cyclonefence
cyclonefence's JournalGirding my loins
I have a problem with "well wishes." Are your wishes themselves healthy? I understand where this comes from--"I wish you well"--but it doesn't change the fact that "well" is an adverb (the "to be" in "I wish you well" is understood). And to say "I'm sending you good wishes" really doesn't convey the same spirit as "well wishes," except that "well wishes" is screechingly wrong.
I love Jimmy Carter. I loved it that he insisted on carrying his own luggage onto Air Force One, and that Nancy Reagan sneered at him for doing it. I love it that he is a kind and modest man who doesn't just talk the talk. I love it that he follows his faith.
His death is going to elicit "well wishes" for his wife and family, and I am girding my loins.
Substitute Farters
NHK is my favorite TV channel. It is from Japan and in English or subtitled, and it covers all aspects of Japanese culture. Many of its shows are only five minutes long! No commercials.
There's a series called Time Scoop Hunters which I sometimes watch--its format is cutesy-poo--but when I saw the title of the latest episode, Substitute Farters of Edo Japan, well, that was a must-see. You can watch the episode at https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/timetide/20221203/3022019/
In 18th century Japan, a fart could ruin a young lady's chance of marriage, if one happened to slip out when she was introduced to potential in-laws (arranged marriages), humiliating her and her family by her poor manners. So a new occupation emerged, that of the substitute farter. This was a woman who dressed like a nun (so she could go anywhere unnoticed, I guess) who accompanied the young farting lady to all social occasions. If her employer farted, the substitute farter became embarrassed and fell all over herself apologizing for her behavior, saving the young lady's reputation.
I bet everyone knew who had really farted, but the substitute farter provided a socially acceptable way to overlook her slip in etiquette.
If banning books is to put more control in parents' hands
why do somebody else's parents get to decide what *my* kid reads in school?
Report on my induction range
It is, as several of you guys warned me, a slow learning curve, and it doesn't help that my husband, enamored, has not let me close to the stove for 10 days now.
I do like its speed, and I like the circles which show you how to center your pans--I had trouble with the gas range getting the pans in the right place. I like the warming area, which I've used so far to warm the cast iron skillets after I clean them.
Two problems: All our skillets that aren't cast iron (and I've inherited a bunch of them) are aluminum, so I'm going to need to buy a couple of lightweight skillets with steel bottoms. I am old, and frankly the cast iron ones are way too heavy for me. I checked out a few on the internet and was shocked by the price. I'm going to go to Marshall's, where I've found nice pots before at a reasonable price. Any advice on skillets?
My second problem is that you're not supposed to drag the pans across the cooking surface, and I have some good recipes that call for browned butter, which I make by sliding (jiggling sort of) the pan on the cooking surface. And what about omelets? Any suggestions about this?
And yes! Cooking on a paper towel works! The problem is that the paper towel covers the rings of the smaller burners, and I can't be sure I'm centered. But if nothing else, this is a great parlor trick.
Again, thanks to all of you who helped me get over my fear of the new!
CSPAN rivals Comedy Central
I stayed up way past my bedtime last night watching CSPAN's coverage of the interrogation of Twitter executives about why Twitter wouldn't go after Hunter Biden's laptop. Heartily recommend for yucks, although they are pretty predictable.
A fave moment: Some R from Wisconsin or some other MW state asking why Twitter took down posts from "wildly respected" doctors in his district. Never did he mention what the offending posts were, but I think a safe bet is Covid. The Twitter guys' answer (as to all the questions asked) "I don't know. I don't make those decisions. I do what I am instructed to do by my supervisor."
Super-Sleuth Gym Jordan narrowed his eyes and demanded they name their supervisors, which they did. I wonder why the Rs didn't subpoena the supervisors instead of these guys, some of whom were clearly having trouble keeping a straight face, and one of whom was the guy who was forced out by antisemitism.
Every now and then Jamie Raskin (god love him) pipes in to point out *again* that the First Amendment doesn't mean Twitter has to publish everything that is submitted to them. Like a jolly refrain.
Then S-S Jordan started asking if the FBI had told them to take posts down.
Hilarity ensued.
100 from Rotten Tomatoes.
We got to see our first grandson today
and of course he's the best baby ever born.
His father, our son, is tall, blond, blue-eyed. His mother, who was born in Zimbabwe, is very dark-skinned with black hair, and short.
Our baby is going to grow up in a racist society, and already the entire family is worried that he is going to be mistreated by police. He is very long (90% percentile), so he may be tall and threatening. I don't know what color his skin will be--it darkens as he gets a little older; right now he is a lovely cafe au lait, and I find myself hoping that he won't be very, very dark--for his safety, not because anybody in either family cares what color this gorgeous little man is.
His mother has dual citizenship, US and British, and at the first hint of mistreatment she will insist that they move out of this country--which is exactly what I would do if I were she.
How sickening it is that this time of utter joy should be clouded by worries about the possible behavior of ignorant, violent, hateful people. What a dreadful thing to be worried about when a child is less than a month old.
Thanks to all of you who gave me advice and encouragement
we ordered an induction range today! It was expensive, which we expected, and available, which we didn't. It's scheduled for delivery a week from tomorrow!
We need two ovens (both bake) and I didn't want a large "griddle space" down the middle of the cooktop. This stove has four burners and a regular, non-induction warming circle, which I think we'll use a lot--anyone have experience with this?
Anyway, we are over the moon (husband esp. since he can upgrade the stove's functions through apps on his phone), and it's all thanks to you guys.
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