by the Tigers. Also, the unforgettable “Raiders Of The Lost Ark” premiered.  and Nobel laureate Alexandr Solzhenitsyn was given the State Prize of the Russian Federation by President Putin for his humanitarian work.

    A little lean on birthdays there, but some significant events for sure.  Feel free to discuss at your leisure.  But I need to move on to…the links!

    Hello Nobel Committee. I’d like to introduce my new friend…

    North Korea commits to complete denuclearization while Trump declares end to “war games” on the Korean Peninsula.  That’s a good thing, right? Unless you’re an idiot, that should be a good thing.  (Protip: if you think its a “good thing”, don’t look at the analysis on CNN or MSNBC this morning. Apparently its a bad thing because we just legitimized a thug.  Which is different than Cuba how, exactly?  Still waiting on an answer for that question.)

    Its shootings like this that are why Germans need strict gun control.  Christ, what an asshole.

    Damn, girl. Nice rack!

    Somebody out there with some influence over him might want to tell Bill Clinton to just STFU.  Seriously, I think there’s a lot of overblown hysteria with the #metoo movement, but he’s gonna come off as a little tone-deaf what with all of the sexual assault (read: rape) allegations against him, his many trips to Epstein’s Pedo Island and the settlements he has made for sexual harassment allegations.

    This is why we all need to appreciate “Starship Troopers” (the movie) as an instruction manual rather than lighthearted entertainment.

    Hey, man. Nice shot. No, seriously, this was a good shoot by the coppers.  And the craziest thing is it was a Chicago cop that did the good deed.  Its unknown how many of his “brothers” were out there terrorizing people for no reason at the same time, but I’ll still give credit where due.

    Joe Kennedy III faces an angry mob and apologizes. What I don’t get is why a Kennedy would admit to a mistake when he could have just said he was wasted and needed a rehab stint to clean up.  That’s been their go-to for a generation now. Meh, maybe he’s saving it for his first manslaughter or hit-and-run

    I’m too busy to do my job, counselor. The victim will have to stay in jail even though she was raped.

    And our runner-up in today’s “Christ, what an asshole” competition is former Texas Judge Stacy W. Bond. What did she do?  Well, she locked up a sexual assault victim and pretty much drove her nuts.  What was her excuse?  Because she’s “busy”, she didn’t do her due diligence.

    Well that’s it. Except for this lighthearted little ditty.

    Now get out there and have a great day.

  • Monday Afternoon Links

    Afternoon everyone. My clan also made it home safely from the Glibertarian Breeding Project joint vacation-marriage arrangement get down. While nobody encountered STEVE SMITH or his cousin the skunk ape, Sloopy’s oldest daughter swears she was approached by a seal — which is weird because I’ve never seen or heard of any seals or sea lions in that area. Maybe SEA SMITH had identified her as a target before smelling the Glib on her. At any rate, trying to negotiate a dowry with a guy who runs auctions is rough. I’m going to be lucky to get a handful of goats per marriage. Our kids had a really good time, and I highly recommend going over to Skully’s on Cape San Blas and eating some low country boil and meeting their bassador (that’s half basset hound, half labrador — not a southern emabassador) Rowdy. They were sure nice to our families, and the beer is free with your meal, too.

    This is some crazy right here. And I’m saying this as someone who would bet anyone who would give me 5-4 odds that Trump gets re-elected in 2020 if he’s still President. Especially reason 1. If you can call the jobs reports 2 years out, you don’t remember how different September of ’06 was from September of ’08

    What do you mean people who don’t vote and don’t affirm they still live at the address they registered at for six years might have to register again?

    For Negroni, a laugh at our college football team. Everyone else, just sub in your coach and team because this is an evergreen piece.

    I could do a whole riff on this piece on “how to survive an alligator attack”

    1. Don’t walk your small dog near any body of fresh water in FL unless you’re willing to drop the leash or shoot the gator
    2. Don’t tie raw chicken to yourself — I’m looking at you Florida Man
    3. Always have your gator-fighting cat at the ready
    4. Sweep the leg
    5. Always give up your meth. The alligators will stop to snort it. It makes them faster, but if you run like hell you’ll usually escape

    I feel like there’s a metaphor here. I’m also uncertain about the physics of this one.

     

    Back to Work

     

  • The Hat and The Hair-Animated Episode 6: USDA PRIME

    Donald is always scheming.

    And only like four of you subscribed, so that little Mexican kid is on a bus to Guadalajara.

  • Monday Morning Links

    Ah, the fresh air. The gulf breezes. The relaxing sound of the surf and seagulls.  ALL. GONE.  But what a fine week with friends it was.  Sure, I’m a little fat because of it. But its a price I’d be willing to pay again if only given the chance.  Alas, the next trip is apparently to Phoenix in 6 weeks.  I’m praying to God that some auction comes up and I sadly won’t get to go enjoy searing heat with no water in sight.

    Anyway, I’m not here to recap my vacation.  You guys don’t care about that.  You’re here for one thing and one thing only…the birthday and sports update!

    Well the Capitals won, and managed to fuel more Trump-Russia insanity at the same time.  Personally, I think it was a great trolling by Kushner and his wife Ivanka. And it almost makes a DC team winning something significant tolerable.  Speaking of winning, I guess LeBron had enough of it so he decided to punch a whiteboard and break his hand in the middle of the NBA Finals.  It only hurt him for a few games though, as his Cavs were humiliatingly swept by the GSW squad.  Now America, or at least a very small part of her, will wait to see where he lands next year.

    Also, Halep and Nadal won in France, to nobody’s surprise.  Sebastian Vettel won in Canada after a woman almost ruined the race. The Astros won in hilarious fashion. (Suck on that, Rangers fans.)

    And for those college baseball fans out there, of which we know of at least one superfan, your CWS is almost set.  Washington, Mississippi State, North Carolina and Oregon State have advanced to Omaha.  The last four spots will be filled today when Texas and Tennessee Tech, Florida and Auburn, Texas Tech and Duke and finally South Carolina and the ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS face off in the rubber match of their best-of-three series.  Best of luck to everyone except South Carolina.

    This man is so sadly missed.

    English playwright and poet Ben Johnson was born on this date. So was the first woman ever elected to Congress Jeannette Rankin. They share the day with coach Vince Lombardi, diver-explorer Jacques Cousteau, idiot-criminal Charlie Rangel, the late, great genius of the silver screen Gene Wilder, mobster Henry Hill, goat (?) QB Joe Montana, and nut job Shia LaBeouf.

    Captain Beatty’s nemesis

    It was also the day on which Troy was sacked, Ben Franklin invented his Franklin Stove, Captain James Cook discovered the Great Barrier Reef, the Broad Street Riot happened in Boston, Charles Lindbergh was awarded the first ever Distinguished Flying Cross, Hitchcock’s “The Lodger” was released, Charlie Siffird became the first black man ever to play in a US Open golf tournament, some crazy monk in Saigon burned himself alive, Sloop John B hit No. 1 in England, Larry Holmes TKO’d Gerry Cooney in 13 rounds for the heavyweight boxing title, Reagan’s funeral was held at Washington National Cathedral, and Nolan Ryan threw his sixth no-hitter.

    What a busy day mankind had on this 11th day of June. Lots of cool stuff.  But its time to forget all that and refocus your energy on…the links!

    I’d eat that. Even without a peace process.

    Trump and Kim meetings kicking off in Singapore. Enough said.  Well, not quite. I hope we actually get a lasting peace and an opportunity for the Nork people to enter the civilized world and get out from the yoke they’ve been under for decades now.  Appeasement hasn’t worked with these guys in the past and we’ve never gotten this far in a dialogue with them.  Its time to see if Trump can put his money where his mouth is and pull it off.

    On a side note, what the fuck is going on with Justin Trudeau’s eyebrows?

    Well I hope they at least have him on ice. Bourdain’s body still in France after red tape keeps his family, which includes the 11-year old daughter he decided wasn’t important enough to live for, from transporting his body to America for burial.

    Somebody ought to ask this guy if he knows where DB Cooper is. Or Keyser Soze! I mean, 35 years?  He’s gotta be the all-time hide-and-seek champion.

    Coward.

    What a fucking pussy. The correct response would have been “fuck you, its delicious.”  But that would make too much sense.

    Not all heroes wear capes. And some of them face criminal charges for doing God’s work. Somebody needs to get a GoFundMe set up for this great man so we can help him out.

    I swear, I think the people of Chicago would simply be better off if their schools were abandoned and they let everything become New Jack City. I mean, at least Nino Brown handed out turkeys at Thanksgiving and offered Pookie a job if he got off the crack.

    But HIS eyebrows can stay on for 3000 years?

    And here’s a mystery for all you history buffs out there. Pretty cool stuff, actually.

    Listen, I’m sorry if I duplicated links from last week or over the weekend. I was truly on vacation from all responsibility (aside from the 20 or so hours I dedicated to work), so give me a break if I double-posted.  But its certainly good to be back doing what I love to do as often as I can.  Thanks to everyone who filled in and delivered what I’m sure were better links than I provide.  But you’re probably stuck with me for the most part for a while at least.

    This was mentioned earlier.

    Have a great day out there, friends!