a. wasnt sure its “old news” AND
b. if its not “old news” is it appropriate to speculate on names here?

[Mod Note; it is yesterday’s news.]

Hmmm, this is actually turning into something …

JCusack or TRobbins — PFitzgerald

was that Naomi Watts, chameleon and fine actress? — VPlame

JBridges — JWilson

PSHoffman (like this call!)— Cheney

Jack (this one too!) — Armitage

I had James Woods as Novak, but someone else’s suggestion of Scorscese would be interesting. William Shatner as the seemingly hammy Karl Rove.

And, at six feet, six inches no doubt in Ferragamos, definitely Samuel Jackson as Condi Rice! Would I ever pay to see that. (Or failing Sam, then Angela Bassett, definitely.)

i say Yes!
plus at cinnamonape’s suggestion, Eddie Murphy vs. Samuel Jackson deathmatch to play Condilezza.

Notta Flatlander @
137

Enough already. The Coffee Myths and Misconceptions Digest:

1. If you’re going to start talking about caramel pink sugar hector machiatos whatevers, you aint talking about coffee. If you want to call it coffee flavored beverage or something I guess that might be okay.

I’m confused. Are you spreading misconceptions or attempting to refute them? The coffee bean is at the base of all coffee drinks. You sound as if you thing there is One True Coffee and the others are somehow fake. Coffee brewing practices vary all over the world and the same beans will produce a variety of different “drinks” based upon how they are made (compare drip to french press to turkish (ect). Which one do you consider “real” coffee? The stuff made in the Bunn at work? The drinks that most people think of when they go to Starbucks are based upon Espresso which is a very strong/concentrated coffee produced with a specific grind/temperature/time/pressure. But at the root is the bean. Most Americans haven’t developed a taste for straight espresso, so take it in a diluted or flavored form. They have nothing to apologize for. It’s not like the difference between real cheese and “processed cheese food product”.

Notta Flatlander @
137

2. The “burnt” taste many people describe is due as much to drinking arabica for the first time, when used to bland robusto.

Horsehockey. NOBODY in the specialty coffee business uses Robusta. Starbucks tastes burnt compared to coffee that is not over-roasted. There was a time in the U.S. when everyone roasted their own coffee on their stovetops. Most people drank light roast or medium roast coffee long ago. Green beans keep longer and the coffee tastes better the fresher it is to newly-roasted (aromatics begin to leave the bean in as little as a few days. The Starbucks you buy has been in the warehouse chain for months. If you buy pre-ground you are losing even more flavor faster.

Notta Flatlander @
137

3. The flavor depends very much on the variety and where it was grown. Even more, the particular _portion_ of the property makes a tasteable difference. In wine they speak of terroir. I dunno what coffee phreaks call it but there must be a similar term.

This is true, but it has nothing to do with what we are talking about. Any bean can be over-roasted, just like any flavor cookie can be burnt. It doesn’t matter what flavor cookie (or bean) it is: if it is over-roasted it is going to taste burnt. (Or as the roasters say, you taste the character of the “roast” more than the character of the bean. That’s because eventually (roast it dark enough) and it all tastes like charcoal. If you want to taste the character of the bean you don’t dark roast it. (There are light and medium roasts, as well). Starbucks just about singlehandedly made the U.S. think that “burnt” coffee = “connisseur’s coffee” by virtue of its higher price. But they did so because (like any franchise) they strive for consistency with a variable taste product (the beans, as you correctly mentioned). How do you make it taste consistent? Over-roast it, so no matter where the bean comes from, it tastes the same (close to charcoal).

But absolutely, beans taste different and the wine comparison is a very good one. The same variety on the same land can taste different from year to year, just like a grape.

Notta Flatlander @
137

4. The perceived “strength” depends on the variety, the roast and the proportions as well as brewing method (stea, water, water temp, steep time..)

Yes, and don’t forget the fineness of the grind. People who don’t know what they are doing can ruin a shot of espresso by letting it drip too long into the glass (imparting bitterness from the end of the shot). With espresso machines the amount of pressure and time it takes to pull the shot make a diffence (and vary from manufacturer/model to manufacturer/model.

I highly recommend attending a “cupping” if your local specialty coffee shop ever offers one. You will see firsthand how a Sumatran bean tastes different than a Kenyan, or one from another part of the world. They can have different degrees of acid (coffee with no acid is like soda with no carbonation), body (mouthfeel), ect.

137

5. I generally prefer locvally owned shops (since moving to PDX, I am delighted at the number of them here!) but you can’t get good crema unless the machine is in near constant use. Which mostly happens at the ‘Bucks. Really – the flavor and texture differ from the SAME MACHINE can vary.

I’m with you all the way on local places. Big franchise does not necessarily equal quality ingredients or knowledgable baristas.

See the bitterness comment above. The point of a commercial machine is to stay consistent, but it may be dependent upon the skill of the shot-pulling barista. Starbucks tries to overcome this by using totally automatic machines. A chimp could make espresso their way. You push a button. But it won’t top one made by a barista who knows what they are doing.

Notta Flatlander @
137

Whatever your personal preferences, you really should seek out and buy only fair trade coffee.

Please. You have fallen victim to a marketing program. This is one of the biggest myths out there. Not that you won’t find a lot of people touting your line.

For those serious about coffee, discover CoffeeGeek.com (especially the forums).

I don’t understand what is taking so long! There has to be a hold out. The case is pretty straightforward. Either you conclude that 9 people all misremembered the same thing or you conclude that Libby lied.

If Libby had only heard it once from Cheney & then it was never brought up again, then sure, he “might” have forgotten it. But, the 2 of them were totally focused on getting Wilson during that whole time – it’s just not plausible that he forgot. He remebers the smallest details about his talk with Ari but can’t remember that he outed a NOC? Get real!

froggermarch @ 42

You know who, oddly, Fitz looks like in that picture?

Norm McDonald, formerly of Saturday Night Live.

I totally see it!

Now and then I watch ‘24.’ this morning going into work saw a guy who looked just like the renegade white house employee who detonated the device that did ‘whatever happened last night’ to ‘president palmer #2.’ MOMENTARY DISLOCATION/DISORIENTATION!
sorry for being so ridiculously OT.

WOuld FItzgerald retry? Would Libby plea bargain?

I remember five or ten years ago there was a barge of stinking garbage motoring around in the Atlantic, and perhaps other oceans, looking for a place to land. No country would allow it to land, so it just kept moving and looking.

Cheney now reminds me of that barge of garbage.

OH NO! (FINN*) Cheney’s plane veered away from National Airport when it was learned that a subpoena was awaiting his arrival. The plane, nearly out of fuel, was last seen flying over the Bermuda Triangle. . .

*(FINN = Feverishly Imagined News Network)

But I would rather that the story ends with [redacted for the commenter’s own good by CHS], and not with Cheney somewhere in another Undisclosed Location, from which he might yet return!

Bob in HI

JCusack or TRobbins — PFitzgerald

was that Naomi Watts, chameleon and fine actress? — VPlame

JBridges — JWilson

PSHoffman (like this call!)— Cheney

Jack (this one too!) — Armitage

I had James Woods as Novak, but someone else’s suggestion of Scorscese would be interesting. William Shatner as the seemingly hammy Karl Rove.

And, at six feet, six inches no doubt in Ferragamos, definitely Samuel Jackson as Condi Rice! Would I ever pay to see that. (Or failing Sam, then Angela Bassett, definitely.)

I’ll be seeing a Senator tonight [no, not THAT way]. He/she is one of the good people.

Any questions? Other than what I’m wearing?

Black cashmere, sapphires.

Yes: Why are the Democrats so gutless about impeachment???

And why isn’t Conyer’s Judiciary subcommittee on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights doing its job???? I mean, like, its only got about a thousand pages of evidence it should be looking at, in front of the CSPAN cameras, meanwhile issuing subpoenas right and left to imperial lawyer Alberto Gonzales, and all the other folks discussed in Conyers’ book last year????

Sez Bob in HI,
waxing indignantly