Here’s an interesting thing and perhaps a good debate to have:

Students returning to school in a growing number of states and districts are facing tight restrictions and outright bans on cellphone use as evidence mounts of the damaging impact persistent connection to the internet has on teenagers.

In Los Angeles, the second-largest district in the country, the school board voted in June to ban cellphone use. In Clark County, Nev., the district will require students in middle and high schools to store phones in pouches during the day, starting this fall. Several states — including Indiana, Louisiana, South Carolina and Florida — have enacted legislation limiting cellphone access during the school year. And governors in at least three other states, including Virginia, have called on schools to restrict or ban the devices. Other states have provided funding to support restrictive policies.

Of the nation’s 20 largest school districts, at least seven forbid use of cellphones during the school day or plan to do so, while at least another seven impose significant restrictions, such as barring use during class time but permitting phones during lunch or when students are between classes, according to a Washington Post review.

Of course I think about this at the college level. I have to admit, I really gave up on banning cell phones a long time ago. Hell, I even use mine for the time, as is it’s not as if the clocks work in our classrooms….

But I wonder if I should reconsider this. Not this semester though, I’m on sabbatical which I am enjoying telling all my friends as they return to the classroom. But I wonder if it is worth trying to enforce this again in the college classroom. It’s hard to see any downside except for the enforcement. But the enforcement is a downside and is harder to do than in a K-12 classroom, where the teacher really is much more in charge. I am no softy either. I rarely get challenged much by students because I think I scare them a little bit. So I might be able to pull it off. But would it be worth it? Or do I really care?

I don’t have any real answers here, obviously. But maybe we are finally in a space where people find reason to put the damn phones anyway, whether they want to or not.

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As most of you know I am not the sort of front pager who feels a need to explain to y’all when you’re wrong on the internet. This is not to say, however, that I do not have certain… frustrations about the comment section. The Thing aside, I’d like to remind everyone that if y’all’d had your way then Olympic Hero (TM) Scottie Scheffler would have been on a highway chain gang on the outskirts of Louisville rather than in Paris, because of course the Louisville Police Department is an impeccable and inerrant source of information. Anyway, this is the kind of comment that I find not so much irritating as just befuddling:

I mean, why?

This is not an isolated example. Every time someone posts about a sport, a TV show, a movie, a book, or a musician, someone feels compelled to chip in with “I don’t care for that show. Actually I’ve never even heard of it. In fact, I don’t own a television. I live in the woods with nothing but my raccoon friends and my squirrel children. ”

I mean, why? In writing a post we create a space for the discussion of a particular topic, with the expectation that either enthusiasts of that topic or at least those marginally interested in it. If you’ve never seen House of the Dragon, never heard of Jason Isbell, and don’t care at all for the sport of baseball… why in the name of Jesus Tap-Dancing Christ would you bother to comment on those threads???!?!? If the comments were off-topic it would make a certain kind of sense, but to show up just to make clear that you don’t care about the conversation that folks are having? I’m not even upset! I’m just confused!

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1. It’s almost hard to describe just how good Michelle Obama is at political speaking. If she had Hillary’s ambition, she would rule the world. Hillary could have used some natural speaking talent too, though you can’t say she didn’t work very hard on it over the years.
2. Barack Obama’s true skill might be the ability to balance kinda deep policy details with holding everyone’s attention for a long time through his charisma

The post Also Good At This appeared first on Lawyers, Guns & Money.

Bouie makes a good point–there are really not good Civil War movies.

But “Gettysburg” isn’t unique here. One of the most striking facts about our cinematic depictions of the Civil War is that, with a handful of exceptions, they are either sympathetic to the Confederate position or outright supportive of the Confederacy. It is a testament to the crushing triumph of Lost Cause propaganda that neither “The Birth of a Nation” nor “Gone With the Wind” are isolated instances of Confederate sympathy but emblematic of Hollywood’s perspective on the heroes and villains of the conflict. (And that’s before we get into the Western trope of the noble ex-Confederate looking for a new life in the frontier.)

Other than Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” which is a political drama more than anything else, we haven’t had a big Civil War picture in a long time and we probably won’t; the subject is too niche in an era where Hollywood is loath to take a risk on anything isn’t based on an existing popular property. But if anyone is thinking about writing a Civil War film, I would hope that he or she would write one with an unabashedly pro-Union perspective — a film that foregrounds slavery and takes a skeptical view of Confederate mythmaking.

The war that began as a fight to restore the Union and ended as a crusade against human bondage stands as one of the finest moments in our nation’s history. It deserves a Hollywood epic that tries, as much as possible, to tell the truth.

Is it really any better in fiction? Probably the only major piece of literature that came out of the Civil War experience was Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage, which is a totally apolitical piece. What have the other great Civil War books been? I know some people really liked Cold Mountain 20 years ago or whatever, but c’mon. There are a number of great novels about slavery and its complexities, but the war itself? I am probably forgetting something here, I grant you, but whether we are talking about film or fiction, it’s not great. Moreover, while Ken Burns’ The Civil War has its high points, it’s use of the vile Shelby Foote as the key talking head means that it is fatally compromised.

In the end, this subject was too touchy at the time for many artists to touch, as the explosion of postbellum American fiction really tried to avoid it, outside of someone like Albion Tourgée, furious at his experiences in the South. And then the history of film meant Jim Crow for the first six decades and a deeply contested memory in the decades since. It’s hard to make a huge blockbuster film on a subject that divides the nation, not because it can’t be done, but because the studios are headed by cowards.

So here we are. Maybe someday.

The post Bad Civil War Art appeared first on Lawyers, Guns & Money.

Somehow, according to all the records I can search on LGM, I have never posted the amazing audio clip of Lyndon Johnson ordering pants from the head of Haggar. Many of you have heard this. Some of you probably have not. Let’s just say that Lyndon requires a little extra room in the crotch and doesn’t mind saying so. Luckily, this visualization helps with it all.

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As someone with a "beer-centric" palate, it is often difficult for me to find cocktails that I enjoy. When I go to a cocktail bar and order something that sounds interesting, the flavors are often overwhelmingly concentrated, and the balance tends to be either super-sweet or super-boozy. The 20-30+% ABV of most cocktails also makes them rough to drink at the same rate you would a beer...

So, I thought it would be interesting to invent a few cocktails inspired by the balance and flavors of some of my favorite beer styles. If you want to drink something that tastes exactly like a beer… drink a beer! These cocktails are “inspired” by the flavors in the style and the overall balance of the style in terms of alcohol-bitterness-sweetness, they aren’t meant to be “ringers” for drinking a given beer. I'm also trying to avoid "uncommon" ingredients... although some of these may take a little searching at a specialty grocery/liquor store or online.

I’m not an experienced bartender or mixologist, if you try one of these let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions!

Ramos Gin Fizz... Hazy IPA

Gin and Tonic is my standard cocktail order because it isn't too strong or too sweet, and the bitter/herbal notes are something I appreciate. I also find Ramos GIn Fizz to be a fun one, with the added body of an egg white and cream, and more citrus from lemon juice and orange blossom water. In this "Hazy IPA" inspired riff, I swapped out the tonic for aromatic hop water. To replace the malt sweetness and enhance the juicy flavors from the hops I added orange juice. To keep it from being too one-note orange, I added New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, which contains high concentrations of many of the aromatics produced by Thiolized yeast and found in New Zealand hops. An egg white helps to add haze, foam, and body.

Recipe

In a shaker, combine:

1.5 oz Bombay Dry Gin

1.25 oz Orange Juice

1.25 oz Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc

1 Egg White

Dry shake 10 seconds

Pour into a glass, then top-up with:

6 oz Hop Water

6.7 % ABV

Ingredient Notes: The Hop Water you choose is up to you. I've enjoyed the ones from breweries as well as places like Hoplark. You can also make your own with carbonated water and some hop terpenes (I like the ones from Abstrax). Use pasteurized egg white if you are worried about the risk of salmonella. If you don't like orange, try mango or another juice that appeals to you. 

Tasting Notes

Smell - Winey tropical-citrus. Slight herbal from the hops and gin. Doesn't read obviously juniper.

Appearance - Very pale, very hazy. Great sticky head.

Taste - Pleasantly sweet. Good balance of the juice and wine, without either dominating. The gin provides some depth, but again not overtly gin-y. The hop water brings herbal complexity without dominating the other ingredients with "hops."

Mouthfeel - Medium-light body, light carbonation.

Drinkability - Light and bright, citrusy.

Changes for Next Time - Certainly could add a few drops of hop terpenes if you want to send it more hoppy. Some hopped bitters could be a nice addition if you like a little more bitterness.

Thanks to Audrey, I've really come to enjoy fortified wines like Port, Sherry, and especially Madeira. It's traditionally made by halting fermentation with an addition of brandy to preserve the sweetness of the wine, then aged at elevated temperatures. The result is a like a concentrated barrel-aged English barleywine, woody, with dried fruit, and pleasant oxidative notes. I added Rye Whiskey to elevate the vanilla notes. Malta is essentially unfermented wort, but tends to have big caramel and malt extract notes from pasteurization. It helps by lowering the alcohol without thinning the cocktail, adding a little carbonation. 

Recipe

Combine together:

.5 oz Bulleit Rye (95 Proof)

1 oz Broadbent 10 Year Verdelho Madeira

1 oz H&H 10 Year Sercial Madeira

Stir, then top with:

2 oz Malta India (or Malta Goya)

14.0% ABV

Ingredient Notes: Madeira comes in various sweetness levels, the really sweet ones are too sugary for my tastes in this. Sercial is the driest and Verdelho is off-dry, but find ones that work for your palate.

Tasting Notes

Smell - The vanilla/oak of the rye leads. Rich dried fruit behind it. There is some maltiness there, but definitely tastes like a really aged-out barleywine without any fresh graininess. Boozy, hotter than I'd expect from an English barleywine.

Appearance - Deep leathery brown. Good clarity. No head.

Taste - The Maderia really gives it an "aged" character, lots of raisin and date. The Sercial especially gives it a fun oxidative weirdness, and a faint acidity. There is a "sugary" sweetness, along with some alcohol warmth. Subtle bitterness.

Mouthfeel - Almost flat, "barrel sample" generously. Not quite as full as a real barleywine, but not watery or thin by any means.

Drinkability - This is one of the more evocative ones, really has a lot of the flavors you'd expect from a barrel-aged barleywine. It's a little sweet for me, but so are a lot of barleywines.

Changes for Next Time - Wish it had a little more carbonation. Otherwise it really satisfies that English Barleywine itch.

Sherry Shrub...  Flemish Sour Red/Oud Bruin

One of the classic inclusions in the microbe blend for Flemish Red/Browns (e.g., Wyeast Roeselare) is Sherry Flor. This oxidative yeast forms the pellicle on sherry and produces the characteristics aldehydes that give sherry a nutty/fruity aroma. Oloroso is more "microbe" forward, funkier, while PX is more sweet and dried fruit (especially raisin). The acidity of the grapes needs a little help to mimic the classic examples of the style, so inspired by shrubs I added both vinegar and kombucha. The blend of sherries, sweetness of the kombucha, and amount of vinegar are all variables you can adjust. 

Recipe

Combine together: 

.5 oz Lustau Oloroso Sherry

.5 oz Lustau PX Sherry

.25 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

Stir, then top with:

3 oz Wild Bay Elderberry Kombucha

4.6% ABV

Ingredient Notes: The kombucha choice is tricky, a cherry kombucha is a nice choice if you are looking to replicate a fruited version of the style. For my palate I'd avoid those kombucha with stevia or other non-sugar sweeteners. Cream Sherry is a blend of Oloroso and PX and could be a stand-alone replacement (although you the flexibility or tweaking your blend). 

Tasting Notes

Smell - Fun mix of red fruit and raisins. A little oak/almond. The elderberry works well compared to some other kombuchas since it isn't as distinct as cherry, strawberry et al. I like the Wild Bay since it doesn't have stevia or other non-sugar sweeteners.

Appearance - Clear, more amber than red. Color is about right. Not much foam.

Taste - Pleasantly sweet. Tart, with just a touch of vinegar. It has a good blend of fresh and dried fruit flavors, plum, fig, raisin etc. A little oaky. Has that classic Belgian Red balance with sugar balancing the acid.

Mouthfeel - Medium body, pleasant low carbonation.

Drinkability - This is a super interesting result for low ABV.

Changes for Next Time - Misses the maltiness of the real version, but it has the fruitiness, acid, oak, age. For a low ABV cocktail it really delivers, with the fermentation of the kombucha helping stretch the Sherry.

Espresso Martini... Coffee Stout

Flavored beers are one of the "easiest" points of entry since they already have big flavors that aren't from malt, hops, or yeast. That said, it seemed like a waste of time to make a smoothie sour cocktail. Coffee stout is still a stout, and seemed like a nice place to work in bourbon since it usually includes some barley and brings big oak aromatics that work well in stouts. A little Malta again provides body, sweetness, and a touch of carbonation. 

Recipe

Combine together:

4 oz Cold Brew Coffee

1 oz Kahlua

1 oz Bourbon

Stir, then top with:

2 oz Malta India

7.5% ABV

Ingredient Notes: I should probably have sourced a "better" coffee liquor, but Kahlua is what we had on hand. Homemade cold brew would work just as well, if not better. 

Tasting Notes

Smell - Big coffee nose, with some vanilla. It reads caramel malty, but not roasty.

Appearance - Deep brown, with red at the edges when held to the light.

Taste - Has a pleasant sweetness, certainly sweeter than a typical coffee stout thanks to the simple sugars. Nice note of bourbon woody/vanilla in the finish

Mouthfeel - Medium body, light carbonation.

Drinkability - I really like this one, more coffee-focused than a stout usually is, but the other notes round it out.

Changes for Next Time - I think this one straddles the line between traditional coffee stout and pastry stout. A little sugary compared to a classic stout.

Conclusion

This has been fun for me to work on the last couple months. I'll probably make a Part #2 if there is interest... already playing around with a West Coast Grapefruit IPA, Pastry Stout plus plans for Wit, Rauchbier, and Saison! 

Shoot me a line if you try any of these out, or if you have suggestions or other ideas!