This One?

Teinou Woman

A Guitar Museum

Cooperstown, N.Y.

Arlen Roth's proposal for a guitar museum has passed one hurdle. Cooperstown is similar to SF in one respect, it has a great many well educated people that love to sit around and flog their personal hobbyhorse. This being said, the board meeting won't be the last step, but things are looking good at present.

The Scribe of Vyas

Japanamation (drawn in Korea) is invariably tied to plastic tchotchkes, American output is pathetic, and no new scripts have been produced in years. (Bugs and Daffy remix #485 in 3D) India and Brazil just might eat our Saturday mornings along with our lunch.

Harbor Traffic

This link is to an active map of the current Bay traffic. Not quite real-time, it's close enough for ship ID (kinda like trainspotting)

Round-up

What Next

Time for a new decade. The last one was a tad bumpy. Happy new year to everyone.

• Enabling the Wreck
• Hack-a-Drone
• Slightly Strained Essay on Pantheism
• An End to Movements

Bad To Me

My friend Scott in a Buffalo coffeehouse.

Christmas Time is Here Again

RFID Zapper

Rfiddler

It's a homebrew electromagnetic field generator, tuned for blowing RFID chips. No doubt it will do a number on most forms of data storage too. An efficient way for getting your butt canned by Homeland, and it has that romantic steampunk feel. Just remember to keep Mom's credit card away from the field when you strike a blow to the hegemony.

Not Good For Dieters

Recipe / Video

The Cherpumple is the desert version of the Turducken. It's a three-layer cake with a pie stuffed in each layer. Cherpumple is short for CHERry, PUMpkin and apPLE pie. The apple pie is baked in spice cake, the pumpkin in yellow and the cherry in white.

Via: The Presurfer

The Cow's other Product

In the future, America will harness cow farts to curb pollution and power the grid. It sounds like a joke, but it's actually a real promise. By 2020, dairy industry emissions will be reduced by 25%, largely by persuading dairy farmers to capture methane gas.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced this at the Copenhagen climate change summit this week. Farmers will be able to buy anaerobic digesters that convert cow, errr, emissions into electricity. - Via: The Presurfer

While this stuff might impress the city folks, most farm kids know better. First: anaerobic digesters don't do a thing about farts, they digest poop. Second: Farmers have been selling or using methane for years. The Coperstown old folks home is heated with it. The Copes had a large set-up since the '80s. (a farm just down from my parents farm) The bugs have been largely sorted out. It's nice to see the ruling class catching up.

Claude Paillard

I have a few musician friends that are pretty knowledgeable about tube amplification. (even vs. odd harmonics) and even have their favorites (6L6, made in the Novdesk factory by employee 23 - etc - etc) Some even do their own mods and enjoy talking shop ... at length. Then comes Claude Paillard, a French ham. He makes his own vacuum tubes.

• Video - Part 1
• Video - Part 2

That's talking shop with some authority!

Merry Christmas

• Searching for Steve Ditko
• Earthquakes within Plates
• S.F. fail
• Boat Captains
• Map of the Known Universe
• Friedman's Jihad
• Peter Watts Arrested
• John Clute

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas

Your Tax Dollars at Work

Anthony Falbo: The 17th century cadaver conspiracy

Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it.  You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for  persons of their rare elevation in society. They felt they should have a special plan for themselves. So many years ago  they voted in their own benefit plan.  In more recent years, no congress person has felt the need to  change it. It is, after all, a great plan.

 For all practical purposes their plan works like this:  When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die. Except it may increase from time to time for cost of living  adjustments. (computed separately from our adjustments) For example, Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their  wives may expect to draw $7, 800,000.00 (that's Seven Million, Eight-Hundred Thousand Dollars), with their wives drawing $275, 000 during the last years of their lives.  This is calculated on an average life span for each of those dignitaries. Younger Dignitaries who retire at an early age, will receive much more during the rest of their lives.  Their cost for this excellent plan to them is $0.00. NADA!!!  ZILCH!!!    This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Funds.

From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into, every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer), We can expect to get an average of  $1,000 per month after retirement. Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of  $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one (1) month to equal Senator Bill Bradley's benefits!  Social Security could be very good if only one small change  were made.  That change would be to jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us. Then sit back.....

This modest proposal has been buzzing around the net in various forms for some time now. When asked about it, representatives immediately propose making apple pie the national dish and studying the feasibility of a kitten-up-the-tree fund. Mention the representative's insurance plan - meet a fellow from Homeland.

                       

NYT Writer Proposes Solution

"Yes, what problem can't be solved by the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, egged on from the sidelines by a newspaper columnist?"

Mushrooms

January/February 2010 - Cook's Illustrated

Freshly harvested white button mushrooms have firm caps, stems and gills that are free of dark spots. That said, some chefs advocate the use of slightly older, blemished mushrooms, claiming that they are more flavorful than pristine, ultra-fresh specimens. To test this claim for ourselves, we sautéed two batches of mushrooms, one fresh from the supermarket and one showing signs of age after a week in the refrigerator. In a side-by-side comparison, the results surprised us. Tasters found that the older mushrooms actually had a deeper,, earthier flavor and were substanstially more "mushroomy" than the unblemished samples. This is likely because some moisture had evaporated and flavors were more concentrated. The takeaway: There's no need to discard old mushrooms. In fact, their imperfections may actually improve the flavor of your dish. Do not, however, use mushrooms that smell fermented or look slimy.

I'd also like to note that older works great in duxelles and dishes where they are chopped or ground, but salads and presentations get the good lookers.

Book of Joe

Oyster Stew

Christmas is coming. You may already be aware of this. What you might not know is that a bowl of oyster stew is a Christmas eve tradition in many parts of the country and any oysters that survive the stew demand to go into the goose's stuffing. If this isn't your family's tradition, the solution is to try it once, and thereafter you'll be with the program.

D2D oyster stew is fairly simple. Get 2 pints of glassed (oysters in a jar). Pick the oysters out with a small spoon, leaving the liquor behind. Poach them in 4 tablespoons of butter. (non-salted is best, clarified or regular is fine) Do not overcook or overheat, erasers in cream isn't what we're looking for here. In another pan, heat 1 quart half & half. Decant the liquor, leaving any grit behind, and add to milk. Just bring this to heat, do not boil. Combine the two pans, balance with S&P, garnish and serve.

Notes: The dish needs to be adjusted to the season. In summer, a lighter broth might be in order. Bottled clam juice or a fumet will lighten the broth and add flavor (shy away from the paste kind, it has way more salt than you want) , or the simple expedient of using milk to replace some half & half. Heat can be added with cayenne or hot sauce. A sense of place helps here, in the north, mace or nutmeg are common additions, in the Carolinas hot sauce is preferred due to the vinegar content, and the deep south seems to like cayenne i.e. straight heat without the extra components. In the fall and winter, you can add vegetables to make it more of a chowder. Cubed potatoes are a New England favorite (as long as the potatoes are in your bowl and the oysters in mine, I'm ok with it) Corn has a long history and strikes a good balance quickly. I'm not personally too keen on celery. The texture doesn't mesh well. If you want the flavor, I think the dish is better served with celery salt. I've seen fresh spinach used, but havn't tried it. Green onions are a shoo-in, as are minced shallots. As for black vs. white pepper, fresh ground black is better. The usual schtick of white in cream doesn't really apply here. Oyster crackers are o.k. and easy, but if you have a second to pan fry some croutons (very light garlic), then treat yourself. On the chance you have some fresh cornbread, well life is good.

Now a stew that's meant for a celebration. (like Christmas eve) This one is from Antoine's in the French quarter, NOL. I've pretty much mirrored the recipe straight from an old cookbook I own, and found again on the web.

• 50 medium oysters, such as bluepoints, shucked (about 1 1⁄2 lbs.), with 1 cup of the liquor reserved
• 12 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 5 tbsp. flour
• 4 ribs celery, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 cup finely chopped curly parsley
• 1 tbsp. kosher salt
• 1 1⁄2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1⁄4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 cups milk, 2 cups heavy cream

1. Combine oyster liquor with 1 cup water in a 2-qt. saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the oysters and simmer until their edges just begin to curl, about 2 minutes. Strain oysters through a fine sieve set over a medium bowl. Reserve oysters and cooking liquid separately. Heat butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until golden brown, 3–4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add celery, garlic, onions, parsley, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until onions and celery are very soft, about 25 minutes... 2. Stir in milk, cream, and reserved oysters with their cooking liquid and cook, stirring occasionally, until just hot, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes: The roux is the key, of course. I suspect those of us who haven't been working the line in Antoine's since age 11 might need more than 3 to 4 minutes to bring the roux up. If the parsley looks like it's going to shed too much green into the cream, a quick fix is to wrap it in a kitchen towel, run it under some cold water, and squeeze it out. Oddly what isn't mentioned is the addition of a splash of pernod (after you've finished the roux, please) And remember, with any fresh shellfish, you need to keep the batch tag, and use plenty of ice and the appropriate sanitation precautions. And speaking of having a lot of raw oysters around, the secret summons is "cooks treat". After all, they do need to be checked.

Fat Goose

A quick word of advice. If you get an unexpected (no subject) e-mail from a friend, especially a social network friend, take a quick look at the source code. If it contains hi5, hi5 traders, or any similar wording, it's scareware that hijacks your contact list. Dump the little bugger and if you have the tools, check your registry for an addition called slybitch. The script kiddies might be sending you a present.

• Brave New World read by A. Huxley
• The Right and War
• Busted for raw milk
• Schadenfreude
• Balthasar Holz
• So that's Where the Money Goes
• Lot 19
• Offbeat at the Apollo

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat...

Next Time

Via: Nag on the Lake

Must Be Santa

Green Eyes

It's been 25 years since the publication of Green Eyes. Originally tossed in the cyberpunk niche, (at the time, the buzz du jour) the story is better described as an American Gothic. My copy still has plenty of Cajun spice, Jocundra still seems an apt name for the lady you see out of the corner of your eye on the train, and Shepard still crosses styles with impunity. And yes, zombies have a market again.

Words

It may appear agrestic to ask, but The Times is calling on its readers to come to the rescue of words that risk fading into caliginosity.

Dictionary compilers at Collins have decided that the word list for the forthcoming edition of its largest volume is embrangled with words so obscure that they are linguistic recrement. Such words, they say, must be exuviated abstergently to make room for modern additions that will act as a roborant for the book.

I guess Orwell and Wittgenstein will have to be tossed.

Via: Futerismic

Mr. Hun

Outside a small Macedonian village close to the border between Greece and strife-torn Yugoslavia, a lone Catholic nun keeps a quiet watch over a silent convent. She is the last caretaker of the site of significant historical developments spanning more than 2,000 years.

When Sister Maria Cyrilla of the Order of the Perpetual Watch dies, the convent of St. Elias will be closed by the Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Macedonia. However, that isn’t likely to happen soon as Sister Maria, 53, enjoys excellent health. By her own estimate, she walks 10 miles daily about the grounds of the convent, which once served as a base for the army of Attila the Hun. In more ancient times, a Greek temple to Eros, the god of love, occupied the hilltop site.

Historians say that Attila took over the old temple in 439 A.D. and used it as a base for his marauding army. The Huns are believed to have first collected and then destroyed a large gathering of Greek legal writs at the site. It is believed that Attila wanted to study the Greek legal system, and had the writs and other documents brought to the temple. Scholars differ on why he had the valuable documents destroyed – either because he was barely literate and couldn’t read them, or because they provided evidence of democratic government that did not square with his own notion of rule by an all-powerful tyrant.

When the Greek church took over the site in the 15th Century and the convent was built, church leaders ordered the pagan statue of Eros destroyed, so another ancient Greek treasure was lost. Today, there is only the lone sister, watching over the old Hun base.

And that’s how it ends: No Huns, no writs, no Eros, and nun left on base.

I can't find the original source of this. It's reproduced, almost verbatum, on a number of sites devoted to puns, but aside from a mention of the Order of Perpetual Watch,in an 1812 religious dictionary, nada. Good pun though.

Trompe-l'oeil

Via: Book of Joe

I know the model for this cup. I see him every morning when I shave.

Postcard from London

Thanks: The Inferior 4+1

Happy Feet

The Blue Footed Boobie

Thanks: Lauren Axelrod in Presurfer

Sunday's Links

The horse, pictured above, lives in a small shop, cum exhibit, on Colombus street. (up from the house, down from City Lights) On sunny days he comes out to hold the door, and on rainy days he's like the rest of us.(got stuff to do inside) He does look as if he's enjoying his work.

• Geometric fractals with processing
• Astrophotography
• The Media Equation (you need to skip an ad, x in upper right)
• Nuke the Whales
• Thomas Friedman
• Life in Space
• Moxyland

Have a good Sunday

Partridge in a Pear Tree

A Partridge in a Pear Tree

via: ...nonamedufus

Change Your Look

A cache of winter scenes you can use as computer wallpaper.

via: Presurfer

What Job

This picture is pretty self-explanatory. "We need to finish the job in Afghanistan." (what job? Bin Laden is long gone.) "Unfortunately, we're a little short of cash for domestic programs." (like jobs, unless, of course, you're a bank.)

Borrow My Pen

click to enlarge

Too Much Blood

They got that Dionysia thang down.