Traveling GDAEman

Enjoying a respite and family time as I travel in the San Francisco Bay Area, my old stomping grounds. I've let the 24-hour news cycle pass me by for a change, but will be right back on top of the GDAE Podcast upon my return... that is, if I don't partake in a long weekend beach trip :-1

A couple thoughts have crossed my mind while traveling. One is a reflection on a segment by Fair and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) on media coverage of the on-going efforts to "reform" our anemic health care system. The commentary observed that reporters were saying, "The health care debate is so complex and nuanced that it is very difficult to cover and explain to the public." My gut reaction to that was, "It wouldn't be so complex if we had a single-payer system."

Another unrelated thought I had was a reflection on the SF Bay Area in which I grew up. It has changed so much, with many wealthy foreign people beginning to dominate the population in a place that is now nearly unaffordable to meager mortal (like myself). What happened?

Back in the early 1980s a referendum, Proposition 13, was passed based on short-term thinking and a fair amount of misinformation from the corporate quarters. It placed limits on property taxes, which on the surface sounds great. The most direct negative effect was the demise of the State's excellent public school system. A more subtle effect was the following.

Controls on property taxes made it possible for housing prices to inflate drastically, in part because there was little impact on existing home owners. Traditional property tax policies would have put the breaks on the outrageous home price increases. Once the housing prices got inflated, there was no way to reverse the Proposition 13 policy, because the taxes would have been unbearable. Prop 13 created an irreversible trap.

Because of the cost of a home, families like mine that had been in the Bay Area began feeling pressure to split up. Kids couldn't afford to buy a decent house here, so they had to move away. However, the most wealthy foreigners could afford the prices. As a result, the composition of the Bay Area has change irreversibly.

My parents and I, having left the Bay Area temporarily, cannot afford to return to live near my siblings, unless we want to live in a shoe box. This is a profound unintended consequence of the short-term thinking of Proposition 13.

Enough musing for now. It's time to enjoy my brief time here in sunny CA.

Today the Word is "Golpista"

Thanks to the good work of Sandra Cuffe, reporting from Honduras, and Flashpoints Radio program, I learned a new word today. It's "golpista," which is Spanish for coup d'etat supporter.

More on Challenge the Establishment Blog.

GDAE Podcast - Episode 16

Episode 15 - June 17, 2009 Taliban & US Right Wing

• Briefly, Health Care Reform: Time for us to Make Noise!
• A tid bit on Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining
• Who are the Taliban?
• A Mid-East 101 by Chris Hedges 
• Sarah Palin's Future Plans: Will she help incite right-wing violence? (Re-visiting a theme of Episode 11)

Play GDAE Podcast Episode 16 from this page.

Previous Episodes & 60-Sec Promo:

GDAE Podcast 60-Second Promo

GDAE Podcast Episode 15 June 17, 2009
GDAE Podcast Episode 14 June 10, 2009
GDAE Podcast Episode 13 May 22, 2009
GDAE Podcast Episode 12May 5, 2009
GDAE Podcast Episode 11 April 24, 2009
GDAE Podcast Episode 10 April 9, 2009
GDAE Podcast Episode 9 March 28, 2009
GDAE Podcast Episode 8 March 15, 2009
GDAE Podcast Episode 7 March 1, 2009
GDAE Podcast Episode 6 February 17, 2009
GDAE Podcast Episode 5 February 6, 2009
GDAE Podcast Episode 4 January 24, 2009

Birthing GDAE Podcast Episode 16

The "Summer Effect" on my podcasting means only one episode of GDAE Podcast for July. Topics will include:

• Briefly: Health Care Reform. Time for us to Make Noise!
  
• A tid bit on Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining
• Who are the Taliban?
• Sarah Palin's future plans: Will she help incite right-wing violence? (Re-visiting a theme of Episode 11)

Almost done.

Mr. Holder: Investigate and Prosecute Bush Officials

My letter to Attorney General Eric Holder:

I urge Secretary Holder to support the Department's investigation of numerous crimes committed by the Bush Administration.

It would be unhealthy to America's future if we brushed it all under the rug. To quote Bob Marley, "In this great future, you can't forget your past."

Do the right thing.

Short 'n sweet.

How to Host a Honey Tasting

This "how to" is intended for informal honey tastings, perhaps as part of a party, barbecue event, family reunion or other gathering.

"To Do" Lists

Before the Tasting:

• Honey: Five to ten different kinds of honey (eight worked for me). Strive for some variety in flavors from simple to more exotic, e.g., raw honey.
  
• Small cups: I used disposable plastic containers like those used by restaurants for serving to-go sides (e.g., soy sauce, salsa, raitha). I got mine free at a friendly neighborhood restaurant. The disposable ones are helpful because you can write on them (the number of the honey... assuming you're having a blind tasting, which is much more fun).
  
• Toothpicks or coffee stirrers: We used toothpicks... some people used two at a time if they felt the need.
• Toothpick holder: You can use the box the toothpicks come in, or a more attractive holder.
  
• Taster Discard: You'll need a cup or other container for used toothpicks. A deep cup is good so people don't mistake the discard pile as the clean ones!
  
• Scoring Sheet: (See Details Below)
• Copies of Score Sheet: We made enough sheets for all guests to participate, but only about one-third filled them out.
  
• Pencils: Have a number of pencils sharpened. Pencils are handy so people can modify results if needed... but, that depends on having erasers that work ;-1
• Contact info. for party guests (You'll want to send them the results!)
• Blank sheets of paper
• Magic marker
  
• Location for tasting (think about where you'll set up the tasting... space, table(s), etc. You might want to do it inside to avoid attracting bugs).
• Optional: If you want, prepare a summary sheet in advance that describes the honeys. People will want to know what they judged. You can hand this out at the end of the event, even if you don't finish scoring the results until after the event.
  

Day of the Tasting:

• Set-up location: We have a smallish house, so we set up on two tables in different rooms to spread people out a bit (we had 8 honeys to taste). We did it indoors to avoid attracting bugs.
• Make a List of the Honeys: Write down the names of each honey and give them a random number. It's important you don't loose this ;-1
• Number Sheets of Papers: For each honey, create a sheet of paper with the random number at the bottom. You will set each honey on it's own sheet of paper with the number at the bottom... helps catch any drips.
• Mark each Cup: Write the random number on each cup you'll use for the honey.
• Transfer Honey to Cups: Prepare for a little messy job. You'll want a wet rag for cleaning as you go. You might want multiple spoons/knives to help dish out the honey into the numbered cups (I cleaned my knife as I went).
  
• Place pencils, score sheets, tasting toothpicks, toothpick discard cups out for use.
• Get a couple out-going people to start and spread the word to guests.
• Optional: Have judges write their names on the results. If they want to take their score sheet with them, before you've done the scoring, you'll need to copy the results for your use in scoring.
  

After the Tasting:

• Everyone likes instant gratification. If the situation allows, you can try to tally the results and give them to guests toward the later part of the event. This didn't work in my case, so it's good to have contact information that allows you to send the results to people.
  
• Scoring: OK, some people will not fill score all of the honeys. I only used the scores for the people who scored all honeys. You can try to figure out how to include partial scores, but you're on your own for that. I set up a little spreadsheet to tally the results. I added up all the judges scores separately for the two categories (distinctiveness, agreeability). Then, I added these two sub-scores for a combined total. I selected the three top scores, the "Best," (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place) for both categories and combined total. (See Score Result Tables).
• Other Results: People will want to know a little about the honeys they judged. As noted above, you can create a summary sheet. I elected to simply document the judges comments on a web page, at which point I also described the honeys.
  

Score Sheet Details: I'll provide a sample once I figure out how to link to a document, but for now, here's Sample Text and description:

Honey Tasting
Score Sheet

Please judge the eight (8) different honeys on two aspects of flavor. Judging ends at 9pm at which time scores will be tallied (put your name on the score sheet if you want it returned). We'll post the results on-line!!

Things to consider: Overheating will cause a burnt sugar flavor (not a problem with raw honey). Fermentation can cause the honey to taste sour. Certain floral sources such as tobacco can produce unpleasant, even disagreeable-tasting honey.

Give Two Scores, each on a scale of 1 – 10 (10 is the Best): 1) Distinctive flavors stand out as being interesting, perhaps having a notable aroma. Distinctive flavors, however, might not be agreeable for regular use, perhaps being too strong in some way. 2) Agreeable flavors go beyond simply tasting sweet (it should have a honey flavor!!), but aren't so distinctive that they might offend someone, e.g., too yeasty.

Honey Tasting Score Table

Honey Number	Score for Distinctiveness	Score as Agreeable	Comments
#1
#2
#3
#etc.

I think that about covers it. I'm sure you can think of improvements. If you do, or if you host a competition, I'd appreciate you leaving a COMMENT below. A link to any web pages, and cross links to this page would be even MORE APPRECIATED!

Honey Tasting Contest: The Least Best

In two previous posts I explained the tasting set-up and then gave the basic results of the best of eight (8) honeys.

It's worth mentioning that all of the honeys were good. It's also worth mentioning that this judging says nothing about honeys that were not part of the competition; we simply selected 8 honeys that we thought would have a range of flavors. Each honey received two scores:

• Distinctiveness, and
  
• Agreeability
  

Each was scored on a scale of 1 - 10.

The Honeys

Random Number	Honey Name
#1	Lord Byron - Wildflower
#2	Wedderspoon Active +16
#3	Zambezi
#4	Wedderspoon Autumn Forest
#5	Ulmo Tree
#6	Really Raw
#7	Trader Joe's Creamed Clover
#8	Trader Joe's w/ Honey Comb

Thirteen people participated as judges in the tasting. The highest possible score for being either Distinctive or Agreeable was 130. The highest combined total score would be 260. The best honeys are summarized below, with scores in parentheses.

The Worst of the Group of Honeys

Judging Category	First Place	Second Place	Third Place
Distinctiveness	Honey #1 (53)	Honeys #2 (65)	Honey #4 (67)
Agreeability	Honey #2 (60)	Honey #3 (63)	Honey #5, #4 (70)(71)
Total Score	Honey #2 (115)	Honey #1 (135)	Honey #4 (138)

Some Comments

Honey #2, Wedderspoon Manuka Active +16 from New Zealand, 500 grams, was priced at $45 dollars (you can get it for $30). It is organic and raw. In my view, it had similar flavors of #5 Ulmo Tree honey from Chile, that is, a hint of sasafrass root (like root beer). Some of the comments about Wedderspoon +16 follow:

• Blank taste
• Cloudy and thick
• Saturated, pasty
  
• Sour

Honey #1 Lord Byron's wildflower honey is local to Maryland, USA, came in lowest on distinctiveness and 2nd lowest total score. It is a high grade standard honey we have around the house. Here's what some of the judges had to say:

• Sweeter than sweet!
• Pleasant, normal
• Very simple, very clean
• medicinal
• warm with subtle zing
• earthy

Honey #3 Zambeze from Zambia African jungle flowers. 100% organic, Fair Trade. It intentionally has cyrstals. Advertized as having a complex, lingering, rich but subtle flavor. Personally, I liked it and think the judges might have been prejudiced by the crystals, so take the following comments with a grain of honey. Here are the comments on Zambeze:

• Grainy (mentioned twice)
  
• Like proplis and chunky
• Not good, very crystalized
• Ick
• I hate the taste
• Yeasty
• Bitter bite
  
• Good
  

Honey #4 Wedderspoon Autumn Forest Honeydew from New Zealand. A dark, 100% organic, raw honey. It was the most runny of the eight honeys. Here's what the judges had to say:

• I don't know if it's sweet or sour
• Tastes similar to maple syrup (certainly has the consistency)
• Aftertaste
• Subtle but unique
• Tart, Medicinal
• Smooth
  

Comments on #5, Ulmo Tree my personal favorite from Chile, can be found in the results for the best of the group.