Category: Reviews

Mount Pfeiferhorn

There are days this is rough gig, with irate comments (and commenters) being the start, and lots of fun trying to dig down to get to the truth of things. Heck, some days it’s not just a pain, but pain multiplied by costs. This day is not one of them. Days like this help keep me going.

When I first began to hear a bit about Amburana wood, I didn’t pay much attention. It seemed like it might be just a pricey fad. Not to mention that it seemed like people had a hard time hitting the “sweet spot” with it taste-wise. A pretty wood (would love to do some woodworking with it) but not one I thought would do much long term.

I’m glad to say that I appear to be wrong about that. Not sure about ales and beers, but when it comes to whiskey I think it will be around a while. Not only that, but that we will be the better off for it. What brought me around, you ask?

Mountain Summit Mount Pfeiferhorn, Amburana Finished Whiskey from Spirits of the Wasatch is what did it. According to this post, it is a blend (mashbill included) of bourbons and American malt whiskey blended and finished in Amburana. What I think is that it is one of the best American whiskeys I’ve tried in the last decade or two. For the record, if you think you have something better, talk to me and I will give it a fair tasting.

First sniff, one of the things that struck me was sweetness. Not cloying, but a light almost honeyed element that combined with tobacco. In point of fact, it brought to mind some tobacco from an island off the coast of Columbia that went into a formerly favorite cigar. It was as if a thin sheet of that had been brushed with honey, then wrapped around a ball of holiday baking spices. A rich, solid scent robust with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and more. To finish it off, a nice hint of pepper around the edges.

The color is a dark golden oak, which reminds me a bit of a dark version of the Amburana wood itself. Interestingly enough, the wood itself is not of the oak family (it is referred to as Brazillian oak by some) but a variety of legume. It is currently a very limited resource, but the interest from the beverage industry has resulted in new plantings and cultivation. Good.

The mouthfeel is full and rich, and the taste is of baking spices wrapped in carmel, with vanilla following and filling the mouth. There are bits of sourwood honey from my youth (sadly hard to find these days) on the edges. It has a nice, lingering finish of carmel and honey high, spices center, and just a hint of coconut and tropical fruit at the end. Delightfully complex, full, and enjoyable.

On a whim, I decided to treat the last of it in the glencairn as a Scotch, and added a drop of distilled water. It did indeed open it up, and brought out more of the “hidden” flavors within. And while it would indeed make a very good mixed drink (Manhattan, Old Fashioned, etc.) my own preference would be to drink it as is, no water, no mixing. It is something to truly sip and savor.

Yet another solid entry from Spirits of the Wasatch (see here for previous review). I’m really going to be interested in trying their other whiskey products and I’ve heard a rumor they have a rye in works. If so, want to taste it and see how it stacks up against my current favorite rye.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. If you want to know some of what it is going for, read here. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Three Spirits And A Cowgirl

Thanks to some kindness, I’ve had the chance to review two gins, one vodka, and a cowgirl from Spirits of the Wasatch in beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah. Well, at least it was beautiful the last time I was there, hope it still is. I’ve wanted to try their products for a while, and when an opportunity came up, I went for it.

I like my deplorable glass

First up, some procedural notes since it’s been a while since I’ve done a formal review like this (stupid lightning). All initial tastings were done using a glencairn glass; martinis were done using my deplorable saucer; and, any other mixed drinks were done using a rocks glass. Now, I don’t think my glass is deplorable, but there are some purists (snobs) who get the vapors when they see things like this used. All initial tastings were done at room (cellar) temp since I tend to keep silver liquids in the freezer so I don’t have to dilute them with ice/water. I then did a second tasting and made mixed drinks using the bottles from the freezer. The products were not provided free by the distillery and I don’t make anything from the links.

I’m going to start with the High Mountain Desert Gin. This is a very good gin, particularly given the price point. In terms of commercial gins most have heard of, I would put this easily on par with Aviation or other similar gins. My own comparison for London Dry style is to Lind & Lime (look up the story of Dr. Lind). While it is not to that level, it gave it the best run of any American gin I’ve had so far. The nose is juniper forward followed by herbed citrus and a hint of white pepper. The gin has a clean mouthfeel with an edge of sweetness on the edges of the pallet. There is sweet citrus and vanilla strong in the center with herbs (sage for one) on sides. The finish is nice and bright with citrus, and it is a rich and flavorful gin. Outside of the mountain sage, I’d love to know what local botanicals went into it as it is excellent and delightfully complex without muddled flavors. On the second tasting, as it warmed I got some more orange and sweet lemon out of it. Crisp, clean, delicious and recommended.

While I am of the ‘wave the cork from the vermouth bottle in the same room as the bottle of gin’ school of dry martini making, I did make a more proper martini with the gin. I used La Quintinye Royal Blanc Vermouth and both held up well in the partnership. While the nose didn’t really change all that much, I did notice less vanilla and more citrus in the taste. A solid classic martini and it should work very well with the classic gin mixed drinks. FYI, it is well worth getting decent vermouth, and I will just note that since I have been known to use an eye-dropper, a bottle of vermouth blanc tends to last a while.

Next up is the barrel rested High Mountain Desert Gin (scroll down the page at the link). The regular gin is aged in rye whiskey barrels for eight months, which imparts color and flavors to the gin. This is one of the best gins I’ve had in quite some time. This is an excellent sipping gin. That is also makes one heck of a martini and should hold its own against all comers in a Boston, Abby, or other cocktail.

And, yes, I said sipping gin. Every now and then you hit a gin that is so well made, so well balanced that you can sip and savor it as you would a whiskey or brandy. My current favorite sipping gin is Isle of Harris Gin, which shares with High Mountain Gin the use of local botanicals. While they are very different styles of gin, both use the local to make something wonderful and different.

In this case, the barrel resting elevates a very good gin into something more. The nose is carmel and vanilla forward, underlaid with a strong herbal component. The mouthfeel is balanced and smooth, and the first flavors to hit are vanilla and carmel — with the vanilla of the original gin augmented by the vanilla from the rye, and it truly does pick up a good bit of carmel from the wood. This is followed quickly by a rush of sage and herb, and sweet citrus. The white pepper of the original gin is pulled forward and combines nicely with the pepper of the rye from the wood. The finish, as before, is crisp and clean. It not only be sipped, but makes a very good classic martini. In fact, the flavors should kick any gin cocktail up a level or two, and if you know a high-end bar they need to try it and add it to their premium line.

Next up is Hidden Vodka. According to the website, some of the proceeds go to help fight human trafficking and I like that. I also like the product. Vodka is really intended to be a neutral spirit that can be blended into a wide variety of styles of drink. Yes, you can do shots and the one time that was fun for me was with some cosmonauts in Berlin. Hidden Vodka is one I would serve (ice cold) shots of to cosmonauts, and cheerfully use in good vodka drinks.

The nose was very clean, no burn (if you ever sniff a vodka and your nose burns, run). Nice mouthfeel, and the product was crisp and clean without much real flavor. It also had no burn, just a nice bit of a tingle on the edges of the tongue. It made an excellent vodka martini, which I converted into an expresso/coffee martini by adding a bit of the Cowgirl to it.

Personally, this goes into my premium vodka category. It’s a good bar staple, it works well with others, and it’s a good price point for the product. In fact, it’s clean enough that I just may use it to make my vanilla extract instead of the potato vodka I usually use.

To close, I’m going to talk about the Cowgirl. Perky Cowgirl Coffee Liqueur is a solid entry into the coffee liqueur category. I like the fact that it is not so thick with sugar (or worse) that it’s cloying and doesn’t like to pour. It may be a little thinner than some would like, but the flavor is solid. In fact, I want to have a cup of coffee from the beans that go into it, and will note that drinking it is like drinking a cup of sweet coffee. It reminds me a little bit of Vietnamese coffee minus the milk. And that is a compliment, trust me. While Kahlua might not need to be looking over its shoulder yet, this is a solid entry into the field and people do like it a lot. Good price point as well.

In closing, I will simply note that one day I want to try their whiskey(ies). I’m glad for their sake they are sold out right now, but given how good these products are, I really do want to try the rest. If I ever get out that way again, I will go visit.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. If you want to know some of what it is going for, read here. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Review: Greyhound

I will give you the ending first: if you have no other choice, and the flexibility to travel one or more days early to a location, and not have any timeline on your return, Greyhound will work. Otherwise, I suspect one would be far better off walking or hitchhiking.

The trip down was not bad, nor was it particularly good. Because of their service schedule, I traveled down a day early. That was a good decision and in fact I might consider two days early if I ever travel with them again. More on that in a minute. The pros of the trip down: we made it, and reasonably on-time. The cons of the trip down: narrow and uncomfortable seats, interesting subset of passengers made it interesting for everyone else, and “terminals” when actually terminals and not a bus stop somewhere were limited. When we stopped at a restaurant or such, there was an immediate dash for the restrooms. Bus conditions varied throughout the trip, with one bus having no working overhead services (lights, vents, etc.).

We made it down, and that is what counts. I will note that the Knoxville “terminal” is literally a bus stop in an apparently interesting part of town. I did note that Greyhound paid to have an armed security guard present whenever busses arrived. I also noted that the busses seldom stayed more than ten minutes before leaving. The guard left right after as well.

The trip back was not fun. I was dropped off in plenty of time (and in style even) by Old Paratrooper, only to find out about ten minutes later when the Greyhound agent pulled up in her car that the incoming bus was running more than four hours behind schedule. No clue why, but instead of a 6:15 departure it likely would not arrive until after 11 pm. So, five hour wait with no facilities and such. Thankfully, a nearby restaurant allowed some of us in to sit and relax as much as circumstances allowed. I was very glad I had started dehydrating myself earlier in the day given the restroom situation.

When the bus arrived, we got our luggage stowed (you have to put your suitcase into the cargo bay yourself FYI), got onboard, and got going. The driver let us know that he was a relief driver, that the bus was late when he got it, suggested we call customer service if we could and if not don’t worry Greyhound would likely have the missed connections rebooked by the time we got to Nashville. Right.

In Nashville, the customer service crew acted as though they had no idea the bus was late, and the customer service agent got mad at the passengers (in part apparently because we had missed our connections like it was our fault) and all but threw little sheets of paper with the customer service number on it at everyone. Short version, no help, call the customer service number and don’t speak to her.

The customer service number starts with a several minute long legal disclaimer, then I think one or two other things, before putting you in line to eventually talk with a customer service agent. Who, of course, wanted info off the app on the phone you are using to call them. Sigh. Eventually did get a person, get the info, and got rebooked though it was not what I had hoped for. Earlier, a young gentleman and myself had looked at rebookings and it shoould have been possible to get back faster than I did. Instead of getting back at 0430 hours Sunday morning, I didn’t make it in until after 10, and in fact it was about 11 as I started walking away from the terminal.

I should use a proper phrase here, but I don’t feel like it and in fact feel like it is well worth having to confess saying that Greyhound customer service at almost every level sucks big fat hairy warty ones. You will encounter more Cartmans at Greyhound than in all the seasons of South Park combined. Seems to be a thing for them, and I suspect some of it comes from having to deal with that special class of passenger that makes life so interesting for everyone. The class that results in signs up next to terminal locations stating that said passengers are not allowed to stand, sit, etc. in front of neighboring businesses or the cops will be called.

I will note that I did meet a number of nice and interesting passengers, but that special class makes it interesting for all. It is why the terminals have a bit of a ripe reputation.

The lack of interest in timely response, timely rebooking, and the attitude that seems fairly prevalent in terminal employees means that no one is going to be trying to get you rebooked if they screw up, much less in a timely manner. Hence, I would plan any future trips I do to get me to where I needed to be one to two days early; and, not count on getting home as scheduled either.

Greyhound will, eventually, get you there. It just will not be comfortable, pleasant, or enjoyable. They did get me there and back, and that is sadly the best I can say.

Quick note: the highlight of the oh-so-interesting trip back home was pulling into a Buc-ees. Those of us who knew dashed inside with delight to the clean, clean restrooms, which after dealing with Greyhound were very much appreciated. Also, decent food and other delights truly made it the highlight of that 12+ hour bit of joy.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Kobal Wines

Years back, I used to do wine and spirit reviews at Blackfive and other outlets, as well as here on the blog. I have/had a good nose and sense of taste, though today (stupid lightning) I have trouble wrapping them around some of the scents and flavors. I know the scent or taste, but can’t name it. So, today’s post may not have the precision of some past, but I hope to hit in the ballpark and share some good wines with you.

This being Lent, I’m really not supposed to be drinking wine most days, but I was intrigued when the good people at Storied Company (they do have gift certificates, hint) offered me the chance to meet a winemaker from Slovenia and taste his wares. I don’t remember having wine from Slovenia before, though I have had some good wine from Serbia.

Bojan Kobal has taken his years of experience in wine making and put it to work in his own company, Kobal Wines. Located near the town of Ptuj, it is in the Styria wine region of Podravje, which features hilly terrain idea for wine making. Indeed, as we learned last night, wine making has been taking place in Slovenia for some 2,000 years having been brought in by the Romans. It is fascinating history and Styria is known for it’s white wines. In fact, our tasting was of four whites, one rose, and one red.

One of the interesting things at last night’s event was the passing around of the three types of rock that make up a good bit of the soil on the hillsides. Bojan put water on one of the rocks, and the scent and taste did indeed come through in a couple of the wines. The soil truly does matter.

First up was a 2024 Kobal Furmint (Šipon). This is a delightfully crisp wine, starting with a nose rich with tart green apple with a slight hint of white pepper. The mouthfeel is solid, rich with green fruits. Apple dominated the center, but other fruits snuck in around the edges with a nice touch of sweetness to emphasize the crispness. This is an excellent wine to enjoy on a summer day, and it should pair well with lighter chicken and fish dishes, or a nice cheeseboard.

Next up was a 2024 Kobal Sauvignon Blanc. This is not in the style of the typical American Sauvignon Blanc, rather a more old fashioned take that brings out the land and full flavor of the grapes. The nose is again crisp, but with a lot more mineral to it than with the Furmint. There is green fruit and herb with it, creating a unique presentation. The mouthfeel is again solid, full of fruit, green herbs, mineral, and even a bit of tropical fruit. It is a complex and rich taste. It should pair well with light chicken, fish, and even some vegetables. As I got reminded last night, it is easy to pair wine with proteins, but not so easy to pair them with vegetables.

Our third sample was a 2024 Kobal Pinot Grigio. This is NOT your normal grocery store pinot grigio. For all that it is a white grape, the skin is not light. The Kobal winery macerates the pinot grigio grapes for a time, which gives a pink tinge to the wine. It is not a rose, but the color and full flavor of the grape come out from their production. Again, a good nose with green fruits and herbs, and a nice mouthfeel full of green and even tropical fruits, with just a hint of red berries or plums. It is a unique entry to the American market, and I was quite taken with it. Would love to try it with some lamb.

Our fourth sample was another very different production. The 2022 Bajta Belo Skin-Contct White Wine is warm macerated for a month, giving it a striking amber color. It is a white wine made like a red, and as such it has the mouthfeel of a red. On the nose, I got candied fruits and nuts with a hint of white chocolate. The taste hit me as rich with walnuts and hazelnuts, candied fruit, herbs, and a hint of white truffle. It is a very well balanced and complex wine and I really want to try it with food. This may have been my favorite of the evening, and that’s saying a good bit.

Our fifth selection was a Pet Nat, which is a naturally bubbly style of wine. This 2024 Kobal Blaufrankish Rose Pet Nat was a refreshing break before sampling our single red wine of the evening. Again, this would be great simply to drink sitting on the porch or outside on a nice summer day. To me, the nose was slightly acidic, with chalk candy and fruit. The mouthfeel was light and crisp, with some light red fruit joining the core of green fruit.

Our final selection of the evening was a 2023 Kobal Blaufrankisch “Roots.” The nose was rich with leather and fruit, and had hits of spice. The mouthfeel was good, and the flavor rich with sour cherries, fruit, leather, and a hint of black pepper on the finish. It is a nice solid red in a style you would not normally find at a lower price point. As for me, I would love to try it with a good mushroom dish, and it can handle pairing with some solid proteins.

Locally, these wines are in the $20-$25 range, which is a bit above my regular but they are quite good values for the money. Especially given the very different approaches from typical mass produced wines. If you get a chance to try them, or any other products from this winery, you should do so.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Elan Furs: Not Recommended

Sorry for two negative in a row, but I used Elan Furs to clean Fluffy, my Russian fur hat. Lot of good reviews, but I should have paid closer attention to the negative reviews. The long and the short is that they damaged Fluffy; did their best to hide it until I was out of the store; and, there is no real way to repair the damage. I have had something done (not by them) to try to keep it from getting worse, but it seems a true repair really isn’t possible. Not recommended.

DoorDash = Rip Off

The short version for those members of the short-attention-span theatre is that in my opinion they are thieves, and are not recommended. Do not use or trust them for anything. For those who want the full version, here is why I think they are thieves.

Back in December, on the 26th to be precise, I was under the weather and not wanting to go out of the house. This also meant I did not feel like walking to the Steer-Inn (historic diner, Flavortown approved) for a Fiesta omelette. So, being now officially disabled and sick, I decided to give DoorDash a try with the order. I had used them for a small order before, and that had gone okay. So, why not give them a try?

This is what my order looked like when it arrived. Does this look anything like a Fiesta omelette?

Does this? So, first thing I did was to reach out via the web page, but this leads only to an option to request a refund.

So, I use the chat feature to reach out to the delivery driver, Jonte. No go. Tried again. No response.

So, reached out every way I could find. Turns out, the contact info they have with PayPal does not appear to be current, and when I talked with PayPal they provided me a means to actually reach a person. Did so, three times I do believe, and each time they would launch an appeal which was denied. According to them, I got food so I should suck it up and deal with it; that because I got food and had only used them a couple of times meant I should just deal with it and any disappointment was entirely on me. In movie terms: “You f’d up! You trusted us!”

Talking with PayPal, no chance of any help through them because it was a delivery and they don’t get involved. I really need to talk to Visa and see what if anything they can do.

I also want to note that at no point in the process was I asked to provide proof of the wrong order being delivered. In fact, in the initial contact means provided there was no way to do so. When I was denied for the about the fourth time and someone said it was because I had provided no proof (that I repeat I was NEVER asked for) that I finally got an e-mail to send them the photos. I did so. Didn’t matter, no refund.

So, I’m done with them and I am going to do everything I can to warn people about them and their oh-so-interesting business practices. If anyone has any data on how often this is done to the elderly and disabled, I think that could be fascinating to share with a couple of different State AGs who have a habit of suing companies (and even administrations) for interesting practices and such.

Meantime, I do not recommend them and in fact urge you not to give them any business. Save yourself the money, time, and hassle as after about three days they will stop responding even if they have said they will do so. They lie. They also have competition, and if anyone has info on a good delivery service let me know. Meantime, save yourself a rip-off and avoid DoorDash.

Oh, and if they don’t like my opinion that they are thieves (didn’t get the food I ordered or my money back, that’s theft in my book and happy to discuss it in court if they like), they can suck it up and deal with the understandable disappointment (think that was the wording given me by one person on their staff) because it is fully on them.

Cookware Question (Updated)

I had picked up some Wilton cake pans for cooking and baking as I caught a deal on themn and I’ve had very good luck with the brand before. Didn’t have a choice on the non-stick, as I really prefer plain metal. Hugely disappointed this morning that after cooking some chicken yesterday to find that the non-stick coating is flaking off one of the pans and into the food. Entire tray of enchiladas gets to hit the trash.

Not sure you can see them, but there are also some bubbles forming on the bottom of the pan.

So, anyone got any recommendations for some good bakeware since I’m likely to have to replace the Wilton pans completely?

UPDATE I: Whatever else happens, I have to commend Wilton’s customer service. I got a reply yesterday that was friendly, professional, and not scripted. I sent them the information they requested and the two photos above. I also offered to ship them the pan if they wanted to examine it. Today they took me up on that and are paying to have it shipped back. They also asked me to confirm my mailing address as they are offering to ship me a replacement. Will keep posted on how things go.

French Press Review/Update

Even with not being able to do the surgery last Friday, things have been interesting. Thankful for the extra time to get things done, and to start practicing to be a one-armed menace for a while.

One of the things I’m doing is trying to “break proof” some key items, including my french press for making coffee. The one I had is glass and plastic, and frankly I’m amazed it’s lasted almost two decades around me as I am a bit of klutz. It’s also hard to clean up two-handed, much less one.

So, I was reading reviews of french press coffee makers and found two reasonable choices for stainless steel models. Both were on sale online at Wally World, and one was temporarily sold out. So, I went with the Mueller 34oz (1L) base model.

NOTE: every stainless steel french press I can find is made in China. I could not find any made in Taiwan or the U.S. At least one place hints their product is made here, but that appears to be (very) misleading.

I’m really not sure why, but there is a tremendous difference in my coffee. I had long suspected the glass and plastic bargain was not a 34 oz as stated, and that was true. I’ve had to adjust the amount of beans ground (takes more) and am continuing to play with things to get exactly what I like. That said, with pre-heating the press, and putting just enough hot water in to make a slurry with the grounds and waiting 30 seconds, then filling up I’m getting some amazingly good coffee. For anyone interested, I’m putting in a pinch of smoked salt and doing 6.5 minutes.

Plus Notes: easy to clean and operate, though trying to wash any dish one handed is going to be fun. The insulated body will keep things warm for quite a while, so I have to remember to open the lid when done so it is cool enough to wash after breakfast. Sturdy.

Minus Notes: The finish will show fingerprints and water spots in a heartbeat, so if looks are super important, it will take extra work. The lid is a little loose, which is only a problem (for me) when pouring that last bit out.

I’ve broken down and also ordered a new airpot that is stainless steel instead of glass-lined, and is made in Taiwan. I like to pour my coffee out of the press, through a filter, and keep it in the airpot. I filter because of a study I read (found through Instapundit) that suggested filtering could improve some lipid numbers. While I did not get the lipid results the researchers claimed, I did find I liked the taste of the filtered coffee.

I’ve still got a lot to get done to prepare for the surgery. Hard to believe that in effect my arm will be amputated, repaired, then re-attached and all this is now outpatient surgery. I’ve actually started practicing trying to do things one handed, and that’s been interesting. I’m also going to have to do some minor re-arranging as things are currently set-up for me being right arm dominant. Going to have to have things were I can get to them with the left arm for now.

Also, figure for the first two weeks I’m not going to be up for a lot, so am trying to cook and freeze meals. Plan to buy some frozen breakfast stuff that I can heat and eat one handed (thank you Jimmy Dean!). May not all be keto, but will make do. Actually going to get some of the Folger’s “tea bag” coffee for the first few days as hand grinding the coffee like I do is going to be a real bear. May even drink tea for a while as much easier to make.

I’m trying also to see if the laptop will do voice-to-text so I can get some posts up. It is likely to be sporadic at first, and given pain and pain pills such posts might be a more interesting than usual. So, more soon.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving once we have medical issues cleared up, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Some Thoughts On Twitter

No, I’m not joining the anti-Elon club, or going to moan and flounce over whatever allegedly outrageous thing he’s done this time. In fact, I will start by saying that Twitter is in many ways more fun than it has ever been from the start.

The first Twitter account I had was at the start, and once Twitter became a sewer I left. I rejoined around the last election, and between the manipulation and the still rampant CSE and other sewer elements, I left again. I rejoined when Elon started having an interest in it, and have laughed my fluffy fuzzy rump off at all that has gone on since he bought the non-profit. Unless he does turn things around, I’m going to say he got fleeced. I’m hoping he does turn it around, but some major unforced errors this week have me concerned.

Twitter has an amazing amount of untapped potential. Elon has talked about his desire to make it a true free speech platform, and a platform for citizen journalism. The problem is, either through sheer incompetence by staff, or some termites from the old regimes still being in the woodwork (embrace the healing power of and?), any trust or credibility in Twitter by independent journalists and non-corporate journalistic organizations took a heavy hit.

In short, a user posted an “interesting” graphic about the upcoming “Trans Day Of Vengeance” which also included calls for violence. This was done the afternoon/evening of the day Christian children and teachers were slaughtered by a trans person. Needless to say, the account, the graphic, and the calls for violence were quickly covered by journalists, lawmakers, and others. In a flashback to the old regime, Twitter censored and shut down the accounts of the journalists, lawmakers, and others.

The account that posted the graphic never got taken down or censored as far as I know. If it did, it’s news to me. The accounts that were shut down had to delete the offending posts that shared the graphic (mentioned?), not sure if they had to admit guilt and to be paraded through the public square like in the old days, but were warned of strikes and worse if they continued to offend. Twitter later said no strikes were issued, but right now no one truly trusts them given all the issues in the past. Twitter has massively squandered any trust and goodwill that was being built. Major unforced error.

It also demonstrated a lack of knowledge about real journalism. The graphic has to be shared as it is evidence. It is what allows people to view, consider, and then make up their own mind about it and the messages attached to it. It is even potential evidence in court. In short, it is important and to just yank it down along with all the stories covering and analyzing the situation was totalitarian censorship at its finest as well as complete ignorance of journalistic purpose.

I’m hearing that a number of independent journalists and organizations are putting plans to make more use of Twitter on hold. Some are being vocal about it, and others just read the posts from Twitter, and smile and nod nicely and politely without saying a word.

I was looking at doing some things to try to make better use of Twitter, expand my reach, and even make use of some paid features. That’s going on hiatus, because this time Twitter didn’t put a finger on the scales, they sat on it and screwed over most of the real journalists who use their service in the process.

Now, add to that a campaign against tweets that were deemed mean or insensitive to the cowards of Uvalde, which went on at the same time. Trust level, fucked.

Now, for me, there are two other issues.

First, Elon wants Twitter to be a happy, positive place where no one says mean or nasty things. If you say something someone could possibly consider mean, angry, etc., then you will get throttled. The thing is, free speech is quite often rough, vulgar, and uncouth by the standards of those who live in the clouds.

Twitter still seems to have a problem with not recognizing a real threat (‘I am going to kill you and your family’) particularly when it comes from a progressive or other protected class to a less protected class (see the JK Rowling saga for one example). If you suggest that someone should pleasure themselves with a rusty chain saw, sideways, well, they are going to be all over your ass in a nanosecond, particularly if you are not a member of a protected class. And even faster if the person to whom you make the suggestion is a member of the protected classes. One is a clear threat, the other hyperbole. Twitter still seems to be willfully and deliberately ignoring one and conflating the other.

Attempts to force “niceness” have never worked, and have historically led to massive censorship. Not the first time or place it’s been tried. It also ignores the fact that some ideas are so abhorrent or idiotic, that pure mockery (which is rarely polite) is the only response deserved. You may not like it, you may not like dark humor, you may not like mockery. Problem is, if you try to force nice and censor others, guess what you become? That very tyrant you claim to hate. You go right back to being the Twitter of yesterday.

Second, for myself and others with brain injury, traumatic brain injury, and some related conditions, many of the “improvements and upgrades” to Twitter, Tweetdeck, etc. suck. Big fat hairy warty ones even. I’ve been hearing that a number of others are not happy with the so-called improvements, but for people like me using the system has become a figurative and even literal pain.

Now, I have to say that after being hit by lightning I’m incredibly blessed as things could be a lot worse. My short term memory is fucked, though they tell me that the missing long-term memories are still there but the brain doesn’t know where the files are right now. When my brain finished healing in a few years, that may change. Who knows, but there are no guarantees.

Since being hit, I have learned about “distractions,” “attention success,” “attention lapses,” “CES,” and other joys. There are fancy and nice ways to describe what is going on, but a good analogy is that almost anything can cause my brain to go “SQUIRREL!!” and send my train of thought not only off the rails but out into the swamps. It’s why I have to live my life off flippin lists to get anything done. It’s why a story that used to take me thirty minutes to write can now take three flippin hours or more.

I loved Tweetdeck as it allowed me to arrange information into lists and columns that allowed me to reduce distractions and get the most out of my time on Twitter. New tweets? A simple graphic on the side. Want to get to the top and see the latest? You tapped home and away you went. New message? Again, simple graphic on the side.

Now? Pop-ups you can’t make go away. A useless message bar on the bottom that blocks viewing information when I already have a column for messages. Additions to my columns with suggestions, advice, and other crap I used Tweetdeck to avoid. Seems like every flippin thing is now a mouse-over and pop-up. Scroll too hard to get back to the home column, and you go backwards to a blank web page (that one may be one of the bugs being passed off by Brave as a feature, just like no longer being able to turn off mouse overs, to be fair to Twitter).

I’ve gone from a low/no-distraction environment to almost total distractions. Twitter is even worse IMO. So, I either have to spend a massive amount of time to deal with all the cognitive distractions (and the frustrations of same), or I can just spend less time on Twitter. Guess which way I’m going?

Yes, some of us did reach out and try to get this addressed. I will be polite and nice and just say we were ignored.

I really would like to see Elon get rid of the remaining termites and turn Twitter into a true bastion of free speech. Heck, I would like to see him develop it into the communications, payment, and development powerhouse it could be. That said, I’ve also lived through the destruction of the blogosphere by the walled gardens of social media that promised an easy way to put everything into one easy to manage basket.

I’m not going to put my eggs into one basket, no matter what. But, I’m also not going to put any eggs into a basket without a bottom, and right now that is Twitter. There is no trust and there are no guarantees that Twitter won’t pull the rug out from under you on a tweet, much less something larger. There are still far too many blocked accounts (Stacy McCain, cough, cough), and with more joining them because of capricious and indifferent actions by Twitter, you are eroding trust not building it. When you add in making it harder for people like me to use, there’s even less incentive to be involved.

This week was a return to old Twitter, and it will take a hell of a lot of work to build shattered trust. It can be done, and I hope it is, but I’m not going to continue to invest significant time, much less move to adopt any paid services, for now.