Tuesday, May 14, 2013

J Boats race in St. Bart's

Maybe they should race these J Class boats in the America's Cup. 
Video by Onne Vanderwaal  Thanks to Stephen Lirakis

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Pasta with clams - Flexitarian




Pasta with Clams

by Mark Bittman
The key here is the decreased amount of pasta per serving: about 75 grams (3 ounces), which turns out to be satisfying without bloating. Serve with a salad and a vegetable, and you’re set.
TOTAL TIME
30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • 24 to 48 littleneck clams (the amount depends on size and your budget, or luck; in any case, more is better), scrubbed
  • Salt (probably not much) and pepper to taste
  • 12 ounces long pasta, like spaghetti or linguine
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, or more
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 2 cloves sliced garlic, or to taste
  • Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

PREPARATION

1.
Steam the clams in a covered pot (a glass top is very nice, voyeuristically speaking). You don’t need any liquid other than what the clams will release. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
2.
After the clams open — it could take as little as 10 minutes — uncover and cool. Take the meat out and strain and reserve the liquid; make sure to leave any sand behind. Chop the clams if they’re big.
3.
Cook the pasta in the boiling salted water. Put 1/4 cup olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. When the oil is warm, add the red pepper flakes and garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the clams and continue to cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved clam liquid.
4.
Drain the pasta when it’s nearly done and stir it into the clams. Cook, stirring, until the pasta is tender and the mixture is saucy. Add more clam-cooking liquid (or hot water or white wine), if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a little more oil if you like. Garnish, and serve.
YIELD
4 servings

Black and White and Red All Over - By Scott Atran | Foreign Policy

Tracking the overreaction by the police.  - GWC
Black and White and Red All Over - By Scott Atran | Foreign Policy
"While there is always the chance that investigators will find foreign connections and broader plots beyond the doings of the two men suspected in the Boston bombing, our knowledge about terrorism suggests that what we already know about the April 15 bombing does not justify the disproportionate and overwrought response, including the "global security alert" U.S. authorities issued through Interpol for 190 countries. Even if the suspected Boston bombers prove to be part of a larger network of jihadi wannabes, as were the 2005 London subway suicide bombers, or had planned more operations before dying in a blaze of glory, as did the 2004 Madrid train bombers, these would-be knights under the prophet's banner could never alone wreak the havoc that our reaction to them does."

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Monday, April 22, 2013

Richie Havens 1941-2013

Here comes the sun, just like a woman, freedom.  Nobody sang them like he did.  Richie Havens opened Woodstock.
The singer and guitarist Richie Havens opening the Woodstock Festival on Aug. 15, 1969.
Richie Havens at Woodstock 1969

Sunday, April 21, 2013

How to Fish the Maine Coast | BoatingLocal.com

One way to catch Maine stripers is to lob a live mackerel, or chunk of fresh mackerel, into the wash at the base of a rocky shoreline. You can either free-line the bait or add a small egg sinker ahead of the leader if the fish are holding near the bottom. Illustration by Paul Mirto, © 2010 Mirto Art Studio
How to Fish the Maine Coast | BoatingLocal.com:

The Pine Tree State is well known for its upland and big-game hunting, freshwater fishing, blueberries and steamed lobster, but its saltwater fishing can be a tough nut to crack. Maine’s marine fisheries present more challenges than the other New England states, and visiting anglers are often left scratching their heads when it comes time to break out the rods. Although dependable action with a short list of game fish is available, chasing down some of the other species requires more creativity.



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>>Fishermen's Voice Monthly Newspaper, Gouldsboro Maine

>>Fishermen's Voice Monthly Newspaper, Gouldsboro Maine: "What’s that?” my friend asked, pointing at some swirls in the water at the edge of the town dock in Bar Harbor. We stopped and watched for a while and soon, long, dark shapes became apparent. It was a school of fish, hundreds of 8- to 10-inch fish that acted with one accord, darting in and out from the protective cover of the pilings.

This was late December, but a spinning rod and some mackerel jigs remained stowed in the trunk of my car. Along with these was a bucket, used for transporting clams. If those fish, whatever they were, chose to bite, it looked like some great fun in store for me. "

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Thursday, April 18, 2013

LePage Spins Windmill Conspiracy Theory – Mike Tipping - BDN Maine Blogs


Paul LePage, the embarrassing Governor of Maine - elected with 39% thanks to the split vote made possible by Maine voters penchant for electing independents - has another whopper.  This time he claims the wind turbine at University of Maine Presque Isle in Aroostook County is a sham - run by a secret electric motor. - GWC 
LePage Spins Windmill Conspiracy Theory – Mike Tipping - BDN Maine Blogs:

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Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Tall Ship, Picton Castle, Delivers Adventure and Cargo in the South Pacific | gCaptain - Maritime & Offshore News

T/S Picton Castle under full sail. Tall Ship, Picton Castle, Delivers Adventure and Cargo in the South Pacific | gCaptain - Maritime & Offshore News: "LUNENBURG – Circling the world five times as part of her famed 30,000-mile circumnavigation voyages, the tall ship Picton Castle has often been called upon to deliver critically-needed goods, including medical supplies and thousands of pounds of donated books and educational materials, to remote island communities.

For Captain Daniel Moreland, founder of the award-winning sail training program, these impromptu cargo missions are valuable teaching moments – an opportunity to learn how to safely load, handle and stow cargo in the hold of this 179-foot sailing ship and practice global citizenship, with the bonus that such introductions ultimately lead to a more intimate experience of the people and places the ship visits, whether that’s an orphanage in Africa or a palm-covered atoll in the Pacific.

This summer, the Picton Castle and her crew of young professional mariners and trainees will spend 10 weeks providing much-needed shipping assistance in the heart of Polynesia. "

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Vermont Farmer Building Sailboat To Transport Produce To NYC: Gothamist

040313ceres_2.jpgVermont Farmer Building Sailboat To Transport Produce To NYC: Gothamist:
 "The city has lots of rooftop farms and greenmarkets for feeding your crippling ramps addiction, but a Vermont farmer wants to add produce-via-sailboat to the mix. Rice farmer Erik Andrus has begun a Kickstarter campaign to raise $15,000 to build a sailboat that would transport goods from the Green Mountain State down the Hudson River into New York City and the Lower Hudson. "We're looking to provide things into the urban marketplace that can't be officially produced there because they take up too much space," Andrus told WPTZ. "Here in rural New England, we have the space but we don't have the markets."
The 39 foot sailboat—named Ceres after the Roman goddess of agriculture and grain crops—is currently being built by an all volunteer crew of students and members of the community."



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