Category: Weblog

Spreading the know-how

Yesterday I received an email from Brody had built his own electric smoker based on the page I made.

No question.
Just thought I’d let you know I built the smoker, per your page.


I did cut a large hole where the elec. heater goes in, and I cover it during use with tinfoil, which I hold on with magnets.
I also had the opportunity to smoke something that wouldn’t fit in the smoker with the top on. Made a temp top from tin foil, and it worked fine.
thanks again,
Brody

Good work Brody, your smoker looks great.
Now that’s what I’m talking about people! Soon the backyards of America will be filled with homemade smokers and the smell of burning hickory wood.
I like his modification with the tinfoil and using magnets to keep it in place. He should be able to add wood chips to the smoker without having to move the meat like I had to do.

Poker Lessons

Played poker with Brad, Tim, Brian and Rich last night. Here are a few more lessons I learned.
While your full boat is nice, the other guys four kings are nicer.
Ratcheting up the betting when a pair appears on the table even though you don’t need it because you made your straight on the last card can be effective in misdirection.
Burning Castro’s crops is fun and enjoyable.

BBQ Insight

Here are my answers to the latest LABlogs.com Insight:
1. When you do fire up the grill, what do you put on it?
Briskets, tri-tip, turkey breasts, chicken
2. Where do you buy your goods (any secret meat markets)?
Bristol Farms for special things like 4-5 pound briskets, Ralphs for generic meats.
3. Besides your house, where do you/would you BBQ around your area?
I used to BBQ at Martin’s house, but he moved to Kansas. What do they know about BBQ in Kansas?
4. Gas or charcoal?
Wood! I smoke meats slowly for maximum tenderness and flavor. I do have a gas grill for the quick grill when needed.
5. What is your favorite drink to accompany the grill?
Sipper Jigger of Jack Daniels and Coke.
6. When you bring a side dish, what is it?
Michele will make a quiche or some asian dumplings.
7. If the host burrns the main dish, where do you go out to eat instead?
Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles
8. Post BBQ games: dominoes, croquet, bocci or badminton?
Drinking liquor, eating sweets, herding children.

Bendy

Yoshi lent me a comic book. I was flipping through the pages and saw this.


This is how I feel every day. Why can’t things just be simpler. Why do I find it so hard to let go?

Snippets

Catching snippets of the GOP convention brings to mind a quote from Apocalypse now:
“Oh man, the shit piled up so fast in [the GOP] you needed wings to stay above it.”
Rationalizing hatred and greed has been translated into “family values” and “freedom”.
Thomas Jefferson is rolling in his grave.

Back on

Last week I was in Orlando for some company meetings. Hot, muggy weather, long meetings, backstage tours of Disneyworld, lots of drinking at business dinners. I think it wore me out a bit.


No time to blog, except a few camphone photos I moblogged over there ->
Last week was my parents 41st wedding anniversary. 41 years. Wow.

We made a cake for my parents and headed down to their house. My dad had been in Ghana doing some charity work earlier this month and they had been in Hawaii after that. This was the first time we’d seen them since then.
They gave us several gifts that were wonderful. Here’s what I recieved.

Yes, the next time I get a chance I will be burning Castro’s crops.
Back to the regular geek blogging when I get some time.
Until then here’s a little MLP:
Election Protection 2004 (a site my brother Matt built with MovableType)
Cake’s New Album
Star Wars Gangsta Rap Special Edition

La Brea Tar Pits

Today I took the kids to the Page Museum bka The La Brea Tar Pits.
To those not from Los Angeles, the Tar Pits are an area where oil and asphalt have risen to the surface in the middle of the city for the last 40,000 years at least. Water would collect on top of the asphalt and thousands of animals got caught in the tar trap, their bones preserved for centuries.


The tar is still there, waiting for it’s next victim.

There is a working museum where they excavate the remains and put them on display. Mammoths, saber-tooth tigers, sloths, American lions, condors, and other extinct animals have all been preserved for us to see.

Zoe & Mira in front of a horse skeleton.

The Tar Pits are a common destination for LA schoolchildren and the museum is well suited for kids. There is a wall with hundreds of skulls of dire wolves caught in the tar. It’s as impressive today as it was when I was 10 and saw it for the first time.
If you haven’t visited, do yourself a favor and go. You’ll have a good time.

Leftover beers

Yesterday was the party for LA Bloggers and we had a good time.
Jim bought his whole family and the four girls (his 2 and my 2) were awfully busy playing the whole time. Being the daughters of geek bloggers, the girls spent time outdoors in a tent watching a portable DVD player, emerging to get more food and more My Little Pony dolls.
Grant and Jill showed up. Mack from LAVoice came along with his son Cooper as well. Britta stopped by with here dad. I know her more from #joiito than blogging. Cousin James stopped by as well.
There weren’t enough people for the planned Mac vs. PC tug-of-war, but it was fun for all. I made them all drink shots, as usual at a Pusateri party and they were good sports to try.


L-R: Mack & Jim


L-R: Britta, James, Grant, Jill


Here I am bringing the smoked turkey & brisket into the house to be cut.

Not as many people showed up as I had hoped and we had plenty of extra beer and sodas. Grant, Jill and James were all heading out that night to hand with friends so I sent off with six packs of leftover beer.
It was a good start in getting LA bloggers together. Hopefully the numbers just grow from here on out.