Centerfield

By the way, the other video linked to by Powerline is Paris as you have never seen it before. Kids, don't try that at home!

Posted by: PatHMV at March 31, 2006 08:30 AM

In an update on last week's TABC brouhaha, it appears that citizen activism is still alive around here in Dallas. After plenty of angry calls and emails, the legislature is planning on reviewing the policy. I anticipate a change at some point, though currently TABC is holding their ground and continuing the ridiculous arrests of bar patrons deemed to be drunk even though no objective tests are performed.

In not completely unrelated news, Dallas is discovering that the pretty bridges some people plan on building over the Trinity River are going to cost twice as much as expected.

Construction costs for the first of three much-heralded bridges to span the Trinity River could reach $100 million – nearly twice its advertised price tag, an official close to the project said Thursday.

And yet, we can't afford to fix potholes, hire police officers or get a handle on our crime rate. Man, I love it when developers start setting public policy.

(reg required on those links)

Posted by: Scotch Drinker at March 31, 2006 10:44 AM

Argh. Don't even get me started on developers and municipal politics....BOHICA.

Posted by: Tully at March 31, 2006 10:47 AM

This guy does the same juggling routine, but with five balls.

Posted by: Justin at March 31, 2006 11:38 AM

Not sure why why link tag didn't work. Here's the link:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=826609692600816215

Posted by: Justin at March 31, 2006 11:39 AM

Anyone else think that THIS week's south park on hybrid cars was one of the funniest ever?

Opening day is next week...let's play two! I am stoked that daylight savings time is starting 3 weeks earlier, in other words, this weekend.

But i expect griping come October when it's not dark by 5 pm or so on Halloween.

Posted by: bk at March 31, 2006 12:08 PM

I was gonna drop a note about that SP episode but short on time earlier. It was drop-dead funny, and it seems to me that SP is getting even a little edgier this season, hitting their groove. Ridicule everyone....

The jugglers are awesome.

Posted by: Tully at March 31, 2006 12:15 PM

Next year, DST starts on March 11th! Is it just me or is that kind of silly? I know it's related to our new "Save Energy" policy but I like having the sun come up at 6:30. Makes getting up a lot easier if you can actually see the sun.

Posted by: Scotch Drinker at March 31, 2006 12:21 PM

Personally, I have no use for sunshine in the morning. The more dismal it is, the less I resent going to work. The nicer it is, the more my thoughts turn to golf, gardening, and mischief.

So I really like the idea of extra daylight at night. But then I'm not a morning person, I'm a sundowner. I wouldn't be surprised if opinions split along the morning person/evening person schism.

I have a booze question for scotch and others. I've been a long time appreciater of scotch and irish whiskey, and I like Bourbon, too. The other day I bought a bottle of Jim Beam Black, which is described as "sour mash," and is obviously seeking to claim market from the more well-liked and also much more expensive Jack Daniels. Regular Jim Beam is not "sour mash" but JD is.

I don't know a while lot about making bourbon. But I do that over the last few generations, the food industry's pinnacle was usually aimed at distilling (in the general not booze sense) a product down to its clear, clean, and easily reproducable essence. "Impurities" were usually assumed to be bad. For example, consider everyday american beers like bud and miller, wonder bread, and so on.

Now this generation's "enlightened" view is that what we used to think of as impurities can actually contribute to desirable things like body, complexity, etc.

Here's what I'm wondering. Is sour mash the inducer of those desirable impurities that make people tend to like JD better than JB? I find Jim Beam harsh by comparison to JD, FWIW.

Posted by: bk at March 31, 2006 02:01 PM

Is sour mash the inducer of those desirable impurities that make people tend to like JD better than JB?

No. The diff between bourbons and Tennessee whiskeys such as JD is active filtering through charcoal. The sour mash process can be used to produce either Tennesse whiskey or bourbon (and is) but the Tennesse type is filtered, and so should have fewer impurities.

"Sour mash" means using an active starter in the original fermentation to speed things along, kinda like yeast in bread. This does result in quicker fermentation and a higher initial acid content, which in turn means less time for bad bacteria to form and a more consistent product from batch to batch.

Most American whiskeys worth drinking are sour mash process whiskeys, including Jim Beam. Both sour mash and filtering means fewer impurities than a straight fermentation and distilling.

Posted by: Tully at March 31, 2006 02:18 PM

I should add that with a VERY few exceptions, I don't like American whiskeys. Eagle Rare is one of the few exceptions. American whiskeys are mostly too smoky and heavy for my tastes.

Posted by: Tully at March 31, 2006 02:24 PM

My cheapness generally gets in the way of my tastes getting too particular. All the new craft bourbons/whiskeys I've seen are just too pricey to get me to try them.

I like American whiskeys OK for mixing. That probably puts me in a gauche minority, as my experience is that whiskey drinkers tend to drink it straight or with a little water or soda.

When I'm in the mood for some relaxed sipping I like a nice Bushmills or Glenlivet. But I think Johnnie Walker and Jack Daniels are pretty good. When I've had occasion to buy a really pricey single malt, it hasn't always tasted better. Anything that alleges to be finer than Glenlivet may indeed be, but if so, the distinction is lost on my palette.

Posted by: bk at March 31, 2006 03:19 PM

I've really come to like Buffalo Trace and as I just found out in poking around Google, it looks like they make Eagle Rare as well. I'll have to give that a try. Buffalo Trace uses a chill filtration method instead of charcoal which may have something to do with why it tastes so much better than JD, IMHO.

I have yet to make a pilgrimage to either Kentucky or Scotland but can't wait for both.

I like the extra hour of light later as well, in fact I typically switch my work hours to 7-4 during the summer to take advantage of it for all the reasons you list, Brian (the Masters, the mark of the beginning of golf season, is next week!). But there's something pleasant about March when the sun starts to come up around 6:30 or so, making getting up much easier.

Posted by: Scotch Drinker at March 31, 2006 03:19 PM

If you're a sipper rather than a drinker, the better whiskies are quite affordable. How many bottles do you drink a year? But if it's mixing whiskey, go cheap.

White-label Bushmill's isn't swill, but you can do much better in an Irish. And if you step up just a bit, you can do MUCH better.

SD, Eagle Rare is a treat. Very nice for a bourbon. But be careful, they don't make it weak. It's 101.

Posted by: Tully at March 31, 2006 03:53 PM

Jason Garfield Juggling to The Beatles. This is the same routine as Chriss Bliss but with 5 balls

http://youtube.com/watch?v=QYUXaYCkv-A&search=jason%20garfield

http://www.jasongarfield.com

Posted by: rob at March 31, 2006 04:20 PM

Whoops, sorry Justin, you had alread linked to the video earlier.

Posted by: rob at March 31, 2006 04:21 PM

bk's question about distilling out impurities reminded me of a radio program I heard several years ago about a scotch distilled a second time. It's clear (or should I say "colorless"?) like vodka, but still tastes like scotch, at least according to the people being interviewed. Has any of you heard or this or had the chance to try it? The main selling point was a purported reduction in hangover effects due to reduced impurities, mainly from the aging barrels. I don't buy into that much. Alcohol gives you a hangover all by itself, even if excessive sugar helps.

Posted by: WHQ at March 31, 2006 04:32 PM

Anyone hear that the administration approval numbers are up above 50%. You can read it here. Bush's number is at 34% and Cheney's is at 18%. Add them together, you get 52%.

(Yes, I'm almost 7 hours early with that, more for those not on the East Coast. But I sunset is approaching).

Posted by: Scott Smith at March 31, 2006 05:21 PM

Spent 3 hours with one of my new clients at Trader Vic's in Palo Alto. Most of it was good old video shop talk as we're both "old school" but this is what wowwwwwwed me.
This guy got to work on 80, count them, 80 rocket launches for Boeing. Got to hang out at Canaveral but spent a lot of time at Vandenberg AFB where they launch satellites into polar orbit. He got to hang out with allt he flight personnel, had TOTAL access to the facilities.

My daquiri turned green with envy to say the least.

Posted by: Marcus at March 31, 2006 09:06 PM

I grew up at JSC/Houston as an Air Force/NASA brat during Gemini and Apollo (lived 300 yards from the main gate), and I'm jealous! Of course, I'm jealous of anyone who gets to see any launch I didn't....cool stuff. Very cool stuff.

Posted by: Tully at April 1, 2006 04:06 PM