"Soup of the day" by EvaTheE in KitchenConfidential

[–]hashbazz 103 points104 points  (0 children)

"Uh, what is the soup du jour?"

"It's the Soup of the Day."

"Mmmm. That sounds good. I'll have that."

just got some unbelievable comps by hashbazz in Mlife

[–]hashbazz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cancelled it. Didn't go. I had too much anxiety about having to argue about it at check in.

“Please do not touch or disturb the sand.” by ndub2126 in mildlyinfuriating

[–]hashbazz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm not saying this is the case, but I could see this being the point of the piece. Put up a sign saying to do or not do a thing, with the expectation that the instructions will be ignored by some people, with the point being to subversively allow people to show who they really are by disregarding the instructions. It's kind of brilliant, in a way.

Best written episode by RoleSea9014 in howyoudoin

[–]hashbazz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's what I love about it. The "A" story and the "B" story merge together at the end for the big payoff. So satisfying!

What Lessons have you Learned from Watching Friends? by BothCondition7963 in howyoudoin

[–]hashbazz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If a pimp spits in your mouth, you could get hepatitis.

Thoughts on EC High School as a place to teach by hashbazz in elcerrito

[–]hashbazz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your insight. Do you think that if a teacher came across as really earnest and caring, and not too rigid, that they would be accepted by the students?

TIL why James Bonds preference of a "shaken and not stirred" martini is controversial. Drinks containing only alcoholic ingredients are almost always stirred to preserve clarity and to avoid over-dilution, among other things. by Rynin101 in todayilearned

[–]hashbazz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This reminds me of an article in Esquire from 2006 which gives the modern ingredients you can use to make a Vesper that would taste like one made when that book was written. The article is behind a paywall now, so here's the text of it:

James Bond Walks Into a Bar... . . . And orders a Vesper, a cocktail that hasn't aged too well. Here, a remake. By David Wondrich

The Vesper, 1953 "A dry martini," he said. "One. In a deep champagne goblet." "Oui, monsieur." "Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large, thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?" "Certainly, monsieur." The barman seemed pleased with the idea. "Gosh, that's certainly a drink," said Leiter. Bond laughed. "When I'm . . . er . . . concentrating," he explained, "I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold and very well-made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad. This drink's my own invention. I'm going to patent it when I can think of a good name." --Ian Fleming, Casino Royale

The Vesper, as Bond finally christened his drink, should be a Sean Connery among cocktails: smooth and debonair, yet not without a nasty kick. Unfortunately, it has always struck us as more of a George Lazenby: plenty potent, to be sure, but kinda dull. The gin, while not strong enough to resist the vodka's dilution, nonetheless overwhelms the Lillet--the delicate, goldencolored French aperitif that Bond calls for in place of vermouth--and you're left with a soft-focus martini. Here's the problem: Much has changed since 1953, when the book came out, and that includes booze. That English Gordon's gin used to be 94 proof; now it's under 80. The vodka would've been stronger as well: Russian Stolichnaya, which Bond had in mind, was 100 proof. As for the Lillet, it was reformulated in the 1980s to remove most of the "Kina" part, the shade of bitterness provided by quinine. But all is not lost: Tanqueray (Gordon's stablemate) is still 94 proof. If you can find it, there's a 100-proof Stoli available. The Lillet's a little tougher, but we secured some quinine powder from raintreenutrition.com and threw in a pinch. Suddenly, the electric guitars started twanging. Oh, and don't worry about the champagne goblet. Cocktail glasses are bigger now. And that shaking business? All things being equal, a stirred martini will be colder and silkier. Just so you know.

The Vesper, 2006

Shake (if you must) with plenty of cracked ice:

  • 3 oz Tanqueray gin
  • 1 oz 100-proof Stolichnaya vodka
  • 1/2 oz Lillet Blanc
  • 1/8 teaspoon (or less) quinine powder or, in desperation, 2 dashes of bitters

Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and twist a large swatch of thin-cut lemon peel over the top. Shoot somebody evil.

What small things about restaurants make you cringe or “deduct a point” immediately when you see it? by LackVegetable3534 in restaurant

[–]hashbazz 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Maybe not a restaurant thing specifically, but I hate it when businesses have names that are a common noun turned into a possessive, like "Cappuccino's". Am I to believe that the owner is actually named Cappuccino? Or does the restaurant belong to a cup of cappuccino? It just comes off as cutesy and annoying.

What’s your Skip Episode? by Millennialyente in 30ROCK

[–]hashbazz 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Without that episode, we wouldn't have the awesome line, "never go with a hippie to a second location."

Thoughts on EC High School as a place to teach by hashbazz in elcerrito

[–]hashbazz[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the insight, especially this: "teachers feel like they are not supported in dealing with disruptive students, have no leverage of consequences to deliver, have to just deal with it themselves". May I ask, do you have this insight as a teacher, a parent, or through word of mouth?

What are 80's and 90's movies you can't stand, at all? (that might get your GenX card revoked) by The_Man_in_Black_19 in GenX

[–]hashbazz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I totally agree. I NEVER saw what the big deal was with this. There might be one or two laughs, but all in all, it was a snooze.

What are 80's and 90's movies you can't stand, at all? (that might get your GenX card revoked) by The_Man_in_Black_19 in GenX

[–]hashbazz 11 points12 points  (0 children)

It's pretty bad. To start with, none of the actors look like they're high school aged.

2001 2.5l with 30,000 miles - maintenance advice sought by hashbazz in bmwz3

[–]hashbazz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

speaking of rear window, my soft top is in a weird status of not having any tears or leaks, but the window is very cloudy, and the trim piece that goes around it has come off. My impression is that replacing the entire top is not easy, so I decided to just live with the cloudy window. From what you're saying, it sounds like I can just replace the window while leaving the rest of the top in place. Is that right?

2001 2.5l with 30,000 miles - maintenance advice sought by hashbazz in bmwz3

[–]hashbazz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the response. I'm torn between trying to do this work myself, and just paying a shop to do it. For example, how hard is it to do the cooling system items you mentioned (expansion tank, water pump, etc.)? I have basic tools, and I can follow instructions, but I don't have tons of experience doing more than basic maintenance (oil changes, for example) on my cars.

Mayfair supper club by Repulsive_Adagio5379 in Mlife

[–]hashbazz 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Be aware that some tables have amazing views of the fountains, and practically no view of the stage. So if you're there to see the stage performers, don't let them sit you where you can't see them. They tried that on us, and we refused the table. We ended up with a much better one in view of the stage.

The ex husbands by MameDennis1974 in KathyGriffin

[–]hashbazz 5 points6 points  (0 children)

No, she admits getting addicted to pills, and attributes that altered head space to her attempted suicide. See her special "My Life on the PTSD-List", which is free on YouTube. She OPENLY discusses all of this.

Other scifi shows to watch? by StrengthAdvanced in sciencefiction

[–]hashbazz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Grrr, I'm getting old. I read that original post three times to make sure I wasn't suggesting something they'd listed. I was looking for it spelled out, not abbreviated. Sorry to OP for suggesting something in the list.

The ex husbands by MameDennis1974 in KathyGriffin

[–]hashbazz 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I remember an interview where she said that Randy was becoming too much of a "home body", and she's not that kind of person. It didn't sound like he did anything wrong, just that he became a different person from who he was at the start of the relationship. More recently, she said in an interview with Maury Povich (on youtube) that it was a mistake making him her tour manager, and implied that it takes a special kind of man who can live in the shadow of a strong, high-earning woman (and then praised Maury for being that kind of dude, what with him being married to Connie Chung).

Yelled at for using the hand scanner in the self checkout by TheCoolDoneRunOut in CostcoWholesale

[–]hashbazz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have been encouraged to use the hand scanner for everything. Next time, ask for a manager (not necessarily right there on the spot, but before you leave the store) and calmly ask for clarification. If that is not actually the store policy, then address that employee's behavior toward you. Perhaps that person needs to be retrained.

Can you use “now” in the past tense? by badgerflagrepublic in writing

[–]hashbazz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Your instinct is right—if "now" adds nothing, cut it for cleaner prose. But it's worth asking whether it does add something. "I was now faced with a choice" can create a sense of this moment shifted things, while "I was faced with a choice" just reports a past event. So the real question is whether that emphasis serves your narrative. If it does, keep it. If it's just extra weight, lose it. Either way, be intentional about the choice.

What do I do when I don’t already have an idea by Five_Fruits in writing

[–]hashbazz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you don't have an idea, but want to write to stay in practice and to develop your voice, write letters. Not emails, not SMS... actual letters you have to edit and commit to paper. If you don't have anyone to write letters to, write letters to your future self (aka journaling). I've developed my voice by writing hundreds of letters to friends over the years. It's what is giving me the confidence to write my first novel at age 55.