I made split-pea soup yesterday, to use up the Christmas ham and some yellow split peas I found deep in the pantry. While googling the difference between yellow and green splits, just in case cooking times needed to be adjusted, I found this gem — DifferenceBetween.com, a site that does guess-what.
Ranging from the trivial — the difference between pumps and platform (shoes) — to the far less so — the difference between photoelectric effect and photovoltaic effect — it promises hours of time-wasting. Which everyone needs more of, right?
There is no appreciable difference between yellow and green split peas, by the way. The soup was delicious. Gonna eat up my legumes while I can. (Still undecided on Whole30.)
Another bit of bloggage for the day is this pretty direct analysis of how Donald Trump destroyed the modern GOP.
I cleaned the biggest, most overstuffed-and-overdue closet yesterday, and friends? The feeling of accomplishment was astounding. I should have pursued a more task-oriented career, something with a blue collar, maybe. Set the job down before you, do it, send it on down the line. Shoveling snow, maybe. It’s that satisfying.
So, on to the next one. Happy Tuesday.
David Kirk said on December 29, 2015 at 9:02 am
After seeing the Whole30 plan in your last post I don’t think there is any way for me to be that disciplined. I’m thinking just eating better, eating less, drinking less and exercising more would be the more palatable way to go for me. I should try that sometime. Yes sometime.
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Connie said on December 29, 2015 at 9:09 am
I was disappointed that the guy who usually gives me a Heavenly Ham package gave me instead a very generous gift certificate to our new local Cheesecake Factory. My husband has no desire to go, he suggested I take my management team for a team building lunch. The remains of our cheap Kroger spiral ham is also about to become pea soup.
Did every man get a drone for Christmas? He was finally checking his out this a.m. by flying it around the kitchen. Even better than a door knock for getting dogs excited.
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David C. said on December 29, 2015 at 9:17 am
I guess it’s pea soup day. Ours in simmering right now. It’ll go down good when I finish cleaning up the 8″ of snow we had yesterday/last night.
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brian stouder said on December 29, 2015 at 9:21 am
No drone for me, nor those two-wheeled thingies that everyone falls off of (unless it burns the house down).
Turns out I DID get the Wright brothers book, too; Pam had it squirreled away, and forgot about it….along with the Ta-Nehisi Coates book – so I had a sort of Christmas, 2.0 when we got home from grandma’s house!
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brian stouder said on December 29, 2015 at 9:32 am
David – no snow here, but lots of black-outs and dark traffic signals, owing to the icy limbs of trees snapping off, and breaking power lines.
As we live within a few hundred yards of channel 15’s 770-foot tower, we heard thuds and thunks all evening, as chunks of ice came off of it. (looking out the front window at the street last night, it makes for an interesting show, as ice chunks crash onto the pavement and reflectively disintegrate in the street-lights)
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Julie Robinson said on December 29, 2015 at 10:17 am
All that ice on the trees yesterday afternoon had me worried about another extended power outage so I was relieved when the temperatures began to rise.
No split pea soup for me. We had a standing rib roast for Christmas at the special request of the hubster, who both purchased and prepared the thing, then raved and raved about how much he enjoyed it. I guess he’d enjoy the Whole 30, but all that meat kinda turns my stomach.
In the category of oh-no-he-didn’t, Donald Trump, he of the multiple marital infidelities, said Hillary can’t use Bill in her campaign because Bill was unfaithful. Yes he really did, despite saying it was no big deal in a 2008 televised interview. SMH. http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/12/28/donald-trump-takes-on-bill-clintons-behavior-toward-women/
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brian stouder said on December 29, 2015 at 11:00 am
Julie, maybe President Obama will be compelled to write a latter-day Lincoln letter, if the Donald actually makes it into the general election
Abe had his cabinet sign the thing, sight-unseen, as the 1864 election loomed ahead, and it looked like McClellan would defeat him.
The stakes this time around aren’t nearly as high, but they are (as always) consequential, even if (or especially because) they’re unclear…and we KNOW ol’ Barry is headed off center stage
“This morning, as for some days past, it seems exceedingly probable that this Administration will not be re-elected. Then it will by my duty to so cooperate with the Government President elect, as to save the Union between the Election and the inauguration; as he will have secured his election on such ground that he cannot possibly save it afterwards.”
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Judybusy said on December 29, 2015 at 11:06 am
We got 3″ of snow overnight, and it’s the slippery stuff. I had to go see a client, back home now to work up the case. I am hoping to stay in the rest of the day. A friend and I had plans to see Star Wars tonight, but it would take me 45 minutes to an hour to get to the theater instead of 15″, I’m sure, as more snow is predicted. So, I suggested we reschedule.
If you consider yourself to have a sick and twisted sense of humor, I highly recommend the movie Relatos Selvajes, or Wild Tales. It’s six tales of revenge that have quite a bit of violence, but in an over the top, hilarious sort of way. I got the DVD from our library, so I don’t know the streaming capability. The Almovodar brothers produced it.
Tonight’s meal will be beef and barley soup. Perfect day for it, and since I’m working at home, it can begin gently simmering in the early afternoon.
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FDChief said on December 29, 2015 at 11:36 am
I love the notion that Trump has “destroyed the GOP”. Which GOP would this be? The birther, eliminationist, theocratic, taxes-are-theft, government-is-the-problem GOP? THAT party? The one that had gone full-blown Tenth Amendment? The GOP of Kim Davis and Cliven Bundy and the Oath Keepers?
Yes, Trump HAS waltzed the party of the Bushes and the Kochs a trifle away from its oligarchic roots. But I have no doubt that, if actually nominated, the man that Charlie Pierce like to call the Libidinous Visitor would have no problem moderating his “economic plan” (if you want to dignify the scribbled-in-crayon-on-the-back-of-a-Howard-Johnson’s-kiddie-menu-placemat nonsense that Trump has thrown up on his website as a “plan”) to accommodate the oligarchs. The tea party CHUDs won’t know the difference so long as he continues to promise to revive Operation Wetback and bomb the living shit out of Agrabah.
But despite what the author ofthe piece desperately wants to believe, Trump has done nothing like destroy the GOP. No. He’s the Twelfth Imam, the Messiah; he has come to complete the prophesies of Rush and Malkin and Coulter and Beck and Gingrich and DeLay and all the other antigovernment boobs. He IS the GOP, and the Bushite oligarchs are going to have to deal with that and try to tame his legions of uruk-hai into at least wrecking the parts of the nation that they’d like to see wrecked and pray that the ensuing collapse is in the opposite direction from their summer homes…
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Suzanne said on December 29, 2015 at 12:11 pm
I’d say you are on to something, FDChief. But, as we’ve seen throughout history, once the masses are unleashed, it’s nigh unto impossible to control them. But the Donald Trumps of the world always believe they wield more control over those masses than they actually do.
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Suzanne said on December 29, 2015 at 12:12 pm
I’d say you are on to something, FDChief. As we’ve seen throughout history, once the masses are unleashed, it’s nigh unto impossible to control them. But the Donald Trumps of the world always believe they wield more control over those masses than they actually do.
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Brandon said on December 29, 2015 at 1:07 pm
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-gaymarriage-kentucky-idUSKCN0RP20M20150925
Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, 50, who has said her beliefs as an Apostolic Christian prevent her from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, said they had changed parties last week. She was a long-time Democrat in eastern Kentucky.
“My husband and I had talked about it for quite a while and we came to the conclusion that the Democratic Party left us a long time ago, so why were we hanging on?” she told Reuters in an interview at a hotel in Washington, where she has traveled to be feted at a Family Research Council event later on Friday.
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Snarkworth said on December 29, 2015 at 1:09 pm
Whenever I clean out a closet, I end up with a nice neat closet, plus a pile of stuff outside the closet that I don’t know what to do with.
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Jakash said on December 29, 2015 at 1:32 pm
As for Whole30 and the diet talk yesterday, there is anecdotal evidence for just about EVERY freaking diet. The common denominator, it seems to me, is that if people who are overweight after years of eating and drinking whatever they feel like focus on what they’re shoveling in for a change and maybe even exercise, they’re likely to lose weight no matter what they do. (Which is not to suggest that I don’t do too much shoveling myself, mind y’all!) Thus, any diet seems like a winner, because they end up cutting a substantial number of calories from their usual eat-whatever-whenever program. It’s certainly over-quoted and may not help folks with certain metabolic problems, but Michael Pollan’s “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” makes sense to me.
Brian,
“The stakes this time around aren’t nearly as high…” No, but they’re plenty high enough. I saw this tweet recently and certainly hope that folks on the left who are appalled by the Republican slate of clowns will take the message to heart, so we don’t end up with another election like the nightmare of 2000.
https://twitter.com/Bipartisanism/status/680104318624641024
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Deborah said on December 29, 2015 at 1:33 pm
I’ve become a sweepaholic since I’ve retired. I basically love to sweep the floors in Santa Fe. We have tile floors and lots of dust so I get to practice a lot. It leaves me with such a feeling of accomplishment. Little Bird thinks I’m nuts.
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Dorothy said on December 29, 2015 at 1:51 pm
Deborah with three pets in the house, floor sweeping has become a daily necessity. I can get into crevices between bookcases, CD towers, chairs, etc. with a broom in a way the vacuum cannot. Using a broom and a dust pan is very old school but it sure as hell works.
Snarkworth that statement made me laugh out loud. The stuff that is outside the closet at my house, though, usually goes INSIDE the trash can, or at the least, inside a box or bag to go to the Goodwill store near my house. When I worked at Kenyon College, several times we had emails sent to all employees asking for help for other employees who experienced a house fire. I think there were three in the space of 18 months. Having a box at home with things like ‘extra’ clothing, cookwear, afghans, etc. came in very handy. If you have the space to keep that kind of stuff around, of course.
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basset said on December 29, 2015 at 1:56 pm
Leftover venison barbecue for lunch today, been in the fridge at work since before Christmas but didnt look too bad. I have fired exactly one shot this rifle season, passed up several but now the season’s almost over and I’m trying to put one more in the freezer. Shot three so far, two of those during muzzleloader season, and given away probably two and a half.
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basset said on December 29, 2015 at 1:57 pm
Leftover venison barbecue for lunch today, been in the fridge at work since before Christmas but didnt look too bad. I have fired exactly one shot this rifle season, passed up several but now the season’s almost over and I’m trying to put one more in the freezer. Shot three so far, two of those during muzzleloader season, and given away probably two and a half.
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Scout said on December 29, 2015 at 1:59 pm
I do not think it hyperbolic to worry that DT’s rise to the top of the GOP scrap heap is not that different than the way Hitler came to power using racist/scapegoat rhetoric. That there are so many rubes who fervently think him presidential scares the shit out of me.
We spent some of our Christmas break binge watching “Happy Valley”, a BBC/Netflix original 6 part series starring the lovely Sarah Lancashire. It was intense.
We’re headed to Bisbee, AZ for the New Year’s holiday, although now we are wondering what we were thinking since it is colder than a witch’s you-know-what in Phoenix and even colder in higher elevations like Bisbee. Oh well… should still be fun!
Happy New Year, all.
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ROGirl said on December 29, 2015 at 1:59 pm
Too bad Hunter Thompson or Christopher Hitchens aren’t around to weigh in on the Donald.
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Jolene said on December 29, 2015 at 2:33 pm
I second Scout’s recommendation of Happy Valley Very well done crime story. Is anyone watching Making of a Murderer, also on Netflix? It seems to be the rage for holiday binge-watching.
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brian stouder said on December 29, 2015 at 3:08 pm
If Secretary Clinton is indeed the nominee of the Democratic party, versus Donald Trump of the Republican party, we will have a genuinely stark choice.
It will be nothing less than a graphic exploration of America’s body politic; our innards and our bloody guts – on display for all to see, and poke at.
Our first woman at the top of a major party ticket – who possesses an impressive record of government service at the head of the State Department as well as the United States Senate –
versus an utterly unapologetic, flag-waving misogynist and xenophobe who’s never been elected to anything, and never made any important decision except regarding his own pile of money and his own selfish interests.
I’d as soon have a button-down Marco Rubio or (the fast-fading) John Kasich versus Clinton, but – we shall see
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Charlotte said on December 29, 2015 at 3:18 pm
Scout — I loved Happy Valley (although it got quite scary at times). And then the scary guy showed up as the yummy vicar on Grantchester! I’m also a huge Sarah Lancashire fan.
Nancy — thought of you as I was trudging/skiing up my favorite little side road this morning “keep swimming” — it’s the beginning of the season, I’m out of shape, I was hot, whine whine whine whine — got to the top, turned around and got to zip all the way down as fast as I’d like to go on those old wooden boards with no edges (and a bouncy border collie zipping across in front of me). Totally worth it. Glad I kept swimming.
Soup here tonight is going to be leftover lamb curry sauce with some red lentils added in — everything that rises must become soup in my kitchen …
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Sue said on December 29, 2015 at 3:19 pm
Scout, colder than a siberian welldigger’s ass here in WI, to use a favorite expression of my father’s.
I’ve been thinking of getting acorntv but I fear I will become as bad as my husband and his westerns if I do. Plus, they don’t have ‘Scott and Bailey’ either.
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Jolene said on December 29, 2015 at 3:48 pm
Sarah Lancashire is also one of the main characters in Last Tango in Halifax, along with many other fine actors familiar to followers of British TV. A multi-generational family story–romance, comedy, tragedy, with a twist of class conflict. (It’s British!) Originally broadcast on PBS, it’s now streaming on both Amazon and Netflix.
Acorn TV is great, Sue. I recommend it. Only $5/month. Some favorites: Foyle’s War, Vera, George Gently. Would be interested to hear what you’ve liked in this general category.
Have we talked about Peaky Blinders? Set in post-WWI England. The deeds and misdeeds of a Birmingham crime family, along with large doses of romance and revenge. On Amazon and Netflix.
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Dexter said on December 29, 2015 at 3:53 pm
One of my gifts was a wad of cash. My bedside TV is a 14 incher, perfect size. Now everything has been hi-def for years and locally anyway, the smallest TV I can find is a 19 incher. I must replace the old 14 incher because it’s hard to read graphics and sports events’ scoreboards in the corner of the screen are butchered for size, and for most events I can’t shrink and stretch the picture to get the score box in the corner. I must trash this old TV because it emits a piercing high tone, a screech that is driving me mad. We have the big-screen TVs downstairs but I need a small bed-sider to lounge around the bed and watch news and sports and weather (with the XM Pearl Jam or Bruce station in the background) while I sip my morning half-pot of java before I start the day. Being color blind sometimes makes it a challenge to get all the HDMI cables in the right holes. Tomorrow, new television.
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Dexter said on December 29, 2015 at 3:59 pm
Jolene…only me…I brought up Peaky Blinders and was left in the lurch; no one responded. I watched it months ago. It is scary, stunning, and impactful. What great acting. I heartily recommend it. I got the programming on NETFLIX. The title may remind oldsters of a Pinky Lee bit; rest assured: ain’t nothing humorous about this series.
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Sue said on December 29, 2015 at 4:42 pm
My husband liked Peaky Blinders. I could tell it wasn’t my thing. Happy Valley is so… bleak. Same with Broadchurch.
Jolene: Scott and Bailey is at the top of my list. Others: George Gently, Foyle’s War (my favorite for bad American accents), Inspector Morse, Inspector Lewis, New Tricks, Death in Paradise (a guilty pleasure because it really is kind of dumb), and of course, Midsomer Murders.
And that’s just the mysteries and police procedurals.
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Scout said on December 29, 2015 at 5:41 pm
We enjoyed Last Tango sooooo much! That is where I fell in love with Lancashire; so we researched to find out what else she’s in, and we found Happy Valley.
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LAMary said on December 29, 2015 at 6:15 pm
George Gently and Scott and Bailey are faves here.
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Deborah said on December 29, 2015 at 7:18 pm
Hey Scout, wave as you go by on your way to Bisbee, it’s a bit south and east of where we are right now in Tubac (I think). We went to the town of Tubac today and bought some Pots (no, not pot, the talavera [spelling?] style) for half as much as it costs in Santa Fe. Today started out snowing but it ended up beautifully with lots of sun and puffy clouds.
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Charlotte said on December 29, 2015 at 8:01 pm
I think Hulu has Scott and Bailey (but I’ve seen them all) — if you liked that one, Blue Murder is really good too. I’ve had Acorn for a year or so and really like it — especially the Australian and New Zealand offerings. I LOVED Peaky Blinders (blew threw them during a sewing project) and keep hoping they’ll do a second series … Recent UK series I loved were mostly on Hulu: The Indian Doctor, The Cafe, Stella — a Swedish procedural called the Sandham Murders. Oh, and if you haven’t watched Murdoch Mysteries (Canadian) — they’re great fun. On Acorn — a very soapy Australian series called A Place To Call Home, The Brokenwood Mysteries, the Doc Martins a season ahead of PBS, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (also a season ahead of Netflix). I watch a lot of procedurals while working since much of my day job involves fairly tedious clicking through of web interfaces and I find it keeps me focused. I was watching an Australian procedural called City Homicide and there was one of my old friends from Telluride, playing the villain! He went back to Oz after his divorce — we’re FB friends so I pinged him right off. That was sort of fun …
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basset said on December 29, 2015 at 8:42 pm
May have mentioned this yesterday, but we really enjoyed watching “1940s House” over the long weekend, streamed it from YouTube. Mama Basset grew up then and there, Mrs. B found it very interesting to see how MIL’s family had lived, stories of the Blitz and all.
Just spent almost an hour on the phone with Comcast, or rather on hold mostly with Comcast, trying to get my net service back. They were no help… first call transferred me from “technical support” in the Philippines to a sales call center in West Virginia, so I have been on hold on two continents tonight. Ended up resetting the modem and router while I was on hold and I think at some point they sent me a reset pulse, anyway all is working now. For now.
We’ll go to Apple TV once I work up the nerve to make the change, one positive aspect of tonight’s calling was finding out that Comcast net-only is $44.95 a month here. Beats hell out of the current package price for net, out of sync cable tv and the landline we only use for incoming spam and calls from grandpa. So if you have Apple TV, tell me how you like it… can you get Outdoor Channel? Nat Geo?
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Jolene said on December 29, 2015 at 10:11 pm
Charlotte, they’ve done two series of Peaky Blinders. Both are on Netflix. According to this article, production of Series 3 began this past October.
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Dave said on December 29, 2015 at 10:54 pm
Yes, Scout, and wave to my aunt and uncle, who live just south and about 10 miles east of Tombstone and used to live right on Highway 80, the main route between Benson and Bisbee.
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Dexter said on December 30, 2015 at 1:34 am
Two days left before I get back on the horse and get my diet back to my plan of summer when I lost weight. But since yesterday was a big red letter day for me personally, dear wife made another German chocolate cake, just a little one layer cake, to celebrate with me. It’ll be the last one until Easter. Later today I’ll go pick up that new TV. Fun stuff.
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