The derailment exempt thread

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 28, 2020 by Voice of Reason

[Neonred 3,576]

1 hour ago, Voice of Reason said:

 

 

 

 

 

Huh, he's actually a white Obama clone.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

1 minute ago, Neonred said:

Huh, he's actually a white Obama clone.

Can’t really blame him.  He has nothing of substance within, so why not copy a faker who made the big time?

[laylalex 7,293]

How is this on topic if the topic is derailment?

 

 

 

 

 

[Burnt Reynolds 5,058]

8 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

7 hours ago, Neonred said:

Huh, he's actually a white Obama clone.

While they're doing a lot of pandering, they're just trying to clone people. Normal humans that are actually around normal people every day don't act like this, it's pretty easy for anyone actually in this environment with an ounce of social intelligence. Obama was simply better at making himself look authentic, understood the segments he was marketing to very well, so didn't struggle with holding an act. It's not too different with Trump. Trump largely says the same things over and over to every crowd, whether its at his rallies, or all these hilarious leaked recordings of him.

 

However, political frauds, which are quite rampant nowadays in both parties, but quite obvious in this batch of Dem Presidential candidates, like their public exposure (as in, how much time they're out in public before getting a break) to be minimal because the longer they're in front of cameras the more likely they are to screw up the act. Not only that, but those with the worst public exposure, who don't know **** all about the general public, will rely on their partnerships (PR partners, focus groups, marketing campaign, etc.) to dictate how they present themselves in public, and if any of those cluster**** of people also have a disconnect, you wind up with staged failures that don't even need any high amount of exposure, it's bad from start to finish.. like Beto the grill chef, or Pocahontas the alcoholic. 

Edited February 28, 2020 by Burnt Reynolds

[laylalex 7,293]

Does anyone have any opinion about the Mini Clubman? I'm starting to get to the point where getting a car seems like an inevitability. As always, I am open to more suggestions.  

 

I tried the Volvo XC40 and I liked it well enough, but I don't really know. It's kind of like... they're cars. They all do the thing I need them to do. I probably won't even use it every day. But I can't commit for whatever reason. It almost was easier when I had them selected for me instead of having to think about it.

[Burnt Reynolds 5,058]

On that note, I've largely stayed quiet, but if you want an example of why you don't tell people about pregnancy until about the 2nd trimester, meet Burnt and wife. We were overconfident in the two prior pregnancies being easy and with no major issues (at least, until birth for our first). We told people about our son like the same day she got positive tests on different sticks. So I basically did the same thing here, early January.

 

Well.. a week later, a mess I won't describe happened after we got home from work, which scared us, and had a doctor visit, with pictures and such of the mess, and the doctor said my wife had a miscarriage. I had to take the next several days off as I was grief stricken, any talk at all about children, or pregnancies, would set me off and I'd be like a child just breaking down in the middle of a sentence. It was bad. But I also knew it was possible nothing happened. So wife had blood tests (a baseline test and a few other tests over the next several days) to verify hormonal levels, which we expected to basically zero out, but regardless, plummet, which the obvious sign of no longer being pregnant. 

 

But when we got the results, those hormones were skyrocketing. So doctors immediately ordered an ultrasound, they usually take a handful of days, but this they ensured happened the same day. So we were happy that we were going to get closure on this one way or another rather than be tortured for several more days. Even though I was quietly hoping, myself, outwardly I was preparing everyone else for the worst, especially our 8 year old daughter. So the whole family went to the ultrasound.. me, wife, daughter, 1 year old son, in the room with wife and ultrasound tech. I (and everyone else, including the tech) was expecting to see an empty uterus with maybe some signs of leftover placenta, possibly a dead baby, instead we saw a moving baby very much alive. Baby was measured, dated, etc., and estimated due date (more accurate than LMP) is mid-late August. However, after that, knowing it was only at 8 or so weeks, I knew I needed to just stay guarded and mentally consider it a high risk pregnancy until at minimum the first trimester was over, but I guess if I really wanted to play the odds I'd be waiting until some time in April where the statistical viability rises substantially. Nonetheless, just to be sure everything was still going okay, we had another ultrasound done weeks later (which, from now, means a few weeks ago), which I've had on my phone and looked at every day (wife uploaded the scanned one they gave us but I'm too lazy to find where on our server she put it):

 

 

Have already booked the 3d ultrasound date for her anatomical scan which we'll also hope baby cooperates and shows their genitals to the TV. Wife is mad because I won't even discuss names until we know what gender they are. 😎

[Orangesapples 1,954]

Has anyone cooked chilli recently? What's your favorite recipe? 

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

1 hour ago, laylalex said:

Does anyone have any opinion about the Mini Clubman? I'm starting to get to the point where getting a car seems like an inevitability. As always, I am open to more suggestions.  

 

I tried the Volvo XC40 and I liked it well enough, but I don't really know. It's kind of like... they're cars. They all do the thing I need them to do. I probably won't even use it every day. But I can't commit for whatever reason. It almost was easier when I had them selected for me instead of having to think about it.

Honda Ridgeline.  I'm on my second one, I liked the first so much.  Best of all three worlds.  Comfort of a car, seats 5, roomy, has a bed,  and has a waterproof trunk.  

 

Edited February 29, 2020 by Voice of Reason

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

I have not, sadly.  Just added it to my list of things to cook, right under gumbo.  Thanks!

[yuna628 9,686]

Burnt: Congrats on the good news.. I know how terrifying that must have been for you.

 

1 hour ago, Orangesapples said:

Has anyone cooked chilli recently? What's your favorite recipe? 

Mom's recipe is pretty simple. Ground beef, kidney beans, tomato chunks (for a more tomato based broth add in tomato paste), sweet onions, cumin, chili powder, plenty of salt and pepper. Slow cook it for most of the day until ready to eat.

[laylalex 7,293]

Ugh, my reply got eaten. That's what I get for posting on my phone. 

 

I'll post when I get home. I have a recipe!!!

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

3 hours ago, Burnt Reynolds said:

On that note, I've largely stayed quiet, but if you want an example of why you don't tell people about pregnancy until about the 2nd trimester, meet Burnt and wife. 

Sorry to hear of the turmoil, Burnt.  Glad things are looking up for y'all.

[laylalex 7,293]

So... chili. We love it, but unfortunately nightshades do not love Alex. (There was an incident at the end of 2018 that ended up with my dad bestowing the nickname "Gas-X" on Al after he didn't notice quite how many albondigas in tomato sauce he'd eaten.) Tomatoes and peppers are the worst, raw is an absolute no-no for him, and he can tolerate smallish amounts of them cooked for a while. (Like one plate of a lightly sauced bolognese that has been simmered for hours is good; stir-fried peppers are pretty much no; two pieces of pizza are fine.) Tomatillos are apparently just fine when cooked so we make green chili instead. If I can find sieved tomatillos in the store, I will use those, otherwise I take 2-3 lbs of fresh tomatillos, blanch them for 5 minutes, then drain and blitz them with an immersion blender. That usually makes a few cups. Sometimes I add a squeeze of lemon to brighten, and always add a bit of olive oil. I tried roasting the tomatillos once and then blitzing them, but I didn't like the charred taste in the chili. It would have been better made into a salsa.

 

The rest I make very much like red chili with a few tweaks (I normally add some unsweetened cocoa to my red chili, but not to the green). Three to four minced cloves of garlic with a small chopped yellow onion, softened in olive oil until the onion is glossy. Add a pound and a half of ground beef, generally an 80/20 or 85/15, because the very lean grinds lack some of the goodness of the fat and sautee until browned. (Oh, and all of this I do in a 7 quart Staub dutch oven.) Drain off the fat. (I keep this for Al who I will occasionally make fried bread for as part of a full English when he has been exceptionally good.)

 

Add the tomatillo sauce, and all the seasonings -- I use freshly milled salt and pepper, LOTS of cumin, red pepper flakes, oregano (with a very light hand) and some chili powder -- definitely a season to taste job for me as I go along. I add a can of Great Northern Beans and a can of cannellini beans. Usually I do not add very much water because I don't like a super saucy chili. I bring it to the boil then let it simmer very low for at least an hour, preferably three, but I have pulled this off with a 40 minute simmer. It was... fine. 

 

I check the seasoning while it's simmering and serve with grated cheddar and a dollop of creme fraiche. There aren't any measurements except for the meat because I made this up for someone with particular dietary needs.  I cook the 1.5 lbs because it's better to have a little left over for scooping up with chips the next day, or when Mister is particularly hungry. Sometimes I'll double it and freeze the leftovers -- it keeps well for a couple of weeks in the freezer. 

[Neonred 3,576]

2 hours ago, yuna628 said:

Burnt: Congrats on the good news.. I know how terrifying that must have been for you.

 

Mom's recipe is pretty simple. Ground beef, kidney beans, tomato chunks (for a more tomato based broth add in tomato paste), sweet onions, cumin, chili powder, plenty of salt and pepper. Slow cook it for most of the day until ready to eat.

Sounds like my recipe.  2 lbs ground beef, several cans of kidney beans, diced tomato, tomato paste, can of condensed tomato soup, onion,garlic, lots and lots of chili powder, a little bit of white vinegar. Cook until ready or until hungry.

 

Serve over pasta and top with shredded chedder cheese.

Edited February 29, 2020 by Neonred