I don't know why, but that reminds me of the difference between blue-collar and white-collar workers: Blue-collar men wash their hands BEFORE they go to the restroom, and white-collar workers do it AFTER they go to the restroom!
Or they wash them obsessively with lots and lots of hand sanitizers because they are so very fearful of catching imaginary cooties (as opposed to the real thing) from the rest of us.
Rob, I've never heard of that, and after 80 years old it doesn't matter one way or the other. But, you do learn to wipe yourself, something you probably should have been doing all along.
Wet wipes are essential in Texas humidity though your comment reminds me of the classic Redd Fox album You Gotta Wash Your Ass, which I memorized at 13 and can still use as insult material to this day 😆
That actually sums up my life quite well. While I have an extremely white collar job (and an unnecessary one in my opinion) I do a lot of things around the house myself. Just fixed my side by side this morning, needed a new starter.
So I wash my hands before and after I use the restroom.
Class??? That’s a racist construct meant to assume dominance over the non-white poor and struggling. It glorifies the paternalist, capitalist, racist, transphobic, colonizers who ruined America.
And the white tablecloths? For one, they’re white…the worst color ever! Need I say more?
Second, they were probably made in China with slave labor. How about you make your OWN tablecloth and bring it with you!
Lastly, the restaurant is most likely non vegan. Have you seen videos of animal slaughtering? You should be put thru the same conditions those animals experience just so you can feed your fat greedy faces. Not to mention only the rich can afford to eat there. They should close down immediately…or give the food away free to the homeless. Their choice.
Thus far this year, ticks seem to be minimal. The last two years, we had to be on constant alert because the cats started bringing them inside as soon as it warmed up. Perhaps our highly variable temperatures this spring have killed them off?
I can only think of two; might have been (very) few more. One was somewhere Granny-in-New Haven (inappropriately) had us GK in NYC (IIRC I screwed around with the flower that was floating in it and spilled it; obviously made an impression) and the other was in Britain at a Burns Night; probably a put up job.
I can vaguely remember seeing someone at another table drinking from a finger bowl that had a slice of lemon in it. He didn’t seem drunk, so I think he didn’t know what it was for. I guess the modern version is handing out moist towelettes after lobster or at a barbecue joint.
There are two other restaurants in our town that have cloth napkins, but I wouldn't call them 'high class.' The Hawkeye is supposedly famed for its food, but I have never been impressed with it. They're simply expensive and they have the right 'local connections' to boost their reputation. Gate City Restaurant (which replaced Beef, Bread, and Brew after the owners retired), has finally decided to go with the buffet model (ordering off the menu was dubious, with a lack of sides and bread). It's nice enough now, but not really 'high class.'
Ironically, Angelini's (where we went) started out as a local pizza place. A dozen or so years ago, they reinvented themselves as a very nice sit-down Italian restaurant. Atmosphere is great, presentation is great, food is great. And no spendier than the other two.
But your close neighbors may not thank you - if said rooster crows in the wee hours of early morn like some do. We used to have Russian neighbors that took in every free rooster they could find and some of them literally crowed all nite long. Finally we couldn't take it anymore and talked to them about it. They said not to worry, they were going to butcher them all cuz the noise was driving them crazy too!
And the other problem with roosters and hens sitting on eggs is that hatched chickens tend in greater percentages toward MORE roosters to manage. I made this mistake and had to put down two beautiful birds--and I never want to do that again. It's one thing to be part of a crew "harvesting" meat chickens--it is another to put down two beautiful birds you have raised and who started fighting with each other and their father.
Rainbow is right. We used to have a rooster with our chickens. He crowed whenever he felt like it as roosters do, including at 3 am. My neighbor dropped off a Coq Au Vin recipe. We got the hint.
Our gardener took him to the cockfights. Now before you get all upset at the cruelty of it, consider the rooster’s alternate fate. At least he has a chance, and the victors often graduate to become happy breeders - their goal all along. In fact, isn’t that how humans have lived through most of our history?
I don't have close neighbors... a personal choice.
1 rooster/6-7 hens is the general rule, and it's a matter of personal choice as to what one does with their excess roosters... I, for one, find Coq Au Vin a personal favorite.
Concerning Cockfighting... please tell your gardener to watch his ass...
Cockfighting is illegal in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is also classified as a federal crime under the Animal Welfare Act and the Agriculture Improvement Act (2018 Farm Bill).
Key legal details include:
Felony Status: is a felony offense in 42 states and the District of Columbia.
Associated Acts: Possessing birds for fighting is prohibited in 39 states, and attending a fight as a spectator is illegal in 43 states.
Federal Penalties: Federal penalties can include up to one year in prison for attending a fight, three years for bringing a child under 16, and five years for trafficking fighting instruments.
Native Lands: The practice is also illegal on Native American reservations under the Indian Country Crimes Act, which extends general U.S. criminal laws to native lands.
Pretty much...I think that the biggest problem with today's society is that drinking from the skulls of one's enemies is no longer fashionable... and I'm not a fan of legislation at all, but I like jail time even less... A LOT LESS... LOL!!! So when it comes to Felonies... I do pay close attention... :)
So, continuing my stumble through the penal code, I can be convicted of a felony and spend a year in prison for attending a cockfight. OK.
Or, living in California as I do, I can rob the same store of $950 in goods multiple times per day and do the same to as many stores as I have time to go to, every day for a year. That’s a misdemeanor, which in California is effectively not a crime.
I'm truly sorry for California... I lived there for a good portion of the 70s... I left in 1980 while it was still reasonably sane, and I still have good memories of my time spent there... as far as legislation... What Celia said! :)
Last time this happened (with a different hen), I obtained some fertilized eggs from someone out in the country, but the hen was really bad at setting, despite her broodiness. She accidentally smashed some of them, and the ones that remained never hatched. That's when I dunked her, since it was not working out.
I'd heard of broody hens but hadn't a clue as to what the term meant. So you have to pick up a broody hen and dunk her? Give her a cold bath? Thanks for the information.
On the whole, I think I'd rather have a goat, or a sheep, or an aged collie, if I had some acreage.
My ex claims they lay in cycles so she just let them be she also kept them locked up even during the day;, one reason for our break up as I would let them be free.
A hen may or may not stop being broody on her own if you can manage to keep her away from eggs. But it's really not healthy for a hen to be broody with no possibility of hatching chicks. In addition to the elevated body temp, she eats and exercises less. And, of course, she stops laying eggs of her own.
Apparently Wes Streeting is going to resign from being Health Sec and trigger a leadership contest. The King has just done his speech. I am not sure if the House of Lords is still holding a member of the Commons 'hostage' or if he has been released (dates back Charles I) Nic Dakin is the member who volunteered. I suspect he is tucking into a good lunch. The debate on the speech starts at 14:30.
So I suspect the Labour warfare will truly commence tomorrow.
There is this history of the Health Sec looking v unhealthy. I remember Ken Clarke in the Thatcher years...
Speaking of Thatcher there is a good new series on Netflix -- Legends which is about Britain's cut rate war on drugs in the late 80s/early 90s. It is actually very good. By the same people who did The Gold about the Brink's Mat robbery. It just came out here.
Oh heck. Everyone of the democrats public heath creatures telling us what to do to stay healthy during COVID were the most unhealthy looking losers. Either massively obese à la Pritzker or like a skeletal zombie
Starmer needs to be careful because if he loses the debate on the King's Speech, a General Election would have to be called. Government tend not to lose the debate as it would mean a vote of 'no confidence'.
I think the country lost its confidence, but the Labour MPs haven't. They unfortunately have a 168 person majority (basically because Johnson/Truss/Sunak Conservatives made such a hash of it) and wish to protect their pensions.
You might be amused to know that they still check Westminster's cellars before every opening of Parliament, a tradition dating from 1605...
One MP is sent to the palace to be held there until the safe return of the monarch. It goes back to Charles I. These days the 'hostage' is plied with champagne and a good lunch.
The checking the cellars dates from 1605 because of Guy Fawkes.
There are a number of other rituals but the hostage one is a good one.
Finding a "fancy" restaurant in Middle Georgia is frustrating! We've been to two "fancy" places, so-called, and the experience was just middle of the road...except for the BILL! If it ain't deep-fried, then it is barbecued. It is no wonder that such a large population in our area is obese and on diabetes treatments! So many people walking with canes or just limping, and many using mobility devices. Quite a difference from SoCal, where health is a religion!
You correctly identified the issue it as the preparation: Texas has the same deep frying tradition and the morbidly obese waddling around like Fatty Arbuckle.
The really weird thing is the hotter it got the more fatty foods folks used to eat in my Okie youth. They just ate it cold. I remember granny frying up chicken in the am to eat refrigerator cold for dinner. Lots of potato salad drowning in mayo too as well as fatty bannana or coconut creme pie for dessert. The strange thing is that generation never seemed to get fat on that stuff.
Your granny's house is the one I'd like to be at! Cold fried chicken, potato salad, and banana pudding to top it off...I'm there!!!
My grandmother did much the same thing, although she was probably from the opposite side of the state than you (panhandle). When she passed, she was maybe 90lbs soaking wet. Something tells me the difference is that the chicken came from the front yard, the lard to fry in came from the butcher shop in town, and the mayo was homemade.
I believe the food back then had more nutrients so the appetite was more satisfied with less. The ultra processed food chemically grown with flavor enchanters added never seems to fill a person up, at least I have found that to be true. Alot of food today is especially designed to be addictive, so I can see why it can be hard for folks to eat it in moderation. The kids especially have been set up to be obese.
Strangely everyone in Okie land pretty much ate like that while I was growing up and they never got fat from it. So something has changed and it's not just lack of exercise. Maybe it is the additives to the food now or the all the medications or toxins in the environment or something that has changed how folks metabolize all that fat.
Nowadays people sit in front of their computers, video games and TV’s, moving only to grab a coke and a bag of Cheetos. And now that these motor driven scooters and bikes are popular, kids don’t stand a chance.
I think it's the additives and the portion sizes. We eat on my grandmothers plates, which are much smaller than what you'd end up with buying plates today.
I remember growing up that 5 of us (mom, dad, brother, sister, me, my grandmother) would eat one chicken for dinner. We may or may not have leftovers. Everyone was full.
I think the additives are a big factor. Jem-mom is (like more and more people, it seems) 'gluten-sensitive.' But she can eat my homemade bread without any issues. We've come to the conclusion that it is not actually the gluten she's sensitive to, but some additive.
Robert, there is tons of information on the health benefits from healthy meat fats from animals who have been raised with healthy forage. One go-to place for good data is The Weston A. Price Foudation web site, and the info is free. After WW2, the seed oil companies demonized good meat fats in favor of their new product, to the detriment of our health. That was another "experts" failure as the experts were being paid by the new market. Those protesting, like Mary Enig, lost all their funding, reputation, etc. But years later, the whole trans fat thing was revealed to be dangerous. And now, we can clear see that healthy animal fats are good for us. The problem is finding healthy animals, of course. Pork now, is a real problem, for instance. But people are slowing waking up and are returning to using meat fats in cooking. I use beef tallow and duck fat to sautee anything, for instance. I only use REAL olive oil (another scam ongoing) to dress salads or cooked veggies as it is so fragile especially when heated.
Here's Sama Hoole on how the seed oils are produced--but this information is readily available in lots of places:
Robert M, you are living near the area where my grandparents lived: Reynolds, Georgia. My grandfather was a doctor and had an inheritedd farm that my uncle inherited. My family had deep family roots in this region--going back to when middle and western Georgia was pioneered and stolen from the Cherokees. Anyway, they all ate regional food--and fried chicken was a favorite, as was pork BBQ that was long cooked usually by local black people who had fire pits, etc. That meat was called "pulled pork." I don't remember eating a lot of fried food, but pork, sweet potato, greens (collards/turnip greens), and many forms of corn (grits, cornbread were staples. No one was fat. When there was a funeral, local women or their black cooks made dishes for the family and guests to have a meal after the service. Years later, when my mother died, her funeral was held in the local Baptist church. And the church women organized and cooked the meal--but, and here's where I am going with this story, the meal, though so heartfelt and thoughtful and sweet and so appreciated, bore no resemblance to my memories of the local, regional, real food of former times. Most dishes were comprised of quick and fake food, though there was fried chicken. I was truly shocked. By this time, the little town had almost blown away with all the structural changes in farming (get big or get out). My family's homeplace was long gone, sold to newcomers. So all the memories I had of what that life used to be had "gone with the wind." And I do think that the ill health you are seeing today is a result of these massive food changes that are, actually, new to this area, though decades in the making.
While in grad school at U of Iowa, I worked in the Iowa City Historical Society.
One of my favorite pastimes was driving around with the Mute Angela going to Salvation Army thrift stores. What's the name of the Iowa hamburger joint? Red and white branding. I recall a town that, even in the late afternoon, seemed entirely closed. We drove around in circles looking for a place to eat -- at 7 p.m.! There was actually a nice walkable downtown area but all of the shops were closed.
“We’ve come to snuff the rooster/ yeah, we ain’t gonna die” Alice In Chains. Checkers burgers has red and white branding.. Btw you went to the Iowa Writers Workshop for Grad School? As we say in Texas, “That’s pissing in the high cotton” 🤠👍
Jem learnt "boogers?" That's awesome. Welcome to the wonderful world of boys!
One of my greatest joys was coaching the Eighth Grade Boys Lacrosse teams in town for years. Talk about "inappropriate." You would not believe the things that came out of their mouths. Sheer, unvarnished boyhood. I was forever suppressing smirks and laughs. The Left hates all of this, of course. Their teachers try to feminize them but it's a hopeless cause. As Twain demonstrated. Just embrace it. And celebrate that the sexes are indeed different.
Sometimes I feel my satiric sensibility is rooted in perpetual adolescence. 8th grade is peak rebel phase: dishing on everything except deadly serious about trying to catch a glimpse of girl skin in its first flowering. 👀
Dems seem to always vote for the obviously horrible candidate no matter their obscene track record. I hope Pratt can shake them loose from the "feelies" but the Cult has thoroughly inculcated these people to reject evidence of their own eyes and ears.
Skid Row in LA is the scariest most populated homeless encampment I have ever seen. And it has IMPROVED since I lived there. My first encounter was literally like Day of the Locust. We had been drinking at the Law House downtown when we decided to get more before 2am. My new friend (and ever after) who grew up there said he knew an outdoor kiosk that sold hard liquor. We piled into my Camero, but he left the door open when he ran for the booze. A swarm of very scary homeless surrounded the car; one even tried to ride on the open passenger side door as we sped away. Moral of the story: avoid LA Homeless at all costs!
You call it brooding. She calls it survival. Sorry. And...
Would you prefer snot? One of those things. Like the Great Raisin Debacle. Some think snot is an ugly word; I'm one of those who think booger is. And, frankly, mucus isn't much better. What term would you prefer for the substance in question?
Back in the day (😂), Booger was a common nickname ..... I think one character in Sand Lot was called "Booger". It's a very mild term that does not have stomach turning descriptive connotations.
I've been trying to get Jem to wipe his own nose with a hanky (remember when we all had those instead of kleenex?), but he insists on Grandma doing it for him. Actually blowing his nose is a skill that is still beyond him.
As a hobby, I design, build, and program Lego-based robots. In the Lego community, "snot" has an entirely different meaning. It's an acronym for "Studs Not On Top", which, although sounding vaguely sexual, actually refers to a construction style that aims for more realistic models by keeping studs, which are the little bumps that hold Lego bricks together, from sticking out on the top (or sides) of models, and instead uses tiles or other parts with smooth surfaces to hide the studs from view.
I've noticed that more and more Lego items have been designed to keep the studs hidden. I guess it is more aesthetically pleasing, although part of the charm of Legos has always been the fact that something is obviously made of Legos.
Happy Anniversary! I consider 39 months an achievement so many many more. My last ex my friends called “Kuntry” raised chickens 🐓 on my land so I know how disruptive a rooster can be. She also left an in ground wooden coop with wire which right now I plan to be buried in (yes, it’s allowed in Texas). And get well soon!
My son in law and I recently finished building the Taj Majal of chicken coops in his backyard. It’s 8’x16’x8’ tall so you don’t have to bend over. Sloped roof, fenced in yard (so hawks and owls can’t pick them off), sophisticated latches to keep Raccoons at bay… yeah, I could be buried there.
There’s an ‘antique’ store in South Carolina that advertises its “Taj Majal of Chicken Coops” as a main attraction. We drove thirty minutes out of our way to see it. It was worth the trip!
We constructed our coop out of a pergola-style archway that the former owners had installed over the sidewalk in the backyard. It was not at all useful where it was, but turned upside down, it made a perfect frame for a henhouse big enough to walk into.
Nice! I did everything in 8’ dimensions to minimize board cuts. We put metal fabric in the foundation to keep out burrowing predators. I added a modest slope for rain runoff and finished it with that hard corrugated plastic. I only put in 4 nesting boxes because the birds often seem to like to use the same nests. And I made sure the perches were higher than the nests so the birds wouldn’t soil the nesting boxes as much. We have one of those feeders where the birds stand on it to release laying mash. I need to figure out how to automate the water.
?
I think I butt posted😬
You can get fake eggs for Jane to sit on. Happy 39. Just passed 51.
Wow!
You have US beat! We have only been married for 47 years. Our goal is to hit 50 years, and after that, everything is a gift!
Wonderful!
That's a clever idea! And if that doesnt work, there's always coq au vin (but then you're back to buying your own eggs).
Congrats!
If the restaurant provides cloth napkins, it's high class. The food doesn't matter. Congratulations on 39 years, Celia and Mister.
I don't know why, but that reminds me of the difference between blue-collar and white-collar workers: Blue-collar men wash their hands BEFORE they go to the restroom, and white-collar workers do it AFTER they go to the restroom!
😂🤣
And liberals don't wash them, at all. Because they're just so much better than the rest of us......
Or they wash them obsessively with lots and lots of hand sanitizers because they are so very fearful of catching imaginary cooties (as opposed to the real thing) from the rest of us.
I tried to look up y symptoms yesterday. All I got was hantavirus links. At least, I’m certain I don’t have THAT.
Yet lol
I wash my hands of the liberals
Perfect!
Rob, I've never heard of that, and after 80 years old it doesn't matter one way or the other. But, you do learn to wipe yourself, something you probably should have been doing all along.
Wet wipes are essential in Texas humidity though your comment reminds me of the classic Redd Fox album You Gotta Wash Your Ass, which I memorized at 13 and can still use as insult material to this day 😆
I was referring only to #1. For #2 we use a bidet.
That actually sums up my life quite well. While I have an extremely white collar job (and an unnecessary one in my opinion) I do a lot of things around the house myself. Just fixed my side by side this morning, needed a new starter.
So I wash my hands before and after I use the restroom.
Disappointed. At first, I assumed side by side shotgun. 😊
And those white tablecloths. Is it really so hard to have a touch of class????
Here’s a liberal answer for ya;
Class??? That’s a racist construct meant to assume dominance over the non-white poor and struggling. It glorifies the paternalist, capitalist, racist, transphobic, colonizers who ruined America.
And the white tablecloths? For one, they’re white…the worst color ever! Need I say more?
Second, they were probably made in China with slave labor. How about you make your OWN tablecloth and bring it with you!
Lastly, the restaurant is most likely non vegan. Have you seen videos of animal slaughtering? You should be put thru the same conditions those animals experience just so you can feed your fat greedy faces. Not to mention only the rich can afford to eat there. They should close down immediately…or give the food away free to the homeless. Their choice.
Love it, but “vegan” is so 10 minutes ago. We call it “plant based” now. A *real* progressive always keeps up with the terminology!
Plant base? So of the most dangerous shit on the planet comes from plants. Lily of the valley, foxglove, hemlock, etc. Plant based....lol
Not to worry 'cause Gates will make us all allergic to meat with his tick invasion.....
Thus far this year, ticks seem to be minimal. The last two years, we had to be on constant alert because the cats started bringing them inside as soon as it warmed up. Perhaps our highly variable temperatures this spring have killed them off?
Candles on the table help
Finger bowls?
My god, I haven’t seen a finger bowl at a restaurant in at least 3 decades…and I love fine dining, especially Michelin rated places.
I can only think of two; might have been (very) few more. One was somewhere Granny-in-New Haven (inappropriately) had us GK in NYC (IIRC I screwed around with the flower that was floating in it and spilled it; obviously made an impression) and the other was in Britain at a Burns Night; probably a put up job.
I can vaguely remember seeing someone at another table drinking from a finger bowl that had a slice of lemon in it. He didn’t seem drunk, so I think he didn’t know what it was for. I guess the modern version is handing out moist towelettes after lobster or at a barbecue joint.
I think I fell in love every time there was a candle.
Come on, baby, Light My Fire 🔥
That piece was the reason I installed premium speakers, vehicle and playroom. Worked every time. Those girls in the 70s really were fun.
In our town, it's high class if there ain't no drive thru window on the side
There are two other restaurants in our town that have cloth napkins, but I wouldn't call them 'high class.' The Hawkeye is supposedly famed for its food, but I have never been impressed with it. They're simply expensive and they have the right 'local connections' to boost their reputation. Gate City Restaurant (which replaced Beef, Bread, and Brew after the owners retired), has finally decided to go with the buffet model (ordering off the menu was dubious, with a lack of sides and bread). It's nice enough now, but not really 'high class.'
Ironically, Angelini's (where we went) started out as a local pizza place. A dozen or so years ago, they reinvented themselves as a very nice sit-down Italian restaurant. Atmosphere is great, presentation is great, food is great. And no spendier than the other two.
If Angelini's doesn't serve three recipes of veal, and especially my favorite, "Vitello all'Uva," it's not truly Italian.
No veal at all, I think. Doesn't seem that popular around here.
Congratulations on 39 years! Worth celebrating.
Congratulations! Happy anniversary!
Get a rooster...
Your chickens will thank you for it... ;)
The old joke about the horny rooster still makes me chuckle. .....
Shhhhh! Buzzards! LOL!!!
Yes!!!!
Ok, so I had to look this up! Apparently, AI is familiar with it 😂
But your close neighbors may not thank you - if said rooster crows in the wee hours of early morn like some do. We used to have Russian neighbors that took in every free rooster they could find and some of them literally crowed all nite long. Finally we couldn't take it anymore and talked to them about it. They said not to worry, they were going to butcher them all cuz the noise was driving them crazy too!
And the other problem with roosters and hens sitting on eggs is that hatched chickens tend in greater percentages toward MORE roosters to manage. I made this mistake and had to put down two beautiful birds--and I never want to do that again. It's one thing to be part of a crew "harvesting" meat chickens--it is another to put down two beautiful birds you have raised and who started fighting with each other and their father.
We have three (or so) in the vicinity. Not close enough to be annoying. I love to hear them in the morning!
Rainbow is right. We used to have a rooster with our chickens. He crowed whenever he felt like it as roosters do, including at 3 am. My neighbor dropped off a Coq Au Vin recipe. We got the hint.
Our gardener took him to the cockfights. Now before you get all upset at the cruelty of it, consider the rooster’s alternate fate. At least he has a chance, and the victors often graduate to become happy breeders - their goal all along. In fact, isn’t that how humans have lived through most of our history?
I don't have close neighbors... a personal choice.
1 rooster/6-7 hens is the general rule, and it's a matter of personal choice as to what one does with their excess roosters... I, for one, find Coq Au Vin a personal favorite.
Concerning Cockfighting... please tell your gardener to watch his ass...
Cockfighting is illegal in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is also classified as a federal crime under the Animal Welfare Act and the Agriculture Improvement Act (2018 Farm Bill).
Key legal details include:
Felony Status: is a felony offense in 42 states and the District of Columbia.
Associated Acts: Possessing birds for fighting is prohibited in 39 states, and attending a fight as a spectator is illegal in 43 states.
Federal Penalties: Federal penalties can include up to one year in prison for attending a fight, three years for bringing a child under 16, and five years for trafficking fighting instruments.
Native Lands: The practice is also illegal on Native American reservations under the Indian Country Crimes Act, which extends general U.S. criminal laws to native lands.
Very thorough tome on the subject. Thanks. So let’s me get this straight. I can kill a rooster anytime I want, but it can’t be in a cockfight?
Pretty much...I think that the biggest problem with today's society is that drinking from the skulls of one's enemies is no longer fashionable... and I'm not a fan of legislation at all, but I like jail time even less... A LOT LESS... LOL!!! So when it comes to Felonies... I do pay close attention... :)
So, continuing my stumble through the penal code, I can be convicted of a felony and spend a year in prison for attending a cockfight. OK.
Or, living in California as I do, I can rob the same store of $950 in goods multiple times per day and do the same to as many stores as I have time to go to, every day for a year. That’s a misdemeanor, which in California is effectively not a crime.
Yeah, that makes sense.
That's the consequence of Leftism.
I'm truly sorry for California... I lived there for a good portion of the 70s... I left in 1980 while it was still reasonably sane, and I still have good memories of my time spent there... as far as legislation... What Celia said! :)
Alas, they are not allowed in city limits.
Last time this happened (with a different hen), I obtained some fertilized eggs from someone out in the country, but the hen was really bad at setting, despite her broodiness. She accidentally smashed some of them, and the ones that remained never hatched. That's when I dunked her, since it was not working out.
I'd heard of broody hens but hadn't a clue as to what the term meant. So you have to pick up a broody hen and dunk her? Give her a cold bath? Thanks for the information.
On the whole, I think I'd rather have a goat, or a sheep, or an aged collie, if I had some acreage.
Happy anniversary. White tablecloths are nice.
My ex claims they lay in cycles so she just let them be she also kept them locked up even during the day;, one reason for our break up as I would let them be free.
You were right.
A hen may or may not stop being broody on her own if you can manage to keep her away from eggs. But it's really not healthy for a hen to be broody with no possibility of hatching chicks. In addition to the elevated body temp, she eats and exercises less. And, of course, she stops laying eggs of her own.
Why on earth did she keep her chickens locked up?
Hen Hot Flashes?
Pretty much!
A belated happy anniversary to Celia and Mr Celia
Apparently Wes Streeting is going to resign from being Health Sec and trigger a leadership contest. The King has just done his speech. I am not sure if the House of Lords is still holding a member of the Commons 'hostage' or if he has been released (dates back Charles I) Nic Dakin is the member who volunteered. I suspect he is tucking into a good lunch. The debate on the speech starts at 14:30.
So I suspect the Labour warfare will truly commence tomorrow.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/05/13/keir-starmer-latest-news-streeting-meeting-king-speech/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c1e2n923v1lt -- has photos of the king and queen plus the golden carriage they arrived in.
Popcorn should be sold for this show!
And that pic of Streeting - he looks rather paunchy, a tad flabby. Too many crumpets or whatever they are called. Get thee to the gym, Wes!
There is this history of the Health Sec looking v unhealthy. I remember Ken Clarke in the Thatcher years...
Speaking of Thatcher there is a good new series on Netflix -- Legends which is about Britain's cut rate war on drugs in the late 80s/early 90s. It is actually very good. By the same people who did The Gold about the Brink's Mat robbery. It just came out here.
Oh heck. Everyone of the democrats public heath creatures telling us what to do to stay healthy during COVID were the most unhealthy looking losers. Either massively obese à la Pritzker or like a skeletal zombie
With sunken cheeks like Fauci.
Just put it on my Watch List. Thank you!
Yes, it should be.
I thought the Conservatives were bad but this car crash is ridiculous.
And I got it wrong -- it is the Palace who holds the hostage until the king is returned. I understand he gets a good meal etc. Makes more sense.
They hear the speech in the House of Lords.
When Black Rod knock at the door to the Commons, some wag shouted out 'Not today Andy' in reference to Andy Burnham.
Chuckie III best become a real King of England lest he share the fate of One.
He needs to do something. The situation is farcical.
The Palace did offer to postpone etc. but the speech had already been printed on vellum. https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/buckingham-palace-king-charles-speech-keir-starmer-crisis-bs8dxq0dk or https://archive.ph/PfWzE
Starmer needs to be careful because if he loses the debate on the King's Speech, a General Election would have to be called. Government tend not to lose the debate as it would mean a vote of 'no confidence'.
Heaven forfend that Labour would have lost the nation's confidence.....
I think the country lost its confidence, but the Labour MPs haven't. They unfortunately have a 168 person majority (basically because Johnson/Truss/Sunak Conservatives made such a hash of it) and wish to protect their pensions.
You might be amused to know that they still check Westminster's cellars before every opening of Parliament, a tradition dating from 1605...
With this bunch that's still a good idea.
Hostage? Okay, I've gotta hear about this!
One MP is sent to the palace to be held there until the safe return of the monarch. It goes back to Charles I. These days the 'hostage' is plied with champagne and a good lunch.
The checking the cellars dates from 1605 because of Guy Fawkes.
There are a number of other rituals but the hostage one is a good one.
Finding a "fancy" restaurant in Middle Georgia is frustrating! We've been to two "fancy" places, so-called, and the experience was just middle of the road...except for the BILL! If it ain't deep-fried, then it is barbecued. It is no wonder that such a large population in our area is obese and on diabetes treatments! So many people walking with canes or just limping, and many using mobility devices. Quite a difference from SoCal, where health is a religion!
Eating meat never made people obese or unhealthy.
Clearly, you have never lived in the South, where fat is considered a condiment!
You correctly identified the issue it as the preparation: Texas has the same deep frying tradition and the morbidly obese waddling around like Fatty Arbuckle.
The really weird thing is the hotter it got the more fatty foods folks used to eat in my Okie youth. They just ate it cold. I remember granny frying up chicken in the am to eat refrigerator cold for dinner. Lots of potato salad drowning in mayo too as well as fatty bannana or coconut creme pie for dessert. The strange thing is that generation never seemed to get fat on that stuff.
Your granny's house is the one I'd like to be at! Cold fried chicken, potato salad, and banana pudding to top it off...I'm there!!!
My grandmother did much the same thing, although she was probably from the opposite side of the state than you (panhandle). When she passed, she was maybe 90lbs soaking wet. Something tells me the difference is that the chicken came from the front yard, the lard to fry in came from the butcher shop in town, and the mayo was homemade.
It was also done in moderation.
Yeah Danny H!!! Chickens today are fed soy as their protein. Don't get me started on my soy rant.
I believe the food back then had more nutrients so the appetite was more satisfied with less. The ultra processed food chemically grown with flavor enchanters added never seems to fill a person up, at least I have found that to be true. Alot of food today is especially designed to be addictive, so I can see why it can be hard for folks to eat it in moderation. The kids especially have been set up to be obese.
It is also the composition of the foods themselves--what the animals were fed, the fat composition in their bodies, etc.
Strangely everyone in Okie land pretty much ate like that while I was growing up and they never got fat from it. So something has changed and it's not just lack of exercise. Maybe it is the additives to the food now or the all the medications or toxins in the environment or something that has changed how folks metabolize all that fat.
Nowadays people sit in front of their computers, video games and TV’s, moving only to grab a coke and a bag of Cheetos. And now that these motor driven scooters and bikes are popular, kids don’t stand a chance.
It’s the constant processed food snacks and having a soda at every meal.
I think it's the additives and the portion sizes. We eat on my grandmothers plates, which are much smaller than what you'd end up with buying plates today.
I remember growing up that 5 of us (mom, dad, brother, sister, me, my grandmother) would eat one chicken for dinner. We may or may not have leftovers. Everyone was full.
I think the additives are a big factor. Jem-mom is (like more and more people, it seems) 'gluten-sensitive.' But she can eat my homemade bread without any issues. We've come to the conclusion that it is not actually the gluten she's sensitive to, but some additive.
Too much sugar.
Robert, there is tons of information on the health benefits from healthy meat fats from animals who have been raised with healthy forage. One go-to place for good data is The Weston A. Price Foudation web site, and the info is free. After WW2, the seed oil companies demonized good meat fats in favor of their new product, to the detriment of our health. That was another "experts" failure as the experts were being paid by the new market. Those protesting, like Mary Enig, lost all their funding, reputation, etc. But years later, the whole trans fat thing was revealed to be dangerous. And now, we can clear see that healthy animal fats are good for us. The problem is finding healthy animals, of course. Pork now, is a real problem, for instance. But people are slowing waking up and are returning to using meat fats in cooking. I use beef tallow and duck fat to sautee anything, for instance. I only use REAL olive oil (another scam ongoing) to dress salads or cooked veggies as it is so fragile especially when heated.
Here's Sama Hoole on how the seed oils are produced--but this information is readily available in lots of places:
https://x.com/SamaHoole/status/2025574351177703730?s=20
If you can get down to Hawkinsville, check out the Heritage House. Very surprising for a small rural town. Curious what you'll think of it.
I've been to the opera house in Hawkinsville for a concert, a mere 30-minute drive! At that time on a Sunday, only Huddlehouse was open.
Robert M, you are living near the area where my grandparents lived: Reynolds, Georgia. My grandfather was a doctor and had an inheritedd farm that my uncle inherited. My family had deep family roots in this region--going back to when middle and western Georgia was pioneered and stolen from the Cherokees. Anyway, they all ate regional food--and fried chicken was a favorite, as was pork BBQ that was long cooked usually by local black people who had fire pits, etc. That meat was called "pulled pork." I don't remember eating a lot of fried food, but pork, sweet potato, greens (collards/turnip greens), and many forms of corn (grits, cornbread were staples. No one was fat. When there was a funeral, local women or their black cooks made dishes for the family and guests to have a meal after the service. Years later, when my mother died, her funeral was held in the local Baptist church. And the church women organized and cooked the meal--but, and here's where I am going with this story, the meal, though so heartfelt and thoughtful and sweet and so appreciated, bore no resemblance to my memories of the local, regional, real food of former times. Most dishes were comprised of quick and fake food, though there was fried chicken. I was truly shocked. By this time, the little town had almost blown away with all the structural changes in farming (get big or get out). My family's homeplace was long gone, sold to newcomers. So all the memories I had of what that life used to be had "gone with the wind." And I do think that the ill health you are seeing today is a result of these massive food changes that are, actually, new to this area, though decades in the making.
Wow, that is really depressing that food traditions can be wiped out so quickly.
AWFLs are the Broody Hens of society.
On that note, they probably need a rooster.
Happy Anniversary!
I forget which town you're in. Keokuk?
While in grad school at U of Iowa, I worked in the Iowa City Historical Society.
One of my favorite pastimes was driving around with the Mute Angela going to Salvation Army thrift stores. What's the name of the Iowa hamburger joint? Red and white branding. I recall a town that, even in the late afternoon, seemed entirely closed. We drove around in circles looking for a place to eat -- at 7 p.m.! There was actually a nice walkable downtown area but all of the shops were closed.
“We’ve come to snuff the rooster/ yeah, we ain’t gonna die” Alice In Chains. Checkers burgers has red and white branding.. Btw you went to the Iowa Writers Workshop for Grad School? As we say in Texas, “That’s pissing in the high cotton” 🤠👍
They need "roostering." Line of the year. One of my best buds is from Des Moines and a huge Hawkeye fan
Perhaps we need to bring back the Salem witch test. A cold dunk might do these constipated AWFLS some good.
Yup, Keokuk.
Do you mean Maid Rite? I can't think of any other fast food that is uniquely Iowan.
That's it. Maid Rite!
Happy Anniversary. And congrats.
Jem learnt "boogers?" That's awesome. Welcome to the wonderful world of boys!
One of my greatest joys was coaching the Eighth Grade Boys Lacrosse teams in town for years. Talk about "inappropriate." You would not believe the things that came out of their mouths. Sheer, unvarnished boyhood. I was forever suppressing smirks and laughs. The Left hates all of this, of course. Their teachers try to feminize them but it's a hopeless cause. As Twain demonstrated. Just embrace it. And celebrate that the sexes are indeed different.
Sometimes I feel my satiric sensibility is rooted in perpetual adolescence. 8th grade is peak rebel phase: dishing on everything except deadly serious about trying to catch a glimpse of girl skin in its first flowering. 👀
Lots of wisdom in Twain.
You are a better man than me. I always just laughed and said, "don't let your mother hear you talk like that."
My son has 2 boys, age 4 and 2. Five minutes in the back yard unattended, and they’ve stripped and are gamboling about naked as you please.
Have y'all seen this? Karen Bass (in LA) told her crowd that homeless people need free healthcare so that they can get teeth!
https://x.com/JesseBWatters/status/2054363768197403072
What an absolute idiot. If LA votes for another term for Karen "the Borg" Bass, they will get little sympathy as she continues to ruin LA.
Angelenos don’t think. It’s awkward. They feel. Bass will in all likelihood win reelection, though I’m rooting for Pratt and sent him a check.
Dems seem to always vote for the obviously horrible candidate no matter their obscene track record. I hope Pratt can shake them loose from the "feelies" but the Cult has thoroughly inculcated these people to reject evidence of their own eyes and ears.
Does meth ruin fake teeth too? We should ask Hunter, or has he switched to Joey’s cocaine?
Ooo. That's a good one!
Skid Row in LA is the scariest most populated homeless encampment I have ever seen. And it has IMPROVED since I lived there. My first encounter was literally like Day of the Locust. We had been drinking at the Law House downtown when we decided to get more before 2am. My new friend (and ever after) who grew up there said he knew an outdoor kiosk that sold hard liquor. We piled into my Camero, but he left the door open when he ran for the booze. A swarm of very scary homeless surrounded the car; one even tried to ride on the open passenger side door as we sped away. Moral of the story: avoid LA Homeless at all costs!
The other moral: Never leave a car door open or even unlocked when parked or standing.
Car windows should be open only at the top, not wide enough for a hand to go through, unless traveling at 30 mph.
Lessons learned well here by the early 1980s.
My first car was a '78 LT Camaro that I paid for in cash from babysitting!
Sasha Stone's post today speak to this election and the male candidate Spencer Pratt who is making AI videos that are taking on the LA trash.
If they allow mail-in ballots, Pratt hasn’t got a chance.
Why else do you think they are trying to generate a new pandemic?
Congratulations on your anniversary!
You call it brooding. She calls it survival. Sorry. And...
Would you prefer snot? One of those things. Like the Great Raisin Debacle. Some think snot is an ugly word; I'm one of those who think booger is. And, frankly, mucus isn't much better. What term would you prefer for the substance in question?
None at all. It's an unspeakable substance. Some things should be left unmentioned.
You need to have these conversations with children, so they know what to do about that situation! You have to call it something! Training!
The answer must be, "Here. This is a Kleenex. Blow your nose." So now they have the nouns "nose" and "Kleenex" well in hand.
Just kiddin', JBell. But I do think most bodily effluences (and parts) need referring to far less often.
Back in the day (😂), Booger was a common nickname ..... I think one character in Sand Lot was called "Booger". It's a very mild term that does not have stomach turning descriptive connotations.
Never liked it. Some few years ago a friend, my age, used the term, and I flinched. I hope it wasn't obvious.
Booger was in Revenge of the Nerds.
Wow, I know the cast names from both Revenge of the Nerds and Sandlot...I guess maybe I'm the nerd!
I have a cousin that I only knew as "Booger" from the time he was born until....now.
I am relatively(?) sure he has a Christian name, but I ain't got no idea what it is
I've been trying to get Jem to wipe his own nose with a hanky (remember when we all had those instead of kleenex?), but he insists on Grandma doing it for him. Actually blowing his nose is a skill that is still beyond him.
My mother always had a hanky, but my father carried a ‘snot rag.’ As a consequence, I value kleenex.
Patience.
I think "booger" is hilarious. I guess, myself, I would call it snot. But I think that is harder for a two-year-old to say.
As a hobby, I design, build, and program Lego-based robots. In the Lego community, "snot" has an entirely different meaning. It's an acronym for "Studs Not On Top", which, although sounding vaguely sexual, actually refers to a construction style that aims for more realistic models by keeping studs, which are the little bumps that hold Lego bricks together, from sticking out on the top (or sides) of models, and instead uses tiles or other parts with smooth surfaces to hide the studs from view.
I am awed.
I've noticed that more and more Lego items have been designed to keep the studs hidden. I guess it is more aesthetically pleasing, although part of the charm of Legos has always been the fact that something is obviously made of Legos.
Happy Anniversary! I consider 39 months an achievement so many many more. My last ex my friends called “Kuntry” raised chickens 🐓 on my land so I know how disruptive a rooster can be. She also left an in ground wooden coop with wire which right now I plan to be buried in (yes, it’s allowed in Texas). And get well soon!
My son in law and I recently finished building the Taj Majal of chicken coops in his backyard. It’s 8’x16’x8’ tall so you don’t have to bend over. Sloped roof, fenced in yard (so hawks and owls can’t pick them off), sophisticated latches to keep Raccoons at bay… yeah, I could be buried there.
There’s an ‘antique’ store in South Carolina that advertises its “Taj Majal of Chicken Coops” as a main attraction. We drove thirty minutes out of our way to see it. It was worth the trip!
Cool! I need some ideas for the next one.
We constructed our coop out of a pergola-style archway that the former owners had installed over the sidewalk in the backyard. It was not at all useful where it was, but turned upside down, it made a perfect frame for a henhouse big enough to walk into.
Nice! I did everything in 8’ dimensions to minimize board cuts. We put metal fabric in the foundation to keep out burrowing predators. I added a modest slope for rain runoff and finished it with that hard corrugated plastic. I only put in 4 nesting boxes because the birds often seem to like to use the same nests. And I made sure the perches were higher than the nests so the birds wouldn’t soil the nesting boxes as much. We have one of those feeders where the birds stand on it to release laying mash. I need to figure out how to automate the water.
Two hours in and nothing stateside. Must be a good sign. Or just a mellow day.
Happy Anniversary, Celia!