Had a notice from the host of a brute-force hack-attack this AM and even I was locked out. Had to go to the host CPanel to fix the site access … and it seems I blocked >everybody<.
Oops.
One of the regulars contacted me and asked what was up. I’d have not known y’all were locked out ’cause the site looked normal to me. As administrator, I don’t see the site exactly as you do. If you notice problems, please let me know – I may not realize there’s a problem.
Seems to be a favorite of mine – at least I fix it often enough.
Beany Weinies
What? You expected something new and original? 🙂
Frying pan
1 – 15oz can VandeCamps Pork & Beans … though I prefer Bush’s version – less water
2 – hot dogs – sliced about ¼ in thickness
Sliced onion – cut ¼ in slice of medium sized onion, then dice/slice that
Sliced green pepper – about ½ in section of green bell pepper – I’m a midwestern boy. “Peppers” are bell peppers
Sliced tomato – about ¼ – ½ in section, then chopped
Saute onions and peppers together until onions start to brown.
On low heat –
Toss in tomato pieces, continue to fry for length of time it takes to slice the two hot dogs (together)
While hot dogs are (lightly) browning, open can of beans
When hot dogs are lightly browned, dump in can of beans
Heat until center of mass begins to bubble
Serves one or two
From an article on RealClear Wire via ZeroHedge:
“Meanwhile, the United States—still NATO’s military backbone—faces a fiscal cliff, a recruitment crisis, and an overstretched force posture. The era of limitless resources is over. American global primacy has ended. Multipolarity has arrived. The U.S. must now prioritize. And that means making hard choices about where its forces are truly needed—and where others must finally step up or face the consequences.“
I don’t know or necessarily agree that American global primacy has ended; weakened though … and it’s not that “multipolarity” has arrived, but that multipolarity has returned. Multipolarity had existed – was NATO’s purpose – throughout most of NATO’s existence. That multipolarity – and the need for NATO … at least US involvement … first ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Too many – most of the world – has lived off US largess (and American neocon dreams and wishes) since 1990.
35 years – an entire generation – is enough. The world has drained us dry – we let them for pie in the sky imaginations of global unity under a US flag – but it’s now past time to end the charade. Europe in particular does not need – nor any longer deserve – American “protection”.
Update April 16:
A prominent Turkish defense official has given a rare interview to a regional Middle East outlet wherein he describes NATO as a “zombie alliance” which has outlived its functionality and legitimacy as a real military alliance, something which is becoming increasingly evident at Trump threatens to walk the United States away from being its main funder and leader.
NATO is now a zombie alliance. It exists more as a myth than a functional military bloc. Its expansion has been reckless. Its operations – from the Balkans to Libya to Ukraine – have destabilized entire regions, and its credibility is collapsing.
The EU, meanwhile, is pushing a €800 billion (approximately $864 billion) military revamp under the name “ReArm Europe.” But this requires massive austerity at home. European governments are preparing their populations for war, not peace. They need enemies to justify the spending.
He then admits, “But without US leadership, NATO cannot survive as a coherent structure. Trump’s America will not fight for Estonia or send troops to Moldova. Europe will have to defend itself – and it is not ready.”
So you’ve paid your taxes and counted your remaining pennies and now Easter is coming and Lent is almost over. Time to make, what?
What Easter specialties do folks here prepare?
My favorite Easter sweet is home made hot cross buns served warm with butter.
Hot cross buns
Hot cross buns
One a penny
Two a penny
Hot cross buns
If you have no daughters give them to your sons!
On the Canadian island where I was born the Easter “scoff” (big meal) included flipper pie prepared with onions, turnips and carrots. Harp seal flipper that is. It’s a dark gamey meat not to my taste but the dish goes far back in history and many islanders still love it even if animal rights activists now object to its consumption.
In England no Easter Sunday lunch would be complete without fresh pea soup made with mint and spring onions. So delicious.
And then there’s lamb that is traditional everywhere.. roasted leg of lamb, roasted or grilled shoulder of lamb , griĺled lamb chops, lamb burgers.
In northern Italy, there is the delicious Colomba di Pasqua (Easter Dove). It’s a sweet bread with dried fruit or candied citrus that is sprinkled with sugar and almonds, like a panettone but shaped like a dove. In the unlikely event you can’t finish it all it makes great French toast or bread pudding.
In the south, Easter luncheons almost always include deviled eggs. The Scandinavians do deviled eggs deluxe for Easter with shrimp or fish roe added on top.
Personally, I’m just looking forward to my first glass of wine in 40 days. I’ll be happy to have it with nothing more than potato chips.
I’ve included links for recipes in case anyone is interested, but not for flipper pie!
www dot kingarthurbaking dot com/recipes/colomba-pasquale-easter-dove-bread-recipe
www dot countrylife.co dot uk/food-drink/recipes/how-to-make-homemade-hot-cross-buns-25333
www dot southernliving dot com/recipes/classic-deviled-eggs
www dot bbcgoodfood dot com/recipes/pea-mint-spring-onion-soup-parmesan-biscuits
www dot recipetineats dot com/rosemary-garlic-grilled-lamb-chops/
A sample of some obscure – and some maybe not obscure – tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today’s selection: Beatles – “Taxman” 1966
A classic tune for Tax Day – from the album “Revolver”
If you drive a car, I’ll tax the street
If you try to sit, I’ll tax your seat
If you get too cold I’ll tax the heat
If you take a walk, I’ll tax your feet
At the time of this sign, I had occasion to often drive Telegraph Rd (the one in the Dire Straits song – also passing where Jimmy Hoffa was last seen). Something to do with a young lady of my acquaintance …
Driving back and forth to see this girl sucked up a lot of gas, maybe 80 miles round trip (she became my fiancee but the marriage never happened).
Anyway, there was this gas station open past midnight. Not many were in those days. And I often made the return trip after midnight.
Recall gas tanks were small and gas mileage even smaller. If you didn’t keep an eye on the gauge, it was easy to run out of gas. Being young-ish and somewhat stupid played into that possibility. So did being broke much of the time.
“Can I have a $1.25 worth of regular please?” That was an hour’s work … and maybe 50 miles worth of driving.
So, this was often the only open station for the 15 miles or so I drove along Telegraph.
Trouble was, they charged … 32¢/gal !!! Outrageous gouging!
I swore I wouldn’t pay that much.
And, by God, all these years later, I was right.
Suggested by jd; article by Andrea Mew
www dot theconservateur dot com/lifestyle/trad-life-is-a-spectrum-not-a-straitjacket
Concluding paragraph:
I’m so grateful I was raised by a SAHM [“stay-at-home mom”]. I enjoy working and want to figure out a way to get both the bread and the baby. And I’ll fight for the right for any trad-aspiring woman to bake her sourdough bread, drive her minivan, and cook for her hardworking husband if that tickles her fancy. If you’re bothered by that? Maybe you’ve been mixing up equality and equity all along. The future of feminism shouldn’t be about forcing women into the failed girlbossery of yesteryear; it needs to be about ensuring all options are on the table.
Originally posted: May 31, 2008
Let’s pretend
we’re an old
married couple,
Still in love and
still liking each other.
We know the
sweet spots
and the soft spots.
We can still find
the hot spots.
I’ll cook your
favorite dinner.
We’ll watch a
favorite movie.
…what do you mean,
it’s getting late?
When did you join
a bowling league?
Submitted as a comment by SK
That was a word permitted when we were children (as opposed to many others that were not) as an expression of frustration at some ridiculous situation.
I looked up its origin because seeing it in print made me laugh. Hadn’t heard it in ages. The only people I know who still use it are all English.
According to an etymological web site, he term seems to derive from the bows that are used to play violins. Those have been named in English since the 15th century – then as ‘fydylstyks’.
The word was appropriated to indicate absurdity in the 17th century.
Thomas Nashe used it that way in the play Summer’s Last Will and Testament, 1600:
“A fiddlesticke! ne’re tell me I am full of words.”
There’s nothing inherently funny about a violin bow. It seems that ‘fiddlestick’ was chosen just because it sounds like a comedy word, like ‘scuttlebutt’ (a cask of drinking water), ‘lickspittle’ (a sycophant) and ‘snollygoster’ (an unprincipled person).
In the same way the ‘I don’t give a fig’ was originally ‘I don’t give a fig’s end’, that is, it referred to something insignificant, ‘fiddlesticks’ was originally ‘fiddlestick’s end’, that is, it was a reference to something paltry, trifling and absurd.
Submitted as a comment by Snakepit Kansas.
Too good to not share widely
Have six months of food and water on the shelf. Maybe more. 50lb bag of Thai rice from Sam’s is not that expensive. Neither are pinto beans, cans of tuna, tubs of peanut butter and macaroni/cheese. Plenty of ammo. If things go to shit, ammo will be the new currency. The most common currency will be .22long, 9mm, .223 and 12gauge. You already have gobs of ammo? You do not have enough ammo.
Pay off your mortgage now. Get a second job at a liquor store of something and make extra payments. Do the math and figure out how quick you can pay it off. Quit paying the bank and pay yourself. I took a picture of myself some years ago as I dropped the last mortgage payment in the mailbox. Smiling so hard my ears hurt. I do not work at the liquor store any more either.
I am still heavily invested in the stock market. It goes up and it goes down. The trend over time is that it goes up. How much money did I lose last week? None. Why? Because I did not sell. You only lose if you sell low. Do not sell low. If there is a huge dip then that is time to buy. All kinds of folks panic and sell low and that is how some smart wallstreeters make their money, on other folks fear.
God is in charge and we do not get out of this alive. Some day my wife and I will pass. Maybe someone will think we were odd for having so much peanut butter and 9mm shells. What anyone thinks at that point, will matter no more.