Open Thread - Thurs 26 May 2022

Why am I surprised that activity is ramping up after the last few years, and 'normal' things are happening? I dunno, but I am from time to time.

Locally it is just about the 'start' of summer, or at least summer vacationing. That start will be this weekend. It'll still be coldish, wet and rainy, but there will be sunshine too, and I'm super happy about that. I live in an area that sees massive amounts of travelers passing through on their way to vacationing/camping/motorhoming/driving around in the Olympic Mountains, or other areas of Jefferson and Clallam Counties, WA. During the last few years those travelers really died back in number. But not this year! This year it seems there's even more vacationers than in 2019. So traffic has really grown and will stay that way until the 'end' of summer. This means lots of delays and detours for us locals; a 40 minute drive to my family's house will be 60 to 90 minutes now. But hey, at least it's back to normal!

Part of the lawn, the pastures, and a crabapple tree a few days ago. The sky is mindboggling when it gets that blue!
sky_pasture_crabapple_21_May_2022.jpg

As usual, GM scientists, experimenters, whatever have recently come up with some pretty dumb ideas about genetically modifying common farm/pet/animals. They are always so 'shocked' when this goes bad, and can't understand why normal people don't trust them with these engineered mutations. I, personally, think that animal/plant bodies are too complicated to GM safely at this time. There are too many unexpected consequences like... murderous hamsters.

Or, how's about chickens that have genetically modified toxins added to them, which supposedly target only male chicks in the egg, and kill those, so we can only have female chicks so the egg industry can boom? Can you imagine the unintended side effects of this? Maybe in 10 or so years, there'll be no more chickens, because all the males will be dead. Or the toxins in the female eggs will make is so there are no more male humans born if mommies ate eggs (or egg/chicken products/byproducts) or... who knows? Isn't imagining the future exciting at times?

I admit, I'm being pretty pessimistic. The latest massacre in the USA, the kids in the Texas school, has really hit me hard. I just have... well, David Sirota expresses it best in this editorial he wrote for the Lever yesterday. 'The Nothing.'

But, in good news, our little baby boy goats will be going to a good home soon. I was worried we'd have trouble finding a place for them. We can't keep them here, as we are planning to move after the herd ages and passes on. So, no new goats for us Sad . The sun is peeking out more often than not. It's even gotten into the high 60's during the day a couple of times. Things are growing well. Social life is returning, and we are seeing friends we haven't seen for a year or more. Life has a bunch of good stuff happening in it too!

Here's Bodacious recently. I think he's dreaming about bucking off a Barbie doll!
bodacious_22_may_2022.jpg

So, thanks for reading and here's the open thread - and remember, everything is interesting if you dive deep enough, so tell us about where you're diving!

Share
up
14 users have voted.

Comments

Sima's picture

Hope your day is full of fun and rewarding things to do! I'm thinking mine might be, there's some potato planting (yea, I'm late, but it's ok, can plant until about early August here!), playing with the dog and the goats, and transplanting to do.

Have a great one, and let us know what's on your mind today!

up
10 users have voted.

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Now that is a funny image! Glad you have found enough good things in your life to enjoy
this start of the summer season. The summer folks are beginning to return here as well.
The census roughly triples during the warmer months. Just have to be patient with it.
Good for the local economy I guess.

Thanks for the OT!

up
8 users have voted.
Sima's picture

@QMS
Sounds like here, IF you count the cars going through our little drive-through town. We are at the end of a ferry run. I don't mind that much, because the ferries, and hence the traffic jams in town, are timed :). All those people head to Jeff. Co. and that's where the traffic gets insane. And yea, it's good for the local economy, I suppose. Certainly the local supermarkets (we've got two!) and the McDonalds and Subway do well!

up
5 users have voted.

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Found in an article's comments at the Saker about the divergence of fact from
propaganda regarding grain shortages. Quite the eye opener.

Grains of deceit

CNN is the prime source for all disinformation, top class agitators, writing articles based on allegations. “Russian forces stealing grain from ports in Ukraine. “ As mentioned, the satellites images are from Sevastopol. What wasn’t mentioned that it is Crimea, part of Russia since 2014.

https://thesaker.is/grains-of-deceit/

up
13 users have voted.
Sima's picture

@QMS
Thank you! Have listened to it a couple times now. I'm gonna start bingewatching Russian folk music videos again, and Youtube'll ban me Wink .

I shouldn't be shocked about the 'grains of deceit' after the fake fighter pilot videos, the usage of pics from Syria and Afghanistan, and so much more. I'm just not shocked. I'm enraged.

up
6 users have voted.

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

enhydra lutris's picture

Weather here just dove from mid eighties or better to high sixties. Just one of many mysteries to deal with today.

Tons of optional to-do stuff today, optional because afternoon session with the medicos. Nonetheless I need to dive in on some of it starting with outdoor stuff and a bit of specific shopping. First, however, I must make curtido for tonight's fish tacos so that it can quasi-ferment all day, then a little unfinished weed warfare.

The space science types are saying that the universe is weird - heh - little do they know Wink

be well and have a good one

up
8 users have voted.

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 --

Sima's picture

@enhydra lutris

Our temps dive like that too, or did in the last month. We had 70+ one day, and just hit 50 the next. It's crazy. We are having a colder and wetter Spring, unlike most of the rest of the country. Wonder how summer will shape up? It's sprinkling now, or I think I'd be weeding and planting. Me and the goats are made of sugar however, we don't like rain! (Weird for western WA, I know).

The Space science types - universe is weird? Boy, they have certainly never seen my universe. Talk about weird :). As you said, little do they know!

Have fun making the tacos. We are having Chinese food today, Bok Choy and Cashew Chicken.

up
7 users have voted.

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

enhydra lutris's picture

@Sima

maitake mushroom stir fry with black bean garlic sauce over rice.

be well and have a good one

up
3 users have voted.

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 --

Sima's picture

@enhydra lutris
Yum!

up
3 users have voted.

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

but obtaining a court order for the cops to take a one yr. old infant away from Mommy, who has sent 2 texts to her estranged husband that she wants to kill said infant, must come first.
What a world.
I will miss chicken Alfredo.

up
8 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Sima's picture

@on the cusp
It does interfere with your things to do, and your chicken alfredo but... thank you on behalf of that little child. Enjoy your alfredo all the more, when you get to eat it!

up
7 users have voted.

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

@Sima My client got her last evening!
Now, I am working on getting a 14 yr old away from the Dad who bit a chunk out of her arm and beat her head against the car hood, gave her a concussion. maybe the cops will act on that today.
Poor kids! They do not deserve the parents they get!

up
4 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Sima's picture

@on the cusp
Yes, these parents shouldn't have children. And there should be a lot more resources in society for them (and the children) if they are having troubles. You are doing good work. Thank you!

up
1 user has voted.

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Going to majority plant based lower protein diet due to medical issues. I do enjoy watching cooking videos and looking for recipes. Today will be whipping up a cream of mushroom soup with three different mushrooms.

The best part is getting various kitchen gadgets. My latest thing are electric pressure cookers and air fryers. I have stuff I have looked at and admired but not used like my french fry cutter. The oven of my electric stove went out so had of course to buy table top replacements. I may forgo the top side electric burners and get a gas table top replacement like many YouTube chefs use.

up
7 users have voted.
Sima's picture

@MrWebster
all the time!. I think it's great, because the food results are usually fantastic. He actually makes all our bread, and so on. He's got several sour dough starters he's cultivated. One from SF, one from Alaska and one from here. They all turn into 'here' after a while though, that's the nature of the starter.

Enjoy the new diet! I went majorly plant based years back, mostly because I grew a lot of my food (still do) and didn't want to do meat animals. I tried, but I can't even kill a chicken, nevermind a goat or a cow. Just can't do it. So I get very high priced, organic, local grown, raised with compassion, meat from the store or the local growers. Since it so high priced, it doesn't get eaten very often.

up
8 users have voted.

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so