Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020
9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (7 p.m. for us Westerners, 6 for the Californians)
It will be televised, of course, but if you're cable-less, you can also see it via Yahoo News.
This is important, just like registering to vote. Don't forget to watch.
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| Thanks, Wikipedia. |
There's a real crisis brewing.
The whole pumpkin issue is back again -- and flavoring everything this fall, from coffee to baked goods.
And a lot of people are loving it.
But worse is coming.
Kraft is now offering a pumpkin spice-flavored version of its classic macaroni and cheese.
Groan.
For those of us pumpkin-pie-and-that's-it believers, this has terrifying implications.
Does this mean a disastah of Biblical proportions?
Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies?
The dead rising from the grave? (Forget about The Walking Dead. For now, at least.)
Dogs and cats living together?
And the pumpkin-lovers are (gasp) winning??
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| Even the chickens are turning on me... |
Do you ever wonder how I choose the items on my "Monday Stuff" columns? Partly, they're unusual, intriguing or just plain silly things I run across in regular reading. (I try to read at least 2 or 3 news sources every day...something I am currently regretting, thanks to the plethora of weird campaign ads.) Partly, they're things we can learn from -- like frugal tips or historical discoveries. And partly, they're recipes I plan on trying...if not now, then in the near future. All would be a little difficult to find on your own, unless you're heading for specific areas.
I'm also big on reporting things that are strangely inconsistent. Or unfair. Or dishonest. Or untrue. (Yes, that goes for both political parties.) I think you will find these tidbits interesting, as well as illuminating. Yet if your time is limited, or you don't need the latest Bigfoot sighting (or terrarium), you can ignore the link(s) and gleefully scroll past them. And that, Gentle Readers, is what counts.
By all means, though, invite me over for chicken-fried steak, next time you make it. I"ll bring the doughnut drops...
Meanwhile:
The biggest money mistakes investment counselors have seen their clients make.
"What I don't spend money on." You go, Donna Freedman...
Spontaneous protesters. Yep, you bet.
Five horrible art thefts in modern history.
Pumpkin doughnut drops. My advice: skip the pumpkin and use applesauce, instead. But hey... thanks, Taste of Home. Milk cake, anyone? Or how about:
Treacle recipes (From Frugal in Lincolnshire) Or Taste of Home's...
Chicken fried steak. One of the great classics...and you can make it yourself.
'Mother Hubbard Store Cupboard' meals -- for when your paycheck is short this month...or you're saving up for something special. (From Utterly Scrummy)
Brit takeaway food, made at home. (I must be missing my UK friends from the cruise, to have this British stuff pop up.) Thanks, Skint Foodie.
Former NBA players who took a 9-to-5 job after retiring. Including one of Denver's favorites: the Birdman.
Bystanders help keep a hot-air balloon from crashing -- by pushing on it from underneath!
Eight spacesaving hacks for tiny bathrooms, via IKEA. Or ...
How about a secret passageway -- in your kitchen?
Nephew finds Pablo Escobar's secret $18 million stash... 'in a vision.'
"What we've learned from 200 millionaire interviews." (From ESI Money)
A millionaire is made ten bucks at a time. (From Mr. Money Mustache, one of the best frugal bloggers out there)
Some of the strangest movie endings in history.
Sue has a new blog: 'A Year of Challenging Myself.' I loved reading this lady's stuff when she was blogging about A Year in the Country. This new blog is worth reading, too.
The worst sports players in the NFL's history. A good lesson that "awards won in college may not mean squat after graduation." Including one of my favorites: Brian Bosworth! (His struggles were injury-related.)
Ten times 'art restoration' only made things worse.. (From Listverse)
A 'Transformer' robot that's huge? Only in Yokohama...
A look back at the Smithsonian collection quilts that were reproduced commercially. (From Black Threads blog) I have three of these in my own collection, including the Harriet Powers Bible Quilt. I wish this blogger was still posting -- she's got some fascinating info to pass on. Please take time to read some of her other entries.
Roast broccoli with bacon. Easy, delicious. (From Who Needs A Cape?)
Sandstone Ranch is officially open! Hikers and explorers will enjoy finding out what's on this new Open Space park in Douglas County, Colorado.
A Thai national park that sends garbage back to the litterers who put it there. They're banned for five years from coming back, as well. Hmmm...
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A 2018 classic from yours truly about Lance Hindt, a Texas superintendent who resigned after he refused to acknowledge his bullying ways in high school. He never apologized -- which is the only thing his accuser said he wanted to hear -- but a host of other nasty things surfaced about him, in the process. (He got a $750,000 severance for quitting.)
One of the accusations was that he'd plagiarized his doctoral paper. That was under investigation at the time he resigned, by the University of Houston. After I reread this post from Aug. 2018, I started wondering: what became of the investigation? Well, Gentle Readers, his paper was quietly removed from the university's archives -- a pretty strong admission that the accusation was true. (More here, suggesting that he may have been stripped of his degree, as well. More here, too. But nothing has been confirmed publicly, by either Hindt or the university.)
I am probably more sensitive about the issue of plagiarism, being a writer myself. But here's the kicker: the university's decision didn't take place until JAN. 2020 -- nearly 1 1/2 years later! It took that long to figure out?? A month later, there werealso renewed questions about that hefty payout. I suspect, however, that it really doesn't matter, this late in the picture.
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12 celebrities who keep 'forgetting' to pay their rent. (From The Richest) Probably akin to the little dears who 'forgot' to make good on their promise to leave the United States when Trump won the election in 2016. I wonder if they're saying the same thing now... Unless they're joining John Legend. Not many, I'd guess.
Al Sharpton, how come you're still living in the good ol' US of A? Feel free to leave...
Have a great week. Only five or so weeks before the election. Thank God; I don't think I (or the country, for that matter) could take much more.
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| We got some of this today... |
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| Gold - Colorado's favorite autumn color |
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| Norman Rockwell agrees. |
may work better if they're postponed.
That's been the case all week. We were going to the mountains to look at fall colors -- and celebrate my birthday. (Yup, 62. Weird.) But we had a late night Monday, slept in...okay, we'd go Wednesday.
Nope.
Thursday was the charm. Enjoyed the fall golds up in the mountains. (They're still not at full roar in most places -- which is late for us Coloradoans. Just beginning down below in the flatlands.) Had a long soak at Mt. Princeton Hot Springs -- after we waited quite a while, until a few people left. (They can only take 100 at a time.) Got home, relaxed as wet noodles -- it felt wonderful.
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| Yes, it really looks like this. |
We may have had to wait... but it was worth it.
Hail to the Kitty?
Paul Klusman's video, nominating his cat Ginger for President, is a classic --
especially if you've got any dealings with engineers. (Trust me, I know. The Brick is a mechanical engineer by training, with a still-active PE.) They can be focused, a touch quirky...and wonderful.
Ginger's favorite tip for the upcoming election -- keep stimulating the economy! How do you do that?
Scratch it on the butt.
Or at the very least, please take the time NOW to register to vote. Your vote counts!!!
Enjoy.
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| Spiderweb Country dirt, via Facebook |
They're playing Vivaldi's "Autumn" at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
Short...but sweet.
After hearing of Justice Ginsburg's death, I got to wondering...
She wasn't the first female justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Who were the others?
Sandra Day O'Connor was the first, starting in 1981 and finishing in 2005. She retired in 2006, and was replaced by Samuel Alito.
(Another woman I greatly admire. This Westerner had to be tough to survive...and prove herself. She is one of the very few justices who retired earlier, rather than have her post vacated because she died or was 'incapacitated.' )
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was next, from 1993 - 2020.
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| AmazonflowersUS, vis Pinterest |
And finally,
Sonia Sotomayer, (2009 - present)
Elena Kagan, ( 2010 - present)
Both were appointed by President Obama.
President Trump has also appointed two judges, so far:
Neil Gorsuch (2017-present)
Brett Kavanaugh (2018 - present...
who could forget the raucous sessions surrounding Kavanaugh's appointment...)
Interestingly, both men are in their 50s...and the youngest members of the Supreme Court. (Gorsuch is a born-and-bred Coloradoan, in case you didn't know.)
John Roberts, the Chief Justice, has been serving since 2005. He, like Samuel Alito, was appointed by President George W. Bush.
By the way, the person to appoint the most Supreme Court Justices was Dwight Eisenhower, with 5. Richard Nixon appointed 4; so did Reagan, if you count elevating one to Chief Justice. All the other modern Presidents, with the exception of Gerald Ford (1) and Jimmy Carter (0), nominated two Supreme Court Justices.
As far as federal judges in general, Reagan nominated the most -- with Bill Clinton coming in a close second. Take a look at the graphic here for specifics. William Henry Harrison, who caught a chill on Inauguration Day and died 31 days later, is the only American president not to nominate any judges of any kind.
You're welcome.
The trees by our mailbox are dropping cones by the dozen. I've been looking at them, and wondering if there was something else I could do, besides using them as fire starters.
Voila -- pine cone crafts! Like hedgehogs...
Gnomes for your next Nativity scene or fall harvest display?
Or just painted variegated-style.
Go here for more. Thanks for sharing, Spruce Crafts.
This is the serene time of year for me.
My reports: almost finished. (I do have revisions on the book to do.) Some quilt restoration will demand watching movies while I work. (Oh, darn.) We've tidied up the trailer some, and the Brick is busy doing more repairs. Exciting, huh? But peaceful, nonetheless.
We're planning a trip up into the mountains this week, to see what the leaves are doing. This is peak season for 'leafers' in Colorado, as these photos from last year show.
Meanwhile:
Some interesting claims Joe Biden is making. He also says that 200 million people have died of Covid-19.
Maybe we could clear up the problems via his 'Ask Me Anything' Instagram account -- but as of 9/10, he still isn't answering. Oopsies. Well, at least he posted a video.
Some of the oldest graffiti in the world.
"Back from the brink of financial oblivion." (From The Escape Artist) I would have liked more specific details, but this is still interesting.
A family plunges 300 feet down a mountain road -- and lives!
A really interesting RVer blog. If you're thinking about living in a fifth-wheel, as we do, this will give you a lot of inspiration.
How to store your fruits and veggies long-term. (From One Hundred Dollars A Month)
Little ways to stretch your money -- straight from Dave Ramsey himself.
Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg had no problem with an "11th hour nomination" for a Supreme Court justice -- after all, she argued, the President is still the president, even in his last year.
Wait a minute -- she said this? Yes, back in 2016.
P.S. Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham agreed in 2016 -- only he changed his mind now -- because 'circumstances are different.' Hmmm...could this be politically motivated, instead of ethical?
“I want you to use my words against me,” Graham said on the Senate floor four years ago. "If there’s a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say Lindsey Graham said let’s let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination.”
Top ten forbidden colors. In part because they use poisonous elements in their making. (From Listverse)
"Holy Water" -- by We the Kingdom. A rowdy worship song that is so much fun! (And needed, in these uncertain times.)
An ice age cave bear found in Russia -- nearly all intact!
Incredible backyard discoveries. (From Buzznicked)
How to curse in 15 different languages, courtesy of Samuel L. Jackson. Um, thank you... I guess.
"What are the cleverest scams you've come across?" Quora has some of the most interesting (and stupidest) questions ever.
Want a 'custom' closet? Use IKEA equipment, and save a lot of $$.
Simple -- but effective! -- ways to keep your daily life organized. (From the -- what else -- Everyday Girl)
Chicken confit -- 6 ingredients, deliciously tender.
The story of a waiter sidelined by Covid in March-- and what he did. A difficult story with plenty of hard times -- but gutsy.
Did you realize Nancy Pelosi and Donald Trump have not spoken directly to each other since Oct. 2019? Yeah, me neither...
45 cheap meals that will get you through rent week. (From Bon Appetit)
A mom smacks her 16-year-old for throwing things during a riot (er, 'protest'). Whoa.
"Alexa, how can I get rich?" A surprising -- and helpful -- answer. (From The Retirement Manifesto)
Have a great week. Kick some leaves for me.
As you know, Ruth Bader Ginsburg died yesterday.
Here's what the President said:
"Renowned for her brilliant mind and her powerful dissents at the Supreme Court, Justice Ginsburg demonstrated that one can disagree without being disagreeable toward one's colleagues or different points of view. Her opinions, including well-known decisions about the equality of women and the disabled, have inspired all Americans, and generations of great legal minds.
A fighter to the end... may her memory be a great and magnificent blessing to the world."
He had more to say than that. Read it for yourself here.
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| Teleflora.com |
Proving that you CAN disagree with someone, yet still respect them.
NEWS ALERT:
Ruth Bader Ginsburg died today (9/18). She was one of the U.S. Supreme Court Justices -- and its only female justice. She was 87, and had struggled with ill health for some time. (More about her here.) [Update: my readers have my back -- she wasn't the only female justice, but she did predate her colleagues by some years. See reader comments for the other justices.]
I didn't always agree with Ginsburg's politics, but I admired her verve, can-do attitude and thoughtful comments very much. She made me think -- that is a high compliment I can not always give.
She will be missed.
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| Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2016 (Wikipedia) |
One huge appraisal collection report finally done (21 + 48 pages)...more to go. Three drum lessons on the cuff...and I'm starting to hear patterns in the music. A whole collection of Rusty Wilson Bigfoot stories to read after reports are done -- and a recipe book of Great British Cooking (really??) to try out.
I may actually be making progress!
And it's September -- warm days and lovely, cooler evenings. There's more to do...but it's getting done. Hooray!
I'm chugging away at finishing off reports... Meanwhile, some random samplings of my favorite hobby: Things I Don't Understand.
I'll be back soon. Enjoy.
P.S. Just heard that our beloved University of Michigan will be playing college football this season, after all! But we have to wait til near Halloween for the first game. I'll console myself with Georgia's fine defensive Bulldogs til then, I guess. At least the Big Ten's decision cleared up another... well, you know.
Now here we go...
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| Covid memories...sigh. |
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| Can you tell me what's so funny about this??? |
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| Or the quarter... |
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| Guess the falling rocks got to it first. |
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| Ever feel like doing this to your neighbor? |
And finally...
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| Louie, Louie... |
Another goodie from the Brickworks files: Stephanie over at "A Year of Slow Cooking" has made it her goal to use the crockpot e...
