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Longhornmaniac8

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Posts posted by Longhornmaniac8

  1. On 7/3/2020 at 2:30 PM, TexArcher said:

    So Longhornmaniac8 and I finally got together on Steam to rewrite the Cold War with Twilight Struggle. 

    It was a back-and-forth tug-of-war with neither superpower getting close to the knockout during 10 rounds over 3.5 hours, so it went to the judges' scorecards, and...

    It's a draw, which is damn near impossible.  Gawd damn, that was tense and awesome!

    It was a bizzare, epic, really fucking awesome game!

    • Like 1
  2. On 6/15/2020 at 6:56 AM, NoName said:

    mind sharing some recs in that $30ish+ range?

    Sure. 

    GH Mumm is a real solid choice in that range, as is the Montaudon that I've found at Total Wine. Moet and Chandon and Perrier Jouet are both closer to $40, but are also nice. With 10% discounts for bulk purchases you can back either of those down into the $35 range. Piper Heidsieck is solid, too, as is the standard Tattinger.

    Those are just some of the better known labels, but there are tons of smaller producers that you can find that won't have the notoriety that are just as good.

    In general, you can get some great Cremants which have a lot of the same characteristics as traditional Champagne for half the price. Cremants are often better value than Champagne, especially if you're looking for a solid, easy-to-drink everyday bubbly. There's a time and place for the Krugs and Doms of the world, but unless you're Surly 0.01%, it's not an every day occasion. Doesn't mean there aren't still good options out there.

    I suppose it's not super surprising, but you can find some decent, if not simple bubbly in the $15-20 range (especially for proseccos and brut cavas), and stepping it up to $20-30 will get you into some nicer Cremants. $30-40 is going to be predominantly the basic labels for the major houses (see above, M&C, Perrier Jouet, Tattinger, Pol Roger, etc), and once you get to around $50 you're starting to get into some higher end Champagnes.

    • Like 1
  3. For whites, it may be borderline heretical, but I think the Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio is a good value at the $9 or whatever it usually costs. 

    For Sauv blancs, Matua is nice, Kim Crawford is a quintessential Marlborough (though I find them not super consistent year to year...some vintages are really good and others miss), and if you want to splurge up to the $25 range, Cloudy Bay is good, as well. There are also some good Chilean sauv blancs like Casiellero del Diablo (Concha y Toro) that aren't quite as peppery as the Marlboroughs are.

    I'm a big fan of bubbly, and don't think it should be reserved for special occasions. For $18-20, the JCB No. 21 is an awesome value, and great example of a traditional method (Methode Champenoise) Cremant. Chandon Brut is, for $15, not bad, either. In general, though, you gain a lot with bubbly by stepping up into the $30 range, in my opinion.

    • Like 1
  4. 8 minutes ago, Etexhorn13 said:

    One more thing... after reading my last post, is it possible to talk about wine without sounding like a huge douchebag? I’m not so sure it is...

    It is not, but c'est la vie.

    For anyone who isn't aware of it, the phone app Vivino is a pretty awesome resource with tasting notes and ratings/reviews. You just take a picture of the bottle and it'll tell you what you need to know.

    You can also search for specific varietals and/or characteristics, and even filter by a specific price range.

    For OP, as far as stuff to drink in that price range, there are some great malbecs/malbec blends in that price. Terrazas Reserva may be just a touch higher, depending on where you shop, but it's a really nice Malbec. I was recommended a Malbec/Syrah blend called Perlita that's firmly in that price range and is badass, especially after it opens up.

    Meomi is a good bet, but the pinot snobs apparently have low opinions of it. I say fuck them. Seems you can usually find it for $15-16 now.

    Other wine in that price range I enjoy is the McManis Petit Syrah. It needs to decant, but once it does it's really nice for that price point. There are also plenty of South Australian shirazes to be found in that price range.

    Find a nice Rosso de Montepulciano. They'll be $15-20, and pack every bit the punch that a Rosso de Montalcino does, for half the price. The two towns are across a valley from one another in Tuscany, both Sangiovese grapes. Total Wine is a great place for these.

    I'm not much of a Cab drinker; it's just a bit too tannic for my liking.

    • Like 2
  5. Went to Interstellar again. Brisket is still absolutely on point. I even find myself really enjoying the lean, which is something I don't usually say. Had a link of jalapeno popper and a link of their Texano sausage, both really good.

    I love their smoked habanero vinegar for the pulled pork. Really adds a layer.

    At this point, I feel like I've had it enough times to declare them consistent, which means I'd probably put them in my top 4 in Austin (with Franklin, LA BBQ, and Micklethwait). It's a real gem out here in suburbia.

    I still need to make it down to Valentina's, though.

    • Like 2
  6. On 5/31/2020 at 10:30 PM, bad_teammate said:

    Whether or not I have personally eliminated voting for Trump doesn't change the math of the vote itself.

    So no, the net effect of voting for Trump and not voting for Trump are not the same. Do the math again. You could argue that a non-vote is something like a half-vote for Trump, but it's literally not the same mathematically. It makes zero sense.

    BT votes Trump: Biden 200, Trump 201
    BT doesn't vote: Biden 200, Trump 200
    BT votes Biden: Biden 201, Trump 200

    Eliminating the top option doesn't yield the same result in either direction. A vote for Trump from me means Biden needs 2. A non-vote means he needs 1. A vote for Biden means Biden needs 0.

    You're using bad logic and worse rhetoric.

    You're such a pedant.

    In an instance where you're a literal tiebreaking vote, yes. But when 45% has a hard on for Trump, 40% for Biden, and there are 15% like you, a non-vote is a vote for Trump. I'll let you guess which one is more representative of reality.

    Be better.

  7. At the regional scum level, our July pairings put us at 50% block hours YOY. I was shocked to see that so quickly. Still very much in wait and see mode with respect to potential furloughs, but at just a shade under 75%, I think I'm going to be really close to the cutting line if they do.

  8. 13 minutes ago, bad_teammate said:

    This doesn't make any sense. There's no logic here.

    If you think there is play it out. Then apply that same logic to this statement: "Not voting at the top is a vote for Biden."

    Let me know if you maintain logical consistency.

    It's not rocket science. In any US presidential election, there are only two candidates that can win. There are two ways you can make a candidate one vote closer to victory. 1) You can vote for the candidate, which reduces their required vote total to win by one vote; 2) You can not vote for their opponent, thereby making the candidate's vote total required one vote lower, as they no longer need a vote to cancel yours out. Not voting is exactly the same as voting either third party or a write-in; you're taking a vote away from the opponent, which means the candidate is one vote closer to a majority.

    You've already made clear you won't vote for Trump. Which means you'll either vote for Biden or not vote. Those are your three options, of which you've eliminated one. So for you, your choices are vote for Biden or not vote at all. Voting for Biden is self-explanatory. Not voting requires Trump get one fewer vote in Texas, which has the exact same net effect as voting for Trump.

    More accurately, not voting is a vote for the eventual winner, but in your instance, by eliminating one of your voting choices, you're left with only two options. The effects of each are equal and opposite.

    Your statement is a strawman in this scenario, however it would be true if applied to a person who would only vote for Trump or not vote.

  9. 20 minutes ago, bad_teammate said:

    For which office? Do you guys know there are positions in government other than president? Did you know that those offices are actually a lot more relevant to your lives and the lives of your neighbors than president?

    If Biden takes back saying he will veto M4A: Biden at the top and straight-ticket D downballot
    If Biden doesn't take back saying he will veto M4A: No one at the top and straight-ticket D downballot

    There is not a circumstance in which I would ever vote for a Republican candidate to major office, much less Donald Trump.

    It's never happened and it never will. I know this bothers a lot of you, but that's just how it is.

    Tell me about your voting history.

    Not voting at the top is a vote for Trump. You clearly don't understand anything about game theory.

    But by all means, carry on with your platitudes. And I've never voted for a single R in my voting life, so you can't pull that card on me.

  10. 11 hours ago, StassneyHorn said:

    Yea I went out a few times to Lockhart what feels like a month ago when we first started those lessons and it was a mini adventure. Gonna hit it hard Tuesday and see what I can get under control

    Something else to try: do low approaches. I think students get so fixated on landing they forget how much control they still have. Go out with an instructor and have them work the power so that you're basically doing slow flight down the runway. That way all you have to do is focus on controlling the yoke, and making those corrections to maintain centerline. As you start feeling those control inputs, you'll start building muscle memory. Then when it comes time to actually land, you'll still do the same things.

    But you need to create an environment where you're not focused on those last "5-10 seconds." If you know you're not landing, you'll be more inclined to keep flying the plane.

    • Like 1
  11. 12 hours ago, TexArcher said:

    Yep -- since my original post that you quoted I've gone down the rabbit hole of these games.  Twilight Struggle has found a place in my top 5.  Hell, it's probably 1 or 2.

    We could play on Steam sometime...

    I'm down!

  12. On 9/26/2019 at 8:40 PM, TexArcher said:

    Thanks for the tip.

    I played a LOT of Axis and Allies in college.  I've been thinking about getting a newer turn-based strategy game.  I'd like to find something fairly deep that doesn't take 10 hours and would be easy to find others to play with.

    Any thoughts on Terra Mystica, Castles of Burgundy, or others?

    Have you played Twilight Struggle? It's another 2-player turn-based strategy game. Lots of fun, deep, with multiple layers of strategy, and lots of really interesting history to be learned. There is also a version on Steam.

    It's my favorite 2-player game.

  13. 2 hours ago, StassneyHorn said:

    Had my stage review lesson before getting ready to solo and absolutely bombed last week. Things that came easy first time through like stalls were just a disaster. Pushing the sticks way too far in on recovery rather than leveling out and causing “oh shit” descents, no power on the power off stall recoveries. Completely blanking on emergency landing ABCs. Even lost something like 500’ on a steep turn. Still forgetting details on communications.Not sure if my expectations are just high or if I fucked up pretty bad through 8 flight lessons. Should’ve came in more focused.

    Going in tomorrow evening and hoping to put this past me. Would love to solo by end of next week, need to put this behind me now, just have to be confident in what I know.

    Hope you guys working have something steady, or at least some cargo leads.

    Don't stress about it. We all have bad days, even us professional pilots. I had a bad day in the sim a couple of months ago. Life goes on.

    Everything you did wrong there is both normal and easily correctable. Truly. The maneuvers are as much muscle memory than any sport is. Repetition is the key, so keep after it.

    The steep turns are, in my opinion, the hardest thing to master. Remember that as your bank angle increases, your lift, which in straight flight is all in the vertical direction, begins to change to both vertical and horizontal. Necessarily, this means your overall vertical lift vector decreases, which requires more back pressure to keep level flight. Trim helps immensely. I taught my students to trim the hell out of it. This helps offset some of the required back pressure (or all, if you get enough in there).

    And as an instructor, I'd always rather see a student jerk the nose too far forward on a stall because it shows me they understand the way to correct it is to reduce the angle of attack. Just a little more practice will get that "oh shit" panic blood pressure spike out when the nose buffets and breaks, and you'll realize you can apply a smooth corrective nose-down input and break the stall without being in a nose dive.

    • Like 1
  14. A good while back on the old board, I made a post about piri piri chicken in Austin. My prayers were answered in the form of Tio Pepe, located in Lincoln Village at 290 and 35 (I refuse to call it whatever they're calling it now). It's a local restaurant, with outstanding reviews, and truly terrific food. He's cut back a lot on staffing, and could really use the patronage.

    If you're looking for an extremely flavorful, healthy option, I can't recommend it enough.

    https://www.tiopepechicken.com/

     

    • Like 2
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