It's the feast day of the patron saint of people against pornography: St. Maria Goretti. A good-looking twelve-year-old, she was attacked by a man whose imagination had been inflamed by looking at the (compared to today's standards) primitive pornography available at turn-of-the-century Italy. When she resisted, he stabbed her to death. Think of Maria when you put another dollar into the pornographers's purses, either by paying for their wares or giving them another visitor on their website statistics with which to attract advertisers.
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My most-recent at The Register (registration required). Excerpt:
The beatniks understood a simple truth. To have carefree time and genuine freedom, a person has three options: Get a lot money, reduce desires to a minimum, do a little of both.
If I were single, I'd opt for the third approach. But whenever I think about using my (very) small bucket of wealth to semi-retire, to work 20 hours a week and use the rest of my time to wander and enjoy every sunny day, I look at my children and trudge back to the office. That kind of detached life simply doesn't fit me.
Do I wish I could be like Jack Kerouac or, much better, St. Francis? Sure, but I can't be like Jack or Francis unless I want to be like the Enlightenment philosopher Rousseau, who put his five children in an orphanage to preserve his intellectual leisure.
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Brews You Can Use
Be careful if you buy a blood-alcohol monitor. They're often unreliable. Link.
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I don't drink distilled spirits, but I found this interesting:
Brown-Forman Corp. has put a new twist on its premium Woodford Reserve bourbon with a limited edition variation distinct for spending a few months aging in the company's Sonoma-Cutrer wine barrels.
The experiment blends California chardonnay with Kentucky whiskey culture.
Link.
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The Michigan House of Representatives has adopted a resolution officially designating July 2007 as Michigan Craft Beer Month. Good for my state. Brewing is a little art, like gardening, small talk, cooking, and crocheting (and blogging, since it doesn't quite rise to the level of the great art of literature?). It ought to be encouraged.
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Hats off to this clever fellow who tried to beat an overbearing system: The landlord of The Wellington Arms in Southampton tried to get around Britain's anti-smoking law by turning his pub into the embassy for a tiny Caribbean island called "Redonda" and citing diplomatic immunity. The plan didn't work. Though conceptually sound, officials decided that Redonda is not classified as a country.
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Ten beers that changed America.
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1 2-pound package Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix
4 to 6 12-ounce cans Olympia beer
1/4 cup vegetable oil or bacon grease
While the grill is heating to medium, pour pancake mix into a large bowl. Add beer, one can at a time, until the batter reaches a smooth consistency. When a few drops of water dance and sizzle on the grill, it's ready. Wipe the grill with a thin coating of oil or grease on a paper towel, then drop batter onto the grill, about a half-cup per pancake. Cook about 2 minutes, and flip each cake when the top is covered with air bubbles. Cook another minute then serve. Makes 40-50 4-inch pancakes.
The author says you must use Olympia beer. I find that hard to believe, but that's each cook's decision.
