I’m sure Swiss will be happy at the end of Fish Fries, but I’m sure I can find some other pun to work into the title going forward. First, some business, if there’s anyone out there who has interest in seeing Journey play here in Cleveland on April 24th, let me know in the comments or e-mail me. The Browns are doing a draft party, and Journey is the opening act, they gave season ticket holders free tickets… many, many, more free tickets than I have season tickets. I’ll be listing them for sale on the weekend, but if there’s people I know who I know would use them, I’d rather help them out first.
This week, while out shopping, I noticed something new to me in the store. Raspberry oranges, I thought, “Well that’s new, let’s pick up a bag, and see what I can do with them.” There’s pictures of raspberries on the label and everything, and there’s all sorts of new hybrids cropping up. Come to find out, some assholes decided that blood oranges needed a freaking reboot.
With all that out of the way, let’s get into the links.
The Browns have the QB position all taken care of now…
One of the issues with IP that lasts forever too long (in my opinion).
This relates to something that’s been kicking around my head for a while now. GenX may be the last generation to have had (basically) unfettered access to the older generations media. I can’t have been the only one who read through the encyclopedias sitting on the shelf in the house?
I am the market for this, unfortunately, it looks like once again, I’m in a niche.
Hey, protestors, GDIAF.
Not a boy band, just a pop band.
I ‘member when the War on Christmas was a punchline.
The left can’t meme.
Fake honey is already a wide spread issue.
Another piece of interest to me from the stacks.
You know, I remember when the goal of conservationists was to leave no trace.
Proper change control is important, but 103 days seems a bit much (h/t: Tonio helping from hiatus).
This week, we’ll move onto another classic cocktail, the Martini. This is a classic, and evolved (with the tastes of the public) from the Martinez.
Martini
- 2 parts (2 ounces) gin
- 1 part (1 ounce) dry vermouth
That’s it. That’s the drink. You’ll notice that it’s a simple 2:1 ratio, this is the traditional one that is nearly impossible to find anymore. Vermouth developed a poor reputation, as people treat it like a spirit, instead of the spiced wine that it is. This led to people generally only experiencing old, stale, bad vermouth. To the point where some bars will just pour you a big helping of chilled vodka if you order a Martini. Do not order cocktails at those places, in fact, if vermouth isn’t in the fridge, stay away from any cocktails needing them in that bar. This is simple to make, fill a shaker or pitcher with ice, add the ingredients and stir. Yes, stir. The reason you stir this drink is to chill it, without adding additional water or ice flakes (which shaking will add). Even better, you can keep your gin in the freezer, and just need a quick spin with your bar spoon before the drink is done. Traditionally served up in a cocktail (not a Martini) glass, though I prefer the Nick and Nora glasses. Garnish is either a lemon twist, or 1/3 olives. Garnish with an onion (or 3) and it becomes a Gibson, swap out the gin for vodka, and I’ll judge you, but it’s a Vodka Martini (variants get the name change, not the original).
“Every boozer should know how to make a decent martini, even if they loathe them.“
Modern drunkard magazine
“Before you die, single-handedly make one decent martini.”
With that, I hope you all enjoy the weekend, and rock.
You’re not doing Good Friday links — or just not doing a fish fry next week? (Pretty sure I have a week to get some sort of basket together for SDF-7-A who’s decidedly too old for most of this stuff….)
It’ll be Good Friday links, but it means I can’t keep doing the Fish fry-day joke.
Lent ends on Good Friday, so Catholics are free to consume meat once again on GF.
What should have happened when said assholes proposed this…
I thought raspberry oranges were the kind you find in a secondhand store.
Boo! Boo this man!
After finally winning their place on the bill, Green Day got the last laugh against Farrell when Armstrong dedicated the band’s Dookie track “Chump” to him onstage.
Ooooooh, sick burn.
A rapper would’ve written a diss track about Farrell (who was, after all, completely correct) and then busted a cap in his ofay ass.
Not getting an argument from me, especially when corporations are the “creators” instead of mere humans. If I were God Emperor of Congress, there’d be 100% exemptions for Fair Use in the case of Abandonware (so you can at least play / port old stuff, a more strict regimen on derivative works probably) and the time before public domain would be a lot lot shorter. Of course, I also think a tradeoff for copyright should be you contribute ROMs or buildable source to a US Digital Library or something so if and when you do abandon a title, people can port to emulators or fix bugs/patch without scraping pirate sites looking for things.
It’ll never fly… but I really hate that folks can just sit on crap forever when others want to keep it working.
That I can’t even close tags properly is an excellent reason I should never be let anywhere near the US Code.
I gotchu, fam.
Much obliged, Mojo.
<====
i think the best thing that could happen to this country is for Trump to take the opposite approach of whatever it is that actually needs to happen. Tariffs has the progressive left embracing free trade and anti-taxation.
What else could we achieve with this power?
Open up the Trump golf clubs’ women’s locker room to men? Give social security benefits to anyone who crawls across our borders ? Get Justice Thomas to retire and nominate Michelle or Kommiela?
You’re just provoking all the IP rants for me, aren’t you?
Because yeah — that Amazon won’t let you give your teenager a Kindle account so they can see your digital books, that as far as I know most places revoke access if you die instead of it being transferable in inheritance — these sorts of things drive me bonkers. Steam is about the only one that does things partly right (Family Sharing works pretty well… though there’s still not really any transfer possible). I suppose the Millenials have a point in streaming in that they don’t own diddly over squat either way… but I’d still like to think that there will be some pushback on this once Congress isn’t full of nonagenarians and maybe having citizens sink thousands or tens of thousands into “digital assets” over time might be honored similar to physical assets.
Of course — that means the IRS will inheritance tax your ass when you get Grandpa’s 400 game Steam Library. Yay.
Steam has publicly said that they are only licenses. I want to say it was Bruce Willis who publicly said he wanted to pass on his Steam library to his kids, and Steam said, “Nope.”
However, Steam has also said that if they go under or close up shop, they’ll allow full access to your library (unlike the streaming services who have pulled things permanently).
My step dad had National Geographics from the 40s up to the 80s in his office. What a treat
Every US household was legally required to subscribe during that era. Also Reader’s Digest Condensed Books.
Sorry for OT medical incident. I wanna get this out for thought /advice, cuz I gotta bounce soon:
While walking ‘round work, I felt a shock in my right big toe. *Exactly* like a static electric shock your fingers get. It repeated a few times, maybe 5-8 times over 15-20 min. Only once, it ‘shocked’ my left big toe.
Then the series ended and never, or hasn’t, come back since. (Just like the ‘16 Cubs. Hrm.) Casual search says this is “peripheral neuropathy,” specifically “sensory neuropathy.” Obviously, there are many reasons that might occur to me, but I have *never* had this sensation, or at least not while sentient.
Interestingly, this coincides with next week’s medical insanity. On Monday, I’m seeing a new neurologist! (I hated the old one. Maybe talked to her for 15 min, total, over 4-5 appointments.) I’ll be bringing this up, first and perhaps foremost.
Anyone have any experience or other knowledge? Though it didn’t hurt, it was certainly striking. Unmistakable. My brain does like to throw my curves, don’t it? I’m proud my personality lends itself to stubborn chipperness. (I’m sure it can feel otherwise through a screen.)
This is most likely nothing (big), but asking y’all for insight. I s’pose it’s convenient to happen in a week I’ll be surrounded by docs. Thanks, y’all. I’m not stressed by this at all, but it was *DAMN* curious. Difficult to understand the novelty, and with upcoming shit, now’s the time to ask the Glib Crew.
Other than neurologist, Vocational Rehab also set me up with a big, supposedly $2k+ neurological exam/ evaluation. It’s on April 24, and likely from 9am – 4pm. Much testing and talking with docs. Mentioning my neuropathy may spark new, fresh imaging, as well.
ALSO! On April 23 I’m having my bilateral psoas tendon injections for hip pain. I’ll be under conscious sedation when they drive a ~3” needle through my groin to inject cortisone (AND FUCKING LIDOCAAAAAIN!!!!) into the muscles near the ball/ socket connection in my hips.
I wanna have (at least) audio recording of the procedure. I watched a vid of it, and lemme tell ya. That’s gonna be interesting. (I’m not allowed to drive home.)
Thanks again, glibs and glibettes.
Now for the tricky part: what gin?
I reach for the Monkey 47 if I’m in a celebratory mood, otherwise it’s Hendrick’s or Citadelle.
https://imgur.com/gallery/would-you-like-to-touch-monkey-XSe58AU
It depends, if I’m out at a good cocktail bar, I’ll put myself in the bartender’s hands with a quick run down of preferences. My go to bottle on the shelf for everyday drinking is Tanqueray (standard, Rangpur lime, or Malacca), and I’m more likely to go the G&T route at home.
For martinis, my go-to is Plymouth. Citadelle is very good as well , but Hendrick’s in a martini is a little too funky for my tastes…
A really cold Hendrick’s martini on a hot day is pretty fabulous, otherwise I agree with you.
Citadelle for my G&Ts and Negronis, which are the only gin drinks I make.
The tricky part is the olive. Just the olive or a bit of brine too?
I am not much of a martini drinker, but when I have had them, I prefer wet and dirty.
The recipe I give is even past wet at most modern bars and recipes. There’s some pushback I’ve been seeing in the cocktail community going back to a 2:1 ratio, there’s even the 50/50 Martini that’s been popping up more frequently.
And I always preferred the brightness of the twist.
Depends on the quality of the vermouth. See my find below.
I can’t have been the only one who read through the encyclopedias sitting on the shelf in the house?
Poor encyclopedia salesmen … Encarta was the beginning of the end.
Yes. And it was trash.
Our local weekly claimed there were a 1000 people at the downtown Hands Off Protest, but the picture on the front page looked more like 50. Granted a picture only captures what is in the lens, but the newspaper’s office is right across the street from the protest, and they could have taken a picture from the second floor to show all the people. Something tells me they exaggerated, especially since the owner of the newspaper is a proponent of advocacy journalism.
My favorite sign from the protest is “Hands off our wallets”. After paying 10s of thousands of dollars in taxes last year, that sign sends me into a violent rage.
Million ___ March
When stretched out, does it say “Million Mon March to Jamaica, ‘Ave Eh Nice Day”?
Amazing. Suddenly the NYT understand what kinds of kangaroo courts exist in the US.
OTH – Immigration Judge Rules Khalil Can Be Deported, but Legal Hurdles Remain
https://archive.fo/KyEvz#selection-4393.0-4393.72
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/nyregion/khalil-jena-deportation-ruling.html
Now do regulatory courts.
But they are called “judge” and where a black robe!
Ouch.. “wear”.
i don’t see what “constitutional” issues are to be grappled with. The guy entered the country illegally. He may or may not deserve to end up in an El Salvadorean prison. The end.
Get him the fuck out of here.
I don’t get it either. You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.
The convulsions are about creating a positive right.
They’ll bring him back, and then send him to Guatemala.
Yep, Artcle I judges (or “judges”). Those administrative law judges who hear social security cases are also Article I judges, and not part of the federal judiciary. Shortly before I retired, SSA started asking to use our courtrooms for their hearings, to make it look all fancy and legitimate. The court let them do that, but all the staff snickered at the SSA folks behind their backs.
Real federal judges (District, Circuit, and SCOTUS) are Article III judges with lifetime tenure. Interestingly, federal magistrates (part of the district courts), and bankruptcy judges are Article I judges (term appointments).
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/11/nx-s1-5361208/mahmoud-khalil-deported-judge-rubio-antisemitism-immigration-court
Judge rules Mahmoud Khalil can be deported
Missed it by that much…
yup
Dammit! You caught the typo before I could post my (attempt at a) joke! 😒
Yes I did. I blame autocorrect. 🙂
Journey isn’t Journey with that Filipino dude they found on YouTube, who does not, in any way, sound like Steve Perry.
IP. I have so many thoughts on this as both a creator and consumer. I will refrain for now. Amazon is now explicitly saying that when you “buy” and ebook, it is, in fact, a LICENSE. And don’t get me started on the tax implications of Amazon referring to revenue by authors as “royalties,” Just … don’t.
I still buy physical media. I saw this coming from the very beginning.
Are your apple trees ready to blossom, Kinnath?
Starting to bud out. We’ve been pretty cool other than one or two warm days. So the trees are taking their time. This is good in my opinion.
I have plenty of physical media, but unfortunately, I haven’t found a DVD ripper that could handle the encryption.
Also, I have no time to rip all those DVDs.
With ebooks, I know how to get the files off my device and break the encryption. I mean, that IS my job.
Mojeaux:
Between Handbrake and MakeMKV, I’ve been able to rip 95% of my collection. The other 5% appear to have bitrot (and are almost all WB properties)…
I have an exe for MakeMKV from a year ago. I must have installed it because there are remnants in my user profile, but I don’t remember trying it.
Mojeaux:
The old executable most likely won’t run now. As it’s still officially in beta (and free to test while in beta) they hard code a license expiration date into the program, days when that hits it’ll throw errors. For Handbrake, you do need to manually download the DLL for CSS decryption. MakeMKV is the much more powerful one, and has been able to read some discs that Handbrake choked on.
Good to know. I’ll look into that.
This.
I never stopped buying physical media. Cassettes. CDs. Vinyl. The only time I ever get digital music it’s because there isn’t a physical copy available, and even then I buy it with no DRM. Virtually all of my downloaded music is from Bandcamp.
I don’t stream.
The Flip does sound like Steve Perry (at least to my non-musical ear). HOWEVER, I agree that watching him live in concert is not a good thing.
Journey sounds exactly like Journey when I was a kid, but watching a 5ft nothing Asian dude try to front them is bad.
To my ear, he just is no match at all.
Saw Journey in the Target Center 10 years or so ago with Cheap Trick opening for them.
Cheap Trick was a great show.
Turned into an epic Drunk Fest.
Mo:
To your tongue, KC BBQ tastes good too.
That is at least 40% of your senses that are officially “off base”.
*pointedly ignoring BBQ comment*
Husband won (of course) tickets to Loverboy and Foreigner. Loverboy was wonderful. Foreigner was, to quote Husband, “a good cover band.”
I saw Cheap Trick at St. Cloud State in 1989 for our homecoming! Go Huskies!
Ain’t no fake honey here. You can put your own sticky finger prints on the jar, should you so chose.
Straight from the bees to you.
From your comment in the Stoic post, happy birthday to Mrs. F!
She’s a happy lady, though not so pleased about how quickly the calendar rolls over.
From the Mourning Lynx, there was speculation about SSN’s and Voter ID.
I’m not sure about that, but I do know that you need a valid SSN to get your Real ID*.
At a minimum, all those invalid SSN’s should be flagged to invalidate those Real ID cards. And next time they try to fly home (or even worse back), they should be pulled into the back room for some additional questioning.
* OK, you can get Real ID without a SSN. I know because I had to do that. When I was a kid in the early ’70s I got my SSN and had it laminated (not a big deal at the time). Sailed through life with multiple jobs using that SSN card. The only time I ran into an issue was when I got my Real ID Minnesoda driver’s license. Failed because my card was laminated.
My card was so old, it didn’t even have the “Do not laminate” warning on it. That really pissed off the drone who was doing my application. She was so sure she was going to rub my nose in the fact that I disregarded warnings. I couldn’t talk her out of the idea that she could just ignore that it was laminated.
I had to come back another day with additional paperwork. The guy I dealt with that day was much better. He still told me, he wouldn’t have been able to accept a laminated SSN card either. But he understood how stupid it was that I was using my passport (gotten with laminated ssn card) and I had enlisted in the Corps with a laminated card.
“It’s for your own protection sir…”
I have no memory of needing an Social Security card to get my RealID. Just birth certification, passport, and proof of residence. Cause, I have absolutely no idea when was the last time I saw physical SS Card.
NJ has a points system. Various ID have certain point values.
SS Card can be used with a certain point value, but other ID can be used instead of it.
Just got my Real ID this past Monday and no SS required although you do have to give a number on the form but there’s not verification to my knowledge.
Social Security Number:
Documentation showing your full Social Security number is required, such as your Social Security card, a tax form, or a pay stub.
The Iowa Rules are fairly easy to achieve.
I checked our cards. Only my card from 40ish years ago has the “Do not laminate” warning. I also realized my wife’s card needs to be updates since it still has the work authorization restriction on it.
I was 3 when I got my SSN. In 1970.
My “signature” is comical.
Fourscore probably has a metal SSN card
My teenager signature differs from my adult signature. It was me writing my name instead of signing it.
Bone SSN.
Fourscore’s SSN is right behind Montgomery Burns.
Botched the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnBtoOAhba4
We’re going to give you this small credit card size slip of paper that you’ll need for the rest of your existence as a form of ID after telling everyone that it would never be used as such, and don’t you dare laminate it so that it can actually survive!
I’m sure there’s some dumb reason for the rule. Emphasis on dumb.
You can only get 3 new SSN cards in your lifetime
We had to have our SS cards, not just the number, for our PA driver licenses, non-Real-ID compliant. So, WTF?
Same here for my PA Real ID several years ago. My mother had to go through the same process. Even though she had everything they needed, it still took them several hours. You could tell from her expression on the photo how pissed she was at the delay.
Niche my ass. The original Deus Ex, especially the fan-made revision, should be in the running for best sci-fi RPG of all time.
The only Deus Ex I haven’t beaten is Invisible War. I was so pissed at the consolification of my game that I quit out of it after just a bit.
I beat Invisible War.
It has no good endings.
“… what kinds of kangaroo courts exist…”
I tried kangaroo meat once. I learned I can’t eat it- it makes me jumpy.
Wallaby damned.
I used to love dirty vodka martinis. Judge me all you want.
I do not. I had a Bond martini with one olive last night during the movie post.
Shaken, not stirred? Or is that slapped? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi6i2ACRN7A
I shake it like a teenage boy with a dirty magazine.
Many years back. I belonged to a group known as Barfleet (a sci-fi group with a drinking problem, or a drinking group with a sci-fi problem). If you went to Marcon down in Columbus, and went to the room parties, you likely saw them. As I was already a budding beer geek, and diving into the world of cocktails, I got put on the medical staff (bar tending). Our medical staff hired a guy to come out and give a weekend class on bar tending and making cocktails. One line the instructor said has stuck with me to this day. Discussing the Martini, we went through the various modifiers and common variants, and he said, “There’s the extra-dry vodka martini. That’s just three ounces of chilled vodka. We have a name for people who order those, alcoholics.”
We gad this conversation once. People hate vermouth because they don’t realize it goes bad in a week. You can stretch that some by keeping it in the fridge. Buying a small amount is in an individual’s best interest.
Speaking of, I have a fantastic one at home right now. “Grassotti Torino.” Really good stuff.
375ml bottles of vermouth are a good start, but I honestly wish the vermouth makers would bottle it in shooters.
A shot of Antica Formula over ice, topped up with sparkling water, is basically soda pop for grownups. Or add a shot of Campari, and you have an Americano, which is what James Bond drank when he wasn’t drinking. If there’s a better hot-weather summer drink, I haven’t found it.
Boy yes. Little airline bottles of vermouth would be great. You could store it with impunity.
Pimm’s and lemonade.
You need someone to step up like Fever Tree did with their mini cans. Now I’m wondering if Diageo owns any vermouth manufacturers, because I would think they would be all over something like that (since they could charge a premium for the single use bottles).
What about pumping? Does that help? Preserve the Vermouth, that is…
It’ll reduce oxidation, and help preserve it. It will add some shelf life.
Was going to chime in and say that martinis suck because vermouth sucks but I didn’t realize it went bad so quick. May have to give them another try.
Most people don’t. That’s why I mentioned it.
I did not know that about vermouth.
While not technically vermouth, my favorite for martinis and twentieth centuries is the Golden Airplane.
Encyclopedias? Time-Life.
One of our family Heirlooms is a set of encyclopedias that some relative bought at the turn of the century. They are sort of loose-leaf binders. You could buy new pages each year if you wanted.
Thankfully, ancestors were too cheap (or broke) to buy updates. So the set stops before WWI. Interesting to see the take on the word from back then.
https://youtu.be/osZ_bYh26_A
We sold every Time Life product we could get our hands on @ used book prices. The Time-Life records sold well, especially the jazz.
“I’m sure I can find some other pun to work into the title going forward”
Let me suggest “Free Dogs”, with a weekly link to one of the innumerable videos of shelter dogs getting adopted. A bonus Daily Ray.
The Browns have the QB position all taken care of now…
I almost linked that earlier, but I didn’t want to be responsible for a “link intentionally left blank.”
Then doing that as a joke has served its purpose. 🙂
“Even better, you can keep your gin in the freezer, and just need a quick spin with your bar spoon before the drink is done.”
Even betterer, premix a batch and put the whole thing in the freezer.
The left can’t meme.
I hear Dan Conehead Akroyd: “Ahhh. Humor.”
In a message posted on their website, they said: “We came very far with Stedsans, but we also had to realise on the way that being soul-driven entrepreneurs on a mission in a country where taxes are some of the highest in the world and bureaucracy is relentless, it is an impossible task.”
They added: “When you read this we have probably been declared bankrupt by the Swedish tax authorities. All we ever wanted was to be a part of creating a more beautiful planet.”
There’s no taxation in nature.
“Every boozer should know how to make a decent martini, even if they loathe them.“
Not everybody can make glass of chilled gin.
Yep, the Churchill version. maybe that’s why they got so wrecked at Gallipoli.
https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/2340/churchill-martini
Unsecured penguin caused helicopter crash in South Africa
BINGO!
Obviously Trump’s fault.
No mention of the vodka martini?
Well there is now.
Maybe Tres has just had an “extra-dry vodka martini”.
🍸🍸
We have successfully sourced a small farm for exchange of goods. Right now its dollars, but we discussed if all comes to hell, how can we barter.
Ask an expert
Experts say a slowdown in international trade might have a brief and slight benefit in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which come in part from fuels like gas and oil that are used to move goods around the world via ships, planes and vehicles. But any such benefit in reducing emissions, which cause climate change, will be swamped by sharply rising costs worldwide that will hurt efforts to transition to green energies.
“I would say it might help the climate in the first year or two if we have a downturn in economic activity or a recession, which no one wants,” said Rob Jackson, head of the Global Carbon Project, a group of scientists who monitor greenhouse gas emissions yearly. “But it will hurt the climate long-term because tariffs impact clean tech more than most other industries because of trade with China.
“Any emissions reduction would be temporary,” said Dan Jasper, senior policy advisor at Project Drawdown. “I’m deeply skeptical that this would have positive impacts on climate change and in particular the energy transition.”
Nobody wants to strangle the world economy. Nobody.
Jackson said he expects at most a 1% drop in emissions if full tariffs are implemented — significant, but far less than the 5.7% that his group calculated for the pandemic’s first year. And Jackson noted that the world can’t reach net-zero carbon emissions to try to limit future warming without structural changes, namely replacing fossil energy and manufacturing with clean renewable energy.
Perpetual motion technology is right around the corner.
Well yeah I guess a slower economy would burn less energy so there’s that.
You know how you solve this? ?The media problem>
BUY REAL BOOKS, REAL VIDEOS, REAL MUSIC
I don’t read paper books anymore for several reasons.
I do buy real videos IF I think I’m going to watch the movie again.
I sometimes buy CDs IF I would be distressed if I lost the mp3 files.
And what of the items that are never released on physical media?
Then you are going to be subject to someone else’s whims regarding them.
Thanks. I enjoyed many of those links, especially the one about Pedagogical Lies. I forwarded it to my eternal fiancé, who is a teacher and college professor, and she laughed (she is sitting two feet away). She said she didn’t have to read it, she just saw the title and knew what it was about. But it was enlightening to an uneducated schmuck like me.
Also enjoyed the thoughts on martinis.
Not a problem at all. Glad you found it interesting.
Nephilium, I assume you know about this book? https://www.amazon.com/Inns-ales-drinking-customs-England/dp/0946495254/ref
I do not. I’ll have to keep an eye out for it.
I knew I should have saved my Class project for the fish fry links. It would have been on topic.
But, I also dozed off and took an afternoon nap during prime posting time.