It's all kind of backward for me. I guess I never got around to make any local, non-work friends in the 18 months that I have been in Pittsburgh (though a lot of it was spent on the road) that more people that I know (from before) that are doing things online now has actually meant more "social opportunities". However, I really miss everything being canceled - no random sporting events nor museum exhibits to go check out. So maybe a 9?
Probably at like a 12-15 now. I'm pretty extroverted in general. I like to go out and actually see non-work people a few times a week. I also live alone, no roommates or SO. So yeah. Listening to Jumper.
I can't get any work done at home; I've completely lost that ability after going into the office nights/weekends for the last 5 years to work on research/dissertation/teaching/job apps.
5. And it's only that high because I the lack of taking laps at the pool and going to language practice Meetups has led to the associated skills to suffer
15 - I'm not a socialite by any means, but I miss getting out to the beach, mountains, and for that matter just doing day to day business without concerns. Miss time with extended (and not even all that extended) family a lot too. Also really missing the spring sports season, both for the baseball, the umpiring (camaraderie), and the fresh air and exercise. If this drags out, I will REALLY miss college and high school football season, and being around the band & the kids in it. I get the reasons why, but it doesn't change the fact that I already miss what we have lost, and it could be just the beginning.
I'm pretty content at home, but I'm going to miss the concerts I had planned to attend, I miss sporting events. I miss being able to go out to eat, or run errands... I'm trying not to even go driving/riding around as much even though it's not particularly social.
Video socializing has been a good substitute for me. The major downsides have been:
-I decided not to go to my friend's wedding in Columbus, and then he ended up having to postpone anyway, so obviously a bummer for me and a HUGE bummer for him
-cocktails--I have wine, beer, and whisky, but I'm not really set up to make cocktails at home (I'm looking into to-go cocktails)
7? Working most of the day and I never really went out at night so that doesn't change much. I did take the Miata for a drive on Mon up Fish Ranch, Grizzly Peak, then through Canyon while I was out dropping something off at UPS to send back to Amazon. I guess I miss more just going out with the kids on the weekend.
15 - i still get outside most days for a bike ride, but i am taking "going out" as hanging out w/ friends.
we have friends in NH that offered us a free cabin in the mountains. but given that we live in NY, especially New Rochelle, we are trying not to go anywhere. so far no one in the family has any symptoms.
it is not clear if trying to leaving NR/NY for the next month is better, or if it is better to just stay here and hope for the best.
apparently people w/ NY plates are getting harassed and others are calling the cops if they see NY plates.
Things are relaxing in Shanghai (I think too much to be honest) but I went out for a short 25km bike ride this afternoon with a friend. It was BUSY down by the cherry blossoms at the riverside.
No 1 said that there are some Eagles fans doing construction outside his door. He can hear them raving about DeSean Jackson's college highlight videos. I told him they should watch the Tennessee game return. The Wizard of Returns. He said that's exactly the one they were just talking about.
That's been my experience, confirmed by my recent upgrade, made in the face of the current massive increase in working from home, and the need to both be more efficient in Zoom meetings, and trying to filter out home chaos and listen to both talk and music as both background and foreground exercises.
It isn't exactly a linear price issue either. There are some way over-priced sets out there, and some reasonable priced stuff that's much better than some of their price-point competition. Not a surprise in an arena where personal preference and circumstances vary considerably.
It’s amazing how much variety there is. I’ve basically settled on AirPods for phone calls and general music listening (like doing dishes and such) and the “big guns” when sitting for longer periods. Of course now that we’re all on Webex all the time and the customer laptops don’t support Bluetooth, I’m using an old iPhone set 🤷🏼♂️
My ears aren't good enough for really nice headphones. For my bday my sister got me the Bose noise cancelling ones because I had been taking business trips. I don't like the big ones because I don't think they'd be comfortable leaning against the fuselage trying to sleep. But I guess I haven't tried it yet. Does anyone that have these have issues trying to sleep by leaning against the fuselage?
Depends on how you lay your head...I still like the noise-cancelling headphones for flights just to cancel out cabin noise, and I've made it work before. Usually needs a pillow in there, rather than directly on the fuselage.
Not that I'll be on an airplane again anytime soon...
Wine. Bad wine disgusts me. And I'm not referring just to cost. You can find decent $15-$25 wine, but it just takes effort. You can also find terrible $35-$40 wine because this is California and we like to overprice things.
idk if this means I'm a snob, but I'm incredibly particular about films/TV shows/fiction in general (although my poison of choice is anime). That being said, I enjoy a mindless romp way more than a generic try hard movie. So my list of things I've seen throughout the year tends to lean heavily towards mass market trash and art house films. There's no in between really.
Speaking of Art House Cinema, we watched The Umbrellas of Cherbourg last weekend, and while I thought it was great, it was not at all what I was expecting; I found it very sad at core, but the wife and daughter didn't perceive it that way at all.
I find Cherbourg is kind of a Rorschach test in that way. The ending could be viewed as sad or comforting; it works either way. That's what makes it great!
Knives. I absolutely hate cooking with sh!tty knives. I will bring my own if I ever have to cook at my mom's house. I bought a 2nd set of decent/generic Victorinox knives to act as decoys in my kitchen so that my mom/mother-in-law wouldn't touch my good ones.
My favorite is a Misono UX10 santoku. I have both the chef's knife and the santoku, but find myself using the santoku 99% of the time. I have relatively smaller hands, though, so it suits me.
Yes, I have a set of Norton’s whetstones. I just use blue(medium) and purple(fine). Plus, I got a ceramic honing rod to preserve the edge. I use that one before/after each use. Sharpening isn’t nearly so often. Maybe a couple of times/year. Depends when I start noticing that onions are bugging me.
My most used knives are an 7" Henckels santoku, an 8" Wusthof chef's knife, and my very fave, a 10" Shun slicer. I also wouldn't want to be without a bread knife, a serrated 5" utility, and a 4" parer (mine are all Henckels).
I also have an 8" Wusthof chef's knife I got when I did a cooking class, and it's pretty good. My next one is going to be a santoku probably the one Kod recommended.
I'm a huge advocate for Global - and Japanese knives. But like Kodiak, I have relatively small hands so the big german knives like wusthof aren't great for me.
Also if you're looking at a lower price point - (I just advocated against German knives) F. Dick (a German company) makes excellent working knives. They're not as fancy but when I am privileged enough to be in working kitchens, real line cooks tend to use a lot of F. Dick stuff, I assume because it's good and cheap.
As a set, the Misono UX10 gyuto(chef's knife), santoku, and petty are nice starting point. If you want to spoil her, the sujihiki is great for slicing meat/fish. But not really necessary. I do santoku for just about everything, chef's knife to slice meat, and petty on occasion for smaller veggies. If there are bones involved, I use a Victorinox slicer because I don't want my nice ones getting chipped.
not a snob, but particular about shoes (especially work boots). I can't do the super cheap-o's. Typically get RedWings that are the proper size (9.5B).
Honestly, I am knowledgable about a lot of the finer things, and can appreciate fine wines etc., but I don't think that makes me a snob, because I can also appreciate a well made $7 bottle of wine as well - BUT I guess I am a snob about films.
Quality noodles. Noodles here in Shanghai honestly are quite bad. No attention to detail - just 30 minutes away in Suzhou - great noodles. Hong Kong, Tokyo, Hanoi, Bangkok, Taipei, Singapore are all great noodle destinations.
I had an old coworker that was like this (the one that went to Zwift). Anytime we went on business trips he would find the best coffee place within walking distance and we'd go. We both also found really good restaurants for dinner. In New Orleans in Jan we had one coworker that was so excited that Hard Rock was around the corner, and were both like, Nope. Can't remember if he went on his own or not.
My coffee standards have been defeated by the kids. I used to hand-grind peaberry beans. Now, I often just dump a few scoops in a French press to make overnight cold brew. I freely admit that I deserve any subsequent judge-y looks.
Hand burr grinders are cheap and good. Comparably priced electric grinders tend to be blade grinders, which chop up beans unevenly (or the wrong evenness).
Plus hand grinding is a part of the ritual, from which much of the coffee experience's pleasure is derived.
My first burr grinder was a Kyocera hand crank one, and I found it more of a frustrating obstacle between me and my morning cup of coffee that I had to work past. It grinded the beans well enough, but it was more of a tedious waste of time rather than a soothing ritual.
My electric burr grinder, on the other hand, is fantastic and I have no complaints. It's a $100 grinder, but it's well worth the extra scratch for something you use every day.
Their alumna are patient and forgiving. In no way were there dire consequences after a certain victory celebration that involved running around the house with kid on shoulders and both of us waving Cal boxers wildly while yelling, "EAT MY SHORTS!!!"
Apple iPod early generations - the wheel navigation & huge storage capacity made it the perfect offline "Walkman". I don't know why they did away with the wheel. That thing was so intuitive & fast to navigate.
I used to love my iRiver CD/MP3 player, and then the iRiver Clix. But then Apple went and destroyed the market with a worse product so that they could sell the iPhone.
So good. No skip. And the last bit of technology (that and Japanese K-Tei smart phones) that were "Asian only" before everything was available everywhere all the time.
Something I realized when I was traveling through Asia during this special period. Regional variations are disappearing.
All of the formerly "one place" famous places like Maisen (tonkatsu in Tokyo), Boon Tong Kee (chicken rice in Singapore), Song Fa (Bak Tu Keh in Singapore), are all now chains through Asia. It's sad because none are as good as the original and they're everywhere.
Evoco ceramic pan. Light, non-stick, but non-teflon. I bought two, loaned one to my sister since our induction stove wouldn't play nice. Now that we have a gas stove, I asked for it back...and found that she kilt and Kondo'd it. Can't order replacements as they have apparently gone out of business.
The drunk guys at the end of the bar are 1) staring out the window for something to bark at 2) fast asleep with the other drunk guy sitting on his head.
It's kinda passive aggressive, but I'm sick of how the certain dogmatic elements have co opted the US flag. Yesterday, I took down my US flag and am now flying the state flag. Seems more appropriate these days.
My sister messaged us on our group viber that she realized her rock-the-baby-back the sleep hum is the same cadence as the 'sc fight song. She commented, "I guess it really is boring and slow..."
Can't say that I'm surprised. By the way, IF things do get back to normal by September - that might be a very exciting sports month with all the May events (Indy 500, French Open, etc.) already rescheduled for that month.
It still boggles my mind that one of my fishing buddies and his wife, two of the nicest people that I've met, continue to be two of my least-favorite FB posters. They both have a number of health issues, yet constantly share/re-post stuff that makes me wonder whether their accounts are hacked...but then they'll do things like organize food/clothing drives for Campfire victims or stay out delivering coffee and baked goods to the relief workers at the Oroville dam. Same with one of my kali students. Such a nice guy in person...and yet I must resist the urge to whack him upside the head w/ a stick sometimes.
Crowdsource: To Karen or Not to Karen - We go houseboating on Shasta every year for spring break. It's my favorite vacation of the year. We to fish, bbq, relax, unplug - it's just quiet and peaceful. With the shelter in place, my wife and I have decided that it's just not safe to go this year. And in fact, we suspected that the marina renting houseboats would likely be shut down anyway as non-essential. We were surprised when we called them to find that they're still open. "Motels are open. We're just like motels on the water." After explaining that we were worried about being pulled over by the police for non-essential travel on the way there, etc. etc., they agreed to give us a credit to use for next year's spring break. Since I was curious, I looked up the Shasta County ordinances and they echo the State mandates to close non-essential businesses. And they have this big button, "click to report non-compliance." I could see a small family like ours actually being relatively safe as a socially-distant little boat...but I cannot imagine how the giant party boats(12-16 capacity) which typically involve multiple groups sharing boats/costs would be a good idea right now.
My first reaction to the opening line was "never Karen." But in this case, I think you should be the Feds. Every violation of this endangers all of us.
Once you get out on the lake and _if_ it’s just your family, maybe. But the majority of rentals are the big party boats. So either multiple families, groups of friends, or frats out on spring break. The folks at the marina clearly aren’t taking this seriously. So from a personal safety standpoint, I wasn’t comfortable taking my family someplace frequented and serviced by folks not taking any precautions whatsoever. As part of the larger community, I am concerned about the additional drain on state resources when the sh!t hits the fan in Shasta/Redding. Which semi-crazily makes me think about pulling a Karen and reporting them.
I'd say go ahead and report them. Reporting them doesn't mean they will be automatically shut down. Most likely local law enforcement will visit them, check their status as an "essential business", and if deemed that they are allowed to stay open then they should check that they are abiding by the terms set forth by the State/County regarding social distancing and other precautions. If you can explain your concerns in the reporting process then I would do so regarding the potential of large groups on some of the rentals.
Exercise: 200 push-ups each eve, 600 crunches every day, work with 20 lb. dumbbells every other day, 3 mile walks. Used to do 10 bench reps @225 lbs. (A bunch of years ago). In addition to the three square meals.
Exercise: 200 push-ups each eve, 600 crunches every day, work with 20 lb. dumbbells every other day, 3 mile walks. Used to do 10 bench reps @225 lbs. (A bunch of years ago). In addition to the three square meals.
Exercise: 200 push-ups each eve, 600 crunches every day, work with 20 lb. dumbbells every other day, 3 mile walks. Used to do 10 bench reps @225 lbs. (A bunch of years ago). In addition to the three square meals.
I don't see a Google April Fools thing yet. Though I haven't looked real hard yet. Maybe given the circumstances companies aren't doing anything this year.
I have read online second hand (as in people criticizing this decision) that Google opted to cancel that this year. No hint on what it was supposed to be.
Workouts: Nice job everyone from yesterday's thread. Esp Leland who seriously seems to be kicking *ss. Admittedly, I've been dogging it for a while. Sprained my wrist pretty badly a while back and it's been slow to heal. But it's finally strong enough that I can do some limited workouts. Yesterday(and planned for today): Elastic band shoulder presses, curls, rows, flies, lat pulldowns, rows, press, twists. Evil PT series for legs/hip. Did about an hour of forms/sparring. Light bag work...although might pass today since wrist didn't seem to like the impact.
I have too much access to food and the foods that I eat after I've exhausted fresh produce is more carb intensive. It's like the Freshman 15, but Imma call this the "Covid 19".
Yeah, I’ve been teaching my girls how to cook. But I had to gently apologize this am and tell them I need to start cutting down on carbs as they keep serving frogs in the hole w/ avocado toast in double portions each am. So naturally, they’re baking cookies right now to troll me.
How much do you miss going out (0 = hermit, 19 = I've already thrown CV19 parties)
It's all kind of backward for me. I guess I never got around to make any local, non-work friends in the 18 months that I have been in Pittsburgh (though a lot of it was spent on the road) that more people that I know (from before) that are doing things online now has actually meant more "social opportunities". However, I really miss everything being canceled - no random sporting events nor museum exhibits to go check out. So maybe a 9?
Exactly. I'm pretty solitary but I did take advantage of a lot of the free concerts and museums around DC and definitely miss it.
Probably at like a 12-15 now. I'm pretty extroverted in general. I like to go out and actually see non-work people a few times a week. I also live alone, no roommates or SO. So yeah. Listening to Jumper.
miss the extended family, but still going to work so it's not that bad. I'd give it 3/19
I can't get any work done at home; I've completely lost that ability after going into the office nights/weekends for the last 5 years to work on research/dissertation/teaching/job apps.
1 - I like to putter in stores (rarely buy anything I don't actually intend to use), but not a huge deal. Also, still going into work every f*n day.
5. And it's only that high because I the lack of taking laps at the pool and going to language practice Meetups has led to the associated skills to suffer
Going out - 4 or 5
Being able to run my business - 19+
15 - I'm not a socialite by any means, but I miss getting out to the beach, mountains, and for that matter just doing day to day business without concerns. Miss time with extended (and not even all that extended) family a lot too. Also really missing the spring sports season, both for the baseball, the umpiring (camaraderie), and the fresh air and exercise. If this drags out, I will REALLY miss college and high school football season, and being around the band & the kids in it. I get the reasons why, but it doesn't change the fact that I already miss what we have lost, and it could be just the beginning.
12? 13? It's not exactly I'm a social butterfly, but this just feels so constraining.
8?
I'm pretty content at home, but I'm going to miss the concerts I had planned to attend, I miss sporting events. I miss being able to go out to eat, or run errands... I'm trying not to even go driving/riding around as much even though it's not particularly social.
0. I'm perfectly content and dreading the idea that I might ever have to return to an office or deal with unique ways to decline invitations.
0, the only difference is I’m not getting lunch from the deli across from the office during the week nor carryout at the weekend.
Video socializing has been a good substitute for me. The major downsides have been:
-I decided not to go to my friend's wedding in Columbus, and then he ended up having to postpone anyway, so obviously a bummer for me and a HUGE bummer for him
-cocktails--I have wine, beer, and whisky, but I'm not really set up to make cocktails at home (I'm looking into to-go cocktails)
So I'd say I'm at a 7 or so
7? Working most of the day and I never really went out at night so that doesn't change much. I did take the Miata for a drive on Mon up Fish Ranch, Grizzly Peak, then through Canyon while I was out dropping something off at UPS to send back to Amazon. I guess I miss more just going out with the kids on the weekend.
15 - i still get outside most days for a bike ride, but i am taking "going out" as hanging out w/ friends.
we have friends in NH that offered us a free cabin in the mountains. but given that we live in NY, especially New Rochelle, we are trying not to go anywhere. so far no one in the family has any symptoms.
it is not clear if trying to leaving NR/NY for the next month is better, or if it is better to just stay here and hope for the best.
apparently people w/ NY plates are getting harassed and others are calling the cops if they see NY plates.
I don’t know where in NH but apparently the infection rate is spiking in the Upper Valley
Things are relaxing in Shanghai (I think too much to be honest) but I went out for a short 25km bike ride this afternoon with a friend. It was BUSY down by the cherry blossoms at the riverside.
CAL
This is a really neat technology.
Solar power + nanowires + bacteria + CO2= carbon-biofactory on a chip
https://news.berkeley.edu/2020/03/31/on-mars-or-earth-biohybrid-can-turn-co2-into-new-products/
Wow. Maybe we'll last long enough for the robots to take over after all.
No 1 said that there are some Eagles fans doing construction outside his door. He can hear them raving about DeSean Jackson's college highlight videos. I told him they should watch the Tennessee game return. The Wizard of Returns. He said that's exactly the one they were just talking about.
Link for the lazy (in glorious HD & cued up to the good part):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COauIJRb_pE&t=26s
"Oh Baby"
And I just watched it again. I shouldn't told No 1 to load it up and point his speakers at the front door.
I love watching Best's run against UCLA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlkrumgWB6o
For whatever reason, that's appeared in my twitter feed with delightful regularity since CA's shelter-in-place began.
I prefer the Oregon '06 return: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE-ItTMvy-8#t=1m24s
Wow, I kinda forgot about that one.
don't worry no one blames you
there's a lot of time to keep straight in your head
you'll never see a colquitt back away
Ughhhhh, Reef... wtf
awful fucking news to wake up to.
twitter?
It appears Larry/Reef passed away in an automobile accident :( :( :(
WTF??? Wow.
Awful news
I hadn't heard how, just that it was unexpected. Shocking and heartbreaking news.
What are you a snob about?
Headphones. As I've acquired better and better headphones over my life, I can't go back to lower quality ones (and low bitrate music files can gtfo).
I find even just a little extra goes such a long way. I have Grado SR80e headphones and even music off my phone sounds so much better
That's been my experience, confirmed by my recent upgrade, made in the face of the current massive increase in working from home, and the need to both be more efficient in Zoom meetings, and trying to filter out home chaos and listen to both talk and music as both background and foreground exercises.
It isn't exactly a linear price issue either. There are some way over-priced sets out there, and some reasonable priced stuff that's much better than some of their price-point competition. Not a surprise in an arena where personal preference and circumstances vary considerably.
It’s amazing how much variety there is. I’ve basically settled on AirPods for phone calls and general music listening (like doing dishes and such) and the “big guns” when sitting for longer periods. Of course now that we’re all on Webex all the time and the customer laptops don’t support Bluetooth, I’m using an old iPhone set 🤷🏼♂️
My ears aren't good enough for really nice headphones. For my bday my sister got me the Bose noise cancelling ones because I had been taking business trips. I don't like the big ones because I don't think they'd be comfortable leaning against the fuselage trying to sleep. But I guess I haven't tried it yet. Does anyone that have these have issues trying to sleep by leaning against the fuselage?
Depends on how you lay your head...I still like the noise-cancelling headphones for flights just to cancel out cabin noise, and I've made it work before. Usually needs a pillow in there, rather than directly on the fuselage.
Not that I'll be on an airplane again anytime soon...
maybe I need one of those neck things. I basically just lean all the way to the fuselage and rest the side of my head against it.
Wine. Bad wine disgusts me. And I'm not referring just to cost. You can find decent $15-$25 wine, but it just takes effort. You can also find terrible $35-$40 wine because this is California and we like to overprice things.
"You can also find terrible $35-$40 wine because this is California and we like to overprice things."
Truth, so much over-extracted plonk out there.
idk if this means I'm a snob, but I'm incredibly particular about films/TV shows/fiction in general (although my poison of choice is anime). That being said, I enjoy a mindless romp way more than a generic try hard movie. So my list of things I've seen throughout the year tends to lean heavily towards mass market trash and art house films. There's no in between really.
Speaking of Art House Cinema, we watched The Umbrellas of Cherbourg last weekend, and while I thought it was great, it was not at all what I was expecting; I found it very sad at core, but the wife and daughter didn't perceive it that way at all.
I find Cherbourg is kind of a Rorschach test in that way. The ending could be viewed as sad or comforting; it works either way. That's what makes it great!
Yup, I'd say you're a snob.
I'd like to think I'm not a snob.
Before someone makes a grammar comment: I'm not a snob; I'm pedantic. There's a difference.
a pedant will allow themselves to be strung along while complaining about it the whole way?
I'm not sure what you mean.
Knives. I absolutely hate cooking with sh!tty knives. I will bring my own if I ever have to cook at my mom's house. I bought a 2nd set of decent/generic Victorinox knives to act as decoys in my kitchen so that my mom/mother-in-law wouldn't touch my good ones.
The only thing keeping me from being snobby about knives is my wallet :(
Do you have a knife recommendation?
My favorite is a Misono UX10 santoku. I have both the chef's knife and the santoku, but find myself using the santoku 99% of the time. I have relatively smaller hands, though, so it suits me.
Hell yeah. I went a step lower with a Henckels 7" Hollow edge (31120-183). This and a Henkels French Chef's knife is what I use 95% of the time.
https://www.amazon.com/J-Henckels-31120-183-Professional-Stainless/dp/B0000DDVFV/ref=sr_1_32?keywords=7%22+santoku+knife+henkels&qid=1585753022&s=kitchen&sr=1-32
Do you sharpen it yourself? If yes, how often?
Yes, I have a set of Norton’s whetstones. I just use blue(medium) and purple(fine). Plus, I got a ceramic honing rod to preserve the edge. I use that one before/after each use. Sharpening isn’t nearly so often. Maybe a couple of times/year. Depends when I start noticing that onions are bugging me.
Do you have any suggestions on how to learn how to properly sharpen knives?
This is much appreciated! I'm putting together a knife set for the wife for her birthday and I've just now started the research.
My most used knives are an 7" Henckels santoku, an 8" Wusthof chef's knife, and my very fave, a 10" Shun slicer. I also wouldn't want to be without a bread knife, a serrated 5" utility, and a 4" parer (mine are all Henckels).
I also have an 8" Wusthof chef's knife I got when I did a cooking class, and it's pretty good. My next one is going to be a santoku probably the one Kod recommended.
I went to the kitchen to look at my knife collection:
Global G-48 Santouku (most used)
https://globalknives.uk/santoku-knife-g48
Global GP5 - the pro version of this one
https://www.globalcutleryusa.com/knives/classic-collection/classic-g-2.html
Global GF-34
https://www.globalcutleryusa.com/knives/classic-collection/classic-gf34.html
And then a boning and bread and butcher's knife from F. Dick
https://www.dick.de/en/tools-for-chefs-and-butchers/products/skinning-sticking-and-butcher-knives
I also use a paring knife I bought at tsukiji market in Tokyo made from damascus steel
I'm a huge advocate for Global - and Japanese knives. But like Kodiak, I have relatively small hands so the big german knives like wusthof aren't great for me.
Also if you're looking at a lower price point - (I just advocated against German knives) F. Dick (a German company) makes excellent working knives. They're not as fancy but when I am privileged enough to be in working kitchens, real line cooks tend to use a lot of F. Dick stuff, I assume because it's good and cheap.
As a set, the Misono UX10 gyuto(chef's knife), santoku, and petty are nice starting point. If you want to spoil her, the sujihiki is great for slicing meat/fish. But not really necessary. I do santoku for just about everything, chef's knife to slice meat, and petty on occasion for smaller veggies. If there are bones involved, I use a Victorinox slicer because I don't want my nice ones getting chipped.
Any experience with/opinion about Shun?
90% of my knife usage is a shitty but sharpened santoku knife
@we have Goff contributing on our blog??@
Well, when I used to fish tournaments in the rain, I’d wear fingerless gloves so that I wouldn’t fumble any keepers.
we always bring a set of travel knives whenever we do a house rental.
ok dexter
Heh, yeah. I do that too. I've even bought and "loaned" nicer knives to my friends who we visit semi-frequently.
so many things
not a snob, but particular about shoes (especially work boots). I can't do the super cheap-o's. Typically get RedWings that are the proper size (9.5B).
oh shit, this is me too. I have...way too many of them. I probably have enough to never have buy (non athletic) shoes for the rest of my life honestly
Honestly, I am knowledgable about a lot of the finer things, and can appreciate fine wines etc., but I don't think that makes me a snob, because I can also appreciate a well made $7 bottle of wine as well - BUT I guess I am a snob about films.
Quality noodles. Noodles here in Shanghai honestly are quite bad. No attention to detail - just 30 minutes away in Suzhou - great noodles. Hong Kong, Tokyo, Hanoi, Bangkok, Taipei, Singapore are all great noodle destinations.
coffee.
i can drink bad coffee if given no other choice, but given a choice i want waste time or money on just ok coffee when better alternatives are around.
luckily these days there are lots of great options.
I had an old coworker that was like this (the one that went to Zwift). Anytime we went on business trips he would find the best coffee place within walking distance and we'd go. We both also found really good restaurants for dinner. In New Orleans in Jan we had one coworker that was so excited that Hard Rock was around the corner, and were both like, Nope. Can't remember if he went on his own or not.
oh was that coworker a child
haha...nope. Is an interesting guy.
My coffee standards have been defeated by the kids. I used to hand-grind peaberry beans. Now, I often just dump a few scoops in a French press to make overnight cold brew. I freely admit that I deserve any subsequent judge-y looks.
Hand grinding is a waste of time and energy; why not just use an electric grinder?
Hand burr grinders are cheap and good. Comparably priced electric grinders tend to be blade grinders, which chop up beans unevenly (or the wrong evenness).
Plus hand grinding is a part of the ritual, from which much of the coffee experience's pleasure is derived.
My first burr grinder was a Kyocera hand crank one, and I found it more of a frustrating obstacle between me and my morning cup of coffee that I had to work past. It grinded the beans well enough, but it was more of a tedious waste of time rather than a soothing ritual.
My electric burr grinder, on the other hand, is fantastic and I have no complaints. It's a $100 grinder, but it's well worth the extra scratch for something you use every day.
Make up a fact about UCLA
#1 public university
Their alumna are patient and forgiving. In no way were there dire consequences after a certain victory celebration that involved running around the house with kid on shoulders and both of us waving Cal boxers wildly while yelling, "EAT MY SHORTS!!!"
pltm
Knock Knock
who's there?
A product that you loved but is no longer available (permanently)
Crystal Pepsi
Apple iPod early generations - the wheel navigation & huge storage capacity made it the perfect offline "Walkman". I don't know why they did away with the wheel. That thing was so intuitive & fast to navigate.
I still have mine and it works. The wheel!
Jelly. You should use it with a pair of these:
https://retrospekt.com/products/basic-retro-foam-headphones
Should be paired with an old school Walkman. In fact, I took this photo in November: https://i.imgur.com/E81eW09.jpg
I should fire mine up and see if it still works
Mine is still my home stereo system. All of my mislabeled limewire MP3s are still on there - despite only existing on a computer from 2005.
I do to, but I never use it.
Oh, my bad. I guess I should have replied, "toilet paper."
Related: https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2020/04/01/interstate-20-dallas-closed-semi-carrying-toilet-paper-fire/
F
New Balance basketball shoes
Quite available.
https://www.newbalance.com/pd/omn1s-inspire-the-dream/BBOMNXV1-36049.html?dwvar_BBOMNXV1-36049_style=BBOMNXMK#style=BBOMNXMK
I used to have a pair of those. They were good, but a little heavy. Now I have a pair of Nike LeBrons
I used to love my iRiver CD/MP3 player, and then the iRiver Clix. But then Apple went and destroyed the market with a worse product so that they could sell the iPhone.
I’m shaking my fist at you from inside this walled garden - while gazing fondly at the iPod DAC
As soon as I typed it out, I laughed that right below me was a comment about the iPod.
Sony Mini Disc Player.
I wanted one of those in the worst way in the late 80s / early 90s but even I could see it was doomed in the US market
So good. No skip. And the last bit of technology (that and Japanese K-Tei smart phones) that were "Asian only" before everything was available everywhere all the time.
I kind of miss regional variations
Something I realized when I was traveling through Asia during this special period. Regional variations are disappearing.
All of the formerly "one place" famous places like Maisen (tonkatsu in Tokyo), Boon Tong Kee (chicken rice in Singapore), Song Fa (Bak Tu Keh in Singapore), are all now chains through Asia. It's sad because none are as good as the original and they're everywhere.
Evoco ceramic pan. Light, non-stick, but non-teflon. I bought two, loaned one to my sister since our induction stove wouldn't play nice. Now that we have a gas stove, I asked for it back...and found that she kilt and Kondo'd it. Can't order replacements as they have apparently gone out of business.
If you have a pet, describe what he/she is doing right now, but address them as "the drunk (guy/chick) at the end of the bar"
The drunk guy at the end of the bar is looking out the window and grumbling at imaginary people/birds/dogs/cars.
The drunk guy at the end of the bar is...um...licking his balls.
The drunk chick at the end of the bar is sitting on me, which makes me the barstool, I suppose.
The drunk guys at the end of the bar are 1) staring out the window for something to bark at 2) fast asleep with the other drunk guy sitting on his head.
the drunk chick at the end of the bar is just sleeping in her little house in the garage.
State Flags
It's kinda passive aggressive, but I'm sick of how the certain dogmatic elements have co opted the US flag. Yesterday, I took down my US flag and am now flying the state flag. Seems more appropriate these days.
you should fly a Ca state flag.
I don't fly a flag outside, but I have a CA state flag prominently displayed in my garage. Anyone glancing in there won't be able to miss it.
You want a Cal flag? They're quite inexpensive here in China. I donated two giant ones to the Cal Drink Squad tailgate.
California is best and I fly one. New Mexico second best. The rest are variations of meh to bad.
April Fools
Hopefully it's gone out of style as of this year.
PRO
My sister messaged us on our group viber that she realized her rock-the-baby-back the sleep hum is the same cadence as the 'sc fight song. She commented, "I guess it really is boring and slow..."
Why do you guys use Viber over WhatsApp?
WhatsAp is a waste of time and energy.
I'm frankly agnostic between the two, but my Indian relatives have been on WhatsApp for years, so that's what I use.
Can you get my mom to stop forwarding Covid-19 memes and half-baked advice? (at least she's taking it over-seriously and not going out)
Well WhatsApp is owned by Facebook, I suppose it was inevitable
So is Stanfurd but that doesn’t stop people
In a photo she sent me yesterday, the little one looked like an emoji!
I think you meant to write “calming and nurturing”
hmmm...I don't find it "calming and nurturing"
Maybe try listening to it again... and again... and again... and again...
it's true
stockholm syndrome is a thing
We're forced to do that at least once every single year, I think that's quite punishment enough.
My position is if you want to hear less from the USC band, play better!
It’s not for me to say whether punishment is soothing for people or not
Wimbledon (early July) cancelled
https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/28981311/wimbledon-cancelled-due-coronavirus-pandemic
Can't say that I'm surprised. By the way, IF things do get back to normal by September - that might be a very exciting sports month with all the May events (Indy 500, French Open, etc.) already rescheduled for that month.
OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY
WaPo: US Government allocating ventilators based upon importance of next election and/or whether they are red states
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/governors-plead-for-medical-equipment-from-federal-stockpile-plagued-by-shortages-and-confusion/2020/03/31/18aadda0-728d-11ea-87da-77a8136c1a6d_story.html
It still boggles my mind that one of my fishing buddies and his wife, two of the nicest people that I've met, continue to be two of my least-favorite FB posters. They both have a number of health issues, yet constantly share/re-post stuff that makes me wonder whether their accounts are hacked...but then they'll do things like organize food/clothing drives for Campfire victims or stay out delivering coffee and baked goods to the relief workers at the Oroville dam. Same with one of my kali students. Such a nice guy in person...and yet I must resist the urge to whack him upside the head w/ a stick sometimes.
the way you get people to act in ridiculous ways is to make them think they're victims of ridiculous things. Confirmation bias is a powerful drug.
Assuming this isn't an April Fools joke, it could bode well for recruiting. https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/04/01/uc-to-ease-admission-requirements-no-sat-no-minimum-grades-due-to-coronavirus/
Hah!!!
Random tidbit: My SIP cocktail preference thus far is the Negroni
so.... hi!
So... How's Webpass?
Does all that I hoped it would do at a good price, and nice to have while waiting for things to reopen.
Crowdsource: To Karen or Not to Karen - We go houseboating on Shasta every year for spring break. It's my favorite vacation of the year. We to fish, bbq, relax, unplug - it's just quiet and peaceful. With the shelter in place, my wife and I have decided that it's just not safe to go this year. And in fact, we suspected that the marina renting houseboats would likely be shut down anyway as non-essential. We were surprised when we called them to find that they're still open. "Motels are open. We're just like motels on the water." After explaining that we were worried about being pulled over by the police for non-essential travel on the way there, etc. etc., they agreed to give us a credit to use for next year's spring break. Since I was curious, I looked up the Shasta County ordinances and they echo the State mandates to close non-essential businesses. And they have this big button, "click to report non-compliance." I could see a small family like ours actually being relatively safe as a socially-distant little boat...but I cannot imagine how the giant party boats(12-16 capacity) which typically involve multiple groups sharing boats/costs would be a good idea right now.
My first reaction to the opening line was "never Karen." But in this case, I think you should be the Feds. Every violation of this endangers all of us.
This is a great point. It's for the greater good.
Okay Grindelwald
THE GREATER GOOD.
If you're SIP as family on a houseboat, instead of where you are now, I don't see a big risk.
Once you get out on the lake and _if_ it’s just your family, maybe. But the majority of rentals are the big party boats. So either multiple families, groups of friends, or frats out on spring break. The folks at the marina clearly aren’t taking this seriously. So from a personal safety standpoint, I wasn’t comfortable taking my family someplace frequented and serviced by folks not taking any precautions whatsoever. As part of the larger community, I am concerned about the additional drain on state resources when the sh!t hits the fan in Shasta/Redding. Which semi-crazily makes me think about pulling a Karen and reporting them.
I'd say go ahead and report them. Reporting them doesn't mean they will be automatically shut down. Most likely local law enforcement will visit them, check their status as an "essential business", and if deemed that they are allowed to stay open then they should check that they are abiding by the terms set forth by the State/County regarding social distancing and other precautions. If you can explain your concerns in the reporting process then I would do so regarding the potential of large groups on some of the rentals.
Today is Census Day. Has everyone been counted?
Exercise: 200 push-ups each eve, 600 crunches every day, work with 20 lb. dumbbells every other day, 3 mile walks. Used to do 10 bench reps @225 lbs. (A bunch of years ago). In addition to the three square meals.
do you also keep the air conditioner off during the summer?
Exercise: 200 push-ups each eve, 600 crunches every day, work with 20 lb. dumbbells every other day, 3 mile walks. Used to do 10 bench reps @225 lbs. (A bunch of years ago). In addition to the three square meals.
Exercise: 200 push-ups each eve, 600 crunches every day, work with 20 lb. dumbbells every other day, 3 mile walks. Used to do 10 bench reps @225 lbs. (A bunch of years ago). In addition to the three square meals.
Kind of a lot. April Fools seems less 'foolish' this year.
I don't see a Google April Fools thing yet. Though I haven't looked real hard yet. Maybe given the circumstances companies aren't doing anything this year.
I have read online second hand (as in people criticizing this decision) that Google opted to cancel that this year. No hint on what it was supposed to be.
I was really hoping we would wake up and find that 2020 has been an elaborate April Fools joke
Wouldn't that have been something!
Workouts: Nice job everyone from yesterday's thread. Esp Leland who seriously seems to be kicking *ss. Admittedly, I've been dogging it for a while. Sprained my wrist pretty badly a while back and it's been slow to heal. But it's finally strong enough that I can do some limited workouts. Yesterday(and planned for today): Elastic band shoulder presses, curls, rows, flies, lat pulldowns, rows, press, twists. Evil PT series for legs/hip. Did about an hour of forms/sparring. Light bag work...although might pass today since wrist didn't seem to like the impact.
I have too much access to food and the foods that I eat after I've exhausted fresh produce is more carb intensive. It's like the Freshman 15, but Imma call this the "Covid 19".
Yeah, I’ve been teaching my girls how to cook. But I had to gently apologize this am and tell them I need to start cutting down on carbs as they keep serving frogs in the hole w/ avocado toast in double portions each am. So naturally, they’re baking cookies right now to troll me.
They are definitely your kids.
I never thought I'd see the day that I look forward to core and legs over weights, but here I am.