Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--2 Croatian/American Fruit Spreads, and a Bit About a Historic Vampire, for Some Reason

     This was yet another find from the newish deli section in my local Shop-Rite.  I was blase at first, until I saw that it was a product of Croatia.  I'm not sure I've ever done a blog post about something from this country.  If I did, it can't have been many.  Anyway, I tried a sour cherry spread, and then a tangerine spread from the Dalmatia brand.

     Dalmatia was co-founded in 1995 in Florida by Maia Magee, who hails from Massachusetts.  (I didn't discover the identity of her co-founder.)  I wasn't able to discover if Ms. Magee is Croatian in heritage, or even if she was born there, and not in the U.S.  If you're wondering, Dalmatia is a region of Croatia.  The fruit used by the brand Dalmatia is grown in Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, and some other, unspecified Mediterranean nations.  Aside from the two I tried, Dalmatia makes a fig spread (which is their flagship product), a fig orange kind, and three new spread flavors--rose hip, hazelnut, and super berry.  Dalmatia's products are all vegan-appropriate, gluten-free, GMO free, and aside from the hazelnut one are free from nuts, even at their manufacturing facilities.  And if you order in bulk, they'll have your spreads made kosher.

     But, the most interesting thing about Dalmatia to me was the court case mentioned on their website.  Which, by coincidence, also involved the last spread I posted about, the Divina brand, and its parent company FoodMatch.  (See my post on September 30, 2023.)  From 2007-15 Dalmatia had a business partnership with FoodMatch, which distributed their spreads.  Alas, this relationship soured, and the partnership ended.  A couple of years later Dalmatia went to court against their former partners.  And so in February of 2017 a verdict was reached, finding FoodMatch guilty of misappropriating Dalmatia's recipe for fig spread, and also for flooding the market with counterfeit fig spreads falsely labeled as being "Dalmatia."  Part of this case was the first one under the 2016 Defend Trade Secrets Act.  Anyway, the jury awarded Dalmatia $2,567,000, so evidently they agreed that the actions against Dalmatia were quite serious.  So this is a new one for me--one of the companies I wrote about ripped off another company I posted about, and paid a large fine.  (I wonder why the Divina/FoodMatch website didn't mention this case?  Ha, just kidding, I obviously do know why they left this nugget of information out.)

Dalmatia tangerine spread:  Orange color, looks like typical fig spread.  Plain is nice.  Tangy and citrus-y.  On a roll was a good combo.  The bread and sweet spread complimented each other well.

Dalmatia sour cherry spread:  This one looked like cranberry sauce, but was less firm.  The flavor was rather like cranberry sauce, too.  Tangy and tart.  Quite good plain, and also pleasing on a roll.  Again, a good pairing.  Both of these were good spreads, but I liked the sour cherry one a bit more.  Both were good, but maybe a tad short of awesome.  I'd recommend each of these to anyone who likes tart fruit spreads

     As I often do, now let's discuss some famous Croatians, also known as Croats.  As I learned, there are tons of these, so I had to limit this list significantly.  Anyway, writer/director/producer Werner Herzog was born in Germany, but has some Croatian heritage.  Herzog is known for such films as "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" (1972), "Nosferatu the Vampire" (1979), "Fitzcarraldo" (1982), "Cobra Verde" (1987), "Invincible" (2001), and the documentary "Grizzly Man" (2005).  He was also once shot during an interview, and continued on like it wasn't a big deal.  Staying on those behind the scenes in movies, there's Branko Lustig.  He was born in what's now Croatia, with Croatian heritage.  Lustig won Oscars for Best Picture for producing "Schindler's List" (1993) and "Gladiator" (2000).  He also served as unit production manager/supervisor for such films as "Sophie's Choice" (1982) "Black Hawk Down" (2001), and "American Gangster" (2007).  Actor John Malkovich was born in the U.S., but has Croatian ancestry.  He appeared in such films as "Places in the Heart" (1984), "Dangerous Liaisons" (1988), "Queens Logic" (1991), "In the Line of Fire" (1993) "Con Air" (1997), "Being John Malkovich" (1999), "RED" (2010) and "RED 2" (2013), and "Bird Box" (2018).  Actress Jenna Elfman was also born in the U.S., but has significant Croatian heritage.  Highlights of her career include such films as "Grosse Point Blank" (1997(, "EDtv" (1999), "Town & Country" (2001), and "Friends with Benefits" (2015), and television shows such as "Dharma & Greg" (1997-02) and "Fear the Walking Dead" (2018-23).  Then there's singer/songwriter Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor, better known by her stage name Lorde.  She was born in New Zealand, but is of Croatian heritage.  Still active, she's already sold over 5,000,000 albums and has won 2 Grammys.

     Moving to sports, quite a few Croatians/Croatian Americans have had significant NBA careers.  Five of them have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame, even.  Many of them first had success in Croatian or other European League teams as well.  First up, there's Croatian born Dino Radja, a power forward/center with the Boston Celtics from 1993-97.  Per game he averaged 16.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.3 blocks, and accumulated 14.3 Win Shares.  Drazen Petrovic was also born in what's now Croatia, and played from 1989-93 with the Portland Trail Blazers and New Jersey Nets.  A shooting guard, per game he averaged 15.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.1 blocks, and accumulated 21.5 Win Shares.  Tragically, he died very young in a car accident, cutting his NBA career very short.  Croatian born forward Toni Kukoc played mainly with the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks, from 1993-2006.  His per game averages were 11.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.3 blocks, and a Win Share total of 59.6.  He also was a part of 3 NBA title teams.  Kevin McHale was born in the U.S,, but had Croatian heritage on his mother's side.  Kevin played power forward for the Boston Celtics from 1981-93.  His per game averages were 17.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.4 steals, and 1.7 blocks.  He also was named an All-Star 7 times, was part of 3 NBA title winning teams, and totaled 113 Win Shares.  Finally, there's U.S. born, but with Croatian heritage, center George Mikan, who played with the Minneapolis Lakers from 1948-56.  Per game he averaged 23.1 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.  (Alas, statistics from the league's early days aren't as complete, so that's all I have.)  Mikan was part of 5 NBA title winning teams, and accumulated 108.7 Win Shares.  He was also so dominant that the NBA had to change several rules so that other teams had even a slight chance against him.

     I'll end with a tale about a mythical monster from Croatia.  Jure Grando reportedly lived from 1579-1656 in Kringa, a village in the Istria region of Croatia.  However, local lore insisted that for 16 years after his death he remained as an undead strigon, a vampire/warlock hybrid.  He terrorized his community--among other atrocities his widow, Ivana, claimed he regularly sexually assaulted her.  Attempts to kill him with wooden stakes were unsuccessful.  Eventually a villager named Stipan Milasic ended Grando's reign of terror by cutting the monster's head off with a saw.  I know, vampires, and other undead creatures aren't real, but this story is credited as one of the earlier, if not earliest, detailed historic record of an alleged vampiric-type monster.  

Extremely Difficult Trivia About "A Christmas Story"

      I realize this might be considered an odd choice for me, since "A Christmas Story" is most definitely not a horror, sci-fi, or action movie.  But, I enjoy movies from other genres, and this is one example.  No one could plausibly argue that this movie isn't a quintessential Christmas-themed film.  Anyway, today we'll be discussing Bob Clark's 1983 classic, which took over a decade, and countless airings on cable television to really become popular.  So let's get to it.  The usual format--questions first, followed by the answers.  Many SPOILERS ahead, too.

Questions:

1)    What is the name of the town where Ralph lives?

2)    And in what U.S. state is this town located?

3)    What is the name of the street that Ralph lives on?

4)    Ralph tries to put the idea for the Red Ryder air rifle in his mom's head by planting a print ad for it from one of his magazines into one of her magazines.  Name the two periodicals.

5)    Ralph's father mentions two Chicago White Sox players, one by a nickname, and one by a surname.  Name them.

6)    Ralph's dad is participating in a trivia puzzle contest.  What is the grand prize?

7)    What is the theme of this particular puzzle?

8)    What is the name of the Lone Ranger's nephew's horse?

9)    Who in the Parker family knew the answer to the previous question?

10)   In another effort to trick his parents into buying him the air rifle, Ralph says someone saw a grizzly bear in town.  Near where?

11)   After Ralph's mom expresses doubts about buying an air rifle, Ralph asks for something else as a gift as a ruse.  What is this alternate gift idea?

12)  In Ralph's fantasy, who leads the gang of thugs that threaten the Parker house?

13)   In the fantasy Ralph kills most of the gang.  (It's not graphic--they're shown with "x's" over their eyes.)  How many thugs does he kill?

14)   What car company does Ralph's dad prefer?

15)   What is the name of Ralph's teacher?

16)   What book is Ralph's class shown learning about?

17)   Daring someone to do something can have up to a 6 part sequence, starting from least intense to most.  Name the proper sequence.

18)   One of Ralph's classmates indicates to the teacher where Flick is, when Flick is stuck to the pole.  Name them.

19)   Ralph claims that bully Scut Farkus has yellow eyes.  What color are they really?

20)   What is the name of Scut's toady?

21)   Ralph says the Bumpus family owns how many dogs?  (It's an obvious exaggeration.)

22)   Ralph's dad knows someone who works at the freight depot.  Name them.

23)   At this point, Ralph's dad mentions two other possible trivia puzzle contest prizes.  Name them.

24)   After receiving and setting up the leg lamp, Ralph's old man talks to a neighbor outside.  What is this person's name?

25)   What time does the Little Orphan Annie radio program start?

26)   The Red Ryder air rifle that Ralph craves has two other built-in features, besides the shooting BB's part.  Name them.

27)   According to the owner, how many trees are on his Christmas tree lot?

28)   While tree shopping, Ralph's dad mentions a neighbor who bought a green plastic tree.  Name them.

29)   What is the license plate number of the Parker family car?

30)   How much time is Ralph's dad aiming to change the flat tire in, to imitate the Indy 500 pit crews?

31)   And how much time does it actually take him to change it?

32)   Ralph imagines 5 punishments for saying the bad "F" word in front of his dad.  Name them.

33)   What soap is Ralph's favorite to have put in his mouth as a punishment?

34)   And what is the worst brand of soap for this?

35)   How far away does Ralph's friend Schwartz live?

36)   Who countersigned the letter signifying that Ralph was now a member of the Little Orphan Annie fan club?  (Aside from Annie herself, clearly.)

37)   How old is Ralph?

38)   When Ralph first tries to decode a message from Little Orphan Annie, what combination is he instructed to set his decoder pin to?

39)   According to the date inscribed on the back of the decoder pin, what year is this movie set in?

40)   What present does Flick buy his dad for Christmas?

41)   What grade does Ralph earn for his "What I Want for Christmas" theme?

42)   According to Ralph's dad, who are the Chicago Bears playing on Sunday?

43)   What is the name of the department store that the Parkers go to?

44)   How late is Santa working on the night that Ralph and Randy visit him?

45)   What does Santa say he hates the smell of?

46)   On Santa's lap, Ralph initially forgets that he wants the Red Ryder rifle.  What gift does he agree that he wants when Santa suggests it?

47)   What two gifts do we see Ralph's dad open?

48)   What is the name of Ralph's school?

49)   According to Ralph's father, how old was he when he got an air rifle?

50)   Ralph counts off 6 turkey-related dishes after their turkey is destroyed by the Bumpus' dogs.  Name them.

51)   What is the name of the Chinese restaurant that the Parkers eat Christmas dinner at?

52)   Ralph, of course, sleeps with his beloved Red Ryder rifle.  What present does Randy sleep with?

53)   What is the full proper name of the air rifle that Ralph so covets?

54)   What company manufactures this air rifle?

55)   The actor who played Santa in this movie, Jeff Gillen, co-directed a very different sort of movie in real life.  Name it.

Answers:

1)    Hohman, which is based on author Jean Shepherd's real life hometown, Hammond.

2)    Indiana.  Which is the state that Hammond (see Answer to Question #1) is located in.

3)    Cleveland Street.  Again, Jean's real life street.  He lived at #2907 on Cleveland.

4)    Ralph's magazine was "Boy's Life," and his mom's "Look."  Both were real magazines.

5)    "Bullfrog," and Shottenhoffer.  I couldn't find a real MLB player named Shottenhoffer, but there was a guy nicknamed "Bullfrog," who played for the White Sox from 1936-46.  He was pitcher Bill Dietrich.

6)    $50,000.

7)    Great characters in American Literature.

8)    Victor.  Online sources said this answer was accurate, and that Victor was the son of Silver, who was the Lone Ranger's horse.

9)    Ralph's mother.  (Incidentally, throughout this quiz I'll have to refer to Ralph's parents as "Ralph's mom," "Ralph's dad," etc. because their real first names are not provided.)

10)   Pulaski's candy store.

11)   Tinker toys.

12)   Black Bart.

13)   4.  Black Bart survives, however, and possibly one other cohort.

14)   He's an Oldsmobile man.

15)   Miss Shields.

16)   Silas Marner, the 1861 book written by "George Eliot" (which was Mary Ann Evans' penname).

17)   It starts with a dare, than a dog dare, than a double dare, a double dog dare, a triple dare, and then the triple dog dare.  (Although, as in this case, kids occasionally skip a step or two.)

18)   Esther Jane.

19)   It's tough to say.  Scut seems to be squinting most of the time, so it's hard to see.  Actor Zack Ward claims his eyes are really green, although other sources say blue.  Maybe they're bluish-green?  They're definitely not yellow, and no yellow contact lenses were worn by Ward, or anything like that.

20)   Grover Dill.

21)   785.  In reality it appears there are probably around 5-7.

22)   Ernie McCloskey.

23)   A Spanish adobe house in Florida, and a bowling alley.

24)   Swede.

25)   6:45 pm.

26)   It has a compass in the stock, and "this thing which tells time."  The latter being a sundial.

27)   300.

28)   Zudoc.

29)   56  498.

30)   4 minutes.

31)   8 minutes.  Although it may have been quicker if Ralph hadn't accidentally dropped the lug nuts.

32)   The guillotine, hanging, the chair, the rack, and Chinese water torture.

33)   Lux.  Which was a real brand, but was discontinued in the 1990's.

34)   Lifebuoy, which is real and still made.  Palmolive was the brand in between Lux and Lifebuoy in flavor.

35)   3 blocks away.

36)   Pierre Andre, who was a real life radio announcer.

37)   9 years old.

38)   B-2.

39)   1940.  Although this isn't absolute--the filmmakers wanted the time to be vague-ish, in the late 1930's/early 1940's.  Several other brands, references, and products were from years other than 1940 exactly.

40)   A rose that squirts water.

41)   A C+.

42)   Green Bay (Packers).

43)   Higbees.   Which was a real store, and still exists, but it changed its name to Dillard's in 1992.

44)   9 pm.

45)   Tapioca.

46)   A football.

47)   The blue bowling ball, and a can of Simoniz (it appears to be Simoniz's car wax).

48)   The Warren G. Harding School.

49)   8 years old.

50)   Turkey sandwiches, turkey salad, turkey gravy, turkey hash, turkey ala king, turkey soup.

51)   The neon sign reads "Bowling Chop Suey Palace Co.", but the "w" in "Bowling" is burnt out, leaving the more appropriate-sounding "Bo Ling Chop Suey Palace Co." as the name, for a joke.

52)   His toy Zeppelin.

53)   The Red Ryder carbine-action 200 shot range model air rifle.

54)   Daisy, which again, was a real company.

55)   1974's "Deranged," a loose adaptation of real life killer Ed Gein's exploits.  See my post on June 16, 2013 for more information about this movie and about Gein himself.

     Also, for a post about yet another Bob Clark movie, "Deathdream," (aka "Dead of Night") check out my post on August 17, 2019.  Otherwise, Merry Christmas to all those that celebrate it, and happy holidays to everyone in general.

   

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--International Sweet Rolls

      Several weeks ago, while in the deli section of my local Shop-Rite, I saw something new.  They were called Hawaiian sweet rolls, from the King's Hawaiian company.  Looking back, I can't recall discussing any bits of Hawaiian cuisine, so I picked up a pack.  They were also the company's "original" Hawaiian sweet rolls.

     King's Hawaiian is a moderately old business.  Back in 1950, a man named Robert R. Taira opened "Robert's Bakery" in the Hawaiian town of Hilo.  His baked goods were an immediate hit, and he began to grow the business.  In 1963 Taira moved production to King Street in Honolulu, and so he renamed his company "King's Bakery."  In 1977 Taira expanded into the mainland part of the U.S., as he started a manufacturing center in Torrance, California.  The business was then renamed yet again, to King's Hawaiian Bakery.  In 1992 all production ceased in Hawaii.  Then the company moved east--by 2011 a factory was begun in Oakwood, Georgia.  King's Hawaiian selection has also expanded over the decades.  Their rolls include some more offbeat types, such as pretzel rolls, and jalapeno rolls.  The company also markets cookies, holiday fruit cakes, bread pudding and coffee, teas, butters, jellies, mustards, and hot sauces.  Sadly, Robert Taira is no longer with us, as he passed in 2003.  His creation remains in his family's hands, however.

     The flagship product of King's Hawaiian remains the type I tried, their original sweet roll.  These are a kind of Portuguese sweet bread.  But it's more convoluted than that, as the Portuguese settlers in the Azores islands then came up with their own take on Portuguese sweet bread, called Massa Sovada ("kneaded dough"), which is a roll often served on holidays.  Azorean immigrants to Hawaii continued to make their signature Portuguese sweet bread rolls.  There's just one issue.  Portuguese sweet bread is known for its very brief fresh period.  In fact, the Azorean kind in Hawaii was known as "stone bread," since it becomes hard as a rock if not eaten within a day.  Somehow, and it's presumably a trade secret, Robert Taira was able to make Portuguese/Azorean sweet rolls that had an extended freshness life span.  And, while Robert Taira was born in Hawaii, his heritage is Japanese.  So, all in all, the rolls I got are a mix of Portuguese, Azorean, Japanese, Hawaiian, and American cultural influences.

King's Hawaiian original Hawaiian sweet rolls:  These looked like regular small rolls--a yellow interior, and brownish top and bottom.  They were square, about 5 cm./2.25 inches to a side.  I had some plain at first.  They were good rolls, soft and fluffy, with a noticeably sweet flavor to them.  Or quite tasty.  I then tried some with a tangerine spread, and then as a sandwich with capicola and ranch dressing.  Both these sweet and savory complements were also very good.  So overall I enjoyed these, and would recommend them.  

     As a fan of the Philadelphia Phillies major league baseball team, I was pleased to learn that a former member of the team, Shane Victorino, was a spokesman for King's Hawaiian in 2014.  It's a natural choice--Victorino was also born in Hawaii, and like Robert Taira also has some Japanese heritage.  (Shane's ancestry also includes Portuguese and Hawaiian.)  For his career, which stretched from 2003-15, Victorino slashed .275/.340/.425, with an adjusted OPS of 102+.  He also was named to 2 All Star teams, won 4 Gold Gloves as an outfielder, and was part of both the Phillies' 2008 World Series winning team, and the Boston Red Sox's world series winner in 2013.  "The Flyin' Hawaiian," as he was known, accumulated 31.5 WAR for his career.   Additionally, King's Hawaiian produced and released an animated children's Halloween-themed movie, called, "The Legend of Hallowaiian" in 2018.  Voice actors included Mark Hamill, Vanessa Williams, Tia Carrera, and Noah Schnapp.  If you're curious, its Rotten Tomatoes score is blank for critics, and 36% (out of 100%) from the general audience.  IMDB has it as a 5.1 out of 10. 

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Gabagool (Aka Capicola)

      The first time I recall hearing about gabagool was on the episode of "The Office" when Michael Scott orders it at a restaurant while interacting with a guy he thinks is in the Mafia.  (SPOILER--the man is actually just an insurance salesman.)  I was vaguely aware that Michael clearly got this word from "The Sopranos," or "Goodfellas," or some other Mob-related program or movie, but it wasn't until a subsequent viewing of "The Sopranos" that I definitely heard the term again.  Anyway, I looked for gabagool at the local grocery stores without success.  But when I did a little googling, and found out that it was another word for "capicola," I was able to find some without much difficulty.  Specifically, I tried some ham capicola from the Black Bear brand, which I think is one of the Shop-Rite store brands.

     So what is gabagool/capicola?  It's a type of cured meat.  Some describe it as being a cross between prosciutto and sausage.  More exactly, "capicola" is a good description, since it reveals where the cut of meat comes from on the pig's body.  "Capo" is "head" in Italian, and "colla" means "shoulder."  (Or at least one article I read said this.  When I tried out some online Italian to English translation dictionaries sometimes they didn't agree with this.)  And this cut of meat comes from the area between the neck and the 4th or 5th ribs (on the shoulder).  There seems to be some variation about the production method, but the following one seems to be the most common.  The meat is cured for a bit (maybe around 10 days), and then placed in a brine which contains garlic, wine, and spices, and then this whole thing is encased in salt.  After being refrigerated, it's rinsed, and then re-seasoned, typically using red or black pepper, fennel, coriander, paprika, and anise.  Then this is put back into natural pork casings (perhaps intestinal lining?) and dry cured for 4-6 months.  Reportedly it was first made in the area around the Northern Italian city of Piacenza, but since it's now made throughout all of Italy, the French island of Corsica, Switzerland, Argentina, and other areas with significant populations of Italians, such as New York and New Jersey in the U.S.  Capicola/gabagool has a relatively high fat content, meaning it's a bit juicier, creamier, and has less gristle than some other cured meats.  Nutritionally the meat has high amounts of protein, iron, and Vitamin B-12, but on the negative side it's also very high in sodium, and of course, fat.

     As for the alternate name, Dan Nosowitz did a deep dive about this in an article for Atlas Obscura titled, "How Capicola Became Gabagool: The Italian New Jersey Accent, Explained."  Long story short, Italian American immigrants, as was their practice, tended to drop the final vowel, and garbled the "c's" into "g's."  And the "p" became a "b."  And the final "o" sound was drawn out and emphasized.  And I for one think this bastardized version is better--I definitely think it's more fun to say "gabagool" than "capicola."  Probably because it sounds so ridiculous and nonsensical.  But, for the record, this cured meat has a few more alternate names, as some refer to it as "coppa" or "cotta."  Which aren't very entertaining, either.  I'll stick with gabagool, thank you.

Black Bear ham capicola/gabagool:  This was sliced into disc shapes (around 4 inches/10 cm. in diameter) and had a pinkish-brown color, with some whitish streaks (which are the fat) and a reddish-brown rind.  The taste was a lot like ham, only better.  The spiciness was quite nice, and it was noticeably juicier than most cured meats.  I had some plain, and then as part of a sandwich with ranch dressing on it.  I came away impressed.  If you like cured meats, I think you'll find this is one of the stronger ones.  Although given its relatively high sodium and fat content, it's probably better as an occasional treat, rather than a daily staple.  Finally, readers are no doubt getting tired of hearing me rave about anise-flavored drinks.  It didn't escape my attention that I enjoyed a meat that also uses anise as a flavoring.  (And I checked the label on the meat I ate--anise was one of the spices mentioned in the ingredient list.)  Also, even if you don't want to eat it, you can still have a good time just saying "gabagool" over and over again.  Try it!

Extremely Difficult Trivia About "Die Hard 2" (1990)

      About two years ago, on December 25th, 2021 to be exact, I did a trivia quiz about "Die Hard."  Well, it's December again, so let's do a sequel post about the sequel movie.  Many fans of the series were disappointed by #2, but I'm not one of them.  I thought it was a more than solid sequel--not as great as the first one, but still very good.  I actually prefer the second one to the third one.  And the less said about the 4th, or 5th one, the better--they totally went off the rails.  (Or at least I thought the 4th one was pretty bad, and heard universally negative things about the 5th movie.)  And yes, this one may resurrect the argument about whether or not the first two "Die Hard" movies are Christmas movies or not.  Close enough for me.  Usual format--questions first, followed by the answers, and these are all about incredibly obscure, and well, trivial details.  Many SPOILERS ahead.  Enjoy!

Questions:

1)    The film opens with the car that John McClain is driving (owned by his mother-in-law) to the airport being towed.  What is this vehicle's license plate number and letters?

2)    According to the cop that John interacts with, how much will it cost to get the car back the following day?

3)    As John enters Dulles airport, we hear kids singing.  What famous song are they performing?

4)    What country is deposed dictator General Ramon Esperanza coming from?

5)    What is the name of the airport that Esperanza is flying out of?

6)    We see two news journalists talking about this situation on television.  Name them.

7)    What is the airline, and flight number, of the plane that Holly Gennero McClain is on?

8)    What television network does reporter Samantha Coleman work for?

9)    What details first attract John's attention toward the terrorists?

10)   The first terrorist that John kills is Cochrane.  What is Cochrane's first name and rank?

11)   The flight attendants reference two segments about the airline industry that Dick Thornberg recently did.  Name them.

12)   According to the restraining order Dick took out on Holly, exactly how far away is she supposed to stay from him?

13)   According to Captain Lorenzo, how many FAA and then D.C. regulations did John break in his initial fight with the terrorists?

14)   According to John, what new, innovative firearm were the terrorists carrying?

15)   How many Twinkees does Sgt. Al Powell have on his desk when John calls him?

16)   What is the Los Angeles police department's fax number?

17)   Before his untimely "death" in 1988, where was Cochrane stationed and trained?

18)   And what is Cochrane's special service number?

19)   What brand of chainsaw do the terrorists use to cut the electric cables at the church?

20)   What is the name and number of Esperanza's special, non-commercial flight?

21)   During his initial meeting with John, what song is Marvin the janitor playing on his record player in his basement area?

22)   Barnes is shot in his attempt to access the antennae array at the new Annex Skywalk.  Where on his body is he wounded?

23)   Colonel Stuart mentions seeing two of John's interviews, one in print, and one on television.  Name the magazine, and the television program.

24)   Stuart also uses a famous quote, "Treason is merely a matter of dates."  Who does he credit this quote to?

25)   The terrorist cause a plane to crash by providing incorrect data about how far above the ground the plane is.  Name the airline, and the flight number.

26)   Who is the sound man that Dick uses to tap into the cockpit radio?

27)   What is the name of Major Grant's special military counterterrorism team?

28)   What is the name of the Department of Justice official who meets and greets Grant as he arrives?

29)   What is the job title of Trudeau (who's played by politician Fred Dalton Thompson)?

30)   Who is the replacement member on Grant's team?

31)   Why did this man replace the previous member?

32)   What is Barnes' first name, and job title?

33)   What make and model is the two way radio (walkie-talkie) that the terrorists use?

34)   What is the code name for the terrorists' base of operations at the church?

35)   And what is the code name for General Esperanza?

36)   After his plane is damaged, what runway does Esperanza land on?

37)   What is Esperanza's plane's number?  (Not the flight number, the plane's, which is printed prominently on it.)

38)   Where on his body does John shoot Esperanza?

39)   According to Esperanza, how long did the terrorists' scheme take to plan?

40)   How many grenades do the terrorists throw in the cockpit with John?

41)   What kind of grenades do the terrorists use?

42)   Where is Holly currently employed?

43)   What television program is put on the screens in Holly's plane, to calm the passengers down?

44)   What television station does Dick call and make a report to?

45)   What famous weather forecaster does the old lady sitting next to Holly disparage?

46)   What is the name of the church that the terrorists use as a base?

47)   What is the church building going to be converted to?

48)   What hangar is the terrorist's plane in?

49)   What is Major Grant's terrorist codename?

50)   What is the name of Captain Lorenzo's brother, who is the cop who enjoyed towing John's car in the opening scene?

51)   What prayer does Holly murmur when it looks like their plane will crash?

52)   What is the ID number of the terrorists' escape plane?

53)   What song plays as the movie ends?  (Before the credits.)

54)   How many people do the terrorists kill?

55)   How many terrorists does John McClane kill?

56)   We see several trinkets in Marvin's area, including a sports team bobblehead.  Which team is it?

57)   Why didn't all the circling planes just fly to another airport, especially after the one is crashed?

Answers:

1)    TB7 639.

2)    $40, which even for 1990, seems pretty cheap.

3)    "Carol of the Bells."

4)    The fictitious, yet common-in-movies nation of Val Verde (or perhaps Valverde).

5)    Escalan.

6)    Leonard Adkins and Amy Nicole.

7)    Northeast Airlines, Flight 140.

8)    WNTW.  She's on the Night-Time News team.

9)    He notices that one acts nervous when a cop walks by, and that one of them is carrying a gun in an airport.

10)   His first name is Oswald, and his rank is Sergeant.

11)   "Flying Junkyards," and "Bimbos of the Sky."

12)   Holly says it's 50 feet, and Dick says it's 50 yards (or 150 feet).

13)   7 FAA, and 5 D.C.

14)   A Glock 7.  Which is incorrect--gun enthusiasts online point out that they're using Glock 17s.  Also, all firearms would be picked up by metal detectors, since all have some metal parts.  Finally, porcelain is very brittle, so it's not suitable for a firearm. And, Glocks weren't that expensive, and are made in Austria, not Germany, so basically everything John says is wrong.

15)   4.

16)   555-3212.  Or, a fake number using the classic, "555" Hollywood exchange.

17)   Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Ft. Benning (GA), Saudi Arabia, Langley (VA), Afghanistan, and Honduras.

18)   1-567-70-1459.  I know, absolutely no one will know this, but I'll still throw it out there.

19)   A Stihl.

20)   Foreign Military 1.  It's also called Foxtrot Michael One, using the military code.

21)   "Old Cape Cod."

22)   His left forearm.

23)   "People" magazine, and the "Nightline" television program.

24)   He credits Cardinal Richelieu, but some think it's a quote from Napolean, or others.

25)   Windsor Airlines, Flight 114, out of England.

26)   Victor.

27)   Blue Light.

28)   Rollins.

29)   He's the Chief of Air Operations.

30)   Telford.

31)   The original man got appendicitis.

32)   His first name is Leslie, and he's the Chief Engineer.

33)   They are using the Kenwood TH-45AT, 440 MHZ.

34)   Eagle's Nest.

35)   Falcon.

36)   25R.

37)   709.

38)   In his upper right arm.

39)   2 months.

40)   Each man has 3 grenades, and they're told to use all of them.  So 9 total.

41)   RFX 55.  Which, weapons enthusiasts online note are the practice M-30 grenade versions of the M-26.

42)   She's seen reading a folder from Nakatomi, so evidently she's still working with that corporation.  Maybe she got a promotion after the events of the first film.

43)   "The Simpsons," the "There's No Disgrace Like Homer" episode (1990).

44)   WZDC-11.  Is he working for them now?  Or is it the local affiliate of his LA based network?

45)   Willard Scott, who she calls a "porker."

46)   Barnes calls it the "Hidey Lake Community Church," but later a sign indicates it's the "Highland Lake Community Church."  The latter name makes more sense.

47)   It's going to be a day care center.

48)   11.

49)   Hatchling.

50)    Vito.

51)   Psalm 23.

52)   N473 EV.

53)   "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow."

54)   Total, it appears to be 245.  There's the church custodian, the 5 SWAT guys, the 5 members of the Windsor plane crew, the 230 passengers on the Windsor, the 3 members of the plane carrying Esperanza (killed by him), and Telford by Major Grant.  Obviously, others could have died in the rioting and such, but 245 deaths appear to be confirmed.

55)   It appears to be 24.  McClane electrocutes Cochrane, shoots O'Reilly, Mulkey, and Thompson.  Causes Sheldon to crash on the snowmobile, stabs Baker with an icicle, shoots Burke and Garber, and causes Grant to be sucked into the plane engine.  Then Esperanza, Stuart, Miller, Kahn, and 11 members of the Blue Light team die in the plane explosion.

56)   It's for MLB's San Francisco Giants.

57)   Yes, this is questionable.  The movie tries to explain that it's because the snowstorm engulfed the entire Northeast and Mid-Atlantic part of the country, so many airports were closed, or dealing with the snow.  And they mention that Atlanta, Memphis, and Nashville had taken some of the errant flights.  But given that these planes had been circling for 2 hours, they almost certainly could have flown to other airports, especially in the warmer, less snow bound South.  I know, I know, it's a movie, so they wanted to keep it exciting and dramatic.  But I'm just saying.

 

   

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--An Italian/American Juice Beverage

      Some readers might be anticipating a holiday-relevant post today, since it's only 2 days past the American holiday of Thanksgiving.  (A holiday that's probably the most food-centric one of them all, even.)  Alas, that's not the case.  I couldn't locate anything like that.  Instead, I'll discuss a drink made from bilberry nectar.  From the Bionaturae brand.  Which in turn is part of Jovial Foods, which is headquartered in the American state of Connecticut, but many (all?) of their products come from Italy.

     The founders of Jovial Foods were a married couple--Carla Bartolucci and Rodolfo Viola.  (I'm using the past tense because Carla tragically passed at a young age in 2021.)  Bartolucci was American, but of Italian heritage.  Viola was born in Italy, and is of Italian heritage.  Carla had become interested in organic foods after her parents died from cancer.  Rodolfo had actually studied organic agriculture while in college.  So it was natural that together they started a brand that specialized in marketing Italian organic food and drinks in 1995.  (Some of the business details are a bit unclear, but I believe that brand was Bionaturae.  But by 2010 the overall company became Jovial Foods.  This may have been the same date when the Connecticut headquarters were established.)  Anyway, Jovial/Bionaturae produces pastas, tomatoes, vinegars, oils, fruit nectars, and fruit spreads.  All traditional Italian dishes, obviously, and many (all?) grown and processed in Italy.  But the focus of Jovial seems to be their foods made from einkorn.  Einkorn is a variety of wheat, one which is a bit different than varieties most commonly used currently.  Adherents love einkorn because it's not hybridized, and is seen as being healthier, and more pure.  It does have more protein than the common modern varieties, and has greater amounts of some nutrients, such as potassium, beta carotene, and phosphorus.  Reportedly einkorn also contains a weaker type of gluten.  Some folks with gluten sensitivities can digest einkorn without difficulty.  Although, critically, those with celiac disease should NOT consume einkorn, as its gluten will definitely still adversely affect them.  Additionally, some consumers think that einkorn has a distinct, and better flavor than regular wheat.  All of which makes me wish I'd tried some Jovial products made using einkorn, but unfortunately my grocery stores only had the bilberry juice.

     Moving to bilberries, they are a variety of berry that's closely related to the North American blueberry.  There are some differences, though.  The exteriors of bilberries are dark purple or black, and their inner pulps are red or purple, as opposed to blueberries' blue exteriors, and greenish pulp.  Bilberries are softer and juicier than blueberries, and are more difficult to cultivate.  Meaning most bilberries are harvested from wild plants, and are not transported very far, usually sold in local gourmet stores instead of widespread supermarket chains.  Bilberries are eaten raw, or are made into jams, pies, skyr (see my post on December 7th, 2016), other desserts, soups, and are even sometimes turned into liquors.  It's often claimed that bilberries have various medical uses, such as helping to lower blood pressure, or aiding eye ailments, or improving night vision.  However, as is so often the case, medical science has not found evidence for these claims as of yet.  I mean, they're nutritious, and tasty, but don't expect them to cure your cataracts or astigmatism or anything.

Bionaturae bilberrry nectar:  Not much of an odor.  Deep purplish-red in color.  Taste was okay.  Kind of thin.  Not a bold taste.  Slightly disappointing.  I would have liked it to either be more tart, or more sweet.  It was kind of in a mediocre flavor middle.  As befits the Jovial overall healthy focus, there was no sugar added.  Although there was some apple puree and apple juice concentrate, both organic, clearly.  Otherwise there was just organic bilberry puree, ascorbic acid, and filtered water.

  

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--An Australian/Indian Snack

      I saw this one several months ago, at the alternate Shop-Rite.  From the name and what it looked like, I initially assumed it was from India.  But, then I read that it was distributed by an American LLC, out of Georgia.  However, looking further, the food was actually made in Australia.  Specifically, it was the bhuja cracker mix, from the Majans company.

     The Majans official company website was one of those terse ones.  So I got only a bare bones history, which lacked much detail.  Anyway, the business began in 1960, when an unidentified member, or members of the Raniga family went door to door selling Indian spices and foods, in Brisbane, Australia.  In 1984 the company started marketing a bhuja mix.  All told, there are five kinds of the bhuja mix.  The cracker one that I tried, plus the original mix, the nut mix, the beer mix, and the crunchy seasoned peas.  According to LinkedIn, the number of Majans employees is between 51-200, and the current directors are Kam and Rick Raniga, who are presumably descendants of the founding Raniga member or members.  (Unless the founding Ranigas are still going strong aged 95 or something.)  Moving on, bhuja is a generic name for an Indian snack that was reportedly developed in the Indian city of Kantabanji in 1970.  Bhuja consists of puffed rice mixed with items like crackers, dried noodles, dried peas, peanuts, other nuts, and spices.  Additionally, the Majans products are free of GMOs, gluten, all meat and animal products, artificial ingredients, and are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.  It was also a relief to find no articles detailing the Majans company's mistreatment of its employees, or its products causing any babies to become dangerously ill.

Majans bhuja cracker mix:  Present were green peas, yellow crackers, brown peanuts, yellow rods, brown crackers, and raisins.  Crunchy.  Not spicy, though.  Kind of blandish.  Okay, but not great.  I was a bit surprised that an Indian snack wasn't more spicy.  So overall this snack was alright, but the lack of spice bite was definitely disappointing.  I've had other mixes of this sort, and those tasted a little better.

     As luck would have it, Brisbane is actually a city that I've visited, as a friend of mine (Hi Dan!) lived there for a time back about 20 years ago.  I enjoyed it, although the summer heat was fierce.  Because of its size (a population of about 2,600,000), Brisbane had had several famous denizens.  Bowen Yang is of Chinese ancestry, but he was born in Brisbane.  Although he spent almost all of his childhood in Canada and the U.S.  Yang has written and acted on "Saturday Night Live" since 2018.  The lead singer of the band Savage Garden, Darren Hayes, was also born in Brisbane.  As was actress Miranda Otto, who's appeared in such films as "Daydream Believer" (1992), "The Well" (1997), "The Thin Red Line" (1998). "Human Nature" (2001), "War of the Worlds" (2005), and "The Silence" (2019).  But she's surely best known for playing Eowyn in the last 2 "Lord of the Rings" movies (2002-03).  Tennis player Roy Emerson, was born elsewhere, but spent much of his life in Brisbane.  Emerson was a Hall of Famer, amassing a lifetime singles record of 1397-416, 110 career singles titles, 12 Grand Slam singles titles, and 16 Grand Slam doubles titles.  Samantha Stosur was also a tennis player, and also was Brisbane-born.  She finished with a lifetime singles record of 607-457 and 9 career singles titles, including the Grand Slam U.S Open in 2011.  She also won 4 Grand Slam doubles titles (of 28 total doubles titles), and 3 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.  She retired earlier this year, and will presumably be elected into the Tennis Hall of Fame sometime in the near future. 

 

The Worst (and Best) MLB Rookies of the Year

      The 2023 major league baseball season ended recently, meaning the MLB award season is upcoming (or has already started, for some awards).  This includes the Rookie of the Year, the award given to the best rookie, defined as being the player's first year.  (Some players have technically played some games in a previous season, or seasons, but they can't have gone over an official amount of at bats, innings, or time on the roster.  Long story short, a player's rookie year is their first one wherein they play a full season, or at least most of one.)  Of the major awards, Rookie of the Year seems to lend itself to the most "flashes in the pan," or players who have a great rookie year, but then underperform for the rest of their careers.  Or sometimes they don't even play that many more years.  There are occasionally cases like this for Cy Young or MVP award winners, but not usually as often.  Anyway, that's what I'd like to cover today--the guys who won the Rookie of the Year but then didn't do much of anything else.  Also, in some seasons the Rookie of the Year wasn't that great--either they were kind of overrated, or else maybe no other rookies that year were that special, either.  So we're going to try to come up with a list of these worsts.  I'm going to use the stat WAR (wins above replacement) to settle this.  (I realize some stat enthusiasts prefer ones like VORP, EqA, Win Shares, or possibly others.  I'm using WAR because it seems fairly extensive, it's more widely used, is more familiar to me, and finally, is easier to find, since it's on the Baseball Reference website.  And therefore I'm using Baseball Reference's version of WAR, and not Baseball Prospectus', or any others.)  Finally, I'm not trying to be mean here.  I realize all these players were excellent players, and had accomplished careers.  I'm just trying to figure out who were the worst ones in the MLB, for this category.  So let the arguments begin, I guess.  Lastly, this award was first given out in 1947.  For the first two years there was only one Rookie of the Year for MLB, but starting in 1949 there was one for each league.  I'll be abbreviating "Rookie of the Year" as "ROTY" frequently in this post, for obvious typing reasons.

Lowest WAR for a Rookie of the Year:

1)   0.0   Ken Hubbs, second baseman, Chicago Cubs, 1962.

2)   0.4   Steve Howe, pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers, 1980.

2)   0.4   Eric Karros, first baseman, Los Angeles Dodgers, 1992.

4)   0.5   Chris Chambliss, first baseman, Cleveland Indians, 1971.

5)   0.8   Albie Pearson, outfielder, Washington Senators, 1958.

6)   1.1   Todd Hollandsworth, outfielder, Los Angeles Dodgers, 1996.

6)   1.1   Chris Coghlan, outfielder, Florida Marlins, 2009.

8)   1.2   Billy Williams, outfielder, Chicago Cubs, 1961.

9)   1.3   Tommy Helms, third baseman/second baseman, Cincinnati Reds, 1966.

9)   1.3   Kazuhiro Sasaki, pitcher, Seattle Mariners, 2000.

9)   1.3*   Devin Williams, pitcher, Milwaukee Brewers, 2020 (a)

     (a) Recall that the COVID-affected 2020 season was only 60 games, instead of the usual 162, so Williams WAR may well have been higher (or possibly lower) in a regular length season.

Lowest Career WAR for a Rookie of the Year winner:

1)   1.0   Angel Berroa, shortstop, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, etc., in 9 year career with his ROTY award coming in 2003.

2)   1.1   Chris Coghlan, outfielder/infielder, Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, etc., in a 9 year career with his ROTY award in 2009.

3)   1.2   Ken Hubbs, second baseman, Chicago Cubs, 3 year career, ROTY in 1962. (a).

3)   1.2   Butch Metzger, pitcher, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, etc., 5 year career, ROTY in 1976.

5)   1.5   Joe Charboneau, outfielder, Cleveland Indians, 3 year career, ROTY in 1980.

6)   1.9   Kyle Lewis, outfielder, Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, active player as of 2023, 5 year career so far, ROTY in 2020.  (b).

7)   2.5   Bob Hamelin, first baseman, Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, etc., 6 year career, ROTY in 1994.

8)   3.0   Alfredo Griffin, shortstop, Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, etc., 18 year career, ROTY in 1979.  (Also part of 3 World Series winners.)

9)   3.4   Walt Dropo, first basemans, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, etc., 13 year career, ROTY in 1950.

10)  3.7   Harry Byrd, pitcher, Philadelphia Athletics, New York Yankees, etc., 7 year career, ROTY in 1952.

10)  3.7   Jerome Walton, outfielder, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, etc.  10 year career, ROTY in 1989.

10)  3.7  Kazuhiro Sasaki, pitcher, Seattle Mariners, 4 year career, ROTY in 2000. (c).

Notes:

(a)   Hubbs' career was so short because he tragically died in a plane crash at the age of 22.

(b)   Since Lewis is active, he might accrue more WAR and leave this list.  Although his last few seasons have been poor, so he might actually lose more WAR and go down a few places, too.

(c)   Sasaki played many years in the Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball league (NPB), so he didn't get to the MLB until he was 32.

     

     Okay, let's get to the positive.  Here's a list of the 19 ROTY who had fine careers, and were eventually elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, followed by some possible candidates for later elections.  Again, I'll order these in career lifetime WAR.

1)   156.2   Willie Mays, outfielder with the New York/San Francisco Giants and New York Mets.  22 year career, ROTY in 1951.

2)   109.9   Tom Seaver, pitcher with the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, etc.  20 year career, ROTY in 1967.

3)   107.3   Frank Robinson, outfielder/first baseman with the Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, etc.  21 year career, ROTY in 1956.

4)   95.9   Cal Ripken, Jr., shortstop/third baseman with the Baltimore Orioles.  21 year career, ROTY in 1982.

5)   81.2   Rod Carew, first baseman/second baseman with the Minnesota Twins and California Angels.  19 year career, ROTY in 1967.

6)   79.9   Jeff Bagwell, first baseman with the Houston Astros.  15 year career, ROTY in 1991.

7)   75.1   Johnny Bench, catcher/first baseman/third baseman, Cincinnati Reds.  17 year career, ROTY in 1968.

8)   71.3   Derek Jeter, shortstop with the New York Yankees.  20 year career, ROTY in 1996.

9)   70.1   Scott Rolen, third baseman with the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, etc.  17 year career, ROTY in 1997.

10)  68.6   Eddie Murray, first baseman with the Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, etc.  21 year career, ROTY in 1977.

11)  68.4   Carlton Fisk, catcher with the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox.  24 year career, ROTY in 1972.

12)  64.8   Andre Dawson, outfielder with the Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs, etc.  21 year career, ROTY in 1977.

13)  64.5   Willie McCovey, first baseman/outfielder with the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, etc.  22 year career, ROTY in 1959.

14)  63.6   Billy Williams, outfielder with the Chicago Cubs.  18 year career, ROTY in 1961.

15)  61.8*   Jackie Robinson, infielder/outfielder with the Brooklyn Dodgers.  10 year career, ROTY in 1947.  (a)

16)  59.5   Mike Piazza, catcher/first baseman with the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, etc.  16 year career, ROTY in 1993.

17)  55/8   :Luis Aparacio, shortstop with the Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, etc.  18 year career, ROTY in 1956.

18)  50.1   Orlando Cepeda, first baseman/outfielder with the San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, etc.  17 year career, ROTY in 1958.

19)  43.0   Tony Oliva, outfielder with the Minnesota Twins.  15 year career, ROTY in 1964.

  (a)  If Jackie Robinson had been allowed to play in MLB earlier, he would have clearly played more seasons, and accumulated a higher lifetime WAR.  As it was, he broke the color ban in his late 20's.

Definite future Hall of Famers who also won Rookie of the Year.  As in, barring an arrest or positive PED test or something like that, these guys will definitely be elected, probably shortly after the 5 year minimum.

1)   101.5  Albert Pujols, first baseman, outfielder, third baseman, with the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angles Angels, etc.  22 seasons, ROTY in 2001.

2)   85.2*   Mike Trout, outfielder, Los Angeles Angels.  Active player, 13 seasons as of 2023, ROTY in 2012.

3)   81.0*   Justin Verlander, pitcher, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, etc..  Active, 18 seasons as of 2023, ROTY in 2006.

     These next players have a strong case for Hall of Fame election, but not as strong as the previous 3 guys:

1)   75.1   Lou Whitaker, second baseman with the Detroit Tigers.  19 seasons, ROTY in 1978.

2)   70.1   Carlos Beltran, outfielder with the Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, etc.  20 seasons, ROTY in 1999.

3)   60.0*   Ichiro Suzuki, outfielder with the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, etc.  19 seasons, ROTY in 2001.  (a).

4)   58.7   Dick Allen, first baseman/third baseman/outfielder with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, etc.  15 seasons, ROTY in 1964.

   (a)  Suzuki played in the NPB in Japan until his late 20's, so bear that in mind while observing his career WAR.

     And now the depressing pair.  These last Rookie of the Year winners would have been surefire Hall of Famers, but they broke a couple of serious rules.  They still might be elected someday, but it's unclear.

1)   79.6   Pete Rose, outfielder/first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, with the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, etc.  24 seasons, ROTY in 1963.  Barred from HOF due to gambling on baseball games.

2)   62.2   Mark McGwire, first baseman with the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals.  16 seasons, ROTY in 1987.   Not elected so far because of obvious, and finally admitted usage of PEDs.

 

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Pumpkin Seeds

      Originally, this was going to be a typical, light-hearted post about an unusual food.  I was happy that it was autumn-themed, or even late Halloween-themed, since it featured parts of pumpkins.  But then, once I started researching the company that made the seeds, I learned some details that I found unsettling.  So be forewarned--today's post isn't just about food, and will even touch on some political and societal issues.  If you're the type of person who doesn't like hearing about such things, maybe give this article a pass.  For the record, I tried two kinds of pumpkin seeds from Eden Foods--their lightly sea salted kind, and the hot, spicy, and savory ones.

     At first, Eden Foods appeared to be similar to many of the food/beverage companies I cover.  In fact, they seemed to be a bunch of "crunchy hippies," if I can use that term.  The Michigan-based business opened in the late 1960's as a food co-op.  Then it became a natural food store, then an establishment that had a cafe, bakery, and bookstore.  Then in 1972 it became an organic and natural food warehouse, selling its products throughout the U.S. and Canada.  Currently Eden sells a lot of different products-noodles, condiments, seaweed, teas, pickled veggies, rice, Japanese cuisine, oils, vinegars, beans, lentils, flour, cereals, hemp oils, dried fruit, nuts and seeds, butter, juices, fruit spreads, soy milk, etc.  They also boast of being the oldest natural and organic food seller in North America.  Oddly, their product labels don't have the USDA Organic seal, nor the Non-GMO Project Verified seal.  Because, as they claim in their "FAQ" section on the official company website, Eden considers the federal regulations for each of these issues to not be stringent enough, not as organic or non-GMO as Eden is.  Which seemed a little strange to me, but there it is.  Otherwise, the folks behind Eden seemed like they were the usual good-hearted, green, health-conscious, vegetarians or vegans I often run across for my blog posts.

     Then I checked out the company using other online sources.  And found out some quite negative things.  I guess, for legal reasons, I should preface all of these events by using the word "alleged," since I'm not 100% sure.  But, on the other hand, the links and sites I used to confirm these claims seemed pretty legitimate.  Anyway, first off, about 10 years ago Eden wanted to refuse to cover contraceptives for its employees on its health plan, because of the owner/founder's Catholic beliefs.  A lower court blocked this, but the U.S. Supreme Court eventually reversed this decision.  Additionally, in April of 2022 four women claimed that the owner and possibly some other high executives subjected them to various types of sexually harassment.  In autumn of 2023 Eden settled, and paid out $182,500 to these employees.  Finally, and most seriously, in 1988 a Canadian infant developed a rare eye and bone disorder due to vitamin deficiencies.  The baby's parents had given it only Eden soy milk, instead of breast milk or vitamin-rich formulas, due to claims made by Eden's advertising.  The CEO, Michael J. Potter, pled guilty to a misdemeanor, and got a $25,000 fine, 2 years of probation, and a 30 day jail sentence.  (Fortunately, the baby later recovered.)

Eden pumpkin seeds with sea salt:  These were a green color.  They were okay.  A bit bland.  They reminded me of sunflower seeds.  Dry and crunchy.

Eden pumpkin seeds, hot/spicy/savory variety:  Some of these were green, and some were brown.  A dusting of spice was visible on them.  These were also dry and crunchy.  But there was a noticeable spice bite.  Not too strong, but pretty decent.  I liked these better than the regular sea salt ones.

     Overall these were a good snack.  Previously I'd had a few dried pumpkin seeds that were collected after pumpkin carving, and found those to be extremely bland, probably because they didn't even have salt on them.  But these professionally made seeds were pretty solid, especially the spicy kind.

     So, in normal circumstances I would recommend these seeds, and would have been willing to try some other Eden products.  But because of the unsavory and criminal details I learned about the company's higher ups, I don't want to support these folks financially.  Obviously each reader will have to make their own decisions about this.  I encourage everyone to research this on their own, and draw their own conclusions on whether to buy Eden products or not.  Again, I didn't want to inject politics into this post--it just happened, and I felt I should comment on it.  I hope that all (or at least most) of my future posts are just more fun musings on weird or unusual food and drinks, or discuss interesting trivia about horror movies or sports, or are accounts of upcoming magazines or anthologies that feature some of my stories.

  

Yet More Pumpkin Beers Reviewed!

      Yes, it's the same post once again, kind of.  This is the 4th time I've posted this basic article.  But, there is slightly more content, as I tried and reviewed 6 new pumpkin beers.  The new reviews are marked with an asterisk (*) in front of them.

     Since it’s the Halloween season I thought I’d do a post about the brew of the season—pumpkin beers.  By doing so I may be risking alienating (or boring) any non-American readers, because pumpkin beers appear to be a nearly exclusive American beverage.  Also, these beers are probably pushing the “exotic” title, as due to their type’s popularity explosion in the past decade or so they’re probably more like “slightly unusual.”  But what the hell—I want to post about at least one food or beverage with a tie to Halloween this month, so let’s get on with it.

     In researching pumpkin beers, I was surprised to learn that their history is extensive.  Like before the U.S. was even a country.  One website I consulted noted that America’s first folk song, written in 1643, was a satire about eating (and drinking, in the form of pumpkin ales) nothing but pumpkins and parsnips.  The lyrics I viewed weren’t that funny to me, but humor can be culturally and time period bound, and this song is over 350 years old, so I’ll give it a break, and not mock it.  During this period, evidently malt was hard to come by, so early European colonists looking to brew beer turned to a local plant that was a good source of fermentable sugars, the humble pumpkin.  As a result, pumpkin ale was quite popular, especially in the 1700’s, along with regular porters and ales.  A recipe for making it survives from 1771, even.  However, this popularity took a major hit in the early 1800’s.  Pumpkin ale was seen as passé, and apparently malt sources weren’t such a problem to easily locate anymore.  Regular grain ales, porters, and then lagers especially came to dominate the U.S. beer scene in the mid to late 1800’s, and up until the present day.

     However, in the early days of the craft, microbrewing movement, in the late 1980’s, a brewer decided to experiment, and reintroduce the pumpkin beer.  This brewer, Buffalo Bill’s Brewery (out of the Pacific Northwest) even used one of founding father George Washington’s personal recipes for their prototype (although the commercial version was apparently different, and used pumpkin pie spices in place of actual pumpkin to make it).  Over the next couple of decades pumpkin beers steadily grew in popularity, and now hundreds of U.S. breweries offer them.

     And this in itself produced surprising information.  I didn’t realize how polarizing an issue pumpkin beer is.  People seem to mostly love it or hate.  I read a particularly vicious quote about the style from a Washington City Times beer writer, Orr Stuhl:  “Even picking a favorite is like picking a favorite airborne disease.”  Looking through some comments in the websites and blogs I looked at, I saw some similar opinions—how much they hated pumpkin beers, and in some cases, how they hated that they were sold, and how those that enjoy them are not “real” beer drinkers, etc.  These were balanced by comments defending pumpkin beers, many of whom extolled (or at least appreciated) the style.

     I myself, not shockingly, love to try new types of beer (and meat, organs, cheeses, vegetables, fruit—you get the idea), and I’m not adverse to all the fruit-flavored beer types, either, like lambics, krieks, winter seasonals—some are quite tasty.  Although I have to say that even the good ones, like decent ciders, are usually so sweet that I can only have one or two in a sitting, and can’t drink them all night.  But as a switch up, I can appreciate them from time to time.  Over the years I’ve tried the occasional pumpkin beer, and recall liking some, so I went into this project with enthusiasm.  But enough history and chatter, let’s get to the rankings.  I deliberately chose a mix of larger, macrobrewery offering, and smaller, local microbrews.  And these are listed, worst to best, using the school A(excellent) through F (failure) rankings.

Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin Ale:  D-.  Orange-yellow color, no real odor.  Odd taste, not good.  Much too boozy (it's 9% alcohol), and kind of overly sweet/sour-y.  Full disclosure--it's possible it might have been an expired bottle, or completely stale.  I couldn't read the "born on/drink by" date on the container.  Overall it was terrible, and very difficult to finish.  Maybe I'll try another one if I can find a container with a legible date, so I know it's still fresh enough.

New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Atomic Pumpkin:  D-.  Orange-yellow hue, no real odor.  Starts off okay but ends badly.  Spicy, in a bad way.  Unpleasantly bitter and astringent.  Peppery, also in a negative way.  Drinkable, but just barely.  Kind of surprising, since I like most New Belgium offerings in general, and their other Voodoo Ranger kinds in particular.

 

Southampton Pumpkin Ale (New York State): D.  Very nasty, and astringent.  Not good at all.

 

Starr Hill Boxcar Pumpkin Porter (Virginia): D.  I like that they tried a different beer style—most pumpkin beers are ales or lagers—but the result was tremendously disappointing.  It was tasteless, like water.  Akin to a light beer—that’s how watery it was.

 

Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale (Colorado): D.  Thin, tasteless, and not worth it.

 

Long Trail Unfiltered Pumpkin Ale (Vermont): D.  Bad.  Metallic-tasting.  Not pumpkin-y at all.  What happened?  Long Trail is usually a quality brewery—a rare miss.

 

Buffalo Bill’s Brewery American Original Pumpkin Ale (Pacific Northwest): D+. You may recall from above, this was the one that reintroduced the style back in the late 1980’s.  So I expected it to be exceptional, since so many copied it, or at least the idea.  But no, for me.  I found it only slightly pumpkin-y, and a lot astringent. 

* Big Muddy Brewing Pumpkin Smasher (Illinois):  C-.  Yellow-brown color, malty/vanilla-y odor.  Thin, kind of weak.  Spice bite at end.  But needs to be much stronger.  It's disappointing how mundane this was, especially given its title.

* Evil Twin Milkshake Style IPA with Pumpkin and Spices (Connecticut):  C-.  Yellow.  Lemon-y odor.  Was sour, and not sweet.  Some pumpkin spices.  But not strong.  Not a good sour or Berliner Weisse.  Don't know what this was, but it wasn't great.  Weird, innovative take on pumpkin spice beer, but not good as a sour, either.  So points for the idea, but the execution wasn't there.   

 

Lakefront Pumpkin Lager (Wisconsin): C-.  Disappointing.  Only a hint of pumpkin flavor.  Watery and weak.

* Glasstown Brewing Company, Clash of the Pumpkins (New Jersey):  C.  Dark brownish-red color, malty/vanilla-y odor.  Kind of thin.  Some spice bite, but should be more potent.  Hides its alcohol content (7.2%) well.  Disappointing.  Not terrific, but bland.  Cool movie-tie can painting on the label, though.

* Southern Tier Caramel Pumking Imperial Ale (New York):  C.  Amber colored, sugary/malty odor.  Almost overwhelmingly sweet, but ends bitter somehow.  Hides alcohol content (8.6%) well.  Hard to rate.

 

Post Road Pumpkin Ale (Brooklyn Brewery, NY):  C.  Okay, not great.  Slightly bitter in an unpleasant way.

Ship Bottom Imperial Pumpkin Ale:  C.  Orange-brown hue.  Not much of an odor.  Kind of mediocre.  Not great, not terrible.  Not extremely pumpkin-y, but not bland.  Okay, I suppose.  Hides its alcohol content (9.4%!) well, at least.

Shocktop Pumpkin Wheat (Missouri):  C.  Mediocre.  Had slight cinnamon taste.

 

Shipyard Brewing Pumpkinhead (Maine):  C.  Drinkable.  Not very pumpkin-y.  Rather bland and inoffensive.

 

Wolaver’s Pumpkin Ale (Vermont): C.  Just average.  Kind of bland-ish.  Not bad, just not a very compelling flavor.

* Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery Paranormal Imperial Pumpkin Ale (Canada):  C+.  Brownish red hue, malty odor.  A little thin at first, but ends better, with a spice bite.  Hides enormous alcohol content (10%!) well.  Would have liked a more consistently stronger flavor.  Not what I expected from its odor.

Lancaster Baked Pumpkin Pie Ale:  C+.  Orange-brown color, slight pumpkin-y odor.  Pumpkin-y taste.  A little thin.  But better than average.  Hides alcohol content (7.5%) well.  I would have liked a bolder flavor.

Dogfish Head Punkin Brown Ale:  C+.  Orange-brown color, slight pumpkin-y odor.  Okay.  Kind of like the Lancaster one--some pumpkin flavors, but not the strongest taste.  A little bland.  Once again, I was surprised, because Dogfish Head is one of my favorite breweries.  I guess even the great ones make mediocre beers once in a while.

  

Ithaca Country Pumpkin (NY):  C+.  Okay, weakish.  Not great.

 

Great South Bay Splashing Pumpkin Ale (Long Island, NY): C+.  Pumpkin-y at first, but ends a little weakly.

 

Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale (Massachussetts):  C+.  Slightly better than average, but still not very special.

 

The Traveler Beer Company Jack-o Shandy (Vermont)  C+.  Really different—it’s a shandy (lemon peel) mixed with pumpkin.  Weird.  Flavor pairing is a little off-putting and strange, but somehow is not terrible, and is oddly drinkable.

Two Roads Roadsmary's Baby Ale:  B-.  Orange-brown hue, slight pumpkin-y odor.  Pretty good.  A little stronger than most.  Maybe a tad chalky.  But decent overall.

Schlafly Pumpkin Ale:  B-.  Orange-brown color, slight pumpkin-y odor.  Again, pretty good.  Starts off promisingly, ends a little off.  But still good for the style.  Hides its alcohol content (8%) well.  Not great, but alright to good.

 

Uinta Punk’n Harvest Pumpkin Ale (Utah):  B-.  Nice odor.  Okay, a tad blandish.  Still a marked improvement over most of the others.

 

Harpoon Pumpkin UFO Unfiltered Ale (New England): B-.  A bit weak, but better than average.  Slightly more pumpkin-y.

* New Jersey Beer Company Hypnotic Pumpkin Ale (New Jersey, of course):  B.  Brownish-red hue, slight vanilla odor.  Overly carbonated.  Odd flavor.  Tasted kind of sour rather than sweet.  Strange, but not without its charms.  Pretty good.

 

Harpoon Imperial Pumpkin (New England): B.  This was a surprise, as I usually do not like stouts at all.  Tastes very heavy and strong (it’s 10.5% alcohol!).  Slightly spicy.  Weird.  Has sweetish, vanilla-y burn at end.  Really grew on me.

 

Southern Tier Pumking (NY): B.  Sweet, vanilla-y.  Good.  Hides alcohol content (8.6%) well.  To be fair, it didn’t taste very pumpkin-y, but it was tasty all the same.

 

Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale (New Hampshire): B+.  Nice odor, very good.  Spicey.  Tastes normal at first, than pumpkin flavor really kicks in nicely.

 

Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale (Pennsylvania): A-.  Very good.  Blend of spices was well done.

 

    In conclusion, looking at my rankings, I’m struck that I’m apparently an exception to the “love it or hate it” dichotomy.  Slightly over  half (17) I found to be mediocre and average (“C” rating), and I disliked (“D”)  7, and really enjoyed (“B to A”) 9.  And even the 7 lowest ranked ones weren’t terrible, weren’t drain pours or anything.  So it appears, if I generalize, that I kind of like the style, but only slightly.

     * Furthermore, I’ve been a little puzzled, and amused, by the recent furor over “pumpkin spice.”  It appears that some people are really upset over this flavor being added to coffee/lattes, doughnuts, cakes, candy, candles, etc.  I get that many people don’t like pumpkin spice flavoring, or are a little annoyed that it’s being offered in tons of products, and you see the words everywhere, but it still seems like an overreaction.  It seems pretty easy to just not order the offending flavor, and just ignore the fad for a few weeks.

      Happy Halloween everyone!  Hope you've enjoyed this Spooky Season as much as I have.  And yes, you'll probably be seeing this same post in the future.  But I promise I'll at least add a few more ratings and reviews.  I'm also curious about how high I can get--50 brands of pumpkin beer?  100?  More?