I am not going to comment right now on the insane machine gun slaughter at a country music concert in Vegas, or tell you yet what Tom Petty means to me. But I will head into work to trim that sweet legal erb and keep getting a little smarter and laughing out loud a little …
Do you think our military might be dangerously overextended if we can’t ‘invade’ Puerto Rico and help what is inevitably going to be our 51st State? The National Guard should not be in Iraq and Afghanistan. That is a sign of Imperial stupidity. Folly in every sense. Sun Tzu would have some interesting things today …
Real Question: can you recall via living experience or historical knowledge, a President so incapable of doing, or even knowing the basic functions of his job? This isn’t even a Partisan question. Here’s part II: If your party has a President that is shame f_cking both the pillars of your party’s alleged ideals, as well …
At what point do you feel like people are going to just anonymously start destroying self driving cars? You know, peacefully, without harming humans, only corporation. Will Uber & Lyft tint the windows so protesters will not know if these vehicles are unoccupied? With the tradition of populist uprisings in the United Kingdom and France …
I’m sure that an editor or two – and possibly a few peeps – might be curious as to my thoughts on Hugh Hefner’s passing. And so, on a borrowed laptop while on vacation, here goes: One has to be of a certain age, startlingly enough, to realize the influence of Hefner’s Playboy magazine in …
Eating from your yard tip~ If you haven’t already done so this is a good time to fill your herb cabinet with your favorite kitchen herbs for cooking this winter. As a general rule it is best to harvest herbs mid~morning after the dew has dried and before the heat of the day. This is …
Eating from your yard tip ~ the fennel seeds are turning brown and ready to harvest! Fennel is in my top five favorite herbs. I carry a container of fennel seeds in my purse to ease coughs, upset tummies and freshen up breath. All parts of fennel are edible. Some people get upset because their …
Yesterday, the NPR show Fresh Air featured the legendary spy novelist, John Le Carre. Over the course of the interview, Le Carre offered some interesting perspectives on the current investigations of the Trump campaign. If nothing else, the interview is worth a listen solely for the opportunity to hear a cultured and authoritative English voice …
The versatile eggplant is sliced, cubed, mushed, breaded, stir fried, baked and fried all around the world except up in the far northern tundra. Maria Baher-Olomi bakes sliced eggplant then serves it with a yogurt and spearmint sauce. My Joy of Cooking cookbook is marked to open on page 74 baba ghanoush (roasted eggplant dip). …
My recent NFL post included the following: Speaking of which, NFL owners made a very short-sighted decision with their blacklist, informal or otherwise. Somehow, they appear to have forgotten that 75% of NFL players are black, with many of them having likely experienced firsthand the issues with law enforcement that Kap had protested. Two weeks …
Photos posted today in The Atlantic of wildfires in the West. Portland residents may be particularly interested in those of the Eagle Creek fire along the Columbia River. The first two, taken from the Washington side of the river across from Cascade Locks, are quite dramatic. https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2017/09/wildfires-rage-across-the-american-west/538977/ – Chuck Strom
Eating from your yard tip ~ there are many basils with different tastes, colors of leaves and flowers. I have it on good authority from two elderly tipsy Italian women that purple opal basil is the key to a good marinara. Both the basil flowers and leaves are edible. A traditional basil pairing is tomato, …
“Service with a smile,” the customer said sarcastically as I opened the taxicab door for him. “Two months to live. Liver is gone,” he continued, apparently referring to himself. “I’m sorry to hear that,” I said, not knowing what else to say. “Once you get to know me, you won’t be sorry.” He chuckled bleakly. …
My Facebook friend Sharry Debolt (nee Konopski) left this earth August 25 after a long battle with lung cancer. She was a really nice, cool gal who said very lovely things to me before and after my wife died last year. Though we had little in common besides cancer and living in the same state, …
Photos of Houston posted this morning. Lots more rain to come. https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2017/08/hurricane-harvey-leaves-houston-under-water/538215/ – Chuck Strom
The Atlantic’s photo section just posted these pics of the damage from Hurricane Harvey on the Texas Gulf Coast: https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2017/08/photos-the-aftermath-of-hurricane-harvey/538143/ Reported casualties were minimal after the first day, but it’s usually in the days and weeks following that we get a true indication of the scale of the disaster. In this case, the critical factor …
What are the mathematical chances of 4 Navy ships suffering nearly unheard of collisions in one year? Before this most recent deadly incident with the USS John McCain killed at least ten sailors, the previous collision was a direct hit to the Captain. His sailors had to use kettle bells from the ship’s gym to …
Eating from your yard tip ~ Hooray the garlic chives are in flower! Few people are more fond of invasive plants than I am, but my friend it is in your best interest to utilize the garlic chives flowers before the prolific self seeders take over the garden. The leaves and flowers are edible garlic …
Tuesday eating from your yard tip~nasturtiums add color and a little taste of black pepper to your food. The leaves, flowers and seeds are edible. I have not eaten the seeds, but I have been told you can pickle them to substitute for capers. There is nothing tricky about eating nasturtiums you can eat them …
In July 2014, I had the privilege of visiting Charlottesville, VA to see Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and the University of Virginia. I remember the visit fondly, but now my memory has to take into account the events of this past weekend. I attach these photos to remind myself that, in more peaceful times, it is …
Tuesday eating from your yard tip~ Elderberries (Sambucus canadensis) are not a berry you pick and pop in your mouth. While birds can eat elderberry off the bush, it is best for us humans to remove the seed and heat it up a bit before eating them. I pick them when the cluster droops. Harvesting …
Eating from your yard tip~what to do with the glorious glut of tomatoes? Tomatoes are in most dishes we prepare, but after you have eaten your fill of fresh tomatoes on your BLTs, in bruschetta, sliced tomatoes served with basil and balsamic vinegar or put them in your egg casseroles, green and pasta salads etc …
Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, which depicts the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force in May 1940 from France, is a visual and auditory masterpiece, but it’s not for the faint of heart. Starting from the opening moments, with only the barest of credits to initiate the proceedings, the audience endures just under two hours of virtually …
Each year we host Garlic Nosh to celebrate the glorious garlic harvest! The reigning champion is Sharon T. Ohmberger’s gluten free chocolate chip cookies! On the same sweet note Jenny Carver created some fabulous garlic ice cream. Slacker Dave dipped garlic cloves in chocolate and I think it was Judy Easley Shutts who took it …
Behold the latest from Simon Chong. He describes this fanciful romp thusly: “Bob’s Burgers has crossed over to Archer, but I wondered what’d happen if Archer were to take a trip to Bob’s Burgers. 7 months of animating, illustrating and plucking dialogue from both shows later, here’s the result.”
The year 1967 saw some amazing creativity. The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper, and the greatest 45 RPM record of all time, “Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane.” The Moody Blues fused rock and classical music in their influential Days of Future Passed. Jimi Hendrix burst onto the scene with his appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival and release …
President Trump unveiled his budget in May. As a candidate, Mr. Trump promised to protect entitlement programs, claiming he has a “big heart.” Guess what? Trump’s budget is irresponsible and unethical by putting the most vulnerable at risk of significant health and financial problems for the benefit of putting more money into the pockets of …
Just talking to a friend about seeing “Dunkirk” tomorrow night. “Reserved seats,” he says. Maybe $18, he says. Is there going to be a merch table, I wonder, where I can purchase a tour t-shirt, maybe a sticker. Take solace in this fact, my friends: Life will never be better than it is right now. …
Tuesday eating from your yard tip~In 2012 rose was the herb of the year. So our local herb society had a speaker come in from the rose society to talk about roses. It quickly became apparent that while rose society people strive to grow the perfect rose, herb society people were more interested in how …
Long-suffering Chicago Cubs fans were finally granted a reprieve in 2016. The Cubs’ World Series victory — considered by many baseball watchers as one of the greatest World Series ever played — was the sweetest gift that the beautiful but troubled City of Big Shoulders could have received last year. As a life-long Cubs fan, …