The Hanging Chad

broderic on November 4, 2020

If you didn’t know, the United States had an election yesterday. Donald Trump versus Joe Biden. I’m sure you didn’t know, but I voted for Joe Biden. Last Tuesday.

It’s now a day later, and we don’t know who won. Thanks to the Electoral College, we still wondering who will get those votes. If we went by popular vote, Joe Biden would’ve been winner last night as Donald Trump has always been a favorite of a minority of voters. This wait reminds me…

Twenty years ago, we were in the same position with George W. Bush and Al Gore. That time we had the problems with Florida. We still do with the damn Cubans wanting to go back to the past and fight commies. Oya, Donald Trump is backed by commies.

Anyhow, that election twenty years ago featured another few days of counting votes to determine the winner via the Electoral College. Florida needed to do a recount, but the dumb ass Supreme Court in a terrible decision stopped the count and awarded dumb-fuck W the presidency. And it has been terribly contested since then.

But this time, no hanging chads to laugh about. We just need to count all votes that have been submitted, and maybe, just maybe, Biden will have won.

National Holiday

broderic on November 3, 2020

I wonder why we aren’t all off today. I’m not, but I am acting like it.

Vote (if you are voting Blue, don’t if Red).

And It Follows You

broderic on October 31, 2020

Went for a walk this afternoon.  The usual place — the park behind my house.  It was a former road converted to a walking area which is right next to a stream.  It’s also in a valley with woods surrounding the walkway.  It was a nice afternoon for a walk.  It was a bit cool and overcast, but still beats the rain we’ve had the last few days.

Usually, I don’t wear my earbuds while walking.  Music is a distraction, but this time I wore them.  I wasn’t out for a walk for exercise. I was just trying to make my steps.  Chasing the streak!  Since the walk wasn’t for exercise, I was dressed casually in khakis and sweater.  A hat on and a neck gaiter just in case I run into a lot of people using the walkway.

I didn’t.  It was quiet for a weekend, especially on Halloween.  

As I walked, under the eaves of the trees, I kicked up the fallen leaves.  I was crunching through them just oblivious to the world listening to my music.  After a few minutes, I was alone.  

Enjoying the woods, I didn’t hear the other noises with the earbuds in.  I didn’t hear the other footsteps trudging through the fallen leaves.  When I did, I didn’t see anyone else around.  

I peered across the stream, and see no one there.  Is it just me?  Am I alone in these woods?  I didn’t want to find out.  I quickened my pace on the turnaround and practically was jogging back the way I came from.  The leaves moving was just me and my follower.  

I rounded a corner and there was a family coming my way.  My follower immediately disappeared.  I didn’t let up my pace.  I passed the people with a rigid smile.  I did not hear my follower on the way home.  Welp, that’s just how it goes on the spookiest day of the year.

Vote

broderic on October 27, 2020

I voted!

I think that’s not all that needs to be said. Vote Democrat.

If you’re voting Republican, then don’t. Go away!

Seventy-Four from Forty-Six

broderic on October 24, 2020

In the waning days of Shiraishi Mai’s membership in Nogizaka46, she has gifted us a very fun and amusing YouTube video on her channel. She’s dancing to Girls Rule and wearing as many different Nogizaka costumes as she can. The count is 74. I believe I like 73 of them.

This is the second video of hers that I’ve featured. I hope she continues to produce more that I’ll feature her after her graduation.

Oven Fries Hot and Crisp

broderic on October 14, 2020

So I made some ribs tonight for dinner. I’ll save the story for another day. Let’s just say low and slow for hours on end. I started cooking after my 2 o’clock meeting. I just finished cleaning up. Yeah. Low and slow for hours on end.

But as the title indicates, I want to talk about the side of fries I made with the ribs. I wasn’t going to deep fry them. I don’t want the mess. So I was going to do them in the oven.

“But the ribs!”

Yeah. What to do. What to do?

I had two russet potatoes. I cut them into fries, threw them in a water bath to remove starch for about 30 minutes, dried them, and spread them out on towel to dry out. Tossed them with some vegetable oil and salt before spreading out again on a pizza pan — that’s the largest pan after my half sheet which at that moment was being used for the ribs.

I planned to “par-boil” the fries before upping the heat in the oven after the ribs were done. So into the oven at the low temperature while the ribs were going. This was close to when the ribs were done — about 30 minutes.

When I pulled the ribs out and covered with tin foil, I upped the temperature in the oven to 450 F, flipped the fries around, and slid them back in for 20 minutes. They didn’t look too great before they went back in. Perhaps I was wrong on this “par-boil” method, and that they’ll turn out soggy.

But after the first 20 minutes they were developing a good color and were slightly crisp. I planned for another 20 minutes, but pulled them out after 10 because they were nicely brown. Crisp. And a bit over done tending towards burnt.

I think they were dried out too much in the “par-boil” method. They were crisp but the inner wasn’t nice and soft. It was missing.

Overall, it was a great dinner, which took too long to get. It shouldn’t be done on a Wednesday, but on a lazy Sunday.

Still it was good.