Just got word that I passed a three week intensive course I was taking for professional development, so yay me. Made my first mojito of the year, too, and instead of cane sugar, I used stevia, and I have to say I think I actually like the stevia better. The lime and mint seem brighter, and you don’t have that sugary drymouth aftertaste you get from simple syrup.
What are we up to tonight?
Gin & Tonic
Bombay & Schweppes. No sugar, no fake sugar.
Comrade Javamanphil
End of the year U15 Lax bbq, put half the fam on the socialist people mover Amtrak to visit colleges in the swampland, washed the greyhound, drank some wine, played some Civ, and snarked on the interwebs. All good.
ETA: Wine: Red. Spanish.
gogol's wife
Just watched the second episode of the new “Dallas.” I’m embarrassed to say I’m getting into it.
Bloix
Schweppes has sugar in it. Also high fructose corn syrup.
foodfacts.com/NutritionFacts/Tonic-Seltzer-Water/Schweppes-Tonic-Water-10-fl-oz/12399
I find that stevia has a bitter aftertaste. Maybe that’s a benefit in a mojito?
BethanyAnne
I finally replaced the filter in my air filter, so I may be able to breathe when I wake up tomorrow. Skyrim and laundry the rest of the evening. Maybe keep reading “Twilight of the Elites”. It’s been really good so far, but damn depressing.
Gin & Tonic
@Bloix: I know. I meant no added sugar.
Yutsano
Want my pizza now please!!
EDIT: Got it!
Gin & Tonic
@Comrade Javamanphil:
I took the socialist people mover from Los Angeles to San Jose last week. What an enjoyable ride. And completely sold out, too.
PurpleGirl
@Bloix: I don’t get an after-taste from stevia but I’ve found I like the one I buy at Trader Joe’s better than the one from the natural foods market. And the TJs is cheaper too. Different people seem to respond in different ways to different sweeteners anyway. YMMV
Hypatia's Momma
Watching this new family show, which started June 7.
My own brat-faced brats are having highly comical reactions.
robertdsc-PowerBook
Giving Ghost Recon: Future Solider a whirl on the PS3. Waiting for my beloved to come home from work.
TBogg
You have a job?
Valdivia
goof on you John as all that sugar in those cocktails does accumulate, and great to know it tastes good.
on this end: reading, reading, reading.
and editing some photos I took while in Italy.
ETA: also congrats on the course passing.
no +anything for me, sadly
jl
@TBogg: Yeah, I apparently Cole does, with a boss. At least so he claims. IpZay and OofPray though.
‘Cole’? ‘Professional’? In the same sentence?
Who wudda thunk?
Edit: But congratulations to Cole. Now he is a qualified ‘professional’ something or other, and certainly qualified to con Manchin into hiring him as a consultant. Cole will can weedle a few hours of yelling at Manchin out of that, I think.
Culture of Truth
my socialist people mover got stuck for an hour.
also, it’s hot.
CA Doc
I’ll know tomorrow if I passed my every 7 year recertification test. If I did, I’ll have a celebratory drink. If I didn’t…stay out of my way, I’ll be seriously bummed out (and will need to take it again in Oct)
Cassidy
Getting back into tabletop role playing games. Since I’ve moved back home, my old high school friends and I have decided to start playing again, but we have families. So, we’re doing most of the build-up, legwork, etc. via Facebook, and then getting together once a month to do the actual “game”. Kinda cool how it’s turning out.
amk
what would that be ? how to make tunch beg for his food ?
Shana
Drinking vodka gimlets and watching Vanya on 42nd Street. Waiting for my daughter to come home from seeing KFlay in DC. Older daughter, who just graduated from UChicago, is working on a democratic primary in WI. Hubby in in LA on business.
freelancer
Pagan orgy for the solstice. You didn’t get the JOURNOlist email?
slag
Congrats on the pass!
At this moment, I’m trying to figure out why I really don’t like getting paid for stuff I would otherwise do for free. It’s a problem. In most areas, money becomes a de-motivator to me, and I can’t figure out what to do about it. Changes the whole dynamic of my work.
jeffreyw
Burning a bunch of photos to blu-ray.
Yutsano
@freelancer: I didn’t think that was legal in Arizona.
Valdivia
@freelancer:
I always miss the good ones don’t I?
lacp
Hmmm….with this heat, the thought of a mojito is almost enough to get me to start drinking again. Better go to bed before I think too much about it…..
Olivia
I have used stevia for years and I love it. Some types of it have an aftertaste but you can find lots that don’t.
BGinCHI
Whitechapel, season 3.
Cap'n Magic
“Star Trek: Of Gods and Men”
Valdivia
@BGinCHI:
I love that show. I thought Season 2 was the weakest. This one is really great.
David Koch
Mittens addresses a Latino convention tomorrow. Hopefully they’ll pelt him with rotten tamales.
freelancer
@Yutsano:
How much time have you spent around ASU? Huge party school, the SunDevil Mascot, SUN, Devil. C’mon.
gelfling545
@amk: Tunch does not beg. He states his demands.
slag
@BGinCHI: I’m almost afraid to ask (especially after that Game of Thrones debacle). But do tell…what do you like about Whitechapel? And is it a BBC show?
Alison
Going to do some reading, then maybe a movie later. I’ve got The Good Shepherd and Shopgirl from Netflix, not sure which I’m in the mood for…
By the by, any of you fools on Goodreads? We’re a fairly bookish, well-read crowd, it seems. If you are, let’s be bookfriends :) goodreads.com/user/show/1422008-alison
jl
From time to time I do wonder what Cole does. Anyone know?
Some kind of computery somethiing or other, right?
Or, is Cole getting rich off the blog (ha! limousine liberal hypocrite alert!) and it’s just a cover story?
dr. bloor
@TBogg: Oh, now that’s just mean. Not all of us can while away the days clipping their bassets in preparation for Olympic appearances in canine dressage, you know.
Valdivia
@Alison:
what is goodreads?
Neutron Flux
Watching Einstein on History Channel. Tom Levenson is one of the narrators. Cool show.
Walker
@jeffreyw:
John’s job is fairly well known if you follow the blog enough. However he has said multiple times that he wishes to set up a firewall between work and this blog. So it is an open secret that no one talks about.
Yutsano
@freelancer: There was a big push by the Mormons and the fundies a few years back to dump Sparky as a mascot because he was Satanic. The alumni had a shitfit. Sparky is still with us to this day.
I really like Tempe. Visited there several times in college.
@Martin: And a dessert topping? :)
Martin
@Gin & Tonic: Bombay isn’t gin. It’s a floor cleaner.
Comrade Javamanphil
@Gin & Tonic: Way to go, tovarich (ch is a poor representation of that russian sound, imo. tsch would be better.) Apparently the heat caused the socialist people mover to move slower than normal but they got in and are unhurt so communism wins again.
Alison
@Valdivia: Click through and take a look! It’s sort of social networking site for readers. You can create a digital library of all your books, add reviews, follow authors, they have message boards and such. I’m a big old book nerd so I love it :)
geg6
Around the World in 80 Plates and really delicious Iralian Pinot grigio rose. After grilled pork chops, wild rice with sun dried tomatoes, and grilled asparagus.
Terrible day at work. We had to rush a co-worker with chest pains to the ER ( we’re close enough to the hospital to make it quicker to drive him there than wait for 911). He’s only 32. They are keeping him for 48 hours, doing many cardio tests. Very worried about him.
Yutsano
@Valdivia: @Alison: PS: I did it. Applied for the old job back. :)
@geg6:
I read this as Iranian and wondered how in the hell did you get that?
Peace to your friend. Unless there’s a genetic predisposition he should pull through okay.
PurpleGirl
@Comrade Javamanphil: What is this people mover? A special purpose train thingy operated as a shuttle between a limited number of stations?
jl
@Walker:
” John’s job is fairly well known if you follow the blog enough. However he has said multiple times that he wishes to set up a firewall between work and this blog. So it is an open secret that no one talks about. ”
Oh, he does some kind of internet site design and development?
Poor devil. I won’t razz him anymore. He has suffered enough.
Comrade Javamanphil
@PurpleGirl: Da, tovaritsch! The proletariat will be set free and share in the wealth of nations with the aid of these giant rail bound beasts. In some special cars will be served beverages.
Alison
@Yutsano: Ooh, congrats! Taking the leap, I see :) Not an easy thing to do, and I wish you the best.
Valdivia
@Alison: will look into it. I am not even on FB my social networking being limited to this blog and instagram so I am weary usually of them, but being such a book person I will investigate. Thanks for explaining!
SiubhanDuinne
@Martin:
It’s a dessert topping. Just LOOK at that shine!
geg6
@BethanyAnne:
I haven’t gotten my much coveted signed copy yet. Dying to start it though.
Anne Laurie! When did you mail it? I’ll cover the postage!
Valdivia
@geg6:
how terrible, hope he gets well soon.
@Yutsano:
wooo hooo! yay for you. You will let us know right?
and I am still waiting for you to come visit DC. :)
Yutsano
Stuck in my brain.
@Alison: Thanks! I’m not risking much here as my lease expires in September and I could just take all of August to fix the place up and move out. And I still have the old job if worst comes to worst. Options, I haz them. :)
@Valdivia: You will be updated if I hear anything. Best part is new gig will make travel much easier because, well, I’ll have MONEY again! :)
Alison
@Valdivia: FWIW I barely use any of the “social” parts of it. I just like using it as a library and keeping track of what I’ve read and such. Plus they have book giveaways :)
SiubhanDuinne
Congratulations to John for passing his intensive (and the mojitos) and to Yutsy for his admirable ballsiness in applying for the old job. And to anyone else who’s done something worth being congratulated on.
Alison
@Yutsano: Definitely a nice position to be in, then :)
trollhattan
@Martin:
Well, it’s their handle so I won’t cast aspersions on what must have been a careful choice. But I’m a Boodles man, myself, even if it rhymes with a sissy French non-dressage doggie.
Valdivia
@Alison:
Got it. I definitely appreciate knowing about it, and will explore it. Who wouldn’t love a book giveaway!
burnspbesq
Greenwald is talking out of his ass again.
guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/20/julian-assange-right-asylum
Valdivia
@Yutsano:
so the chances of you visiting increase. Double yay!
NotMax
Let’s hear it for The Ocean State.
Smaller doesn’t have to mean lesser.
Hill Dweller
Jon Stewart blamed Holder for the House Republicans’ insanity. I’m not kidding.
freelancer
@Yutsano:
Awesome! So glad for you!
Valdivia
@Hill Dweller:
what?? please tell me you are kidding.
Mnemosyne
Finally faced the fact that if I’m going to lose these goddamned 10 pounds that are bugging me, I have to go back to planning my menus out ahead for the whole week. The “eating on the fly” thing is fine for maintenance, but I just can’t do it when I’m trying to lose. Feh.
Hill Dweller
@Valdivia: Nope. Not kidding. Stewart essentially said Holder didn’t turn over the documents, so he had it coming. He also kept calling the entire give guns to drug cartels strategy Obama’s policy.
Valdivia
@Mnemosyne:
know what you mean. I am a bit obsessive (neurotic would probably fit better) so I plan ahead a lot, but it works. As you say the fly thing is not conducive to limiting caloric intake.
@Hill Dweller: I think he is truly gone over to the Broder side, which is just as bad or worse than the other guys. ugh.
Yutsano
The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.
Alison
@Hill Dweller: Ugh, lord. He’s really getting ridiculous. He’s just as terrified of being labeled as “biased” or whatever as the rest of the MSM…which he constantly mocks them for. He’s going to be CNN with dirty words.
Just Some Fuckhead
Fucker.
Cacti
@burnspbesq:
Is there anyone in the world more preoccupied with the plight of middle class, white, libertarians (redundant, I know) than our pal GG?
amk
@Hill Dweller: What is the over/under that stewart will plump for mehmney by Nov saying Obama is ‘too divisive’ ?
Mnemosyne
@Valdivia:
I’m more on the impulsive side (thanks, ADHD!) so planning my meals for the whole week works out better because I don’t end up eating a bunch of stuff that looks good in the moment.
Plus, in a weird way, planning ahead gives me the flexibility to change my mind and eat something different than I originally planned if I get the impulse because I have a better idea of what the rest of my day looks like.
Hill Dweller
Colbert’s Fast and Furious bit was both much funnier and more accurate. He expertly pointed out the wingnuts’ hypocrisy.
jl
@Hill Dweller:
” He also kept calling the entire give guns to drug cartels strategy Obama’s policy. ”
I don’t mind a comedy show dong false balance, and I don’t mind Stewart doing lame jokes and getting all centrist self righteousy. But dammit, they need to get the stories right. Where will people get the news, otherwise?
Which brings to mind, they blew the fake post office crisis story too. Cenac did a story that totally omitted the Congressional meddling and ridiculous pension over funding scam. Which surprised me, since I expect the Best F#cking News Team on Earth to be sharper and to get it right more often than Stewart does, at least lately.
Edit: thanks Hill Dweller, I knew Colbert would come through. I’ll watch both TDS and Colbert bits tomorrow on the intertubes.
Ash Can
@burnspbesq: I thought the real story here is that Julian Assange isn’t bright enough to check whether the country he’s seeking asylum from has an extradition treaty with the US.
BGinCHI
Poverty increasing, joblessness on the upswing, rich getting richer.
So: Political Scandal!
It’s a circus without peanuts. Unless you count Issa’s balls.
Valdivia
@Mnemosyne:
That makes total sense to me. If you know what the day and week looks like then you can change things up based on actual eating patters. I like FitDay.com a lot. They allow you to do everything online.
Culture of Truth
If you’re going to be comedy show, have some balls, right?
It’s not like you’re getting invited to any cocktail parties.
Pyro Joe
@Hill Dweller:
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
Replace “monster” with “idiot media centrists” and “abyss” with “stupidity” and you’ve summarized what’s happened to The Daily Show over the last few years.
Culture of Truth
You’re not going to be funny every night, I get that. The Carrell bit was painful. No one bats 1.000 But at least tell the truth.
oh, and the Nicholson thing was funny.
catclub
@Bloix: I could not stand diet coke and its taste until adding some lemon juice to it. Then the sweet seems more convincing. It could be the same with whatever is in the mojito.
Odie Hugh Manatee
Smoked and grilled chicken boobs, two salads and home made bbq beans, followed by giant toasted marshmallows on chocolate
donutspastry-kind of thingies. Later on, Serious Sam 3:BFE for the first time (daughter gave it to me for Father’s Day).With lots of bong hits interspersed throughout, as usual.
Congrats on being a professional whateveritis! You get the piece of paper to pin on the wall too?
It beats the stickers we got in grade school! ;)
xyzxyzxyz
I was going to email the following to JC, but I was at work and there are strict rules about what you can use your computer for. Did folks hear the attached NPR story regarding the poor republican donors to super pacs and how their rights are being violated by very vulgar people that call them on their positions? Mitch McConnell is priceless in defending the free-speech rights of the Koch bros. I about threw my latte’ out my car window when I heard this story (and being from Seattle, that’s serious).
npr.org/2012/06/20/155306187/big-political-donors-shy-away-from-public-scrutiny
Hill Dweller
@Culture of Truth:
Colbert comes damn close to being funny every night. Some of his interviews can be awkward, but that is mainly on the guest. Otherwise, at least one of the segments is funny every night.
The writers and producers shaped the voice of the Daily Show, while the correspondents were/are the lifeblood. They’ve lost so much talent over the years, and Stewart has never been able to carry a show alone. I think it has finally caught up to them.
FlipYrWhig
@Hill Dweller: Yeah, that Fast And Furious bit on Daily Show reminded me of another thing from the last few years, one of the budget negotiations, where Stewart set up the bit by wondering why the Democrats and Republicans wouldn’t just meet in the middle. And this was after the Democrats had already swung way towards the Republicans’ side in hopes of ending the nonsense and getting on with it. I don’t like when he trots out the exasperated voice of common sense when he doesn’t put the work into figuring out what the background actually is. Kinda seems like that should enter into the equation of whether he’s exasperated or not.
Also, given his whole civility/dialogue shtick, I thought he could have done the “heckler” bit totally differently. That’s where the exasperation routine would have paid off comedically. It wouldn’t be hilarious or anything, but at least it would be consistent with his persona.
Morbo
Stewart is absolutely desperate to look like he’s balanced and hitting the administration as hard as he would Bush on all its scandals, real or invented. He flogged Solyndra pretty hard too.
Note that the Daily Show has had Ron Paul as a guest three times and Paul Krugman once…
Violet
Congrats on passing your course, John.
I don’t like stevia very much. It’s got some aftertaste or bitterness or something.
sal
@Yutsano:
Great song reference. Ray’s a sort of Texas Leonard Cohen or Bob Dylan. Saw him play last week at Schoepf’s BBQ in Belton, Texas. Fantastic show. His son Lucas really kills on guitar, too.
DFH no.6
Way late to the party as usual, but if anyone is still reading and cares you might try agave nectar as a substitute sweetener in cocktails like mojitos and pisco sours and such.