Sexysauron - Sexy Sauron - Tumblr Blog

@janicevaranus Tumblr wouldn't let me send this to you so hopefully it lets me tag you instead. This is Cecil hiccuping. He typically does it when he's annoyed or impatient. This time was because we'd locked him out of his bedroom to clean it out and he wanted to go back inside 😂.

Wetlands moo!

I know they're not really cows but thoughts on the humble water buffalo (more specifically the carabao)

i love them!!! i love that they are so strong!! i love their big eyes!! i love their big horns!!! i love them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Playing through Fallout:New Vegas for the first time in years. And I'm developing a newfound appreciation for the damage done to the intended pacing of the narrative with the addition of the Courier's Stash. I wake up in Goodsprings, and as part of the extended tutorial you have Ghosttown Gunfight, the fairly self-contained faction war between Goodsprings and the Powder Gangers. And the design intent, I think, is that this is probably supposed to be a pain in the ass, with only one or two avenues of support available to you given the low level at which you'll pick this one up. Six Powder Gangers, some in body-armor, would be a serious threat, and committing to fighting against that with your dinky 9mm and a varmint rifle seems like a rough time! An actual uphill battle, doing the right thing instead of the easy thing. Fortunately, Benny inexplicably left my handy 40mm grenade launcher in the grave with me, so I cleaned up.

I'm working my way south, and, you know, in a version of the game where Benny didn't inexplicably leave my handy 40mm grenade launcher in the grave with me, this would have been the knock-on effect of my "good" Karmic choice in defending Goodsprings; the road south is littered with powder gangers who'd have been neutral had I not kicked the hornet's nest. As it stands? Free experience. I hit Primm, and fighting through the cramped hallways of the Bison Steve I encounter an enemy armed with what was clearly supposed to be the first heavy weapon I'd encounter in the world. Tight Corridors. Inexplicable Grenade Launcher. I clean up. South I go to the Mojave outpost, Nipton, that whole thing. And clearly, clearly you aren't meant to take a swing at Vulpes here, right? You're supposed to take it in, get a sense for the legion. In the version of the game that shipped you're supposed to get bodied if you try to kick the beef gate here. There are allowances in the game for if you pull it off, sure, but I did try with just the service rifle, without the glorious first-strike capabilities afforded to me by the 40mm grenade launcher that Benny inexplicably left in the grave with me. It didn't go very well!

So now I'm dogged by Legion hit squads on my way to Novac, which I get the distinct impression was not the point in the game at which this was supposed to start happening to me, because I am gathering up some pretty expensive equipment, all sold for space. I punch through to Vegas, and at this stage, the clear developer intent is that you need to spend some time milling around Freeside or Camp McCarran in order to gain access to the Strip- do odd jobs to scrape up the money, buy the forgery from Mick and Ralphs, gain monorail access, get your science skill high enough to hack the robot. Get the lay of the land, get a feel for the people, send some time stewing in the human cost of House's walled garden before you head in and hear the pitch from the big man himself.

Except I've got 5000 caps from selling off all the legion killteam equipment. In I go!

And the fun thing is, right, the Courier's stash can't be diegetic, but it is having a very direct impact on the world here. A top legion guy just went down to my inexplicable 40mm grenade launcher. Whatever else I'm roleplaying as, I am roleplaying as a guy who woke up in the possession of an inexplicable 40mm grenade launcher, and neither I nor my character can plausibly ignore that fact given its terrible bloodstained utility. I play a man, a man who would be a good man, a man nonetheless bewitched by the terrible resolutory power of the grenade launcher. My best friend, the inexplicable 40mm grenade launcher! My worst enemy, the inexplicable 40mm grenade launcher!

This is it

as someone w a genuine learning disability that leads me to often misread, misinterpret, or struggle to absorb information... i kind of wish "reading comprehension" wasnt the new catchphrase for "lol, u are being stoopid"

like... sorry but this is a real thing people deal with, actually. and it doesnt make them less intelligent, believe it or not. if someone isnt using critical thinking skills, or is arguing in bad faith, or is misunderstanding... maybe just say so???

sheesh

is there hope?

there is the most profound and definite hope

Review #9: Crown Royal Extra Rare

Here we come to the end of the Master series of whiskies, and the end of our exploration of Crown Royal’s core range. A significant step up price-wise, Crown Royal Extra Rare demands much; but does it give much in return? Certainly, it provides us with a little more information: this is the only whisky in the range with an age statement, a respectable eighteen years; and as far as composition goes, we’re told it’s a blend of no more than three of their most exceptional whiskies. I’ve got high hopes going into this one, so let’s see how it shakes out.

Crown Royal Extra Rare Gimli Manitoba Blended Age: 18 ABV: 40%

Price paid (MLCC): $218.39 Reviewed: 2023-11-28

Colour: Reddish copper.

Nose: Lavender, vanilla toffee, and red fruits. Stone fruits: apricot, nectarine, hint of plum. Sugar cookie, walnut, and baking spices; orange zest. Wintergreen and bubble gum. Gentle oak wood and spice; anise.

Palate: Honeycrisp apple, toffee and wintergreen; orange peel. Mingled fruits with red apple, date. Lavender and pear. Rush of rye and oak spice. Chocolate and oak.

Finish: Juicy red apple and pear, into baking spice and wintergreen. Toffee and oak close.

Well, this one doesn’t disappoint. Extra Rare takes you on a journey throughout a tasting, and is never exactly the same across pours. Really, it’s a testament to the blender’s craft, and the quality of casks, that this is so richly flavoured despite the weak ABV.

Score: 5 out of 5 Worse in Brand: Northern Harvest Rye, XO, Reserve, Fine De Luxe, Black

This is the very pinnacle of Crown Royal’s offerings. So, is this a buy again bottle? At the price they’re asking… probably not. (I’m just not that much of a Crown fan.) Instead it’s a bottle to be savoured and enjoyed only on special occasions. What’s here though is a superb whisky.

Next series of reviews will take us to a relative newcomer to the Canadian whisky scene, from a distillery in Niagara. See you then!

Scoring Guide 1 out of 5: Terrible; no redeeming qualities, just say no. 2 out of 5: Poor; possesses qualities that detract, fodder for mixers. 3 out of 5: Mediocre; middle-of-the-road whisky, sippable but perhaps better in a cocktail. 4 out of 5: Good; a solid pour, enjoyable neat and outstanding in a cocktail. 5 out of 5: Superb; continues to surprise and delight, something to cherish.

you will probably not look like a skinny white anime girl when you transition you will likely look like someone's mom and you need to realize how swag this is

Review #8: Crown Royal XO

Previously, we reviewed Crown Royal Reserve, the first of the Master range of whiskies from that archetypal Canadian whisky blender. Next up is something a little bit different in the whisky world: a whisky finished in cognac casks. It’s Crown Royal XO (the “XO” here giving no actual indication as to age). And that’s about all we know from the box and bottle; the website adds that it’s actually a blend of fifty of their finest whiskies that get finished in the casks.

In the past I’ve not been one for cask finishes, not in Canadian whisky nor in scotch. I’m curious to see how this shakes out.

Crown Royal XO Gimli Manitoba Blended Age: NAS ABV: 40%

Price paid (MLCC): $83.99 Reviewed: 2023-11-14

Colour: Dark copper.

Nose: Rich icing sugar and dark fruits, lavender. Plum, date, and fig. Nutty with baking spice. Toffee apple, a little Crown bubble gum; pear and sour grape. Overall quite gentle.

Palate: Creamy vanilla toffee, white grapes and fig; bitter oak comes suddenly. Somewhat spicy, somewhat herbal. Sour grapes. Nuttiness arises then falls back. Perhaps a little milk chocolate. Very drying.

Finish: Old, dry oak wood and spice; red apple and dried raisins. Hint of evergreen. Spice fades.

This is one where some time in the opened bottle does wonders; when I first got this, I was not all that impressed, but now… The nose is very pleasant, each component being well articulated. But the real star is the palate: the evolution in experience here is really quite intriguing. At first, the astringency just about dominates; then, as your palate acclimates to the bitterness, it grows sweeter and really unfolds.

Score: 4 out of 5 Better in Brand: Northern Harvest Rye Worse in Brand: Reserve, Fine De Luxe, Black

This is just slightly outdone by Northern Harvest Rye. As much of a sucker as I am for a whisky that takes me on a journey, where XO goes is not quite as tantalizing as the full force rye punch that Northern Harvest Rye has to offer. Nevertheless, the two are on a level with each other, and both are rather good.

Scoring Guide 1 out of 5: Terrible; no redeeming qualities, just say no. 2 out of 5: Poor; possesses qualities that detract, fodder for mixers. 3 out of 5: Mediocre; middle-of-the-road whisky, sippable but perhaps better in a cocktail. 4 out of 5: Good; a solid pour, enjoyable neat and outstanding in a cocktail. 5 out of 5: Superb; continues to surprise and delight, something to cherish.

moment of silence for everyone who relied on AI chat bots for research when it’s going around saying shit like this.

[image description: search that reads “country in africa that starts with K”. the featured snipped is from www.emergentmind.com and reads “While there are 54 recognized countries in Africa, none of them begin with the letter "K". The closest is Kenya, which starts with a "K" sound, but is actually spelled with a "K" sound. It's always interesting to learn new trivia facts like this.” /end ID]

Review #7: Crown Royal Reserve

Last week we looked at Northern Harvest Rye, finding it to be a good offering in the Crown Royal core range. This review will be evaluating Reserve, the first expression in the Master range of whiskies in the Crown Royal line. It’s a step up in price range, which will hopefully be met with a corresponding increase in quality.

As far as Reserve goes, we know little of its makeup; the box tells us the whiskies that go into this blend are “hand selected,” comprising no more than one per cent of Crown’s total output. With 1.5 million barrels, that’s still an awful lot of whisky. This is supposed to be a “gift to Crown Royal enthusiasts;” tonight I take one more step to finding out if I am one of those.

Crown Royal Reserve Gimli Manitoba Blended Age: NAS ABV: 40%

Price paid (MLCC): CA$70.55 Reviewed: 2023-10-11

Colour: Dark copper.

Nose: Opens quite floral, with bubble gum and dark fruits. Walnut, praline. Rye spice: cinnamon and nutmeg. Pear and apple. Vanilla and creamy toffee. Nectarine. Oak spice.

Palate: Mingled fruits: pear, fig, and red apple stand out. Hint of bubble gum, strengthens with time. Toffee. Rye and oak spice, grows in intensity. Dry oak, bittering.

Finish: Baking spice and toffee apple. Oak bitterness closes out.

Well, this is a bit disappointing. In my previous sessions with Reserve, I developed high hopes for this whisky. Unfortunately, what’s there is somewhat weak in flavour, with the overall experience marred by a youthful ethanol note that persistently and recurrently jumps out. There’s little evolution throughout the course of the tasting, fatiguing the nose and palate.

Score: 3 out of 5 Better in Brand: Northern Harvest Rye Worse in Brand: Fine De Luxe, Black

Reserve is a marginal improvement over the baseline exhibited by Fine De Luxe. What condemns it is the not-so-marginal price increase (114 %) to gain such a small increase in quality.

Scoring Guide 1 out of 5: Terrible; no redeeming qualities, just say no. 2 out of 5: Poor; possesses qualities that detract, fodder for mixers. 3 out of 5: Mediocre; middle-of-the-road whisky, sippable but perhaps better in a cocktail. 4 out of 5: Good; a solid pour, enjoyable neat and outstanding in a cocktail. 5 out of 5: Superb; continues to surprise and delight, something to cherish.

Review #6: Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye

Previously in this series we reviewed Crown Royal Black and found it wanting. Next up, and last in the Signature Series from Crown Royal is Northern Harvest Rye. As the name would suggest, this is the high rye-content offering from a brand that ordinarily puts out predominantly corn-dominant products. How high of rye? The back of the bottle states that this is a blend of ninety per cent rye grain whiskies. That’s a good deal of rye!

We welcome this nugget of information about what constitutes this whisky. Also welcomed is the ABV, coming to us at a respectable forty-five per cent alcohol. It’s not quite full proof, but anything above the bare minimum forty shows a degree of thought beyond “what’s the least we can give ‘em, for the most we can take from ‘em.” Review time!

Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye Gimli Manitoba Blended Rye Age: NAS ABV: 45%

Price paid (MLCC): CA$41.43 Reviewed: 2023-10-07

Colour: Dark gold.

Nose: Dill, wintergreen; baking, rye spice. Opens up into fruit; cherry, nectarine, and juicy pear. Strong note of pink bubble gum, blends in. Spice articulates into cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves. Sweet with vanilla and toffee. Dusty oak, bit of walnut later on.

Palate: Pear candy, bubble gum, and a big burst of cinnamon red hots. Dill and cardamom; wintergreen and licorice. Good hit of oak, somewhat drying. Nectarine, red apples and creamy vanilla toffee. Rye spice in abundance.

Finish: Caramel and pear, oak. Licorice. Rye spice lingers long thereafter.

It starts off strong, with good depth and breadth of flavour, and remains strong throughout. This is as authentic of a rye as one can get, with big spice and herbal notes. It’s not anemic in any way, being quite full-bodied. A must-have and a must-restock.

Score: 4 out of 5 Worse in Brand: Fine De Luxe, Black

Scoring Guide 1 out of 5: Terrible; no redeeming qualities, just say no. 2 out of 5: Poor; possesses qualities that detract, fodder for mixers. 3 out of 5: Mediocre; middle-of-the-road whisky, sippable but perhaps better in a cocktail. 4 out of 5: Good; a solid pour, enjoyable neat and outstanding in a cocktail. 5 out of 5: Superb; continues to surprise and delight, something to cherish.

just manifesting another weekend!!

In the kindest way possible, I miss when your videos had more solid conclusions. I've been a fan of your content for years and it even got me interested in philosophy as a whole, but the past two videos especially have felt like they were building up to a powerful conclusion like many of your videos in the past have had, only to turn into a Nebula promotion before it feels like you've actually come to the thesis.

It saddens me because I think you're very good at strong ending arguments, and without even realizing it (before now) I had associated your videos with leaving off on a sort of mic-drop moment that always made me very excited and empowered. Of course, this is only my opinion, and your videos are your own and I'm incredibly happy for your play and your work on Nebula, I just can't help but notice it feels like something's missing now.

I have a lot of feelings about this feedback

Firstly, Philosophy Tube is very deliberately explorative, not conclusive. The point is to give people the concepts they need so they can go away and apply them themselves, not to tell anyone what to think. So I consciously resist firm intellectual conclusions when I'm writing because I think they risk terminating people's thought processes.

Secondly, I've been running my own experiments and I've noticed that a tiny minority of people always say this no matter how explicitly I state the conclusion. On the most recent episode I forced myself to state it very clearly - even called the final section of the video 'Conclusions' - which suggests to me that what you're after is emotional catharsis rather than intellectual resolution. When you talk about feeling "excited and empowered" those are emotional states rather than the state of having learned a new thing. And that's fine, some videos need to end on an emotional beat! But not all do or can. If I made every single one do that it would start to feel artificial. Certain ones like Identity need it, but just like not every theatre show needs a curtain call not every Philosophy Tube video needs to end on a wham line. Sometimes we're learning and we're in educationmode.

Thirdly, I would argue the most recent one ends on a note of emotional ambivalence (very deliberately so!) because that's the whole point: it's not meant to wrap everything up in a neat bow and tell you how to feel, it's supposed to present this multifaceted problem and encourage you to work through your own thoughts and feelings on it. And that is a kind of emotional conclusion in its own right, albeit a deliberately unsatisfying one.

There he is

The bear in area

against consumption

Review #5: Crown Royal Black

In my previous review in the Crown Royal core range, I looked at Fine De Luxe, finding it to be a mediocre if inoffensive whisky. Tonight’s review is a look at the next step up the ladder: Black. Ordinarily this step up would come with a corresponding trivial increase in price ($1.69 at the time of writing); however I was able to get this on sale, and at a time when the prices had greater distance between them, and so I ended up paying less for this than for Fine De Luxe.

So what sets Black apart? In terms of what matters -- what is given to us -- the maturation was conducted in charred oak barrels. That’s it. The theory, and indeed the promise on the back of the bottle, is that this will give us some bourbon notes to enjoy; bourbon production uses charred new American oak barrels (sometimes heavily charred). Oh, and it’s at a somewhat respectable strength. What else distinguishes this whisky? … I’m not seeing anything obvious here. On to the review!

Crown Royal Black Gimli Manitoba Blended Age: NAS ABV: 45%

Price paid (MLCC): $29.50 Reviewed: 2023-07-19

Colour: Brown.

Nose: Watered down cola, oak spice and dry oak, dark fruit (perhaps plums). Caramel. Ethanol intrudes every so often.

Palate: Cola briefly, followed by a burst of bitter green apple and bitter wood. Some spice, some vanilla and caramel. More ethanol.

Finish: A hint of barbecue sauce, strangely burnt, behind ethanol. Slight caramel sweetness. Leaves behind nothing but bitterness.

This starts off so faint and muddled. The enjoyable notes remain fairly faint and inarticulate, but the bad (especially the bitterness and ethanol) only magnify to dominate the experience. If anyone says this is like bourbon, I’d hate to have what they’re drinking.

Score: 1 out of 5 Better in Brand: Fine De Luxe

So why this? I suspect Crown saw an opportunity to get rid of whisky that wouldn’t otherwise have measured up, by maturing it in charred oak to hopefully round out the rough edges. All that’s really done is smother what good there was, while amplifying the bitterness to excessive levels. And the colour? It’s just absurd, probably meant to attract customers for the sheer novelty and peculiarity of it. As things stand this is just gross.

Scoring Guide 1 out of 5: Terrible; no redeeming qualities, just say no. 2 out of 5: Poor; possesses qualities that detract, fodder for mixers. 3 out of 5: Mediocre; middle-of-the-road whisky, sippable but perhaps better in a cocktail. 4 out of 5: Good; a solid pour, enjoyable neat and outstanding in a cocktail. 5 out of 5: Superb; continues to surprise and delight, something to cherish.