Friday, January 14, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
From the pep rally...
Obama urges Americans to unite in tragedy's wake
And by "Unite" he means "Stop disagreeing with me you ignorant peasants!". Liberals are always so fond of unity and bipartisanship... just as long as those qualities are reached by having everyone see things their way.
And by "Unite" he means "Stop disagreeing with me you ignorant peasants!". Liberals are always so fond of unity and bipartisanship... just as long as those qualities are reached by having everyone see things their way.
Time to keg!
Pooh's Blustery Ale II is now in the keg. The starting gravity was 1.069 (I got a little carried away with the honey!) and it's dried out to 1.006. That gives us an ABV of ~8.25%. (A session beer by Falcons standards!) The color and clarity are what I wanted...
I treated the water with a bit of acid to get the pale color I wanted. (Our local water is really better suited to darker ales and stouts.) I also tossed some gelatin in a few days ago to clear it out.
I sampled it flat and it's pretty tasty. It will be better with carbonation to bring out the flavors.
I treated the water with a bit of acid to get the pale color I wanted. (Our local water is really better suited to darker ales and stouts.) I also tossed some gelatin in a few days ago to clear it out.
I sampled it flat and it's pretty tasty. It will be better with carbonation to bring out the flavors.
Monday, January 10, 2011
How predictable!
Carolyn McCarthy readies gun control bill
I can't help but think that people like McCarthy have these bills already drawn up and waiting in a file cabinet for just the right tragedy to come along.
I can't help but think that people like McCarthy have these bills already drawn up and waiting in a file cabinet for just the right tragedy to come along.
I had no idea...
Quoted without Comment - By Ramesh Ponnuru - The Corner - National Review Online
Did you know that wanting lower taxes makes you an aspiring slave owner?
Did you know that wanting lower taxes makes you an aspiring slave owner?
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
The "Old Grey Lady" is showing more signs of senility...
In Pomp, and Little Circumstance, on Capitol Hill the New York Times opines...
As to the meaning of the Constitution, I cannot recall any of the Founders suggesting that the English language would change over time. It simply did not occur to them that English is fluid over time. This concept was at the heart of Supreme Court's debate over the meaning of the 2nd Amendment during the Heller case. That court reasoned that the only interpretation possible to the Constitutional text is the original public meaning of the words. This is something that we can know. The Constitution is far from being the only document we have dating from the late 18th Century. We have plenty of examples of English usage from that period. The US Constitution is far from being a mystery to the modern reader.
In any case, it is a presumptuous and self-righteous act, suggesting that [Republicans] alone understand the true meaning of a text that the founders wisely left open to generations of reinterpretation. Certainly the Republican leadership is not trying to suggest that African-Americans still be counted as three-fifths of a person.The last point first: The NYT editorial staff seems to have forgotten that the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were passed by the Republican Party. The Party of Obama, on the other hand, fought tooth and nail to preserve slavery.
As to the meaning of the Constitution, I cannot recall any of the Founders suggesting that the English language would change over time. It simply did not occur to them that English is fluid over time. This concept was at the heart of Supreme Court's debate over the meaning of the 2nd Amendment during the Heller case. That court reasoned that the only interpretation possible to the Constitutional text is the original public meaning of the words. This is something that we can know. The Constitution is far from being the only document we have dating from the late 18th Century. We have plenty of examples of English usage from that period. The US Constitution is far from being a mystery to the modern reader.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Happy New Year
...and happy new beer!
I just racked that Stout off to the secondary fermenter. I took a bit off with a wine thief and measured the SG. This beer isn't finished yet, but the SG is already down to ~1.013 from 1.057. I tasted a little and this should be quite good when it's finished.
I just racked that Stout off to the secondary fermenter. I took a bit off with a wine thief and measured the SG. This beer isn't finished yet, but the SG is already down to ~1.013 from 1.057. I tasted a little and this should be quite good when it's finished.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Now I'm in the mood to brew something else...
Mead, the drink of Vikings, comes out of the Dark Ages and into America
This has me thinking of brewing a cyser, but the Mrs. would probably string me up if another bubbling carboy showed up around the house.
This has me thinking of brewing a cyser, but the Mrs. would probably string me up if another bubbling carboy showed up around the house.
Chris Matthews: Why Doesn't Obama Just Release The Birth Certificate?
Chris Matthews: Why Doesn't Obama Just Release The Birth Certificate?
2 reasons come to mind. First and foremost, the Birthers are right; Obama is a foreign national here in the US illegally. Obama won't release a document that would get him sent to Gitmo. The second, and probably more likely, reason is that His Royal O-ness just can't stand the idea of people challenging him. Don't they know that he's simply beyond such pedestrian concerns? How dare this rabble question The One?!
2 reasons come to mind. First and foremost, the Birthers are right; Obama is a foreign national here in the US illegally. Obama won't release a document that would get him sent to Gitmo. The second, and probably more likely, reason is that His Royal O-ness just can't stand the idea of people challenging him. Don't they know that he's simply beyond such pedestrian concerns? How dare this rabble question The One?!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Privacy and "The Cloud"
Katherine Noyes has a round up of blogosphere responses to Richard Stallman's comments to The Guardian regarding privacy and "cloud" storage. Stallman's Cloudburst: Prudence or Paranoia? details responses from Oh-Stallman-is-overreacting-again to "He's absolutely right,". Personally, I think that the bearded, blind squirrel has found a nut.
Google's ChromeOS is the object of Stallman's ire this time. The system minimizes local storage in favor of "cloud" storage. This is OK if you want to access data from multiple machines and if you pay attention to what you're tossing out into the aether. Putting Granny's oatmeal raisin cookie recipe on "the cloud" is one thing, but your tax records are quite another.
"Cloud" storage is well known to those working in a Windows Server environment; even if they're unaware that it's happening. Do you work in an office where your "My Documents" folder is there no matter which computer you use? It's there because the folder is stored on your company's server, not on the local hard drive the way it is on your home computer. This little, local "cloud" is OK for company data because it's only available in-house. No one from outside the company can see it. (Assuming, of course, no security farts from Redmond!) However, if you've been keeping a diary of what you really think about your boss in My Documents, that file is probably visible to your boss. Do you see now how "cloud" storage can be bad?
Google's ChromeOS is the object of Stallman's ire this time. The system minimizes local storage in favor of "cloud" storage. This is OK if you want to access data from multiple machines and if you pay attention to what you're tossing out into the aether. Putting Granny's oatmeal raisin cookie recipe on "the cloud" is one thing, but your tax records are quite another.
"Cloud" storage is well known to those working in a Windows Server environment; even if they're unaware that it's happening. Do you work in an office where your "My Documents" folder is there no matter which computer you use? It's there because the folder is stored on your company's server, not on the local hard drive the way it is on your home computer. This little, local "cloud" is OK for company data because it's only available in-house. No one from outside the company can see it. (Assuming, of course, no security farts from Redmond!) However, if you've been keeping a diary of what you really think about your boss in My Documents, that file is probably visible to your boss. Do you see now how "cloud" storage can be bad?
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Most vigorous fermentation ever!
That batch of the American Stout was minutes from blowing its top this evening. The bubbler had filled with yeast and had turned from bubbler to cork. It's now clean and refilled with a little Jack Daniels.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas!
...and a happy brew year!
It's brew day again. This time I brewed an American stout. "Ol' Curmudgeon" looks like this...
It's brew day again. This time I brewed an American stout. "Ol' Curmudgeon" looks like this...
Ingredients:This was pitched onto the yeast cake from "Pooh II". Pooh II, by the way, looks like an improvement over the last batch. I was able to maintain much better temperature control this time. (Despite a few 80° days!) It also looks closer to the color I had in mind. This stout, on the other hand, will be as black as the ace of spades.
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
11.25 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 81.82 %
0.75 lb Roasted Barley (700.0 SRM) Grain 5.46 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 3.64 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 3.64 %
0.50 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 3.64 %
0.25 lb Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 1.82 %
1.00 oz Warrior [17.20 %] (60 min) Hops 53.2 IBU
0.50 oz Chinook [10.60 %] (30 min) Hops 12.6 IBU
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [7.40 %] (30 min) Hops 8.8 IBU
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [7.40 %] (0 min) Hops -
0.50 oz Chinook [10.60 %] (0 min) Hops -
8.00 gm Baking Soda (Mash 60.0 min) Misc
14.00 gm Chalk (Mash 60.0 min) Misc
8.50 gal Los Angeles, CA (West) Water
1 Pkgs American Ale II (Wyeast Labs #1272) [StartYeast-Ale]
Monday, December 20, 2010
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
It's Brew Night again
It's cooled off here in So. Cal. so it's time to brew. I've been putting this off for weeks now. Every time I think of brewing, it's gotten hot this fall. Now I think that it's finally winter. (I really need to invest in a 'fridge; however, She Who Must Be Obeyed frowns upon the notion.)
Tonight's brew is an improved version of Pooh's Blustery Ale. I am tweaking the recipe with Simcoe and Amarillo instead of using just Chinook. I wanted more of a citrusy (Is that a word?) character. I've also added a little lactic acid to the water for a light color. If I've done this right, the SRM color should be ~5...
Which looks more Pooh-ish to me. My last two shots at this recipe were darker than I wanted. I also messed up the water salts. I'm using a spreadsheet from John Palmer this time to set the amounts as well as the acid amount.
The grain bill is unchanged. The hops are now ½ oz. of Chinook for 75min., ½ oz. of Simcoe for 30min., and 1 oz. of Amarillo at knock out. I've also bumped up the honey to 1¼ pounds.
Tonight's brew is an improved version of Pooh's Blustery Ale. I am tweaking the recipe with Simcoe and Amarillo instead of using just Chinook. I wanted more of a citrusy (Is that a word?) character. I've also added a little lactic acid to the water for a light color. If I've done this right, the SRM color should be ~5...
Which looks more Pooh-ish to me. My last two shots at this recipe were darker than I wanted. I also messed up the water salts. I'm using a spreadsheet from John Palmer this time to set the amounts as well as the acid amount.
The grain bill is unchanged. The hops are now ½ oz. of Chinook for 75min., ½ oz. of Simcoe for 30min., and 1 oz. of Amarillo at knock out. I've also bumped up the honey to 1¼ pounds.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Space Madness!!!
The Mystery Missile, which was really a jet's contrail, was caught by a weather satellite...
The "missile" was really an eastbound flight coming up over the horizon toward observers in the L.A. area. The blue arrow above shows the contrail. Note that it is fatter on its west end and narrower the further east it goes. Obviously, the source of the trail is moving from west to east, not east to west as some missile maniacs would have you believe.
In this view...
You can see far more twisting and distortion at the "base" of the "plume" than would be seen from a missile. The trail at the bottom of the image could not have been left seconds earlier, as would be the case for a rocket motor. It was laid down minutes earlier and upper level winds have had time to blow it around. We see this with jet contrails, not rocket motor exhaust. Also, the "plume" never got out of the reddened light of the sunset. Missile plumes get bluer as the rocket gets out of the light of the sunset.
The "missile" was really an eastbound flight coming up over the horizon toward observers in the L.A. area. The blue arrow above shows the contrail. Note that it is fatter on its west end and narrower the further east it goes. Obviously, the source of the trail is moving from west to east, not east to west as some missile maniacs would have you believe.
In this view...
You can see far more twisting and distortion at the "base" of the "plume" than would be seen from a missile. The trail at the bottom of the image could not have been left seconds earlier, as would be the case for a rocket motor. It was laid down minutes earlier and upper level winds have had time to blow it around. We see this with jet contrails, not rocket motor exhaust. Also, the "plume" never got out of the reddened light of the sunset. Missile plumes get bluer as the rocket gets out of the light of the sunset.
Thursday, November 04, 2010
It gets worse for Democrats
The Washington Post reports that, as a result of the Party's strong performance in State legislative contests, the GOP can draw nearly half of new House districts. The 2010 census numbers translate into new Congressional district boundaries next year, after new legislatures have been seated. The GOP dominates far more State legislatures and Governorships than ever before. Making things worse is the passage of Prop. 20 here in CA. This proposition takes the redistricting process out of the hands of the Democrat dominated legislature and puts a non-partisan commission in charge. The Dems won't be able to Gerrymander districts like they did in 2001.
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