This probably doesn’t need any promotion. Nonetheless, was doing my sporadic concert watch for the Summer and Fall. And I must say, Louisville is still putting together some massive shows for some great entertainment. Thursday (<–them too) through Sunday a jam packed lineup with bands including (but not limited to) Tool, Rise Against, Coheed and Cambria, Thrice… Coal Chamber, Jimmy Eat World, Alien Ant Farm…
….whipped up one of the faves this morning. Woke up around 4:30 AM, and had the urge to make Eggs Benedict.
A wonderful combination of English muffins, eggs, ham, and that special sauce. (English muffins are arguably a great alternative to bagels/white bread, depending on which you buy).
Spring, it brings on quite a few surprises Weeds. Grass growing/getting out of control. Sporadic, sometimes severe, rain, introducing that new problem area in the gutters. That tree needing a trim. The hose leaks, the grass seed, the…
As I turned to the left I notice a fruit tree I planted several years ago. It was one of those online nursery buys, you get shipped. Actually, two of the plants from this establishment are doing incredibly well. The crab (apple) pollinates the apple and vice versa. Have two crabs for that specific purpose.
Anyway, the other day I noticed that the apple tree was finally making fruit! It’s a dwarf. And it has been at least 4 yrs since planting.
So the question has been raised… pork loin?, pulled pork?, what are you talking about? I’m speaking of slow cooking. The preferred method, in my opinion, is with a crockpot. However, you can use a pot, fill it about 1/2 way (with water), and slow boil for about 6-8hrs on medium heat. The goal is to cook to a point where the loin is falling apart. “What loin, where?” One of these (any flavor):
They can be store brand, or whatever your preferred choice. (Smithfield is usually available in my area)
Whether you are using a traditional stovetop pot, or crockpot, cook on medium heat for about about 6-8 hours. Stick a fork in the center, to confirm the meat is falling apart.
Set on plate to pull apart and prepare. Flavor with barbecue sauce, wing sauce, or a nice herb and garlic seasoning.
Combine with noodles, make a sandwich, or create a side with barbecue or other flavorings.
A rubber double cheeseburger. A soft, orange. fabric basketball. A bright green rubber bone. All squeaky toys. Set them up in a triangle in your largest room, and you’ve created the perfect environment to drive your dog crazy.
Start by visiting each toy once and stepping on it a few times. Then change your rotation, clockwise to counter clockwise. Continue stepping on these items to make loud, shrill, squeaking sounds.
Then get creative. Begin dragging one of these items under your foot, squeaking it with every step. Bring one item (under your foot), to the next item, and change to that new item (under your foot). Different toy, different sound. The dog goes more nuts.
Now get a bit more creative. As you are dragging (and squeaking) one toy, drag another one with your other foot. Dragging both of them and squeaking as you move forward.
If your dog isn’t biting at your ankles (and other parts of your body) by now, you may want to get him/her checked out.
A few (personal) requirements, as previously mentioned, on my media centers/devices. 1) As thin of a (base) system as possible. 2) Primary and ONLY function as a media frontend. 3) Hard wired (wireless is always an option with adapter). 4) Absolutely no signups OR sign ins required.
The SBC presented some major challenges. A media frontend was possible, but with lots of bloat…lots of load time, and very heavy OS (for this purpose). The only option was to load the (media center) software on top of one of two quite heavy (full) operating systems (tying accounts to other accounts, and doing too much unnecessary “external” networking).
Remember those two PCs I mentioned earlier? Both seeing little use? Well, I decided the best option was to go with a trusty x86_generic image, and throw it on my old custom build. And although it’s a behemoth in physical size, it’ running a very light system and is extremely fast/efficient. The moment xbmc (frontend) was transferred from game console to PC was awesome! Who would have thought the tech would be around and be relevant, still useful?
So if you have an old PC, laptop, or netbook with an HDMI out on it. It may be a better option than spending money on a smaller form factor SBC. They are getting very pricey, and support is beginning to become very limited.
Remote control worked at boot, and I was watching euronews in no time! (Along with other shows/movies I missed)
There was a gas station, a block down from the party house. He was far from home, I definitely was far from home. As I walked out of the convenience store, he asked me for money. He just wanted to get back home. Feeling generous, I didn’t offer him money, but a ride. Asked if he wanted to hang out for the night.
He had to go home first. And that involved driving him to his apartment complex. Entering the third floor apartment, I noticed nothing but a single room. No separate doors, not a bathroom, nothing. In the corner sat a toilet and a shower. The area poorly covered by a curtain hanging from the ceiling. He went to get something from his dresser, then asked me “Have you ever heard of a jack?”…I will not answer how I responded. But he left, and came back after about 10 minutes.
We left his apartment, and proceeded to head back to the college house. Down by the gas station. I wanted to get him away from his normal environment, show him that others would respect him just how he is. No need for nonsense or toughness.
I think he enjoyed himself, hanging out that night. Playing pool.
As I dropped him off, he thanked me. Told me that I might have motivated him to reconsider some of his preconceptions. And that made me smile.
So I’m still working on that little circuit board (SBC), that I mentioned earlier. It’s monotonous, tedious, frustrating, rewarding. The fact that you can take such a small piece of equipment, and turn it into a fully functional computer still amazes me. And I’ve been doing this for quite a while.
In between this hobby and life’s daily (necessary) routine…mowing, groceries, appointments, medication (diabetic), I often yearn for laughter. Comedy. And this absolutely had me in tears. (Granted I’m not a big muscle bound man, so apparently it’s quite easy to make the rivers flow… but this had me laughing my ass off).
Wow. Tonight I began writing an Abby Martin appreciation post. This woman has been around the world, challenging western media sources (and biases). She has not been shy about engaging in topics regarding war, genocide, politics, socio-economic issues…well the topics which drive news cycles today. Independent, and absolutely fierce. No apologies, no regrets.
One badass b*tch. Educated, well read, and certainly a formidable opponent to everything unjust. As she sees it, as I see it. As we all see it, if we are decent human beings.
Abby was involved in political reporting back when the 99% were protesting on Wall St. And unlike others, she continues to fight for a (THE) common cause.
And as I was writing this post, received some spam comments to some of my past posts (they have to be approved). Would love to recommend proton, to address email spam, and other security concerns. They are awesome. (Abby also played a huge role in warning people about new tech, and her voice was marginalized).
Sauerkraut soup. Lots of it. The leftover ham from the holidays equipped me with the perfect main ingredient for a flavorful, warm, comfort food, which never disappoints. So I grabbed one of my old beer brewing pots and threw in diced russet potatoes, two jars of old fashioned kraut, two cans of beer, and four jars of water. Absolutely nothing else needed. Most importantly, absolutely delicious.
Aside from the cooking, been working on a little SBC. Yes, they are getting pricey. My theory on any sort of TV box/entertainment unit is that the OS should be as “thin” as possible. Lightweight. The main objective? To only include files that are absolutely necessary to utilize, to make it function properly. The rest is bloat, or even worse…
This little board has made things difficult. So like yesteryear, will continue to work on it. (they don’t make it easy these days).
How similar is a disk dump copy to that of a dual tape deck cassette record/dub? An iso/img copy to that of the product of a xerox machine? Your answer may indicate a few things. And the challenges for some of us.
