Wasted Food

Sometimes, you just don't finish doing something!

Two weeks ago, I bought a pork Boston Butt, a beef Steamship Round, and a package of 10 chicken thighs.  The pork is for smoking and cutting into cubes for pork stew and stir-fries. I pack the cubes into plastic sandwich bags 4oz per bag and I get enough for several months.

The beef is for roasting rare and slicing for sandwiches and a few 1/2" slabs to cube later with noodles and gravy.  The chicken was for "anything", so I just boiled it.  I normally bread the chicken with Panko bread flakes and bake it or saute it skin side down, and that works well.

What a disaster!  The chicken was mushy, but I did freeze them immediately.  For some reason, I kept putting off slicing the beef and cubing the pork.  Everyday, I saw them in the fridge and said "I've GOT to get at that today".  I didn't.  For over a week...

When I did, the beef had some discoloration.  The pork looked fine and it WAS smoked in 1" thick slabs, so I thought it would be preserved.  But last night, I decided I just didn't want to risk any of it.  I tossed it all into the trash.  $50 worth of meat, wasted.

I hate wasting food, but not at risk to my health.  Better safe than sorry.

I redid the chicken a couple days ago and it all turned out perfectly and I froze each thing individually.  I'll buy another Boston Butt and Steamship Round  next shopping trip (soon, I miss my pork stew and I'm out of fresh fruit too).

This time I'll chill them both and process them the next morning!  But I sure hated to waste all that...

Computer Fun

"Computer Fun" and I say that sarcastically.  I just spent 4 hours restoring processed and organized pictures that suddenly vanished.  Some background...

I use a Mac Mini.  It is small, but sufficient.  And I like the fact that it is solid state and doesn't need a fan.  It could use a few more ports, but I I have just barely enough and haven't needed more yet. 

I keep my files organized, especially the pictures.  IPhotos holds all the full-sized pictures by date.  When I crop, filter and resize them for blog use, they go into a new folder (like documents and applications do).  I think most people keep their pictures by subject.  I take too many to be able to find them that way.

So, in the Photos folder, I set up 6 subfolders"  Cats, Family, House, Other, Videos, and Yard.  Each of those folders gets a new subfolder each year (2018, for example).  Each year folder gets monthly folders (January 2018 is 1801).  Daily subfolders when I need one (January 20, 2018 would be 180120).  That may or may not seem seriously complicated, but I can navigate to any subject and day in about 5 seconds.

I did spend my career organizing information after all...  ;)

Now, also, Mac has an app called "Time Machine".  Connected to an external hard drive, it keeps automatic backs of all changes in files and by some program I know NOTHING about,  it connects to all past saves so that you can restore individual files, individual folders, individual programs or your entire computer.

And that has saved me more than once for individual files to the whole thing!  I LOVE TIME MACHINE!

So I went to add a Flashback Friday post on Marks Mews.  I choose them by scrolling through IPhotos It displays dates, and when I find one I want to use, I just go to that date in Photos (IPhotos is an app; Photos is a saved personal folder).

The original full-size picture was in IPhotos but the processed picture I wanted was not in my Photos subfolder.    And I discovered that half the pictures in my subfolders from 2016 and earlier were gone!  ARRRGGGHHHHH!

I should mention that while Mac computers have strong anti-hacking software built-in, I do use one called MacKeeper to look for adware, malware, useless files, etc.  And I was using it frequently the past few days.  I made the mistake of trying to download a TV show I wanted a quote from and ended up with a pop-up ads.

I didn't realize how aggressive MacKeeper could be defining "useless files".  It allows you to look at the list of files to be deleted, but file names can be difficult to interpret.  After reading a dozen and not seeing anything that worried me (most seemed to be if I needed to read something in a foreign language), I went ahead and clicked "OK".  It deleted almost a 1,000 files and gave me back   about a Gb memory, so I was rather pleased. 

Until I discovered a lot of processed pictures missing...  Now I'm not saying that MacKeeper did that, just that both things seemed to happen at the same time.  Maybe I got hacked at the same time.  But I am suspicious of coincidences!

So I went into Time Machine and tried restore individual folders from 2 days ago, iy didn't work.  So I looked at the Time Machine backups from a week before and those were blank.  I had to go back to August, and there they all were!

Not to get too technical (unless someone has a question), but I had to select specific folders for Cats, Family, House, Other, Video, and Yard one at a time and save one then then go back and do another. and double check because once it didn't restore (probably my fault, but that's why you check).

BUT!  They are all back now...  The Flashback Fridays post on Marks Mews is proof.

MacKeeper is a good app.  It does find adware, some tracking malware, and actually non-essential files.  But I will be a LOT more careful in the permissions I allow it in the future, LOL!

Locked CD Rom Drive

For What It Is Worth - 

I had a CD locked in the D drive and it suddenly just rattled.  I couldn't get it to play and I couldn't get the tray to open.  I was going NUTS.  Then, searching for an answer, I found a 15 year old post that said to stick a straightened paperclip into the small hole in the front.

I remembered about that soon as I read it, but I had forgotten!  Look for yourself on a Windows PC...

I didn't solve the "failure to play", but at least it got the CD out, LOL!

But when I got the CD out and tried it in the 2 tray it played fine.  I have to laugh that I'm keeping a Windows 95 (offline) working.  But I suspect I'll have to find a repair shop soon.

9-11

I will never forget 9-11.


My parents remembered The Great Depression and WWII as defining moments.  We both remember the John and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King assasinations.  I remember Vietnam and 9-11 and Mass Shootings more.

We think of animals as "wild" and sometimes "cruel".  They are just trying to survive.  We are the wild ones.  We don't do things like that for survival.  We do them because some of us are afraid, scared, cruel, uncaring, and fanatical.

We humans are sometimes inspired creators of beauty, invention, creative thought, and civilization.  Discoverers of mysteries of the universe.  So far as I know, no other living creature has ever looked at the stars and wondered what they were or deliberately took action to find out.  No other animal has ever contemplated its own death or what happens afterwards.

Only we.  And yet we kill each other not for food.  We cause pain for no purpose.  We commit mayhem, destruction, and death to our own kind.  We create the 4 Horsemen Of The Apocolypse in our own image because they are US...

Too many of us think "it's not the Earth the meek inherit, its the dirt". *   Way too often, we don't value those who just live peacefully; we admire those who command others and take without helping.

In the past 2 decades, we have seen the rise of hate-filled people finding each other (when once they were isolated and feeling alone) organizing themselves via the internet.  Mass murders are becoming common, as individuals are encouraged by each other to commit mayhem.

As an even minor matter, flash mobs are increasing.  Lately, people driving ATV have started to swarm areas of some cities, terrorize pedestrians and car drivers and then suddenly disappear along paths where police cars cannot follow.

Does that remind you of A Clockwork Orange"?

I'm not saying this is new.  And I don't want to say society is falling apart or that the newest generation is evil.  The ancient Greeks even complained about that.

What I'm saying is that we need to reorganize our society to provide more early intervention and therapy rather than just build more prisons and punish those different from we more peaceful types.  I think there are usually causes for hate.  And if those are addressed, the later problems won't occur as often.

* One of the most perfect songs ever written about unethical attitude was "The 7 Deadly Virtues" sung by Mordred in 'Camelot'.

"The seven deadly virtues, those ghastly little traps

Oh no, my liege, they were not meant for me

Those seven deadly virtues were made for other chaps

Who love a life of failure and ennui

Take courage-now there's a sport

An invitation to the state of rigor mort

And purity-a noble yen

And very restful every now and then

I find humility means to be hurt

It's not the earth the meek inherit, it's the dirt

Honesty is fatal, it should be taboo

Diligence-a fate I would hate

If charity means giving, I give it to you

And fidelity is only for your mate

You'll never find a virtue unstatusing my quo or making my Beelzebubble burst

Let others take the high road, I will take the low

I cannot wait to rush in where angels fear to go

With all those seven deadly virtues free and happy little me has not been cursed"

I have to add more.  I was sitting at the computer today and listening to the radio and they mentioned  the exact time the 3rd plane hit the Pentagon.  I worked sort of near there. 

I felt a thump up through our solid building.  I didn't know what it was at the time, but I understood after.   We were all focussed on the World Trade Centers at the time.  Part of our office was "Emergency Management", so we had several TVs around.  We were watching the towers fall in disbelief.

I don't recall the timeline of events all that well now.  We were just shocked and stunned.  I could know better even just re-reading the posts from the time, but that not the point. 

I was and still now so angry that anyone could do such things. 

My day went something like this (and if I have some events out of place, forgive me):

1.  Hey (Division Director) a plane just crashed into one of the Towers in NYC.

2.  OMG, a 2nd one hit (dawning awareness).

3.  I feel a thump through the building.

4.  Smoke on the horizon.

5.  The first Tower falls in real time. 

6.  We realize the Pentagon has been hit.

7.  The second tower falls.  Many in the conference room think it is a replay but I shout "its the other one".

8.  We are all just stunned.  Thought the first was a horrible accident.  It all seems incomprehensible. 

9.  It all starts to sink in. 

10.  All employees are dismissed.  "Leave now"!

11.  My office is on the top floor.  We have some roof access.  We see smoke from the Pentagon.

12.  The streets are clogged.  No one is moving.  I tell my carpool, we aren't leaving.  We are only a couple blocks away from The White House, but this old building is all stone.  We are safer her until the streets clear.

13.  We hear about a 4th plane coming for DC.  Most remaining people head to the basement.  I stand on the roof watching.  We aren't the target.  If it hits us, I want to watch.  OK, I 'm crazy.  But I wanted to see.

14.  That plane went down in Pennsylvania the radio says.  We don't know why.

15.  I watch fighter planes circling around DC.

16.  The streets are clearing.  I tell the carpool we can leave.  I'm the driver that day.

17.  Some roads are blocked.  I end up up on an unfamiliar path, but finally recognize a road,  The roads there are completely empty. 

18.  My whole carpool is crying.  So am I.  I use nearly a whole box of tissues keeping my vision "sort of' clear.  The roads are empty though...

I don't recall much the next couple of days.  I don't even remember if I went to work the next day.  That doesn't matter. 

What matters is that I developed a hate of the specific people who did that and I will not let it go. 

"Never forgive, never forget".

 

A Night

It was 8 pm.  I read blogs.  I answered emails.  All was well...

But then the dark side came over me.  I went to a DISCUSSION BOARD!  Flails from the LEFT, flails from the RIGHT, flails from the CENTER bounded and tore.   I dodged them as best I could, facts shielding me from, so I thought. 

But after mere moments I truly was assailed by ignorance and taunts.   In spite of all facts, my best ones I plead, the armies did numerously my overwhelm my refusals to yield.

In silliness unfactual arguments did some represent, till my armies of supporters did true represent that my facts were supported, and those who supported the opposite view were soon sure to be cursed.

And leaving the sotie, perhaps Rick and Morty, I went off to find some old comical lines.

I could not find Autumn or her kind lover Winter but I did find Las Lindas and read upon those for a time.  But then I remembered The Piled High And Deeper of alt-comic fame.  And therein I sat whatching  this one and that  reading the starts of 2 comics I surely recalled that...

Amused me years ago reading about all that sh*t.  Ansd today bringing ll f those memories though,

You'ld have to begin at the start you know, and not at 6:30 am like I am now.

How To Lose Weight

Get up at dawn

Get on the computer.

Stay on the computer. 

See dawn...

Ignore dawn.

Watch sun set.

Think "how bad would cat food taste"...?

Decide not to find out.

Make 3 egg rolls and a couple shrimp. 

Got to bed.

Sleep 14 hours...

There is a reason I have a clock in the bedroom that just tells me what day it is...

Price-fixing

Chewy sells a case of a particular cat food at  at $38.66 per case, Amazon sells it at $38.66 per case.  Logic suggests one might offer it at $38.49 and the other at $38.67.  Or whatever.  How is that not "price-fixing?  That's illegal.

We are getting way too controlled be non-competiveness.  Everything costs the same no matter where you go.   That's wrong.

Idiots Everywhere

My next door neighbor cut down most of the hedge between her and the farther neighbor 2 months ago.  It might have been by agreement, but I wonder if they know (as only I do being here before both of them) that the hedge was planted by the previous owner of the OTHER house. 

Not all that important, but that same immediate neighbor decided to burn the dried hedge material in the back yard.  Under small dry trees.  Among other dry debris.  Next to my wood fence...

Fortunately, I happened to step out side and heard the very distinct sound of a crackling fire.

Seriously, there was dry brush from the original burning spot all the way to my fence.  I told her it was very dangerous for several obvious reasons and that she needed to put it out.  She said OK and told her child to bring water.  It came in a child's pail which the woman splashed around a bit.  But they did that several times and it appeared to be extinguished.  The woman went inside; I stayed out to watch.  Fortunately it really was out.

Who is dumb enough to burn dry brush under dry trees near a wood fence?

Just a few minutes ago, I went to the local 7-11 literally midnight, and there was a teenager who just sailed through a busy intersection (with no overhead lights) on a black push scooter.  Wearing black clothes.  I only saw him in the headlights as I turned.  And I hit the brakes.  Another driver turning oppositely almost hit him too. 

Is there something in the water that is making people stupid?

Books

I was a young reader and loved reading books as a child.  I always needed more books to read.  The first document I ever owned was a library card.By the time I was 12, I had read the entire family encyclopedia of 25 volumes and several of my parents' saved textbooks.  I had gone through the entire local library's "young adult" section (defined as age 12-15 or something close to that).  I had to get permission from my parents and the librarian to check out more adult books.

My parents approved, but I vaguely recall the librarian asking questions about the difference between information and fiction.  I don't recall my answers the least bit, but apparently, when it was clear I understood the difference between William and Clark exploring Western North America and Isaac Asimov and Buck Rogers, I was allowed to read more adult books. 

In the years afterwards, I spent a LOT of money buying both science fiction AND information books.  So I love books and cherish the enjoyment of reading and the real information at my fingertips.

10 years ago, I packed half of my sci-books into boxes  to clear some shelf space.  It was the half I thought the least of.  A few years ago, I went through my shelves and removed those "information books"I thought had little value.  Those got tossed after I learned the local library didn't want my kind of books.

I've started a de-clutterring project.  Today, I went through the information books and tossed most of them into the recycling bin and put more in boxes in the garage because the recycling bin was filled. 

The era of information books is over.  The internet provides all the information I can use.  I skimmed through many of the books and I couldn't find anything in them that wasn't easier to find on the internet.  Basically, the internet (in this regard) is a bigger faster library a few keywords away. 

And books go obsolete so quickly sometimes.  Or even were decades ago.  I looked at one World History book and it was written in 1937!  So I got brutal about it.  Any information book that seemed overcome by new information (historical, scientific, or repair) went. 

I kept books like 'The Peter Principle' and 'Murphy's Laws' and 'Flatland' and Human and Cat evolution.  And those may go in the some future weeding.

Six 3' shelves became one.  Some I'll keep because their information doesn't age much (backyard landscaping projects or linguistic explanations).  And some books went because I'm not sure why I bought them in the first place. 

But I bet I tossed out books that cost me $5,000 originally.  And a shelf of National Geographic maps; Google does that better.    I got rid of 10 years of various magazines a few months ago.  I got rid of books of Poe stories and Kipling verses.  I even tossed al dozen Ayn Rand books I thought I would read and never did after 20 years.

I hesitated before doing this today, but I thought about the last time I did a few years ago and couldn't recall a single book of them.  Obviously, I did not miss them.  I bet I won't miss these either. 

It was hard to start tossing them, but easy to continue once I realized I wasn't losing information, just accepting that there was a better way to get at it that didn't fill up physical bookcases.

OK, so books had their time.  I guess I just went screaming and kicking into the 21st century today.  One day centuries ago, a storyteller started reciting a memorized tale of some hero, and the King said "I have that book, and others.  You're fired".

Things change.  And I'm not done tossing books.  The recycle bin is mostly filled and very heavy.  So tomorrow I'll pile more in boxes and stack them in the garage for the next recycle pickup.  I'm keeping every sci book I own.  Those don't actually become obsolete. 

Strange Flower

I have planted a lot of flowers over the years.  I usually recognize them when I see them.  I appreciate some (like Brown-Eyed Susans) that self-sow in places they like better than where I originally planted a few a decade ago.  I have a lot of those now in clumps scaterred around a corner of the yard.

I've been planting other self-sowers in other spots (seems efficient).  If they survive like the Susans and spread around, it will be interesting.  When I plant annuals, I tend to be very geometric, but these I will let wander where they may.  In fact, I'll snip the flower heads, rub the seedheads in my hand into a bowl to separate the seeds and just scatter them everywhere I don't mow. 

If it works, great - Flowers Everywhere.  If not, no loss...

I know it works in general, because last Fall, I collected seedheads from the Pollinator Bed and scatterred them back in and added a thin layer of leaf compost to cover lightly.  I got mostly just one kind though.  I don't know what it is, but orange flowers are nice and the bees love them.

But the strange flower is this...

I've never seen that in the yard, and I've sure never planted anything like that.  It's 16" tall.  The flower lasted 2 days and I don't see another bloom coming.

I may take a walk around the neighborhood to see if someone is growing those to ask what it is.  Of course, if anyone here recognizes it, that would be good...

Broken Cinder Block Wall

OK, some of this might sound technical but it isn't really.

My sunken patio cinder block retainer wall broke a month ago.  I originally thought it was due to rain, but now I think it was just coincidence.  There was no flooding against the wall.  Even the soil behind it is not expanded.

I had a masonry guy come out and he said he would rebuild it in a trench all around for $16,000.  Um, no not what I needed.  A couple other people returned calls, but I couldn't understand a word they said.  So I gave up and considered how I could do it myself.

I tried levering the wall back in place.  Wood beams are not as strong as cinderblock weight.  They bent first.  I needed a better lever.  I came across a "motorcycle lift", basically a wide scissor jack like you might have in your car for lifting it to change a tire.  But wider and more stable and up to 1100 pounds lift.  You turn a large handle, and the lift slowly spreads.   Cost $80.

I bought one.  It took a few days to figure out an immovable object from which to push the wall.  The house foundation was obvious, but I didn't have anything long enough to reach the broken wall.  But there were 6'x6" posts concreted 3' down and anchored to the foundation above. 

And I had a 4"x4" post that just came a foot short.  Perfect!  But the angle from the deck post wasn't exactly at the angle of the broken wall.  So I used some scrap wood and a dozen serious clamps to make it so.  That left "just" enough room for the motorcycle lift to fit in.

Let's just say that to avoid any boards moving around, I also clamped some wood to the posts to prevent that.  No supporting structure could move.  So I started to turn the handle of the motorcycle lift.  And no, there was no damage to the deck posts or anything else.  I had all possible movements prevented.

The broken cinder block wall MOVED!  I actually jumped for joy...  I got it 9" of 12" back in place before the lift was fully extended.  But then the angle was changed and it slipped sideways under pressure.  Nothing sudden, just that the pressure sideways was greater the the pressure forwards. 

GRUMPH!

It's at the point where I only need to move it 3 more inches in order to use some masonry construction adhesive between the broken edges (stronger that grout, it claims).  But it only has a 20 minute window before hardening.  So I had to know I could push the 2 edges quickly enough.

And I don't have posts that match the distance!  Arghhh...  I have some ideas about using bricks, wood chunks, loose solid cinder block caps.  But until I'm absolutely sure there is no angle of pressure that won't cause them to suddenly pop loose dangerously, I won't proceed.

I THINK two clamped 2"by12" boards across the 2 deck posts with be strong enough (a 4"x4" post just bends), but I want to think of a stronger and safer arrangement. 

And I should mention that the handle on the motorcycle lift is just a small 6" metal rod attached to a hex drive that fits over the screw that turns the jack.  It hurt my hands to put enough pressure on it to turn it when things got heavy.  Well, it just occurred to me while writing this that I have a ratchet drive set with longer handles and sockets and one of them is for loosening/tightening the lug nuts of truck wheels (that I've never had need of before), so I can get more leverage...

But I'm getting there...  Half the fun of doing difficult things is figuring out HOW to do the things. 

;)