Gromnir

made split pea soup am not having a specific recipe for this... we use a stock pot, but isn't particular copious amounts so the pot is unnecessary. real reason we use the big pot is it requires less cleanup-- we start by crisping a couple strips o' thick-cut bacon. big pot means splatter from bacon stays in the pot rather than getting... everywhere. we cut up our bacon into smallish pieces ahead o' time, but isn't necessary. remove bacon from pot and then add classic mirepoix and 1ish teaspoon caraway seeds to hot bacon grease in pot. over medium heat, saute veggies 'til translucent. am personal using 'bout 1C each o' fine chopped onion, celery and carrot. however, 'bout 1/3 o' the carrot am not chopping fine 'cause we like healthy sized chunks o' carrots in our "soup." sue us. once veggies is tender, add stock and split peas. chicken or vegetable is good stock choice. we used chicken only 'cause we recent made chicken stock. 6ish C. if you cook w/o a lid, the peas become tender quicker, but you need keep adding fluid frequent. can add water or diluted chicken stock to keep hydrated. we use a 1lb bag o' green split peas-- picked and rinsed. bring to a boil then reduce to simmer. typical takes more than an hour, but after 'bout 45 minutes you may start checking to see if peas is suitably tender. am not certain why peas often take forever to get soft, but is just a fact o' life. don't assume 45 minutes or an hour will be enough time. while soup is simmering, make rye-bread croutons. butter. pan. rye bread cubes. is not rocket science. once peas is tender, add 1ish T worcestershire sauce and a C of frozen peas to your soup. season with salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. promptly remove from heat once boiling. yes, frozen peas. may not be able to find any frozen peas in stores at the moment, but give it a try. adds nice color and flavor to what is admitted a kinda bland soup... though the carraway, worcestershire and rye bread "croutons" is gonna make this more flavorful than typical split pea soups. get a bowl and add a bit o' your cooked bacon and rye bread croutons, then pour in as much soup as desired. might wanna consider a bit o' italian parsley fluid will evaporate from your soup almost magical regardless o' how airtight is your container for storing. chances are your remaining refrigerated soup becomes a paste or gel by next day. gonna need add fluid to make edible when reheating on day two or three or four or five. if you do not like caraway and rye bread flavors, skip the caraway seeds and croutons. HA! Good Fun!

Why Trump took another coronavirus test y'know, this is the one issue on which we agree with trump. everytime the President comes in contact with a diplomat or reporter who is covid-19 positive, wh officials scramble to deal with queries 'bout when the President will be tested. why is trump so indifferent to getting tested? 'cause he is paying attention. along with perhaps bats or some other critter, covid-19 is a human specific virus. HA! Good Fun!

this is the actual problem. typically, when calamity strikes, the nation looks to the President and the fed to take the lead. europeans, in particular, is dismissive o' widespread displays o' american patriotism, but is such shared sense o' community which results in americans inexplicable overcoming the practical issues related to decentralization and intentional systemic inefficiency. we usual get a slow start and then US ingenuity and community kicks in surprising quick. unfortunate, we don't have leadership. what we are getting is salesmanship. sell folks what they wanna buy. folks want everything to be ok and they want covid-19 to be under control. trump is selling americans what they want, which is good business, but is getting tougher and tougher to gaslight when death totals and images from overwhelmed hospitals become fixtures in daily news stories. we had months o' warning. were not a, "nobody knew" situation before hospitals started to become overwhelmed. when crisis became obvious, this President, instead o' leading, were focused on selling. US problem is different this time 'cause o' lack o' leadership. the near reflexive rally-to-the-flag response o' Americans were a small and weak compared to previous national crises. too much division and distrust. this time all we got as a guide is fear, disorganization and distrust. we also have dr. fauci, so is not a complete loss, but he is informing as 'posed to leading. 'course rally-to-the-flag is also dangerous. unfortunate, if situation gets bad enough, fear results in same abandonment o' reason w/o any o' the benefits which woulda' come from better organization. is a uniquely fubar situation for Americans. HA! Good Fun!

double but unrelated to previous. anybody else wondering if the models for flattening the curve is considering the quick approaching hurricane season? is gonna be significant portions o' the south where mass evacuations to tight-packed shelters is gonna be needed starting 'round late may or early june. somebody better start planning ahead for hurricane season with a recognition o' covid-19 changing normal response to what is tragic but predictable. HA! Good Fun!

am finding the work-from-home dynamic to be a seamless transition. our boss is just as much a jerk today as he were yesterday-- something 'bout his 2-week trip to the southwest to view wildflower blooms being cancelled admitted has his shorts in a twist, but is always something, right? our productivity is unaffected and is zero chance o' being furloughed. Gov. Kemp's comments on asymptomatic spread of coronavirus stir scrutiny "I'm following the advice of (Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner) Dr. Toomey, and her and I both mentioned in our remarks, finding out that this virus is now transmitting before people see signs so - what we've been telling people from directives from the CDC for weeks now, that if you start feeling bad stay home, those individuals could have been infecting people before they ever felt bad," he said. "Well we didn't know that until the last 24 hours, and as Dr. Toomey told me, she goes, 'This is a game-changer for us.'" ... well, ok then. some fun new commercials getting significant air time, even in non battleground states such as CA. have seen the first one multiple times in the last couple days and the only thing we watch on tv is a bit o' news-- pbs with small doses o' fox and cnn just to see what the continuum looks like. converse, we didn't see the mypillow commercial filmed live from the rose garden as have surrendered insofar as trying to watch daily task force briefings. HA! Good Fun! ps haven't seen the virus in the woods commercial. kinda a 2020 knockoff o' the reagan commercial?

am an existentialist and have been silently quoting nietzsche since senior year in highschool when we realized quoting nietzsche aloud results in (deserved) stares and concern. perhaps counterintuitive, the realization it is all meaningless and quite possibly hopeless is what prompted us to get more involved in charitable efforts. why Constitutional Law instead o' something which might, y'know, pay? choice. is our choice and that is what gives meaning to our actions. am not concerned or hopeful 'bout civilization. am not able to ignore people. HA! Good Fun!

Ten Tips From Scientists Who Have Spent Months in Isolation "“The lesson that I learned there that was very useful on the Space Station was you can’t pick your team, and spending any time wishing your crewmates were different is a waste of time,” she says. "Useful words, perhaps, for those of us stuck at home with squabbling roommates or nit-picking mothers-in-law." some o' the advice is obvious-- most is. worth a look regardless. HA! Good Fun!

When Did Girls Start Wearing Pink? people in 1886 were so much more enlightened 'bout gender roles than they are today, which is why there were so much less gender discrimination in the previous century. *insert eyeroll* like it or not, humans are sexual dimorphic. because humans is intelligent, and crazy, notions o' what attracts the opposite sex will change depending on cultural norms, but there will be differences resulting in broadly recognized gender ideals. period. kids is 'bout as smart as an average labradoodle but less smart than an adult border collies. just as the labradoodle learns by watching behavior, so too do children. doesn't matter what daddy says or what kinda doll he gives his child. what matters is how daddy interacts with and treats women, and how all the other adults is interacting with the clear obvious opposite gender. we don't blame the dog if it doesn't learn how to behave 'round people. we blame the dog owner, yes? two dog owners may give exact same commands to their labradoodles and the dog responses will be different depending on what those dogs has observed during and outside o' training. why we expect children to be complete different than labradoodles is baffling. dolls? *snort* this generation likes to get in a twist over the least important stuff while all too often ignoring the genuine vital. HA! Good Fun!

most of us will eventual get the disease. most of us is familiar with people who have comorbidity issues-- who doesn't know somebody with heart disease or asthma? many people we know will need to go to the hospital. if you go to the hospital at the wrong time, when the facility is overwhelmed by surge... is not as if am paralyzed by personal fears. that said, am thinking may people still haven't grasped the magnitude o' this problem. honestly, all you need do is double the numbers assuming such numbers continue to double every 3-4 days. emotion we personal feel is not fear. government(s) (not just the US) had warning this were gonna be a problem for many beyond china borders. because o' widespread fear, and initial government incompetence, we are gonna allow/encourage governments to limit civil liberties which many previous generations fought and died to secure. freaking bedwetting hoarders making situation worse for everybody. etc. am not fearful or even sad, but we sure ain't yet at acceptance 'cause am knowing the worst is ahead and serious lifestyle changes and economic pain is gonna be with us for a long time. best case for a vaccine is a year, which ignores inevitable real world problems that will make production and distribution limited at start. HA! Good Fun!

am thinking after +3 years in the wh, the realization trump behaviours and statements is still resulting in shock and dismay is the real surprise. 'course the issue is not trump. when we attempt to explain the improbability o' trump statements and actions there must need be the recognition the President only indulges in acts o' improbable increasing crudeness, perfidy and pettiness, while displaying a kinda ignorance heretofore unimaginable given his responsibilities, 'cause his base encourages and/or supports him. shake head in sorrow and bafflement at the next trump inanity is, in our estimation, misplaced. real shocker for us is how there is no mendoza line for competence or character demanded by the trump base. none. while am recognizing just how polarized is the nation, the willful indifference o' the trump base still manages to disappoint us. more fool is Gromnir, eh? HA! Good Fun!

watched the road (2009) the other day. only got halfway through the film. *sigh* am recalling better times when we could sit back and enjoy a bit o' vapid saccharine cheer in a movie. HA! Good Fun!

if your neighbor has a vicious dog and you pretend as if the dog is friendly and tame knowing such ain't true, then when you refuse to change your behaviour and get bit by the dog, predictably, you gotta accept some blame. sure, the dog's owner is no less at fault 'cause you are an obtuse dullard, but you need embrace responsibility for your injuries. it were years past that bill gates predicted a china born pandemic. the obama administration warned the incoming administration 'bout the possibility o' a pandemic emerging from china during the transition exercises when trump were moving into the wh. Is China Ground Zero for a Future Pandemic? Diseases like Ebola and avian flu are some of the biggest threats to global security — and lack of funding puts the US at risk many people with expertise saw this coming. HOWEVER, another sars kinda coronavirus were actual one o' the lesser concerns. is literal millions o' coronaviruses and almost none o' them pose a threat to humans. given chinese resistance to consuming less than "fresh" meat, and the huge populations o' china which is not particular spread out 'cross their geography, the dangers o' a pandemic spreading from china were well documented. even so, the likelihood o' a lethal coronavirus making the leap from some wild critter in a market in china or elsewhere, while recognized, were considered a lesser danger. in retrospect, the coronavirus threat were underappreciated, but is easy to point fingers in march 2020. yes, china hid the dangers o' covid-19 from their own people and the world. even so, in january 2020 the US government were getting strong intelligence reports confirming that the predicted nightmare scenario o' a pandemic o' chinese origin were already happening. fact folks here in north america, including kanada and mexico, reacted so slow in spite o' forewarning is arguable criminal negligent. am not giving china a free pass. china badness does not absolve trump or trudeau. oh, and when this is all past, if we as a species pretend as if the danger is past and ignore the future danger from the next global pandemic, then we deserve what lies ahead. even if china closes every wild animal market, their poultry and pork production is gonna continue to represent an existential threat. oh, and americans don't get a free pass from Gromnir. US domestic animal production is gonna need serious attention in the coming years if we wanna prevent a north american born pandemic, but please read the 2017 smithsonian article we linked. we got lucky with covid-19. am knowing how callous that sounds, but covid-19, as bad as it is, coulda' been a far more lethal disease. we are lucky 'cause we are getting a chance to fix our mistakes. blame entire on china may make vol feel better, but if such vindication means US and kanada reacts with insufficient vigor in preparing for the next pandemic, then it is utter misguided and unacceptable dangerous. woulda' kept this in the other thread, but am responding to vol. Trump says he wouldn't have acted differently on coronavirus without impeachment what a cheap and cowardly dodge. surprising he is adopting this argument as it suggests weakness, no? HA! Good Fun!

again, we got a friend who will do the diagnostic bit. with a tail wind and following a moderate warmup, we could hit our friend's house with a thrown baseball from where we live... on a very good day if we were ten-to-fifteen years younger with a bit less arthritis in our shoulder. am relative rural, so nearest merchant with such equipment is a 25-minute drive. ordinarily we would have friend take a looksee (even though he is a st. louis cardinals fan and those guys are all tool bags) and clear code if it were a non-factor, but as hurl observes, the auto repair guys is hurting. HA! Good Fun!

am suspecting we need clear some code and then may go back to driving as usual as there is no symptoms which would alarm us. first thing we did were to check to make sure the gas cap were tight, but am knowing even if such were the problem, address problem alone wouldn't make the engine warning light disappear. being a cheap bastard, ordinarily we would go to a friend who has the appropriate computer hardware/software to identify the code before we even consider taking to a shop. nevertheless, you got a point. with how bad the repair guys is hurting, throw a little business their way couldn't hurt. silver lining: gives us an excuse to drive one o' the buicks for a couple days. HA! Good Fun!

went to costco this AM. got to the store 20 minutes early. there were a line o' people stretching from one end of the store to the other, and back again. hundreds o' people waiting to gain entrance. turned around and came home. will call costco and ask when the best time to shop is. check engine light glared amber at us on the ride home. HA! Good Fun!

am disappointed on some level to see oro posting and doing fine. don't get us wrong, is swell and all when a john munch channeling wingnut shows up after a bit o' an absence, but on some level you know he wishes he had been drugged and abducted by government stormtroopers who then waterboarded him ceaselessly for no reason save that they could. welcome back @Orogun01, but know that if there is any way we might help you achieve the fantasy o' being brutalized by an indifferent State, we will be there for you... from a safe distance. HA! Good Fun!

our first ever anticipatory "today-what you've done" post. am taking off this april fool's day. ordinarily we would chuckle at the lack o' imagination displayed by folks applying vaseline to windshield wiper blades as their contribution to the day's whimsy, but this year those sophomoric hijinks rings a bit hollow. our own april fool's pranks tend towards the elaborate and rely on multiple co-conspirators. have a group o' friends commit a prank means the aggrieved need be angry at all o' you. sure, is cowardly to hide your villainy in a group, but is also effective. regardless, given social distancing guidelines limiting our group participation options, as well as being aware 'nuff to recognize how the line 'tween funny and hurtful is more easily mistaken when people is stressed, am gifting our friends and family with a pass this year. is arguable our lack o' wisdom is making every day an april fool's day, but am foregoing the official observance this year. yet another covid-19 sacrifice being made for the greater good. HA! Good Fun!

Ford, GE estimate it will take until end of April to produce 1,500 ventilators so trump says peak is in two weeks. where such figure come from is anybody's guess. however, the ventilators being produced won't begin coming off the assembly line 'til late april. personal protective equipment and testing? well, the ppe shortage is not 'cause there is a surge o' patients who may have a sooper transmissible disease in hospitals but 'cause essential supplies are 'going out the back door.' and testing? testing is great. 'ccording to the most recent trump presser, is more per-capita testing in the US than south korea (lie)... and the population of seoul is 38 million btw (wrong). regardless, trump hasn't heard any testing complaints in weeks. today, march 30, many hospitals are stretched to the breaking point. cases and deaths is doubling every 3-4 days. the intelligence community were briefing lawmakers in late january and early february that covid-19 were coming to the USA sooner rather than later. the media were reporting 'bout what were happening with covid-19 in china at beginning of january. first US death were late january. oh, and what the hell is wrong with people? what is wrong with people? HA! Good Fun!

we always buy the cheapest ramen we can find, then throw away everything but the noodles. is weird, but is usual cheaper to buy ramen noodles as part o' packaged meals than to buy ramen noodles. our current biggest problem for any kinda ramen is finding fresh garlic and ginger. we got a few sooper ez ramen recipes which use peanut butter or tahini but am always needing cloves o' garlic and an a bit over an inch o' garlic. HA! Good Fun!

hadn't previous considered russian orthodox priests on flatbeds doing mass holy water blessings street-by-street. a novel virus needs novel solutions. good for russia. HA! Good Fun!

congrats. that is exact what trump wants. trump spends a great deal o' time and effort trying to compliment putin and others. not exact the way you mean, but complimentary nevertheless. aren't you lucky? resist is another option. resist autocrats. resit lies. resist whataboutism. Dr. Birx Predicts U.S. Will See 100,000 to 200,000 Coronavirus Deaths in ‘Best Case Scenario’ “If we do things together well, almost perfectly, we could get in the range of 100,000 to 200,000 fatalities,” optimal = 100-200k deaths. am not sure how trump can keep reselling the two weeks schtick. next two weeks were the most important time ... two weeks ago. two weeks from now is when trump believes will be a peak in deaths, in spite o' fact much o' the country is just beginning to get to the point where ny was, two weeks ago. one estimate not bounded by two weeks is the 50k ventilators (as many as 100k) on the way from automakers: 100 days. am not quite sure the President realizes how much difference there is 'tween fourteen and one hundred. if the fed had pushed at the end o' january for ramped up ventilator production, the 100-day estimate would be far less temporal remote. HA! Good Fun! ps case/death numbers is doubling every 3-4 days. ~3000 deaths today. look to a month from now if there isn't a drastic drop in rates. is 'bout 8 doublings? so, 768,000 deaths projected?

am recognizing how tough this must be. you enjoy when oliver exposes a wouldbe autocrat like trump, but am suspecting you were less appreciative when oliver went after more experienced autocrats such as putin and xi. story from march 14 'We are all infected with football and will die for Zenit' march 19 Sharp increase in Moscow pneumonia cases fuels fears over coronavirus statistics march 20 Doctors in Russia are accusing the government of covering up its coronavirus outbreak and denying them protective equipment march 25 Why Is Russia’s Coronavirus Case Count So Low?

good news? the picard season finale aired and so the shared nerd nightmare ends. HA! Good Fun!

~15 years past, the west nile virus hit bird populations in north america. crows were particular susceptible. in one year, crow population is estimated to have fallen by 30%. overall, during entire west nile virus period of 'bout 5 years, the crow population in na dropped 60%-80%. the crows had it coming. currently, there is a fungus which is spreading 'mongst amphibians. already 501 species o' frogs and salamanders has been wiped out... wiped out as in gone from the world never to be seen again save in photos and textbooks n' such. ever met a salamander who didn't deserve to die? +99% of species which has ever existed has been murderized by mother nature. mother nature doesn't care about you anymore than she cares 'bout salamanders or crows or dinosaurs or woolly mammoths. mother nature will, one day, end you with the pathological indifference o' a serial killer. viruses ain't some kinda punishment for transgression against nature or god or whatever. even if you see some kinda population control function as an explanation for the existence o' viruses, the pathogens is utter indiscriminate. nature takes such a long view that human conceits such as punishment and justice is incompatible with her goals. if there is a reason, then there is an opportunity for control. change behaviors and offer a few more virgin sacrifices to the gods will be your prophylactic 'gainst doom. sure, there is ways to combat virus spread and symptoms. we need not stand idle and surrender to fate, but pretend like all the death and suffering has meaning is foolishness. and if Gromnir is wrong and viruses is some kinda punishment from nature, then am gonna go out and buy as many plastic straws we can afford and set 'em ablaze in a grand bonfire with the most environmental harmful fuel source available to us. #$%& you mother nature. HA! Good Fun!

after a moment o' reflection, we concluded the most recent robin hood tv show or movie we view positive, stuff wherein robin hood is a main character and not a single scene or episode kinda thing, is from 1976. is a long time for an iconic character to be so ill treated by directors, writers and producers o' visual media. HA! Good Fun!