The Best Drink Song Combos of Drinkify.org
February 6th, 2012
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Archive
Author Archive
Fishscape Fishbowl
February 5th, 2012
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Designed by Aruliden for Gaia and Gino, the Fishscape is a 2.5 gallon handmade glass fishbowl with a super cool textured interior landscape. Nemo never had it so good! Fish not included. Hand wash only.
Root Beer BBQ Ribs
February 4th, 2012
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Scott and I spent this past weekend in Delaware with his wonderful parents, who put in a request for some barbecue ribs. How could my grill-master boyfriend say no to that? Not only does he love his summertime (and sometimes wintertime!) grilling adventures, he’s extremely good at it. My man doesn’t joke around when charcoal and large cuts of meat are involved; Which is also why I don’t even bother trying to cook on the grill myself! Furthermore, I was very appreciative to have a break from my usual Chef duties. I know, I know… it may seem I’m always jumping at the opportunity to wield a spatula (or whisk, or rolling pin etc…) but honestly, this foodie gets tired! However, I did whip up a yummy bacon-less German style potato salad to go with these marvelous ribs. Anyway, lets move on to the how-to for these delectable, finger-lickin ribs!
Sauce
- 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp chile powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2/3 Cup ketchup
- 1/3 Cup root beer
- 2 TBSP soy sauce
- 2 TBSP cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Ribs n’ Rub
- 2 Racks baby back ribs, 1 1/2 to 2lbs each
- 3 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp chile powder
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Cups wood chips, such as mesquite
To make the sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the garlic, chile powder and cumin. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside.
Remove the thin membrane from the back of each rack of ribs. To do this, slide a thin knife under the edge to lift up the membrane. Grip tightly with a piece paper towel and peel all the way down the rack. Allow the ribs to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling.
Make the rub: In a small bowl, combine the rub ingredients. Coat the racks with rub, pressing into the meat.
Preheat the oven to 250°. Soak the wood chips in water. Wrap the ribs in foil and bake for 2 hours in the oven. At the 1.5 hour mark, start the charcoal grill and set it up for indirect grilling (coals on the sides). Add 2/3 of the wood chips to the coals. After 2 hours, remove the ribs from foil and finish on the grill for 45 minutes, keeping the top vent closed so that the heat stays low; around 300°. Since he cooked 2 racks of ribs, Scott used a rib rack to hold the ribs upright, keep them from getting too close to the coals and allow them to cook evenly. After the first 30 minutes, remove the ribs from the rack, lay them flat in the middle of the grill and coat them with the sauce. Add remaining wood chips to the coals and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove ribs from the grill, wrap them in aluminum foil and let rest for about 15 minutes before serving.
Enjoy with more sauce on top if you’d like, and make sure you’ve got plenty of napkins!
Acura NSX Concept
February 3rd, 2012
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It’s not too often we get to say this, but if they don’t build this, they’re crazy. The Acura NSX Concept ($TBA) revives one of the world’s best-known supercar monikers in style, with a rear-mounted V6 powerplant that’s helped along by an electric motor, all-wheel-drive, the ability to apply positive or negative torque to the front wheels during cornering, a dual-clutch transmission, and lust-worthy looks. Oh, and about that “crazy” bit — the production version should arrive in within the next three years, and if that wasn’t enough, they’re building it in Uncrate’s home state of OH.
Twenty Audio Amplifier
February 2nd, 2012
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Turn your dad’s old school speakers into AirPlay-enabled wonders with Griffin’s Twenty Audio Amplifier ($TBA). Just add an Apple Airport Express to this white brick, and it takes your existing non-powered speakers and lets you stream lossless audio from iTunes or any other AirPlay-enabled iOS device. The Twenty offers a 2.1 channel sound system with 20 watts output per channel with support for a powered subwoofer, and sports a big aluminum knob for adjusting the sound. Because who doesn’t like playing with knobs?
2012 Super Bowl Squares Odds
February 2nd, 2012
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We’ve all been in one of those Super Bowl Squares pools. You know, the kind – where you put a buck in the pot and are assigned a square on a 10×10 grid. Each square corresponds to a pair of numbers, one for the NFC team and one for the AFC team. The score at the end of each quarter — specifically the ones digit for each team’s score — determines which square wins 25% of the total cash pot. For instance, if the Patriots lead the Giants 17-14 at halftime, the person with 7 on the Patriots axis and 4 on the Giants axis wins the cash.
I’ve always wondered which squares were most likely to win. Logic tells you that a combination of 0s, 3s and 7s could be good, while 2s and 5s are not so good. So what squares are the best and which numbers should you hope to randomly draw? I looked at data for all NFL games played since the 2006-07 season to determine the answer to that question, and then I looked at results from past Super Bowls and scores from the 2011-12 Patriots and Giants games to determine your best bets for Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.
The Basics (Using 2011-12 Data)
There were 256 regular season NFL games and ten postseason games so far this year for a total of 266 games…or more importantly, 1,064 quarters played and 1,064 combinations of winning scores. Even though there are 100 squares on the board, we’ll group like combinations (e.g. 3-7 and 7-3) to make our findings a little clearer.
As expected, the most frequent scores this year ended in 0 (592 times), 7 and 3 – over two-thirds of the possible scores. The least frequent were 2 (42 times), 5, 8 and 9. And the most frequent combinations? 7-0 (151 times), 3-0, 0-0, 7-3 and 7-4. Over 46% of the combinations were made of these five winners. Three combinations did not happen a single time during the past NFL season¬ 2-2, 2-9, 5-5 & 8-8.
(A note about the graphics in this article: I used a color-coding system to show the largest numbers in dark green and the smallest numbers in dark red. The rest of the numbers fall somewhere in the green-yellow-red spectrum.)
More Details (Using Data From the Past Six Years)
The disbursement table for 2011-12 looks remarkably the same as the table that includes data from the past five years (consists of all 1,067 regular season and postseason games from 2006-07 through the 2011-12 playoffs). The latter chart, though, obviously includes six times as many data points and may be a slightly better indicator of the true probability of each of the combinations. Here is the hit percentage (since I know some of you would rather see % rather than the raw #) for each combination.
Breaking It Down Even More (Quarter-By-Quarter)
To this point, our data has simply shown the aggregate number of occurrences for each number across all quarters. What the data hasn’t shown is some numbers are better to have in one quarter over another. For instance, you might expect a 0-0 to happen much more frequently at the end of the first quarter (because of a scoreless first quarter) compared to the end of the game.
These numbers show the percentage of all quarter-winning scores over the past four years. So, in a 7-7 quarter, 7 is actually counted twice. Although the table above does not tell us what combinations are best for each quarter, logic indicates if you have two low-percentage numbers the odds are not in your favor to win the cash.
First Quarter: If you have an 8 in the first quarter, give up. In the last five years (over 1,600 first quarters of NFL football), there has been just two first quarter winners with an 8 (somehow the Vikings and Adrian Peterson scored 28 in the first quarter against the Cardinals this year in week 5). In fact, when looking at the first quarter, unless you have a 0, 3 or 7, it’s not looking good. 90.0% of first quarter scores have had scores ending in those three numbers, with 0 hitting 45.5% of the time. (And don’t celebrate if you have 2 or 5; 2 has hit six times and 5 hit five times in the last six years.)
Last Three Quarters: 0-3-7 continue to be the most popular numbers in the last three quarters, but not by nearly the same dominant margin — 0-3-7 account for 68.9% of numbers in the second quarter, 59.5% in the third and 47.8% at game’s end. So as the game progresses, other numbers are able to get some action. For instance, 4 more than doubles its percentage from the first to second quarter (5.9% to 13.0%), and it even overtakes 3 in the fourth quarter. And although the 2-5-8 combo are the runts of the litter in the first quarter (0.4% combined), in the fourth quarter they have accounted for 13.7% of hits in the last six years.
Final Quarter: In some pools, the end of game score pays more than the rest of the quarters. In these pools, the most valuable combos are 7-0, 3-0, 7-4, 4-1, 4-0 and 7-3. These six account for over 35.9% of the final scores over the past six years. 2-2 has NEVER hit in the past five years.
Super Bowl History
Data from 45 years of Super Bowls tells much of the same story as the past six NFL seasons. The top six combos from 180 Super Bowl quarters are the same as our five-year data (with 4-0 tied for 5th), and again, almost two-thirds of the scores end in 0, 3 or 7. On the flip side, 18 combinations of numbers have failed to appear in the Super Bowl, including the three of the four that didn’t hit in all of 11-12 (2-9 was the exception). The number you certainly want to stay away from is 5 as it has partnered only with 0, 1, and 9 for winning combinations (not even 5-3 or 5-7 have happened in the Super Bowl!).
The most common Super Bowl final score combination? 7-4 hit in five of the 45 years. Interestingly enough, the NFC had the 7 each time. 1, 2, 5, 8 and 9 have NEVER hit in the first quarter of the Super Bowl.
Patriots vs. Giants
While we can’t do the same type of combination matrix for individual teams as we have in the rest of the analysis, we can look at the Patriots and Giants most frequent scores this year. The Patriots have played 18 games (72 quarters of football), while the Giants played one additional playoff game for 76 quarters.
The Steelers and the Packers also may be more prone to particular numbers compared to what our five-year data would suggest. This table shows the difference between the historical average and the average for each team this year.
In some years, a participating team may outpace the league average for one reason or another. For instance, in 2009-10 the Colts hit 0 about half the times they would have been expected to land on 0. In fact, the Colts had 0 only 10 times last season – and three of them were against the Jets in the AFC Championship!
One number in particular stands out in this bunch: the Giants hit 0 about 25% more than the historical average. You might think that maybe it’s because they haven’t score in the first part of games. In actuality, though, it’s because the Giants are prone to score twice in a quarter – a touchdown AND a field goal. A 10 is the same as a 0 when it comes to squares. In fact, in 12 postseason quarters the Giants have scored 10 points in five of the quarters. Also, in 12 postseason quarters the Giants have finished a quarter with 0 eight times, including every quarter against the 49ers in the NFC Championship.
2012 Super Bowl Squares Prediction
So what does all this analysis tell us about this year’s big game? First of all it tells me I wasted multiple hours proving to myself that 0, 3, 4 and 7 are good, and if I get 2 or 5 I’m screwed. But based on the last four years of data, Super Bowl history and this year’s competing teams, I’ll go with quarter scores of NE 7-0, NE 14-10, NE 21-20 and NYG 30-27 in overtime..
But really, I’d be just as happy to see an early field goal and a couple of first quarter safeties, no further scoring, and four winning 5-2 quarters. Good luck! [Source] [submitted by EjBeyda]
Streaming the Super Bowl: This Year, There’s No Excuse to Miss It
February 1st, 2012
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By Jeff Somogyi, dealnews Media Editor
With last year’s Super Bowl grabbing an audience of 111 million, NBC has ordered a sequel! It’ll premier on February 5 and probably do just as well, financially. And if being able to see two teams — one of which you might actually care about — battle it out on a football-field-sized field on your TV wasn’t enough for you, this year the NFL and NBC have announced that the “big game” is going to be streamed online and via select handset devices, too! There have never before been so many ways to watch the event. (The previous record for ways to watch the game is “one.” One way. Just TV. Sports fans like stats, right?)
But what does this all mean for you, the concerned Super Bowl viewer? What is this mysterious “streaming” and how can you do it? And since you have an 80″ OLED 3D TV in your well-appointed, comfortable living room / man cave, you wouldn’t be remiss from also asking why you would need to stream the game at all! Below we’ve got answers to all these questions, and more!
Traditional TV
Who Can Watch: Anyone with a TV, really.
What You Get: The national broadcast, including all the ads (which we all clamor to see, even if we fast forward through all other commercials on our DVR at other times of the year).
Why TV?: Because you enjoy watching sports — specifically football — and you like being able to sit comfortably in your favorite chair. Maybe you even invited over some friends / hot wings, too, and you’d like to have the extra space to spread out. In short: If you had to choose one way to watch the Super Bowl, this is the perfect way to do it.
Streaming Online
Who Can Watch: Anyone with an Internet connected computer (with certain hardware recommendations) and a web browser with the Silverlight plugin (available for both PC and Mac). You might want to think of installing it now so you and 111 million other people aren’t trying to download it at 6:29 pm on February 5. For a full list of requirements, click here.
What You Get: A live HD stream of the game via NBC Sports and NFL.com, plus additional coverage including extra camera angles, on-demand replays, DVR-like functions, live statistics (see? we knew sports people liked statistics! In fact, four out of five people prefer twice as many statistics as half the people do the other 90% of the time!), and more.
Why Stream Online?: You’re not only a sports fan, but an information-junkie. You like to know more than what is presented to you. You like to dig deep into stats, replays, and all the tangential trappings that come along with being a super fan. OR, you don’t have a television (because you like telling people that you don’t have one, to sound cool) but you’re not about to let that stop you from seeing the biggest sporting event in the world* — or the Super Bowl, for that matter!
*The World Cup
By itself, this is the second-best option to a TV, but together with a TV, it’s by far the best way to go. It’s like a Super Friends team-up, except your TV doesn’t morph into something lame, like an “ice slide.”
Streaming on Verizon Smartphones / Tablets
Who Can Watch: Only Verizon customers using a smartphone or tablet that can run the NFL Mobile app, but since the app is available for both Android and iOS, many people can take advantage of it.
What You Get: Super Bowl-specific details are hard to find, but we’re assuming you’ll get a live stream of the game, as well as access to the stats that are available through use of the app for other games.
Why Stream on Your Smart Device?: We can see this stream coming in handy in exactly two situations: 1) You unfortunately have to cover a shift at work that day, or 2) You need to use the bathroom and don’t want to miss. But those are the only two situations we can think of that would have you choosing a 3.5″ screen over your 15″ laptop or 87″ “wall of televisons.”
One additional thing to keep in mind, though, is Verizon’s recent track-record of network stability … or lack thereof. We’ll be quite interested to see how their cell network holds up to 13 billion* people streaming a game to their phones at once, even as the company has gone to great lengths to boost its network strength for the event. Also remember that unless you’re on WiFi, you’ll be eating up your bandwidth like some kind of bandwidth-eating Pac-Man (Pac-Mandwidth?).
*Loose estimate, based on nothing
As you can now see, there will be no excuse for you to miss the Super Bowl this year… unless you just don’t like sports. (Hulu always has the best commercials on demand the next day anyway!) GO [INSERT TEAM NAME]!
2013 Mercedes-Benz SL 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL
February 1st, 2012
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One of the auto industry’s true icons just got an update. The 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL ($TBA) is all-new, shaving 300 pounds in the process, while adding a more powerful, economical V8 engine producing 429 hp and a 0-60 time of 4.5 seconds, a new front fascia with upright nose, the Magic Vision Control intelligent and highly efficient wipe/wash system, and the new FrontBass system, which integrates the sound system into the body itself. Arriving just in time for 2012′s drop-top season.
The Book of things your mother never let you say.
January 31st, 2012
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You know the old saying, “If you don’t have something nice to say, keep your mouth shut.” Sure but silence doesn’t mean you can’t get your point across. Go beyond the bird with this guide to rude hand gestures of the world. Study up and you too, can be globally offensive.
Blended the way you like it.
January 30th, 2012
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Unless you sip on single malts exclusively, odds are you’ve run into a blended whiskey somewhere along the way. Whisky Blender (£35 and up; roughly $55+) lets you create your own specialized blend from a selection of seven different whiskys, each available for adding in amounts as small as 10ml. Once you’re done, you can give the blend its own name, which will be handwritten on the label that adorns the 70cl corked decanter bottle, and save the mixture for future refills should the mixture be to your liking. While the wisdom of order booze you’ve never tasted before is always questionable, there’s no doubt that it’ll be far more interesting than your average bottle of Old Crow. [Scouted by Andrew] [Thanks Uncrate]