Saturday, October 31, 2020

Monday (er, Sunday) Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: I Must Be Hungry

 I seem to have a bunch of recipes in this week's version of Stuff. I didn't plan to -- it just happened. Is it that more people are cooking at home, due to Covid? Or economizing? Or just that it sounds more comforting to bake, especially, when it's gloomy? (Rain and wind are gusting outside as I write this.) 

     Michigan's perpetually overcast weather this time of year has taken its toll on both of us. It's hard to be cheerful when you're looking at gray skies and trees gradually stripped of their fall beauty. Colorado had a foot of snow last week -- soon it will be snowing here, too. Update:  it did, later on Sunday.

If you haven't already done so, please don't forget to vote. It really is very important. 

Doesn't it feel like we're in waiting mode, anyways? Waiting for Election Day (and the umpteen commercials accusing/praising anybody and everybody of everything) to be over. Waiting for results -- then figuring out how to deal with those.

 What can I say, but ... welcome to November.


Thought I'd post these late Saturday night -- I have a deadline to meet this weekend, and you may have a rainy weekend you don't know what to do with. Why not bake something?

Dozens of extremely cool travel tips. Which I plan to use, when we're allowed to travel again. (From Broke but Beautiful)

What  does the future hold in store for Japan...and us? The predictions are uncertain at best.

French fry tuna casserole. The name is offputting, but the results are quickly made, and look delicious. Gluten-free, as well. (From Penniless Parenting)

How to save money on heating your house...including some wacko (but fun) ideas. (From Budgets Are Sexy)

'Scooter visits Nana.' I love these goofy doggy-tales from Get Me to the Country. P.S. There are more links to more Scooter stories at the end of the post. Plus:

A less-than-cute (but reasonably accurate) look at what people in care homes have been enduring through this whole Covid 19 period. IMHO, this is one of the great travesties of 2020.

A visit to the rusty blue dumpster - Part I.  (From Things I Find in the Garbage)

Five ways you might be able to help erase your student loan debt.

"What's the most unusual things landlords have found after their tenants moved out?"  Quora wants to know.

A quick peek at Christmas goodies from Target...and Home Depot. Think houses in the forest. (From Thistlewood Farms)

A funeral for a cat...in London's Southwark Cathedral?

Ten weird medieval drawings -- including a "very sad dog," some strange anatomy pieces and animals jousting with each other.

"What I ordered -- versus what I got." An uncomfortable slideshow that I know all too well from recent experience.

Crockpot cinnamon roll casserole -- I know, this sounds wacky. But it might be your Christmas morning breakfast, it's that special.


Who ARE the mystery people behind the Crusteaz brand?  (Actually, it's just one lady and her husband.)

Helmut Norpoth's "unconditional final" prediction on the upcoming presidential election. His model only missed on two of 27 elections since 1912: John F. Kennedy in 1960, and George W. Bush in 2000. (Bush won against Al Gore in the electoral college, in spite of losing the popular vote.) In case you're wondering, Norpoth's results in 2016, publicized nearly a year before Election Day, had the probability of Trump winning, instead of Hilary Clinton, at more than 80%.

More predictions here -- all based on various formulas, historical precedent, etc etc. More here, too.

Not to mention the Truckers Poll and Taxi Poll.

Pecan Pie Truffles -- thanks to Shugary Sweets.

"Lessons learned from my 2019 tax return."  Especially if you have a large business, or are a professional who owns your own biz. (From White Coat Investor)

"Lessons learned from the 2008 financial crisis."  (From Financial Samurai). Also:

The first rule of financial independence: Never lose money. If at all possible.

Wardrobe and prop boo-boos that didn't fit the movie's time period. 

Kaiser rolls during quarantine -- a how-to bake from Oprah magazine.


The biggest Social Security changes coming in 2021.

States with the highest and lowest sales tax ratesOf course, our Colorado is one of the highest ones. Figures.

Do those Civil War era wool quilts REALLY contain Civil War uniform cloth? Barbara Brackman thinks not. I'm less skeptical -- but value Lyn Lancaster Gorges' opinion, too. (In the article, Gorges says that in all the years she and husband Wil have been examining quilts with this claim, they haven't found one with authentic wools yet. And they have a lot of experience with actual uniforms.) 

"Here's why we're not endorsing a presidential candidate:" a gutsy, insightful look into MLive's coverage. (That's Michigan Live to you non-mitten staters. Actually, it makes me rely on them more.)

And...

Here's why 780 National Security and Military leaders decided to endorse Joe Biden. Also illuminating. This post does seem to point out more why these leaders are anti-Trump, than it does to argue that they're pro-Biden. And some interesting reasons why, as well...some of them very well-put.

Teriyaki salmon. (Thanks, One Hundred Dollars A Month)


AOC shows her support for the "working class" she includes herself in -- by wearing a $14,000+ wardrobe when profiled by Vanity Fair. She takes some shots at Trump (you figured that, already) and gripes about not being able to afford an apartment in Washington, D.C. (Maybe she should sell a suit or something. VF said she was given the suit she was pictured wearing on the cover. Which makes it ok, right? Oops, now AOC says she just borrowed the clothes -- and booya to all those nasty Republicans who noticed her talking about poor people who can't make ends meet, and how she dresses to relate to them. While wearing an $800 dress in the accompanying photo.)

The two men who have correctly picked the most presidential winners over the years -- only now they disagree with each other.

The fate of the Franklin Expedition's pocket watches and other decorative items -- fashionable accessories for Arctic Eskimo wearers?  The Franklin Expedition, and polar exploring in general, include some fascinating mysteries.

A couple finds 'walls of whiskey' inside their upstate NY home.

What the Bidens earned after his stint at the White House. 

A winter storm...and Rainy Day Doughnuts.  (From Diary of A Stay At Home Mom)


Have a great week.

 

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Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Yeah, It's Spring (Sort Of)

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