Cooking myth No. 1 (IMO): It's crucial to let a steak rest before slicing into it after cooking. WRONG! It's not crucial and the benefit of letting it rest is negligible to begin with. The idea is that resting the steak allows the juices, which migrate toward the center of the steak during cooking, can spread out to the rest of the steak during the resting process. The truth is there's just not that much juice involved to begin with, maybe a tsp, if that, and resting the steak adds very little value to the finished product. Thicker cuts may benefit more, but even that is arguable. So next time you hear some high-end chef telling you that you need to rest your steak before eating it, call BS on the guy.

Anyone else getting a lot of popups on this site?

Chris Williams sits down with Derek Hoodjer, the GM of Iowa State Football, to discuss what the last few off-seasons have been like from his chair. The two look ahead to the 2025 Cyclone football team as fall camp will begin next week. Breaking down key position battles and more on the first episode of our summer series for 2025.

Unable to attend.
2 Excellent seats.
Block 105, Row AA, Seats 15 and 16.
Contact if interested. $ 680.00.

Randomly thinking of the Crash Davis "I believe" speech in Bull Durham here are my beliefs on superficial stuff. I believe in top shelf bourbon, Maduro cigars, stouts of no less than 10% ABV, steaks done no more than medium rare to light medium, dungeness crab is way better than blue crab, leaving no less than a 20% tip at a restaurant ever and no one will ever be as happy to see you come home at the end of the day as a dog will.

We are 38 days away until Iowa State kicks off the season against Kansas State in Ireland. To keep getting you prepared for the season, we will continue with out position previews every weekday through July 25. Next up is a group with a blend of experience and unknowns; the wide receivers.

On Wednesday's edition of CFTV, Jake Brend dives into the relationship between T.J. Otzelberger and Virginia transfer Blake Buchanan. We also hear what Audi Crooks had to say about her lifetime memory of winning a gold medal. Plus an update on Curtis Jones' big night in the Summer League.

Chris Williams and Brent Blum react to President Trump’s executive order that could change the NIL landscape. What does it mean for Iowa State? Ranking the Cyclones’ road games and more. Presented by Mechdyne.

All that I see available for the Iowa game are re-sale tickets.

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Looking for some advice/info. We have a family member that wants to attend a couple of home games this year. (She has a permanent handicap parking license plate.) Do the fill up fairly early. Also what about the handicap spots by Hilton? Any tips appreciated.
Thanks

In the Des Moines metro, there is a brand new chain link fence that runs along the south side of Beaver Creek between the Des Moines River and the Merle Hay exit. And I believe that I saw a similarly placed fence south of the metro near Raccoon River and I-35. Other than attempting to keep flood debris off the interstate I have no idea why it was installed. I am guessing others know the real answer, so my question, why the fence?

Check out this article from Des Moines Register:

Iowa State women's basketball coach Bill Fennelly impressed by 3 newcomers already in Ames

I would occasionally stop by the high school football forum by to see what the 7 people that still used that site had to say. Looks like it is now on3.com, or at least that is where I get sent when I type in iowapreps.com. It is still run by rivals but posting is behind a paywall. All the old forums are gone.

This week we launch our annual albums-by-decade series.

For part 1, this week, post your favorite LPs released in 1965 and/or 1975. (Those years only, NOT the entire decade.)

Include 2-4 sound clips. In addition to the tracks, we encourage you to expound on why the album is meaningful, including personal history of your relationship with the record and its music.

Choices should focus on studio albums. Avoid greatest hits/live LPs/compilations. We’ll allow it, but it should be a definitive element of an artist’s body of work that isn’t otherwise generally available from studio output.

If someone posts an album on your list before you get to it, you still may reference it, but use different song clips.

(You can find dozens of best/favorite album lists, by year released, online.)

And, If you’re more singles-oriented, you may substitute top singles from either of those years.

(In subsequent weeks, we’ll do 85/95 and 05/15)

• Last week’s OTN: Bound to Fail. It can be found here: https://cyclonefanatic.com/forum/threads/on-that-note-bound-to-fail.293113/

Your hosts for OTN are @cyclones500, @CycloneRulzzz and me.

What T.J. Otzelberger and Milan Momcilovic had to say about Momcilovic taking the next step in 2025.

1st & 2nd Round Tee Times are out: https://www.theopen.com/teetimes

Looks like it could be a wet Open: https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/gb/royal-portrush

Received a email that Jeff is retiring on Sept 1 this yr. Wish him well in his retirement and with his Parkinson challenge. IMO they are some pretty big shoes to fill. I think he did a good job of growing the Association. Even though I'm a long ways from a big donor he always had a handshake and a hello for me whenever I ran into him somewhere. It'll be interesting to see who gets that position as well as who gets selected as the next ISU president.

On That Note alert: Best-of music series heads up!

For advance notice only, do NOT post selections in this thread.

This week at “On That Note,” we begin our annual best-of series. We’ll explore favorite albums (or singles) from years with the same last digit as this year — 5.

On Tuesday, or possibly Wednesday, I will launch the first segment, with focus on 1965 and 1975. We’ll continue that theme for two subsequent weeks.

We want to provide a heads-up if anyone wants to do preliminary research on what music you like from those years.

Again: Do NOT post clips in this thread.

On That Note is hosted weekly by @cyclones500 @CycloneRulzzz and me.

Made this list last year. We will be judged based on our record against the rest of the P4 conferences. I like to watch these games outside of all the Iowa State games, need to root for our fellow Big 12 brethren. I'll update this with wins/loses throughout the season.

Week 1

Nebraska neutral Cincinnati
Auburn @ Baylor
Utah @ UCLA
Georgia Tech @ Colorado
TCU @ UNC

Week 2

Arizona State @ Mississippi St
Kansas @ Missouri
Iowa @ Iowa State
Oklahoma St @ Oregon
Baylor @ SMU
Stanford @ BYU

Week 3

Pitt @ WVU

Week 4

UNC @ UCF
SMU @ TCU

Number of games against other conferences:
Big10 - 4
SEC - 3
ACC - 7

7 Home/6 Road/1 Neutral

On Monday's CF Daily Update, Jake Brend kicks off the 2025 Iowa State position previews with a take on how high Rocco's legacy can reach this year. He also provides an update on Curtis Jones and Hason Ward in the NBA Summer League and previews Paul Shirley's event on Thursday.

CFTV: What can Rocco do for his legacy? Plus a Cyclones in the Summer League Update

On Monday's CF Daily Update, Jake Brend kicks off the 2025 Iowa State position previews with a take on how high Rocco Becht's legacy can reach this year. He also provides an update on Curtis Jones and Hason Ward in the NBA Summer League and previews Paul Shirley's event on Thursday. https://youtu

cyclonefanatic.com

I've pretty much had it with my extremely poorly constructed wooden privacy fence. Another couple of sections succumbed to the strong winds a few weeks ago. Seriously considering bucking up and putting in a nice vinyl one in its place. We'll likely be selling in the next few years and I figure it would be a big upgrade on curb appeal. Anyone done something similar and had a good experience with a company in the DSM area?

At the Big 12 press event last week, when asked to single out youngsters impressing, the first name out of CMC's mouth was Ryver Peppers. Personally, I've been wowed by Ryver since watching his film at the time of his commitment in the winter. CMC mentioned him during spring ball, too, iirc.

Jayden Jackson was on campus for spring ball as well. His h.s. achievements are highly praiseworthy, too. He's listed at 217 pounds, Montgomery-sized. Ryver is 190. Both pack a lot into sub-6 foot frames.

(Edit: I erred, it looks like. 247 reports that Jayden enrolled at ISU last month.)

Yep, Carson Hansen and Abu Sama are the RB bell cows, and frosh redshirt Dylan Lee - it was Blum I think who said that last fall the staff believed he has the highest ceiling in the RB room - is set to see his first action this fall. And no one, I hope, is forgetting the quick, powerful, savvy runner Aidan Flora, one of my fave Clones, for sure. But if you haven't, take a couple of minutes to watch Ryver and Jackson film.

Ryver Peppers (and the way this kid has sailed through troubles life has thrown at him is remarkable. Top-notch student, too, iirc. Nickname? How about Buster for seam buster!):

Jayden Jackson (again, iirc, standout in Texas's 3A h.s. class.)

Listened to the new Williams and Blum this morning and have some tips as a veteran European traveler. Went to Ireland for three weeks in 2016 (which is, sadly why we're not going next month). They referenced their sponsor, Northwest Bank, as a place to get Euros before you go. I recommend that you only get enough to get you from the airport to town as you will get a better exchange rate from a bank ATM in Ireland. Don't get more than 100 euros if getting them in advance.

Be sure to use a bank ATM only, either inside of a bank or just outside. Do not use Eurolink or Euronet or similar continent-wide companies as you will get hosed. Avoid airport ATMs or exchange kiosks unless its a dire emergency.

Always transact and pay for ATM or any credit card transactions in the local currency - that is the Euro. You will be asked either by the machine or the waiter etc, if you want to convert to the dollar - the answer is no. You can check with your local bank to see if their network is compatible with European banks, We've had no problems and we are small town.

It's a good idea to let your financial institution know when and where you will be traveling so your card isn't refused. Some credit card companies no longer require notification but it's a good idea to double check there as well.

Credit cards will be readily accepted in cities, maybe in rural areas, When we were in England last spring, we had to use cards, there were basically no cash transactions. Even a Euro or less for a pay toilet was by card.

If you are going to Northern Ireland you will use British pounds instead of Euros, although I think some places will take both. N Ireland is part of the United Kingdom along with England and Scotland and their currency is the British Pound.

Also if going into Northern Ireland, as of this past January you will need an ETA authorization to enter the country. Not Ireland, just Northern Ireland. You'll need to get it online in advance. It costs about $16 and is good for two years unless you passport expires before then. We connected at London Heathrow on our way home from Portugal in May and even though we never left the airport, we were advised to each have an ETA. You need your passport when you apply and the ETA is automatically added to the passport.

You can check TripAdvisor.com for specific info on Ireland by reading the forum page or checking on activities. The best place to get cash in Italy in 2022 was actually the Post Office.

Last thing, if you're renting a car in Ireland I'm sure you're aware that they drive on the wrong (they say right) side of the road. We were on a tour bus and the first morning as we approached a roundabout I leaned the wrong way and nearly ended up in the aisle. I didn't drive there, but my brother did once and he recommended taking all the insurance you can get. Double check with your personal insurance or any credit card support, but the shoulder on the very narrow rural roads is either a stone fence or thick hedgerows and trees. Lots of scratches.

Have a great time everybody. We'll be watching!! Go Cyclones!