Glibertarians.com 2017 Archive

Author: SP

  • Movie List

    Nightly, OMWC and I look at each other and try to decide on the evening’s movie viewing…and are usually stuck. Everything we can think of is either something one of us has seen previously, or is “not available to stream” from the usual providers. And browsing, even the “secret” genre codes, usually turns up stuff that makes us shrug and say “meh.”

    So, help us out. In the comments on this post, please list a movie or two that you’d recommend. I’ll link this post in the permanent navigation under Entertainment so we can all find it when we need a movie suggestion. It’s my hope that the community will continue to add to it over time so we’ll have a pretty good list going forward.

    If we can all stick to just movie recs, it will stay useful, so NO SPOILERS and NO OFF TOPIC POSTS.

    Don’t make me stop this car.

    Ready? Go!

  • Easy Last-Minute Food Gifts, Part the Second

    Today I present some simple-yet-tasty spice mixes that make great gifts. For an extra pretty presentation, layer the ingredients in a decorative container without mixing. Make sure you include instructions to mix thoroughly before using!

    But, wait, there’s more! Scroll down for a special bonus chai spice mix from Webdominatrix.


    SP's Taco Seasoning

    • 2 tbsp powdered chiles (I use a mix of aji amarillo and smoked red savina)
    • 1-1/2 tbsp ground cumin
    • 1-1/2 tbsp paprika (smoked or plain, hot or not)
    • 1 tbsp onion powder
    • 1 tbsp garlic powder
    • 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper

    1. To make: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients thoroughly.

    2. Store in an airtight container.

    3. To use: Add 2 tbsp (or to taste) to season one pound of a protein for taco filling. 


    SP's Creole Inspired Seasoning

    • 2-1/2 tbsp paprika (I like to use smoked, hot paprika)
    • 2 tbsp garlic powder
    • 2 tbsp salt
    • 1 -1/4 tbsp ground black pepper
    • 1 tbsp onion powder
    • 1 tbsp ground habanero pepper (or drop the heat with cayenne or premade chili powder)
    • 1 tbsp dried thyme
    • 1 tbsp dried oregano

    1. To make: Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Store in an airtight container.

    2. To use: Sprinkle on proteins or sandwiches, to taste.



    Old Harbor Seasoning

    • 2 tablespoons bay leaf, powdered
    • 2 tablespoons celery salt
    • 1 tablespoon dry mustard
    • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
    • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
    • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon white pepper
    • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
    • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
    • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    1. To make: Combine all ingredients thoroughly. 

    2. Store in an airtight container.

    3. To use: Add to seafood and other dishes to taste.



    SP's Rosemary Lemon Seasoning

    • 1/4 cup dried rosemary
    • 1 tbsp kosher salt
    • 1 tbsp garlic powder
    • 1-1/2 tsp dried lemon zest
    • 1/2 tsp black pepper

    1. To make: Place all ingredients in a spice grinder or blender jar. Process until finely ground. (If layering for presentation, grind the rosemary and lemon peel.)

    2. Store in an airtight container.

    3. To use: Sprinkle on proteins or vegetables to taste.


    Webdominatrix's Chai Spice Mix

    • 4 tsp ground cardamom
    • 3 tsp ground ginger
    • 3 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 2 tsp vanilla powder
    • 1.5 tsp ground allspice
    • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
    • 1 tsp ground cloves
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1/8 tsp ground black pepper

    1. To make: Mix thoroughly and store in an airtight container.

    2. To use: Add 1 tsp to a cup of black tea.


  • Easy Last-Minute Food Gifts, Part the First

    Need a quick and easy gift for the holidays? Consumables are a great option. Here are three variations on a nutty theme.

    I’ll be posting some other last minute food gift recipes later in the week.



    Spicy Pecan Praline Bites

    • 2 cups pecan halves
    • 1/2 cup brown sugar
    • 1/4 cup heavy cream
    • 2 tsp maple syrup
    • 1 tsp smoked habanero powder
    • 1 tsp salt
    1. Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Spread mixture on a baking
    2. sheet with a silicone baking sheet.
    3. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes stirring a couple times.
    4. Remove from oven and cool completely. Store in airtight container.
    I bump up the habanero powder quite a bit, but you could use less, or sub in cayenne or a less spicy option such as smoked paprika.

    Candied Cashews

    • 2 cups whole cashews
    • 1 egg white
    • 1 tsp water
    • 2/3 cup granulated white sugar
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

    1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

    2. Beat egg white with the water in a medium bowl until foamy and light.

    3. Add the cashews, sugar, salt and cinnamon to the bowl. Stir thoroughly; nuts should be completely coated.

    4. Spread the mixture as evenly as possible on the baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes or until nuts are beginning to caramelize.

    5. Remove from the oven and allow nuts to cool.  Store in an air tight container.

    Chile Pecan Brittle

    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
    • 1 1/2 cups pecans
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 teaspoon smoked habanero powder (or other chile powder)
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda

    1. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat. Spray a silicone spatula with nonstick cooking spray. 

    2. Place sugar and corn syrup in a large microwave safe bowl. The mixture will expand quite a bit while cooking. 

    3. Microwave the uncovered bowl  on high for 4 minutes.

    4. Stir in pecans, butter, salt, vanilla and chile powder. Microwave on high for 4 minutes and 30 seconds.

    5. Working quickly, remove the bowl from the microwave and thoroughly stir in the baking soda. The mixture will foam.

    6. Rapidly pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading as thinly and evenly as possible.

    7. Allow to cool completely.

    8. Break the brittle into pieces and store in an air tight container.

    I use a 1100 watt microwave. If using a lower-powered device, you will need to adjust the cooking time.

    The spice level can be easily adjusted by varying the type and quantity of chile powder.

    Clean up is most easily accomplished by first soaking the bowl and spatula in very hot water.

  • Sloopy’s Sick Thursday Morning Links

    Wait, what? What time is it?

    By no stretch of even SugarFree’s vivid imagination could I be called a morning person, yet here I am filling in at the last minute with links. Why? Because I love you!

    Just don’t expect any sports because there weren’t any last night. Football is on *tonight*.

    You knew it was just a matter of time. Frankly, I’m surprised it took this long.

    It was a biased and sloppy investigation. Whew. For a second there I thought they said “Sloopy!”

    It’s only fair.

    Because this always works out so well.

    And, of course this is what we have all come to expect. So, while not surprising in any way, it’s still infuriating.

    Oh, right. I’m supposed to give you music. This is on my mind this morning!

    Have a great day! I’m going to go take a nap.


  • Best Damn Fruitcake Recipe on the Interwebs

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    I love fruitcake. My grandmother was quite a remarkable baker, so I never had the horrible commercial fruitcake that many of my friends grew up with.

    This recipe is a compilation, but is the absolute best I’ve ever had, mainly due to the long maceration of the dried fruits and the ripening. Theoretically, it would have been better to start this right after Halloween for Christmas consumption, but it’s still possible to make it for New Year’s Day, if you don’t dawdle, but longer ripening is better. Oh, and the first step takes a week. Hop to it!

    This makes about 4 standard loaf pans, but you can adapt it to any baking vessel. Just make sure you keep an eye on it and don’t over bake.

    Properly attended to, fruitcake can be stored safely for literally years. We recently finished eating the last fruitcake of my batch from last Christmas. I store my fruitcakes in the wine cellar and bathe them with alcohol throughout the year.

    Best Damn Fruitcake Recipe on the Interwebs

    Give up on all other versions. This is the one you need.

    • 2 cups pitted dates
    • 2 cups candied lemon rind
    • 2 cups candied orange rind
    • 1.5 cups dried apricots
    • 1.5 cups dried figs
    • 1.5 cups candied cherries
    • 1.5 cups candied pineapple
    • 1.5 cups candied citron
    • 1 cup crystallized ginger
    • 3 cups raisins
    • 3 cups dried currants
    • 2.5 cups Grand Marnier
    • 3 cups Cognac
    • 2.5 cups flour
    • 1 tsp. baking powder
    • 3 tbsp. cocoa powder
    • 1 tsp. ground cloves
    • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
    • 1 tsp. ground mace
    • 3 tsp. powdered instant espresso
    • 1 lb. butter
    • 2.25 cups dark brown sugar
    • 9 eggs
    • 1.25 cups molasses
    • 6 cups pecan halves
    • 6 cups walnut halves

    1. Using a large knife, chop the dates, lemon rind, orange rind, apricots, figs, cherries, citron, and ginger. Place in a large bowl and add the raisins and currants. Pour 1/2 cup Grand Marnier and 1 cup cognac over the ingredients in the bowl and stir to mix well. Allow to rest in the refrigerate for a week.

    2. Preheat oven to 225. Grease 4 or 5 standard loaf pans. Line with parchment baking paper. Grease the parchment paper.

    3. Sift the flour, cocoa, cloves, cinnamon, mace, and espresso powder to combine.

    4. Cream butter and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. One at a time, beat in eggs, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next.

    5. Add dry ingredients and molasses a bit at a time, mixing well. Don’t worry if the mixture seems to curdle. It’s fine. Transfer batter to a very large bowl.

    6. Stir in marinated fruit mixture with the marinade, and nuts.

    7. Distribute batter into prepared pans. Press down to eliminate any air pockets. 

    8. Bake about 5 hours or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

    9. Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto racks. Cool completely before proceeding.

    10. Brush the tops of cakes with 1 tbsp each of Grand Marnier and cognac. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and allow to ripen at room temperature for one week. Each day, unwrap and brush the cakes with 1 tbsp of each of the remaining liquors.

    11. After the week is up, wrap tightly in new plastic, wrap in foil and refrigerate for several weeks before serving.

    To increase the absorption of the liquor by the cakes, poke holes in the top with a toothpick before brushing on liquor.

    Other orange-flavored liquors can be used in place of the Grand Marnier.

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  • New Site Feature

    May I have your attention, please.

    I’d like to direct your eyes to the right left hand side of your screen where you will see that in addition to the “back to top” arrow, we now have a “go to bottom” arrow. It should work on your mobile devices, as well as on the desktop version of the site.

    Those of you using the excellent site enhancements of Monocle, brought to you by trshmnstr and greasonable, already have some great features.

    However, for those of us using unsupported desktop browsers or mobile devices, this will make it easier to pretend we’re not reading the site during meetings, as we won’t have to scroll forever after hitting refresh. I had hoped that perhaps all you glibs would just stop being so darn long-winded and the pages would get shorter, but that doesn’t seem to be happening. 😉

    Some other improvements have been made behind-the-scenes, but this is the only one that matters to you folks!

    Enjoy!

  • Friday Frivolity: Name that Baby Glib

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    UPDATE! The answers are:

    A. Playa Manhattan
    B. jesse.in.mb
    C. Riven
    D. Mad Scientist
    E. Swiss Servator
    F. Webdominatrix
    G. SP
    H. OMWC
    I. Banjos
    J. Sloopy
    K. SugarFree

    We have a three-way tie for first place! Tundra (who spookily got my entire family correct); egould310; and Doom (whose last minute entry and strategy worked).

    However, I have consolation prizes for everyone who had a serious entry, so the following people should all email your shipping address to sp@ this here domain, if you’d like a prize:

    Tundra
    egould310
    Doom
    Tonio
    IB McGinty
    The Other Kevin
    Yusef
    Trials & Trippelations
    RA Heinlein

    Thanks for playing everyone! Enjoy your weekend.

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    Want to win a prize?

    Match the babies below with their Glib identities. The Glibster with the most correct answers will win (as-yet-undetermined-but-assuredly-awesome) swag from our new CafePress store.

    Now, because I’m the nice one at this here website, I’m going to help you out and give you a list of names of community members who contributed baby photos…and a couple who didn’t. Your task is to sort out who is who.

    Answers accepted on this post until 2000 Central tonight. Check back then for the secret identities to be revealed!

    Ready? Go!

    Names: Sloopy; OMWC; Riven; Warty; Swiss; SugarFree; STEVE SMITH; webdominatrix; jesse.in.mb; Playa Manhattan; Banjos; Mad Scientist; SP; Brett L.

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  • Go Pack Go Links

    So you having link withdrawal? OK, here’s a link!

    All the info anyone needs today!

  • Sunday Midday Sharing Thread

    So a bunch of the Founders were sitting around the campfire in Sloopy ‘n’ Banjo’s waterlogged garage drinking, swapping stories, singing campfire hurricane party songs late last night, and the drunken conversation eventually turned philosophical, as it will, and we began to ponder the larger questions…

    Does OMWC have any of the cool retro confections like Candy Cigarettes, Bit-O-Honey, Wax Lips or Atomic Fire Balls, and, if so, what are the odds he’s been hoarding it since his own misspent childhood?

    Is SugarFree’s Pit of Depravity truly bottomless?

    Will jesse.in.mb ever post another Manly Monday or are there no Real Men left out there?

    You get the idea.

    But I’m a bit more practical, myself. I want to know Things That Are Useful. And given that I am a realist, I believe that you, Dear Glibertariat, have been cheating on us. And I want answers.

    Yeah, yeah, you love us best, those other sites and social media accounts mean nothing to you, you’ll always come back to us in the end, yada yada. Come on. I know the guilt is eating you alive.

    This is your chance to come clean, to clear the air, to finally just put it all out there for everyone to see. (Not you, OMWC. Just put that thing away already.)

    We invite you to share your other website loves, the social media accounts and news sites you always check out, the YouTube channels –um, maybe not your faves Heroic Mulatto– where you spend entirely too much time mesmerized. Fun stuff, serious and reflective commentary, your own blog, social media accounts or photo sharing sites. It’s all fair game in this judgment-free thread.

    Come on, open up. Let us in and you’ll never have to tell a new website that we just don’t understand you.


  • Why Dreamhost is our host

    Even Google knows thisIn alarming, but not surprising, news, the Department of Justice is demanding over 1.3 million IP addresses and associated contact information for visitors to a website hosted by Dreamhost, a Los Angeles-based web hosting company. Our web host.

    The only surprising aspect of the case is that it is not Glibertarians.com that is targeted. The website in question is disruptj20.org, “a website that organized participants of political protests against the current United States administration,” according to Dreamhost. Not only is the contact and personal information of the site visitors wanted, the DOJ is also pushing for access to photographs of protesters that are on the site’s server, and what content the website visitors viewed.

    If you don’t want something coming back to bite you in the ass, don’t put it online in any form. Almost everyone gets this. (Well, maybe not the assorted criminals who are easily apprehended after posting videos of their criminal exploits publicly on Facebook.) This has been a concern for far longer than the current administration has been around, as I am quite sure the Glibertariat is well aware. Hell, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court was established in 1978, and it has been perverted and allowed to be used for nefarious purposes willy-nilly ever since, completely gutting Fourth Amendment protections.

    However, web browsing is something that most people do automatically, without thinking too much about the ramifications. Of course, many people routinely block their browsing history from spouses, children, bosses and other people in their daily lives. (Visitors to the Certified Family Friendly website Glibertarians.com should certainly be doing so.) It’s far more difficult to block one’s browsing history from one’s internet service provider, and from the web host of sites one visits.

    But back to Dreamhost. Dreamhost has a long history of attempting to protect its users by challenging law enforcement requests for information and legally rejecting them. In 2014, for example, DH was able to legally block 57% of the information requests it received.

    I’ve been a Dreamhost customer for a decade, give or take. I use DH for all websites I build and domains I register, no matter who owns the site. One of the first things that sold me on DH was the ability to have one’s domain registrant and contacts protected by DH during a whois search, at a time when most other web hosts and domain registrars simply wouldn’t bother. I was happy to avoid random obnoxious marketers targeting website owners, and the occasional too-ardent admirer.

    Since then, I’ve repeatedly seen that Dreamhost makes sincere and real efforts to protect more than my mailing address.

    My concern over the gutting of the Bill of Rights by the government has increased steadily since 9/11. That dismantling shows no sign of slowing down. It gives me some tiny measure of comfort that Dreamhost shares that concern.

    And THAT is why Dreamhost is our host.


    If so led, show DH a little appreciation by commenting on their post (link below) or giving a quick shoutout on Twitter or Facebook.


    Read more about it:

    Dreamhost’s blog post

    DOJ Search Warrant

    DOJ Motion to Compel

    Dreamhost’s Opposition Motion

    Popehat’s take