Saturday Open Thread - 12/27/25: Odds and Ends
Good morning, good people!
We all got past Christmas, and now New year's celebration looms! All that food! All those beverages!
We learned a cooking lesson the hard way on Tuesday, and that is, the effects of eating Great Northern beans that are under cooked. Maybe by less than 20 minutes. Not the best start on enjoying the holiday it was supposed to be. Thank goodness, the episode was over in 24 hours. NEVER AGAIN.
Typically, this is the time of year we are in the Hill Country. Music venues in Fredericksburg, Luckenbach, and Albert. I ran across this video by sheer accident, and I hope you will skim through it long enough to see what we see in Fredericksburg at the beginning and Luckenbach at the end. Also, the locals that were interviewed sound a lot like me...heavy Texas accents. It is all charming, historic, an ambience impossible to duplicate.
Well, this year was stay at home for chemo reasons, so the wild turkeys and deer won't be disturbed by us out at the ranch getaway near Albert.
So, some local critters must have felt sorry for us for our critter sighting depletion, so we were treated to a gorgeous hawk, a gorgeous red fox (fat, healthy, very confident in his stride!), and numerous bats. I wish we had a bat house for some natural mosquito killers. May be a project to put one up before spring.
On a "political" note, we know we aren't killing folks and sinking boats in the Caribbean for drugs, but doing it because Venezuelan land and oil is ours. So, we must know we are not bombing northern Nigeria to kill gangs for killing Christians because Nigerian Christians are settle in the south of that country. And Syria and Israeli settlers kill Christians and that is just not a "thing".
What's going on?
US bombs target ISIL in Nigeria: What’s really going on?
Well, friends, this is an open thread, open to all kinds of topics and ideas.
Any ideas about a actually having a happy new year would be welcome, ok?
Let 'er rip!
Comments
Good morning!
We need some ideas and direction, friends. I hope you all can contribute to the march onward into our future. We are all in this together.
Your turn!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I've been seeing and hearing some Texas of late
on suddenly available bootleg Landman second season episodes online anyway.
I've never actually lived or worked in the Permian basin, more in extreme E Texas which might of well been Louisiana as we were walking through cypress swamps the entire contract. The other place was along the border somewhere an hour south and slightly east of Sanderson. Name of the town eludes me, 15 miles of cactus and sand from the border.
I like the scenes of roughnecks on the drill floor. I guess most jobs on the floor are being replaced by power tongs or something.The scenic shots of all the pumpjacks didn't strike me as very gorgeous, but then I guess we all drive and fly.
I'm happy this new year as a big wind broke a lot of stuff in Boulder and my phone has been ringing. Many of the illegal workers are gone and I hope price competition will be better than before. Mostly I'm getting too old for hard labor anyway.
Clearly hear ya about the
.
labor aspects limiting our involvement in affairs. The prospect of
shoveling snow, clearing the vehicles and such is not
enticing at this moment. That may change at some point?
Zionism is a social disease
Good morning, ban nock!
Phone ringing? Like, a land line phone? Lol!
We got a call from an automated voice warning us that the energy co. was cutting trees along the high lines on our property. It sounded like a "Please don't shoot us! We're the good guys!" call.
I live about 30 miles from the swamps. Lots of folks around here worked in the oil patch in and around Beaumont. An easy commute.
I take it that you survived the alligators and water moccasins with only a few scars to show for it?
So many jobs have been lost to robotics. I suppose they are programmed to rescue guys from derricks when their ropes slip? Or when the rig explodes with fire?
Good luck finding a fairly priced (ahem) Landman series.
Enjoy the holiday and upcoming year, friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Peace be with you friend!
.
Watching the big trucks pass with their plows and salted sanders at work.
Listening to some very serious musicians expressing interpretations
of an American composer named Gershwin.
Beethoven is a bit heavy for this hour, enjoyable nonetheless. Not sure how I got here, but almost
started with Bing and Bowie.
Still reeling from a late-night probe into time zones for the benefit of the New Year's Eve OT.
Who knew time is so complicated? I sure didn't.
Anyway, when, where or how, hope your beans have run their course. Thanks for hosting this
day and supporting this site! Keeping it alive.
Zionism is a social disease
Good morning, Cap'n!
Nothing at all wrong with Gershwin or Beethoven. Nothing at all.
And Bing is The Bomb, Baby!
I am gonna go to the local grocery store today to look for a coffee cake. While I am there, I am going to compare prices on items I bought at Walmart to see what the savings amounted to and make sure I ain't being horns waggled.
I look forward to your well-times NY OT, dear friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Enya is very sharp
.
just coming-off a Billy Preston number.
Yours is better suited to this day.
It's all about the music.
Have fun with your sticker shock.
Dishes are next ..
It stopped snowing!
Zionism is a social disease
Good morning...
It was 62F at dawn today. Trade day was comfortable. Won't be the case on Tuesday, they're calling for 25F. Not sure if I'm going to brave trade day or not. I'll decide Tuesday. I bought a couple of silver dollars, gave he most ever -$70 each. None the less the experts are predicting $150 this time next year.
I put the Xmas ham bone in the instant pot/pressure cooker and boiled all the meat off of it, while I soaked a bag of white navy beans. Poured off the soak water and added them to the ham bone renderings with a little broth. Pressure cooked them for an hour, and made a ham and bean soup yesterday.
Glad to hear all is well with the wildlife. We're covered up with turkeys this year. The deer seem small this season, but I've seen a couple of large ones.
Well, have a great weekend, and thanks for the OT!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
The ham and bean soup sounds great
.
Inspires me to wander back into the kitchen and create something worthy
of ingestion. Cheers!
Zionism is a social disease
Sounds great - how long to boil all the meat
off of the bone. Also I hour for navy beans?? Were you in slow cooker mode, low pressure, or what? I never pressure cook my beans that long. I've been thinking about navy bean soup for days now, and my week to cook starts fomorrow, probably with a pork tenderloin schnitzel, then pizza and then Navy Bean Soup with any remaining tenderloin srilled and sliced for some sort of imitation cubano or banh mi sandwiches.
.
be well and 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 --
Good morning LO!
Another critter that is fat and large around here is squirrels Lots of acorns and pecans this year, and it shows.
We cooked 2 lbs. of beans, way too much for the pressure cooker. After a long, 30 hr soak, an hr and a half on boil should have been enough. I think the problem was the age of the beans. One lb was recently purchased, the other was purchased a year or so ago. Some of the beans were mushy soft, others had a firmness. We added a large sweet yellow onion, a bad of organic baby carrots, a couple of tsps of garlic powder, and the taste of the soup was just perfect. It had to be thrown away. What a damn shame. Just a life lesson the hard way.
We have bought both gold and silver, just not in those massive amounts as the rich folk do. If our dollar has no value, what good will that savings account do us? Anyway, we will buy more silver this week.
I am gonna post a video I watched last night. Conservatives are seriously questioning Trump's sanity, and asking for whom is he really working? Who is telling him what to do?
It will drop to freezing temperatures Monday and Tuesday here. I feel your dread, dear friend!
Enjoy your day!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
'Tis the season
for Hoppin' John. Black-eyed peas and rice, plus a ham hock, the Trinity (sort-of), and some bad intentions. This is an old Emeril Lagasse recipe, I think...
1 tablespoon olive oil or 3 slices bacon, chopped (because why not?)
1 large ham hock
1 cup onions -- chopped
1/2 cup celery -- chopped
1/2 cup green chiles -- chopped (we tend to use Hatch)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 pound black-eyed peas or two cans (preferred!) -- soaked overnight and rinsed, or a couple of cans of black-eyed peas -- so you can skip the overnight soak)
2 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves
salt, black pepper, and cayenne to taste
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
3 cups steamed white rice
Directions:
Heat oil in a large soup pot, add the ham hock and sear on all sides for 4 minutes. Add the onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic, cook for 4 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas, stock, bay leaves, thyme, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the peas are creamy and tender, stir occasionally. If the liquid evaporates, add more water (or stock if you prefer a more salty dish). Adjust seasonings, and garnish with green onions. Serve over rice.
We tend to add Crystal hot sauce at the table for more oof. But it is good stuff, just the same.
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Yumm
.
Your recipe helps focus the cook on the desired results.
A couple of substitutions (what is on-hand) mostly.
- ham hocks
- jasmine rice
- white rice
will all work together to make that luckey dish.
This is a traditional southern dish of white rice and peas (beans) served throughout the Southern states every January 1 to ensure good luck and prosperity in the coming year.
Not sure of the greens content yet, but do have the trinity mix already.
Thanks!
Zionism is a social disease
Yummm...
My recipe differs a bit. I do not add chiles, but often add celery, carrots, sweet onion. I use bacon only. Served over white rice, a side of baked sweet potato, served with sweet cornbread.
Peas for good luck, green celery for green backs, yams and cornbread for gold. I have cooked it with ham, bacon, pork chops, just whatever pork I have on hand, with bacon being the easiest.
At any rate, ufs, you have a plan. Plans are cool. Perhaps the government might get the hang of it one day.
Always good to hear from you, dear friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Yeppers!
Ya uses whats you gots. As long as there is at least one black-eyed pea, one grain of rice, and something resembling pork fat in there, the magic will happen. Everything else is, as they say, just gravy... (;-)
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Good morning otc, thanks for the OT. Haven't made it to farmers
market yet, haven't even fed the birds yet, things are slogging this am.
Glad you had critter entertainment during your enforced staycation.
I see that the T-K Center is suing some act for cancelling on them for an xmas day concert or some such.If there was a written contract, I guess they could claim breach, but that might hinge on some fine points, like how the venue was identified. They allegedly always play this annual jam or something at the "Kennedy Center". Well, I just checked and there isn't one anymore. The current website is of/for the "Trump Kennedy Center" and the Building Facade says "The Donald J Trump and ...", so "the Kennedy Center" colloquial, and the "John F Kennedy Center ..." (official) are no longer with us. How can one default on performing at a place that no longer exists?
There is no rain forecast for our area until Thursday, the monster storm seems to have drifted off to somewhere else, with luch it won't make it to youor neck of the woods, but will rain and snow out over the Sierras and the Whites.
Meanwhile,
be well and 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 --
How can one default on performing
at a place that no longer exists?
Interesting point. Prolly a waste of time.
But ya know how the greedy operate.
Ain't about the music so much as the money.
Enjoy your saturated day.
Zionism is a social disease
Good afternoon, el!
From what I have read, a consortium of jazz musicians gather annually to offer a free concert. Highly attended and appreciated by the locals short of cash, but not of love for music.
Exactly how has Trump elevated the fine arts and culture of timeless sophistication? Ever seen him at a ballet? Ever heard him humming a Bach fugue? (Not to be confused with Bacchanalian.) I think performers cancelling are on good legal grounds. May they win!
I think he just closed down the monument. It is now fitting for The Village People only.
We are enjoying old movies. And food, except for those damn beans. They were absolutely delicious poison, as it were!
Glad you missed the storm, as will we. We can deal with 2 cold days next week.
Enjoy your day, dear friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I had thought that it was a free concert and
merely a tradition but didn't really have a good handle on the facts, so I considered a worst case scenario. So, the Trump canter suffered no damages unless the old Kennedy center made some bux off of concessions and the new T-K centere assumes that it would garner a like amount despite th odious name nad the current economic conditions. All the same, if there is no contract then there is no legal obligation, I cannot be sued for failing to give some distant relative a holiday gift just because i used to do so. They can't claim that the non-event tarnished their reputation, because they have none.
be well and 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 --
Thank you
.
mental gymnastics on the balancing beam
Zionism is a social disease
My stores price comparison results
Here is just a sampling:
Local grocer --------- Walmart
blueberries $3.99 per pk --- $2.77
strawberries $6.00 per pk --- $4.89
Lunchables $2.97 per pk --- $1.72
Miller Lite $19.49 per 18 pk --- $17.27
Taco seasoning $1.29 per pk --- $0.97
FWIW, I buy very few meat or poultry items from Walmart. I must trust the brand and source.
The veggies, unless organic, are only slightly better quality at Walmart, although much cheaper. The fresh fruit is much better there, and much cheaper.
I am thankful to have a local grocery store, but my support of it is limited by budget, and common sense.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Have seen a major-league jump in costs
.
recently. For instance, the bill for health insurance penalties
(because I did not opt into automatic withdraw) is now 4x
what it was for years. Thanks unkie sam. Perhaps the locals
would better appreciate your largess if it weren't sent
to Ukraine or Israel? Just saying.
Zionism is a social disease
So true!
You and I directly supported the murder of a Palestinian baby today, whether we meant to or not. Oh, and a Nigerian, Lebanese, Syrian, Somalian, possibly a Cuban and Venezuelan.
I would add that several of the local grocery items listed were sale prices. The price disparity is even worse when not holiday sale priced.
Cap'n, your story about ins. premiums is an absolute horror story! Imagine the field day the bastards have with elderly folk who are not tech savvy, or who rely on USPS and their forms arrive at the destination past the cut off date for opting in to this or that.
They want all of useless eaters dead and out of their way.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
World needs more people like these two
Pretty good article. Thanks for the holiday Odds&Ends OtC!
새해 복 많이 받으세요! Sehe bok manni badeu seyo! Receive many blessings (福) in the new year!
己所不欲，勿施于人。
Another hopeful sign
I hope Taiwan's DPP President Lai Ching-te doesn't criminally ;prosecute her under some kind of pretext like he's doing with the leader of the TPP Ko Wen-je. He can either trump up some phony corruption charges or just go with some bogus national security law violation. Even Lai's foreign supporters (gee wonder who that is) advise him not to impair the perception of Taiwan as a "democratic" polity any further. Ko Wen-je was recently released from a lenghty pre-trial confinement on bail, to try to improve Taiwan's image. The attempted recall of elected legislative representatives from opposition parties doesn't portray Taiwan's purported democracy in a positive light either. Fortunately, President Lai's effort failed at the polls.
己所不欲，勿施于人。
Good wishes for a peaceful new Year, soryang!
SK and Japan need to act like independent nations. Achieving peace is not impossible.
Let's have a big portion of hope for dinner, shall we?
Enjoy your weekend, dear friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
peace is verboten
.
unfortunately for us.
Perhaps a wonderment in govt. / media
that we should question authority?
Doesn't take a lot of confusion on moral grounds.
You want to dictate? Expect some push-back. There
is an essential freedom of thought going on.
Whether the PTB will admit it or not.
Zionism is a social disease