My brother came to visit last week and we made a trip to Tiki Underground in Cuyahoga Falls. I told Jess that we were there because of you and your drinks and she was quite happy to have the recommendation. I had a Zombie, a Jet Pilot, and I can't remember the n/a drink, but they were all delicious. Cool place.
I have fond memories of NO. I knew a bartender at, I think, The Absinthe House Bar, rather than the Old Absinthe House, a block away. There was a thing where people would staple signed dollar bills to the walls and ceiling. The place was 4-6 inches thick in singles. Would have made a fair thatched roof. Frankly, a bit of a firetrap. Anyway, summertime, and business would be thin on the ground, my housemate and I would stop by, and said tender would tear a sheaf or two down and ask that we not spend it in the Quarter, as they’d know where it came from. Kept me in beans through some hard times. Wonderful town, but seriously hard on the liver.
Any ideas of an absinthe substitute for someone who really does not like the licorice flavor? I've got a few cocktails now that call for it that I like w/o it but no ideas for an aromatic thing to try
I can report that Bombay Sapphire, dry vermouth (made from the Drinking The Devil's Acre recipe), some St George's Absinthe and a fresh myer lemon from the garden. Makes a decent martini.
My memory says the common juniper is used to make gin and some Norse folk medicines.
It also says that there are some similar species that are moderately to quite toxic.
Unless you can tell the difference, and I can't, you might want to get your berries from a reputable source or skip the berry stage and use an extract.
<sigh> I still have a small bottle of Bacardi mocking me because I can't have a Mentirita anymore since I've off drinking Diet Coke.......<sigh> Today would be a great day for one since I have FINALLY finished all the paper shredding on this floor of the house. Oh, well.
Mr S loves his martinis (gin, vermouth, lemon peel), he learned at the knee of his dearly departed father in law. Story about father in law; in the aftermath of hurricane Isabel, Dad, who refused to come stay with us, was out of power for a few weeks. He figured an eye dropper would supply the dilution effect of ice in the shaker. Navy men, what can you do?
Another dear departed; my beautiful little Sister, who lived in NOLA and it suited her so well! Without visiting I’d never known about the wonderful Lafitte’s and so much more. One of the country’s best cities, republicans not withstanding.
Thanks for the lovely description of the drink and its contents. Alas! While I can no longer enjoy spiritus frumenti or ethanol in any form, I can see your love for the right stuff in each of these essays.
Frozen, eh? Luxury! We had it rough, let me tell you. 'Ad to scrape crusts out th'big rubbish containers on corner, dip in anything that was available!
Bertie and I pull up to the local Jollibees drive thru. There’s a drainage ditch behind it and along the edge of the ditch and the drive thru is a row of new trees. Each one neatly chewed off in the characteristic pointy pencil style of a beaver nearby.
We pull up to pay. “Do you guys know you have a beaver in your ditch?”
Blank stare from young Filipino kid taking money. “How do you know that?”
Bertie and I point to the trees and explain that’s what felled them.
“Really? We thought someone cut them as a joke!”
After I called it in to the city for de-beavering, we had a discussion about it. I mean it makes sense that relatively new immigrants wouldn’t have seen a beaver or its handiwork before but was no one even slightly curious about what could have carved the trees down so they look like a pencil? I’d have just been curious to see that. Are there no bored smokers on break anymore?
The two biggest governmental agencies around here are the US Forest Service and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power <spit>. They have differing philosophies on beaver management. The Forest Service will close a campground in the face of rising water behind a newly formed dam, but on DWP land, they hire a trapper to kill 'em all. Beavers can't read the signs, so some get lucky, others don't.
City got back to me and they trapped the beavers who were “confused juveniles” and relocated them out of the drainage ditch which was preventing Highway 1 from, you know, completely being washed out. They were out there in an hour, lol.
The Trump administration has barred a team of 15- and 16-year-olds from Venezuela from entering the United States to compete in the Little League Senior League World Series. The team from Maracaibo won the Latin America tournament to qualify for the World Series in South Carolina
Saw this item yesterday. He brings in ax murderers from Venezuela, but Little League players are barred from entering. Hello, Olympic and FIFA committees, if you're listening....
Releasing the Epstein material may not be in the cards people.
Perhaps because that evidence is also blackmail material? Everyone focuses on the child exploitation but what about the blackmail? My guess is that Jeffrey could multi-task: pimp, pervert, blackmailer.
Someone could just go on hiding that pile of lucrative blackmail material and just keep using it to threaten rivals, gain more information and simply collect money.
This is why someone won't destroy it. He's too greedy and can't let go of those bargaining chips.
yeah, besides the despicable sex stuff that everyone is focused on, there exists a treasure trove of laundered money and other illegal financial records that monied people *do not want* to see the light of day. They do not want any deep investigation to happen, because it would be *very* bad news for them. Perhaps they'll find someone at the bottom of their food chain to toss to the MAGAts on sex charges to make them happy, and hope that that will be enough to end it.
This will get very messy, very fast once it starts to unravel. If it does.
Well they did put every mention of Trump in the Epstein files into a convenient, easily leakable, shared by everyone in the FBI folder, so I'm hoping that gets leaked.
because they cannot do anything but be stupid they cannot do anything but hurt themselves as they thrash around in desperation.
Imagine your ship is sinking and instead of grabbing a life vest and a spot on a raft you rush over to the where the anchor is stowed and grab it instead.
PBS News had a nice feature on a traveling exhibit (now in SF) by Ruth Asawa. Her backstory was quite interesting - she was held in WW2 Japanese internment camps, and faced discrimination as a potential art teacher that brought her into contact with Black Mountain College and their innovative artist community.
RFK jr might care about that, maybe, but it's doubtful. The rest of the right thinks it's too demeaning, and don't care for eggheads telling them what to do, so it has to go.
Finally, a bit of good news. Evidently my water heater did not fail, just the pressure relief valve on the side. It's rather easy to replace and MUCH cheaper than a new unit. The drywall repair due to the mold is going to suck though
Ok, it's time to get my morning walk started before the mega-heat kicks in. I'm an hour later than normal this morning, but I needed a slow start today.
I generally try to avoid posting political stuff on the weekends because we all deserve a respite from the endless firehose of Republican bullshit, but hey, Betty Bowers...
"Treasury Department files reviewed by Senator Ron Wyden’s staff members show 4,725 wire transfers, adding up to nearly $1.1 billion, associated with just one of Mr. Epstein’s bank accounts. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄. 𝗧𝗵𝗲. 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆."
"Epstein clearly had access to enormous financing to operate his sex trafficking network, and the details on how he got the cash to pay for it are sitting in a Treasury Department filing cabinet."
A Friday report from Reuters claims that a senior Trump administration official recently informed diplomats in South Africa that a refugee program set up by U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this year was explicitly intended for white people. No racism no racism-YOU'RE THE racism!
Amazingly, I have the day off. I'm eating homemade bruschetta with my wife, watching TV, and hugging her a lot. Questions about the cocktail go here.
My brother came to visit last week and we made a trip to Tiki Underground in Cuyahoga Falls. I told Jess that we were there because of you and your drinks and she was quite happy to have the recommendation. I had a Zombie, a Jet Pilot, and I can't remember the n/a drink, but they were all delicious. Cool place.
I have fond memories of NO. I knew a bartender at, I think, The Absinthe House Bar, rather than the Old Absinthe House, a block away. There was a thing where people would staple signed dollar bills to the walls and ceiling. The place was 4-6 inches thick in singles. Would have made a fair thatched roof. Frankly, a bit of a firetrap. Anyway, summertime, and business would be thin on the ground, my housemate and I would stop by, and said tender would tear a sheaf or two down and ask that we not spend it in the Quarter, as they’d know where it came from. Kept me in beans through some hard times. Wonderful town, but seriously hard on the liver.
Wow!
We used to frequent a place like that on Cape Cod. Fun place, also too.
And NOLA IS The Balls.
Don't live in Europe. They'll pop a toast at two dogs fucking.
I nag every now and again for a slivovic cocktail, and today I found some-
https://www.absolutdrinks.com/en/drinks/with/slivovitz/
https://www.jewishfoodsociety.org/recipes/czech-mate-slivovitz-cocktail
In case you're interested
Hooper, I made a batch of your Aperol spritzes last weekend, and they were a hit! Thank you!
Any ideas of an absinthe substitute for someone who really does not like the licorice flavor? I've got a few cocktails now that call for it that I like w/o it but no ideas for an aromatic thing to try
The whole point of using it here is for the flavor.
Although its so diluted it's more complex than just licorice.
Yes, I'm asking if he has any ideas of alternate flavors
I cannot smell licorice/anise without gagging. I feel like I miss out on a lot of drinks.
I have no questions about the cocktail, but I do want to mention that the tablecloth is lovely.
Recycled saris with a kantha stitch from a fair trade store.
I can report that Bombay Sapphire, dry vermouth (made from the Drinking The Devil's Acre recipe), some St George's Absinthe and a fresh myer lemon from the garden. Makes a decent martini.
Oh, that sounds lovely.
Its actually interesting that the absinthe is adding a surprisingly savory element to the drink.
But that could also be it getting warm.
Upvoted solely to push it to 69 likes! Nice!
I think the lemon twist is nice, photo shoot or no.
Which juniper plants yield usable berries for an infusion?
My memory says the common juniper is used to make gin and some Norse folk medicines.
It also says that there are some similar species that are moderately to quite toxic.
Unless you can tell the difference, and I can't, you might want to get your berries from a reputable source or skip the berry stage and use an extract.
I leave the gin-making to the professionals.
Kicks stones, but I had bruschetta questions...
Ask away.
Is it sourdough? Did you make the bread too?
If so
Did you get the recipe from OnlyPans?
Nope. Store brought Italian loaf. We aren’t that fancy.
You wrote "homemade."
<sigh> I still have a small bottle of Bacardi mocking me because I can't have a Mentirita anymore since I've off drinking Diet Coke.......<sigh> Today would be a great day for one since I have FINALLY finished all the paper shredding on this floor of the house. Oh, well.
Mr S loves his martinis (gin, vermouth, lemon peel), he learned at the knee of his dearly departed father in law. Story about father in law; in the aftermath of hurricane Isabel, Dad, who refused to come stay with us, was out of power for a few weeks. He figured an eye dropper would supply the dilution effect of ice in the shaker. Navy men, what can you do?
Another dear departed; my beautiful little Sister, who lived in NOLA and it suited her so well! Without visiting I’d never known about the wonderful Lafitte’s and so much more. One of the country’s best cities, republicans not withstanding.
I love when stuff triggers warm memories. I can feel the love.
Thanks for the lovely description of the drink and its contents. Alas! While I can no longer enjoy spiritus frumenti or ethanol in any form, I can see your love for the right stuff in each of these essays.
It's been a bloody revelation to me!
Shut the computer and go snuggle the wife. Idjit.
Whoa, "homemade" bruschetta. Aren't you just the Rockefeller. I have to heat up from frozen.
They make frozen bruschetta with the basil leaf and everything?!
Actually (to my surprise), a number of companies offer this.
Frozen, eh? Luxury! We had it rough, let me tell you. 'Ad to scrape crusts out th'big rubbish containers on corner, dip in anything that was available!
Luxury! We had to do with the scrag end of tarmac and like it!
Well ...we lived under the tarmac and only had the tar squeezed out to eat when cars rolled over us and crushed us.
I believe I have heard that, anecdotally at least. Yours is the proof.
So to speak.
Inspired to share my beaver story from below.
Bertie and I pull up to the local Jollibees drive thru. There’s a drainage ditch behind it and along the edge of the ditch and the drive thru is a row of new trees. Each one neatly chewed off in the characteristic pointy pencil style of a beaver nearby.
We pull up to pay. “Do you guys know you have a beaver in your ditch?”
Blank stare from young Filipino kid taking money. “How do you know that?”
Bertie and I point to the trees and explain that’s what felled them.
“Really? We thought someone cut them as a joke!”
After I called it in to the city for de-beavering, we had a discussion about it. I mean it makes sense that relatively new immigrants wouldn’t have seen a beaver or its handiwork before but was no one even slightly curious about what could have carved the trees down so they look like a pencil? I’d have just been curious to see that. Are there no bored smokers on break anymore?
See above for other beaver comments. Mostly not nasty.
The two biggest governmental agencies around here are the US Forest Service and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power <spit>. They have differing philosophies on beaver management. The Forest Service will close a campground in the face of rising water behind a newly formed dam, but on DWP land, they hire a trapper to kill 'em all. Beavers can't read the signs, so some get lucky, others don't.
City got back to me and they trapped the beavers who were “confused juveniles” and relocated them out of the drainage ditch which was preventing Highway 1 from, you know, completely being washed out. They were out there in an hour, lol.
(deleted)
AI kids for the win!
https://bsky.app/profile/gtconway.bsky.social/post/3luuiczrpis2e
Matthew Hay Brown
@matthewhaybrown.bsky.social
Follow
The Trump administration has barred a team of 15- and 16-year-olds from Venezuela from entering the United States to compete in the Little League Senior League World Series. The team from Maracaibo won the Latin America tournament to qualify for the World Series in South Carolina
wapo.st/4o8DKmS
I'm so tired of all this winning.
Saw this item yesterday. He brings in ax murderers from Venezuela, but Little League players are barred from entering. Hello, Olympic and FIFA committees, if you're listening....
Releasing the Epstein material may not be in the cards people.
Perhaps because that evidence is also blackmail material? Everyone focuses on the child exploitation but what about the blackmail? My guess is that Jeffrey could multi-task: pimp, pervert, blackmailer.
Someone could just go on hiding that pile of lucrative blackmail material and just keep using it to threaten rivals, gain more information and simply collect money.
This is why someone won't destroy it. He's too greedy and can't let go of those bargaining chips.
yeah, besides the despicable sex stuff that everyone is focused on, there exists a treasure trove of laundered money and other illegal financial records that monied people *do not want* to see the light of day. They do not want any deep investigation to happen, because it would be *very* bad news for them. Perhaps they'll find someone at the bottom of their food chain to toss to the MAGAts on sex charges to make them happy, and hope that that will be enough to end it.
This will get very messy, very fast once it starts to unravel. If it does.
Food chains lead upwards, so they better put the fall guy in one of those Epstein cells with faulty cameras and understanding jailors.
Well they did put every mention of Trump in the Epstein files into a convenient, easily leakable, shared by everyone in the FBI folder, so I'm hoping that gets leaked.
because they cannot do anything but be stupid they cannot do anything but hurt themselves as they thrash around in desperation.
Imagine your ship is sinking and instead of grabbing a life vest and a spot on a raft you rush over to the where the anchor is stowed and grab it instead.
Rubio guts the State Department even as they struggle to manage the chaos in foreign affairs caused by Trump's trade war.
“𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯,” 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘏𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘗𝘰𝘴𝘵.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-state-department-firing_n_6883ad30e4b016b12b830b18
Aight, off to do errands before it gets too hot. Here is an angel of summer to bless your timeline!
https://bsky.app/profile/catsofyore.bsky.social/post/3lunlxex2jk2s
OK, we've had a listen inside Donald Chump's head, now let's have a little look at what's going on in there!
https://substack.com/@tehbaddr/note/c-21819524
Hard to chicken out without the chicken.
Ok everyone, I am out for the day. We are going into SF to see an exhibit of Franz Mark sculptures with some friends. I hope to have some nice times!
PBS News had a nice feature on a traveling exhibit (now in SF) by Ruth Asawa. Her backstory was quite interesting - she was held in WW2 Japanese internment camps, and faced discrimination as a potential art teacher that brought her into contact with Black Mountain College and their innovative artist community.
I have gone to that exhibit twice already and I will probably go again because it is AMAZEBALLS.
Of course he will.
"WSJ: Kennedy expected to dismiss expert panel on preventive care"
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/25/health/kennedy-uspstf-hhs
It is going to take a long time to repair the mess they're creating.
Preventive care? Like, the one thing MAHA is supposed to be about?
RFK jr might care about that, maybe, but it's doubtful. The rest of the right thinks it's too demeaning, and don't care for eggheads telling them what to do, so it has to go.
If it will harm or kill Americans, he'll do it.
Finally, a bit of good news. Evidently my water heater did not fail, just the pressure relief valve on the side. It's rather easy to replace and MUCH cheaper than a new unit. The drywall repair due to the mold is going to suck though
Ok, it's time to get my morning walk started before the mega-heat kicks in. I'm an hour later than normal this morning, but I needed a slow start today.
I generally try to avoid posting political stuff on the weekends because we all deserve a respite from the endless firehose of Republican bullshit, but hey, Betty Bowers...
"Treasury Department files reviewed by Senator Ron Wyden’s staff members show 4,725 wire transfers, adding up to nearly $1.1 billion, associated with just one of Mr. Epstein’s bank accounts. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄. 𝗧𝗵𝗲. 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆."
https://bsky.app/profile/mrsbettybowers.bsky.social/post/3lutgvbalc22b
"Epstein clearly had access to enormous financing to operate his sex trafficking network, and the details on how he got the cash to pay for it are sitting in a Treasury Department filing cabinet."
𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽’𝘀 𝗘𝗽𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗼 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗺 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗕𝗼𝗺𝗯
https://newrepublic.com/article/198247/trump-epstein-fiasco-ron-wyden
Oh, Bondi will get *right* on that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8E_zMLCRNg
A Friday report from Reuters claims that a senior Trump administration official recently informed diplomats in South Africa that a refugee program set up by U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this year was explicitly intended for white people. No racism no racism-YOU'RE THE racism!