Arsenal!

http://store.unionlosangeles.com/products/monkey-fist-keychain

ill just leave this here.

LOL... http://www.etsy.com/listing/74872406/white-monkey-fist-key-chain-with-brass?ref=sr_gallery_2&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=monkey+fist&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

School is consuming my life...hardly have time to shoot. But looking outside my window couldn't let the storm go undocumented.

Looking to get a new folder for backpacking and a summer farming. Been considering between the Endura FFG and the Pacific Salt. Im a big flat ground fan, and have had good experiences with VG-10, but the Salt seems immensely rugged. Anyone have experience with the H-1 steel, or comments between the two?

Cut off about 12 inches of hair to donate to Locks of Love. First hair cut in over 2 years, and the shortest my hair has ever been.

Yes, that was from the front.

The barber was spectacular (especially when he joking remarked "The hell are those damn things in your ears?"). I tried giving him general suggestions, and he would have none of it, simply saying "don't worry you'll like it".

And, there is 2 years worth of work. I hope that it makes some child's life a little bit better.

As stoked as I am about the prospect of trying an international roaster, I dont think shipping would be very feasible (especially as a broke college student). With shipping costs it'd make it a $27+ pound of coffee.

Plus, it'd take about 10 days (at least) for it to make it to you, and I normally only drink about a 1/2lb every 10-12 days, putting the beans far past peak freshness. You should try to hit up a trade with someone from Melbourne though! Enjoy your trip to Toby's, I've heard good things from a schoolmate from Sydney.

Also, anyone interested in doing some form of coffee exchange? Here in Chicago I have access to a plethora of quality small scale roasters, and I'm always finding more and more places (and as it gets warmer my biking radius expands). I'd love to share the places I love here with other people, while trying other people's favorites. Also, with USPS flatrate boxes it wouldnt be bad sending a 1/2-1lb.

PM me if you want to try to get something started.

First off, you should drink things the way you like it. My roommate drinks Cosco bulk French roast from a Mr. Coffee with flavored creamer. To me, it ruins the drink, but its a matter of personal taste.

Personally, a bit of quality cream can occasionally bring out hidden sweetnesses in coffee, but for the most part adding things kills a lot of the complexities among different roasts. (Dark roasting and flavorings is what made robusta beans drinkable).

wisie throwing down...shit.

Was finally warm here, so took a break from school work, hoped on my bike an explored.

Fresh veggie stir fry with pan fried tofu, sesame seeds, and a spicy ginger peanut sauce. Served with Yun Ju green tea.

Yah, I've heard bad things about the Skerton on coarse settings. They addressed the problem on the Mini Mill by making the burr spring loaded. Its not perfect, but still been a damn good value for me.

And Just Another XY, I dont think a journal is pretentious at all. I keep a written record of each new roast I try with as much info about the beans as I have, my brewing method, and my thoughts on their taste. I think its a great way to remember what you like, and help develop your tastes.

The most obvious reason is the consistency of grind. With a blade grinder (like Braun) you will get a huge disparity in the size of your resulting grind. Just look at the edges of the grinder when you are done, and you will see a fine powder, while there are larger chunks in the middle. This is a particularly large problem for French press and espresso, where the larger particles go through the filter, but in any brewing technique it leads to a less flavorful extraction.

Also, the high speed of the blade creates heat through friction, which can actually start to process the beans, leading to an over-extracted, less flavorful product.

A bur grinder gives you more consistency, keeps the beans at a lower temperature, and exposes more of the inside of the bean, creating a larger surface area for extraction.

For a long time I didnt want to spend money on a grinder, but even the step up from a blade grinder to a Hario Mini Mill made a world of difference.

That said, grinding beans yourself in a cheap blade grinder is still less detrimental to taste then buying pre-ground beans and storying them.

Those waffles look unreal.

Back to school, back to cooking. One of my favorite quick dishes I created screwing around with leftover ingredients. Pasta with tomatoes, mushrooms, great northern beans, garlic, spinach, fresh basil, red pepper. Olive oil and black pepper on top. The sauteed beans make the dish really creamy.

^The black doctor on House?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Foreman

Back to school, back to the damned cold.

Buzz, Wrangler, Mr. Freedom, SEXI08

Comfortable attire for the plane ride back home to California. So long dreary Midwest winter.

Buzz x2

Imperial

Spring Court

Enjoy your popcorn! To make up for my pedantic-ness, I have one last post before I'm drowned in academia.

A late night snack to get me through an arduous evening of essay writing. Dark chocolate almond/hazelnut (brown) rice pudding with ginger cinnamon vanilla and agave. And the necessary pour-over coffee (first of many tonight).

Quality Mediterranean food=the best. That looks unreal. I make my own pita and falafel, but nothing compared to an authentic restaurant.

I know a lot of meat eaters that have a deep respect for their food. I am not against the consumption of meat, just the industrialized, corn feed that is destroying the environment, economy, and our conceptions of what we consider "food". On a personal level, I just didnt feel comfortable eating meat.

That said, I am as vehemently against industrial/subsidized production of corn/soy as I am meat. I think animals can be part of a beautiful natural cycle of food production (cows allowed to graze, fertilize grass, etc).

I arrived at college with a conventional American diet, and conventionally apathetic about food. Like a lot of people, food was just a necessary inconvenience in the daily routine. I mainly changed my dietary habits on a whim, in attempts to be more active about choosing food for health. Over a year later and with access to my own kitchen, I continue to gain passion about my decisions. In that time I've tried foods I never would have touched before (which I now enjoy and are staples for me). Thats the context in which I used respect, mainly thinking about each items production, flavor and nutritional quality (this is not an exclusive quality of vegetarians/vegans...i know some who are disgustingly apathetic/unhealthy). Im not very outgoing about propagating "going vegan" because I think it is a very personal decision, but I do find it important to share that for me it has been liberating, not restrictive.

Finally, I just used quotes because I lacked a better term than cutlet. I think that mock and imitation meats are foul. Nutritional yeast has a very pleasant flavor (a sort of salty Parmesan), and is very high in b12, a nutrient found almost exclusively in meat.

Sorry for the long rant...I dont want to further clutter the thread with non-picture posts. If anyone wants to continue discussion or has any questions, feel free to PM me; I'm always willing to talk food!

Nah mate you got it wrong...it isnt a plight. I am in no way propagating my dietary habits for everyone, but I've sincerely enjoyed it. Besides the noticeable health benefits, its caused me to approach food in a whole new way. Ive had a lifelong love for cooking, but now I have a much deeper respect for my ingredients. Plus, its fun being forced to get creative with cooking.

A good lunch before I start to get frantic with essay writing for finals. Sweet and spicy stir fried vegetables with peanut "cutlets". The cutlets are a mixture of brown rice, tofu, miso, roasted peanuts, and spices, then baked. All topped with some toasted sesame seeds and nutritional yeast. Complimented by green tea, of course.

I find that the busier I am with school, the more I just want to work with pictures. And as its finals week for me, I'm getting around to shots from almost 2 years ago. When I got back from my trip I had a few small weddings, so the shots immediately got lost in the fold. Its a strange feeling looking at a picture for the first time that you barely remember taking... especially when digital is typically such an instantaneous format.

I just went through security with my Surefire 6P in my pocket, and my Telepen on my keychain with no problems. Sometimes my lights puzzle the x-ray machine monitor, but never any conflict.

As for keychain pens, I opted for the Telepen because it was the cheapest option, and its held up surprisingly well. Still attached to my keys after 4 months of bike commuting. Writes decently in emergencies...mostly for signing things when I've forgotten to pocket another pen.

http://www.amazon.com/True-Utility-Telepen-Telescopic-Pen/dp/B002K9J26W

Without eating meat, dairy, or eggs, and being too broke to dine out, Im always on a quest to mix up my meals and add variety to my protein while being as healthy as possible. This was one of my favorite efforts: spinach salad with sun dried tomatoes, olives, great northern beans, tofu I marinated, breaded, and baked, with a light pepper vinaigrette. To go along with it, a wholewheat herbed focaccia (vegan). A lot of work for a simple meal, but well worth it.

Taking advantage of temperatures over freezing. (just got back from bike ride and was a bit out of breath)

Vintage Wrangler Wrange Jacket/unbranded shirt

Dry Bones Red-Ds

Buzz Watch Cap

Joe Hill belt

He received his honorable discharge in the '62, so could have been right around there. I make no claim at knowing for sure...just going on what I was told when it was passed down.

The tag says the patches are 65% polyester and 35% cotton.