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