tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61717830246317517082024-03-17T22:00:35.293-05:00Planned ObsolescenceThis blog will host my ramblings about life. To be a bit more specific, I'll probably focus on these subjects: music, sports, food, the everyday beauty of life, and the comedy/tragedy/absurdity of our existence. That about covers it.Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.comBlogger2328125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-10019828603075551012024-03-15T14:33:00.002-05:002024-03-15T14:33:38.441-05:00Music Friday: "Northern Attitude" <p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I've been on a Noah Kahan kick lately. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So here's "Northern Attitude." </span> </p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6jRpKSCiY44?si=YKa7tTfAvsUITWJN" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BTzok75Ygaw?si=nUup77OZVFNCqMzr" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-26692166845360639102024-03-14T18:22:00.005-05:002024-03-14T18:22:46.251-05:00Musing of the Moment: Interesting Facts/Trivia<span style="font-family: verdana;">For the holidays I got book of factoids titled <i>Interesting Facts for Curious Minds: 1572 Random but Mind-Blowing Facts about History, Science, Pop Culture and Everything in Between</i>. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">As I read the book, I noted these facts/trivia I found most interesting, and I'm sharing them in this post. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">They are below, and I'm quoting the author, Jordan Moore, word for word. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Cuban dictator Fidel Castro was a pragmatic leader. One of his best-known quotes is, "A revolution is not a bed of roses."</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Panama may be a small country, but Manuel Noriega was able to build a personal fortune of $300 million as its dictator from August 12, 1983 to December 20, 1989. He built his fortune through drug smuggling, CIA contracts, bribes, money laundering, and fraud.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you really don't care about something, you "couldn't care less," not you "could care less." The latter implies you still have some caring to do. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The once common dog name "Fido" came from the Romans. The name is derived from the Latin word, f<i>idelis</i>, which means "loyal." </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">An average dog's hearing is four times better than a human, but the part of their brain devoted to their sense of smell is about 40 time larger than ours. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Although the ancient Egyptians didn't name most of their breeds, their texts and reliefs show they had basenjis, salukis, and greyhounds. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">When your dog kicks his hind legs after relieving himself, it isn't a weak attempt to cover the poo. No, Spot is merely marking his territory with the scent glands in his feet. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Although dice games preceded the Romans, the Romans were the first people to bet on dice. The Romans called double 'ones' -- 'snake's eyes' today -- a 'dog throw.'</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Up to 20% of the American population may be allergic to the chemical nickel. This could be big considering that nickel is a major components in smartphones. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The 1980 arcade game, Pac-Man, originally came out in Japan as Puck Man. The name was changed when it was realized how vandals could have fun with the word "Puck." </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Atari 2600 console hit the stores in 1977. It was a big step up from previous game systems because it used separate cartridges for each game. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The lyrics of the nursery rhyme "Ring around the Rosie" are a bizarre mystery. Many believe it refers to a bout of the plague where people carried bouquets of flowers and herbs to smell while walking in public, while others think it refers to a pagan ritual. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The bean bag chair was invented in 1968 by Italian Piero Gatti, Cesare Poolini, and Franco Teodoro. Its popularity peaked in the late 1970s. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">As Charles Darwin (1809-1882) developed his theory of evolution, he also invented the modern office chair by adding wheels to make a swiveling chair. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Ancient Greek mathematician Pythogoras (ca. 570-495 BCE) is best know for his theorem but he was also a mystic who led a commune. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The opposite sides of traditional dice always add up to seven. You can throw the dice as much as you want, but it's always the case. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">According to the "birthday problem," 23 random people can be placed in a room and there's a 50% chance two of them will have the same birthday. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tamales are an ancient dish dating back at least 5,000 years in Mesoamerica. The word "tamale" is derived from the Nahuatl/Aztec word, <i>tamali</i>.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Carthaginians reportedly catapulted pots filled with venomous snakes onto the ships of the Pergamon navy during a battle in 184 BCE. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Greek Fire was an incendiary, napalm-like weapon used by the Byzantine Empire from 672 to 1453. The ingredients and process to make Greek Fire remain a mystery. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the 500s BCE, the Greek colony, Sybaris, in Italy, passed one of the earliest known noise ordinances. It prohibited tinsmiths and roosters form the city limits. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hallucinogenic psilocybin mushrooms were taken by many different American Indian peoples as part of religious rituals. The Aztecs even referred to one species as the "divine mushroom." </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the 1980s, ethnobotanist Wade Davis claimed that Haitian Voodoo zombies were created by a combination of tetrodotoxin from a pufferfish and bufotoxin from a toad. They were then "reanimated" with a natural drug, datura.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Englishman Thomas Crapper (1836-1910) didn't invent the toilet, but he did improve plumbing by inventing the "U-bend" trap. It prevents liquids and gasses from flowing back into the toilet. The actual invent of the flush toilet can be traced back to a British man named Sir John Harrington who, in 1596, devised a mechanism with a cord that, when pulled, flushed away waste with a rush of water. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">A survey revealed that the average woman hasn't worn $550 worth of clothing they own or about 20% of their wardrobe. Interestingly, shoes are the number one unworn item. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Islam has traditionally viewed dogs as "unclean," so they aren't very common pets in the Middle East. Cats were kept by Mohammad and considered "clean." </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Contrary to common media portrayals, most burglaries take place between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Professional crooks strike when homeowners are at work or school.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Molly Pitcher" is the legendary name of either Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley or Margaret Hays. The story is that "Molly" carried pitchers of water to Patriot troops to cool the canons during a battle in the American Revolution. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Warrior goddesses were not uncommon in the ancient world. The Greek goddess Athena, the Assyrian goddess Ishtar, and the Egyptian lioness headed goddess Sekhmet, were all martial dieties. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">No US state uses wind as its primary source of electrical power. But it's the second source of power for Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Kansas. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Forest bathing" is a form of natural mental health therapy where a person simply spends time in forests. The activity is officially sanctioned by the Japanese government, which calls shinmin-yoku.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">A single cottonwood tree can release 40 million seeds in one season. The seeds can then float through the air for days, much longer than any other type of seed. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the Keynesian view of modern economics, low unemployment is more important than low inflation. Government spending is encouraged to keep employment levels high. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Simon Bolivar (1783-1830) was South America's George Washington. Bolivar drove the Spanish from northern South America to become the father of the nations of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Bolivia. </span></li></ul></div>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-90987975441189123952024-03-08T19:49:00.000-06:002024-03-08T19:49:24.175-06:00Music Friday: "This Ain't It"<span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Weathervanes</i> is one of Isbell's best albums. Back to rocking out. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">And here's one of the many fine tunes on that album--video and live from Des Moines. </span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LZkIpP_mIoA?si=PFHo1_tlhKYhir-c" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qk2FG_Yqe5k?si=uY7WgeR7AUekb5va" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-18946820128227348322024-03-06T16:45:00.000-06:002024-03-06T16:45:04.804-06:00Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Spinach Artichoke Dip<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is a variation of a recipe I got from <i>The Washington Post</i>. It's damn good. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Ingredients</b></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">2-3 TB of extra virgin olive oil</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 can of quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 package of frozen </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">spinach, thawed and chopped</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">1-2 TB Dan-Os garlic seasoning</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 ts red papper flakes</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 TB of Smoked paprika</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 package of cream cheese (8 oz.), softened to room temperature</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">1/2 cup of sour cream</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Salt and pepper to taste</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Process</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Heat the oil </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">in a cast-iron skillet </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">on medium-high heat and add in the chopped spinach and artichokes. Add the seasonings with some salt and pepper. Saute for 8-10 minutes until most of the liquid is sweated out of it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Turn off the heat and add in the the cream cheese and cheeses and stir thoroughly, so it's evenly combined. Add in the sour cream until it's evenly combined. Taste the mixture and add in salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Get the broiler going in your oven and put the the skillet on the middle rack in the oven and broil for 5 minutes or so. </span></div><p></p>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-8773464331309957682024-03-01T11:01:00.003-06:002024-03-01T11:01:46.572-06:00Music Friday: "Doctor My Eyes"<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jackson Browne is such a great musician and songwriter. I got turned on to his stuff again after watching him perform on Austin City Limits. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Also, I think this would be a good tune to play after an umpire makes a bad call. </span></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2Skae4wjDWo?si=-4t_CLUCO4nNUmKT" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-90327236716631649792024-02-23T15:34:00.001-06:002024-02-23T15:34:32.452-06:00Music Friday: "Life Is Grand"<span style="font-family: verdana;">I listened to a lot of Camper Van Beethoven in the late 80s and early 90s. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here's what might be described as an anti-alternative anthem amongst the angst of the Reagan-Bush administrations. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The second video has better sound quality, fwiw. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oDdUcmABAQw?si=O8TqFdEY-A7Uei13" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2n62HFmzz9g?si=fcsLqW5Eqa91QDpF" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-80372414651066115512024-02-17T13:00:00.000-06:002024-02-17T13:00:03.536-06:00Random Notes from a Crank<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">On Valentines Day, YouGov had its three daily questions focus on love and relationships and such. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The first question was, "Throughout your life, how many people have you been in love with?" Here's how the percentages broke down when I took the survey:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">0, 4%</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">1, 17%</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">2, 24%</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">3, 19%</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">4, 9%</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">5, 4%</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">More than 5, 10%</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">60% of respondents said either 1, 2, or 3 partners. One factor I think in play is the first person you love and how breaking up with them makes you more rigorous in falling in love after the first person broke your heart. That's why I checked 2. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">As for these "more than 5" people, I think they need to be more rigorous with their loving. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">This week I finished rewatching all six seasons of <i>Northern Exposure</i>, which is now available on Amazon Prime. It's my favorite TV show of all time. At the end of every episode, you have a good feeling at the end--except of course the final episode when I was sad the series was over. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The show was way ahead of its time. From my knowledge, the series has to be one of the first to have an openly gay couple in it. And the show started questioning Maurice's sexuality from the second episode after he gets mad at Chris for bringing up Walt Whitman's homosexuality. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of my favorite episodes is the one in which Maurice has a fancy dinner party for the 25th anniversary of his radio station, the one titled "The Big Feast." Ron, one of the gay men in the series, raises a toast to Maurice by saying, "You're a bigot and a homophobe." </span></div><p></p>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-13438709104311247662024-02-16T15:24:00.003-06:002024-02-16T15:24:40.631-06:00Music Friday: "Homesick"<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">After watching his performance on Austin City Limites, I've gotten into Noah Kahan's music lately.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here's a great tune from <i>Stick Season</i>.</span></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ip-dkLJyMLg?si=S5RayS4vnAf1YrWI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-28722852157911705952024-02-13T09:15:00.003-06:002024-02-13T09:16:06.980-06:00Random Notes from a Crank<span style="font-family: verdana;">In the February issue of <i>Harper's</i>, they provided some excerpts from The Notebooks of Sonny Rollins, the great jazz saxophonist. Here are some entries to spoke to me: </span><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Another good day to think and be thankful for.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ask Charles: Is it about eating and putting a roof over your head? Is that what life amounts to?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have at times wanted and wished for time to stand still at particular moment. If it would all stay this way this would be heaven. But of course (reality) the other side of the whole soon reappears. Things are never constant. Disaster is coming. Disasters are coming. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Forgive everyone everything. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">What other people think of you is none of your business. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up. </span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here's an interesting gifted article from The Washington Post: <a href="https://wapo.st/3uFrdQR" target="_blank">"The Remarkable Power of Holding Hands with Someone You Love."</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The article reminds of a bit by Chris Rock in one of his more recent specials where he talks about how he'll do all kinds of sexual stuff with a woman with no personal attachment, but if he holds hands with her, then he gets emotionally attached. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's been a long time ago since I had gotten under the weather. I think the last time I got sick was maybe in 2018 or 2017. I survived the pandemic without contracting Covid (as far as I know), and this past weekend I got brought down by the common cold. </span></div>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-74710888007186991222024-02-09T09:44:00.001-06:002024-02-09T09:44:09.219-06:00Music Friday: "ICU"<span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm a big fan of Phoebe Bridgers. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here's a tune of hers. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lDGWhJmnack?si=LO3cadC3_ouCkBEE" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-10624869306416773382024-02-08T18:12:00.003-06:002024-02-08T18:12:59.952-06:00Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Salmon Loaf<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I found a recipe for salmon loaf on the InterWebs and modified it a little. It's pretty easy to make, but you need to create some kind of dill- or lemon-based sauce to put over it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Ingredients</b></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 can of canned salmon, drained and flaked</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 cup of dried breadcrumbs</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">1/2 cup of milk</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">1/4 cup of diced onion</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">2 eggs, beaten</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Juice of half of a lemon</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Salt and pepper to taste</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Couple of dashes of liquid smoke (you could substitute smoked paprika)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Smidge of Old Bay seasoning</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Process</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">After draining the salmon and flaking it, cook down onions in a little bit of oil. In a big mixing bowl, add the everything and mix well. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Grease down a sheet pan and with your hands mold the mixture into a loaf. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Put it into a 375-degree oven on the middle rack and bake for approximately 40-50 minutes. The loaf should have at least an internal temp of 165 degrees. </span></div><p></p>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-72583830022408810602024-02-02T13:08:00.000-06:002024-02-02T13:08:02.149-06:00Music Friday: "Use Me"<span style="font-family: verdana;">This week I've been listening to this album quite often. It's <i>Lean on Me: The Best of Bill Withers</i>. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Enjoy.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HprVW3gS-H4?si=LAPvwl-NK9azX2Dp" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-3349469250763688642024-01-26T11:24:00.001-06:002024-01-26T11:24:14.853-06:00Music Friday: "Grief Is Only Love" & "Cuckoo"<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The lead singer of American Aquarium put out his top ten or twenty list of best albums of 2023 a while back, and the album that was number one was Steven Wilson Jr.'s <i>Son of Dad</i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So I picked it up, and I like it. I'm not a person who automatically gravitates toward county-like music, but Wilson Jr. is more Americana music, and you can tell he has a wide background in types of music. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here are "Grief Is Only Love" and "Cuckoo."</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qxO78msA02E?si=HlYHjVklHmc1lXfT" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fBWZ92LOZJI?si=i8VuzUTcuQI63zvC" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-7195138077342985922024-01-24T11:39:00.000-06:002024-01-24T11:39:18.893-06:00Random Notes from a Crank<p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Watching <i>Northern Exposure</i> with all its Red Hook beer advertising reminds me of one of my favorite breweries. I drank my fair share of Red Hook ESBs and Long Hammer IPAs. Strangely enough, I drank lots of Red Hook, a beer made in Seattle, when I lived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I've never seen it around these parts, unfortunately. And now they have all kinds of interesting IPAs that I can't get my hands on.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I searched for it on Binny's website, and all I got was squat. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had forgotten how much I enjoyed that show, <i>Northern Exposure</i>. It has to be my favorite TV series of all time. I'm so glad Amazon made it available on Prime. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because of a possible "wintry mix," the schools around here did not have have classes. All it did was rain. The silliness of people who aren't used to snow...</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I've seen a trend recently of mid-size cities or larger cities making people their area's poet laureate. When did this move of laureating poets in places like Mobile and Mufreesboro start to happen? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm not against it or anything. In fact, I like it because it supports the artistic community, but I'm just wondering when this trend started. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Who started the laureating fire? And where else will it spread to? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">NPR has an interesting article out about the "Nones," who are apparently the largest group in the US in regard to religion. I fit into that group because I'm a highly skeptical agnostic.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The article is <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/01/24/1226371734/religious-nones-are-now-the-largest-single-group-in-the-u-s?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=nprnews&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&fbclid=IwAR3hR5npCXFSGIXZS53_kGxY49DZNeRigkO54ql0TXCTF3VEsR8UCc4ktYk" target="_blank">"Religious 'Nones' Are Now the Largest Single Group in the U.S."</a> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The good news to me is that this group is growing and they are likely to be liberal. In addition, apparently Evangelicals is a group that's shrinking. More good news. </span></p>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-73959550403104581282024-01-19T09:20:00.001-06:002024-01-19T09:20:21.046-06:00Music Friday: Where You Lead<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm working from home on this snowy Friday, and I'm listening to my iPod on shuffle. This song came up. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So enjoy. </span> </p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pFfOsY40SSo?si=7d26ePLi0JbGxpsE" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e3xwcji1BLQ?si=xIhe4LZgji0P7k9g" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-34140587452255725112024-01-17T16:03:00.000-06:002024-01-17T16:03:02.908-06:00Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Beef Liver Pate<span style="font-family: verdana;">I got the basics of this recipe from the InterWebs, but I modified it a bit. I added juice from a couple of slices of lime to brighten it up a bit. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Ingredients</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 package of beef liver</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">6 TB of butter</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">2-3 slivers of lime, squeezed</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Salt and pepper to taste</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Dried thyme to taste</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Process</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Wash the liver and pat them dry. Cut into smaller sizes and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Put a cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat and add three tablespoons of butter to it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Once the butter is melted and sufficiently hot, add the liver and sauté each side of the liver for one minute. Move the cooked liver to a plate to cool. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">In a separate small skillet, melt three tablespoons of butter on low. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Wait for about fifteen minutes, so the liver cools down. Place the liver, lime juice, melted butter, thyme, salt, and pepper into a food processor. Process till it's smooth and refrigerate. </span></div>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-10476669220398686392024-01-12T17:41:00.003-06:002024-01-12T17:41:29.427-06:00Music Friday: "Pictures of You"<span style="font-family: verdana;">As I was driving to my son's basketball games yesterday, I listened to the Life with John Mayer channel on SiriusXM radio. He has interesting musical tastes. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">One song that came one "Lovesong" by The Cure, and I was reminded how I like that band, but it's another one of those bands that I never really bought any of their albums. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here's one of my favorite tunes from The Cure, one with a long instrumental opening. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UmFFTkjs-O0?si=7ZoWj7qqqoRdmttw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-69912286063989683622024-01-08T14:39:00.001-06:002024-01-08T14:39:23.823-06:00Musing of the Moment: The Danger and Stupidity of Bottled Water<span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>The Washington Post</i> has a great article out today about the danger of not just microplastics but also nanoplastics in bottled water: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/01/08/microplastics-nanoplastics-bottled-water-study/" target="_blank">"Here's What You're Really Swallowing When Your Drink Bottled Water."</a> </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bottled water is one of the biggest scams out there because a lot of bottled water simply comes from municipal sources. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">And then there's an old Penn and Teller bit on bottled water that you can watch below.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v2qydjVbLJk?si=SvMtGGfn0hLWnOnj" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">So people are buying water they can get from their faucet or filtered from a refrigerator. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">They are voluntarily ingesting microplastics and nanoplastics, which I would assume it bad for one's body. They are paying an exorbitant fee for the water they could get from their municipality. And because so few people actually recycle the bottles, the world is awash in plastic polluting the very water they want to drink. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The stupidity of humans.</span></div>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-10862238430081116942024-01-05T11:04:00.000-06:002024-01-05T11:04:09.198-06:00Music Friday: "The Man"<span style="font-family: verdana;">This song makes me grin. It kind of reminds me "The Dude" from <i>The Big Lebowski</i>. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here you go. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9xFNCmhnBJc?si=QEkbghFRMn8xBFNQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-70646327048598533732024-01-04T18:30:00.003-06:002024-01-04T18:30:32.969-06:00Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Lemon-Butter Fettuccine <p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I tried a recipe from <i>The Washington Post</i> a little while back, and I didn't like how it came out. So I modified it to my liking since I use the store-bought, cheaper parmesan cheese that mucked up the original recipe.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I like this version much better. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Ingredients</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 stick of butter</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">2 lemons</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 regular box of fettuccine</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 TB of dried basil</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 Ts of dried oregano</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 Ts of minced garlic</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 Ts of Dan-O's seasoning</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 TB of Seasonello Bologna aromatic herbal salt</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Extra virgin olive oil</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Salt and pepper to taste</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Process</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">First cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Once it is fully drained and cooled, drizzle it with some extra virgin olive oil and toss. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Halfway through cooking the pasta, melt the butter on medium-low and zest the two lemons. Add the lemon zest, seasonings, and minced garlic to the melted butter and adjust to low. Juice half of a lemon into the melted butter and add salt and pepper. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kick the heat of the butter mixture up to medium-low and add the pasta in to fully coat it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When serving, liberally apply lots of parmesan cheese on top since the reaction between parmesan and lemon is a delightful combination. </span></p>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-78447074036147372242024-01-03T17:50:00.003-06:002024-01-03T17:50:35.621-06:00Random Notes from a Crank<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I saw this one ready-made shot that you can buy called "Porn Star." It's a half and half mixture of raspberry vodka and blue curaçao. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you were to make a shot called "porn star," don't you think it would be a different color, such as white like a pina colada to mimic the color of spunk? Just sayin'.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's an old proverb from somewhere in Africa, but it rings true: Madness is hereditary. You get it from your kids. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When I searched for that quotation, the search engine attributed it to someone named Sam Levenson. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">But I've always remembered it as a proverb that came out of Africa. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">A simple search found that Mr. Levenson was a white dude. Perhaps he stole it? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I recently finished Nick Offerman's delightful book <i>Where the Deer and Antelope Play</i>. I highly recommend it. Straight talk, people. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Another book I picked up last month was George Carlin's <i>When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?</i> It's typical Carlin diatribic humor, some of which hasn't aged well. Imagine what Carlin would have done with Moscow Don?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Another book I'm starting is Ned Blackhawk's <i>The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History</i>. I psyched about it. </span></p>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-40445449461153877582024-01-02T10:04:00.002-06:002024-01-02T10:04:24.828-06:00Sunday Hangover: Michigan<span style="font-family: verdana;">What a frustrating game. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Alabama played so well in the second half until they didn't. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I felt the offensive play calling was terrible. We have a highly mobile quarterback that terrifies defenses, and we rarely roll him out to take advantage of his skills. It's madness. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The plays they ran in overtime were uninspired. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Tide can't win a national championship every year, but they were definitely in the hunt this year. I blame the coaching. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The good news is that Milroe will be back, and he progressed a hell of a lot this season. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">We will lose some great players to the draft though, four of whom likely to be first-round draft picks: Latham, Turner, Arnold, and McKinstry. </span></div>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-4630345015714145112023-12-29T10:52:00.000-06:002023-12-29T10:52:08.624-06:00Musing of the Moment: Old Movies<span style="font-family: verdana;">I've been watching some old movies on Turner Classic Movies over break, and I've come to one solid conclusion: Grace Kelly is hotter than the hinges off the gates of Hell. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I watched <i>Rear Window</i> the other day. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I put out a query on FB about movies that came out before 1980 that any young person should watch. Here's what the mind hive of friends produced:</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rear Window</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Maltese Falcon</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Taxi Driver</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Blazing Saddles</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Dog Day Afternoon</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">12 Angry Men</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Monty Python and the Holy Grail</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Airplane!</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">A Clockwork Orange</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Alien</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rocky </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Enter the Dragon</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Star Wars IV: A New Hope</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Godfather I and II</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Blues Brothers</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Animal House</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saturday Night Fever</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Grease</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Close Encounters of the Third Kind</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Shining</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">North by Northwest</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Graduate</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">French Connection</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Sting</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Cool Hand Luke</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Casablanca</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">To Kill a Mockingbird</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Roman Holiday</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Poltergeist</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I've seen most of these except for the following: Taxi Driver, Dog Day Afternoon, Close Encounters, Cool Hand Luke, and Roman Holiday.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The one movie I would add to that list is <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079470/" target="_blank">Life of Brian</a>. </span></div>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-5083153469474001422023-12-29T10:37:00.002-06:002023-12-29T10:37:29.381-06:00Music Friday: "Swingtown" & "The Joker"<span style="font-family: verdana;">The Steve Miller <i>Greatest Hits</i> album is one that evokes some memories. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here are two songs that can get you grooving. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1jGYx0hMjM0?si=-cShcUfL8TxHw53N" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dV3AziKTBUo?si=DtdXpKM4mM1AGPn1" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171783024631751708.post-87499309460670242482023-12-22T11:02:00.001-06:002023-12-22T11:02:26.098-06:00Music Friday: "Lazy Eye"<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">A band that I've been getting back into listening to more often is Silversun Pickups. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I was reminded of them via a discussion on a FB group I'm a member of that talks about grunge and 90s alternative rock. The question asked in the group was something along the lines of what is a current band that reminds you of 90s alternative rock, and I said this band. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here's a tune from one of the two albums I have from the band, <i>Carnavas</i>. </span> </p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z-mxBDuRaZ8?si=t0LFSIb2Gi5sLmBF" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Quintilian B. Nastyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442277796099767409noreply@blogger.com0