Last Friday of May Afternoon Links

by | May 29, 2026 | Cocktails, Daily Links, I Am Lame | 85 comments

Here at the end of May, it appears Cleveland has decided it’s time for spring. I expect a week or two of that before the summer temperatures roll in and I have to show I’m better than most of Europe by turning on the central air.

FAFO.

We’ll need to remember this when Bessie returns.

Huh. Maybe I should look into selling mine.

This is being compared to the disastrous Sonos rollout, and they’re not wrong. So lucky to have been a user of both products. Speaking of, anyone have a recommendation for a decent fitness tracking app?

The bourbon boom/bubble may be deflating.

I recall having some of these when they were last released. I’ve enjoyed the Yard’s founding father beers as well.

I struggle to understand allowing the state to do the rating.

Taking death of the author to a new level.

How do we reach these kids misogynistic hate goblins?

With that, let’s get to the cocktail for the week, one that is a modern classic.

White Negroni

  • 1 part (1 oz) gin
  • 1 part (1 oz) Lillet Blanc
  • 1 part (1 oz) Suze

This, like St. Germain, is one of those things that once it exists seems like it was always destined to exist and should have been discovered much earlier. Meanwhile, the White Negroni can be traced back to the turn of the century, as in this one. The drink has barely existed long enough to drink itself. I’ve stuck with the classic proportions for what I’m presenting here. Like most things, people have adjusted the ratios to their preference and then push it out as the new standard. Most modern ones will go with closer to a 3:2:1 (gin, Lillet, Suze) ratio. To make the drink, the ingredients all get added to a mixing pitcher with ice, stirred until combined, strain into a chilled glass (over fresh ice if you wish), and then garnish. Lemon twist is the modern, grapefruit wedge is the traditional.

With that, go out, and enjoy your weekend.

About The Author

Nephilium

Nephilium

Nephilium is a geek of multiple types living in the vast suburban forests of Cleveland.

85 Comments

  1. rhywun

    I always wonder how “banned for life” is enforced anywhere that does not require a valid ID for admission.

    • kinnath

      I wondered that myself.

      I assume the “enforcement” mechanism depends on: 1) attention whores can’t stop being attention whores; 2) famous attention whores tend to get recognized in public; and 3) someone will fink on the attention whore.

    • Rat on a train

      branding on the forehead?

    • Evan from Evansville

      Ha! Was my first thought, as well.

      To be fair, I’m not sure they sell tickets with cash anymore. That’s frightening, in its own way. Not a fan.

  2. Ted S.

    I struggle to understand allowing the state to do the rating.

    God that writer is a pretentious POS.

    • juris imprudent

      (Yes, like all wine writers, I can be over-the-top sometimes.)

      I’d just like you to describe what wet stone tastes like, and why you would happen to know that.

    • Homple

      “God that writer is a pretentious POS.”

      Writes about wine, so that is to be expected.

  3. The Late P Brooks

    Separate but equal

    A federal judge in Washington has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from closing the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for repairs and found the board’s decision to add President Donald Trump’s name to the center was unlawful and ordered that it be removed from the building and its website.

    U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper found the center’s board vote to shutter the facility for two years while repairs are carried out was the result of an “ill-informed and seemingly preordained decision.”

    “The trustees might have assessed the propriety of closure in a number of prudent ways. This was not one,” the judge wrote, signing off on a preliminary injunction blocking the center from closing.

    The Imperial Judiciary strikes again.

    • rhywun

      I hope it stays standing long enough for a more deserving president like Sandy to schedule the repairs. 🤞

    • Nephilium

      I remember it being in a mix six pack, like they used to use to release the Longshot beers. It wasn’t until recently that Old Fezziwig was freed from the mixed 12 pack to be released alone.

      In other special beer release news, Dogfish Head (owned by Boston Beer, aka Sam Adams) is bringing back Midas Touch this year for another history based beer (albeit one that I did not like when I tried it back when you could still smoke in bars around here).

  4. Shpip

    Founder Fawn Weaver and her husband, Keith, argue that Uncle Nearest should be handed back to them.

    Huh. Spidey senses tingling.

    Young previously told the court that the distiller had not filed federal tax returns for several years.

    I wonder if the RC Dean rule about the defendant’s demographic are correct?

    Well, I’ll be…

  5. rhywun

    Yes, like all wine writers, I can be over-the-top sometimes.

    No shit? /taps out from the pomposity

  6. rhywun

    voted for Mr. Trump because of his opposition to abortion but has been horrified by immigration raids

    I see the NYT is making shit up again. That voter either doesn’t exist or is really just a Democrat.

  7. The Late P Brooks

    Wishful thinking

    Some Democrats are simply ready to sweep the Bidens into the dustbin of history so their party can move forward.

    “Nobody wants to relitigate the worst debate performance since the Greek Republic. Why are we talking about this? Why are we talking about Hunter Biden? Why is Hunter Biden talking about Hunter Biden?” said Pete Giangreco, a longtime Democratic strategist who worked on Barack Obama’s campaigns but was not involved in Joe Biden’s or Kamala Harris’ bids.

    Without the Bidens, the Democrats are nothing.

    • rhywun

      so their party can move forward

      Move forward with what?!

      Communism might be wildly successful in certain localities but I don’t know if it will fly at the national level. They have no other ideas.

  8. Shpip

    Propelled by economic anxiety, young men lurched to the right in the 2024 election — a 15-percent swing from 2020 — and helped Mr. Trump win the White House, setting off a round of soul-searching among Democratic politicians and strategists who were dismayed that this once-reliable demographic had fallen away.

    A year and a half later, some Gen Z men say they are disillusioned by Mr. Trump’s second term.

    Actual disillusionment with policy, or just a failure to manage expectations in the Immediate Gratification society?

  9. DEG

    I’ve enjoyed the Yard’s founding father beers as well.

    #metoo

  10. Mojeaux

    People.

    My 20 XY is out building things for me, which is nice.

    HOWEVER

    He is blasting Elvis Presley and belting along.

    That child needs to go.

      • Mojeaux

        That’s even worse.

      • Gustave Lytton

        If he hadn’t died, Elvis could have been the fifth member of The Highwaymen.

      • Gender Traitor

        Ring of Fire is awesome! (Written by June!)

      • Mojeaux

        Okay, so, I AM referencing Ghost Riders in the Sky in my sorcerer project. The fountain of youth has a wicked sense of humor.

    • Ownbestenemy

      First reply obviously doesnt know the Bee..

      @BradleyLowry1
      @BradleyLowry158
      ·
      59m
      Not sure why you’d want to alienate 1/2 your audience.

    • Evan from Evansville

      🇺🇸 Krystina Liberty 🇺🇸 @KrystinaLiberty
      I’m so triggered, I’m gonna have to go nuclear on a spider. Now, where is that pickle jar?

  11. DEG

    TOO LOCAL NEWS: Climate change

    Parts of the White Mountains could see snow in higher elevations Friday night into Saturday morning.

    A few inches of snow accumulation is possible at the summits.

    Anyone headed into the mountains this weekend needs to be prepared for winter conditions, especially at peaks above 3,000 feet.

  12. DEG

    TOO LOCAL NEWS: Federal judge strikes down law changing how NH voters prove citizenship when registering to vote.

    NH has required proof of citizenship to vote since long before I moved to NH. This law removes one of the ways of proving citizenship.

    In her ruling, Elliott said that the state’s removal of the “Qualified Voter Affidavit” form in 2024, which previously allowed new registrants to swear they were both U.S. citizens and residents of the community in which they were seeking to vote, made it harder to vote.

    “A sworn affidavit capable of exposing an affiant to criminal prosecution is a method of proving citizenship and not an exception to that requirement,” she said. “Moreover, the evidence shows that it is the only method of proof available to a significant number of New Hampshire voters.”

    • Grumbletarian

      A sworn affidavit doesn’t prove anything.

      • Threedoor

        I hate that Idaho allows one.

        During the primary an old woman walked up to the table and told the volunteers that she left her purse with her DL in the car. They should have told her to go get it but they jumped at the chance to offer her the affidavit.

  13. Aloysious

    Anything you can share about the status of Sugar Free or Swiss?

    Just hope they are doing okay.

    • DEG

      Yes, please. If there are updates.

      Hopefully they are OK.

      • Aloysious

        Thank you.

      • DEG

        Thanks!

  14. Shpip

    Wisconsin was admitted to the Union as the 30th state on May 29, 1848. Happy Birthday, Wisconsin!

    I really enjoyed my last visit there, though I was rather rudely informed that cow tipping is usually 20% these days.

    They really badgered me about it.

    • Aloysious

      That was very cheesy. It made me cheddar.

      • rhywun

        dammit

      • Rat on a train

        are you blue?

    • rhywun

      I bet you were really cheesed.

    • Rat on a train

      My only experience with Wisconsin was a couple weeks at Fort McCoy. I don’t recommend.

  15. Rat on a train

    aliens.gov is online
    Only 27 arrests locally.

    • Gustave Lytton

      Wow. 76 whole arrests in Woodburrito. That’s like one apartment building.

      Elsewhere they’re arresting aliens from the USSR. Okay…

      • Gustave Lytton

        Oh no! Traffic offenses! The worst of the worst.

      • Rat on a train

        also Czechoslovakia and Yugolavia,

    • rhywun

      Over/under on the number of lawsuits incoming for the music.

      • Gender Traitor

        On aliens.gov? I’m not hearing any music.

  16. The Late P Brooks

    On my way back from the laundrymat (one of my favoritest places), I saw the first ski boat of summer. It must be Friday.

    Grocery Outlet or whatever they called themselves has folded their tent and slunk off into the night. It was a terrible location; I’m surprised they made it as long as they did. I only went there a handful of times, if some other mission brought me into close proximity.

    • Threedoor

      Grocery outlet was pretty cool about twenty years ago when it was still a bargain market that sold overstock, retired packaging ect.

      It’s a wine mom store where I’m at now.

  17. The Late P Brooks

    Actual disillusionment with policy, or just a failure to manage expectations in the Immediate Gratification society?

    Maybe they’re mad because he’s not Trumping hard enough. Did they consider that?

    • rhywun

      No, they realized the error of their ways and are going to vote straight Democratic slate next time.

  18. The Late P Brooks

    Speaking of the immediate gratification society

    We’re scholars of labor markets, immigration and public environmental policy who have examined how these economic trends can be traced to the mass deportation campaign of Trump’s second term. Notably, while areas with heavier ICE enforcement saw a drop in employment among immigrants, there was no increase in either employment or wages among U.S. citizens.

    ——-

    Trump’s core political promise was that deportations would open up jobs for American workers. But we found the opposite: Employment among U.S.-born workers also declined in areas with heightened ICE activity. And employers didn’t respond by raising wages to attract more Americans to their workplace. Their demand for workers contracted instead.

    At issue is the premise that foreign-born and U.S.-born workers directly compete for the same jobs. But the example of Trump 2.0 underscores a different dynamic. As we and other economists have documented, the labor market is not zero-sum. Immigrants and U.S.-born workers tend to fill complementary jobs rather than compete for identical ones.

    Substitution was not instantaneous. Therefor the whole thing was an abysmal failure.

  19. The Late P Brooks

    And as our most recent research shows, mass deportations don’t create new job opportunities for American citizens. Presidents seeking to strengthen the labor market will need to look elsewhere.

    ICE is hiring.

    • rhywun

      I’m sold. Open the borders back up and watch the American Renaissance unfold.

      Just don’t transfer the superfluous ICE workers to local law enforcement because that would be racist.

  20. R.J.

    How can nobody comment that Misogynistic Hate Goblins is a fantastic industrial band name?

    • Aloysious

      I’m picturing masks like Mortiis.

      Mortiis is a cool goblin.

  21. Muzzled Woodchipper

    Probably won’t be around the zooooooooooms tonight, unfortunately. At least not amongst my fellow late crew veterans Whahappen and Shpip.

    The new job has a 5am wake up call for tomorrow morning.

    • Shpip

      Yeah, Publix is too good an opportunity. No need to foul things up by showing up to work unkempt and hungover.

      • Muzzled Woodchipper

        No lies detected.

        It’s a very good job, and the bosses and fellow workers seem to genuinely want to see me succeed.

        5am is rough though.

      • Evan from Evansville

        I worked the 5am-2pm shift at Walmart. Home games for the Cubs often start at 2:20.

        Think about it.

        (Having experienced both, I’m now pro hour lunch break. Think on that, too, while you’re at it.)

      • Muzzled Woodchipper

        We can take an hour. I’ll probably do that tomorrow.

    • Threedoor

      Best of luck in the retail gulag!

  22. Muzzled Woodchipper

    Stated the new job at Publix today. Nothing is difficult, but it is hard work. Today was a constant stream of people. Lots of new procedures and protocols to learn.

    It’s nice to have a good, honest job again though.

    • rhywun

      👍

      I felt the same way after 13 months of disability ended… huh exactly one year ago this weekend.

    • Evan from Evansville

      What department are you in?

      “It’s nice to have a good, honest job again though.” Word. Finished Day 2 in Receiving at Meijer. *Very* chill, no customer interaction, laid back colleagues, but it’s a lot of work. Only 9.5 miles today, and lots of boxes to move. Many many boxes. No scanner, though! *swish*

      Glad you’ve got that. The day just feels better after a day of legit hard work. Enjoy it! (You may have a shift tomorrow. Mine starts at 10. Kick ass.)

      • Muzzled Woodchipper

        Deli, which is a lot more than just cold cuts. Worked a full shift+. 8.5 hours and 1/2 hour lunch.

        Yep. Tomorrow I work at 6am. 5am wake up,p call.

    • Tres Cool

      Congrats!
      During Covid when I went to work for Kroger I realized that just maybe setting out food so people can eat is a more of a public health service than my actual career.

  23. Ownbestenemy

    I still cannot believe that we have actually cut redtape from new systems coming online for the FAA.

    Radars are going in, upgrades mired in nonsense and sitting have been green-lit.

    I will give T admin this win.

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