The recent stupidity of Muir's comic (no I won't link you- it has to be the only web comic that is so retarded I won't read. And I read ghastly religiously for crissakes) has created a bit of a buzz. But it has me thinking about a bigger issue- that of intellectual fakery.
It is easy enough to appear as an "Expert" with a little bit of knowledge and some strong opinions. We see that all the time in media with "pundits". Get something right one time and be willing to make reckless statements (i.e. good tv)? Welcome to a career as a talkign head. Make up facts to support your position? All the better!
But real intellectualism? That is of no use in the generic sense. I don't pretend that this is in any way new. Richard Hofstadter wrote about this in 1963. But it makes one wonder about the sustainability of such an organizational structure. In a world where true knowledge is more and more valuable, there is more chaff to sift through. And increasingly, that is what we as a species spend our time doing. Why do you think things like google and wikipedia are so popular? Why do we spend so much time creating and optimizing databases? Do we hit a point where the system breaks down?
I don't know but I have a sense we will find out sooner rather than later.
I ponder, as a mere side thought, if this is in a way related to trend of the arm's length attack. By that I mean the use of other's to attack positions or people (e.g. swift boat liars for truth - though that isn't what prompted this paragraph). An attack without sullying one's hands if you will. This isn't new but it seems to be more and more prevelant. In a society where the image of one's intellect is prevalent for creditability, it presents an interesting opportunity to damage another person's creditibilty by mere allegations without the potential for blowback.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Links and such.
This will be a work in progress. Think of it as a blogroll in primative form but for sites that I think more people would benefit by reading.
Personal Blogs
Milo's blog bungojungo also see ty eats cheese.
Martin's blog Ghostlands
Financial/Economic
Big Picture
Angry Bear
Shopping Stuff
Porto Rico Coffee See my previous reviews.
Fatwallet forums This is a great to find deals and reviews on things to buy.
Amazon Refund tracker
Package Mapper - appears dead.
Sports
Hardball Times
Comic
BoxJam
Personal Blogs
Milo's blog bungojungo also see ty eats cheese.
Martin's blog Ghostlands
Financial/Economic
Big Picture
Angry Bear
Shopping Stuff
Porto Rico Coffee See my previous reviews.
Fatwallet forums This is a great to find deals and reviews on things to buy.
Amazon Refund tracker
Package Mapper - appears dead.
Sports
Hardball Times
Comic
BoxJam
Monday, June 19, 2006
Coffee Review- Cafe Blend from Porto Rico Importers
The company: Porto Rico Importers based in NYC. Been in business a long time. Offer wide variety of beans cheaply. Also sells a wide selection of tea. Has weekly specials on coffee. Has internet, phone, and fax ordering options. Not a huge operation with an amazon type polish to it. Internet ordering is basically a secured email, not a cart system. Ordering was easy enough, no acknowledgement. Email sent back with final order total within 36 hours.
The coffee: Beans are dark in color and have a good sheen to them. Almost as dark as a French roast. Strong Aroma, balanced flavor. Not as strong as French Mocha but Stronger than Peter's Blend. Definitely would order again.
Price of coffee: They have weekly specials. Cafe Blend runs $3.99/pound on sale. Regular price varies but is often 5.99/lb.
Shipping: $7.28 to ship 3 pounds. $7.58 to ship 5 pounds. Uses UPS ground. Took 5 Business days - ordered during their Spring sale and they warn that it can take up to 2 weeks.
Packaging: Shipped in a box with biodegradable packing peanuts (no chemical fumes which is a plus). Bagged in plastic lined paper bags- not vacuum packed.
See previous review of Peter's Blend here.
See previous review of Northeast Blend here.
See previous review of Columbian Supremo here.
See previous review of French Mocha here.
The coffee: Beans are dark in color and have a good sheen to them. Almost as dark as a French roast. Strong Aroma, balanced flavor. Not as strong as French Mocha but Stronger than Peter's Blend. Definitely would order again.
Price of coffee: They have weekly specials. Cafe Blend runs $3.99/pound on sale. Regular price varies but is often 5.99/lb.
Shipping: $7.28 to ship 3 pounds. $7.58 to ship 5 pounds. Uses UPS ground. Took 5 Business days - ordered during their Spring sale and they warn that it can take up to 2 weeks.
Packaging: Shipped in a box with biodegradable packing peanuts (no chemical fumes which is a plus). Bagged in plastic lined paper bags- not vacuum packed.
See previous review of Peter's Blend here.
See previous review of Northeast Blend here.
See previous review of Columbian Supremo here.
See previous review of French Mocha here.
Coffee Review- French (Roast) Mocha from Porto Rico Importers
The company: Porto Rico Importers based in NYC. Been in business a long time. Offer wide variety of beans cheaply. Also sells a wide selection of tea. Has weekly specials on coffee. Has internet, phone, and fax ordering options. Not a huge operation with an amazon type polish to it. Internet ordering is basically a secured email, not a cart system. Ordering was easy enough, no acknowledgement. Email sent back with final order total within 36 hours.
The coffee: Traditional French roast. Not much else to say. Beans are very oily and have a nice sheen to them. Dark color but not as dark as some french roasts which can look like coal at times. Strong Aroma. Nice strong balanced brew. Would definitely order again.
Price of coffee: They have weekly specials. French Mocha runs $3.99/pound on sale. Regular price varies but is often 5.99/lb.
Shipping: $7.28 to ship 3 pounds. $7.58 to ship 5 pounds. Uses UPS ground. Took 5 Business days - ordered during their Spring sale and they warn that it can take up to 2 weeks.
Packaging: Shipped in a box with biodegradable packing peanuts (no chemical fumes which is a plus). Bagged in plastic lined paper bags- not vacuum packed.
See previous review of Peter's Blend here.
See previous review of Northeast Blend here.
See previous review of Columbian Supremo here.
The coffee: Traditional French roast. Not much else to say. Beans are very oily and have a nice sheen to them. Dark color but not as dark as some french roasts which can look like coal at times. Strong Aroma. Nice strong balanced brew. Would definitely order again.
Price of coffee: They have weekly specials. French Mocha runs $3.99/pound on sale. Regular price varies but is often 5.99/lb.
Shipping: $7.28 to ship 3 pounds. $7.58 to ship 5 pounds. Uses UPS ground. Took 5 Business days - ordered during their Spring sale and they warn that it can take up to 2 weeks.
Packaging: Shipped in a box with biodegradable packing peanuts (no chemical fumes which is a plus). Bagged in plastic lined paper bags- not vacuum packed.
See previous review of Peter's Blend here.
See previous review of Northeast Blend here.
See previous review of Columbian Supremo here.
Monday, June 05, 2006
What am I, a clown?
Apparently, I am here to amuse you. Or entertain you in some way.
Being an engineer, I have a love for numbers. So when I started this blog over a year ago, I signed up for a hit counter. I didn't think anybody would ever read it. I mean I am just a random person. But surprisingly, random people will read what other random people have to say. It is an interesting thing.
So what does that have to do with anything? Well my hit counter recently went through the roof. (The stats are publicly available if you want to see. Just click on the little icon and it should lead you to the page.) Anyway, one or several people have been spending a lot of time reading my entire blog. And supposedly, the hits are local (the tracker isn't 100% accurate). I will admit to being curious (I mean really who wouldn't?) but no I don't want to know who you are. I just wanted to say welcome and I'm glad you are entertained enough to read that many pages (and really that is what caused me to write this post. 87 pages? just wow.). So, I hope you continue to read, laugh, cry, get pissed, mock me behind my back, whatever. I just hope your aren't bored.
Being an engineer, I have a love for numbers. So when I started this blog over a year ago, I signed up for a hit counter. I didn't think anybody would ever read it. I mean I am just a random person. But surprisingly, random people will read what other random people have to say. It is an interesting thing.
So what does that have to do with anything? Well my hit counter recently went through the roof. (The stats are publicly available if you want to see. Just click on the little icon and it should lead you to the page.) Anyway, one or several people have been spending a lot of time reading my entire blog. And supposedly, the hits are local (the tracker isn't 100% accurate). I will admit to being curious (I mean really who wouldn't?) but no I don't want to know who you are. I just wanted to say welcome and I'm glad you are entertained enough to read that many pages (and really that is what caused me to write this post. 87 pages? just wow.). So, I hope you continue to read, laugh, cry, get pissed, mock me behind my back, whatever. I just hope your aren't bored.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Coffee Review- Colombian Supremo from Porto Rico Importers
The company: Porto Rico Importers based in NYC. Been in business a long time. Offer wide variety of beans cheaply. Also sells a wide selection of tea. Has weekly specials on coffee. Has internet, phone, and fax ordering options. Not a huge operation with an amazon type polish to it. Internet ordering is basically a secured email, not a cart system. Ordering was easy enough, no acknowledgement. Email sent back with final order total within 36 hours.
The coffee: Beans have a strong fragrance to them. They have a matte caramel colored finish to them. Caramel notes in the taste as well. Not a blend. Reminds me of Peter's Blend which isn't a surprise since Peter's Blend is a third Columbian Supremo. Lacks some of the structure of Peter's blend. Smooth, seems a little more acidity than Peter's Blend but by no means acidic.
I would order this blend again.
Price of coffee: They have weekly specials. Columbian Supremo runs $3.99/pound on sale. Regular price varies but is often 5.99/lb.
Shipping: $7.28 to ship 3 pounds. $7.58 to ship 5 pounds. Uses UPS ground. Took 5 Business days - ordered during their Spring sale and they warn that it can take up to 2 weeks.
Packaging: Shipped in a box with biodegradable packing peanuts (no chemical fumes which is a plus). Bagged in plastic lined paper bags- not vacuum packed.
See previous review of Peter's Blend here.
See previous review of Northeast Blend here.
The coffee: Beans have a strong fragrance to them. They have a matte caramel colored finish to them. Caramel notes in the taste as well. Not a blend. Reminds me of Peter's Blend which isn't a surprise since Peter's Blend is a third Columbian Supremo. Lacks some of the structure of Peter's blend. Smooth, seems a little more acidity than Peter's Blend but by no means acidic.
I would order this blend again.
Price of coffee: They have weekly specials. Columbian Supremo runs $3.99/pound on sale. Regular price varies but is often 5.99/lb.
Shipping: $7.28 to ship 3 pounds. $7.58 to ship 5 pounds. Uses UPS ground. Took 5 Business days - ordered during their Spring sale and they warn that it can take up to 2 weeks.
Packaging: Shipped in a box with biodegradable packing peanuts (no chemical fumes which is a plus). Bagged in plastic lined paper bags- not vacuum packed.
See previous review of Peter's Blend here.
See previous review of Northeast Blend here.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Never mix Alkali Metals and Water. I'm not sure about Alkali metals and dildos though...
This is fucking cool.
Anybody for some Francium?
--------------------------------------------------
This is great, too.- Potentially NSFW. Language and gratuitous images of dildos (nonsexual).
Anybody for some Francium?
--------------------------------------------------
This is great, too.- Potentially NSFW. Language and gratuitous images of dildos (nonsexual).
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Life is strange
Tomorrow is going to suck majorily. It is weird. When I talked to my mom, yesterday, we had a fight like usual. It really is getting to the point where I can't talk to her for more than 20 minutes before we butt heads. There is just no making her happy. I told my sister as much.
Yet, with all the crap lately, tomorrow is going to be beyond stressful. I keep telling myself it will be for the better and she will be happier. Hopefully, it will go smoothly tomorrow. Hopefully, she will get better quickly. Hopefully, hopefully, hopefully... at least one thing in my life has to go well.
I hope.
Yet, with all the crap lately, tomorrow is going to be beyond stressful. I keep telling myself it will be for the better and she will be happier. Hopefully, it will go smoothly tomorrow. Hopefully, she will get better quickly. Hopefully, hopefully, hopefully... at least one thing in my life has to go well.
I hope.
Coffee Review- Northeast Blend from Porto Rico Importers
The company: Porto Rico Importers based in NYC. Been in business a long time. Offer wide variety of beans cheaply. Also sells a wide selection of tea. Has weekly specials on coffee. Has internet, phone, and fax ordering options. Not a huge operation with an amazon type polish to it. Internet ordering is basically a secured email, not a cart system. Ordering was easy enough, no acknowledgement. Email sent back with final order total within 36 hours.
The coffee: Beans are obviously fresh and had a nice fragrance to them. They were not oily but not quite bone dry as can be expected for the roast, which is fairly light. Obviously a blend as there were different shades of beans. Northeast Blend is fairly mild, more along the lines of the typical decent breakfast blend. Smooth, Low acid. Straight forward with a slight fragrance. Goes well Black with a small amount of sugar though I suspect it probably would go better with some milk or a flavoring. It would make a decent base coffee for some syrup. I might order this blend again if it is on sale. Definitely prefer Peter's Blend. Note: the brew time with this blend is key. Cutting it short produces nothing more than colored water. A 4-5 minutes (french press) brew time produces a nice drinkable product.
Price of coffee: They have weekly specials. Northeast blend runs $3.99/pound on sale. Regular price varies but is often 5.99/lb.
Shipping: Charges their cost, $7.56 to ship 5 pounds (compared to $7.28 to ship 3 pounds previously). Uses UPS ground. Took 3 Business days.
Packaging: Shipped in a box with biodegradable packing peanuts (no chemical fumes which is a plus). Bagged in plastic lined paper bags- not vacuum packed.
See previous review of Peter's Blend here.
The coffee: Beans are obviously fresh and had a nice fragrance to them. They were not oily but not quite bone dry as can be expected for the roast, which is fairly light. Obviously a blend as there were different shades of beans. Northeast Blend is fairly mild, more along the lines of the typical decent breakfast blend. Smooth, Low acid. Straight forward with a slight fragrance. Goes well Black with a small amount of sugar though I suspect it probably would go better with some milk or a flavoring. It would make a decent base coffee for some syrup. I might order this blend again if it is on sale. Definitely prefer Peter's Blend. Note: the brew time with this blend is key. Cutting it short produces nothing more than colored water. A 4-5 minutes (french press) brew time produces a nice drinkable product.
Price of coffee: They have weekly specials. Northeast blend runs $3.99/pound on sale. Regular price varies but is often 5.99/lb.
Shipping: Charges their cost, $7.56 to ship 5 pounds (compared to $7.28 to ship 3 pounds previously). Uses UPS ground. Took 3 Business days.
Packaging: Shipped in a box with biodegradable packing peanuts (no chemical fumes which is a plus). Bagged in plastic lined paper bags- not vacuum packed.
See previous review of Peter's Blend here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)