The Return (once again) of Mohammed Mondays!

Last week, an asshole by the name of Hadi Matar, motivated by religious fanaticism and encouragement by like-minded assholes, attacked and tried to kill author Salman Rushdie for writing a book.

All we can do in response (aside from cursing) is resume the posting of MoToons and the best of the "Jesus & Mo" comic strip.

Starting today, and for the foreseeable future, every other Monday will be Mohammed Monday at Shades of Gray!

THIS WEEK WITH JESUS & MO

(In "Jesus & Mo", the title characters are presented as a pair of Bert & Ernie-style best friends and roommates. The social and theological and philosophical commentary of the strip varies in its subtlety, but it's always funny. And, more importantly, blasphemous.)

THIS WEEK'S MO-TOON (a repeat Shades of Gray classic)

If you want to contribute a Mo-Toon, send it as a jpg attachment via email. The address is at the bottom of the blog page. (Let us know if you want credit or if you want to be anonymous. A link to your website or social media page can also be provided.)

Musical Monday with Pale Waves

 

Manchester-based Pale Waves is an indie/punk rock band that's been performing and touring together since 2014. They've just released their third studio album--"Unwanted"--and we're happy to bring you this great music video made to support it. (It's a great punk/pop tune... and to make it even better, the video also serves as a visual example of the unifying theme here at Shades of Gray.)

"Unwanted" can presently be streamed on various platforms, including Amazon Prime Music, and it will be available on CD on August 26, 2022.

Coffee Beanery's S'Mores

It's summer, and people are sitting around campfires and making S'mores. And for those of you who can't escape into the great wilderness and are stuck at work, perhaps some flavored coffee will lift your spirits and transport you to the campfires of your minds! (Yes, it's Sunday at Shades of Gray, so it's time for another coffee review!)

COFFEE BEANERY: S'MORES
When I reviews Bones's version of s'mores-flavored coffee, I confessed that I have no idea what s'mores are supposed to taste like. I imagine the taste has to be somewhat smoky with strong notes of chocolate, marshmallow, and a little saltiness from the crackers. But, mostly, I would expect a s'more to at least taste smoky and sweet.

And that's what Coffee Beanery's take on this flavored variety delivers. Where Bones leaned heavily on the sweet, the Beanery's variation is heavier on the smoky.... which was initially a little surprising because when I opened the package of pre-ground coffee, a strong sent of marshmallow wafted up from it.

When consumed black, the clearest flavor of the blend is the medium-roasted Arabica beans that form its foundation. Mixed with that is a smokiness that does invoke the sense of drinking this coffee around a campfire and it a surprisingly pleasant edge. There are also faint tastes of vanilla and chocolate and perhaps even a hint of the marshmallow. It's still a little too harsh for me to drink a whole cup black, but if you take your coffee with just a little sugar or a dash of milk, I think you'll find Beanery's S'Mores blend very potable.

When I added Unsweetened Almond Milk to the cup, the smoky flavor was enhanced, as were the vanilla and chocolate notes. The blend became tastier with the almond milk, but it turned fabulous when mixed with the sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer. The coffee flavor and smokiness were muted while the chocolate taste was enhanced. I also thought that I could taste the marshmallow more strongly. As the drink cooled to room temperature, the various sweet flavors grew stronger, with the vanilla and marshmallow flavors really coming through.

When I tried the blend black, chilled, and over ice, the chocolate and vanilla flavors leapt to the front. A little bit of saltiness also crept in. That could have been the Graham crackers finally manifesting, or it could be the sort of thing that happens with a number of flavored blends when they are iced: Flavors turn salty.

The Coffee Beanery sample packs are small and only make a single pot and I wasn't frugal enough to get all the tests in with the coffee iced. I tried it with sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer, but I did not have enough coffee to try it with Unsweetened Almond Milk. But, as far as my taste tests went, I liked this blend the best when it was iced, whether black or mixed with the creamer.

This is another hit for Coffee Beanery, although I think the Bones Coffee take on this flavor is superior overall. Your mileage may vary though. The Bones variation skews sweeter with a fainter coffee vibe than this one from Coffee Beanery, so it depends on how you take your coffee.

Sidenote: I just noticed that shipping rates for some Coffee Beanery products through Amazon are REDICULOUS. As much as I love to get a few pennies in Affiliate fees (so if you like the content here, please shop Amazon through the links on the blog), I recommend looking closely before ordering.

D.W. Griffith brings us a fine drama starring two great actresses

The Mender of Nets (1912)
Starring: Mary Pickford, Charles West, Mabel Normand, Dell Henderson, and W. Chrystie Miller
Director: D.W. Griffith
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

When a fisherman (West) cheats on his girlfriend (Normand) with the village net-mender (Pickford), the betrayed girl's brother (Henderson) swears vengeance. Will the mender of nets be able to rise to the challenge and become the mender of hearts before blood is spilled? 

 I generally don't enjoy silent dramas, because they are for the most part too,,, well, dramatic. The mostly thin plots, static camera shots, and the over-the-top gesticulating and emoting by the actors combine in waya that just doesn't hold my interest. There's been one director who's works have always captured and held my attention, though: D.W. Griffith.

Griffith's dramas always clip along at a fast pace and there's never a dull moment on screen. Even establishing shots and transition scenes are full of energy and creatively framed. Even a shot of Mary Pickford staring wistfully into the distance and the beginning to smile is more fascinating than the entirety of some other silent dramas I've come across.

"The Mender of Nets" is impressive visually, even holding up nicely when compared to modern films. The outdoor shots and sequences are particularly nice. The story is simple, but Griffith adds suspense and drama through editing techniques and perfectly timed scene changes that were groundbreaking at the time--and which go a long way to making this film watchable today.

This film also remains watchable because of the natural performances by most of featured actors. While there's plenty of silent movie drama emoting, it is tempered and balanced here by a feeling of genuine warmth in Pickford's performance and emotional pain and panic in Normand's performance. Similarly, Dell Henderson seems like a genuinely bloodthirsty lunatic. West gives probably the most "standard" silent movie drama performance, but even he is a little more subdued than what is typical, coming across more in a Shakespearean tragedy way than over-emoting and hyper animated. Griffith once again brought the best out of his cast.

Finally, the film remains impressive because its relatively simple plot occupied by straight-forward characters ends up emerging as multi-layered as it reaches its conclusion. It could have come across as overly sentimental and maudlin, but because Pickford and Normand have such screen presence, and they gave such good performances, it comes across as bitter-sweet and even a little thought-provoking.

The version I watched (and have embedded below) features a modern score that was commissioned specifically for this film. Some viewers dislike it when modern music is applied to silent movies, but when it's well-done--as it is here--I think it helps bring new life to old art.

Take a few minutes to enjoy this classic film, with its new elements (or without... you can simply turn down the volume if you don't want modernity creep into the 100+ year-old short film that you're watching in a digitized format.)

A Public Service Announcement

We're doing are part here at Shades of Gray, using our platform for the good of society and raising awareness of the growing global health crisis.

Princesses of Mars, Part 43

Hey, Kid, where'd you the lid?
Where's you get a hat like that?

During our latest visit to Mars, we collected portraits of the Princesses wearing some of their more elaborate headgear. (Here's a song to enjoy with this post.)

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

 

'Widdershins' is a fun steampunk romance

Widdershins (2018)
Starring: Brian Cox and Jam Gray
Director: Simon Biggs

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A bored and lonely gentleman (voiced by Cox) living in a perfectly ordered world where humanity has subjugated themselves to clockwork automatons finds excitement when he crosses paths with a rebellious woman (voiced by Gray). 

For a short film set in a steampunk utopia-turned-dytopia, "Widdershins" is amazingly sweet and touching. Every character in it is appealing in its own way (even the robotic butler that occupies a space in the story that swings from comedic sidekick to borderline villain to mildly pitiable pet) and each is provided touches that economically communicate their strengths and weaknesses and desires. In short, even the robot character gets some humanizing touches over the 10-minute span of this film, and it makes it an absolute joy to watch.

The animation is simple--perhaps a little too simple at times--but it's all energetic and well-matched to the fast-moving story. The music is very effective as well. 

If you like steampunk and/or quirky romance tales, I think you'll find the minutes spent in the world of Mr. Widdershins and the Mystery Woman will be enjoyable ones. Click below to start watching!

This film was called to our attention by a reader of the blog. If YOU know of a film you think we need to watch and call attention to--so others can enjoy it--send us a link at stevemillermail@gmail.com!

In observance of International Cat Day

We just learned that August 8 is "International Cat Day". Here's a small gallery of pictures in celebration!

Musical Monday with Primus

On this Musical Monday, Primus reminds us with song and video that people were doing stupid, dangerous things for public attention long before TikTok came along. They just had to work harder at it in the old days.

Over the Falls (1997)
Starring: Les Claypool, Larry Lalonde, and Brian Matia
Director: Les Claypool
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

Stok's Un-Sweet Black Cold Brew Coffee

As I write this, we're having a heat wave, I don't have A/C, so I'm not going to make matters worse by drinking hot coffee. Yet... the reviews must be written and the addiction must be fed. Enter--cold brew coffee from the grocery store!


STŌK: UN-SWEET BLACK COLD BREW COFFEE

Cold-brew coffee is alleged to be less bitter and more caffeinated than the coffee we use making our trust coffeemakers, or otherwise run boiling water through ground coffee. Cold brew coffee is made by steeping beans in cooler liquid for 10-15 hours, drawing the flavor and caffeine more slowly from the beans and thus producing the magic juice we love so much.

Allison is wondering if this coffee mug is big enough.
We're wondering if ANY mug big enough when it comes to coffee.

While I've had cold brew coffees in the past (most recently an offering from Starbucks called Iced Cold Brew Chocolate Cream or something along those lines), I've not yet put one through the review process here at Shades of Gray. As a result, I could only say that I'd enjoyed the Starbucks drink but couldn't give a "formal" evaluation of the claims made about cold-brewed coffee. So, with it being summer and too damn hot to make and drink traditional coffee, I got myself a bottle of Stok Coffee's Un-Sweet Black Cold Brew from Safeway.

Stok is a Colorado-based company that brews coffee, but does not appear to roast their own beans. They exclusively use Arabica beans and offer a dozen or so different cold brew variants, including blends that are unsweetened, semi-sweet, chocolate- and vanilla-flavored. A common claim for all their blends is that they are "bold" and "flavorful".

As for the Un-sweet Black cold brew, I may have a different idea of what "bold" means, because I would define it as very mellow... flavorful, yes, but mellow and even a little sweet. Frequent readers know that I am attracted to flavored coffees, because the bitterness present in most roasts is not something I care for. In the case of Stok's Un-Sweet Black, I enjoyed it refrigerated, straight out the bottle. There was a distinct coffee flavor, but the bite I expect from black coffee was not present at all. In fact, this blend reminded me more of a blonde or light roast instead of the dark-roasted beans that I am led to believe form the foundation of cold-brewed coffee. It appears to be absolutely accurate that the cold-brew process pulls all the flavor and none of the bitterness from the coffee beans. The result is great tasting coffee, whether it's consumed cold, over ice, room temperature, or hot. (Since cold-brewed coffee is intended to be consumed hot or cold, I microwaved a couple mugs-worth and found that the Un-Sweet Black blend was as versatile as it was delicious.)

This was a coffee that worked equally well with all the standard mixers I use when reviewing coffees--Unsweetened Almond Milk, Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, and sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer. The resulting drinks were each wonderfully smooth, mixing with the coffee flavor in their own unique way. 

Since the basic coffee was so smooth and mellow, I branched out and tested it with some of the creamers I am trying to a future article with some creamer reviews. Whether it was the Coconut Creme-flavored creamer, Rice Krispies Treats-flavored creamer, the sugar free Chocolate Caramel-flavored, or the sugar free French Vanilla-flavored creamer, the result was tasty and pleasant. Similarly, when I tried this coffee with vodka, and with vodka and the sugar free French Vanilla creamer, and with the Unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk, the results were also each unique and pleasant.

If I had to mount any complaint about Stok's Un-Sweet Cold Brew Coffee, it's that when I first started drinking it, it kept me up at night. I do have trouble sleeping at times, but it has never been anything I've been able to trace back to coffee, so this was intially a little confusing to me. The confusion lifted once I discovered that cold brew coffee has a higher caffeine content than even light roasts do. (And this is, of course, not a a REAL complaint... it's just something I need to be aware of when it comes to what coffee I choose to drink in the afternoon.)

For the past several months, I've usually had a bottle of Starbuck's Unsweetened Blonde Roast Iced Coffee blend in my fridge; it's been my go-to when making iced coffee or when I made my own variation on the White Russian mixed drink. However, I find that I like Stok's far more and that it mixes so wonderfully with everything I've tried so far. I may not know what "blod" means in the context of Stok's Un-Sweet Black Cold Brew Coffee, but I know that I love it!