Pu-erh Do Kung Fu Tea Ceremony

Pu-er tea has a history dating back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 - 220 AD). It's a green (raw) or fermented (cooked) tea that is aged for a minimum of 10 years (preferably 30) and tastes like no other tea on earth. It is smooth, rich, and often reminiscent of organic (some say earthy) substances. One can buy it online and it comes loose, in bricks, balls, or more commonly, cakes that look like a discus.

It is brewed differently than ordinary tea. It is washed first with boiling water and then steeped several times starting with a short steep of about 90 seconds. For a good video of the Kung Fu technique go to this Youtube site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLcGch6koh4.

Purists like Gabe won't sweeten Pu-erh tea but more advanced tea-masters like Rachel and myself like a bit of brown sugar or, even better, high-quality light grade Canadian maple syrup. This is real maple syrup and has a very delicate flavor. Don't even think of using regular maple syrup.

We Don't Need No Stinking Badges

"Gold Hat", aka Alfonso Bedoya, explaining to H. Bogart and friends that he and his amigos did not think they had any particular need for badges since they were acting per suus auctorita, or in other words by their own authority, and because of this did not require validating credentials from any sort of government agency.

Bobby Riggs-BJ King Tennis Match

Many people like to point to the "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match of 1973 as one where a male chauvinist, i.e. Riggs, got his comeuppance on being beaten by a superior female player, i.e. Billy Jean King. It was my opinion at the time and still is that the match was FIXED. In other words Riggs lost on purpose. In support of this I offer the following facts and comments:

1. Riggs was not a MC but just a tennis hustler who saw his chance to get in the limelight and make some money. He was, in fact, all for women's tennis which was just then getting lots of attention and TV viewers. Many people besides women tennis players (such as tennis equipment suppliers, promoters, TV networks, coaches, etc.) were positioned to make a great deal of money by the rising popularity of the women's game. It stands to reason that there was considerable external (and maybe internal) pressure on Riggs to not discredit women's tennis.

2. Riggs had already beaten Margret Smith Court, the number one rated woman tennis player in the world 6-2. 6-1. How do you blow the number one player off the court and lose badly to a lesser (well, number 2) player????

3. When the King match was over these opposite sex matches were dropped like a hot potato and nothing more was heard from Riggs except praise for women's tennis in general and BJK in particular.

4. Last but by far not least, Bobby Riggs was famous for his ball control and generally recognized as having the greatest lob in tennis history. These abilities were good enough for him to be number one in the world for 3 years in 1940s and win numerous tournaments like Wimbledon and the US Open-not just in singles but also in doubles and mixed doubles.

Many times in the match BJK came to the net and he lobbed. If I remember correctly, all but one of many lobs came right down to BJK at the net so she could hit a easy overhead winner. The greatest lobber in the history of the game could not get the ball over the head of a 5', 4 1/2" woman in numerous tries!?!?! No rational person could ever believe that, and it alone is very strong evidence that Riggs threw the match.

Prairie Village Yacht Club

As president and founding member of the Prairie Village Yacht Club (PVYC) I am pleased to announce we are now accepting applications for membership (my blood relatives will of course receive a generous 10% discount from the customary $2000.00 membership fee).

PS We will be opening the bar one of these days. It will probably go by the name "The Hotsy Totsy Club and Live Bait Shop" but we are also accepting other suggestions.

Gav and Cym in Bermuda

Asparagus and Urine Odor

Most (but not all) people who eat asparagus subsequently void urine that has a strange funky odor. Chemists have addressed this phenomenon, of course, and have proposed the compounds shown in the accompanying photo. Some researchers have suggested that methylmercaptan and the sulfides and disulfides on the top line are responsible for the odor. However, we (and by that I mean I) know better. Those compounds probably contribute to the aroma but are clearly not the whole story to a chemist having experience with sulfur compounds. The main component of the urine odor is due to the 2 thioesters (structures I and II) shown in the center. They probably arise from the metabolism of methylmethionine (anion not shown) and asparagusic acid seen on the bottom line.

Sparkie and Soukie

Marilee's cats Sparkie and Soukie

Roger & Gallet Blue Carnation Perfume

Blue Carnation perfume is a spicy-floral (think carnations, vanilla, cloves, and bay rum) number that is outstandingly great smelling and much sought-after by antique perfume aficionados and is considered by experts to be by far the greatest soliflore carnation perfume ever made. Antique because it was created in 1937 and hasn't been made since the mid-sixties (??); a fact that is incomprehensible to those who know what it smells like.

Much chat about BC can be found on http://www.100perfumes.com/forums/Perfume/m13742.htm Someone says Lorenzo Villerosi "Garafano" is similar, or at least carnation based, and good. Others say Bellogia and Floris' Malmaison are in the ballpark. BUT NOBODY CLAIM ANYTHING TO BE AS GOOD OR BETTER THAN BC.

I, myself, looked for it for 3 decades without success until I discovered some on ebay a few years ago. Since then I have bought about 6 bottles, most recently on Sept 25, 2006 (today). I outbid the likes of exec_extreme, barbedwyer, chmfm, and a very determined and tough pkwhammy. None of them had a chance because the luvcat got his dander up and I got 8oz of BC for only a few hundred dollars-far less than my high bid.

Why do I do it? Because my first 2 girlfriends Jackie and Nancy wore it (because I gave it to them)and I wanted it to remind me of them. But mainly because I love the scent now as much as I did when I first smelled it decades ago.

MYSTERY WOMAN

Who is this woman???

Vivy

Is your 6 week-old granddaughter this cute?

I DON'T THINK SO.