Reviews that you can use - if you're me
Stone Mill Pale Ale, Green Valley Brewing Co. This is a new organic that I picked up at Richburn; they had a lager, but I'm partial to ales. It's good and malty, with a good hop balance; not sweet at all, but not overpoweringly bitter. Doesn't mind going for that "rustic" taste. Worth checking out the others in the line...it's not as good as Sam Smith's organic, but possibly better than Wolaver's. Rating: B+.
Alba Moisturizing Cream Shave, Alba Organics. Yes, an organic shaving cream, found by my DW as she browsed at the grocery store one day. You use a small dab, and it doesn't foam up at all - it stays as a thick gel consistency, which makes it difficult to get out of my razor at times (I shave in the shower), but it does give a clean, close, and comfortable shave. The scented version (coconut lime) is not actually offensive, which is unusual for tubes of stinky bath stuff. Price may be prohibitive. Nothing to do with Jessica Alba, much to my chagrin. Rating: B.
Gonesh Cones No. 8 ("Perfumes of a Spring Mist"), Geneico Inc. I really enjoy incense. It's a bit off-putting to have to buy it with the stoner gear at Spencer's, since I don't do weed, but there you are. (They have weed-scented incense now. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? Doesn't that kind of ruin the whole idea?) Gonesh is the best I've found. The cones are hard to light (it requires a lighter; matches don't do it), but the scents are very good. No. 8 seems to have a great deal of lavender, which is a favorite scent of mine, and some unidentifiable wildflowers. Good to get back into it after getting a burner for Christmas. Rating: A-.
Hem Night Queen incense sticks, Hem Corp. These Indian imports are much easier to light, but the scent is a bit harsher and more woody. Still nice, but not as. Rating: C.
Doctor Who, BBC. I hadn't seen any of the Eccleston Who yet, but I popped over with crazieabby to werewulf's last night and got to see. Very much in the flavor of the series as it has run for decades, with better production values. Eccleston makes an excellent Doctor; sort of Tom Baker but more frenetic, and with an occasional mean streak à la Colin Baker. Rose is a great companion and yes, I agree with ksatyr and kdsorceress that she's quite yummy. Rating: A.
werewulf Household, werewulf & hubby, Uninc. And a shout-out for a lovely evening of hospitality and BBC geekery to my short-duration alternative wife werewulf as well as kdsorceress (who might have an acting job for me), tolkienkookad (hope your head is better), and hanger-on ksatyr, who spent the evening critiquing British accents and lusting after Billie Piper. I fail at not entering their house properly, for which I am filled with shame. Rating: A+, with dancing Suzurans shouting "Waha".
Leadership of the Congress of the United States, Democratic Party and various other for-profit corporations. You asked for them, you got them. Pelosi has taken impeachment "off the table". Now-Senator Ben Cardin, who campaigned as "against the war", now says to the Post, "The Democrats have to be careful not to fall into these traps that I think paralyzed the Republicans."* Y'know, like the war and all that messy stuff. Rating: D-.
* Full context comes from the sentence before: "To most Democratic lawmakers, such activism presents a quandary. House Republican leaders spent years trying to placate their conservative base with agendas built around opposition to same-sex marriage, antiabortion votes and tax cuts, said Sen.-elect Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.). The partisan tone enraged Democrats and ultimately alienated moderates and independents, who swept the GOP from power in November after a dozen years in control." Oh, dear! Remember, we can't say anything about illegal wars or illegal domestic spying or illegal suspension of habeas corpus actually being illegal! If we do, we might be out by 2018! Does this make you as sick to your stomach as it does me?
Alba Moisturizing Cream Shave, Alba Organics. Yes, an organic shaving cream, found by my DW as she browsed at the grocery store one day. You use a small dab, and it doesn't foam up at all - it stays as a thick gel consistency, which makes it difficult to get out of my razor at times (I shave in the shower), but it does give a clean, close, and comfortable shave. The scented version (coconut lime) is not actually offensive, which is unusual for tubes of stinky bath stuff. Price may be prohibitive. Nothing to do with Jessica Alba, much to my chagrin. Rating: B.
Gonesh Cones No. 8 ("Perfumes of a Spring Mist"), Geneico Inc. I really enjoy incense. It's a bit off-putting to have to buy it with the stoner gear at Spencer's, since I don't do weed, but there you are. (They have weed-scented incense now. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? Doesn't that kind of ruin the whole idea?) Gonesh is the best I've found. The cones are hard to light (it requires a lighter; matches don't do it), but the scents are very good. No. 8 seems to have a great deal of lavender, which is a favorite scent of mine, and some unidentifiable wildflowers. Good to get back into it after getting a burner for Christmas. Rating: A-.
Hem Night Queen incense sticks, Hem Corp. These Indian imports are much easier to light, but the scent is a bit harsher and more woody. Still nice, but not as. Rating: C.
Doctor Who, BBC. I hadn't seen any of the Eccleston Who yet, but I popped over with crazieabby to werewulf's last night and got to see. Very much in the flavor of the series as it has run for decades, with better production values. Eccleston makes an excellent Doctor; sort of Tom Baker but more frenetic, and with an occasional mean streak à la Colin Baker. Rose is a great companion and yes, I agree with ksatyr and kdsorceress that she's quite yummy. Rating: A.
werewulf Household, werewulf & hubby, Uninc. And a shout-out for a lovely evening of hospitality and BBC geekery to my short-duration alternative wife werewulf as well as kdsorceress (who might have an acting job for me), tolkienkookad (hope your head is better), and hanger-on ksatyr, who spent the evening critiquing British accents and lusting after Billie Piper. I fail at not entering their house properly, for which I am filled with shame. Rating: A+, with dancing Suzurans shouting "Waha".
Leadership of the Congress of the United States, Democratic Party and various other for-profit corporations. You asked for them, you got them. Pelosi has taken impeachment "off the table". Now-Senator Ben Cardin, who campaigned as "against the war", now says to the Post, "The Democrats have to be careful not to fall into these traps that I think paralyzed the Republicans."* Y'know, like the war and all that messy stuff. Rating: D-.
* Full context comes from the sentence before: "To most Democratic lawmakers, such activism presents a quandary. House Republican leaders spent years trying to placate their conservative base with agendas built around opposition to same-sex marriage, antiabortion votes and tax cuts, said Sen.-elect Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.). The partisan tone enraged Democrats and ultimately alienated moderates and independents, who swept the GOP from power in November after a dozen years in control." Oh, dear! Remember, we can't say anything about illegal wars or illegal domestic spying or illegal suspension of habeas corpus actually being illegal! If we do, we might be out by 2018! Does this make you as sick to your stomach as it does me?