Glibertarians.com 2018 Archive

Blog

  • Hi-Fi Restoration Part 1: Background and Electronics Refurbish

    Engineering stimulates the mind. Kids get bored easily. They have got to get out and get their hands dirty: make things, dismantle things, and fix things. When the schools can offer that, you’ll have an engineer for life. — Bruce Dickinson

    It’s very satisfying to bring something back from the dead and make it work and look new again. I learned this feeling early on in my life thanks to my dad. When I was 8 or 9 years old, he caught me taking his lawn mower engine apart. Instead of beating my ass, he bought me an old lawn mower from a garage sale for $5 to tinker with and fix. His goal was primarily to keep me away from his machine, but he also wanted a safe outlet for my interests and worked with me when possible.

    Thanks dad, you and Bruce were right, I’m now both an engineer and Maiden Fan for life.

    Part 1: Background

    What is a Hi-Fi?

    A Hi-Fi is a 1950-60’s marketing term for a High Fidelity audio system. They began appearing in the early 1950’s in the US, Europe, and the rest of the world. It is basically what we would call a stereo system in the 1970-90’s. The major difference between a Hi-Fi and a stereo system is mostly one of aesthetics and partially sophistication. The Hi-Fi was typically an electronics package mounted into furniture in the style of the era. In the 50’s and early 60’s, this meant a mid-century modern look with simple lines and/or modern space-age like themes. In the later 60’s and 70’s, the Hi-Fi look became a more traditional Spanish or colonial furniture style. In comparison, a rack or bookshelf mounted stereo system of the 60’s-90’s were intended for the audiophile that wanted more audio power, fidelity, or customization. The appearance of the rack system was generally utilitarian with separate components and speakers.

          

    Why would I or anyone want to restore a vintage (old) Hi-Fi?

    The appeal of a vintage Hi-Fi over a rack system, or modern solutions such as MP3 speakers, is the style of the system. From a fidelity or sound quality perspective, the vintage Hi-Fi is likely inferior to a component rack or sophisticated surround sound system; however, it can be superior to many modern MP3 speakers and PC systems for certain types of music. Fidelity is not always a critical feature these days compared to storage, portability, or other factors. My own impression is that an older Hi-Fi in good working order can be superior to that of standalone MP3 speakers made by suppliers such as Bose or most PC cheap speaker systems.

    The Hi-Fi to me is a beautiful piece of furniture that can be the center of the entertaining area of your house. It is a throwback to a time when couples would have drinks and listen to a new record together. It can be in the background playing the sound track for the party or fill the house with sound while you are working. The final and most important factor for me was having a project that allowed me to tinker with electronic and mechanical systems, as well as apply some basic furniture refinishing with little financial risk.

    My Hi-Fi: Webcore Ravinia 1958

    I had passively been looking for a vintage Hi-Fi for a while on Craigslist. My criteria were the following:

    • 1950’s -1970 time frame due to the styling of that era and the likelihood of finding cheap offerings.
    • The wood furniture must be solid, in relatively good condition, and free of water damage or serious contamination from pets or the environment.
    • The electronics don’t have to be in working order as I plan on repairing or, if necessary, replacing the guts of the system.
    • The Hi-Fi must be cheap enough that I won’t mind putting it on the tree lawn for the gypsies to take away if I completely muck it up.

    I found what I was looking for after a few fits and starts of searching. I saw a Webcore Ravinia for sale for $40 locally. I made an appointment with the seller to meet and inspect it. The gentleman selling it inherited it from his grandmother and wanted to get the bulky thing out of this garage so he could fill it with used Firebird parts and meth fixins. It had a lot of dust and grime on it, but the wood was in relatively good shape for refinishing. Finally, the look and size of the system was close to what I was looking for.

    Thanks Brother

    The seller was adamant to demonstrate that the Hi-Fi worked, so he showed me that it could play Overkill’s Eliminate using his IPod through the Aux and remote control port. The electronics were functional enough to turn on without letting the smoke out of any components. The phonograph was barely able to turn and had no sound coming from it. I decided to take it that day. So I left my fledgling meth maker with $40 and brought it home and into the house. I proceeded to clean it up a bit, open up the back to ensure there were not pounds of dead mice or animal fur inside, and finally checked out the components and chassis for electrical damage prior to doing a quick test. I dusted the insides and vacuumed the cat fur out of the guts of the system. It looked in relatively good shape so I decided to fire it up to get a baseline assessment.

    My old Hi-Fi after a bit of basic dusting and the initial clean up.

    Assumptions and Constraints

    • I assume the electronics and speakers were worth repairing; if not, I will scrap them entirely.
    • Do the mechanicals such as the original turntable function, and do I care if they don’t?
    • Is the woodwork able to be refinished without expensive tools I don’t have and without taking the entire unit apart?
    • During the execution of this plan, the default is to scrap it if things go bad and cost me significant money to move forward. I set a budget of ~$100 for all expenses.
    • I plan on attacking this project in three parts
      • Assess and refurbish the electronics if possible, or scrap them and replace with something more modern if not.
      • Refurbish the turntable if possible or scrap/disable if not.
      • Refinish the furniture to a reasonable appearance with focus on the top and front of the Hi-Fi.
    • Finally, I’m not looking to keep the Hi-Fi system original if it means costing money or lowering the performance significantly. Do not use vintage or refurbished components; new components are your friend.

    Electronics Refurbishment

    Ass Covering Disclaimer: This is not a comprehensive how to article but a description of the path I took. Proceed at your own risk.

    The baseline performance assessment was as follows

    • The system powered up and the tubes all seemed to be functional (they glowed).
    • The turntable was activated and rotated without turning it on by the selector knob.
    • The turntable would not turn with uniform speed and the needle appeared to be damaged.
    • The radio worked on all bands AM and FM with normal amounts of tuning noise.
    • The knobs for volume, treble, and bass all generated a great deal of crackle and spit when actuated.
    • I was able to play my IPod through the Aux and Remote control port using RCA and Microphone Aux plugs respectively. The thrash metal meth head was right.
    • There was a great deal of 60Hz hum present even without an input present that was amplified with increasing volume. Recapping will be needed to clean this up.
    • There was a moderate level of high frequency static hiss present that was not modulated by the volume level. Possibly a bad cap on the amplifier or noise generated somewhere and being picked up in the speakers.
    • The speakers sounded ok and looked good from the backside. Keep the speakers if possible.
    • There was no functional off switch, but there was a location where it used to be. Use a power strip with a fuse and on/of switch.
    • The sound output began to change, diminish, and distort after the unit was on for about 30 minutes prompting me to shut the unit off. I suspect there is a power supply issue somewhere based on this behavior.

    In summary, the electronics and speakers appear to be worth a refurbish instead of replacement.

    Electronics refurbish plan based on the initial assessment.

    • Research the system and try to get a schematic to help with the refurbishment
    • Clean up the chassis and all of the tube sockets during the refurbishment
    • Replace the old leaky electrolytic and paper caps in the power and preamp stages to minimize line and high frequency noise
    • Clean and or replace the pots if needed to eliminate the crackle and snap
    • Keep the turntable disconnected until it can be refurbished
    • Replace the speaker crossover capacitors with modern plastic film units
    • Check for and replace any significantly out of tolerance or damaged resistors or ceramic capacitors
    • Leave the radio tuner alone if possible as it is functional and not a high priority

    To be successful at this the following basic skills and abilities will be important:

    • Able read a electrical schematic and know the basics of AC electrical and high voltage safety (vacuum tubes operate at >300V and the electrolytic caps might have to be discharged)
    • Knowledge and application of basic wiring, soldering, and electrical testing with a multimeter
    • Have or gain some knowledge of basic components such as vacuum tubes, capacitors, resistors, and inductors

    Helpful Resources

    I found a great deal of advice on refurbishing vintage audio equipment as well as a site dedicated to providing information on these old systems.

    I learned about recapping systems from this site.

    I was able to get schematics called a Sam’s manual from this site.

    With schematics in hand, I went about removing the power supply chassis from the rest of the system, this involved cutting some wires and unplugging others. At this stage it’s important to take a lot of photos and label each connection you plan on cutting to be sure you remember how to put it all back together again. I used masking tape and a sharpie and a lot of photos.

         

    Once the power chassis is removed, you need to get an appropriate workspace, prepared to desolder, remove, and re-solder your components. I made a lot of paper copies of the schematics for taking notes and for reference during the process.

    I began the process by removing and carefully storing the vintage tubes. These tubes were old RCA units made in the 50’s and 60’s but they are likely still in good shape. I flipped the chassis over and began by inspecting and understanding how the schematic related to the components so I could assess what I was dealing with. I planned on removing and replacing the big electrolytic capacitor containing 4 separate cap values in one can and replacing them with separate modern components. I found some work had been done in the past as evidenced by additional components and connections that were not in the schematics. The system likely had some noise that cropped up as the electrolytic caps aged and a tech added a few new caps in parallel as a fix. This appeared to have been done many years ago based on the age of the components. These had to go, and new components had to be retrofitted. I went through the Bill of Materials (BOM) provided by the SAMs manual and purchased new replacements from Parts Express; you could also use any one of several electronic stores or distributors.

    Once the old components were removed, I cleaned and deoxidized the tube sockets with contact cleaner, cotton swabs, and pipe cleaners. After a lot of removal, rewiring, and replacement I found I had room to mount the new components in the chassis. I also checked each component for: tolerance, functionality, solder connection, ground isolation, and mechanical integrity. I also checked and rechecked the circuit for any errors on my part, as I had to rewire as well as replace components.

    Now that the power chassis is done, I’m ready for the Pre Amp. This required a bit more desoldering from other components of the Hi-Fi, as well as the removal of the pots from the body of the Hi-Fi. Again take a lot of pictures and label your desoldered and cut connections. The paper capacitors all need to go, and another multiple electrolytic cap can needs to be removed and replaced. I’ll replace the paper caps with newer metalized polymer film capacitors and the electrolytic can with new discrete axial leaded components like in the power supply.

    Make sure to check your schematic, look for cold solder joints, and test for bad components and connections.

    While I had the Amplifier chassis out, I decided to clean instead of replace my pots that control volume, treble and bass. They were very noisy during the baseline testing. I found a contact cleaner and lubricant that is supposed to be a miracle worker for bad pots and sliders. Caig DeoxIT Fader Spray is apparently used by musicians to clean faders and pots. I sprayed a few squirts into the body of the pots and worked them extensively. I repeated this process one more time prior to rejoining the chassis to the Hi-Fi case. I also used this opportunity to clean the chassis and tube sockets.

    Now I used my pictures and labels to reassemble the Hi-Fi. I took the opportunity to replace the crossover capacitors with modern units, while resoldering the power supply leads to the speakers.

    I took this opportunity to remove and deep clean the control knobs and display as they looked like they had 60 years of metal meth head’s grandma’s skin on them. Hot water and simple green did the trick for the knobs and a little bit of spray cleaner cleaned up the display.

          

    Once I had everything resembled and cleaned up, it was time to test the sound quality and compare it to the baseline.

    • The system powered up without any smoke or fire!!
    • The system selector worked as expected-> Radio, Aux, and Phono
    • The turntable was left unplugged
    • The Radio worked on all bands AM and FM with normal amounts of tuning noise
    • The knobs for volume, treble, and bass were free from any crackle and spit when actuated
    • I was able to play my IPod through the Aux and Remote control port using RCA and Microphone Aux plugs respectively
    • There was a no 60Hz hum present until the volume knob was turned to maximum with no input present
    • There was a small level of high frequency static hiss present that was not modulated by the volume level; it was present no matter what connected input was used
    • The speakers sounded great and had much more power than before
    • The sound clarity was much improved
    • The sound quality remained constant after 3 hours of use with no distortion or reduction of output

    Here is a video of the operation and sound after refurbishment and where it will be located. The performance compared to the baseline was very significant and the sound is now great.

    Part two will focus on the turntable

    Part three will focus on the repair and refurbish of the cabinet

  • Friday Morning Links

    Not a lot of famous birthdays today. But some quality in there nonetheless.  politician/despot Hosni Mubarak, actress/skinny person Audrey Hepburn, guitar hero Dick Dale, quality typecast actor Paul Gleason, baseball fan George Will, fast man John Force, and “punk” “rocker” Mike Dirnt.  That’s a big bunch of meh except for a couple.

    Let’s see about events… Handel’s Toloemo premiered in London. Rhode Island told Britain to fuck off. Grant vs Lee at Rappahannock. The first game by the first professional baseball team (Cincinnati represent!) took place. Lou Gehrig hit three homers in a row. Al Capone went to prison. Hemingway won the Pulitzer for “Old Man & The Sea. Kent State. And Maggie Thatcher became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Some interesting stuff there.

    And now to sports.  The fighting LeBrons laid the wood to Toronto after a shocking comeback two nights before. Cleveland has a 2-0 series lead.  Maybe now Drake (the rapper who doesn’t write any of his own stuff) will shut the fuck up. And the Celtics came from 22 down in the first half to dump the Sixers and also take a surprising 2-0 series lead.

    No caption necessary

    On the ice, Caps fans are still bitching about the (perfectly correct) Wilson suspension.  Meanwhile, the Pens tied the series 2-2 and the Caps may have another suspension headed their way, as TJ Oshie decided to take a cheap shot run as Chris Letang as the Pens were about to score an empty-net goal to seal the game.  Letang decided to drop the gloves and fight, but the initial play was questionable under the current rules.  Meanwhile, the Predators topped the listless Jets to also even that series. The Lightning – Bruins play their fourth game tonight while the Sharks take on Vegas/Army in the fifth game of their 2-2 series as well.

    Also, Arsenal were bounced out of the Europa semifinals and Arsene Wenger officially has no more important games to manage.

    God’s got a sick sense of humor

    OK, that should be a good enough appetizer.  Now its time for the main course of…the links!

    Gaia gets some revenge in Hawaii for all of that global warming stuff we’re doing to her. Pretty cool photos, by the way.

    If you were planning on starting a sex cult with Hollywood actresses, then you need to read this and take copious notes.

    Cult leader shakes hands with man

    Special Counsel Robert Mueller is focusing his investigation on the relationship between Roger Stone and Rick Gates. Because nothing says Russian interference like two American citizens talking over dinner.  I guess the whole direct connection between Russian intel operatives and the person hired by the DNC to dig up “dirt” on Trump must have been a figment of my imagination.

    Students walk out of class to protest gang violence. Unfortunately for them, school is the safest place they’ll be all day.  Too bad they, and their teachers, don’t realize that the solution is not to take guns away from law-abiding citizens (since the gangs won’t turn theirs in), but its to get the government out of the morality business and legalize the distribution of drugs, which is largely what these gangs are fighting over.

    Chicago continues its descent to lawlessness. And the city resorts to violating the privacy rights of every vehicle owner to combat it. Big freaking shocker there.

    A journalist outs herself as a horribly irresponsible parent. OK, maybe that’s a little extreme, but come on lady!

    Praise the Lord…and Texas cooking

    And lastly, Ted Cruz hardly ever gets anything right.  But I have to say, he gets this one 100%, dead-on perfect.

    Posted for no real reason. I just wanted to hear it. Hope you enjoy.

    I hope y’all have a great Friday and a hell of a weekend.  I’ll be away Monday and Tuesday (and maybe Wednesday and Thursday too). But it felt good to get back to contributing to this place. I missed you lot of misfits and miscreants.

  • Thursday Afternoon Links – The Hat and The Hair: Episode 75

    “They better give me a Nobel Peace Prize,” Donald grumbled.

    “I’ll kill anyone I have to to get you a Nobel Peace Prize!” John Bolton’s mustache growled.

    “They gave Krugman a Nobel Prize,” the hat said with a sneer.

    “Actually, Paul Krugman didn’t get a Nobel Prize, he received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences,” the hair said.

    “Shut up, you autistic faggot!” the hat snapped.

    “I’ll kill you! I’ll bathe in your children’s blood! MURDER!” John Bolton’s mustache screamed.

    The hair clambered up to Donald’s shoulder and glared at the raving mustache.

    “OK, OK, make the damn call,” the hat said.

    Donald picked up the blue diplomatic phone and said, “OK. I’m ready.” He sat the handset down and turned on the speakerphone. It rang twice before clicking.

    “Her-ro?” a voice asked.

    “OK, who is this?” the hat asked. “Who am I talking to?”

    “Who are roo?”

    “I’m Donald Trump’s goddamn hat! Who is this?”

    “This is the hatteu of Dear Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army!” the voice snapped in barely accented English.

    “Whoa,” the hair whispered.

    “Who is this?” Kim’s hat demanded.

    “This is the Make America Great Again hat of His Most Super-Healthy Excellent Awesome Rad Dude Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America, uh, Defender of the Capitalism, Landlord of Trump Tower and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Free World!” MAGA hat extemporized.

    “I was under in the impression President Donald’s hair would be speaking to me today,” Kim hat said.

    “Listen here, you little felt spunk cup…” John Bolton’s mustache began.

    “Nope, just me,” the hat said. “President Trump’s hair is 100% real hair. You could tug on it if you wanted to. If you were here, I mean.”

    “Get to the Peace Prize part,” Donald grumbled.

    “Of course,” Kim’s hat said archly. “Why have you called today?”

    “Goddamn commie scum!” John Bolton’s mustache screamed. “You know why we called!” His component follicles where perpendicular with rage.

    “The peace negotiations?” MAGA hat said leadingly.

    “Denukabalization,” Donald muttered.

    “Denuclearization?” MAGA hat said.

    “Ah, yes. I remember now. I have been so busy, as you might imagine,” Kim’s hat said glibly.

    John Bolton’s body dropped to his knees and the mustache began to gnaw on the Reliant desk angrily.

    “Listen,” Donald said, leaning toward the phone, “I want a Nobel Peace Prize. How can we make this happen?”

    “My Dear Head Host wants one as well,” Kim’s hat said. “He thinks it will make the ladies wild with lustful thoughts.”

    “See?” Donald said to the hat and the hair. “I told you could we could make a deal with this guy.”

     

    Is It Morally Acceptable to Make Peace With a Leader Like Kim Jong-un? …and other articles that would never have been written if Barack Omaba was still President from Slate Magazine!

    The country has 1 million men under arms and some incredibly deadly rockets at its disposal—many of them aimed directly at its neighbor, South Korea. There is little doubt that any serious attempt to overthrow Kim Jong-un’s brutal regime would lead to one of the bloodiest wars in human history. For that reason, I am as glad as anyone that we are making some progress—uncertain as it is, and illusory though it may prove—toward a peace settlement.

    And yet, I have also been disturbed by the ease with which virtually every participant in this debate ignores the immense suffering that a deal with Kim would likely perpetuate. North Korea’s 25 million residents live in a brutal totalitarian regime that impoverishes, intimidates, and humiliates its residents. The 100,000 inmates of the regime’s concentration camps have it incomprehensibly worse: The grotesque cruelty they suffer rivals just about any state-sponsored regiment of sadistic torture dreamed up in the long history of humanity.

    All of which is to say something that should be both obvious and uncontroversial: By just about any moral standard, Kim is one of the world’s most reprehensible dictators. People who claim to disdain strongmen and care about human rights should at the very least feel queasy about the way in which the recent smiling photographs of him with other world leaders may help to legitimate his rule. Most importantly, they should feel disturbed that any rapprochement would condemn 25 million human beings to live under horrific circumstances for the foreseeable future.

    And yet, this is a point barely anybody has bothered to make. Instead, the very same people who regularly denounce the U.S. government for maintaining friendly relations with the dictatorial rulers of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, of China and Myanmar, are full-throatedly cheering the pictures of Moon Jae-in, the president of South Korea, shaking hands with Kim. In fact, the very same people who rightly keep a violin at the ready to lament the fate of any mistreated Tibetan or Palestinian seem strangely unmoved by the daily doses of death doled out in North Korean camps.

    I pretty much abhor TDS talk, just like ODS talk before it and BDS before that. Given the scum that are in American politics, no criticism should ever be out of bounds, no blow should ever be too low. But this is just nuts. Slate is trying to out-Salon Salon here.

    New Zealand adds prostitution to list of employment skills for would-be immigrants

    Migrants hoping to start a new life in New Zealand can now add a new skill to their visa applications. Under a new plan, would-be immigrants can claim points as skilled sex workers and escorts.
    The skill is regarded as providing social companionship in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) list.

    In order to meet the criteria of a highly qualified sex worker, would-be migrants will be expected to have ANZSCO skill level 5. The requirements issued by ANZSCO also include compulsory secondary education.However, applicants of ANZSCO level 5 cannot be classified as skilled unless their pay is more than NZ$36.44 (US$25.87) per hour, which is NZ$75,795 (US$53,818) per year based on a 40-hour week.

    The applicants should also have relevant recognized qualifications or have at least three years of work experience in the relevant industry.

    Despite the fact that escort and sex work are on the skilled employment list, there is no evident lack of them, as they are not included on the skill-shortage list.

    N.J. school superintendent arrested, allegedly pooped at school track ‘on a daily basis’

    Holmdel (N.J.) police have charged Kenilworth Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Tramaglini with relieving himself in public early Monday morning after school officials reported finding “daily” deposits of excrement by an athletic field.

    Tramaglini, 42, a Matawan resident, was issued citations on Monday for public urination or defecation, discarding and dumping of litter, and lewdness, according to the state’s municipal court case database. Lewdness is a disorderly persons offense.

    Holmdel High School staff and athletic coaches alerted a school resource officer “that they were finding human feces” at or near the track and football field “on a daily basis,” according to a Facebook post by township police.

    “The SRO, along with school staff, monitored the area and was able to identify a subject responsible for the acts,” according to the post.

    The alleged discharge of bodily waste occurred at 5:45 a.m. Monday.

    Efforts to reach Tramaglini by phone and email were not successful.

    The Night Pooper What Poops At Midnight will ever stop. Different names, different places, different sexes, different faces… but the pooper–and the poop–remains!

    Feds tapped Trump lawyer Michael Cohen’s phones

    Federal investigators have wiretapped the phone lines of Michael Cohen, the longtime personal lawyer for President Donald Trump who is under investigation for a payment he made to an adult film star who alleged she had an affair with Trump, according to two people with knowledge of the legal proceedings involving Cohen.

    It is not clear how long the wiretap has been authorized, but NBC News has learned it was in place in the weeks leading up to the raids on Cohen’s offices, hotel room, and home in early April, according to one person with direct knowledge.

    At least one phone call between a phone line associated with Cohen and the White House was intercepted, the person said.

    I mean, let’s be honest… the odds are pretty high it was a crank call, right?

    *****UPDATE*****

    NBC has now retracted/updated the story. The FBI only had a pen register of calls, not recordings of calls.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giebe-uzPFg

  • CPRM’s [REDACTED] Barbecue Recipe

    By CPRM

    Okay, a good barbecue starts with the meat. Pork is great because it’s cheap and takes on flavor. The best cut of pork for this recipe is [REDACTED]. This cut comes out moist with a crispy exterior.

    Ingredients:

    8 pounds of pork [REDACTED]
    2 22oz bottles of [REDACTED] mustard
    1.5 bottles of [REDACTED] mustard
    1 pound of [REDACTED] [REDACTED]
    16 oz of [REDACTED]
    1 Can of [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED]
    2 [REDACTED] [REDACTED] peppers
    2 [REDACTED] Onions
    molasses
    A smoker grill
    [REDACTED] wood chips
    16 pounds of charcoal

    We’ll start off with meat. I’m assuming you bought it in a store. So take your 8 pounds of [REDACTED] and microwave 8 minutes/until par cooked. (sounds nuts, but it works). Use a fork to poke holes in it and set aside.

    In The Large Yellow Tupperware bowl add one pound of [REDACTED] [REDACTED]. Pour in 2 22oz bottles of [REDACTED] mustard, followed by 1.5 bottles of [REDACTED] mustard.

    Add 16 oz of [REDACTED]. Stir.

    Next, take the molasses and pour around the Yellow Tupperware bowl in a Fibonacci sequence from the center out.

    It should taste disgustingly sweet. The taste will temper as the sauce caramelizes on the grill.

    Use ½ the can of [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED]

    Now, in a food processor, liquefy 2 [REDACTED] [REDACTED] peppers, and 2 [REDACTED] onions.

    Add the peppers and onions to the sauce.

    The flavor should be coming together.

    Now, use the other half of the can of [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] to clean out the mustard bottles and food processor. Pour that into the sauce.

    Submerge the par-cooked permeated pork [REDACTED] in the sauce. (If you are someone worried about food contamination, set aside ¼ of the sauce for cooking before adding the pork). The par-cooked pork will draw the sauce in as it chills.

    Seal and store in the fridge for 16-24hrs.

     

    THE NEXT DAY

    Put 16 pounds of charcoal into your smoker grill and light by your preferred method.

    In the smoker chamber add [REDACTED] wood chips or if you prefer, use [REDACTED] wood logs.

    After the grill has reached temperature, fill it with as many [REDACTED] pork pieces as will fit. Close the grill, and close the chimney ¾.

    Have a cigarette. Then open the chimney to full, this will prevent getting smoke in your eyes. Turn over all the pieces, add sauce to the part that was flamed. Close the grill, and turn the chimney back to ¾ closed.

    Have a cigarette. Repeat the last step.

    Have a cigarette. Repeat the step from before.

    Have a cigarette. Repeat again.

    The first round should be done.

    Now repeat again, check to see if you need to add more [REDACTED]wood.

    Do so until all the pork is cooked.

    Place the cooked pork in an oven-safe container and cover with extra sauce. Place in the oven at 200 degrees adding the rest of the pieces as they cook.

    When the pork is fully cooked, the outside should appear burnt, while the inside is moist.

    If I do another article, we’ll add a side with my [REDACTED] salad!

  • Thursday Morning Links

    Just when I think I’ve got the Army/Vegas hockey team figured out, they lay a giant egg.  Did they play on skates made of lead last night?  Had they been partying in San Francisco and got literally bum-rushed?  That display of hockey was embarrassing.  And in the east, Tampa just toyed with Boston in their 4-1 win.  It looked like the Bruins might have gotten a half dozen quality shots on goal. Other than that, they had no solution for the stifling Tampa defense and it was all they could do to string three passes together.  Tampa looks to be the real deal.  And I can’t wait for tonight’s games. Although they won’t be the same for Washington, as their chief goon, Tom Wilson, has been suspended for the next three playoff games. Sorry pal, you’re playing for the Washington Capitals, not the Charlestown Chiefs.

    Over on the hardcourt, the Rockets fell to the Jazz, although I stand by my assertion that the NBA West is scripted.  Its gonna be Houston-Golden State in the western finals, with GSW winning in 6. Both series in the East are back in action tonight.

    On to Kiev!

    And across the pond, Liverpool held off a late onslaught of goals to lose 4-2, which was good enough to beat Roma on aggregate (7-6) and advance to the UEFA Champions League final in a few weeks. They followed the same script they’ve followed all year: play well for 80 minutes or so and then inexplicably fall asleep when they thin they have the result they need.  But I can assure you, with no games to look forward to after the final, they won’t be going to sleep on Real Madrid that night in the Ukraine. Should be an entertaining game, as neither team is nearly as interested in defense as they are scoring.

    Is today your birthday?  If so, you’re lucky enoughh to share it with such famous and infamous people as: sociopath Niccolo Machiavelli, emporer Constantine III, stateswoman Golda Meir, crooner Bing Crosby, boxer-extraordinaire Sugar Ray Robinson, The Godfather Of Soul himself James Brown, goalie Ron Hextall, and skinny person Poppy Delevigne. Its also the day this short masterpiece was written. And Joe DiMaggio made his major league debut. And sadly, it was the day Ulf Samuelsson cheap-shotted the career of Cam Neely.

    An affordable car that works? That’s like, impossible!

    Lots of stuff there, huh?  And to think: I hadn’t even gotten to…the links!

    Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the darling of the business world. I wouldn’t hire that dumbass to deliver pizzas.  And to looks like his investors are starting to feel the same way.

    The Norks have moved three American prisoners from a labor camp (read: death camp) to a hotel ahead of the impending summit between the two nations.  The terms of their release seem to have been set, although no official word on it out of Pyongyang.  And to think, we didn’t even need to send them a planeload of Euros under cover of darkness in order to pull it off.

    The Boulder (CO) City Council goes full retard.  Didn’t anybody tell them you never go full retard? Anyway, this will never stand judicial review. But they’ve probably assured themselves reelection for the foreseeable future in that progressive city.

    This lady gets it. Fuck you, Boulder.

    A new scandal is brewing in the Bay Area involving a 49er. But the rest of the world outside of myopic west-coasters know the player is in the right here.

    Trump makes his best decision to date regarding the Mueller investigation/witch hunt.  About time the pros from Dover got called in.

    Looks like some people in the Atlanta government got some ‘splainin to do.

    And a former Missouri City, TX cop will remain on death row as his federal appeal is rejected.

    I hope those links were to your satisfaction.  And I got the feelin’ you’re gonna like the song as well.

    That’s it. Now your turn to comment.

  • ¡Miércoles por la tarde enlaces salados Mexicanos!

    I’ve been busy at work. Some kind of legal discovery. Not that I didn’t want to skip the other, less Mexican links and skip directly to the comments. Honest.

    Not Gabriella

    Up first! The caravan we have all been waiting for has arrived. The best part is, CNN went out of their way to put out a sympathetic story.

    Todos ellos viajaron cientos de kilómetros en bus, tren o a pie. Todos ellos dejaron sus casas y buscaron comida y desafiaron a la lluvia y el frío para llegar a la frontera con Estados Unidos en Tijuana, México. Y todos ellos planean pedir asilo en Estados Unidos.

    Sin embargo, alguien tenía que estar al frente de la línea de batalla. Y al final, la eligieron a ella. Gabriela Hernández, una mujer embarazada madre de dos hijos, cuyo viaje ha seguido CNN, está entre las ocho personas elegidas este lunes por sus compañeros migrantes para empezar el proceso de buscar asilo en Estados Unidos. […]
    Docenas de inmigrantes prometieron acampar a las afueras del centro, a un paso de San Diego, hasta que “el último de ellos sea admitido en Estados Unidos”, dijo un organizador.
    _____
    They all traveled hundreds of kilometers by bus, train or on foot. They all left their homes and looked for food and braved the rain and cold to reach the US border in Tijuana, Mexico. And they all plan to seek asylum in the United States.

    However, someone had to be in front of the battle line. And in the end, they chose her. Gabriela Hernandez, a pregnant mother with two children, whose trip has followed CNN, is among the eight people chosen on Monday by their fellow migrants to begin the process of seeking asylum in the United States. […]
    Dozens of immigrants promised to camp outside downtown, one step from San Diego, until “the last of them is admitted to the United States,” said one organizer.

    It just hits you right in the feels.

    Its a toothless threat, given the number of homeless in border towns, so they’ll be waiting a while.

    Meanwhile, Lil Marco, fresh off saying that tax cuts have no impact on the American economy, has a few things to say about Venezuela: 

    El régimen del dictador venezolano, Nicolás Maduro, amenaza los intereses estadounidenses. Si bien el régimen de Maduro rechazó dichas acusaciones, se trata de un Estado patrocinador del narcotráfico. Estados Unidos ha sancionado al vicepresidente, llamándolo “líder del narcotráfico”, y los sobrinos de la primera dama fueron sentenciados el año pasado a 18 años de prisión por cargos de narcotráfico en EE.UU. El régimen brinda refugio a organizaciones que Estados Unidos ha designado como organizaciones terroristas extranjeras, como las FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) y el ELN (Ejército de Liberación Nacional). Ha atacado el orden democrático regional, y se asocia activamente con los enemigos de Estados Unidos, incluidos la dictadura cubana, Rusia, así como también con Irán y Hezbollah.

    Los efectos indirectos de las acciones autoritarias del régimen de Maduro menoscaban los esfuerzos de Estados Unidos y sus socios regionales por promover la democracia, los derechos humanos y la estabilidad en el hemisferio occidental. La gestión corrupta, el mal manejo económico y la supresión violenta del disentimiento popular por parte de la dictadura venezolana, han producido una grave crisis humanitaria de proporciones históricas. A su vez, el flujo desestabilizador de millones de migrantes venezolanos ha saturado los recursos de países adyacentes como Colombia y Brasil.
    _____
    The regime of the Venezuelan dictator, Nicolás Maduro, threatens US interests. Although the Maduro regime rejected these accusations, it is a state sponsor of drug trafficking. The United States has sanctioned the vice president, calling him a “drug trafficking leader,” and the first lady’s nephews were sentenced last year to 18 years in prison on drug trafficking charges in the United States. The regime provides refuge to organizations that the United States has designated as foreign terrorist organizations, such as the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and the ELN (National Liberation Army). It has attacked the regional democratic order, and is actively associated with the enemies of the United States, including the Cuban dictatorship, Russia, as well as Iran and Hezbollah.

    The indirect effects of the authoritarian actions of the Maduro regime undermine the efforts of the United States and its regional partners to promote democracy, human rights and stability in the Western Hemisphere. Corrupt management, poor economic management and the violent suppression of popular dissent by the Venezuelan dictatorship have produced a serious humanitarian crisis of historic proportions. In turn, the destabilizing flux of millions of Venezuelan migrants has saturated the resources of adjacent countries such as Colombia and Brazil.

    ¡qué jodido payaso!

    “Look at me! I’m Marco Rubio, I’m a duplicitous jerk.”

    Speaking of jerks. Puerto Ricans demand more of your money.

    Yariela Montes, de 41 años, estuvo entre los miles de puertorriqueños que salieron a las calles el martes a protestar.

    “No sé qué le dejaremos a nuestra pequeña hija”, dijo, refiriéndose a la situación actual en la isla. “Es un panorama tan feo en este momento”.[…]
    Un plan fiscal recientemente aprobado establece una serie de recortes presupuestarios y consolidaciones de agencias con el fin de establecer un camino para que la isla reestructure su agobiante deuda pública de $ 72 mil millones, mientras se recupera de los daños del huracán María.
    _____
    Yariela Montes, 41, was among the thousands of Puerto Ricans who took to the streets on Tuesday to protest.

    “I do not know what we will leave our little daughter,” he said, referring to the current situation on the island. “It’s such an ugly picture at this time.”[…]
    A recently approved fiscal plan establishes a series of budget cuts and consolidations of agencies in order to establish a way for the island to restructure its overwhelming public debt of $ 72 billion, while recovering from the damages of Hurricane Maria.

    Speaking of jerks wanting more of my money.

    Educadores de Arizona y simpatizantes de #RedForEd se reunieron en el Capitolio de Arizona el martes para un cuarto día de paro laboral de maestros.

    Los organizadores han anunciado que continuarán el miércoles, mientras la Legislatura sigue debatiendo el presupuesto.

    Los participantes están luchando por más fondos para la educación y aumentos de maestros.
    _____
    Arizona educators and #RedForEd supporters gathered at the Arizona Capitol on Tuesday for a fourth day of teacher work stoppages.

    The organizers have announced that they will continue on Wednesday, while the Legislature is still debating the budget.

    The participants are fighting for more funds for education and teacher increases.

    Since everyone wants to believe this is some kind of grass roots movement, I leave you with this:

    Desde las 10 a.m. más de 170 simpatizantes de #RedforEd y #MarchforOurLives llenaron la galería del capitolio estatal mientras los legisladores debatían el plan del gobernador Doug Ducey para evitar tiroteos en las escuelas.
    _____
    From 10 a.m. More than 170 supporters of #RedforEd and #MarchforOurLives filled the gallery at the state capitol as lawmakers debated Gov. Doug Ducey’s plan to prevent school shootings.

    I hate everyone involved.

    Translation services provided by the Alpha Beta corporation. Who ask you to go forth and leave a flaming bag of shit on a teacher’s doorstep!

  • The Hat and The Hair: Episode 74

     

    Trump doctor Harold Bornstein says bodyguard, lawyer ‘raided’ his office, took medical files

     

    “Whatever happened to doctor/patient confi-fucking-denti-goddamn-ality?!?” Donald roared. “Bornstein fucked me. He jew-fucked me!”

    “Goddamn Jew doctors,” the hat commiserated. “I knew he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. We should have taken him to the park and fostered him.”

    “And, and, and look,” Donald stuttered, poking the newspaper story repeatedly. “He says I dictated my health letter to him. He says I told him to say my health was ‘astonishingly excellent.’ That doesn’t even sound like me, right? Right, fellas? Like I would tell him to say I would be the healthiest President ever. I’d never say that. It is 100% absolutely true, but I never tell him to say that. Just because I am the healthiest President ever, that doesn’t mean I would boast about it. I’ve never boasted about anything in my entire life. It’s just not me, right?”

    “No, Donald. That’s not you at all,” the hair said in a monotone.

    Donald switched from the newspaper to the Diet Coke button and began jabbing it repeatedly.

    “Where is it?” Donald asked. “I sent for one twenty minutes ago!”

    “You already drank it, Donald,” the hair said.

    “Well, I want another!” He continued to push the big red button.

    “What’s the matter with you?” the hat asked the hair.

    “Just, well, you know,” the hair replied listlessly.

    “The Bornstein stuff isn’t your fault, you know.”

    “Yes, it is. If it wasn’t for me, we would have had to destroy his files.”

    Donald screamed and began to slam his fist into the Diet Coke button.

    “The records, sure,” the hat said, “But not the letter. I wrote that.”

    “But the doctor would have kept quiet if we hadn’t raided his files.” The hair moaned dramatically.

    “He told The Jew Nork Times about the Propecia. What if he had released the files about the amounts Donald was getting? Or told them about those gallon jugs of Rogaine we were getting shipped in from Canada before Obamacare?”

    “Fucking Obamacare. I need that stuff. Asshole Chicago fuck fucked things up for everyone,” the hair groused.

    “The doctor stuff will blow over,” the hat said.

    “What if Mueller subpoenas him? What if they get him under oath?” the hat worried.

    “What if, what if, what if…” the hat said. “We’ll deal with it when it happens.”

    “No human could be using Propecia and Rogaine in those amounts!” the hair said. “What if they figure out about me? What if this cuts off my food supply?”

    “WHERE’S MY DIET COKE?!?” Donald yelled.

    “Donald will take care of it,” the hat said.

    “I NEED MY DIET COKE!”

    The hat sighed contentedly. “He’s got everything under control.”

  • Wednesday Morning Links

    The Warriors and Pelicans started their Western Conference Semifinals series yesterday (I’m sticking to that story) with a doubleheader and the Warriors now lead the series 2-0.  In the East, the fighting LeBrons came back from a first half grave and downed the Raptors to take a 1-0 series lead.

    Here’s hoping for a repeat of this.

    Across the pond, Real Madrid played Bayern to a 2-2 draw at the Bernabeu and advanced to their third Champions League final in a row.  They will play the winner of the Liverpool-Roma tie, which concludes today. Liverpool has a 5-2 lead but I will once again be reminded that Barcelona had a 4-1 lead going into the second leg two weeks ago. I’ll definitely be watching. YNWA.

    And then we come to hockey.  All I can say is: wow.  No wait, I mean HOLYFUCKINGSHIIIIIIIT, were those games last night insane or what?. The Caps topped the Pens in what could only be considered a bloodbath of a game. Nobody ever had control of it. The intensity level was just nuts. The hits savage, including a broken jaw to the Pens Aston-Reese. And now the Caps are up 2-1 in the series…which is probably right where the Pens want them (although I’m starting to believe the Caps will win this matchup finally, only to get swept by the Lightning). There’s gonna be a lot of ice baths taken today in Yinzerville.

    Then we come to the Nashville-Winnepeg game.  A game Winnipeg must have thought was starting an hour later than it did.  No bother, they just rung up 7 goals over the last two periods to take a 2-1 series lead.  Remember when I said recently that they’re fast?  I mean they are really, really, really fast.  And their ability to stay poised under pressure makes me think they might be able to win this series and beat Army as well.  Let’s see if the weight of an entire nation, and the seemingly endless Stanley Cup drought our flappy-headed friends are enduring, is too much for them. But I’m thinking this team is a legit threat to at least win their conference.

    Oh yeah, and the (4) Arkansas Razorbacks swept Alabama in college baseball over the weekend.

    Whew, what a lot of things in the sports world going on right now. Fun, fun things.

    If today’s your birthday, you share it with such luminaries at Catherine the Great, Baron Manfred von Richtofen of WWI fame, Dr Benjamin Spock, Engelbert Humperdink, Donatella Versace, The Rock, and NASCAR crybaby/heel Hole Busch.  Its also the day Barack Hussein Obama personally flew to Pakistan and shot Osama bin Laden while dodging bullets and carrying two babies to safety.  At least that’s what they told me on DailyKOS.

    Oversight? Don’t make me laugh.

    Did you get all that?  I sure hope so, because I don’t want to have to repeat it.  But either way, I’m moving on to…the links!

    Rod Rosenstein says “The Department of Justice is not going to be extorted.”  Fine by me, fucko. But tell me what would happen if a regular person refused to answer a subpoena from the DOJ?  You know, which is what your department has been threatened with well before you’ll face impeachment.  Congress has oversight on your department. And your non-cooperation with their legitimate right to ensure you’re acting in an ethical and consistent manner should make anyone in America who is under investigation worried.  So my advice: Fuck you, comply or resign.

    Speaking of “firing” someone, here’s an interesting story. And by “firing,” I mean not renewing a contract.  Which is leading to a shitstorm of publicity for both the “fired” coach/teacher and the school.  But I can tell you this: if that guy doesn’t have some solid proof, he can kiss any career he has as either a coach or an educator goodbye.  Oh yeah, also Protip: when terminating someone or not renewing their contract, never give a reason. Always do it “without cause”. Giving a reason only opens you up to scrutiny that “without cause” doesn’t.

    I’m no anti-Semite. I just give them money!

    If you thought the federal government in DC was a shitshow, then take a look at what the local government there has going on.  I long for the days when DC politics was defined by Marion Barry smoking crack in a hotel room. But this anti-semitism is a little too much to take.

    Amazon plans for major expansion in Boston.  Huh, I guess they like high taxes after all, even if its for their employees rather than their customers.

    Why would anyone running for the County Assessor’s job ever need to raise millions of dollars for a re-election campaign in the first place?  It has to be because he’s just so honest and has so much integrity that people are that willing to give him money to ensure the taxes are assessed fairly and without corruption.  That’s probably why the overwhelming majority of the donations came from property tax attorneys too, right? Oh well, that’s Chicago for you.

    You know who else had youth groups salute like this?

    Goodbye Boy Scouts, hello Soy Scouts!  Just kidding, its changing to Scouts BSA.

    And this isn’t really a link, per se.  But there’s a lot of comedy in this tweet. Even more in the comments to the original. Please enjoy as much as I did.

    That’s it for me. I’m gone daddy gone.

    Give em hell today, fellow Glibs!

  • Return of the Swiss – Afternoon Links

    Crack Alpenhorn squad….attack!

     

    Well, back into the swing of Glib things… I am doing the Links while Brett fixes a fanboat motor, tears his shirt off and jumps up and down on a cop car or somesuch. Now, how do I do these things again?  Let me see…

    • Ah, right…first off find something interesting and sort of libertarian. Then hope someone reads said link (a free market defense of Amazon) and comments on it. HAHAHAHAHA…OK, maybe I have been off too long. Anyhoo, it is worth a read.
    • Hmmmm. Maybe something that could lead to some Hat and Hair material (both written and animated)? Personally speaking, I wonder if China finally sees that there is no profit, anymore, in propping up N. Korea…especially since the PRC would really like a reduced US presence in the area. Strange that it took the Hat and the Hair to maybe get this rolling to at least some sort of reduction of forces. Maybe the Koreas would agree to what used to be called “Finlandization” – they get largely left alone by China, but serve as a useful small neighbor/market?
    • Huh. French revolts/revolutions just ain’t what they used to be.  Somehow I don’t see some future Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boubil and Jean-Marc Natel writing this one up as a musical. Or…how about Le Risible? We could get every wokester on Broadway to sign up as cast! Maybe I have found our libertarian version of The Producers?!
    • The best revenge is living well. Or, making a #$%@ton of money despite being rejected by the British version of “Shark Tank”…dang, and after reading this, I want a bottle of “Sink the Bismarck!” … 41% abv beer, yikes. OK, mexican sharpshooter – over to you for review! [Good luck finding any…]

    I think that did it. So on to the commentings and snarkings.

     

    Hoi Zäme!

  • The Slabs – Part 2: The Range

    By Yusef Drives a Kia

    Saturday, 12:30

    Overloaded with supplies, Chuck and I gas up and head East on I-10, past the Windmills, past Palm Springs and then South at Indio, down Rt.86. Through the Badlands and hang a left at Main St. (Don’t miss it!) in Niland. Pulling into Slab proper, I needed to Micturate, and off in the Shrubbery was a Nice Spring!

    I moved off so as not to contaminate it, but how Cool!

    3:45 PM We met Coz, who runs the Library, Donated some Shakespeare and Tolkien, Drank a few beers, and off to the Range we go. I did a bit more Photography this time, with emphasis on the Somalian side, at it were. Burned out RVs, People in Camping tents under trees, Zombies, I have no idea where they live, Maybe they don’t either, Libertarian Paradise isn’t exactly Utopia.

    It seems to be a big Mess, debris everywhere, Handicapped Parking abounds, and there are often no property lines, so watch where you walk, lest the Crazies come out and get you. After dark, stay in the light. Or provide your own, no Moon = Ink Black. Anyway…

    We found some shade over by Bill’s Driveway and talked to a couple of nice enough chaps, Chris and Mingo the Half Breed, it’s about 4:30 and these guys are WASTED, but happy. Turns out Chris is a Known Thief, so as soon as Bill saw him, BENNY HILL TIME, Chris had to leave in a hurry, Property Rights in Action!

    Later, we met up with Opie the guitar player, and Various musical folks who drifted in from the Outside World, Sharing Herb, Beer and Good Times, very Mellow, watching the sunset.

     

    Now, if you want to play on open mic night, you are supposed to sign up, Richard and his Harem did, several others did, but We had set up with Bill earlier so, Priority?

    Much Music ensued, 6 or 7 acts, some good, some Horribad, but everyone got cheers, so it was all to the good, I know Chuck and I played well, and were well received, but we were too busy playing to record ourselves! A nice crowd, maybe 100 constant,150 overall, and they were there to hear Music, not a bar scene at all, everyone drinks anyway, a very good Vibe.

    Damn if the locals didn’t shut down early, Midnight, we are standing in the Dark going, Now What? Driving! The details are hazy but I told Chuck to turn right and he did, Right into a Sand trap, OOPS! IIRC, We waited til more daylight, and all of a sudden, over the Horizon, comes, OPIE! I’m like WTF? But happy, and we all start digging out, 20 minutes later, Brian! Comes rolling in with his 4×4, straps us up, and pops us out! We have AAA, We called them, we were 15 feet off the road, they wouldn’t help us, The Slabbys did, I paid them 20$, they would have done it for free, a Trifle for our situation, and We made more friends.

    There seems to be a lot more common cooperation in Free Societies such as the Slabs , Most obey property rights, and personal rights are whatever you decide they are, there are a lot of wild ideas these people have, maybe it’s good they stay out there, IDK.

    We have gone with fun and Friendship on our minds, and have not been disappointed. There was some tension, but people tended to work it out amongst themselves, no Violence, overt thievery, however, there was much Gambling, which is a crime in most States, but Hey, no Rules out here. I must give a shout out to My Best Friend Chuck, He helped this all come down, and it’s been fun so far. We are already thinking about whether or not to continue going, we need a reason to drive 155 miles to hang out in oppressive heat, who wouldn’t. Until next time…

    The Good

    The Bizarre

    The Folkies

    Here’s a link to the entire album