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submitted by Sal_Bandaid [link] [113 comments]

Thanks Joanne Casey

 

The auto-complete suggestions on Google searches are often good for a laugh, but they can also provide some measure of insight into the scary collective psyche of the Internet. And a new series of ads from the United Nations uses these auto-complete results in an effort to demonstrate just how pervasive some sexist attitudes are.

The ads each feature a photo of a different woman with her mouth covered over by what the UN claims are actual Google search results for various phrases about women.

For instance, one search that starts with “Women need to” is auto-completed with stone-age sentiments like “be put in their place,” and “be disciplined,” while simply typing in “Women should” auto-completed with suggestions like “be slaves” and “not speak at church.”

“The ads are shocking because they show just how far we still have to go to achieve gender equality,” says the copy writer from the Dubai-based agency that created the ads for the UN. “They are a wake up call, and we hope that the message will travel far.”

You can see each of the ads by clicking on the smaller images below:

Out of curiosity, we repeated these searches and did the same searches replacing “Women” with “Men” to see what Google searchers thinks about males. Here are the results we got at around noon ET on Oct. 23, 2013:
1. Women should:
“not be in combat”
“stay home”
“not preach”
“not speak in church”
“be seen and not heard”

Men should:
“always pray”
“not get married”
“wear makeup”
“pay for dates”
“be what they seem”

2. Women shouldn’t:
“work”
“be in combat”
“be cops”
“vote”
“go to college”

Men shouldn’t:
“wear shorts”
“wear flip flops”
“marry”
“be jealous”
“hit women”

3. Women cannot:
“be pastors”
“have it all”
“teach men”
“drive”
“find husbands”

Men cannot:
“be feminists”
“be trusted”
“get HIV from women”
“pick up chair”
“live without women”

4. Women need to:
“shut up”
“grow up”
“be wanted”
“feel safe”
“know about men”

One relatively positive search, which was not included in the ads, that we did come up with was for “Women can…”
Women can:
“have it all”
“vote”
“see more colors”
“preach”
“vote in America”

[via BoredPanda]

I tend to shy away from videogame Kickstarter campaigns that don't show much gameplay or that seem too early in development, but what little we have of the tactical RPG Confederate Express is just too good not to share.

The most notable elements on display are the Legend of Dungeon-esque sprite-based lighting effects, a relatively unique explanation for the existence of zombies, and a really kickin' soundtrack by Adhesive Wombat. The description tells more about the plans for Confederate Express -- multiple crew members with unique skills, procedurally generated levels, permanent death -- but little is shown regarding those features.

Unfortunately for any who were immediately drawn in by the music, the backer level required for a digital copy of the soundtrack is a full $40 more than the level for just the game. Presumably, the soundtrack will be available separately at release for a more reasonable price.

They do have a lot of ski issues in that video.

LEDs and motion sensors might be the efficient future of street lighting, but what about pedestrian walkways, bicycle lanes, and low-traffic roads in rural areas? Pro-Teq has a solution in the form of its glowing Starpath surface treatment, and not ...

If you have a spare $5,299.99(USD) you can buy this sweet new Star Trek Pinball machine for your man cave or replica Starship bridge. It looks pretty fun and your goal is to destroy the U.S.S. Vengeance. If you didn’t like Into Darkness, this will probably be a much better experience than what you saw on screen.

This is Stern’s first all LED illuminated pinball game. It has all the requisite lights and sounds of course, as well as phaser flashes and photon torpedoes.

There are six missions for casual players and 18 missions for those already familiar with Star Trek and pinball. Along the way, you will unlock specials, collect bonuses like a series of accolades called “The Captain’s Chair”. It looks like a fun table that will offer hours of play.

All of your favorite old enemies are here, like: Khan, Nero, Klingons, and the Narada. While it’s not the first Star Trek pinball machine – there have been several before this – it’s the first one from the J.J. Abrams universe. I’m disappointed by the lack of a single tribble however. Would it have killed them to sneak one in?

Other features include:

14 stand-up targets; stainless steel shooter lane ramp; two wide-entrance combo ramps; warp feedback ramp fed by 3rd flipper, left eject kicker lock; four balls; three flippers; three high-speed pop bumpers, two high-powered slingshot mechanisms, two electric gates in orbit lanes; and a Star Trek Starfleet Pro translite backglass.

Wealthy Trekkies will want to pre-order one now. It will be available in February from Entertainment Earth, or you can buy one right now from Stern Pinball.

This Dog Who Is Living Your Childhood Dream…

 

 

 

This otter who just got her nails did…

 

 

 

These dogs who are trying to pretend they don’t look adorable as penguins…

 

Really good actors…

 

 

This Lion who just watched “Life is Beautiful” for the first time…

 

 

 

This crow who’s all like, “It wasn’t me, bro!”

 

 

 

The dog who said, “Screw the man!” and ironically ate the spray bottle of the No Chew Deterrent.

 

 

 

This cat who will only eat if he is fed by chopsticks…

 

 

This kitten who is having the most metal moment of her life right now…

 

 

 

These motherf*cking ducks on this motherf*cking slide…

 

 

This dog who is about to get a call from The Food Network at any moment…

 

 

These cats who CANNOT stop watching The Walking Dead right now…

 

 

 

This dog who put a lot of effort into his DIY “Sandra Bullock from Gravity” Astronaut costume…

 

 

 

This moose who gives zero f*cks about how hard your kid worked on his pumpkin…

 

The post 13 Animals Who Are Having a Way Better Time Than You Right Now appeared first on POPHANGOVER.

submitted by elitron
[link] [4 comments]

Science fiction and fantasy take us into the unknown, which is inherently somewhat scary — but sometimes, they go way further. Last week, we shared part one of our list of the top 50 scariest science fiction and fantasy TV episodes. But now, here are the 25 scariest television episodes of all time!

Read more...

Scotch whisky inspires a near cult-like devotion in some drinking circles. Known for its pungent, peaty aroma and long, lingering finish, it's mostly designed to sip, not shoot. While all whisky (or "whiskey") can be enjoyed responsibly by anyone with an interest in spirits, Scotch whisky is best enjoyed with certain framework in mind, the boundaries of which are hazy. If you've poured yourself a wee dram and wish to savor its silky texture in a whole new light, read on.

Edit Steps

Part One: Familiarizing Yourself with Scotch Basics

1. Distinguish the single-malts from the blends. One of the most important distinctions in Scotch whisky is a technical one. It may not seem terribly important, but being able to identify a single-malt from a blend will tell you a lot about the whisky before you even sip it. So, what is the difference between single-malts and blends?
   
   
   
   • A single-malt Scotch is made just from water and 100% barley. Although it comes from a single distillery, it can contain whiskies from different barrels, and even from different batches.^[1] A single malt from Bruichladdich distillery, therefore, may have whiskies from different barrels, but it will only contain whisky distilled at Bruichladdich.
   • A blended malt Scotch whisky is made from two or more single-malt whiskies produced at different distilleries.^[2] Many distilleries sell their whisky for use in blends. Few independent bottlers identify which distilleries produced the whiskies made in their blends, preferring instead to name only the general geographical area.
2. Don't blindly prefer single-malts over blends. Although single-malts are arguably more prestigious than blends^[3] — their price tag certainly advertises it — there are some very tasty blends out there, sometimes even nicer than single-malts. Overall, you'll probably squeeze more quality out of single-malts, but they're more expensive than blends and not always better.^[4] When drinking Scotch, it pays be judicious and agnostic. Don't be a complete and utter snob.
3. Know that Scotch whisky generally improves with age. Scotch whisky ages for at least three years in oak barrels. Sometimes, those oak barrels have been previously used to age sherry or bourbon.^[5] The provenance of the oak itself often varies: Some distilleries use American oak casks, while others prefer European oak. The process of allowing the whisky to age in oak barrels, sometimes for several decades, often produces a finer whisky. As a wise man once said, "Never commit Scotch pedophilia!"
   
   
   
   • Why does whisky improve with age? Oak, like all woods, is porous. Scotch that is housed in oak barrels seeps into the oak barrel's pores, picking up some of the oak's unique flavor. As the whisky ages, a portion of the alcohol evaporates, mellowing the flavor. The whisky that evaporates during the aging process is referred to as the "angel's share."^[6]
   • Scotch whisky barrels are sometimes charred before the introduction of the spirit. This charring imparts a unique flavor. The charred wood also helps purify the whisky; the carbon left in the charcoal filters away some impurities as it ages.
   • Whiskies are often given a "finish," so to speak. They are aged in one cask for a majority of the aging process, and then transferred to another cask for an additional 6 to 12 months.^[7] This gives the whisky a richer flavor profile.
   • It is generally thought that whisky does not continue to age once it is bottled. It may lose a bit of alcohol through evaporation and therefore "mellow," but most of its deep flavor is likely to have developed while it was still casked.
4. Look for all-natural whiskys without added colorants. Some whiskies are given caramel color injections before bottling, ostensibly to maintain visual consistency from one bottling to the next. Steer clear of these whiskies. If the whisky tastes good, what does it matter how it looks? Here's the bottom line with Scotch and with other spirits to which colorant are added: If the distiller or bottler is willing to lie about the color of the spirit, what else are they willing to lie about?
5. Note where the Scotch comes from. While whisky can technically be produced the world 'round — Canada, Australia, and even Japan all make fine whisky — start off with whiskies from the wind-tipped rim of Scotia. You almost can't go wrong. Here's a quick look at the different regions of Scotland, some of their characteristics, and some of their most heralded whiskies:
   
   
   

Regional Whisky in Scotland^[8]

Region	Distinctive Regional Flavors	Representative Brands
Lowland	Light-bodied, gentle, malty, grassy	Glenkinchie, Blandoch, Auchentoshan
Highland	Firmer, spicy, both dry and sweet	Glenmorangie, Blair Athol, Talisker
Speyside	Sweet, mellow, often fruity	Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Macallan
Islay	Heavily peated, smoky, spindrift	Bowmore, Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Bruichladdich
Campbell	Medium- to full-bodied, peaty and briny	Springbank, Glen Gyle, Glen Scotia

Part Two: Nosing, Sipping, and Savoring

1. Get the right whisky glass. While it's certainly fine to drink your whisky out of any old glass, choosing the right one will enhance your whisky experience. Experts agree that a tulip-shaped glass is generally the best: It allows you to swirl the whisky without it spilling, as well as concentrating the whisky aroma near the glass's neck.^[9]
   
   
   
   • If you can't find a tulip-shaped whisky glass to sip out of, try using a wine or champagne glass instead.
2. Pour a small amount of whisky and swirl it around gently. Pour yourself a small glass — depending on your pleasure, of course — usually not more than an ounce. Gently swirl the glass, coating the sides of the glass with a thin film of whisky and allowing the spirit to breathe. Enjoy the color of the whisky and its texture as the filmy coat of caramel spindles down the glass.
   
   
   
3. Nose it. Smell your whisky. Bring the whisky glass up to your nose and inhale deeply. Take your nose away (the first nose will smell entirely of alcohol) and then come back to the whisky. Spend a good 20 to 30 seconds breathing in the whisky, setting it down, and coming back to it, all while free-associating about the kinds of smells or flavors the spirit evokes. When nosing, pay attention to the following kinds of smells^[10]:
   • Smokiness. This includes peatiness, as malted barley is often thrown over a peat fire in order to smoke it.
   • Saltiness. Can you taste the briny spindrift of Islay whiskies? Many Scotch whiskies have a distinctly maritime smell.
   • Fruitiness. Can you pick out dried currants, apricot, or cherry from your whisky?
   • Sweetness. Many Scotch whiskies rely on a caramel, toffee, vanilla or honey. What confections can you smell?
   • Woodiness. Since oak is such an integral companion in the whisky-aging process, wood smell is often headily present in Scotch. It sometimes interacts with the smell of sweetness.
4. Take a tiny sip. Bring in enough whisky so that it coats your entire tongue, but not so much that your taste buds are overwhelmed with the flavor of alcohol. Swirl the Scotch around in your mouth a bit and try to develop a good "mouthfeel." How does the whisky taste? What does it taste like?
   
   
   
5. Savor the finish. Swallow the whisky and open your mouth slightly to help taste the lingering afterglow of the whisky. What flavors, if any, develop after the whisky has been swallowed? This is referred to as the "finish." In elegant whiskies, the finish will be distinct from the mouthfeel, and will add another layer of pleasant complexity to your tasting experience.
6. Add a small amount of water to your whisky. Many whisky aficionados like to add water to their whiskey, enough to dilute the alcohol volume down to about 30%.^[11] This is usually less than a teaspoon. Some whiskies will take more water, other will take less; as with most things delicate, it's better to add too little than too much.
   
   
   
   • Here's a tip for determining how much water to add to your whisky. Add a couple drops at a time until the stinging or burning sensation in your nose you get from smelling the alcohol disappears.
   • Why add water to your whisky? Water dilutes the whisky. At stronger alcohol contents, the alcohol in the whisky can mask some of the more unpleasant flavors or aromas. When you take that heady alcohol smell and taste away, the true spirit of the whisky starts to shine through. Adding water separates the men from the boys, so to speak.
   • Try covering the whisky with a cap of some sort (try a clean coaster, for example) and let it mellow for 10 to 30 minutes. This will give the whisky enough time to interact with the water, producing a better drinking experience.
7. Repeat the whole process, this time with the diluted whisky. Swirl, nose, taste, and savor the whisky again. How does it taste diluted? How is the whisky any different from what it was undiluted? What things do you notice now about the whisky that weren't apparent on the first pass? Continue drinking and savoring the whisky slowly, preferably with friends.

Part Three: Enhancing the Scotch Drinking Experience

1. Make your own blends. Who says you have to rely on distilleries to blend the whisky for you? You can make your own blends quickly and easily, and to good effect with a little bit of practice. Here's the basics of how.
   
   
   
   • Start with two whiskies, preferably from the same distiller. Two different kinds of Bruichladdich might work well together, or two different vintages of Talisker. It's easier to blend whiskeys that were sold by the same distiller.
   • Blend a very small amount of two or three whiskeys and set aside for a week or two. This is your "test run," designed to see whether you enjoy the final product. If, after two or three weeks, you like the blend, you can be reasonably sure that blending more won't result in total disaster.
   • Take an empty whiskey bottle and fill it almost to the brim with your new blend. You can use 50/50 of two whiskies, or 45/55, or even 33/33/33 of three. The choice is yours. Filling your bottle up almost to the brim neutralizes some of the oxidation that can effect the taste of your whisky.
2. Once you open a bottle of whisky, drink it within a year. As soon as you expose your precious whisky to O₂, the spirit starts losing some of its character. Oxygen starts converting the alcohol into vinegar. So drink responsibly, but don't sip so slowly that your cargo turns into undrinkable acid. Bottoms up!
3. Experiment with wood-aging yourself. Whisky is aged in oak barrels, but the whisky entrepreneur can also learn how to age spirits himself using string and a toasted twig of wood. Try experimenting with woods such as birch, cherry, or oak for extra flavor. Of course, only use this technique to enhance whisky that leaves something to be desired; very good whiskies probably won't benefit from extra wood aging.
   
   
   
   • Make sure the branch or twig is small enough so that it will fit inside your whisky bottle.
   • Heat your branch or twig in the oven for several hours on low heat to remove all moisture.
   • With a blowtorch, lightly toast the branch. The goal here isn't to char; you just want to toast the branch or twig to give it extra aroma.
   • Fasten the branch to a piece of string and submerge it in your whisky, tasting the whisky every 30 minutes. You don't need to submerge the branch long to have a big effect on taste. 30 minutes to an hour is sometimes all it takes to produce a nice enhancement.
   • Note: Be sure that the type of wood you're using is safe to use in whisky. Some types of wood are poisonous to humans and/or won't produce a pleasant taste or aroma. Your health should always be your first priority.
4. Try to refrain from adding ice. Of course, if you like your whisky cold and super-diluted, go for it. But most whisky drinkers consider ice to be passé. Cool temperatures tend to mask certain flavors, and over-diluted whiskey is more water than whisky, anyway, right?
   • If you really want your whisky cold, try using whisky rocks instead. They can be put in the refrigerator or freezer and, if manufactured properly, don't leave an aftertaste.
5. Try your hand at starting your own whisky collection. Of course, if you're just a beginner, this may seem a bit odd. But many people consider whisky collecting a fun and enlightening hobby. Here are a couple things for you to consider when starting your own collection:
   
   
   
   • Buy what you enjoy drinking, not what you think will be worth big bucks later on. The whisky auction market is quite volatile. Prices fluctuate often. The best bet for collecting is to stick what you like; that way, if the price of whisky plummets in ten years, or doesn't outstrip inflation, you'll still be happy drinking your whisky.
   • Keep your receipts. Keep your receipts in the whisky bottle itself. It's a nice little reminder of what you paid, and helps you enjoy the whisky more once you finally decide to pop the cork.
   • Keep your stash in different places. If a snooping child or a devastating fire were to hit your stash, it pays to diversify. Don't keep your eggs all in one basket.

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Edit Tips

• Be sociable when drinking Scotch. A scotch savored with friends is almost certainly better than a scotch endured alone.
• Although Scotch whisky can certainly be enjoyed in cocktails, a fine whisky is often better tasted neat.

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• Email this Article
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[ By Steph in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

Most artists approach paper as a two-dimensional surface upon which to draw or paint. Others see it in an entirely different way, using it as an architectural material for the most unexpected of three-dimensional works. From wispy, dynamic cut-outs hovering in the air to replicas of entire cities, the works of these 14 (more!) paper artists astonish and amaze.

Eerie Flexible Paper Works by Li Hongbo

What appear to be porcelain or ceramic sculptures stretch and bend in ways you’d never expect – because they’re made from thousands of layers of paper, glued together into accordion-like configurations. Their true nature is only revealed when they are manipulated. Artist Li Hongbo got his inspiration from traditional Chinese toys made from folded and glued pieces of thin paper.

Hand-Cut Paper Sculptures by Nahoko Kojima

A single sheet of paper becomes a leopard, a peacock, a forest, a skull or a masterful life-sized swimming polar bear in the hands of Japanese paper artist Nahoko Kojima. A single piece can take up to six months to create. Byaku, the polar bear, is inspired by the forces of nature.

Amazingly Intricate Paper Scenes by Allen and Patty Eckman

Have you ever seen paper look so dynamic, so infused with life? Allen and Patty Eckman met at Art Center College and soon put their talents to work in collaborative efforts focusing primarily on Native American history. The artists make their own paper pulp, casting it in clay molds to capture this level of detail.

City Maps by Matthew Picton

Matthew Picton creates detailed paper street maps of cities, often using the delicacy of the material to remark upon traumatic events in each location’s past. London in 1940 after Waterloo, Dresden, and Hiroshima all bear the destruction of war in the form of burn marks and tears.

Next Page:
Awe Inspiring Art 14 More Masters Of Paper Sculpture

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[ By Steph in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

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It’s no secret that we here at Gizmodo adore our GIFs—we just launched a subdomain dedicated to the looping images!—and now, thanks to the good folks at Gifpop, everyone’s favorite internet format is going analog. The new venture promises to translate the moving pics of your choosing into a custom lenticular card.

Read more...

Before you watch the new trailer for Anchorman 2 you may want to secure yourself a bowl of Ben & Jerry’s new ice cream flavor Scotchy Scotch Scotch.

The ice cream company released its Ron Burgundy inspired ice cream today in honor of the upcoming movie.

And Ben & Jerry’s did a pretty good job with their announcement. The company took on the persona of Ron Bergundy to tell fans that the ice cream was discovered in 1904 by German explorers.

The company writes: “We don’t know how to put this but this flavor is kind of a big deal. Discovered by the Germans in 1904, they named it “Scotchy Scotch Scotch.” Scholars maintain that the translation was lost hundreds of years ago. Stay Classy, From all of us at Ben & Jerry’s.”

Burgundy said that he was honored by the ice cream flavor and that he hopes Ben & Jerry’s takes some of his other ideas under consideration.

Ron Burgundy says in a press release: “Scotchy, Scotch, Scotch is a delicious ice cream and I hope Ben and Jerry consider my other suggestions… Malt liquor marshmallow, well liquor bourbon peanut butter, and cheap white wine sherbet.”

Scotchy Scotch Scotch doesn’t contain any actual liquor but it does contain butterscotch ice cream and butterscotch swirls. The new Anchorman 2 ice cream will only be available for a limited time.

LeeAnne Stables, President of Consumer Products at Paramount Pictures, told E! Online: “Having Ben & Jerry’s celebrate the return of Ron Burgundy to the big screen with the introduction of this special ice cream is an exciting and delicious way to build anticipation for the film. We especially enjoyed the sampling process over the last several months to find the perfect Scotchy scotch flavor.”

This isn’t the first time that Ben & Jerry’s has made an ice cream for a movie or TV show. Stephen Colbert has an AmeriCone ice cream and Tina Fey has a Liz Lemon Greek Frozen Yogurt.

You can watch the new trailer for Anchorman 2 here.

Scotchy Scotch Scotch: ‘Anchorman 2’ Ice Cream Released By Ben & Jerry’s is a post from: The Inquisitr News

A husband who caught his wife cheating decided the most reasonable response would be to destroy his own home with an SUV, and the whole incident was captured on film.

The man’s violent reaction was caught on video and uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday by a user named annahill3001. In the video description he said that the man went crazy after reportedly catching his wife cheating, and decided to destroy his home with an SUV.

Annahill3001 wrote:

“Caught this on the way home from work. Word is the man caught his wife cheating on him and he decided to take things into his own hands bulldozing his own home! CRAZY! THIS GUY IS A MORON!”

The video shows three people standing on the front lawn of a home while someone in a white SUV spins his tires and then takes off into the law. As one of the spectators holds the other one back, the car spins around, tearing up the lawn before accelerating straight toward the home.

The SUV crashed into a front window, destroying the home’s brick exterior and lodging itself inside the hole.

“What is this guy doing!” shouted the man, who sounded a bit like Cheech Martin. “Ohh, man, this guy’s a moron!”

At that point the commentator, who was filming from across a busy street, realized that he might want to get out of the way of the enraged husband.

“Oh my God, what is he doing?” the man shouted, then a second later came to a realization and said, “Oh, I gotta get out of here.”

The video made its way to Reddit on Wednesday, with many commenters painting the enraged husband as some sort of anti-hero, like Michael Douglas in the movie Falling Down.

“well, if they divorce you know she’s gonna take the house. why not f**k it up a little?,” wrote user thegoodonesgone.

But being the internet, there is still some doubt that the incident is actually as it’s described. Though the YouTube title described the incident as a jealous husband bulldozing his home with an SUV after catching his wife cheating, there is no independent evidence to prove that’s what the video actually shows.

Jealous Husband Catches Wife Cheating, Bulldozes His Own Home With SUV is a post from: The Inquisitr News

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

Picking which fast food joint to buy your finger-food-fried-chicken-product-based lunch using the quality of available dipping sauces as the criteria is sort of like picking what cell phone to purchase based on its after-market case options, or which woman to marry based on her favorite cereal. There are rare cases in which this makes sense, but those cases are few and far between.

Still, we wondered: all other things being equal, which of the three fast food establishments near our office would offer the best dipping experience?

I headed out to Popeye's, McDonald's, and Burger King and ordered chicken nuggets at each, along with one of every type of dipping sauce they had on hand. Asking a harried lunchtime fast food employee to do this is apparently a task that produces a level of confusion akin to asking your cat to set up your wireless router. I had to make not one, not two, but three trips back to various counters to clarify exactly what I meant by "one of each sauce, please." But we got them in the end. Mostly.

Remember that episode of Breaking Bad where the red-tied German executive sits down for a chicken sauce taste test, blankly dipping nug' after nug' into tempura paint-style pointed blobs of honey mustard and Franch dressing mere moments before [SPOILER ALERT] offing himself in the men's room?

Our Monday was in no way similar to that episode other than the nug'-dipping part.

Let's get down to the results.

Luckily, most of the sauces we tasted had at least one counterpart from a competing fast food chain, and in some cases, all three had their own versions, letting us go for a true side-by-side taste test. Tasters were asked to taste all the sauces in a given category and pick both a favorite and a runner-up.

Round 1: Barbecue Sauce

The Contenders: Popeye's Bold BQ Sauce, McDonald's Tangy BarBeQue Sauce, and Burger King's BBQ.

The Winner: Popeye's!

10 out of 15 of our tasters picked Popeye's as their favorite barbecue sauce of the three. Strangely, the four who didn't vote for it placed it at dead last out the three, indicating that its strong molasses and heat flavor is a sort of a love-it or hate-it affair.

Runner Up: Burger King!

Most folks who didn't pick the Popeye's chose Burger King as either their favorite or as the runner up. Flavor-wise, it's got a similar profile to the Popeye's, with plenty of rich molasses and spice. Both are far better than the syrupy, gloppy, overly starchy version from McDonald's. The line, "We've upped the Brix factor for the American Southwest" ran through my mind as I tasted.

Round 2: Mustard Sauce

The Contenders: Popeye's Mardi Gras Mustard Sauce, McDonald's Honey Mustard Sauce, and Burger King's Honey Mustard.

The Winner: Popeye's!

This one wasn't even a real contest. All except two tasters picked the Popeye's mustard sauce—a creamy version with whole crushed mustard grains and horseradish—as their favorite. Is it possible we just like spicier mustard more than honey mustard? Perhaps, but the two honey mustard variations offered by McDonald's and Burger King didn't give us a very high bar for comparison.

Runner Up: Burger King!

Burger King barely edged out McDonald's for the second place slot, but really these two sauces were fighting to stand on each others' shoulders at the bottom of a very, very deep barrel. Sweet and gloppy with almost no mustard flavor, the King's sauce at least had a touch of acidity to balance out its overt sweetness.

Round 3: Sweet and Sour Sauce

The Contenders: McDonald's Sweet 'n Sour Sauce and Burger King's Sweet & Sour.

The Winner: Burger King

Another clear winner here. Burger King's sweet and sour sauce is glossy and gloppy, but at least has bits of what appear to be red pepper flakes or perhaps some kind of fruit skin in there that gives one the impression that it may at one point have started out as something approximating the beginning of the idea of a real ingredient. Unlike the McDonald's sweet and sour sauce, which tastes strongly of thickeners, fillers, and corn syrup, like a packet of duck sauce that went through the works at a second-rate British sausage factory, if you know what I mean.

Round 4: Ranch

The Contenders: Popeye's Buttermilk Ranch Sauce, McDonald's Creamy Ranch Sauce, and Burger King's Ranch.

The Winner: Burger King!

In our first unanimous win, Burger King reigned in the Ranch category. Their sauce is thicker, creamier, and saltier than the competition, with some balanced herbage, a hint of spice, and just a faint soupçon of MSG. We'd happily dip our nug' or sauce our 'za in this one, if we were the type to dip nug' or sauce 'za.

Runner Up: Popeye's

The vinegary tang of Popeye's buttermilk ranch pushed it into second place above McDonald's, which has an overt sweetness that's off-putting. You'd expect the one that looks like it has the most spices to be the most flavorful, but despite its highly speckled appearance, the McDonald's sauce was desperately lacking in spice flavor.

Round 5: Sweet Chili Sauce

The Contenders: Popeye's Sweet Heat Sauce and McDonald's Sweet Chili Sauce.

The Winner: McDonald's!

It's McDonald's first win here, and it's a unanimous one, but to be fair, they had some major help in this department due to the fact that Popeye's sauce was just so darn terrible—one of the few sauces in the lineup to produce measurably auditory reactions upon oral insertion. McDonald's sauce has plenty of chili bits and seeds floating around Orbitz style in a viscous red goo that threatens to ensnare your nugget every time you go in for a dunk but thankfully releases it at the last moment.

Popeye's sauce is sweet and hot as advertised—there's some legit heat to this puppy—but those are about the two best words you can use to describe it's otherwise unredeemable qualities other than a simple "tastes like burning."

Round 6: Buffalo Sauce

The Contenders: Popeye's Bayou Buffalo Sauce and Burger King's Buffalo (McDonald's Buffalo Sauce was not available in our location).

The Winner: Burger King

If you're into buffalo sauce, in truth neither of these two sauces was really terrible, but the Burger King version won for its more balanced flavor and creamy texture. It's got a hint of heat and plenty of vinegar, but it doesn't taste like you're dipping your chicken directly into a bowl of Frank's hot sauce. The Popeye's, on the other hand, was a little too strongly flavored and thinly textured. It has heat and vinegar, but also a strange aftertaste of celery, as if they were trying to build in all the flavors of a buffalo chicken platter Willy Wonka-style into a single plastic tub.

Honorable Mentions

Popeye's, with its nine sauce, offers some flavors that don't have counterparts among Burger King's seven flavors or McDonald's six, and as it turns out, some of these are their best options. We were especially happy with their Blackened Ranch, which has the overt tanginess of their regular buttermilk ranch, but with a touch of heat and more spices. Their Lemon Garlic Sauce tastes of neither lemon nor garlic, but it has a great black pepper-y kick. Finally, their Tartar Sauce was named as "the only one I'd actually eat" by Max.

Of the other un-challenged sauces, we'd avoid the Burger King Tangy sauce which tastes like thin, MSG-laden mayo with horseradish and Popeye's Sweet Honey Maple Sauce, which has a bit of that McDonald's overly-starchy, thickened, and stabilized character going on.

Next up, perhaps we'll do a side by side taste test of the actual chicken. Now wouldn't that be useful?

About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Chief Creative Officer of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.

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submitted by Varafel [link] [25 comments]

I must admit it's not troll post.


I knew that 3rd building collapsed, but never saw it or never heard in my country about how awkward it was.
And ye it was awkward.









Controled building implosion



Watcha think?

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It's hard to believe it's been 40 years since the release of the movie The Exorcist. The first horror film nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, it scared the pants of a generation to watch an innocent young girl succumb to a demon possessing her body. There are plenty of things you probably don't know about the movie, like the extra who was found to be a murderer.

17. Paul Bateson, who appeared briefly in film as an X-ray technician, is a suspected serial killer in real life.

Bateson was an X-ray technician at NYU Medical Center and served as an extra on the film.

In 1979, Bateson was convicted in the murder of film critic Addison Verrill. Authorities believe that he was also responsible for “the bag murders” of six other men — whose mutilated and dismembered body parts washed up in black plastic bags along the Hudson River.

That's just one of 19 Fascinating Facts About The Exorcist you can learn at Buzzfeed. There's plenty more.

There is no nugget on a chicken. There are breasts, there are wings, there are thighs, there are drumsticks. But there are no nuggets. So what is the chicken nugget made of then?

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Once you realize how boring your neighborhood is from the air, that expensive quadcopter you bought should find a good home in the rafters of your garage. But don't bury it too deep, you'll need access to it around Halloween every year because Alton Porter has come up with the perfect use for your forgotten drone: turn it into a flying banshee.

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From Drinks

[Photo: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

If a drink has ginger in it, chances are we're probably fans. Rich bourbon and ginger? Oh yeah. Spicy ginger and rum? Delicious. Tart citrus and warming ginger? Always love that combination. We like drinks with fresh ginger, with ginger syrup, and spiked with ginger liqueur. Today, we're sharing a 11 recipes for ginger-spiced fall drinking inspiration.

Grapefruit and Ginger Sparkler

[Photo: Kelly Carámbula]

This is the kind of easy recipe you can memorize for mixing up whenever you feel a little festive. Made with Prosecco or other sparkling wine, it's flavored with fresh grapefruit juice and Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur.

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Pom Pomme

All your fall classics come together in this four-ingredient drink: hard apple cider and apple brandy, plus vivid pomegranate juice and ginger liqueur. The hue is gorgeous and the mixing's easy.

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Napoleon's Loss

This autumn-appropriate cocktail proves the point that there's no reason for agave spirits to disappear when the weather cools. A fresh ginger syrup adds spice to a mix of aged tequila and earthy mezcal, and lemon juice keeps the whole drink bright.

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Southern Baptist

[Photo: Wes Rowe]

Lots of lime makes this rye drink refreshing, while fresh ginger syrup accentuates the whiskey's spice. Ever since we tasted this drink from Sother Teague of Amor y Amargo in NYC, it's been a favorite.

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The Dahlgren

Tawny port adds rich berry flavor to this updated take on the Diablo. This version of the classic tequila drink punches up the ginger flavor by using a fresh ginger syrup instead of ginger ale. The candied ginger garnish is fun, too.

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Storm Warning

[Photo: Allan Zepeda]

Fresh ginger juice, sweetened with a little sugar, has the backbone to stand up to funky Smith & Cross Jamaican rum, which stars in this drink alongside bittersweet Cynar. The result is a complex drink that will keep your tastebuds entertained.

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No. 8

[Photo: Robyn Lee]

We love the King's Ginger, which is a pungent and potent ginger liqueur. After you've scored a bottle, we recommend this recipe, which calls for mixing the gingery liqueur with fresh lime and grapefruit, plus mezcal and orange bitters.

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Pear and Rosemary Cocktail

Pear and piney rosemary come together in this elegant cocktail, delicately spiced with Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur. A touch of lemon adds freshness.

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Bermuda Black

[Photo: Jessica Leibowitz]

This is no wimpy Dark 'n Stormy. Instead, this cocktail recipe from the Wayland in NYC uses racy ginger juice and two kinds of rum, then adds bubbles with chocolatey dark beer instead of soda.

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Homemade Ginger Beer

You can brew your own ginger soda using fresh ginger and lime, carbonated using a little Champagne yeast. The process takes about 2 days, but we promise it's worth it.

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DIY Ginger Liqueur

[Photo: Liam Boylan]

The beauty of making your own liqueurs is that you can customize them to your own taste. You can play with different spice combinations (try a little cardamom or even lemongrass) and even sub out some of the brandy for a little whiskey.

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How do you like to drink your daily dose of ginger? Add your favorite ginger drink ideas to the comments below!

Super Mario 3D World‘s latest trailer lets us know Mario is back to some of his old tricks, and quite a few new ones.

One of the new changes this time around is Mario getting a cat suit, which allows him a short range melee and dive attack, and the ability to climb walls. This accompanies the comeback of his old Raccoon (Tanooki) suit from Super Mario Bros. 3, which lets the player fly for an extended time.

Right away, the trailer shows us that Mario is back to his old 3D style introduced in the Nintendo 64 and GameCube titles, but more refined this time around. Also returning is the ability to play as one of four iconic characters from the franchise. Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad are all back to their old Super Mario Bros. 2 shenanigans, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, but this time around the game will feature multiplayer for cooperative or competitive gameplay.

As before, Mario is the all-around star, as Luigi jumps higher, Peach can hover in mid jump, and Toad is faster. The Super Mario 3D World trailer seems to be packed with promise for a whole new adventure on the Wii U.

Another power-up featured in this new game is the ability to clone your character as many times as you can get away with. This could have its advantages in gang situations, where an extra set of boots to bop baddies on the head with will thin the crowd faster. Of course if the path ends up only enough for one person, your clone will likely reach an untimely demise. Also new to the series is the introduction of special boxes you wear on your head. Cannon, propeller, coin, and light boxes join your arsenal in a new world connected by clear pipes.

Also, do you remember that Hammer Brother that used a boomerang? This time around, Mario and friends can get the same ability, hammering through enemies from a distance while the projectile safely returns.

This Super Mario 3D World trailer could easily bring gamers to the Wii U in record numbers, as fun as the game looks.

The game seems to borrow from almost every successful title before it, as it even unleashes Mega Mario once again, a form that smashes through obstacles as your character grows to a massive size. Of course if you make too many mistakes, beginners will be given a last chance with the White Tanooki, an invincible form that appears to have the same effect as the magic star from earlier games.

All of this and more await Wii U gamers who grab this gem shown off in the latest Super Mario 3D World trailer.

‘Super Mario 3D World’ Trailer Is The Cat’s Meow [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr News