Random Notes from a Crank

The Other 98%

I got that image from one of my social media accounts. It is deadly accurate. 

In a not surprising outcome, Canadian universities are actively recruiting professors from American universities to go up North: "Canada Hires 48 Scholars Away from Top Universities." 

That article comes from The New York Times. 

A newspaper I used to have a subscription to, The Washington Post, is sending me a couple of emails a week to get me back. I cancelled my subscription after Bezos interfering with the editorial board backing Kamala Harris for the presidency. 

It's sad to see the decline of that once great newspaper. 

In what is a deliciously rich case of situational irony, a stupid right winger got his ass deported: "Milo Yiannopoulos, Right-Wing Agitator, Deported Home to U.K." 

One of my favorite writers, Wendell Berry, passed away: "Wendell Berry, Writer Who Extolled America's Agrarian Past, Dies at 92." 

I mainly read his non-fiction and some of his poetry. Later in his life, my Dad really enjoyed reading his fiction. 

Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Cheddar Cheese & Broccoli Soup

Today I made some soup from this recipe from The Washington Post: "Cheddar Cheese Soup." 

It was good, but I would make some modifications to it because I want broccoli in it and I didn't care for the crunchiness of the carrots and celery. I'd prefer those veggies to be cooked. 

I get why the cook who created the recipe wanted the contrast of crunchy carrots and celery with the creamy soup. But I'll just use crackers or pumpkin seeds if I want some crunch. 

So here's how I'm going to make a cheddar cheese soup in the future. 

Ingredients

1 medium onion, grated on a box grater

1 stalk of celery, chopped finely

1 stick of unsalted butter

1 small yellow onion, chopped finely

1 teaspoon of dried thyme

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup of AP flour

4 cups of chicken stock, hot

3-4 cups of grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup of half and half

1 package of streamable broccoli

1 teaspoon of ground turmeric

1 teaspoon of roasted garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Process

Cut up all the vegetables. In a large pot, melt the stick of butter on low. Add the carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, and thyme and move the heat to medium-low. 

Add some salt and pepper and cook until the veggies are tender. 

In a pot nearby, make sure your chicken stock is hot. 

Down the heat to low and add the flour to veggie/butter mix and stir constantly to make a light-brown roux. 

Add the hot broth approximately a cup at a time. and whisk to make sure everything is fully incorporated. 

Steam the broccoli and drain. Cut the broccoli into small florets.

Add in grated cheese in about three to four batches and incorporate. Add in the half and half. Then add in the turmeric, garlic powder, and broccoli. 

Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Random Notes from a Crank

The Washington Post has an interesting article about the concept of "gray rocking": "Gray Rocking Is the Way to Deal with Difficult People. Here's How It Works." 

I've been using this method for decades. In fact, I used it in a tense meeting this past week. 

It's been yet another day that the Democratic representative in the House Adelita Grijalva has not been sworn in because she will vote to release the Epstein files. 

Here's her opinion piece in USA Today: "I Was Elected 6 Weeks Ago. Speaker Mike Johnson Refuses to Swear Me In." 

She finally got sworn in. Finally.

South Park is doing some great work about the problems with AI. Part of the plot of this week's episode featured the kids generating videos of each other and the "national problem of AI-generated abuse," as an article in The Washington Post describes it. 

Check out "Louisiana Middle Schooler Charged with Sharing Fake AI Nudes of Schoolmate." Disgusting shit. 

The deal struck to reopen the government is simply a ruse used by the GOP, which now stands for Grand Old Pedophiles. 

Random Notes from a Crank

Because it's hard to trust anything President Adolf's administration says about the economy and in light of how they are no longer putting out economic data, the Washington Post has an interesting article that shows how the economy is doing poorly based on some significant signs. 

Some of the signs are cardboard boxes, Hamburger Helper, and thrifting. 

Check out "Recession Warning Signs to Watch: Goodbye Lipstick, Hello Hamburger Helper." 

The New York Times has a great article on Nick Offerman: "Nick Offerman Woodworked His Way to Playing the President." 

I'm intrigued by the series Death by Lightning. 

I'm tired of the saying, "Chef's kiss." Just stop saying it, people.

And I feel the same way about "it's been a minute," but I think I've bitched about that stupid verbal construction before on this blog. 

This political cartoon by Clay Jones sums up the kind of people who are ICE agents.

 

Random Notes from a Crank

In a not surprising move, the goons working for President Adolf are removing pictures of slaves' scars from being whipped by their slavemasters: "National Park to Remove Photo of Enslaved Man's Scars." 

it's just another aftermath of white supremacy running wild. 

Robert Ariail's political cartoon is a good summation. 

The Washington Post has an interesting article that talks about tree coverage in cities. It's interactive in that you can put in the city in which you live and see the tree coverage where you live. 

It's "Which Cities Have the Most Trees? See How Yours Stacks Up." 

In the town I live in, the percentage is 29.2%. Below are the previous towns I've lived in. 

Where we lived previously, in St. Louis, it's 32.8%

Tuscaloosa, Alabama comes in at 39.6%

Kansas City, Missouri has tree coverage of 34.1%. 

Kirksville, Missouri is only 20.9%. 

My hometown of Waterloo, Iowa is at 23%. 

The thinking goes, which is somewhat backed by scientific studies, that more trees is better for everyone involved because of shade, oxygen, and better mental health. People tend to be in better moods in a green environment. 

Today when I was driving to work, I saw an older lady walking with a stroller. It had a dog in it.

The absurdity of it all. We recently got a little dog, who is a Cockapoo, and he's taking walks right away. 

Dogs are not babies. 

Random Notes from a Crank

The Washington Post reports that the National Guard troops deployed for "crime" are cleaning up parks by getting rid of graffiti and trash and raking leaves: "National Guard Troops in D.C. Add Sanitation, Landscaping Duties." 

This move simply shows how President Adolf's "crime emergency" is just another example of his lies and bullshit and misuse of resources. 

I was surprised that the Vikings traded for Adam Thielan. But I guess he's probably close to retirement and might want to end his career with the team he started with. 

In a special election for an Iowa State Senate seat, a Democrat won in what I assume is usually a red district: "Democrat Caitlin Drey Wins Iowa Senate Special Election, Breaking Republican Supermajority."  I enjoyed what the DNC Chair said: "Iowans are seeing Republicans of who they are: self-serving liars who will throw their constituents under the bus to rubber stamp Donald Trump's disastrous agenda - and they're ready for change."

I am going to have to use the phrase "self-serving liars" more often.  

As is easy to expect, the Daily Kos reports that "Of Course Conservatives Are Being Weird about Taylor Swift's Engagement." 

The current administration is possibly going to depress sales of EV vehicles even though EV vehicles are being bought in other countries in the world: "EV Sales Are Booming in America--For Now." 

The big stupid bill killed the EV tax credit. 

Random Notes from a Crank

Per the article in The Washington Post, unemployment is up: "U.S. Unemployment Claims Rise to Pandemic High." 

President Adolf is Making America Unemployed Again. 

On the long drive back from Fort Morgan, Alabama, the mind wanders. So I got to thinking about old-school classic rock bands and artists. 

I've sometimes thought about if I had to pick only one band/artist out of these options, which one would I choose?

• Beatles
• The Who
• Rolling Stones
• Jimi Hendrix
• Led Zeppelin
• The Doors

I grew up listening to all of these bands/artists, and they undoubtedly influenced subsequent bands I followed as I ventured headlong into alternative rock in the 80s and 90s. 

Of those six, I think I've probably listened to The Who, Led Zeppelin, and Jimi Hendrix the most. 

It's a silly mental exercise, but if I had to pick one, I guess it would be Led Zeppelin. 

Speaking of which, there's a good documentary on Netflix titled Becoming Led Zeppelin. 

It's worth a viewing. 

Random Notes from a Crank

I haven't chimed in yet about the eventual cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, but the fact he's getting his show taken away is ridiculous. 

He has the highest-rated late-night show on TV. 

Two days before he found out he was losing his show he criticized Paramount for caving to bribing Trump so they can get its media merger. 

Here's a comic that was in Saturday's Washington Post from Tom the Dancing Bug. 

I'm surprised Bezos is letting this cartoonist do his thing since he attended President Adolf's inauguration and is trying to limit the coverage of opinions in what was an esteemed paper. 

Meanwhile, Congress passed a budget that adds to the deficit/national debt and simply helps rich people and corporations. 

And Adolf's tariff's are unlikely, as the authors of "Trumps Global Tariffs 'Victory' May Well Come at a High Price," to do what he purports them to do: "But history tells us that his overarching aim - to return production and jobs to America - may meet with very limited success. And America's long-time trading partners, like Canada and the EU, could start looking to form economic and political connections that bypass what they no longer view as a reliable economic ally." 

Jobs aren't going to return to the U.S. because of these stupid tariffs. Our trading partners are going to find more stable countries to trade with. And prices for Americans are going to go up because of tariffs. 

I'm glad I bought a half of cow over a year ago because apparently beef prices are high as hell. 

And eggs haven't gone down.  

Random Notes from a Crank

As I get older, I worry about how my brain is working. 

So when I got onto The Washington Post during our vacation here in Fort Morgan, Alabama, a couple of articles jumped out to me.

The first one is "Want to Keep Your Brain Sharp as You Age? Science May Have a Recipe." 

It's pretty clear that the Mediterranean diet is something to aspire to. I get regular exercise walking the dog weather permitting, but I could also go back to using dumbbells. 

And in this dark time during the administration of President Adolf, "7 Short, Simple Science-based Ways to Add Joy to Your Life" is worth a read. 

The phrase "little earthquakes in the mind" reminded me of this song by Tori Amos. 

Being down here in the Deep South has reminded me about how so many southerners drive way too damn slowly.

Way too many drivers are camped out in the left lane and driving slowly and clogging up traffic. 

Random Notes from a Crank

The comic above makes a lot of sense. I got it from The Atheist Vanguard on FB. 

As inflation worsens, all signs point toward the U.S. economy suffering stagflation. Read all about in the article by The New York Times: "U.S. Inflation Accelerated in June as Trump's Tariffs Pushed Up Prices." 

And as reported in The Washington Post, the shaky economy and tariffs are seriously affecting the travel plans of Americans: "Americans Are Downsizing Their Summer Vacations." 

If you're interested in a bit of satire, surprisingly from USA Today, check out "I Saw the New Liberal Superman Movie and It Gave Me a Woke Mind Virus." 

Of all the things that the MAGA faithful should be mad about in regard to the doings of President Adolf, they're really concerned about the release of the Epstein files? 

Those are some bizarre priorities. 

Random Notes from a Crank

After watching Elizabeth Warren's appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, it's pretty clear to me that she is the President of the United States that the country should have had. 

She was my first choice, and Kamala was my second choice. 

Thursday's word of the day on my word-of-the-day calendar was "superbity," which is a noun meaning "haughtiness or arrogance." That's a new one on me, but it's a word that can applied to current conditions in the U.S. for sure. 

I saw a guy on Tik Tok talking about a "joke going around the White House this week." It's "What do all the universities that Trump is targeting have in common? Baron didn't get into them." 

It's probably true. He's attending NYU.

The Washington Post has reported on the proposed cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services: "Internal Budget Document Reveals Extent of Trump Program Cuts." 

Apparently they plan to eliminate Head Start, and there are severe cuts to the hospitals in rural areas. As the article states, "Rural programs formerly under the Health Resources and Services Administration appear to be hard-hit. The rural flexibility grants, state offices of rural health, rural residency development program and at-risk rural hospitals program grants are listed as eliminations under AHA." 

Rural America, FAFO. You nitwits voted for this idiotic goon. 

Random Notes from a Crank

The New York Times has a helpful article about simple moves one can make to remain healthy and live longer: "5 Science-Backed Longevity Hacks That Don't Cost a Fortune." 

The article validates my daily practice of walking the dog. I could get back to doing dumbbell work on my upper body though. 

And I'm a big fan of fresh fruits and vegetables. 

"Training my brain to be more optimistic" isn't realistic though. I've been a grouchy 80-year-old man trapped in a younger body since I was a kid. 

Regardless, one has to be concerned because I am currently in the drop-dead years for men that the comedian Bill Burr talked about in his most recent stand-up special on Hulu. 

Burr has an appropriate take on Musk, his DOGE goons, and the cronies of President Adolf.

I especially like the rant on his podcast. 

In bizarre news, the person nominated to be oversee the Bureau of Land Management under the Department of Interior withdrew because people found that she wrote a letter that was highly critical of Moscow Don's lies about the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol. 

She stepped down because they found that she was critical of the lying autocrat, by being disgusted at what happened on Jan. 6th. 

Random Notes from a Crank

Back in the 90s I was an avid reader of the work of Henry Rollins, and I listened to spoken-word performances. 

What he says above makes sense to me. 

It makes me think about what my mentor in grad school said about "extra money." He said it's an oxymoron. 

With what President Adolf is doing to the U.S. economy and the world's economies, that statement is clearly apparent. 

Normally when someone says, "I know what I'm doing," that person is indicating they don't know what they're doing. Moscow Don is a case in point. 

For no good reason, the current administration is going after international students in the U.S.: "With Secret Moves against International Students, Feds Spread Fear." 

The complicity of the GOP to what Moscow Don is doing can be summed up in this image. 

Random Notes from a Crank

In not-so-surprising news, the travel and tourism industry is getting hit hard as hell because President Adolf has pissed off Canadians. The Washington Post's article, "Canadian Travel to U.S. Is Plummeting: 'There's a Lot of Anger,'" relates that fact with lots of details. 

The consequences are going to affect two red states in particular: Florida and Arizona. There are estimates that there are going to be 4 million fewer travelers to the U.S. because of this anger and Canadian patriotism.

If I were Canadian, I'd just vacation in Mexico, Costa Rica, or Belize. 

Also, I would think European travelers will be avoiding the U.S.  

As the saying goes, FAFO, America.

Based on Moscow Don's tariff policies, if one were to buy say a Nissan Sentra, which would normally be about $22,000, it now would cost, at minimum, $27,280.

I wonder what percentage of automotive parts are made in China and Japan? A cursory search panned out that it's not as large of a percentage as I assumed: 9.5% from China and 9.4% from Japan. 

However, 38% of automative parts come from Mexico, and 10% come from Canada. I'm assuming those are still subject to a 25% tariff. 

As I drove over to get my car an oil change this morning, I saw that gas prices went up. In my little corner of the planet, gas is $3.39 a gallon. 

61% of the oil we import comes from Canada, which is a country hit by 25% tariffs. 

The one country not hit by tariffs?

Russia. 

Moscow Don at work. Not really. He's golfing on my tax dollars. 

Random Notes from a Crank

The Washington Post has an interesting article up about how the building industry should learn from the work of the ancient Romans: "These Old Roman Buildings Could Unlock How to Build in a Warming World." The basic premise is that you can reuse a lot of building materials rather than destroying everything from a previous building and dumping it in a landfill. 

As the author says, "demolition, today, is a perverse luxury of economies where materials are cheap and labor expensive. It is a ubiquitous part of the architectural cycle -- building, erasing, and rebuilding -- with thought to the reuse of old materials, or the environmental cost of creating ever new supplies of concrete, steel, and gypsum board." 

As I am sure other left-leaning pundits have opined, if you are a Democratic candidate for a competitive House or Senate seat in the midterms, whether for federal or state office, you surely want to Elon Musk to campaign for sychophantic GOP candidate. 

Or at the very least the Democratic candidate needs to show how much Musk donated to the GOP campaign. 

The guy gets people angry and motivated. 

Unfortunately, the actor Val Kilmer died. On one of the SiriusXM stations I listen to regularly, the host recommended the documentary about him simply titled Val. 

I enjoy reading newspapers outside the U.S. to get a good perspective on things: "Trump Goes Full Gameshow Host to Push His Tariff Plan - And Nobody's a Winner."

Random Notes from a Crank

This example is just a small segment of the economy, but the small companies are likely to hurt most by President Adolf's tariffs as noted by this article in The Washington Post: "Craft Distillers' Hit Hard as Tariffs Mix with 1930s Rules for Alcohol." 

The Nation had an interesting article about renewable energy. I had no idea that the country of Uruguay was so forward thinking with green energy. 97% of their energy comes from renewable source. Check out "Going for Green: Uruguay's Renewable Energy Revolution." 

This week a Democratic candidate was elected in a special election in a red district in Pennsylvania, which I hope is a harbinger for Democrats winning some midterm elections in the House. James Malone won the seat in a district described by the local media as "Republican-leaning suburbs and farming communities." 

Now people are looking ahead to the special elections to replace the House seats of Gaetz and Waltz, two goons of Moscow Don. There's hope I guess: "'Tide's Turning' for Dems in Florida as Special Election Reveals 'Buyer's Remorse' among Trump Voters." 

I don't think the Democratic candidates will win in those special elections. Florida is the crazy limp dick of America (see its shape). The fabled Florida Man meme is out there for a reason. 

And it's safe to assume that Florida Man votes MAGA. 

Random Notes from a Crank

President Adolf and his goons and charlatans are planning even more tariffs to happen on April 2 according to The Washington Post: "Trump Aides Prep More Tariffs for April 2 on Imports Worth Billions."

He's wanting to do something similar to the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which helped deepen the Great Depression. History often rhymes. 

Here's a political cartoon from Nick Anderson that shows what's going to happen. 

As expected, Putin is playing Moscow Don like a fiddle: "Trump-Putin Call Seen as a Victory in Russia." 

The only positive I can see from a trade war is that the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, among other such entities in Canada, have pulled US products from their shelves. I wonder if these moves could reduce the price of bourbon here in the US. 

The prices of bourbon are ridiculous. I used to be able to get all kinds of different bourbons at decent prices, but the flippin' hipsters have latched on to the liquor, which has driven up prices across the board. There are some YouTube bourbon guys who consider "budget" bourbons to be a bottle under $50. 

WTF?

There are some bourbons I used to be able to get on a regular basis, such Very Old Barton 100, Early Times Bonded, and Eagle Rare, that I can't find anymore. 

So if there's an excess of bourbon (supply), perhaps the demand will start getting met more effectively. Hopefully by me. 

Regardless, the hipsters need to become more interested in a different spirit, such as rum or gin. 

At the nudging of Mrs. Nasty, I've joined Tik Tok. I'm using my same pseudonym. 

Random Notes from a Crank

You know it's bad when an article from The Onion is strikingly accurate. 

Check out "Trump Says Recession Unfortunate But Necessary Step to Get to Depression." 

In unsurprising news, the latest polls done by CNN show the majority of Americans disapprove of how President Adolf is handing the economy: "New Poll Crystallizes Trump's Self-Inflicted Wounds on Musk and Tariffs." 

Unfortunately, his approval rating is still 45%, which is preposterous. What a bunch of morons and clowns.

Yet the Wall Street Journal opinion page has described what's happening as "the dumbest trade war in history." 

I suspect those 45% aren't reading the Wall Street Journal. 

I've been watching The X-Files lately because there isn't much on in the evening. The series has reminded me that the GM products of the 90s were pretty damn ugly. 

I wonder if there are any people who got out ahead of all this nonsense and are hoarding alcoholic beverages from abroad since Moscow Don is threatening to put a 200% tariff on alcoholic beverages from the European Union. 

Although I'm not a regular buyer of Ouzo, I do like it from time to time. No "Opa!" for me.

Random Notes from a Crank

If you like a good fact checking like I do, read "Fact Checking 26 Suspect Claims in Trump's Address to Congress" from The Washington Post.  

Journalists need to stop calling what he's doing as "false claims." They are LIES. I do like how the author calls one of his assertions "absurd" though. 

I learned in January issue of Harper's that the "word 'huh' or its equivalent seems to exist in every human language, for unknown reasons." That fact makes sense to me. 

Here are some interesting gleanings from the February and March Harper's Indexes:

• Rank of November 6, 2024, among the days with the most account deactivations on X since Elon Musk acquired the company: 1
• Factor by which the average wait to receive approval for federal disability benefits has increased since 2019: 2
• Estimated number of Americans who died in 2023 while waiting for such approval: 30,000
• Percentage change since 1973 in the average American's carbon emissions: -36
• Factor by which per capita U.S. carbon emissions exceed the global average: 3
• Average percentage by which the opening of a Walmart Supercenter causes nearby household incomes to decrease: 6
• Percentage of U.S. solar-power capacity growth last year accounted for by Texas: 31
• Percentage by which Texas's new solar-power capacity exceeded California's last year: 358
• Chance that an American believes they have undiagnosed ADHD: 1 in 4
• Chance that they do have ADHD: 1 in 17

I wonder how many more deactivations have happened on Twitter because of Musk's work with DOGE? I hope there have been a lot. 

And I imagine the number of Americans who will die while waiting for approval for federal disability benefits will skyrocket this year because of DOGE cuts to the workforce. 

I'm surprised about the solar growth in Texas. However, it makes sense that the state could harness solar power. 

Like ADHD, I think there is a similar difference in Americans who think they have an anxiety disorder and those who actually have an anxiety disorder. 

The U.S. is a well medicated nation because of Big Pharma. 

Random Notes from a Crank

In what has become normal for the GOP, they focus on stupid issues. 

For example, the Texas Lieutenant Governor, instead of focusing on the measles outbreak in his state, is more concerned about renaming a cut of beef to be called "Texas strip" instead of "New York strip." 

Read about this lunacy in The Guardian: "Texas Republican Focuses on Rebrand of 'New York Strip' amid Outbreak." 

It will always be Gulf of Mexico, people. 

Distractions keep people focused on the wrong issues. 

I know a guy who works in some kind of government program that's linked to Veterans Affairs. He's a big supporter of Moscow Don. I wonder if he lost his job. That'd be ironic.  

The Executive Branch is clearly a puppet of Russia. At least that's what the Kremlin is saying: "Washington Now "Largely Aligns" with Moscow's Vision, Kremlin Says." 

I got a package today from this company. 

As a Star Wars fan and as a big fan of the character Chewbacca, I dig it.