Cool and damp. Chance of rain? Same as most days. Part clouds and light rain in the local forecast. We had all kinds of weather yesterday, with the exception of heavy rain.
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Another year has gone by and we’re still here. Slightly worse off. Slightly more broke. Slightly fewer freedoms. But. We have much to be thankful for. Family. Friends. Time to get ourselves ready for what is coming. Robert believed that would be a slow slide into economic collapse. I believe it too, although the shape of the slope and how long it can take are up for grabs.
I’m thankful the slide is slow. That we have time to try to improve our outcomes. That we can mostly just live our lives.
I’m thankful that you all keep coming around and sharing in my life, and sharing your lives with us. It’s a pretty unique place on the web, and I like it a lot. Thank you to Rick for the help and support. Thank you to the others with the ban hammer for your help. And thank you to Barbara who lets me continue to keep the doors open and lights on.
Take some time today to count your blessings, because even the most wretched among us is still blessed compared to about 99.999% of those who have ever lived on this earth.
Take your joy where you find it. And keep stacking.
nick flandrey
Thanks to all of you who keep this place running!
I echo Mr. Denis, thank you Mr. RickH and Mr. Nick. You can find information, laughs, and solace at this place.
Sometime I just don’t understand people. I am involved in the owners’ group of the apartment building next door to our house. Reason being that we bought a studio apartment there, to serve as a guest room. Lots of guests are nicer at a certain distance 🙂
Anyway, there are four of us who are supposed to handle house internal things. At present, there is one task pending: all the skylights in the building are being replaced, and owners on the top floor should be able to make some choices.
So, there is a woman in our group who used to work for the company that is doing the skylights. She knows the products and volunteered to coordinate with all the owners. This was back in June or so. Final choices to be made no later than November. This takes time, because lots of owners are actually in Germany (these are their vacation apartments) and they aren’t here very often.
She forgot. We reminded her a month ago, and she still forgot. Now she is all insulted that we are accusing her of forgetting, because she’ll get right to it – after the holidays. We asked for a meeting, and she accuses us of harassing her.
Kindergarten. Some people never graduated from it.
Death is too good for them. I suggest kidnapping them, stabbing them a few times, and abandoning them on a glacier. In a few thousand years they’ll be discovered and archaeologists will call them Otzi the Ice Karen.
Chilly and overcast here in the swamp. “Oh man that’s good” is in my mug, and in my mug. Long day of cooking and eating ahead of us. and very oddly, no in-laws or other guests -staying here, or at arm’s reach. The implied “you’ll be put to work on something at the BOL” if you visit has noticeably reduced visits. Or it could be lack of cheap flights, other expenses, and timing.
n
Amen.
Terrorism is the easy answer, and makes sense. How F’d up is that?
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/fbi-investigating-car-explosion-us-canada-border-crossing-niagara
n
I like that.
I don’t like the term “terrorism” any more than “hate crime”. Both terms can basically mean whatever someone wants them to mean.
I wish the government would stick to objective crimes. Rob someone? Theft. Attack someone? Assault. Kill someone? Murder. Why define further, emotionally laden crimes.
Umm, keeps the LSM in business??
Hate crimes makes the news and gets reporters an orgasm. Also keeps the racial divide alive and democrats happy.
@SteveF
“abandoning them in a deep crevasse on a glacier”
No sense spoiling the view or tempting the predators to taste something bad.
Looking at the weather radar, most of a whole lotta mess is going to miss us. Mr Lynn might get a short burst, and I’m due for some rain too.
Cooking has commenced. My wife’s fresh cranberry dish is cooking. Not my favorite, I like the canned cranberry with the ridges still showing :-p
I’m supposed to be doing something unspeakable to a turkey any minute now….
n
I support a constitutional amendment to make this the only way to allow cranberry sauce to be made.
@Nick
I used to have a postcard of a 1930’s era cartoon with a hobo at his ease.
The caption was “I love work–I can watch other people do it for hours”
Suck it up for science and gastronomy.
My wife and I, even while dating, would always alternate which parents house we would visit for Thanksgiving, and we would visit the other set for Christmas that year.
Once our son was born, we hosted Thanksgiving at our house and both sets of parents came there, along with one of my uncles. That worked ok for about 12 years, then the sets of parents kind of grew tires of playing nice – though to be fair it was mostly my mother. We kept it up until my uncle passed in 2017. We then went to just the three of us for Thanksgiving, and a Christmas rotation. This works out much better. Especially now that all the parents are too old to drive the 6 hour trip.
We’ve also had the rule that we are always at home on Christmas. One year we went to CA for Christmas at my wife’s Dad and stepmother’s place. our flight back was on Christmas day, so we technically made our deadline with a couple hours to spare.
D2 insists on Christmas at “home” which is this house, not the BOL.
Stuff is starting to smell really good. I forgot pie crust so W went to HEB, 15 minutes to closing. Madhouse. People buying frozen turkeys. Still no heavy cream. It’s been rationed for a couple months and was out of stock yesterday. I’ve got some in the fridge…because that’s how I roll.
n
Daughter, SIL, their 2 kids, my son and I going to nephew and wife’s house and there three teenagers in San Clemente. We always have a great time there.
I am hosting again this year. I don‘t mind, except for the house cleaning…
Me, two brothers, my college friend and his wife.
Should be fine.
I am using the electric turkey roaster, which worked very well last year. The bird was a bit dry then, so I think we’re looking at something more on the order of 6 – 8 minutes per pound rather than 10 using that device. I don’t want it done too early, but people won’t mind waiting an extra half hour or so for dinner.
I will, of course, use a meat thermometer as well.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
I buttered and salted and peppered the turkey last night. Filled the cavity with carrots, celery, half of a huge white (and pretty flat) onion. Plus a couple of heads of peeled garlic. Wrapped it up in five or six layers of heavy duty foil. Into the roasting pan. Set the oven to 450f with start time at 1 AM and off at 4 AM.
The first hour is “oven is self cleaning” smell. That goes away. The last hour is “oh yeah, that’s smelling great!”. I pulled it out of the oven a bit after 10 AM and took the bird apart. Needed a couple of forks because it was still steaming hot.
I have a big bowl of meat, white on one side, dark on the other. I have a quart of juice from the turkey and from between a couple of layers of foil. That went through a wire strainer and is in the fridge with the bowl of meat. The juice will make the stuffing mix great.
The bones, skin, mystery parts, and veggies are in the stock pot. Along with the neck. Plus a couple more carrots and stalks of celery. And the rest of the onion. A little black pepper, a tablespoon of salt, and a couple of gallons of water. It’s on medium for now.
Strange turkey. No giblets. Only an un-wrapaped neck.
I also have a frustrated beagle. He watched every move. Didn’t make any noise. After I loaded the dishwasher I gave him a little bit of turkey. About the size of a cigarette butt. Made his day.
Pie is out of the oven, veg is in.
Not doing turkey today–steak on the grill.
Wonder if there is a football game on tv?
Green Bay and some team with a blue logo. 23 to 6 just a moment ago.
If anyone needs a gift for someone that likes assembling things, these guys have some incredible things.
https://metalkitor.com/
I’ve ordered something for D1, who has been building Metal Earth models for a few years now…
This will be my first experience with Metalkitor, but they get great reviews and the stuff is lovely.
n
xkcd: Thanksgiving Arguments
https://xkcd.com/2858/
“Title text: An occasional source of mild Thanksgiving tension in my family is that my mother is a die-hard fan of The Core (2003), and various family members sometimes have differing levels of enthusiasm for her annual tradition of watching it.”
Noooooooooooooo ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Explained at:
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2858:_Thanksgiving_Arguments
Pro-Palestinian mob tries to shut down the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade in NYC. They even glued themselves to the pavement.
https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1727721330726899924
The snowplows in NYC have nice sharp blades this time of year. Would have been the quick solution.
Acetone is a good solvent for cyanoacrylate adhesives. It is very flammable so care is required.
Nitromethane is a better solvent and is more flammable, and in cases where care is not needed is the obvious choice.
Neither is required. Just pick the protestor in clear view of the rest, douse him with gasoline and light him on fire. The rest of them will rip themselves off the pavement and run for their lives.
For extra comedy, tie 50-feet of clothesline to their feet first. As it trails after them, random members of the crowd can step on it and bring them to a face-planting stop, whereupon they can be advised that they are much luckier than the captives of the raping, murdering Hamas scum who cut the Achilles tendons of at least one of the women they raped and kidnapped, so she could not run.
I was wondering how many of those bastards are in the U.S. right now, courtesy of Biden and Mayorkas, who will be one of the first up against the wall shortly after.
Don’t forget: If you are ordering tiny tumblers at a good Black Friday sale price and get a limit when you try to go to cart, go back in immediately and try placing another order. I heard it worked for a friend.
Pie Pro Tips:
Never decide on pie until you have sampled them all.
Start early.
With a little practice a spoon leaves little trace, but wash it between pies.
For a double-crust pie use a sharp knife to cut a triangle in the top crust and lift it up so you can dip in with the spoon.
Wear long sleeves so you can wipe your mouth quickly.
If Aunt Sally always brings your favorite pie, meet her at the car and offer to help carry, then stash the pie in a prepared place on the way to the kitchen.
Start the a discussion about whether a clean plate is needed for pie and you can eat a piece while they argue.
Hiding the rest of the clean forks will slow down the fastidious relatives, if you have any.
If you think a quarter pie is more than one piece you are not a pro.
While you are wasting time reading this someone else is eating pie.
I’ve had my store bought pecan pie with whipped cream. D2s homemade dark red cherry pie and vanilla icecream came next, made with filling from the stacks, and I’m waiting for her to crack the apple pie she and my wife made from scratch. She should have the honor of the first slice… but then all bets are off.
Spatchcocked bird was tasty and cooked quickly. All the sides were exceptionally good this year, even the homemade cranberry, which got blended, and turned the right dark color, and except for the missing ridges was just about perfect. It was not the sour, squeaky fresh fruit salad crossed with chutney concoction of previous years.
Kids are watching a “survival” “reality” show called “Snowflake Mountain” that has me praying for the Flaming Meteor of Death…
n
between pies:
SF vs. SEA
No contest so far.
Christian McCaffrey has two TD’s and is worth watching the game.
He had to have his helmet replaced with about 4 left in the first half. When the final step was two equipment guys applying screwdrives from both sides, Chris Collingsworth cracked up in his commentary.
Goodbye, fruit pie
More pie, would you like some pie?
Goodbye, pecan pie
More pie, would you like some pie?
You’ve been makin’ pie all mornin’, so I can eat pie all night
Pie, pie, pie, eatin’ up the pie
While you’ve been rollin’ pie crust, I’ve been dreamin’ of pie all night
Pie, pie, pie, pumpkin pie
And would you cry, if I ate up all the pie??
And would you say goodbye or would you make more pie?
And would you cry, if I ate up all the pie?
And would you say goodbye or would you make more pie?
Seems my life is not complete, there’s lots more pie to eat
Pie, pie, pie, eatin’ up the pie
Baby you want the clean plate kind, and that’s just not my style
Gravy, taters, stuffin’, underneath my pie
And would you cry, if I ate up all the pie??
And would you say goodbye or would you make more pie?
And would you cry, if I ate up all the pie??
And would you say goodbye or would you make more pie?
(No apologies, Mr. Bachman. Have some pie.)
>>Nitromethane is a better solvent and is more flammable, and in cases where care is not needed is the obvious choice.
Good ole mil surplus flamethrower.
Don’t forget the marshmallows!
I doubt there are many sneaking into the country via the southern border. The violence is very random and chances of getting killed or caught are high. Plus, the culture is not keen on Islamic types, one of the reasons Gitmo remains open.
So, you escape from Gitmo? Where ya gonna go, sport?
Anti-immigration riots erupt in Dublin after ‘foreign national’ stabs three young children, leaving five-year-old girl fighting for life: Mobs chant ‘get them out’ as they torch buses and loot shops
– it’s already moved from top of page to 1/5 down… It’ll be memory holed soon.
n
“often because they are not familiar with the history of the conflict.” – yep that must be it. they’re just ignorant. Couldn’t be the religious instruction to hate the Jews… or general Jew hatred.
– and I’ve noticed a media attempting to separate Hamas and palestinian in peoples minds through careful word choices in headlines.
n
As Greg has pointed out, their business model doesn’t include you lingering there…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12784171/Tennessee-BUCEES-inside-snack-counter-gas-station-location.html
Inside the world’s largest BUC-EE’S: Monster Tennessee gas station has 120 pumps, brisket SHRINE, snack counters as far as the eye can see…but nowhere to sit down to eat its treats
McDonalds was one of the pioneers in that, with hard plastic bench seating, and intentionally off putting colors.
n
So it’s not just me. Took a while for me to notice, then I wasn’t sure I didn’t have an issue of my own, but turns out, it IS youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMLMQRS3Krk
Youtube confirms intentional slowdown of adblock users ♂️
Louis Rossmann
n
I’m supposed to be doing something unspeakable to a turkey any minute now….
I started cutting the turkey and there was pink meat. So, we shoved the turkey back in to the oven and the wife went to Kroger to get a meat thermometer. When she got back, the turkey was 200+ F. Mission accomplished.
@Lynn, Did the same thing, minus the trip to the store. Wife trusted the thermometer and had the bird out for a while before I started the cutting. Cloudy liquid es no bueno. Red in joints es no bueno. So it went back in for half an hour. That was enough. Also one side was done, while the other wasn’t so there was some weird airflow in the oven. Usually the Miele oven is lab grade and gives textbook results. She didn’t use the convection option for fear of drying out the meat. Probably could have used it.
Tasted great when it was ready.
n
200F, dang.
I did 20m at 450, about 2hrs at 325, then about a half hour at 350, internal temp just below 160F, good enough. Tender and delicious.
Friends wife brought a bunch of sides, most notably 60 biscuits of 5 different kinds. I can’t move.
Kids are watching a “survival” “reality” show called “Snowflake Mountain” that has me praying for the Flaming Meteor of Death…
You could be watching “The Core”…
Happy Thanksgiving to one and all from the other side of the world.. 😀
Many thanks to Nick, Rick, Barbara and everyone that helps maintains this site. Also to all those that contribute as well.
Keeping in mind those that are no longer with us. RBT, OFD, etc..
Cheers.
Belated Thanksgiving to all, and thanks to all who make this place so good.
Just the wife and me this year after 50+ years of going out of town to be with relatives. Simple turkey dinner and a good wine. The quiet was a nice change. We will likely resume visiting family for coming holidays.
The right-wing populists have won the elections in the Netherlands, as the latest in a long line of European countries. Reading the journalistic take would be funny, if it weren’t so sad. There is much gnashing of teeth – how could it come to this?
Occasionally, you read an article that has a clue: It’s because the lefties didn’t pay attention to their voters. As the saying goes: “take care of you people, and they will take care of you.”. Instead, they spent money their countries didn’t have, and let in hordes of uncivilized barbarians. So, as the saying goes: “if you don’t take care of your people, they will take care of you.”.
The right-wing populists are, of course, their own sort of problem. Being “populists” means that they want simple solutions to complex problems. Just as an example: you have problems with illegal immigrants from Islamic countries? It’s hard to track down and expel the illegals. It’s easy to ban mosques. So they choose the latter. What could go wrong?
Kinda late for them to be noticing the barbarians, so far inside the gates, but maybe they can figure it out, and the rest of us can learn a lesson.
n
@Nick: Wow, you’re up early! Or late?
“Five Days of Chaos at OpenAI: and What Started It”
https://newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com/p/five-days-of-chaos-at-openai-and
“It’s been five incredibly turbulent days at the leading AI tech company, with the exit and then return of CEO Sam Altman. Tensions likely started years ago, when their non-profit charter changed.”
Wow, what a mess. First timeline that I have seen.
@brad,
Late. Headed to bed now though… hard to sleep with a full belly.
n
Occasionally, you read an article that has a clue: It’s because the lefties didn’t pay attention to their voters. As the saying goes: “take care of you people, and they will take care of you.”. Instead, they spent money their countries didn’t have, and let in hordes of uncivilized barbarians. So, as the saying goes: “if you don’t take care of your people, they will take care of you.”.
The lefties in Netherlands have shut down half of the farms in the Netherlands in the last couple of years for global warming concerns. There are still quite a few people alive there who remember that a significant number of people starved in WWII.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_farmers%27_protests