Music Friday: "Linus and Lucy"

I'm thinking about getting a t-shirt from TeePublic that features two dancers from the Charlie Brown Christmas special as a concert-like t-shirt for Vince Guaraldi. 

The tune featured today is one of my favorite songs of all time. 

Random Notes from a Crank

Kristian Ramos has an excellent article in Salon: "The High Opportunity Cost of Trump's Economy." 

The dark irony is that, as he says, "Latinos, as much as any group, are poised to bear the brunt of Trump's corrosive MAGA policies. This is particularly ironic given that Democrats lost ground this cycle with Latino voters because some believed Trump would improve their economic well-being." 

With labor shortages set to happen in the agriculture and construction industries because of mass deportations happening and President Adolf also wanting to impose tariffs on imports, the price of everything is going to go up. 

All of these changes aren't going to affect the rich. They are going to fuck the poor, working class, and middle class (what's left of it). 

Yesterday I was in the men's restroom at work filling up my watering can to water my jade plants. A colleague was at the urinal as I came in. He finished taking a leak and just walked out.

Without washing his hands...

Disgusting. He's spreading dick cells around. 

Also, why the hell do we can call it a "restroom"? I remember back in grad school, one of my comrades, an Englishman, made fun of this term for the place you go to pee and poop. His statement, with a wry smile, was "Yeah, I'm going there to rest." 

I prefer the term "crapper" or "the John." 

At least with "John," it's accurate in that Sir John Harrington invented the flushing toilet. Thomas Crapper, on the other hand, was just an English plumber but a very successful one.  

What's the deal with people backing their vehicles into parking spaces, so they can drive out with the front of their vehicle going first? Most cars nowadays, if it's a more recent one, have back-up cameras. 

Do these people seem to think they're better than the rest of us backing up their vehicles into parking spots. 

In addition, when I came to work today, all the vehicles that were parked that way were pick-up trucks. Is there something going on here with male fragility? 

I've had a hypothesis for decades about pick-up trucks. Unless you're actually a farmer who uses the truck to do chores, the size of the pick-up truck is inversely proportional to one's penis or brain size. 

Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Comeback Sauce

I got the basics of this recipe from watching either Cooks' Country or America's Test Kitchen on my local PBS station.

It's a common sauce to pair with fried fish in the Deep South. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of mayo
• 1/4 cup of minced yellow or Vidalia onion
• 2 TB of avocado oil
• 2 TB of chili sauce
• 1 TB of ketchup
• 2 1/2 ts of Worcestshire sauce
• 2 1/2 ts of hot sauce (I used Alabama Sunshine)
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 ts of yellow mustard
• 1 ts of lemon juice
• 1 ts of Penzey's Justice seasoning
• 1 ts of cracked black pepper
• 1 ts of paprika

Process

It's pretty simple. Put it all into a mixing bowl and whisk. I sautéed the onion for a bit because I'm not a fan of raw onions. If I were to amp up the recipe a bit, I might put some cayenne pepper and smoked paprika into the mix. 

Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Black and White Bean Chicken Chili

I made a recipe tonight that I'm sure I'll try again. It's based on a recipe from The Washington Post, but what I provide here is how I modified it and how I plan to make it in the future. 

Ingredients

• 2-3 TB of olive oil
• 1 medium size yellow or Vidalia onion, chopped finely
• 1 serrano pepper, chopped finely (more if you want it spicy)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 TB of smoked paprika
• 2 TB of ground cumin
• 2 TB Tastefully Simple Wahoo Chili seasoning
• 6 cups of low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 can of cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 lb. of chicken breasts or boneless thighs, cooked in a slow cooker and shredded
• 2 4 oz. cans of diced green chili peppers
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 TB of Penzey's Justice seasoning

Process

Some of the modifications I made were amount of chicken stock, the chili seasoning, and the canned green chili peppers. Also, I wouldn't use an immersion blender to half of the cans of the white beans. What's the point? 

Use the slow cooker for the chicken for about 6-8 hours on low. I've been marinating my chicken in pickle brine, so I just marinate it overnight and put the bird parts into the slow cooker. 

Once ready to make the chili, put the olive oil into a pot, add the onions, and sauté on medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add in the hot pepper and cook for two minutes. Then add in the garlic and cook for a minute.

Dump in the smoked paprika, cumin, and chili seasoning. Stir the spices around to coat the aromatics. Add in the chicken stock and scrape the bits off the bottom. 

Get it simmering for ten minutes. During this time shred the chicken. Add the chicken, beans, and green chilis to the broth. Simmer for approximately ten minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add in Penzey's Justice seasoning. 

Musing of the Moment: Missing Howard Cosell

I watch a lot of sports on TV, and the other day I was thinking about the legendary broadcaster Howard Cosell. 

When I was a kid, my parents let me have a small TV in my room, and one of few times they let me stay up after my bedtime was to watch Monday Night Football. 

If Peanuts comics and Marvel comic books (Daredevil, Avengers, Amazing Spider-Man, Power-Man and Iron Fist) are part of my literacy narrative, then I think I should also include Cosell also because I was fascinated by his language use, the big words and interesting turns of phrase. 

He was a legend. 

Unfortunately, most people today would not recognize what is going on in these scenes in Better Off Dead, a great 80s comedy. 

Random Notes from a Crank

I'm trying this concoction called oxymel. It's apparently a health that dates back to Ancient Greece, back to Hippocrates. 

At base, it is equals parts honey and equal parts apple cider vinegar. I got the recipe from this blog post I found on the InterWebs: "Herbal Oxymel Recipes & Benefits." I'm doing the one for cold and flu, so I some used dried thyme, rosemary, oregano, and ginger. 

We'll see whether if it's worth my time. At the very least it has polyphenols that create antioxidants. I wonder about the taste though. 

I'm leaving Facebook. I've already deleted my Instagram account, and I'm abandoning FB on Feb. 1. 

I'm not sure if I'm going to delete my account or just not interact with people on FB with a dim hope that the platform will reform its ways. I may just delete it, and if I rejoin FB at some time, I'll befriend the good people who are my "friends" and not befriend the President Adolf supporters I have accumulated over the years. 

Regardless, I just cannot be on a platform that has given up fact-checking/moderation because Zuckerberg is genuflecting and licking President Adolf's asshole while that autocrat, the GOP, and his oligarchic cronies further game the system for the rich and the 1%, destroy the social safety net, foment lies and disinformation, deport hard-working people, deregulate all kinds of things that should be strictly regulated, stack agencies with pro-business  lackeys, pardon the Jan. 6 insurrectionists, and spread anti-science and anti-intellectual hokum while the poor, working class, and middle class lose out. 

Yet poor, working class, and middle class dipshits voted for President Adolf. 

I just have to remind myself that 54% of Americans read below a sixth-grade level. 

I can see why my daughter is looking at graduate schools in Europe. 

One of the books I'm reading right now is biography of Napoleon, Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts. I have some gaps in knowledge of European history, so it's an interesting read for me. The author's premise is that Napoleon is misunderstood for a number of reasons, one of which is because of British propaganda and Hitler being compared to Napoleon by Churchill during WWII. 

Napoleon was a brilliant military mind, and as I have found out, he was an intellectual. Here's a quotation from him that struck me as quite wonderful: "The true conquests, the only ones that cause no regret, are those made over ignorance." 

The world would be a much better place if people followed that statement. 

Music Friday: "Small Changes"

Michael Kiwanuka has a new album out. It came out last year, but it's new to me. 

Here's the title track of the album. 

I've listened to it a few times, and I'm warming up to it. On first listen, most of the tunes were a little too low key/slow for me.

He's not known as a rocker, but I tend to like his more up-tempo songs.  

Random Notes from a Crank

A while back one of the words of the day was "kakistocracy," which means "government by the worst people."

With Adolf's number of executive orders and with the GOP having majorities in the House and Senate, that is the country the U.S. is living in, unfortunately, 

It's all very depressing. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert helped get me through his first administration, but I haven't girded up my emotional loins to watch the program since Adolf took office. 

But what can we expect with 54% of Americans reading below a sixth-grade level?

One of the better editorials I've read is from Bernie Sanders in The Guardian: "What Trump Didn't Say in His Inauguration Speech." 

Here are the last two ¶s of the opinion piece, but I recommend reading it all. 

Bottom line: as we enter the new Trump presidency, we have got to remain focused. We can’t panic. No matter how many executive orders he signs and statements he issues, our goal remains the same. We have got to educate. We have got to organize. We have got to bring people together around an agenda that works for all, not just the few.

Now more than ever, we have to fight to create an America based on economic, social and environmental justice. Let’s get to work.

He's right. 

But what's happening is damn depressing. 

Nothing like "backing the blue" when you release the Jan. 5 insurrectionists.

And repealing civil rights protections. 

Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Slow Cooker Creamy Buffalo Chicken

I've made versions of this dish before, but I put a wrinkle into it (marinating the chicken in pickle brine) that made me like it even more. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup of pickle juice/brine
• 3 chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthways
• 1 12oz. bottle of Frank's Red Hot Wings Buffalo sauce
• 1/2 to a full block of cream cheese
• 1 TB of Penzey's Justice seasoning

Process

Cut the breasts in half lengthways, put them into a large plastic bag, and add in the pickle juice. Refrigerate for a day. 

Set your slow cooker on low and take the chicken tenderloins out, letting the pickle brine drip off it into the plastic bag, and place them into the slow cooker. I didn't pat them dry--just let them have a bit of the pickle juice into the mix. 

Dump in the Frank's sauce into the cooker. Cook for about two hours or so, and then dump in cream cheese. Adjust how much cream cheese you put in according to how hot you want it. 

About six hours in, take out the chicken and shred it after letting it rest for 15 minutes. As the chicken is resting, take a whisk to fully incorporate the cream cheese. Add the Penzey's Justice seasoning. 

Let it cook for another hour or so and put it over egg noodles, rice, mashed potatoes, or riced cauliflower.  

Music Friday: "Third Stone from the Sun/If You Love Me Like You Say"

Gary Clark Jr. has to be one of the finest musicians plying their trade right now. 

Here's one two from his Blak and Blu album.  

Random Notes from a Crank

 

I saw this sign through my high school wrestling team's FB page. I really like it as a question and slogan. 

If any of you readers are moving from Twitter to Bluesky, I'm on that platform: @quintilianbnasty.

I was saddened to see that legendary broadcaster Bob Uecker passed away. Here's some an article by USA Today about "Major League Bob Uecker Quotes." 

I'm excited to see that there is going to be a new Daredevil series. Here's an article from a site called RadioTimes: "Daredevil: Born Again."

The Disney+ trailer is intriguing. 

I might have to watch the third season of the Netflix show to remind myself what happened at the end. Of course, there was also The Defenders series too that came after that third season. 

What Marvel needs to do a Power-Man and Iron Fist show (or Heroes for Hire), which might bring some levity to the MCU. 

Because I'm a frugal person, I'm astounded by people who don't return their shopping carts for their quarters. My usual spots for shopping for groceries are Aldi and Ruler Foods. Both places require you to put in a quarter to get a cart. 

However, there are some folks who don't return the carts, and I'm making money by returning their carts. I bet over the course of a year I probably make about 10 bucks doing this. 

I chalk up this frugality of mine to being a son of two parents who were children during the Great Depression. You don't waste money. 

Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Dill Pickle Egg Salad

For me, plain old egg salad can get kind of bland, so when I was home for lunch today, I made a version with some personality to it. 

Ingredients

• 6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 3-4 tablespoons of pickle juice (I used Clausen's)
• 3-4 tablespoons of mayo (I prefer Duke's)
• 1 teaspoon of Penzey's Justice seasoning
• 1 teaspoon of fresh dill, chopped finely
• Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Process

Chop up the eggs, dump them into a bowl, and add the pickle juice, mayo, and seasonings. Mix well and apply to a sandwich. 

I initially put in three tablespoons of pickle juice, but next time I might amp it up by using four. 

Random Notes from a Crank

What you see above is my dog when he and I ventured out to walk by our local lake. With all the snow we've gotten, no one has shoveled their sidewalks, so Mac and I are relegated to walking on campus because it has been plowed and shoveled. 

I'm tired of walking on campus though, so we ventured out to feel the icy wind in our faces. 

Mrs. Nasty and I were in Springfield Sunday, and we took the opportunity to dine at Darcy's Pint. That's the only place I know of around these here parts that has a muffuletta on its menu. 

It's one of best sandwiches of all time. When I'm there, I always think about getting a reuben, one of my favorites, but I can get those lots of places. 

This is the time of the year when I browse Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog and think about the possibilities this spring and summer. 

Usually every growing season I try out at least one new plant or variety of plant. This coming season I'm thinking of growing broccoli rabe, Italian eggplant, and some Bibb lettuce.

I made some spicy beef lettuce wraps a while back, and I really liked Bibb lettuce, which I've never grown. 

Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Ranch Dressing

Mrs. Nasty doesn't like buttermilk ranch dressing. If I use ranch dressing, I prefer it to be buttermilk ranch, but for the purpose of making a ranch dressing from scratch without buttermilk and without all the chemicals, I happened upon this recipe by chance. 

I tape episodes of Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen, the cooking show you can find on your local PBS station. The most recent episode I watched had a recipe for fried cheese curds with ranch dressing. 

That's the base for this recipe, which I tweaked a little bit. 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of fresh chives, chopped finely
• 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro, chopped finely
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh dill, chopped finely
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 1/3 cup of mayo
• 3 tablespoons of sour cream
• 1 small clove of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon of Penzey's roasted garlic
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste

Process

It's pretty simple. Put it all into a big bowl and whisk vigorously. Put in enough salt and pepper to your taste. 

Random Notes from a Crank

Someone should do a documentary on the actors who were in the High School Musicals. Because I've seen all of them multiple times because of my kids, I'd be interested to see what those folks are up to. 

That thought reminds me of my daughter playing Sharpay in High School Musical Jr. in middle school. It was quite a treat. 

I'm a frustrated Dad up in the stands this basketball season. My son dresses varsity but rarely gets to play. The head coach is playing guys ahead of him who are clearly not as good as him. Those players are seniors and/or are sons of people who work in the school district. 

As a coach I would be committed to playing the guys who give me the best chance to win. Small town bullshit. 

As much as these basketball teams want to chuck up threes all the time, if you're not going to play good defense, you're going to get beat. 

I saw the image below online on Bluesky. It's a good image to reflect what Project 2025, Moscow Don, and his goons are going to try to do. 

I have not read The Handmaid's Tale, but I get the general premise of the novel: men wanting to control women. I recently ordered a copy and then cancelled the order because I'll just get a copy from my local library when I feel like reading some fiction. I'm more of a non-fiction reader. 

Today's my birthday, and two of my presents are the following: Tottenham won 3-0 in extra time in their FA Cup match, and Manchester United beat Arsenal on penalty kicks in that FA Cup match.  

Music Friday: "I Am One"

One of the bands of the 90s alternative rock scene that I listened to a lot was the Smashing Pumpkins. 

For me, their first album Gish is my favorite. They gained quite a bit of success with later albums, but I was in on this band from the start. 

I remember listening to that album for the first time, and I was instantly hooked to the guitar-focused rock that flew in the face of the years of hair-metal I had to endure on MTV and the radio. 

And here's the leadoff song from that album. 

Music Friday: "Man on the Moon"

The holidays have got me all discombobulated, so I'm doing this post a day late. 

I'm getting close to finishing the fine biography of R.E.M. written by Peter Ames Carlin: The Name of This Band is R.E.M.  

I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but I think it's hard to find a set of three songs to end an album like you find on Automatic for the People. 

The album ends with this trio:

• Man on the Moon
• Nightswimming
• Find the River

Here's the most popular song of the triad. 

Sunday Hangover: Michigan

It's not Sunday, but I was a bit hungover this morning. 

Yesterday's game was a major disappointment. 

The Tide had three turnovers in the first quarter. A team is not likely to win with such results. 

The Alabama defense did play well though under terrible conditions. 

However, the offense was inept. It had flashes, but there is no reason why the Tide cannot put up more points than they did. 

I would assume Milroe is going to announce for the draft. I don't blame him. He already has both a B.A. and an M.A., and I would think he'd be drafted in the first round somewhere. His athletic ability is unparalleled. 

One point that the commentators didn't bring up is that because of the transfer portal, the Tide only had two starting wide receivers left: Williams and Bernard. And I didn't recognize a number of players on defense. 

However, what Milroe put on tape in the bowl game yesterday would have to concern some GMs. He needs to go to a team that will develop a quarterback. 

Regardless, I'm interested to see what next season brings and who wins the QB1 competition. If I were a betting man, I'd bet on Simpson.