RAQ-25 Paper Airplane Cocktail

This is my modified version of a drink called the Paper Airplane. This is version RAQ-25, a bit of an inside joke.

1 jigger Bourbon
1 jigger Aperol
3/4 jigger Amaro Nonino
1 squeeze fresh lemon juice
Shake over ice
Serve in chilled Martini glass
Garnish w lemon wheel

Bitter Slipper - Cocktail Recipe

You clicked your heels and said "There's no place like home" three times.  The magic in those ruby slippers sure seemed sweet.  And now you're back in Kansas; but frankly after the technicolor splendor of Oz, Kansas isn't all that.  There's chores and the farm and Auntie Em. . . and that's about it.  So those ruby slippers seem a little bitter now, and maybe you want to be back in Oz.  So this drink's for you Dorothy.

Bitter Slipper.  Ingredients:

• 3 oz. Crown Royal (or other slightly sweet whiskey, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, e.g.)
• 1.5 oz. 7-up or lemon-lime soda
• Splash of Grenadine
• 2 shakes of Angastoura bitters

Mix over ice in an old-fashioned glass, garnish with maraschino cherries.  Toast Dorothy.

Cocktail Recipe - Cola Stingray

When I was a kid, the coolest car I ever wanted was a purple Corvette Stingray.  This is what I thought the the Batmobile of the day should look like.

On New Year's Day, I was looking for a suitable cocktail to watch football games whilst staying awake after not getting enough sleep. That meant a recipe involving Coca Cola (sorry, Pepsi fans, only Coke goes with my booze).  Here is what I came up with:

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Crown Royal (or suitable Whiskey)
• 1 oz. Galliano
• 4 oz. Coca Cola

Mix ingredients over ice, garnish with lime.  

The name comes from an older recipe for a Golden Stingray which is simply Bourbon and Galliano mixed over ice. 

Cocktail Recipe - The Rusty Venture

Our family is a big fan of the Venture Bros TV series on Cartoon Network, described on IMDB as:

The warped misadventures of a former boy genius turned washed-up, middle-aged mad scientist Dr. Rusty Venture; his moronic teenage sons; their maniac bodyguard; and the Doctor's arch-nemeses, incompetent super villain The Monarch and his masculine paramour, Dr. Girlfriend.

I wanted to create a cocktail to honor his zany madcap adventure and came up with the Rusty Venture Cocktail.  It takes off a bit from the Rusty Nail, and bespeaks the adventure of the series.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Drambuie
• 1 oz Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey
• 1 tsp Lime Juice
• 3 oz Ginger Beer (preferably Cock N Bull or Bundaberg)

Mix ingredients over ice and garnish with lime wedge.

Enjoy.

What Are These Bugs?

Saw these bugs on the sidewalk at work today.  They stay attached to each other as the larger one seems to drag the smaller one around.  No idea as to what they are, but it seems to defy explanation.

Manly Virtue

Cross posted from The Liberator Today.

I have been taking some time off from blogging for self reflection.  I had found myself becoming overly pessimistic about America when time and again we have gone through rough times and reclaimed our vigor.  I wanted to say that these times seem different; that the people themselves have lost their way.  But surely people have said the same thing in other times.  So it occurs to me that the current age of lies will give way to the truth.  No, government is not going to deliver health care to more people and also make it cheaper.  No, women are not identical to men biologically or socially.  No, you cannot expect to borrow more than you take in indefinitely.  No, their will not be new green jobs, just jobs in industries that deliver value.

In the meantime, we have a new generation to raise.  There are many good men out there and I am privileged to be involved in their lives.  But they still could use a little advise. As for the women their age, I just want to scream at their mothers.  They seem to have raised a generation of self-centered sluts, who think they can waste their prime child bearing years on booze and random men and then wake up to find true love and a family as they approach spinsterhood.  Spoiler alert, ain't happening, no matter what you might hear on Christian Mingle.

For the young men I know, here is a little advice.  These aren't the most important things, it's just the stuff I notice you are not always doing right.

Be On Time. Insist on the Same.
Being on time is a sign of respect.  It is respecting the most valuable commodity of others.  When you are time, it offers evidence that you have your act together, you are organized and prepared.  When others are late, don't tolerate it.  If you can, leave and reschedule.  Otherwise, let them know you don't accept their tardiness.

Stop getting drunk.
Wine and beer are gifts from God.  Don't abuse them.  Alcohol is part of celebration.  Yes, we feel good when we drink.  But getting drunk says that you lack self-control.  It says that you can't deal with your life.  It puts you into dangerous situations because you lose situational awareness. Pace yourself.

Stop swearing.
Swearing doesn't make you sound tough, it makes you seem weak.  You have allowed circumstances to get the better of you, and you are advertising your defeat.  It also lacks class.   The most utilitarian reason to seldom swear is that there may come a time when swearing is needed to properly obtain someone's attention.  If you swear all the time, it won't be effective.

Take charge of your lives. 
To many hours in front of the screen with video games isn't going to bring you the life success you desire.  Neither employers nor sensible young ladies will think so either.  Put time each day into achieving your goals.  Some of your goals should require personal self-improvement, like getting into shape, or becoming an expert with a pistol.  Other goals should be oriented towards your career.  You don't have hours to waste becoming an expert on Modern Warfare.

Making an Old Fashioned With Tullamore Dew

I normally make an Old Fashioned with bourbon, usually Jim Beam black label 8-year aged.  I tried it tonight with Tullamore Dew and I liked the result.  Here is the recipe.

Place in tumbler, or more specifically, an old fashioned glass:

1 rounded teaspoon granulated sugar
2 maraschino cherries
1 section mandarin orange, peel removed (2 if small)
1 teaspoon club soda (water will do in a pinch)
Muddle the mixture well (it is best to have a muddler, but the back end of an ice cream scoop can also work)

Add 3-4 ice cubes

Pour 2 oz. of Bourbon or Whiskey
Add 3 dashes of Angastura Bitters

Stir the mixture

Most recipes call for garnishing with an orange slice.  I don't because I am too impatient to get the first sip.

Pictured at left is a stainless steel muddler.

Musing About A Different Style of Men's Fellowship

I was thinking about looking for a different Christian men's group, but felt that I wouldn't be able to find one that I could see myself regularly attending.  It got me thinking about what I was really looking for in a men's group.  Here is a rough draft of that effort.

Three Chord Men’s Group

Ecclesiastes 4:12: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

“All I got is a red guitar, three chords and the truth.” U2.

A men’s group should involve three categories of activities:

• Service
• Recreation
• Bible Application

Rotate the emphasis each week between the three areas and assign each man responsibility for organizing his week.  Meeting doesn’t have to fall on same day every week.  Some men might gravitate towards organizing events in one or two areas, not necessarily all three.  God gives different talents to each man.

Service ideas.
Wounded warrior dinners.
Specific projects of limited duration for the church grounds.
Join Kiwanis or other service organization as a group to be able to find other projects.

Recreation (or learning that is fun)
Learning about beer styles and do a beer tasting. Similar effort for cigars.
Take shooting lessons on 9mm or similar pistol at gun range.
Go hiking or surfing.

Bible application.
Applying bible to specific problems men are facing.  Example might include, money problems, issues with dealing with a difficult boss, or personal honesty about sin.  Rotate responsibility for preparing the lessons.

General stuff.
The group should enforce accountability for putting together a good service plan, good recreation plan or good bible application.  Criticism for poor preparation and performance and praise for good work is expected.  Some of the efforts may require team preparation, so accountability for deliverables is also required. Honesty about one’s personal life is also enforced as men get to know each other.

Explanation for inclusion of U2 line:
Red guitar – Music and celebration of God, like David.
Three chords – Two men and the holy spirit or the Trinity.
The truth – The word of God.

Yes, this mixes the homonyms chord and cord. Tough. It helps makes my point and I like it.

The B-Daddy Channel - Covers Edition

My nephew, Kevin, is a talented young musician. He will be playing guitar in a production of Tommy by The Who. We were discussing Pinball Wizard, and decided that deciding between The Who and Elton John for best rendition was the most difficult covers question we had ever heard. So I leave it to the readers to decide.

Time Warner Cable - High Speed to Nowhere

Time Warner Cable (TWC) is the worst service provider ever. I have had nothing but problems with them over the years, but lately it has just gotten worse. As soon as AT&T U-verse comes to my neighborhood I am going to switch service. A brief litany of their stupidity.

• When I switched phone service from AT&T to save dollars, they didn't install my service on time, leaving me without land line service for days.
• They lied about the price I would pay for my new telephone service. They quoted me a rate for my second line that wasn't actually available. I ended up cancelling the second line because it was so expensive.
• When TWC installed the new phone service they were unable to make every phone jack in the house work, even though they had all worked with AT&T.
• The installation is an ugly mess in my bedroom.
• During the recent power outage, they lost all phone service. They are totally dependent on SDG&E in San Diego, with no back up power. My neighbors were gracious enough to let us use their phones to check on Mrs. Daddy's folks.
• But even if they had power back up, my phone would still have died, because when TWC installed my phone modem, they didn't install a battery back up.
• When I asked that a battery back up be sent to me, they have twice said it would be shipped. After five days, when it didn't show up, I called back and they said the order was cancelled. They offered to charge me $30.00 to have a technician deliver it, when it should have been installed in the first place.
• Their chat room technician said that I should visit the TWC store, but the help desk said not to do that, regarding the battery.
• Every few months, I trek to the TWC to replace my digital cable box, as they start to act up.
• They are misleading in their commercials about free HD. If you want ESPN in HD for example, you have to rent their box for $8 per month per box.

Why they stay in business is only because the city grants them a monopoly as cable provider in their service area. I wouldn't invest in their stock, because if we know anything about technology, its that technical change disrupts monopolies.

Beer Review - Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale

Yesterday we had a little barbecue and Dean brought by one of my favorite beers, Bear Republic's Red Rocket Ale. Someday I'll get around to a top 10 beer list, like Max, but this ale would certainly be on it. (Off the top of my head, I would also include Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Avery Salvation Golden Ale, Delirium Tremens, Alpine Ale, Shiner Bock and Highway 78 Scotch Ale.) Bear Republic also makes an excellent IPA, Racer 5.

As you can see from the picture, Red Rocket pours a dark amber-brown, with a head that is full but disappears quickly. But don't let that fool you, it's full of flavor. It has just a hint of sweetness to balance much more hoppiness than expected from an amber ale. Red Rocket is fairly complex, and always takes me a few sips to absorb all of the different flavors embedded. At 6.8% ABV, its not too boozy so its a nice companion to a bbq meal especially steak. Although not a San Diego beer, it is from California, Healdsburg to be specific. Craft beer is one of the few growing industries in our state, and also the least regulated, figure that.

Beer Review - Palmetto Amber Ale

I was on travel this week to Charleston, SC. We had an after work social at California Dreaming and I asked about the local beer. The barkeep only had one suggestion, the amber ale pictured at right. I was surprised, and he added he add one more, a Pale Ale from Palmetto Brewing, but the delivery hadn't come in. To be honest, I thought a restaurant with pretensions to be Californian out to have more than Miller, Bud Light, Blue Moon, and Widmer Hefeweizen on draft. In fact, other than the one local beer, even the bottled line up was rather ordinary, as Mrs. Daddy's Aussie cousins would say (translation, pretty poor.) The only thing the restaurant really had going for it was a great view of Charleston harbor.

Regardless, I always try to sample the local beer, and this was going to be my one shot. Palmetto Amber Ale pour a dark copper with not much head. The barley is roasted a little darker than a standard amber. took my frist sip and was a little surprised. Fred one of our local hosts had warned me the beer would be bitter; but while it was definitely more hoppy than your average amber, it was not near as hoppy as expected. The beer also had a nice rich malty taste to it, that went down well. Alcohol content seemed about average. This beer was tasty enough to order a second one to go with the overcooked wings and soggy nachos. (The croissants, however, were delicious.)

My final gripe was that they kept the ale ice cold and served it in ice cold pint glasses. I had to let the beer set a while so I could taste it.

Overall, considering that I sampled Palmetto Amber Ale from the bottle, I was very pleased with this local beer. I give it a solid B. Given the richness, they could have easily balanced with more hops.


FTC Disclaimer: I may or may not have received valuable consideration in the form of swag, jack and/or coin to endorse these products. I am not saying and have the right not to do so.

Technology Review: Samsung Epic Android Smartphone

Mrs. Daddy's phone has been eligible for an upgrade since 2006 (she had a Motorola i90c), so today we went shopping at the Sprint store today and picked up a handsome Samsung Epic. No points for guessing which phone is newer.

This is a great phone that costs only $150 with a two year contract. You can read other reviews of the technology whiz bang, I wanted to focus a little on the operational aspects of having this phone linked with Google.

This is our first try at linking a smart phone to calendar, email, facebook, etc. We went with Google's Android OS rather than the iPhone because it seemed to make the integration with Gmail and Google calendar easier. My wife had been using our Roadrunner account for her main email and Entourage as her software client, but I was having a difficult time figuring out how we were going to synch that with the new phone. It was easier just to start over with a new Google account. We also linked Apple's mail program and iCal to the Google account. This will make keeping the synchronization much easier. This is what is meant by the cloud.

Of course, Mrs. Daddy isn't all that interested in that mundane stuff, she is busy using the camera, downloading "Angry Birds" and testing out the GPS enabled navigation. Which begs the question, why did my GPS device cost as much as this Samsung phone, but does only one application? But it points out the larger issue, that these smart phones are a replacement for multiple devices, maybe even a computer. Except for screen size, most of what we really want to do on our computer we can do on the phone.

Exit question: When will someone build a monitor that connects to a smart phone to overcome its only disadvantage?

The only drawback this phone is that the battery drains quickly when your having fun.


FTC Disclaimer: I may or may not have received valuable consideration in the form of swag, jack and/or coin to endorse these products. I am not saying and have the right not to do so.

The B-Daddy Channel

This may be a repeat but I wanted to go with a covers edition, following Dean's lead.

The original:




The cover:



Let me know what you think.