fedward, tumbling

babesofnpr: Ninety percent of the submissions B.O.N.P.R....

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:03:11 -0500

Ninety percent of the submissions B.O.N.P.R. receives pertain to this guy. There’s too much pressure to think of an awesome caption, so we’ll just leave you with this picture of NPR mega babe and host of This American Life, Ira Glass.

What really makes this for me is the number of people saying it isn’t funny.

Right hand in a trench coat: Science™

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:05:17 -0500

Right hand in a trench coat: Science™:

No. You need a solvent (water) to get the extraction to work well –- there’s more surface contact with a solvent extraction than a dry grind, which is essentially what would happen in a citrus + sugar grind.

If “dry grind” is a specific term I’m unfamiliar with it, but having made oleo-saccharum I can say that the result of muddling the citrus peel and sugar is indeed quite moist. But you also add hot water to dissolve the sugar after an hour, and that presumably would pick up anything water-soluble that didn’t leech into the sugar.

Science™

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:38:36 -0500

tbridge:

dennymayo replied to your post: What would the A-B test look like? I have more limes…

As I read it, the oil won’t go into water/booze without sugar - hence the need for the simple syrup. Simple syrup is less polar than booze, making a better solvent for the oils.

This man should know - he is a Professional Chemist.

So, does that mean we should muddle the citrus with sugar before doing the soaking?

I’m neither Italian nor a professional chemist, but I have read enough on booze to know that mumble-mumble oil sugar mumble (“less polar … yeah. That.”). My empirical results with punch with and without oleo-saccharum do show that there’s something to the practice. In general some things are soluble in water, some are soluble in alcohol, and some aren’t really soluble in either, but the sugar helps (while sugar itself is more soluble in water than in alcohol, which is why you make syrup in the first place).

That said, I just googled and essentially every recipe I found for a ‘cello said to combine the peel (or the zest) with the booze and let it sit for some amount of time (minimum of a couple weeks, in general), and so if nothing else the way you’re doing it is the way countless Italians have done it, and thus certainly Not Wrong.

The A-B test I’d design would probably be something like an A-B-C test, in the end: A) do what you’re doing; B) using the same amount of sugar you’d use, first make an oleo-saccharum, then add the same amount of hot water, stir to dissolve the sugar, let cool, add booze, steep the whole mess for however long; C) make the oleo-saccharum, add the hot water, stir to dissolve sugars, cool, strain, add booze. Or, if you’re feeling truly ambitious, strain out the peels, add a shot of booze to the syrup (to prevent spoilage), then combine the somewhat-spent peels and the booze and steep that mess for however long (storing the syrup in the fridge for as long as that takes).

So, four tests. Are you America’s Test Kitchen?

(via Famous Photogs Pose With Their Most Iconic Images | Raw...

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:12:24 -0500

(via Famous Photogs Pose With Their Most Iconic Images | Raw File | Wired.com)

"Joe it’s Jeff and Mandy are they on that they and I need to ask me about. Hey great look at..."

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:38:40 -0500

“Joe it’s Jeff and Mandy are they on that they and I need to ask me about. Hey great look at it. He said there’s really nothing we can see what it looks like somebody’s already sealed around the windows and stuff like that. There’s just something you know shop just pull that room and just rebuild our way over to big son would rather not get into. Anyway, I will met you ready to go one that gave you wash today but you’re ready to travel. So just give us a call if there’s any questions. Thank you have good day”

- Oh, Vonage transcriptions of wrong number calls, where would I be without you?

P.S. The audio doesn’t make much more sense than that. Something about an RV.

"[What kind of bar is this?] is precisely the question everyone should ask themselves before figuring..."

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:23:00 -0500

“[What kind of bar is this?] is precisely the question everyone should ask themselves before figuring out what they want to drink. Just as a martini order won’t fly in Ireland, Stoli-and-soda isn’t your best bet at a serious-minded cocktail joint. You wouldn’t go to Paris just to eat a Big Mac, right? Similarly, don’t just go for some knee-jerk drink order. Survey the landscape and make a quick plan.”

- Sloshed: How to Order a Proper Drink in Any Bar, Anywhere — Grub Street New York

I disagree with his categorization of a martini or a Manhattan as foolproof, though. Sometimes the bar has rotten vermouth or no bitters at all.

Previously, in this space, my own drink ordering flowchart.

Monkey vs Robot needs no reason. Monkey vs Robot responds to no...

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:29:36 -0500

Monkey vs Robot needs no reason. Monkey vs Robot responds to no reason.

You know you’re a regular when you show up in a local...

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:31:39 -0500

You know you’re a regular when you show up in a local blog’s photo of the bar.

(via Old Wood, New Bar Unveiled at The Passenger: DCist)

"When I worked at the old New Statesman magazine in London, we had an annual competition for advice..."

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:16:24 -0500

“When I worked at the old New Statesman magazine in London, we had an annual competition for advice to tourists visiting the city for the first time. “Try the famous echo in the British Museum Reading Room” was, I remember, one of the winners. We also advised people that prostitutes could be easily recognized by their habit of rattling collection tins, that it was considered ill-mannered not to shake hands with all other passengers before taking your seat on the London subway, and that readers doing the Times crossword on trains were always glad if you offered to help.”

- Christopher Hitchens on New York City’s Petty Policies | Politics | Vanity Fair

Hitchens sets out to break as many unfollowable and ill-conceived laws as possible. The whole thing is fantastic, but I especially liked this bit of bad advice he uses to contrast London with New York.

tiffanyb: lizlet: rachelfershleiser: awesomeringerud: “Drillm...

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:11:09 -0500

tiffanyb:

lizlet:

rachelfershleiser:

awesomeringerud:

“Drillmaster,” he said, “this is not alagai’sharak as we were taught it.” -The Desert Spear

I think I win this one.

“The quality of laughter is so incredible and deep and real and serious.”

Nope, I do!

“He can’t look at me — his eyes are closed, his fave is all scrunched up.”

:(

“Define Task-Based Audience Segments.”

I think the only way to do this meme with professional books.

“Carved stone reliefs at the palace do not show him sipping beer through a straw; instead, he is depicted elegantly balancing a shallow bowl, probably made of gold, on the tips of the fingers of his right hand, so that it is level with his face.”

I’ll take it. From A History of the World in 6 Glasses. At least, that’s what’s at the top of what my Kindle says is page 45.

See America (LOC) by The Library of Congress on Flickr.Want.

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:26:23 -0500

See America (LOC) by The Library of Congress on Flickr.

Want.

life: The Malayan Coral Snake was photographed by Mark...

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:07:17 -0500

life:

The Malayan Coral Snake was photographed by Mark Laita.

‘The sensual attractiveness of snakes, which coexists with their threatening, unpredictable and mysterious nature is truly unique. This dichotomy, in which their beauty seems to be heightened by their danger, and vice-versa, is what I find so fascinating. Add to these contradictions the rich symbolism of serpents and you have a wonderfully compelling subject’.

(see more here on Feature Shoot)

Ampersnake!

clutter: Baby It's Cold Outside

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:20:22 -0500

clutter: Baby It's Cold Outside:

tiffanyb:

As a friend asked on Twitter today: Has this song always been about date rape?

I used to think it was more like the woman didn’t really want to leave but was sort of talking herself into it.* Kind of like when you’re lying in bed, and you know you SHOULD go to the gym, but you don’t want to, and…

When thinking about this song it’s important to consider that Frank Loesser wrote it for himself and his wife to perform at private parties, and it was initially unpublished (according to the ever-reliable Wikipedia his wife was furious at him for selling the rights). So while the words might seem a bit date-rapey if taken at face value, the song clearly wasn’t intended to be taken at face value at all. Note that the original couple were already married and performing the song for friends at parties where, presumably, everybody was drinking hot toddies or Tom and Jerries or something to that effect, and you can reasonably assume that a degree of safety and humor surrounded the whole thing, and everybody in the room was in on the joke.

And for what it’s worth I’ve never had the idea the mouse had any intention to leave. The lady doth protest too much.

"Readers of Stieg Larsson’s best-selling thriller will be happy to learn that one mystery posed by..."

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:19:09 -0500

“Readers of Stieg Larsson’s best-selling thriller will be happy to learn that one mystery posed by the book has been roundly solved: …why every single woman who encountered the boring, middle-aged and coffee-scented reporter, Miguel Bloomphurst (sp?), wanted so bad to jump his bones all the time. SPOILER ALERT: because he looks like Daniel Craig, it turns out.”

-
Videogum Joins The New Yorker In Breaking The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Movie Review Emgargo | Videogum (via lizlet)

That would do it. I’m just saying.

(via tiffanyb)

I eventually decided that all the sex scenes in the books (for which I used library borrowing on my Kindle - nothing was wasted except my time) were being acted out by Xtranormal avatars. “You are very good at sex.” “Yes. I am very good at sex. My numerous sex partners have all said so.”

milkbarproject: Cornflake Crunch Exactly what it sounds like:...

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:32:31 -0500

milkbarproject:

Cornflake Crunch

Exactly what it sounds like: roasted cornflakes! Seasoned with milk powder, sugar, and salt - and browned with just enough butter to hold it all together.

I made this to use as a component in Cornflake-Chocolate-Chip-Marshmallow Cookies. Thank God that recipe only calls for 3/4 of a recipe of Cornflake Crunch, since I couldn’t stop myself from snacking. This is just SO. DAMN. GOOD. that Christina Tosi’s cookbook intro is worth repeating in full: This recipe was originally created to accompany the Cereal Milk Panna Cotta. It was one of those first-swing, home-run hits. It is incredibly simple to make and equally as versatile in its uses. Put some in a plastic bag and take it on the go as the best snack ever, or use it as an ingredient in the recipes to follow.

Make this for no reason, and eat it because it will make your mouth do a happy dance. Trust me.

Issue 1: I’m famously bad at reading recipes. In fact, the first time I cooked The Husband* a fancy meal, I found myself accidentally cooking a sous vide pork tenderloin in saran wrap tied up with fringe from a blanket. So when I saw that Cornflake-Chocolate-Chip-Marshmallow cookies called for less than a full recipe of Cornflake Crunch, I instinctively proceeded to make a half-recipe. Only after I’d started on the cookies did I realize I needed 3/4 of a batch and threw together a second half-recipe. (Which was good, since I was worried about how cookie proportions would have been affected by my snacking at that point.)

Variation From Recipe: None. Replicated with fidelity.

Verdict: Love it!

* The Husband was merely The New Boyfriend at the time.

We need you two to live closer to us. We don’t judge.

"Can’t we do better than this? Can’t we do better than pay 400k to someone who doesn’t have an..."

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:05:53 -0500

“Can’t we do better than this? Can’t we do better than pay 400k to someone who doesn’t have an instinctive gut rejection of the idea of macing a bunch of kids sitting on a sidewalk. Can’t we do better than that? Shouldn’t we be able with that kind of money and benefits and perks to find someone who would immediately recoil at the thought of sending riot police with batons and chemical weapons to go thump the kids paying 35,000 a year for the privilege to sit in that public space? Can’t we find people whose immediate response to everything is not the application of force and a reliance on police brutality?”

- Balloon Juice » Can’t Anyone Here Play This Game

(via Satyricon: 1925 | Shorpy Historical Photo Archive)

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:33:33 -0500

(via Satyricon: 1925 | Shorpy Historical Photo Archive)

"Dippin’ Dots Inc., the self-described “ice cream of the future,” filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy..."

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:04:36 -0400

“Dippin’ Dots Inc., the self-described “ice cream of the future,” filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Paducah, Ky., near its headquarters, after fighting off foreclosure efforts from Regions Bank for more than a year, according to court documents. At the time of the filing, the company owed about $11.1 million to the bank.”

- The “Ice Cream of the Future” Goes the Way of Solyndra - Hit & Run : Reason Magazine (via tbridge)

Will the ice cream of the future be relegated to history?

From the end of the Great Depression until this year, anyone...

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:29:41 -0400

From the end of the Great Depression until this year, anyone could order a silver gelatin reproduction, printed from negatives, of any image in the Library of Congress’ collection, most recently for about $100 a print. Not any more: After learning in August that his services would no longer be needed, Jantzen, one of the library’s last freelance darkroom printers, finished his final batch of photographs from the collection this month.

As a cost-cutting measure, the library’s duplication services no longer include darkroom-made prints.

(via Library of Congress Stops Selling Darkroom-Made Prints - Arts Desk)

Plans for the future

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:45:22 -0400

fishbelowtheice:

I will set up a tumblr where I only follow people with beards, black-framed glasses, and red plaid shirts. That ought to narrow it down.

Stubble (usually), silver-framed glasses with tortoise temples, and I don’t own any red plaid shirts. Are you sure you want to follow me?