Phil's Superpower of Enthusiasm

A place to write about things I enjoy, for my own edification. Headphones, audio gear, albums, whiskey, wine, golden retrievers etc.

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Lawyer, unabashed nerd and geek. Purveyor and pusher of excellent sci-fi/fantasy, good food, and repartee. He/him. Dog dad/servant to @Goldendenali.

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  • Phil's Top Ten Albums of 2018


    1. Janelle Monae–“Dirty Computer” (nothing else was even close)
    2. Brasstracks–“For Those Who Know, Pt. II EP”
    3. Kurt Vile–“Bottle It In”  
    4. The National–“Boxer(Live in Brussels)” 
    5. Marian Hill–“Unusual”
    6. Various Artists–“Black Panther The Album”
    7. Chvrches–“Love is Dead”
    8. Let’s Eat Grandma–“I’m All Ears”
    9. Lo Moon–“Lo Moon”
    10. twenty one pilots–“Trench”
    11. Little Dragon–“Lover Chanting EP” (couldn’t leave this off)

    Honorable mentions (things I discovered too late in the year to really listen much, but that I’m liking a lot so far):

    • Christine and the Queens–“Chris”
    • The 1975–“A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships”
    • Young Fathers–“Cocoa Sugar”
    • Blood Orange–“Negro Swan”

      It was also a great year for soundtracks–in addition to Black Panther, I particularly loved “Annihilation” (very Alt-J-esque at times), Ali Shaheed Muhammed & Adrian Younge’s “Luke Cage: Season 2”, and Thom Yorke’s fascinating “Suspiria” score.

        [Editor’s note: I spend a surprising amount of time looking for these through my FB archive over the years, so I’m dropping these here mostly for my own ease of use.]

      1. Phil's Top 10 Albums of 2020

        Waiting to join an online birthday party for a dear friend, looking at a plate with five high-end ryes for my tasting pleasure (spoiler: Templeton’s 2018 barrel strength rye is better than it should be), seemed like it was finally time to pull the trigger on my 2020 top ten albums.

        What did I miss? (I enjoy the new Thundercat but haven’t listened to it that much yet.)

        1) “Free Love”, Sylvan Esso

        2) “Folklore”, Taylor Swift

        3) “Fall to Pieces”, Tricky

        4) “Circles”, Mac Miller

        5) “some kind of peace”, Olafur Arnalds

        6) “Good Souls Better Angels”, Lucinda Williams

        7) “The Slow Rush”, Tame Impala

        8)- “Serpentine Prison”, Matt Berninger

        9) “Womb”, Purity Ring

        10) “Punisher”, Phoebe Bridgers

        Honorable mentions:

        1) “Have We Met”, Destroyer

        2) “Golden Ticket”, Brasstracks

        3) “Warnings”, I Break Horses

        4) “New Me, Same Us”, Little Dragon

        5) “Your Hero is Not Dead”, Westerman

        Best Eps:

        1) “Dear Illusion”, Adaline

        2) “Flight Tower”, Dirty Projectors

        3) “I Shine, U  Shine”, Rimon

        [Editor’s note: I spend a surprising amount of time looking for these through my FB archive over the years, so I’m dropping these here mostly for my own ease of use.]

      2. Phil's Top 10 Albums of 2021

        It was a pretty weird year in music for me, as I spent a lot of time trying to listen my way through my dad’s vinyl collection but still managed to hit more than 1,200 hours of music streaming along the way. That journey sent me down the rabbit hole pretty frequently on older artists like the Grateful Dead, the Rolling Stones, and even some bands that don’t start with “the.” Nevertheless, I found some time for new music, and here are the ten albums from 2021 that I think you should listen to if you haven’t already:
        1. “Screen Violence” – Chvrches (electro-pop): I’m probably always going to put a new Chvrches album on my list anytime they release one, but this is genuinely a great album and shows growth for the band. “Good Girls” is a brutal call to arms, “How not to Drown” a really interesting collaboration with Robert Smith, and Lullabies a nice throwback to their first couple of albums.
        2. “Hotel Surrender” – Chet Faker (electro-pop): always been a fan of Nick Murphy, and this was a nice brightening of his sound. I was delighted by the “Get High” EP he dropped early last year, and he did not disappoint with the full LP release in July. “Whatever Tomorrow” and “In Too Far” are highlights.
        3. “How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last” – Big Red Machine (alternative rock): if 2020 was the year of Aaron Dessner’s dominance of my playlists, 2021 was not a step back. A great collaboration between Dessner and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, with a star-studded case of features including Sharon Van Etten, Anaïs Mitchell, This is the Kit, and T-Swizzle. I particularly commend to your attention “June’s a River” and “Phoenix”.
        4. “Pray for Haiti” – Mach-Hommy (hip-hop): a really interesting album from a Haitian-American taking a serious look at important social issues while also bringing amazing beats and a very distinct flow. Think less-polished, chiller Wyclef, maybe?
        5. “In Praise of Shadows” – Puma Blue (ambient/electronica)”: super atmospheric and chill, particularly check out “Opiate” and “Snowflower.”
        6. “Mother” – Cleo Sol (R&B, soul): “Promises” popped up on Roon and I fell immediately in love with the soulful groove of Cleo Sol. The whole album is beautiful and a meditation on life, and it’s one of the things I’ve been throwing on to unwind at the end of a long day.
        7. “Local Valley” – José González (indie singer/songwriter): I’ve long been a fan of González and his projects (especially Junip), but this is all around a lovely and relaxing album (and an aspirational figure for my guitar playing efforts).
        8. “El Alimento” – Cimafunk (Cuban funk/jazz/???): a brilliantly weird album with features from people ranging from George Clinton to Lupe Fiasco. It’s genuinely unique, and something I’ve been throwing on when I need a pick me up.
        9. “HEY WHAT” – Low (electronic): this album will not be for everyone; some of the tracks are reminiscent of Portishead’s “Machine Gun” which seems almost designed to sonically assault the listener, but the payoff for making it to the latter half of the album is worth it to me. Picked up based on a recommendation from Sylvan Esso’s Nick Sanborn. Particularly fond of “More.”
        10. “Colourgrade” – Tirzah (electronic): “Tectonic” came up on Roon radio and I immediately stopped what I was doing, sat down, and listened to the entire album. It’s definitely a little inconsistent, but it reminds me favorably of some of Tricky’s early albums with Martina Topley-Bird. “Hive Mind”, “Send Me”, and “Tectonic” are my favorite tracks.

        EPS:

        1. “Builder’s Brew” – All Day Breakfast Club (R&B/Funk/Jazz?): a play on the title of a Miles Davis album, this is an all-women group playing energetic, fun, power jazz/funk. Listen to “Old School Struggling” and tell me that you didn’t feel the urge to dance a little.
        2. “the ‘dropped your hand while dancing’ chapter” – Taylor Swift: “coney island” will never not hit me in the feels.
        3. “The Other Lover” – Little Dragon & Moses Sumney (R&B): Moses Sumney is one of the most interesting new artists for me in 2020, and he’s only getting better. If you didn’t listen to “Græ” last year, do it now.
        4. “Is It Light Where You Are” – Art School Girlfriend (pop? Rock?): this three-track EP is enough to justify keeping Roon just for more recommendations like this.
        5. “Forever Presence” – Jelly Cleaver (jazz): I heard Jelly Cleaver on NPR talking about “Builder’s Brew” and fell in love with her voice and sensibility.

        Honorable Mentions:

        • “Big Sleepover” – Big Boi/Sleepy Brown (hip-hop): so far loving this album, but really only had a couple of days with it. Not long enough to have much perspective.
        • “I Don’t Live Here Anymore” – The War on Drugs (alt-rock): same.
        • “Blackest Blue” – Morcheeba (trip-hop/electronica): a lovely return to form from a band I feel like I haven’t heard anything from in a long time, but haven’t listened as much as I want to.
        • “Seventeen Going Under” – Sam Fender (rock): the title track (with its meditations on anger and youth) is almost good enough to make the list regardless of the album, but the rest of the album doesn’t feel nearly as strong. Going to give it some more listens though.
        [Editor’s note: I spend a surprising amount of time looking for these through my FB archive over the years, so I’m dropping these here mostly for my own ease of use.]

      3. Top Ten Albums of 2022

        It’s that time of year again, so here’s my top ten albums of
        2022. As always, curious to hear where you agree or disagree, or what I’ve
        missed this year. Rating everything on a scale of 10 possible Denalis this
        time.

        Phil’s 2022 Top 10 albums

        1)     
        “angel in realtime.” – Gang of Youths. This
        album broke my heart and rebuilt it over and over. It’s a beautiful mediation
        on loss, grief, parents, and purpose, and the opening track (“You in Everything”)
        is on my no-random-shuffle list lest it come on when I’m working or driving or
        can’t stop to listen and tear up. I’m sure y’all are tired of hearing me rave
        about this album, but it’s truly an exceptional piece of art, and my life is
        better for knowing it. 27.5 out of a possible 10 Denalis.

        2)     
        “Midnights” – Taylor Swift. It’s super weird to
        me that Taylor Swift makes my list again, but this is a great album. “Anti-hero”
        is the track everyone raves about, but honestly I think “Maroon” is the
        strongest song on the album. Not nearly as good as “Folklore,” but then very
        few albums are (the first album above notwithstanding). 10/10 Denalis.

        3)     
        “Black Radio III” – Robert Glasper. Continued
        beauty and funk from the jazz pianist-cum-hip hop producer. “Shine” is a
        standout track; it’s on my chill, wind-down playlist. [also, if you have a chance
        to see Glasper live, take it.] 10/10 Denalis.

        4)     
        “Palaces” – Flume. I really liked Flume’s 2014 “Skin”,
        and I’ve enjoyed a number of random tracks he’s produced since then (particularly
        when working with Vera Blue”), but this is simultaneously bizarre and incredibly
        well planned. “Go” is the standout for me, particularly if you have speakers or
        headphones with good mid-bass (and the music video is … so weird. But also
        charming). “Sirens” is also great; Flume is really good at mixing ethereal voices
        with technology and synths and producing mesmerizing results. Also his live
        performances with Toro Y Moi are hilarious. 10/10 Denalis.

        5)     
        “Dance Fever” – Florence + the Machine. Classic Florence.
        “Choreomania” is the single, and doesn’t disappoint. Weirdly, I really fell in
        love with “The Bomb” which doesn’t feel nearly as Florence-y as the rest of the
        album. 9/10 Denalis.

        6)     
        “Caprisongs” – FKA Twigs. A thoroughly interesting
        mix of bubblegum pop and thoughtful lyrics. “tears in the club” is the standout
        (and The Weeknd’s best work of 2022, IMO), but “ride the dragon” and “honda”
        are great opening tracks and the album feels really cohesive. 9/10 Denalis.

        7)     
        “SOS” – Sza. This dropped two weeks ago and I
        haven’t had a chance to listen to it as much as I want to, but it pretty
        quickly landed on my frequently-played list. “I Hate U” was a great single
        before the album dropped, and it’s interesting to me where it ended up on the album
        (pretty late). “Control” was one of my favorite albums of 2017 and this holds
        up. 9/10 Denalis.

        8)     
        “World Wide Pop” – Superorganism. This is my
        favorite pure pop album of the year. It’s so damned weird but I really dig it.
        I mean, who else samples NPR’s Bob Boilen into a pop song?  The whole album is great, but “It’s Raining”
        has brain-wormed me for almost six months now (and the video is a lesson in
        modern music video design).  9/10 Denalis.

        9)     
        “No Rules Sandy” – Sylvan Esso. I’m a huge
        Sylvan Esso fan and their self-titled album is on my top-ten all-time list.
        This is an interesting and enjoyable departure, but not quite up to “Free Love”
        or “Sylvan Esso.” My standout track is “Echo Party.’ 8/10 Denalis.

        10   “All for Nothing” – Lauv. Bubble gum pop at its
        best. Lauv always makes enjoyable music that is perfect for uplifting
        background music. The title track is good, but for my money “Summer Nights” is
        the standout. 8/10 Denalis.

        Honorable mentions. 

        These are all albums that suffered due
        to getting added into my Apple Music library rather than Tidal/Roon, so they
        didn’t get as much play as they probably should have. I’ve rectified that and I
        look forward to hearing them more in 2023.

        1)     
        “Motomami” – Rosalia

        2)     
        “Surrender” – Maggie Rogers

        3)     
        “Hideous Bastard” – Oliver Sim

        Best EPs of 2022:

        1)     
        “immolation tape” – Gang of Youths. Three live
        versions of great tracks from “angel in realtime.”, plus a new (and weirdly
        uplifting track) that I commend to you attention: “a shot in the arm” is lovely
        and worth a listen. 10/10 Denalis, would really love a full-length live album
        (and to see them live).

        2)     
        “graves” – Purity Ring. Purity Ring is one of my
        favorite bands, and they’ll always make my lists. 7/10 Denalis, would really
        like another full album.

      4. Finally, Network-Attached Storage

        After more than a decade of losing a couple of days a year to fighting with and backing up crappy (but cheap) external hard drives, I have caved and purchased a good, redundant network-attached storage device. This is a Synology DS920+  (Amazon) with four hard drive bays that accept both 2.5″ and 3.5″ drives, as well as two slots for M.2 formfactor SSD Caches.

        I’m currently running:
        • 2 x 4 TB Seagate Ironwolf hard drives in a RAID configuration to automatically back up all of my computers (three macs, two PCs, and the Linux-based Roon ROCK that drives all of the streaming media players around my house).
        • 2 x 16 TB Seagate Exos Enterprise-grade hard drives in a RAID configuration set up as a network share drive so that I can stop e-mailing documents back and forth between machines.

        Is this overkill? Probably. But as the keeper of all of my dad’s photos and documents for my family, I feel much better knowing that three different hard drives would have to fail in order to lose anything (the main computer drive, the 4 TB main backup, and the 4 TB RAID mirror). Same for the FLAC files I’ve spent a couple of years ripping from my CD collection (which now includes my dad’s CDs).

        I’ll do a full review at some point, but a couple of initial thoughts:

        • It’s really a relief, after a near miss a few months back when I thought my iMac had died at the same time as my main backup drive, thinking I lost all of Dad’s photos.
        • This device supports hot-swapping drives, so I may snag another of each of the hard drive types that I have and keep one cold either in my fire safe or at a different location in the event that my century old home (with some original wiring) burns itself down.
        • The setup is not super intuitive, but both Synology and the larger web have a lot of really helpful tutorials on setup. I think that I’m going to do a deeper dive on the security settings, particularly re: backing up computers that have a greater threat exposure.
        • I asked my dear friend (and network guru) Robin a few weeks ago what the difference between enterprise-grade (read: commerical) hard drives and consumer-grade hard drives was, and as far as I can tell the biggest noticeable difference is how loud the enterprise grade drives are. I think I’m going to have to build out my AV closet sooner rather than later so I don’t have to listen to the hard drives constantly thunking while backing up.
        • A giant middle finger to the 10+ Seagate external drives that I’ve had go belly-up over the last decade.

      5. Beats Studio3 Wireless in Midnight Black

        [MSRP $350, $150 on Amazon as of 11/13/22, paid $180 in August 2022]

        [Tl;dr: These headphones are weak in their MSRP range, but if you get them on a substantial sale, they’re great for use cases where you want some noise cancelation and a more durable headset that won’t break your heart if you lose or break them.]

        Scores:

        Cost-agnostic: 5 out of 10 Denalis

        Cost-sensitive: 6 out of 10 Denalis

        Beats Studio3 Wireless

         

        Beats Studio3 Wireless on a new ME-themed puck

        Intro. I bought my first pair of Beats headphones
        back in … 2014? I think? I was going on a train trip to Montana, and it was
        supposed to take something like eleven hours. I had a pair of Bose QC25s with
        really good active noise cancelation (ANC), but I didn’t want to deal with a
        cord while I was trying to sleep on a moving train. I’d been coveting the Beats
        Studio Wireless for a while (my car at the time had a 10-speaker Beats by Dre sound
        system that I’d absolutely fallen in love with), so the train trek was all the
        justification I needed. I then used them pretty consistently for the gym and
        then dog-walking until March of 2022, when they stopped taking or holding a
        charge. The Beats Studio3 Wireless (BSW) came up on sale in August,
        and I decided to take another shot. Beats is now an Apple-owned brand, so I particularly
        wanted to see how well they played with iPhones, Watches, AppleTVs, etc. given
        the struggles the original had with connecting to several of my iPhones over the
        years.

        Sound. These are a mixed bag, sound-wise. The
        soundstage is remarkably wide and distinct, almost to the point of detriment.
        The Edge’s guitar riff at the beginning of “Pride (In the Name of Love)” by U2 is
        almost distractingly far to the left in the mix, and a few other tracks sounded
        … odd during testing because I was used to a less separated mix. Overall, it’s
        good sound, and my impression has suffered due to the amount of time I’ve spent
        listening to the (truly excellent) AirPods Max and Pro2 lately.

        The bass on these is solid, though it starts to feel hollow
        the farther down sound goes. By the time you hit things that would normally be
        covered by a subwoofer (like the repeated five note bass sequence in Massive Attack’s
        “Paradise Circus”), the sound is there but quiet and distant and doesn’t have
        any weight behind it. The BSW also struggle a little bit with rapidly changing
        or complex bass riffs like Janet Jackson’s “Got ‘Til it’s Gone”; the woofer is
        not nearly as nimble as some other headphones in this category like the Bose
        700s or the B&O Beoplay H4s. Conversely, the kind of bass you get in mid-90’s
        hip hop is almost too forward: the bass in Jay-Z’s “Big Pimpin’” is harsh and a
        little splattery at moderate volume listening.

        Mid-range is pretty good, reproducing vocals reasonably well
        though I think the resonance on male vocals is a little clearer.

        Treble is generally crisp without being harsh or sibilant,
        and generally well balanced with the mid-range/vocals at normal listening
        levels. The BSW handles the gamut of sounds on Yo-Yo Ma’s “1B”, from the upper
        range all the way down to the lowest notes, and captures the sense of urgency and
        acceleration through the last half of that track. It does a good job of
        reproducing the slightly-jangly guitar on Vampire Weekend’s “2021”, and even
        gets the intentional splatter in the mix right.

        These are definitely headphones best used at moderate to
        high volumes, and for music like hip hop, EDM, and rock rather than classical,
        jazz, or sparser R&B. You’ll lose a little on the very bottom-end, but the
        rest will be presented pleasantly.

        Standard disclaimer from other Bluetooth reviews: It’s
        still Bluetooth so you’re always getting a lossy signal and it gets more complicated
        when you start using the on-board mic for phone calls.

        Noise canceling. This is why I bought the original Beats
        Studio Wireless, and these live up to that legacy. It’s not the best ANC out
        there, but it’s also not the worst. I think both pairs of AirPods do better, as
        does the Bose 700s, but the BSW don’t generate any overpressure and are much
        more comfortable for me to wear for long periods as a result.

        The biggest knock on the noise cancellation is that there’s no
        way to turn the ANC off or down; if these headphones are turned on, the ANC is
        running full-power. This seems like an oversight on a pair of headphones that
        retails for $350, especially because most competitors have this capability,
        whether hardware (a button on the Bose 700, for example) or software or both
        (AirPods let you change this either in your phone settings or by customizing an
        external button).

        Spatial audio. I don’t really notice any difference
        between playing ATMOS tracks and non-ATMOS tracks. The BSW use a W1 chip
        instead of the H1 or H2 chips you get in the AirPods Max and Pro2 respectively.
        The sound stage is already almost distractingly wide, so I wouldn’t buy these
        thinking you’ll get a lot of use out of spatial audio through them.

        Controls. They’re really good and can be access
        wearing gloves, even thick ones. The left earcup has a large button (labeled
        with a “b”) that functions as a play/pause button, can be multi-tapped to skip
        forward and back, and a faux rocker switch around it that controls volume. The power
        button is on the bottom of the right earcup, and once you know where it is it’s
        easily and intuitively accessed.

        Connectivity. If you’re in the Apple ecosystem, it is
        pretty straightforward. If you turn them on near an Apple device, they’re automatically
        recognized and asked to pair. And once they’re paired with something associated
        with your iCloud account, they’ll easily connect to everything else that is
        (for example, I’ve never used these with my MacBook but they show up in its
        Bluetooth list with a charge measurement). If I walk into my kitchen and want
        to pull audio to them from my AppleTV, it’s really easy to do so.

        They connect to non-Apple Bluetooth devices as easily as any
        other Bluetooth headphone.

        Comfort. They’re pretty comfortable, even after a
        couple of hours. They’re reasonably light, have decent clamping force, and fit well
        around my ears. The ear cups definitely get warm after a while, but that’s true
        of most headphones.

        Construction. They’re light and plastic, with vinyl
        ear covers. The band feels more sturdy than things like the Bose 700s, but they
        definitely feel like they’d break if you step on them or drop them too far.
        Unlike the Bose 700s or the AirPods Max, these do fold for easy transportation
        in the provided carrying case.

        Beats Studio3 Wireless in Carrying Case

         

        Charging is standard micro-USB, unfortunately. Here’s hoping
        that future generations go with the USB-C standard that Apple is going to have
        to implement among their branded products. They’re also relatively low-profile
        (physically, not style-wise), so they fit easily under a hood for those of us
        who live in a rainforest and have a dog that requires many, many walks (though
        they do not carry an IPX rating for water or dust).

        Appearance. They’re stylish. That’s always been a part
        of the Beats aesthetic, and Apple hasn’t changed that. They come in four or
        five colors, thought I don’t see their trademark red color which is a little
        surprising.

        Value. These are a terrible value at their MSRP of $350.
        For that price, I want substantially better sound quality and much better passive
        and active noise cancelation, particularly with such strong other offerings in this
        market. It’s a broad category that includes the Bose 700 ($379), Bose QC35
        ($360), B&O Beoplay H4s ($300), Sony WH-1000XM4 ($250), and the AirPodsPro2
        ($240), all of which I think crush the BSW on sound quality and noise cancelation.

        That said, at the $150 price range they’re at now, these are
        really competitive. They’re easy to use and durable, and if I lose or break
        them they’re pretty easy to replace. They’re my go-to gym and dog walking
        headphones for a reason.

        Overall. These are fine headphones, and I use them
        daily for very specific things. I wear them for three of Denali’s four daily
        walks, and they’re perfect for going to the gym because they attenuate external
        noise without totally blocking it out. I will probably never grab them outside
        those specific use cases because I’ve got better pairs for almost everything, but
        they’re perfect for those kinds of applications and they will continue to hang
        by my back door for ease and convenience.

        Carrying case

        #reviews #headphones #apple #anc #bluetooth #spatialaudio
        #overear #cans #beats #meh

      6. Quick Biscuits

        Sometimes you don’t have a lot of time or energy, but want to get a quick, tasty dinner ready. If you’re like me, your go-to quick dinner at home might well be breakfast for dinner.

        When I was in my early twenties, I discovered the joy of a good, quick scrambled egg (bonus points if you have farm fresh eggs, which I often due thanks to my lovely neighbors). Add in a frozen sausage patty (this is a Tyson patty from the local restaurant supply store, and I just leave a bag of these in the freezer most of the time), and you’ve got a quick, protein-rich and low-carb meal that only takes a couple of minutes.

        But sometimes you just really want a flaky, salty, fluffy biscuit. You can go with a canned biscuit and I won’t think any less of you. I just find that as I get older, I taste the preservatives more and more, and I wanted to see if I could find a quick, scratch-made biscuit that wouldn’t take a lot longer than opening a can of Pilsbury (or more realistically, the bougie Trader Joe’s version). I’ve now found that recipe.

         

        These take maybe ten minutes to prep, and about twenty to bake. I want to try them in cast iron, and with fresher baking powder to try to get a little more lift in the biscuit. I’m lazy, so I do almost all of this in a food processor, and I cut the sugar. In this case, I used heavy cream because I had a Costco-sized carton that I need to use up (and because I generally don’t keep milk and buttermilk in my house).

        Ingredients (Shamelessly stolen from King Arthur)*

        • 3 cups (360g) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
        • 1 teaspoon salt
        • 1 tablespoon baking powder
        • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
        • 6 tablespoons (85g) butter, at room temperature cold
        • 1 to 1 1/4 cups (227g to 255g) cold milk or cold buttermilk, (use whole milk for the most tender biscuits) heavy cream

        Directions:

        1. Heat oven to 425℉, and line a baking sheet with parchment.
        2. Mix flour, salt, and baking powder in a food processor using pulses.
        3. Cut the cold butter into roughly 1-inch cubes and add to the food processor.
        4. Pulse roughly 10 1-second pulses. The mixture should look like coarse sand.
        5. Add 1 c of cream to the bowl and pulse five times.
        6. Add remaining cream and pulse five more times.
        7. If the dough isn’t sticking together yet, add additional liquid (cream, milk, or water) a few tablespoons at a time.
        8. When the dough starts to coalesce, turn out onto a lightly-floured surface and form into a ball with your hands or a spatula.**
        9. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out until it’s 1-1.5″ thick.
        10. Using a dough cutter or an inverted pint glass, cut individual biscuits out and place on the parchment-lined sheet tray. Continue until you cannot cut any more biscuits.
        11. Either discard the scraps, or roll them into a ball, roll out to 1-1.5″ thick, cut out biscuits, and repeat. [each successive iteration of this will produce tougher biscuits, as the dough warms from handling and additional gluten form in the dough. I generally set aside scrap biscuits and keep in mind that they’re going to be less delicious.]
        12. Brush the top of the biscuits with cream or melted butter. [Optional, but pretty.]
        13. Put the biscuit-filled sheet tray into the oven. You’re aiming for 18-25 minutes of cooking, depending on your oven, and I like to rotate them after 12 minutes or so.
        14. Serve and enjoy while warm.
        15. If you have a heart, share with your canine companion. [Denali managed a drive-by snaccing on Wednesday, taking a cake donut out of my hand while I was distractedly talking election results. She attempted to replicate her success with biscuits tonight; I’ll have to be wary of this tactic going forward. But honestly, she’s so cute she still got a piece of biscuit at the end of dinner.]

        Tips:

        • If you have a scale, use weights for baking (especially dry ingredients like flour, because who has time to sift?!?).
        • Cold butter and cold milk/cream/etc. is ideal.
        • The faster you work, and the less you handle the dough, the better they’ll generally turn out.
        • If you don’t know how old your baking powder is, you should probably replace it.

        * Strikethroughs show things I removed from the recipe, and underlines things I added.

        ** The faster you do steps 8-11, the better the biscuits will be as they will remain cold until they hit the hot oven.

        #recipes #breakfast #dinner #breakfastfordinner #kingarthur #quickdinners #gratuitousgoldenpics #biscuits

      7. My Favorites/Current setup (as of March 2025)

        For posterity (and so I can remember in six months), here’s my current favorites in a number of categories:

        Favorite Dogs:

        1. Denali
        2. Bodhi
        3. Nika
        4. All other dogs.

        Favorite Audio Stuff

        Audio Setups [as of 3/14/25]
        • Main:
          • Devialet Expert 140 Pro Super Integrated
          • KEF LS50 Standmounts (on cheap stands)
          • Rega RP3 Turntable w/Nagaoka MP-110 cartridge
          • Apple TV 4K
          • Kyocera DA-710cx CD player
          • PS4 (Uncharted edition)
          • Xbox One X
        • Mac Studio:
          • Sprout100 integrated amplifier connected to Mac Studio via USB 2.0, Dali Spektor 2 standmount speakers, and an Energy Subwoofer
          • Schiit Bifrost Multibit/Asgard 2 amp
          • Schiit Magnius/Apple Dongle DAC
          • Schiit Hel 2E amp/DAC
          • Blue Yeti mic/Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro (250 ohm)
          • Razer Kiyo Camera
        • Gaming Computer
          • Schiiit Stack (Modi DAC, with a Sys splitting sound to a Magni and a Vali 2 tube hybrid)
          • Razer Kraken gaming headset
        • Deck/Bathroom:
          • Bluesound Powernode Edge
          • Klipsch KHO-7
          • Random Mirage speakers from Goodwill
        Living Room ATMOS system
        • Onkyo RZ50 AV Reciever
        • 2 x Canton Ergo 92 DC towers
        • Klipsch wireless subwoofer
        • 4 x KEF T301 slim surround speakers
        • 4 x KEF Q50a ATMOS elevation speakers
        • 2024 Apple TV 4k
        • U-turn Orbit Turntable
        • Xbox Series X
        • PS5
        • Nintendo Switch
        • Steambox
        • Sennheiser RS175 wireless headphones
        Misc Audio Gear
        • Bluesound Powernode 150
        • Arylic A50 streaming amplifier
        • NAD D3020 integrated amplifier 
        • 2 x Pioneer Andrew Jones towers
        • 2 x Pioneer Andrew Jones ATMOS bookshelf speakers
        • Pioneer Andrew Jones subwoofer
        • 2 x 1981 Allison Six bookshelf speakers
        • Peachtree Nova 150 Integrated Amplifier
        • Bluesound Node 2
        • Schiit Fulla amp/DAC
        • Schiit Rekkr power amp
        • Kef LSX
        Random headphones:

        • Open-backed wired: Hifiman Arya Stealth, Meze 109 Pro, Old sony, Drop x Sennheiser 6XX, Bose QC 25, Focal x Drop Elex, Sony Pulse, PS4 headset, Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro (250 ohms), Razer Kraken
        • Closed-backed wired: Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (250 ohms), Meze x Drop 99 Noir
        • Wireless: Bose 700, Sennheiser HD800, B&O Beoplay H4, Astro A40
        • Xbox Headsets: Series X Headset, Turtle Beach, Astro A20
        • True wireless: Plantronics water headphones, Bragi Dash (second pair somewhere), Sennheiser Presence, Bose Soundsport Pulse, Jabra Elite 65t, Beats Studio Buds, Apple Airpods Pro Gen 2, Campfire Audio Orbit, Status Audio Between ANC, Anker Soundcore A40
        • Wired earbuds: Bose Soundsport x 3 (my favorite open-backed wired earbuds, bought on closeout), Monster iBeats by Dre, Klipsch K1
        • IEMs: KZ ZSN Hybrid Driver IEM, ME X1 x 4, Moondrop Chu, Moondrop Chu II, Dunu Titan S, CCA CRA, Truthear Hexa

        Network Attached Storage: Synology DS220+ running:

        • 2 x Seagate Ironwolf 4TB drives
        • 2 x Seagate Exos 16GB drives

        Favorite Rye: Jack Daniels’ Heritage Barrel Proof Rye
        Favorite Bourbon: Stagg Jr. Batch 13
        Favorite Affordable Rye: Redwood Empire Emerald Giant
        Favorite Affordable Bourbon: Redwood Empire Lost Monarch (yes, I know it’s actually a bourye. Deal with it)

        Albums (constantly shifting, but these mostly stay on there)

        • Mezzanine by Massive Attack
        • Boxer by The National
        • The Bones of What You Believe — Chvrches
        • XX — The xx
        • American Beauty — The Grateful Dead
        • angel in realtime — Gang of Youths

        EDC Knives (no particular order)

        • Benchmade Griptilian
        • Benchmade Mini Griptilian
        • Spyderco Delica 4
        • Spyderco Tenacious (daily carry)
        • Kershaw 8700BLK

        #topxlist

      8. 2010 Chateau Pre La Lande (Bordeaux)

        The 2010 Chateau Pre La Lande Bordeaux (originally $13, I believe?). Opened and decanted immediately before dinner.

        Nose: Red fruits, a little pencil eraser, and acetone on the nose (but not in an unpleasant way). If I hadn’t looked at the bottle, I’d probably have assumed this was 2018 or 2019. Still very dark purple in color, good legs. 

        Palate: Good fruit-forward flavors, pronounced but mellowing tanins. Had an interestingly minty note on the palate when first opened, but that appears to have disappated over the last hour or two and mellowed into … stone fruits, I think? Particularly into slightly underripe nectarine. Very pleasant, particularly for the price. I’ll look for more of these in future Garagiste offerings.

        Pairing: Served (excellently) with a prime ribeye, garlic mashed potatoes, and well-roasted beets; held up to the fattiness and richness of the beef and the garlic mashed potatoes and the sharpness of the beets, and is growing ever more pleasant as it’s remained open.

        Takeaway: I think I might mark the rest of the case as a wait until the middle of 2023 to try again, and would probably open and decant an hour before I start drinking it. 

        Phil’s wine disclaimer: I’ll offer this on wine going forward: Dad’s wines were stored in near-perfect conditions since they were acquired, in a well-insulated and dark basement cellar where they were rarely moved or exposed to light. Anything from 2005 and after was almost certainly purchased from Garagiste in Seattle (garagiste.com), so they almost certainly came with excellent provenance and were stored in ideal conditions in the Garagiste warehouses before we picked them up. I also grew up drinking well-aged red wines, particularly Bordeaux and New World variations on the noble grapes, so YMMV. Particularly if you didn’t store them properly or don’t know much about the chain of custody on your bottle.

        Score: 7 out of 10 Denalis.

        #wine #bordeaux #chateauprelalande 

      9. What the Hell Am I Even Doing Here?

         

        My dad died in December of 2019. 

        Way to start on a down note, amiright?

        December of 2019 and January of 2020 were a crazy time in the world. We were just starting to hear about this thing called COVID-19, and trying to figure out how it was going to impact our world and our lives. We set up a wake for Dad for the first week of March of 2020. We arranged food, a location, and invited a bunch of people. And on the morning of the wake, we got a call from a dear friend asking us to cancel, because the first cases had been detected in our county (and the wake would have been a pretty broad cross-section of the elderly folks in the community, include a whole bunch of teachers and school employees). We canceled. 

        Because our extended family was already on the way, we opted to give them the option of coming to our house for a very small gathering where we could talk about and remember Dad. As part of that, my brother and I prepared brief remarks. Mine was, I am quite sure, poignant and heart-spoken and and great. But, my brother’s was simple, and charming. To paraphrase, he reminded us that Dad’s true superpower was the ability to be unabashadly, openly and wildly ENTHUSIASTIC about things, either things that were important to him, or to his family, or his students, or his friends. This is a man who picked up Magic: The Gathering and comic books in his forties because his kids and students thought they were fun. A man who learned to play video games in his fifties just so he could beat his kids at Ambrosia Studio’s Barrack. A man who dragged his 8 and 10 year old kids to see the Grateful Dead for the first time, who taught me to love music and food and wine, and who wholeheartedly embraced the new music I brought home in college and developed a love of whiskey and bourbon when I was in my 30s. Who would have long conversations with me about the intersection of environmental regulation and intellectual property law, or my brother about the implications of Chinese transportation policy on nationalism and a sense of identity, who learned to make bead jewelry because my mom enjoyed it, and who embraced slumped glass art in his sixties because why not?

        One thing I’ve tried to do over the last few years, in his honor, is to lean into the things that I love and to try to share them with my friends and family. So this is part of that effort.

        What will I review? Whatever I’m feeling great about in any given moment. I’d guess a lot of that will be audio gear, albums I love, whiskeys or wines that I’m excited about, causes that strike me as important, etc. I’ll probably try to steer clear of politics, but who knows if I’ll keep to it. 

        Questions? Concerns? Comments? Angry diatribes about my distate for Bluetooth as a protocol (and face it, it’s a pretty shitty protocol)? Shoot. 

        #why