One of the most iconic Depression-era constructions, the Golden Gate Bridge, turns 72 today. SF Chronicle posted some pictures from many eras of its life -
Paid for at the time with a bond issue, as well as tolls (ostensibly for interest payments - the interest was paid off 38 years ago, but the tolls remain). Another Depression-era construction that is world famous - Rockefeller Center. Paid for entirely by John D. Rockefeller! Still in private hands as well.
Happy birthday to the most beautiful bridge on earth!
Joshua's Journal
My Podcast Link
05/28/2009 16:35 #48775
Happy Birthday Golden Gate05/23/2009 21:48 #48733
Farmer JoshMy first ever attempt to grow tomatoes starts here -
I went with Brandywine (got 'em at the Co-op - Porter Farms organic eco-'maters) mainly because of the shape and ultimate size of the fruit (beefsteak, and fucking huge - upwards of 2 lbs). Also, it was all they had at 9pm on Saturday. Oh well!
Doing some preliminary research showed me that this fruit is well suited to grow here, since it essentially originated along the northeastern seaboard. (This is an obvious point though, really - after all, they came from a WNY farm). The plants will allegedly grow up to 6-8 feet tall. I'm not sure what the best thing to do would be - indoors or outdoors. I suppose I'm a little concerned about the proximity to the street - this will definitely be done in a 5-gallon pot, or possibly larger, depending on what advice I get. I'm obsessed with making this work - the only thing I didn't consider was the 85-day or so period I'll be waiting until the fruit shows up. In August, I'm going to have the best organic brandywine tomatoes on 700 block of Elmwood, dammit!
Wish me luck. Any and all advice is most welcome.
Oh - what else. Today I spent most of the day alone in solitude, hanging out and enjoying myself. Jay went to see Keane play in Toronto with our bud JV, I stayed behind because this past week exhausted me. Before that, we went to the outlet to get (e:jason) new threads. It's fair to say that I dressed him, with the exception of the nice sneakers he got - he seemed to like the stuff I picked out as we went through, which I would say were bohemian enough for my tastes without completely sacrificing (e:jason)'s good looks and professionalism. Linen shirts and slacks, a nice casual, lightweight blazer, v-neck t-shirt, etc. - as for me, I replaced my well-worn Birkenstocks and really just came for the cruise and to help (e:jason). I read some short stories (which I'm still processing - Murakami is a strange man at times - go read his story "TV People"), ate gelato, had a mucho iced soy chai from you-know-where - overall, a lovely day.
I went with Brandywine (got 'em at the Co-op - Porter Farms organic eco-'maters) mainly because of the shape and ultimate size of the fruit (beefsteak, and fucking huge - upwards of 2 lbs). Also, it was all they had at 9pm on Saturday. Oh well!
Doing some preliminary research showed me that this fruit is well suited to grow here, since it essentially originated along the northeastern seaboard. (This is an obvious point though, really - after all, they came from a WNY farm). The plants will allegedly grow up to 6-8 feet tall. I'm not sure what the best thing to do would be - indoors or outdoors. I suppose I'm a little concerned about the proximity to the street - this will definitely be done in a 5-gallon pot, or possibly larger, depending on what advice I get. I'm obsessed with making this work - the only thing I didn't consider was the 85-day or so period I'll be waiting until the fruit shows up. In August, I'm going to have the best organic brandywine tomatoes on 700 block of Elmwood, dammit!
Wish me luck. Any and all advice is most welcome.
Oh - what else. Today I spent most of the day alone in solitude, hanging out and enjoying myself. Jay went to see Keane play in Toronto with our bud JV, I stayed behind because this past week exhausted me. Before that, we went to the outlet to get (e:jason) new threads. It's fair to say that I dressed him, with the exception of the nice sneakers he got - he seemed to like the stuff I picked out as we went through, which I would say were bohemian enough for my tastes without completely sacrificing (e:jason)'s good looks and professionalism. Linen shirts and slacks, a nice casual, lightweight blazer, v-neck t-shirt, etc. - as for me, I replaced my well-worn Birkenstocks and really just came for the cruise and to help (e:jason). I read some short stories (which I'm still processing - Murakami is a strange man at times - go read his story "TV People"), ate gelato, had a mucho iced soy chai from you-know-where - overall, a lovely day.
heidi - 05/29/09 14:19
My parents use large 1/2 barrels for their tomato plants. (e:Janelle)'s staking suggestions are good too. Good luck!
My parents use large 1/2 barrels for their tomato plants. (e:Janelle)'s staking suggestions are good too. Good luck!
tinypliny - 05/26/09 18:41
My friend gave me a cherry tomato plant and a chilly plant seedkit from Aerogarden :::link:::
Apparently, they are much much easier to grow than conventional plants. Additionally, they are supposed to give a richer yield and need no extra care. You may want to consider these if you are thinking "low-maintenance".
My friend gave me a cherry tomato plant and a chilly plant seedkit from Aerogarden :::link:::
Apparently, they are much much easier to grow than conventional plants. Additionally, they are supposed to give a richer yield and need no extra care. You may want to consider these if you are thinking "low-maintenance".
dcoffee - 05/25/09 15:29
Nice! I'm growing veggies too, in my shady South Buffalo lot. Most plants like full sun. Use excellent soil. Water it in the morning. Also, I learned a good trick just for tomato plants.. you have to trim the 'suckers' You won't see any yet, but once it gets about a foot tall you'll notice little branches sprouting between the leaves and the main stem, clip these off! They don't grow any fruit and drain the plant's energy, if you don't clip them you'll end up with a healthy lookin' bushy plant with few tomatoes. Some branches near the top will flower, but cut all the ones from the bottom 90% off. I picked this tip up from a farmer who has a degree in Earth Science :)
Come to my party on the 30th, I'll show you what I mean. I'm about to post the party invite here :)
Nice! I'm growing veggies too, in my shady South Buffalo lot. Most plants like full sun. Use excellent soil. Water it in the morning. Also, I learned a good trick just for tomato plants.. you have to trim the 'suckers' You won't see any yet, but once it gets about a foot tall you'll notice little branches sprouting between the leaves and the main stem, clip these off! They don't grow any fruit and drain the plant's energy, if you don't clip them you'll end up with a healthy lookin' bushy plant with few tomatoes. Some branches near the top will flower, but cut all the ones from the bottom 90% off. I picked this tip up from a farmer who has a degree in Earth Science :)
Come to my party on the 30th, I'll show you what I mean. I'm about to post the party invite here :)
jenks - 05/25/09 08:13
Yes, outside, lots of sun. That's been my problem (I think)- I had them in a pot on my little back porch which only gets sun in the morning, and my tomatoes that were supposed to be big beefsteaks looked more like cherry tomatoes, and I only got about 3.
But good luck- nothing like nice ripe homegrown tomatoes! (throw in a little fresh basil too, mmmmmm!)
Yes, outside, lots of sun. That's been my problem (I think)- I had them in a pot on my little back porch which only gets sun in the morning, and my tomatoes that were supposed to be big beefsteaks looked more like cherry tomatoes, and I only got about 3.
But good luck- nothing like nice ripe homegrown tomatoes! (throw in a little fresh basil too, mmmmmm!)
janelle - 05/24/09 09:14
Outdoors. On porch. Tomato plants like full sun. And you'll need to find stakes and cages as the plants grow. And you might want to read up on staking branches. If the tomatoes grow to be upwards of 2lbs, they can pull a branch down and tear it off so you have to support the branch.
Also, there's this spray that you can buy. You spray it on the leaves and blossoms and the fruit and it helps the tomato plant mature, blossom, and the fruit develop quicker if you're antsy about waiting 85 days.
I picked up some tomatoes at Urban Roots that have a maturation date of 60 days which I find exciting. I don't like to wait forever to taste the fruits of my labor. Lol. Check your e-mail. I offered you some veggie plants that I had left over from planting my garden the other day.
Outdoors. On porch. Tomato plants like full sun. And you'll need to find stakes and cages as the plants grow. And you might want to read up on staking branches. If the tomatoes grow to be upwards of 2lbs, they can pull a branch down and tear it off so you have to support the branch.
Also, there's this spray that you can buy. You spray it on the leaves and blossoms and the fruit and it helps the tomato plant mature, blossom, and the fruit develop quicker if you're antsy about waiting 85 days.
I picked up some tomatoes at Urban Roots that have a maturation date of 60 days which I find exciting. I don't like to wait forever to taste the fruits of my labor. Lol. Check your e-mail. I offered you some veggie plants that I had left over from planting my garden the other day.
05/21/2009 01:41 #48709
How well do you know X?Facebook Quizzes
I've noticed that a few of my people on FB are completing the "How well do you know X person?" quizzes. It made me realize a few things -
1) Only a few people could complete one of these about me because I'm a bit secretive and I'm a hard guy to get close to. (Grammar police - do not forsake me, for I know what I've done).
2) I'm not sure how well I would do if I completed one of these for my friends. I would be fine with my good friends, but for people such as my friends' wives? C'mon. A friend recently completed one of these for a friend's wife and he scored 42% - as far as I'm concerned that is the equivalent of an A.
3) Inevitably someone who is sending this quiz to their friends will be disappointed to discover that somebody close didn't know the person as well as he or she thought. This is when the dramatics flare up like a SoCal brush fire.
Sirius
Satellite radio is great - right now I'm listening to Wolfman Jack DJing a late night shift on the 60s on 6 channel. Ahh, the sixties - the absolute best time in American music history. The only problem is that Wolfman Jack has been dead since 1995 - a little strange. The story behind it - they unearthed some of the legendary DJ's previously lost shows and are broadcasting them.
I really do love the music - it makes me realize how cheated and manipulated music fans are these days. They can keep Kanye West - I'll keep Marvin Gaye. They can keep Fall Out Boy - I'll keep The Rolling Stones, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, The Beatles. Today's music generally sucks, and it's never made so starkly apparent as when you listen to things such as the 60's on 6. In those days, you were a "listener." These days you are a " music consumer."
It made me realize that we've lost something in American culture that I really, really love. That is the nationally known, influential, monolithic, trend setting radio DJ. There really isn't any more big guns in the radio world and I think its a sad side effect of our move towards iPods, digital media, etc. In other words I think it is a negative aspect of our cultural evolution.
In that sense I think its admirable, even appropriate, for satellite radio to tip their cap to the past and air these Wolfman Jack shows, as well as hire "Cousin Brucie" to host satellite radio shows, thus completing the circle. I might not have lived through that time, but I'm convinced that anybody who did would recognize what I have after listening to the channel for a while. I can't be the only person my age who recognizes these things, can I? Maybe I'm learning about what my buddy Jerry meant years ago when he told me I was an "old soul."
Kerouac wrote in his preface to Visions of Cody - "this feeling may soon be obsolete as America enters its High Civilization period and no one will get sentimental or poetic any more about trains and dew on fences at dawn in Missouri." Maybe he was right, but at least that's not true in this house. I'm a sentimental guy with a long memory - oh, look - now your "How well do you know Josh?" score is now 1%. Ha!
I've noticed that a few of my people on FB are completing the "How well do you know X person?" quizzes. It made me realize a few things -
1) Only a few people could complete one of these about me because I'm a bit secretive and I'm a hard guy to get close to. (Grammar police - do not forsake me, for I know what I've done).
2) I'm not sure how well I would do if I completed one of these for my friends. I would be fine with my good friends, but for people such as my friends' wives? C'mon. A friend recently completed one of these for a friend's wife and he scored 42% - as far as I'm concerned that is the equivalent of an A.
3) Inevitably someone who is sending this quiz to their friends will be disappointed to discover that somebody close didn't know the person as well as he or she thought. This is when the dramatics flare up like a SoCal brush fire.
Sirius
Satellite radio is great - right now I'm listening to Wolfman Jack DJing a late night shift on the 60s on 6 channel. Ahh, the sixties - the absolute best time in American music history. The only problem is that Wolfman Jack has been dead since 1995 - a little strange. The story behind it - they unearthed some of the legendary DJ's previously lost shows and are broadcasting them.
I really do love the music - it makes me realize how cheated and manipulated music fans are these days. They can keep Kanye West - I'll keep Marvin Gaye. They can keep Fall Out Boy - I'll keep The Rolling Stones, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, The Beatles. Today's music generally sucks, and it's never made so starkly apparent as when you listen to things such as the 60's on 6. In those days, you were a "listener." These days you are a " music consumer."
It made me realize that we've lost something in American culture that I really, really love. That is the nationally known, influential, monolithic, trend setting radio DJ. There really isn't any more big guns in the radio world and I think its a sad side effect of our move towards iPods, digital media, etc. In other words I think it is a negative aspect of our cultural evolution.
In that sense I think its admirable, even appropriate, for satellite radio to tip their cap to the past and air these Wolfman Jack shows, as well as hire "Cousin Brucie" to host satellite radio shows, thus completing the circle. I might not have lived through that time, but I'm convinced that anybody who did would recognize what I have after listening to the channel for a while. I can't be the only person my age who recognizes these things, can I? Maybe I'm learning about what my buddy Jerry meant years ago when he told me I was an "old soul."
Kerouac wrote in his preface to Visions of Cody - "this feeling may soon be obsolete as America enters its High Civilization period and no one will get sentimental or poetic any more about trains and dew on fences at dawn in Missouri." Maybe he was right, but at least that's not true in this house. I'm a sentimental guy with a long memory - oh, look - now your "How well do you know Josh?" score is now 1%. Ha!
jenks - 05/21/09 15:16
1- I hate facebook quizzes
2- I dunno, I don't think I miss DJs. I always prefer the DJ-less stations that just play music, with no talking. But, maybe I've never really gotten into a good DJ. But all that opie and anthony crap- no thanks.
3- I just stumbled across a girl I went to school with on emusic... had no idea she was a musician, let alone has several albums out. She's kind of Cat Power-ish- I think you might like her. Check out 'manzanita' by Mia Doi Todd.
1- I hate facebook quizzes
2- I dunno, I don't think I miss DJs. I always prefer the DJ-less stations that just play music, with no talking. But, maybe I've never really gotten into a good DJ. But all that opie and anthony crap- no thanks.
3- I just stumbled across a girl I went to school with on emusic... had no idea she was a musician, let alone has several albums out. She's kind of Cat Power-ish- I think you might like her. Check out 'manzanita' by Mia Doi Todd.
metalpeter - 05/21/09 11:37
Just have to say something about music. Rhthem (how ever you spell it argh fuck) and Blues where called that back then not R&B. Some where that has changed R&B is a different kind of music then that was and I don't think Blues is part of it any more. Blues is what spawned Rock N' Roll. Turn on any WBLK station in any city and you won't here the blues. The blues is a different class of music now I think.
In terms of those Facebook quiz thing I haven't taken any of them. I think it would be hard to know anyone as well as you think you know that person. You only know them from when you interact with them and not from when other do or when you aren't around. I think the person you show off to them is influnces what they show off to you. Say we watch videos, play video games and go to sports events or Heavy Metal shows. That is the only aspect we would know about each other. Yeah you might come off as violent but you could still cry when you see a pretty flower.
Just have to say something about music. Rhthem (how ever you spell it argh fuck) and Blues where called that back then not R&B. Some where that has changed R&B is a different kind of music then that was and I don't think Blues is part of it any more. Blues is what spawned Rock N' Roll. Turn on any WBLK station in any city and you won't here the blues. The blues is a different class of music now I think.
In terms of those Facebook quiz thing I haven't taken any of them. I think it would be hard to know anyone as well as you think you know that person. You only know them from when you interact with them and not from when other do or when you aren't around. I think the person you show off to them is influnces what they show off to you. Say we watch videos, play video games and go to sports events or Heavy Metal shows. That is the only aspect we would know about each other. Yeah you might come off as violent but you could still cry when you see a pretty flower.
jason - 05/21/09 08:44
Carey, satellite radio is fantastic, BTW. They have stations dedicated to various decades from the 40's through the 90's, pop stations, comedy, country, classical, news, sports, dance music, hip hop. All kinds of stuff.
Carey, satellite radio is fantastic, BTW. They have stations dedicated to various decades from the 40's through the 90's, pop stations, comedy, country, classical, news, sports, dance music, hip hop. All kinds of stuff.
jason - 05/21/09 08:38
Ahh, the 60's. When weed was grass and R&B was actually R&B. I have The Temptations "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" in my head now. I fucking love Motown. Obviously I agree with your sentiments about today's music, Josh. People feed their bodies with all of this good shit, as compared to yesteryear when we ate the same damned meal (SPAM?) everyday. But why do people now fill their heads with shit, when during yesteryear we were on the right track? Fuck today's pop music, it blows.
Ahh, the 60's. When weed was grass and R&B was actually R&B. I have The Temptations "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" in my head now. I fucking love Motown. Obviously I agree with your sentiments about today's music, Josh. People feed their bodies with all of this good shit, as compared to yesteryear when we ate the same damned meal (SPAM?) everyday. But why do people now fill their heads with shit, when during yesteryear we were on the right track? Fuck today's pop music, it blows.
theecarey - 05/21/09 08:26
(e:joshua), you've given me a new outlook on the satellite radio option. I simply thought it was more of the same watered down options as regular radio. I can appreciate your pursuit of a more authentic music experience; 'listener' vs 'music consumer'. Audiophiles are likely to agree that there is a wide spectrum of difference to be heard in much of the music presented for consumption today in comparison to the finely tuned sounds of previous decades. Some recording artists today still demand focus on the exploring the dynamic range (lows, mids, highs), while too many others (popular bands and such) really push the loudness effect, totally losing the details. But I guess that is what sells in our media driven society.
My ears have even gotten tired of the overly compressed sound of MP3s, something I still use to a great degree, but don't want to rely on as a standard music format. Records and Cds are still necessary for the complete sound, especially if you can afford a decent sound system that supports lossless audio- to hear all the nuances of a piece of music is truly a listening experience.
If you like jazz-folk-blues try, Noa Bursie, a Buffalo musician who in my opinion truly provides a listening experience.
:::link:::
And, if you haven't read it, I recommend an old book published in the 50's called, "what to listen for in music" by Aaron Copland. While it isn't fully relevant to music of today, your appreciation of 'older' music will be enhanced by learning more about what to really listen for and why you hear the things you do etc.
(e:joshua), you've given me a new outlook on the satellite radio option. I simply thought it was more of the same watered down options as regular radio. I can appreciate your pursuit of a more authentic music experience; 'listener' vs 'music consumer'. Audiophiles are likely to agree that there is a wide spectrum of difference to be heard in much of the music presented for consumption today in comparison to the finely tuned sounds of previous decades. Some recording artists today still demand focus on the exploring the dynamic range (lows, mids, highs), while too many others (popular bands and such) really push the loudness effect, totally losing the details. But I guess that is what sells in our media driven society.
My ears have even gotten tired of the overly compressed sound of MP3s, something I still use to a great degree, but don't want to rely on as a standard music format. Records and Cds are still necessary for the complete sound, especially if you can afford a decent sound system that supports lossless audio- to hear all the nuances of a piece of music is truly a listening experience.
If you like jazz-folk-blues try, Noa Bursie, a Buffalo musician who in my opinion truly provides a listening experience.
:::link:::
And, if you haven't read it, I recommend an old book published in the 50's called, "what to listen for in music" by Aaron Copland. While it isn't fully relevant to music of today, your appreciation of 'older' music will be enhanced by learning more about what to really listen for and why you hear the things you do etc.
05/22/2009 16:31 #48724
BBQ RantControversy
(e:jason) mentioning the BBQ article (I forgot that I had forwarded it to him!) has triggered the motivation to go on an old-fashioned rant as you've seen me do in the past.
To wit: (and I do read this paper daily - their food section is the best in America).
"While summer quenchers like light beer and iced tea are refreshing if you're mowing the lawn or tending a hot grill, I want a more robust adult beverage when I sit down to juicy slices of grilled beef or smoky, finger-licking barbecue."
Really? This is war. Thank God that in this country, for now anyway, we still have the freedom of choice. Or if you're me, the freedom of antipathy and excoriation. Let me translate - "While beer and iced tea are okay for the bumpkins who cut their own grass, I prefer a more sophisticated beverage with my BBQ. You know, less rough around the edges and more palatable to my banal sensitivities."
Food writers are generally insufferable. When the article started talking about "interplays" with sauce, smoke, etc. affecting the beverage of choice I had enough.
The Truth
Here's the deal. The food comes first, not the accompanying drink. Anyone that says otherwise is fucking wrong, okay? The fact that the article is titled "Pairing wines with grilling favorites" rather than "Pairing grilling favorites with wines" says it all. Now you certainly may expect to see this kind of thing in an overwhelmingly yuppie city like SF, where more often than not your exposure to BBQ will be in a sit-down restaurant with silverware, a water course, horrifying conversations going on around you and an utter lack of wet-naps.
Drinking wine with your BBQ is best done at home alone, where no BBQ cognoscenti will actually witness what is going on; sort of like your alcoholic uncle nipping from a flask in his jacket when nobody is looking.
Of course this sort of shit goes on in California - there is no reputable BBQ tradition there and the state is full of transients, both legal and illegal. This scenario is going to create a melting pot of theories about food, and let's face it, there is no better region for foodies anywhere in America than the Bay Area. Pair this with the famous wine industry in the area, and you're bound to have experimentation.
This isn't to say that it works, or that it is appropriate, mind you. Pairing BBQ with wine is as crazy a concept as pairing a burrito with wine. Hey (e:jay), do you think that Gramma Mora's last night could have been enhanced with a splash of Beaujolais? The spiciness of the sauce would have really made everything pop!
Fuck me, I can't even handle that in jest - I blame Bartles and fucking James and those 4-packs.
This is what you drink with BBQ if you wish to avoid embarrassment; beer (go easy drinking, you'll enjoy nowt with a stout), iced tea, water, or juice. BBQ is not a high-class endeavor - it is meant to be done amongst friends in a casual manner, out in the backyard with some tunes, green grass, plastic cups, fire, sunsets and the sort of good times our grandparents had.
BBQ is more than food, it's a classic American activity with a tradition that demands respect. Wine belongs just about anywhere other than with BBQ, just like sushi belonging just about anywhere other than a baseball stadium.
(e:jason) mentioning the BBQ article (I forgot that I had forwarded it to him!) has triggered the motivation to go on an old-fashioned rant as you've seen me do in the past.
To wit: (and I do read this paper daily - their food section is the best in America).
"While summer quenchers like light beer and iced tea are refreshing if you're mowing the lawn or tending a hot grill, I want a more robust adult beverage when I sit down to juicy slices of grilled beef or smoky, finger-licking barbecue."
Really? This is war. Thank God that in this country, for now anyway, we still have the freedom of choice. Or if you're me, the freedom of antipathy and excoriation. Let me translate - "While beer and iced tea are okay for the bumpkins who cut their own grass, I prefer a more sophisticated beverage with my BBQ. You know, less rough around the edges and more palatable to my banal sensitivities."
Food writers are generally insufferable. When the article started talking about "interplays" with sauce, smoke, etc. affecting the beverage of choice I had enough.
The Truth
Here's the deal. The food comes first, not the accompanying drink. Anyone that says otherwise is fucking wrong, okay? The fact that the article is titled "Pairing wines with grilling favorites" rather than "Pairing grilling favorites with wines" says it all. Now you certainly may expect to see this kind of thing in an overwhelmingly yuppie city like SF, where more often than not your exposure to BBQ will be in a sit-down restaurant with silverware, a water course, horrifying conversations going on around you and an utter lack of wet-naps.
Drinking wine with your BBQ is best done at home alone, where no BBQ cognoscenti will actually witness what is going on; sort of like your alcoholic uncle nipping from a flask in his jacket when nobody is looking.
Of course this sort of shit goes on in California - there is no reputable BBQ tradition there and the state is full of transients, both legal and illegal. This scenario is going to create a melting pot of theories about food, and let's face it, there is no better region for foodies anywhere in America than the Bay Area. Pair this with the famous wine industry in the area, and you're bound to have experimentation.
This isn't to say that it works, or that it is appropriate, mind you. Pairing BBQ with wine is as crazy a concept as pairing a burrito with wine. Hey (e:jay), do you think that Gramma Mora's last night could have been enhanced with a splash of Beaujolais? The spiciness of the sauce would have really made everything pop!
Fuck me, I can't even handle that in jest - I blame Bartles and fucking James and those 4-packs.
This is what you drink with BBQ if you wish to avoid embarrassment; beer (go easy drinking, you'll enjoy nowt with a stout), iced tea, water, or juice. BBQ is not a high-class endeavor - it is meant to be done amongst friends in a casual manner, out in the backyard with some tunes, green grass, plastic cups, fire, sunsets and the sort of good times our grandparents had.
BBQ is more than food, it's a classic American activity with a tradition that demands respect. Wine belongs just about anywhere other than with BBQ, just like sushi belonging just about anywhere other than a baseball stadium.
jason - 05/23/09 09:14
Right on Z. Kentucky Greg's is the shit. And I'm working on finding out which beer is best for what kind of BBQ. There are some resources.
I don't drink shitty beer under any circumstances. Well not any....perhaps on the golf course it's okay.
Right on Z. Kentucky Greg's is the shit. And I'm working on finding out which beer is best for what kind of BBQ. There are some resources.
I don't drink shitty beer under any circumstances. Well not any....perhaps on the golf course it's okay.
joshua - 05/23/09 01:23
Kentucky Greg's is the truth! People claim that Fat Bob's is the best in the Buffalo area... IMO they are entirely wrong. I've been hooked on their pork sandwich on the Texas toast for years. The smoke outside of that place drives me up a wall when we pull up.
I hate watery beer - you'd never catch me drinking a Coors Light around my grill, or anyone elses. That is weak! Then again, I'm picky about beer (although not nearly to the extent that these people in the article would be about wine).
You definitely don't want to disrespect what's on the plate with what is in the glass - please, I don't want to give the impression that drink is unimportant. IMO watery beer is a no-no in any scenario. At that point it is about personal pride and self-respect.
Kentucky Greg's is the truth! People claim that Fat Bob's is the best in the Buffalo area... IMO they are entirely wrong. I've been hooked on their pork sandwich on the Texas toast for years. The smoke outside of that place drives me up a wall when we pull up.
I hate watery beer - you'd never catch me drinking a Coors Light around my grill, or anyone elses. That is weak! Then again, I'm picky about beer (although not nearly to the extent that these people in the article would be about wine).
You definitely don't want to disrespect what's on the plate with what is in the glass - please, I don't want to give the impression that drink is unimportant. IMO watery beer is a no-no in any scenario. At that point it is about personal pride and self-respect.
zobar - 05/22/09 23:17
So are there specific kinds of beer which are to be avoided also?
I'm a longtime advocate of Kentucky Greg's :::link::: but their beer selection is [shall we say] a little limited. When I'm elbows-deep in barbecue sauce I don't want to wash it down with a watery-ass Bud any more than I want to listen to the Jimi Hendrix Experience Featuring Ace of Base. It's like, you don't want to disrespect what's on the plate with what's in the glass, you know? So why I gotta be sneaking Double Bag in my trench coat just because somebody thinks it's their damn business?
- Z
So are there specific kinds of beer which are to be avoided also?
I'm a longtime advocate of Kentucky Greg's :::link::: but their beer selection is [shall we say] a little limited. When I'm elbows-deep in barbecue sauce I don't want to wash it down with a watery-ass Bud any more than I want to listen to the Jimi Hendrix Experience Featuring Ace of Base. It's like, you don't want to disrespect what's on the plate with what's in the glass, you know? So why I gotta be sneaking Double Bag in my trench coat just because somebody thinks it's their damn business?
- Z
joshua - 05/22/09 17:19
Ok Tiny I bit on that. It made me realize that I forgot another BBQ faux pas - exchanging grilled meat for grilled vegetables. I would always meet the needs of a vegetarian friend if needed on my grill, don't get me wrong; I'll make a mean, mean portobello burger with fresh toppings made by hand an hour before, if it would please a vegetarian friend.; but health statistics are irrelevant when it comes to BBQ, particularly when they come from a vegetarian advocacy group. (If you're eating BBQ, you aren't counting calories or worried much about cancer).
Presumably they would tell me that grilling in general is bad and is cancer causing, so therefore it would be best if we all ate steamed vegetables and bulgur wheat. Fuck that - they can stuff it.
Ok Tiny I bit on that. It made me realize that I forgot another BBQ faux pas - exchanging grilled meat for grilled vegetables. I would always meet the needs of a vegetarian friend if needed on my grill, don't get me wrong; I'll make a mean, mean portobello burger with fresh toppings made by hand an hour before, if it would please a vegetarian friend.; but health statistics are irrelevant when it comes to BBQ, particularly when they come from a vegetarian advocacy group. (If you're eating BBQ, you aren't counting calories or worried much about cancer).
Presumably they would tell me that grilling in general is bad and is cancer causing, so therefore it would be best if we all ate steamed vegetables and bulgur wheat. Fuck that - they can stuff it.
jason - 05/22/09 16:56
I suppose next they're going to be talking about how BBQ is supposed to be enjoyed while listening to fuggin Tori Amos.
I suppose next they're going to be talking about how BBQ is supposed to be enjoyed while listening to fuggin Tori Amos.
joshua - 05/22/09 16:51
Nobody would be allowed to drink wine with BBQ here, but if I ever witnessed it I'd insist that the person drink out of a Dixie cup.
Nobody would be allowed to drink wine with BBQ here, but if I ever witnessed it I'd insist that the person drink out of a Dixie cup.
janelle - 05/22/09 16:39
Wine with BBQ?? As a mid-westerner who loves BBQ, that freaks me out a little. Who wants to hold a wine glass, anyway, with greasy barbecue hands? Cause it's not BBQ if it's not a little messy.
Wine with BBQ?? As a mid-westerner who loves BBQ, that freaks me out a little. Who wants to hold a wine glass, anyway, with greasy barbecue hands? Cause it's not BBQ if it's not a little messy.
05/19/2009 16:44 #48698
GM BankruptcyNice. The government will own this company (rather than say, the UAW having it given to them by Obama to sell off and eventually fund unsustainable retiree benefits).
The "healthy" bits will be quickly sold to The Government, while the "unhealthy" bits will be separated and presumably sold off.
Everybody was asking the following question about the billions in loans given to the auto industry. What will happen to the money? Well, here's your answer. Over $15 billion of your tax dollars are about to go up in smoke, erased as if you were never fleeced for it to begin with. In addition to buying up healthy GM and forgiving the loans, which we were told were imminently needed for the company's survival,this new company The Government will also fund a new line of credit to GM.
So, in other words - you are about to be on the hook for -
a) The purchase price of the "healthy" assets of GM, which has yet to be announced, nor does anybody know which parts of GM are "healthy" or not. (Seems to me the whole enterprise is "tits up")
b) $15 billion in forgiven loans to GM and its union, to merely keep the company afloat for a few months.
c) Billions of dollars in new credit lines.
d) Billions in other obligations to secured lenders.
Cheers -
Josh
The "healthy" bits will be quickly sold to The Government, while the "unhealthy" bits will be separated and presumably sold off.
Everybody was asking the following question about the billions in loans given to the auto industry. What will happen to the money? Well, here's your answer. Over $15 billion of your tax dollars are about to go up in smoke, erased as if you were never fleeced for it to begin with. In addition to buying up healthy GM and forgiving the loans, which we were told were imminently needed for the company's survival,
So, in other words - you are about to be on the hook for -
a) The purchase price of the "healthy" assets of GM, which has yet to be announced, nor does anybody know which parts of GM are "healthy" or not. (Seems to me the whole enterprise is "tits up")
b) $15 billion in forgiven loans to GM and its union, to merely keep the company afloat for a few months.
c) Billions of dollars in new credit lines.
d) Billions in other obligations to secured lenders.
Cheers -
Josh
joshua - 05/21/09 01:49
I know that you know a bear trap when you see it!
I know that you know a bear trap when you see it!
vincent - 05/21/09 00:39
Don't worry, We'll just print more money to cover the cost. It seems to be working as the stock market is almost back to 9K, Woot Woot!!!
In the end this is just surreal. We are going to have a state run enterprise for automobiles just like they did back in the day in the Soviet Union. Gm will now become AvtoVaz or Lada as they were sold in North America. The real sick part is those Lada's were really 1960's FIAT Designs that they never really updated on in their automobile "Partnership" just like the one that they're entering in with what's left of Chrysler.
To be honest I really don't care about the company being given to "the people" or the UAW. What worries me is we will all be driving around in those shitboxes in about 5 years with the new standards. :::link:::
It's going to be a choice between ponying up to spend 10,000 + for a car or getting a smaller lighter one that will fold easily. With all of the closings of dealerships the old game of playing one dealer against another is gone.
Don't worry, We'll just print more money to cover the cost. It seems to be working as the stock market is almost back to 9K, Woot Woot!!!
In the end this is just surreal. We are going to have a state run enterprise for automobiles just like they did back in the day in the Soviet Union. Gm will now become AvtoVaz or Lada as they were sold in North America. The real sick part is those Lada's were really 1960's FIAT Designs that they never really updated on in their automobile "Partnership" just like the one that they're entering in with what's left of Chrysler.
To be honest I really don't care about the company being given to "the people" or the UAW. What worries me is we will all be driving around in those shitboxes in about 5 years with the new standards. :::link:::
It's going to be a choice between ponying up to spend 10,000 + for a car or getting a smaller lighter one that will fold easily. With all of the closings of dealerships the old game of playing one dealer against another is gone.
She's a beaut all right.
Happy Birthday. It is an amazing bridge and it would be great to see it in person again it has been so long since I've seen it. I think it would be nice to be on that beach area also.
Actually, when I was in SFO, my brother and I went across the bridge to Sausalito and couldn't cross back. They had closed off the bridge because yet another jumper. One of the cordoning officers told us that he had jumped off of it a mere few minutes after we had walked past that spot!
Did you know that Joseph Strauss - the chief engineer of the bridge was just 1/2 an inch taller than me - at 5ft?
Apparently, the GGB holds the record for the maximum attempted as well as successful suicides off of any bridge.
:::link:::