Articles
With the recent release in No Time To Die, Daniel Craig’s last Bond film, I thought this would be a good time to think about men’s style.
One of the things that most interested me about the movie from a style perspective is how many different outfits and settings we saw. The contemporary Bond doesn’t just do tuxedos, he dresses appropriately, and stylishly, for every occasion. Thus, instead of specific outfits, here are ten things I think can help you keep a consistently well-put-together...
Spoiler Alert: This review is a discussion of No Time To Die, 2021’s James Bond Film. I’ll be talking about substantial parts of the plot. If you want to see it, but haven’t, here is my one-paragraph, spoiler-free version:
No Time To Die is, in my view, the best Bond film to date. It has all of the usual components: exotic locales, awesome style, and fast-paced action with gorgeous cars. More importantly, though, it’s a Bond film for today’s complicated world, and Daniel Craig’s last...
With at least parts of the world getting back to normal as COVID19 gets more under control, a lot of us are going back to the office. I recently did so, teaching on campus for the first time in over a year, and it’s been a bit of an adjustment. Here, I want to share some of my experiences as some tools and tips that I think will make the transition a little easier for you.
With the weather finally cooling down a bit, it’s a great time to start considering heartier spirits. This week at my local liquor store, the guys behind the counter recommend Einstock’s Toasted porter. As usual for my reviews, I’ll go over the maker of the spirit first. From there, I get into my tasting notes on the drink, and, finally, conclude with some notes on how I plan to enjoy it.
Porters are a generally dark beer that comes in at a little higher alcohol content than, say, a Lager...
As an academic who teaches both political science and computer science, this is has been an interesting week as my two academic fields have collided in real life. So, I thought this would be a good chance to examine what, exactly, Bitcoin is, and why China has recently banned trading it and other cryptocurrencies.
Let’s get the technical definitions out of the way first. Bitcoin, like other cryptocurrencies, are currencies, or coins, that are based on technologies that cross-verify...
In 1930, the Indiana Bell Building was rotated a full 90 degrees in order to allow for construction of a second building. Even more impressive? The building was rotated without disturbing the people working inside, allowing normal business to continue throughout the course of the rotation. The move took an entire month, and the building moved at a breakneck pace of 15 inches per hour. Since the crews didn’t have access to the technologies we have today, most of the moving power came from...
Taking this series in a somewhat new direction, I’m taking a look at a beer this week. Specifically, I want to consider craft beers that you can still find in your local stores without too much effort. That way, this isn’t just some academic exercise, and you can try these out for yourself.
As usual, I’ll start with some information about the drink. From there, I’ll jump into tasting procedures, which are a little different between beer and spirits. After that, I’ll offer some of my...
As a home chef, I’ll maintain that it’s way more about skills and effort than it is about spending money. But, as you develop your skills, you will begin to outgrow the gear you have and might find yourself looking for some new stuff to upgrade in the kitchen.
Here, I’ll offer ten things that have helped me improve my culinary results, and why I’ve made the leap on each of them to get better meals consistently.
Today, I’m doing something new and reviewing a Tequila. In particular, Tequila Mi Campo’s Reposado. Despite this being a new kind of spirit for these reviews, the format will be essentially the same. I’m excited to branch out this review series: you can read it as a kind of guide to building your at-home-bar
I’ll start the review with a little bit about the brand and the drink, followed by my procedure for tasting to try and be consistent across spirits. From there, I’ll offer my tasting...
As an academic in addition to being a writer, one of my greatest pleasures is sharing books that I’ve found interesting with others. Here, I want to share ten of those with you. I don’t follow any one theme or genre, but here are some works that have been influential in how I see the world today.
I was supposed to do a tequila review this week. That was the plan until I walked into my local liquor store (try to support small businesses when you can) and was presented with a truly phenomenal deal on Kraken rum, which was being offered one a buy-one, get-one deal. Not being one to turn up my nose at a free bottle of rum, here we are. Tequila will come next week, I promise!
As always, with these, I start off with what knowledge I can find out about the spirit. From there, I walk...
An astronaut team of 4 civilians successfully touched back down in the Atlantic ocean Saturday (9/19) evening after orbiting Earth for three days. The mission, known as Inspiration 4, consisted of a data engineer, a community college professor, a physician assistant, and a billionaire that financed the operation. None of the crew members are professional astronauts, making it the first ever mission to go to orbit without a professional astronaut on board.
The Crew Dragon capsule carrying...
Throughout my life, I’ve been fortunate to get to travel a fair bit. I’ve seen a dozen countries and about half of the US, and will finally see the Pacific Ocean in a few weeks with a trip to Seattle for a work conference. In those travels, I’ve experienced a lot of things I wish that I’d have known sooner. Today, I want to share ten of those with you.
With the start of the new school year, it was pretty clear that I’d have a lot to do. Currently, I’m teaching five classes at two different universities, wrapping up my dissertation in political theory, and writing fairly actively for a number of clients. All of that, combined with maintaining a decent life and a relationship with my partner meant that I’d have to make the most of every day to make it work.
Usually, I’m not a morning person at all. I’ve never been late to work or class in...
You may have succumbed to the griddle craze that’s taking over the wish lists of backyard chefs, or maybe you’re old school and are sticking to the propane or charcoal grill. Either way, there are some tools you’ll need to impress anyone that will be eating your creations.
As of September 5, 2021, the United States has largely withdrawn from Afghanistan after two decades of combatting the Taliban. The Taliban have now become the de facto government in the country, leaving many to question what happened and how the US came to become so involved in a twenty-year war.
In this piece, I plan to do just that. First, I’ll cover some of the basic facts and figures of the war. From there, I’ll trace the history of US involvement in Afghanistan, with an eye to...
As you all know by now, I love cooking. I’ve also been blessed in life with an Argentine partner who loves red meat and red wine. When you combine my hobby with her love of the good things in life, I have the opportunity to experiment and make some awesome food. These short ribs are now, by far, my favorite way to consume beef.
A brief note for my fellow Americans: these ribs are not what you usually think of when you think ribs. Instead of long-way cut racks of ribs, beef short ribs are...
At this point in my life, I’ve been studying and teaching philosophy for a decade. In that time, I’ve also grown from a student into an experienced teacher who mentors others on a daily basis.
Over that time, there have been lots of works that have influenced the way I understand myself, the world, and the people in it. I’m not going to pretend it’s a ten-best list or something like that: there are simply too many excellent books out there for me to make that claim.
Instead, here are ten...
One of my favorite dishes at Chinese restaurants has always been egg drop soup. Especially with some Crab Rangoons, it’s one of the better appetizers in the good industry, at least in my opinion. But, most home chefs don’t bother trying to make it themselves.
Today, I’m going to walk you through making egg drop soup that stands up well even to restaurant quality, and you’ll see that it’s pretty simple. First, we’ll start with ingredients, then walk through the process, and I’ll wrap up...
COVID restrictions have made travel to and from Mexico more difficult for the average traveler, and after a recent trip I thought it would be worth noting some of things you’ll need to make the trip easier. I had a great trip, but there were significantly more hoops to jump through than my normal international travel. I compiled a list of the 10 most important items you need to ensure your trip goes as smoothly as possible.