Signal Wave
I found (or, actually my mom found) a fun new series. The writer, Leigh Perry, isn't any Martha Grimes or Reginald Hill, but she's fun and engaging and has created a character I like a lot; the gimmick of the books is that the narrator's family has a skeleton in the closet. An actual, animated one, who helps them fight crimes.
His name is Sid. He has a very fraught relationship with the family dog, who grabbed his femur on first acquaintance.
I'd love to put an image here, but I can't get any of the images of that book to embed. This is a recurring problem I've been putting off dealing with for many months, because I can usually find at least one image of whatever I want to put here that will actually embed, but today, no soap.
So here's a link to the author's site, for those who would like some entertaining light reading:
Hey! Turns out she made a video to introduce Sid. Never had any problems embedding videos, so here it is!
Sid the Skeleton actually lives in the protagonist (Georgia Thackeray's) attic, but pops into the wardrobe downstairs when he wants to keep an eye (or a socket?) on visitors or burglars. So I guess he technically is a skeleton in the closet sometimes. 
I don't really like my current earworm, so here's a suggestion from my partner, Kate:
"High Horse" is a little more pop than I usually like, but I appreciate Kacey Musgrave's lyrics:
Oh, I bet you think you're John Wayne
Showing up and shooting down everybody
You're classic in the wrong way
And we all know the end of the story
'Cause everyone knows someone who kills the buzz
Every time they open up their mouth
Yeah, everyone knows someone who knows someone
Who thinks they're cooler than everybody else
And I think we've seen enough, seen enough
To know that you ain't ever gonna come down
So, why don't you giddy up, giddy up
And ride straight out of this town
You and your high horse
You and your high horse
Lately, my family and I have gotten obsessed with The Great British Baking Show, an obsession that I believe detroitmechworks shares? (I think I remember him mentioning it). Cooking and baking competitions are the only kind of talent show I like. Actually, they're the only form of reality tv I like; I view the genre, in general, as a blight on television, which lately makes it almost a blight on a blight. But I love cooking and baking competitions, probably because I loved the original Japanese Iron Chef back in the day. The fact that the DoD invests heavily in cooking shows (a fact I find a bit surreal) is not enough to quench my interest.
The Great British Baking Show seems, to me, to be adjudicated more fairly than The Final Table . I'd probably watch a second season of The Final Table in a pinch--but not if there were more seasons of The Great British Baking Show to watch! We've watched the first season on Netflix, and seasons 2-6 await!
How are you all today?
Comments
So there you are. I just put up a substitute, which I'll now
take down, and save for another day, I think, if I can. Good morning. Back in a bit.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Thanks for being there for us EL
You're the best!
question everything
I had to give up on GBBS after Mary Berry left.
I honestly can't stand Noel Fielding. Loathed him in IT Crowd, couldn't stand the Mighty Boosh, and I really don't get what people see in him. Because he's not funny, and comes across as an Oscar Wilde wanna-bee. And frankly, I find Oscar tiresome after a hundred years of it.
Recently been researching the hell out of Tall Ships, Age of Sail, Rowing Teams, musicians, theatrical agents, and refugee law. Yes, I have probably tossed every single one of my good ideas into the story I'm currently working on, including trying to integrate some of my ideas from the Logos series into the main characters. (Hey, If I like it, why not see if it works well together. I freely admit I was heavily influenced as a kid by Spielberg movies, but I'm taking the time to do the homework.)
Still hoping I can find a space, but it's going much slower than I'd like. Been other things going on with my life, and it's kinda taking a back burner. However, I have been remembering to do something every day.
From my own story:
"Doing Something is better than doing Nothing. Nothing can be done by a Corpse."
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHxu18lj4W8]
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
I am beginning to feel the slight stirrings
that might indicate I'm waking up from the multi-year funk I've been in.
It will be interesting if it turns out to be so.
One reason might be that I'm plowing through the big expenses that have been hanging over my head, which I guess is good; it certainly indicates the privilege, or luck, or both, that I've received in my life. Yet for some reason I experience serious anxiety every time I spend a bunch of money for something for the house. I told my partner "What I just spent equates to half of what some people make in a year." My partner told me "You're thinking like a poor person." (She gets to say that because she spent most of her life as a poor, or at least a working-class person; I believe a diabetic shorting herself insulin so that her infant can get quality food pretty much counts as poor). Not sure I'm thinking like a poor person; I think it's just that those expenses put the horror show quality of this economy in my face: seems to me that nobody with less money than me could manage these expenses, and, while I don't pick the cheapest option when it comes to things like furniture (I prefer to find something of quality on craiglist or ebay than to buy from Target or whatever), I certainly don't pick the most expensive either.
Then again, I shouldn't be experiencing stomach-turning anxiety over spending it unless I'm thinking like a poor, or at least like a lower-middle-class person. Which would make sense, because I was brought up as a lower-middle-class person.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
I'm just trying to remember the rule of three.
You can have something Fast, Cheap, or Good. But you can only pick two.
Like my losing weight from judo. It wasn't fast, but it was cheap and good.
Too much of America wants it Fast and Good, but ends up pretending that cheap is good because it was fast.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
Well said!
Of course, some things, like a new HVAC or a pool leak, don't work that way, but furniture certainly does.
The other part of it is you have to strike while the iron is hot (another forge joke! I'm killing it!) and buy the furniture when you find a good deal, not necessarily when it's most convenient for you to spend that extra money, or you will find it takes even longer, sometimes years longer.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Is Noel Fielding her replacement?
I love Mary Berry; my boyfriend says that she's like a British Betty Crocker come to life as a real person. I think she's like Betty Crocker crossed with Miss Marple.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Her replacement was some other woman I can't remember.
Noel Fielding replaced the hosts, sorry, should have clarified. The other new presenter is a dutch panel show moderator who I also cannot stand due to her shows policy of mocking obviously correct answers because one scientist disagrees and SMART people know better. Ugh. Entire thing reeks of class privilege, which is so typically British it makes me want to puke.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
These must be the people who thought
It was cute to dress up like the characters in Back to the Future for the season 6 trailer.
Bleah. I like the original two hosts. Minus them *and* Mary Berry, well, I don't know if I'll care to continue watching either. But I have several seasons before I reach that point (I think).
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
That would be them
In addition, the bakes take on a distinct middle eastern flavor when they take over. I've tasted those "Amazing Flavors" they keep harping on about and awarding star baker for, and honestly, it's an acquired taste. One that I do not share.
So, I hope they accept my apologies for not showing up.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l-2u0Sgsj8]
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
I've added some of those flavors to my bread
And soups and have gotten rave reviews. My butternut squash soup especially. Adding a little cardomon, coconut milk, and curry to the butternut squash makes a delicious savory-sweet combination that works very well with squash.
Count me in as a big fan of expanding the flavors in my cooking repertoire by using different spices and flavor combinations from around the world.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
I disagree, but it's not a major issue for me.
So, enjoy.
Clearly the show isn't for me any more, and I'm perfectly fine with that. Some folks like the new direction. Some folks also like Red Dwarf after season 6. Some folks Like Doctor Who after the 11th Doctor.
Doesn't ruin the enjoyment I got beforehand, just shows that some folks want to go in a different direction. They're going multicultural and urbane.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
They're going multicultural and urbane
Because some of the contestants are using different spices in their breads?
My German Father was a chef who was trained in Switzerland in French cooking but who brought the flavors of the East into his dishes. How static our cuisine would be if we never ventured out of the familiarity of meat and potatoes.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Are those words offensive now?
Multicultural: of, relating to, reflecting, or adapted to diverse cultures
Urbane: notably polite or polished in manner
It's a perfect reflection of the changing British public and Society. They can go however they want, and if they consider change progress, that's their perogative. I will certainly not stand in the way of their choices.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
I'm not sure what your question is...
I'm talking about cooking and baking. What are you talking about?
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
A TV show I don't watch anymore.
So, there's really no point in getting in an argument over it. Enjoy it, and I wish you nothing but Joy with your cooking.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
No malice implied in my questions
Just a difference of opinion in the merits of culinary versatility passed down to me by a family of chefs.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
I hope you're not putting blacksmithing
on the back burner.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
No, but I did have to miss Judo for a week.
SO and I are both separately going to counseling, which I HOPE works out.
But that was pretty good.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
It's been so long since I've been to the gym
that it's starting to feel like another life.
Two illnesses and then an injury.
However, this injury shouldn't stop me lifting lower-body weights, nor walking on the treadmill. I've let it convince me to be more sedentary, which is a bit unlike me.
Anyway, I've got to get back to the gym since a sedentary life indoors is profoundly bad for my psyche.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
If you can find a Dojo
basic Ukemi (Breakfall) training is worth its weight in gold. I may or may not be stealing certain aspects for my story's future society.
(Hey, if discipline works in emergency situations, no reason not to go with the training regimen that's been proven to work for a hundred years... )
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
Hi dm
Another thought. Check out the national maritime museum in amsterdam. Lots of stuff on the history of shipping. Big ancient ships housed there. Maybe something you can use.
Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation
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Thanks, good tip!
When I was younger I also used to go to the Monterey Museum, but it has much less info, and is a much poorer resource. (Mostly focused on the horrors of commercial fishing, but hey, it's Monterey, so whaddya expect.)
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
You could
check the Bolitho(?) series of books about the 18th century British navy system. I read them years ago and they were pretty good, if gruesome' at times.
The Maritime Museum in Bath, Maine had good resources, as well as the one in Eastern Connecticut, forgot the name, sorry.
Also, Two Years Before the Mast is a Classic! for what you want.
Ya got to be a Spirit, cain't be no Ghost. . .
Explain Bldg #7. . . still waiting. . .
If you’ve ever wondered whether you would have complied in 1930’s Germany,
Now you know. . .
sign at protest march
Mystic Seaport
Excellent resource. There's also a museum of nautical history in Peabody, MA, where I tracked down some of the earliest known examples of 8-point and 16-point compass roses (vs. the classical 6- and 12-point ones) for a friend. That one's mostly manuscripts, though.
And of course there's always the USS Constitution in Boston Harbor....
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
Yep, that's
it.
Thanks.
Ya got to be a Spirit, cain't be no Ghost. . .
Explain Bldg #7. . . still waiting. . .
If you’ve ever wondered whether you would have complied in 1930’s Germany,
Now you know. . .
sign at protest march
Good morning!
It popped a little later than I expected.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Good morning, CStMS. My wife watches the GBBS, but I
do not, even though I bake some. Of course, I probably bake or roast almost as much non-"baked goods", excepting bread, as otherwise, especially if you count pizza's among the "other". I've been working off and on for years on developing quick little dishes to be made in the toaster oven, which, in our case, is a convection oven as well. Lately I've become addicted to a sort of quickie flatbread pizza-like thingie for my lunches.
Mix 1/4 cup sourdough starter & 1/4 cup flour with 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil until it is something of a dough - this goes very quick. Knead on a floured cutting board or counter, kneading in a bit more flour in the process, and let rest a few minutes while you make a "topping". Roll out to about 8 x 6 inches and put on a small silicone sheet optionally on a small sheet pan or bar pan. Cover with "topping" and convection bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Bingo. Topping needn't involve sauce, and can be any old thing you crave, have laying around, or otherwise feel like. Shrooms play a big role in mine, and sliced roma tomatoes, left over bits of meats and veggies, queso and/or whatever else suits my appetite.
A fave breakfast is to preheat a lightly buttered or oiled small 8 to 10 inch baking dish to 425 while frothing 1 Tablespoon of water with 1 Tablespoon of powdered milk powder and then stirring in one egg, 1/3 cup sourdough starter, chopped veggies, shredded meat, etc. and a slug of hot sauce. Pour the batter into the dish and bake ten minutes. Turn out and eat. Dunno what to call it, but it's fun and food and easy to make and eat. Comes out like a puffed up pancake.
Speaking of which, time to go make breakfast. Have a good one.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Damn, you made me hungry.
Have a puffy pancake for me.
I need to make a sourdough starter. I *love* sourdough.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Good morning, CSTMS ~
I love the GBBS. I only watch it if Mary Berry is on, though. She’s on the series I’m watching now - every Monday night. Love it!
Have a beautiful day, folks!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Which season are you on?
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Looks like
Season 5. Desserts tomorrow, episode#104.
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Good Morning All!
Another rainy morning here in Southern California and I'm still in my pajamas all snuggled up in bed with the kitties wondering what I'm going to make for breakfast.
Finished watching GBBO a few months ago. Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. Breads. Cakes. Pastries. Disasters. Perfection. Tears. Laughter. Contestants we love. Contestants we don't love. Have learned so many things about baking on that show that I've been much more willing to try my hand at a few things I never would before. Particularly bread. Can't wait for season 7 !!!
As far as the changes on the show go....Yes, I enjoyed the chemistry between Paul and Mary, but I think Prue Leith adds something to the mix as well. For one, she's much more likely to contradict Paul when he's being a dick to one of the contestants, and that's always enjoyable to watch. Plus, I kinda admire a woman of her age embracing her own fashion sense, be it whimsical over the conventional.
I guess we all have our own opinions. While I was sad at first to see Mel and Sue leave, I never was a big fan of their schtick as the comic relief of the show. Whereas, I get a real kick out of watching Sandi make Paul laugh, and find Noel not only engaging with the contestants, but actually funny.
So there you have it. Different strokes for different folks.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
I can't stand Paul, never enjoyed him.
And considering that he's the only constant, I can't really stomach the later episodes.
But then, I also killed my netflix, so this is a non-issue for me. Killed Hulu as well, and overall been much happier.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
Sorry to hear that
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
As you said, different tastes are different!
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
From AOC's twitter feed
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Retweeted
Laurie Voss
@seldo
Feb 2
A guide for Europeans following American politics, translating common terms:
"Extreme left wing" = center left
"Left wing" = center right
"Moderate" = right wing
"Right wing" = extreme right
"Extreme right wing" = fascists
"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone
that Kacey Musgraves song
decent lyrics, just simply horrible music
just sounds like witless synth loops to me.
the kind of thing a guy throws together on the spot as part of his party show.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
Well, like I said, it's not in my usual wheelhouse
I just couldn't bear to inflict the actual earworm on you all, so got another suggestion from my partner. Trust me, the one in my head is worse.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver