Falcor

So, the trending thing I am seeing this week (outside of bat shit crazy governance)?

Falcor.

This car, a research ship I read about, stories from opposite sides of the internet and even a brief conversation the other day.

For some reason, Falcor is resonating in the universe...

Widowmaker

It seems EJ Potter's Widowmaker is for sale, at one of the big Vegas options going on.

The thing is a fascinating bit of either engineering or lunacy.
Perhaps both...


Details on the bike over here, if you are interested.

Sure

I could go for some of this action, sure...

More on this later, maybe.

Wait What

So, I am looking at the inbox, spot the update from Yelp...

Yeah, I am enough of a food nerd to read emails from them on restaurants in my area.


This week's theme - grilled cheese.

Sure, I can get behind a  grilled cheese.
I might order one, if I see it on a menu.

Then I notice that two of the places highlighted are establishments focusing on the grilled cheese.
Like their whole schtick is grilled cheese...
And they are located three blocks from one another.

Really?


If you haven't been here, Providence is a small city, both measured by geography and population.
Why are there to grilled cheese restaurants three blocks from each other, downtown?

Tiny

I am just gonna guess this dudes nickname was Tiny...

Real People

These Chevy fake non-actor commercials actually make me angry.

Seriously...


This remix to include some focus group reality is quite refreshing.

Orwell 1945

Well, Here We Are

Soft Sensuality

Having themed his inauguration "soft sensuality" which may be the creepiest inauguration theme in the entire history of inaugurations...


The president elect shot out this picture, presumably as evidence that his speech is being put on paper?



Somebody took some time to dive into what this image is trying to communicate over here.

Tinkering

I do enjoy a bit of tinkering in the garage...
Or shed, as known across the pond.

Assembling things, I have enjoyed it since childhood.
Legos, model cars, remote controlled things.
Even still, only I tend to assemble real, life size things.
The process may satisfy as much as the finished product, I suppose.

This video pleases me...

Everything from the basic mechanical process to the conversation on the existential duality of screws and bolts.
Good stuff...



The rest of the series is also great, if you like watching some dude mess with eccentric gears and the like.

The Fix

I don't know where your head is, politically.
Your thoughts on Russian influence in the most recent election, or lack there of...

It is something worth dwelling on for a moment, I think.
There is an article on the subject, over here, which merits a read.

Here is a snippet, for you to consider.:

Under these circumstances, the reaction of anyone who actually cares about the United States has to be: We must investigate this with great seriousness and impartiality and find out exactly what happened. This requires an independent commission with sufficient funding, a broad mandate and legal authority that Congress creates but then can no longer influence.  

Nothing should be less controversial than this. Whatever a nation’s political disagreements, in any functioning democracy there’s just one position on this issue: Only citizens can participate in deciding who governs it.

Maybe we get our fake news from different sources...
There are points made here which should resonate with any participant in this democracy.



The link, again.

Enough Already

Yo, world at large...
Food or lifestyle writers in particular.

Can we cool it on all the hygge shit.


I mean, yes, it is a pleasant concept.
Sure, I will admit that.


But didn't the concept develop concurrently, around the world?
Nobody is really setting out to create cold, miserable lives for themselves, do they?  ( I guess some folks to go in for austerity and all that.)


I get it's a cute new word to use...
Just tone it down a bit.

Expertise

How about a recommended read?

There is a piece, over here, on the death of accepted expertise...
Here is a snippet, to perhaps pique your interest:

I fear we are witnessing the “death of expertise”: a Google-fueled, Wikipedia-based, blog-sodden collapse of any division between professionals and laymen, students and teachers, knowers and wonderers – in other words, between those of any achievement in an area and those with none at all. By this, I do not mean the death of actual expertise, the knowledge of specific things that sets some people apart from others in various areas. There will always be doctors, lawyers, engineers, and other specialists in various fields. Rather, what I fear has died is any acknowledgement of expertise as anything that should alter our thoughts or change the way we live.

The thinking spreads, covering evolving conversational idioms, political discourse, contemporary media, plus some more.

I think it is worth a read, if you have a spare moment.

I am no expert on reading recommendations, or anything.
Just a suggestion...



The link, again.

The Buzz

Well, bumble bees on the endangered species list seems grim...

One of many stories on the subject here.


I mean, they spend a lot of time rambling around pollinating things.
Things that are a big part of our food chain.
That seems bad...


They also do a good job of defining summertime, don't you think?

That droning whuz of their wings, carrying that over sized fuzz body from flower to flower...
Bumble bee might be the most fitting insect name ever.

Omelettes

Gotta break a few eggs, to make an omelette, they say...



So, there is a company out there that specializes in making machines to crack eggs.
Highly specialized egg opening and separating machines, working with high volumes and efficiencies.

I mean, sure, there must be some industrial cooking need for gallons of egg whites or yolks.
I guess...


That giant bucket of egg whites kind of creeps me out.

Just Don't

It seems like common sense...


But don't mess with another persons grilled cheese.

There could be ramifications.


Case in point.

Crackerjacks

Did you know there was a baseball league in Taiwan?

I didn't either, until I stumbled across this article on the diet of players on one of their leading teams


I like food and I like baseball.
It's a bit of a fluff piece of reporting, but after shoveling some snow thoughts of summer baseball appeal to me...




Here is that link, again.

Dude

Cute

For lack of something pithy to post, I give you this picture of cute kitten and puppy stuff...


Because, sometimes you need that.

Here

This should help...

Stay Gold