Low carb subs? Thin crust pizza? Pasta? Italian food is a tough challenge when it comes to “low carb” OR attempting to regulate blood sugar. The dough, the noodles, the sauces. Again, I am not a jeanyis… can’t even comprehend what the Freddy Krueger Effect even is. But, if it’s loaded with carbs, it’s bound to raise the blood sugar.
24g Total Carbs – Add mayo, oil + vinegar, black pepper, provolone, lettuce leaf, pepperoni (sandwich), and ham.
Pizza? – Spread olive oil and Italian seasoning on pizza pan. Then spread pizza sauce on pita. Add a mozzarella/provolone blend and then your favorite toppings. Place on pan, bake at 400 for about 8-10 minutes.
In a previous lifetime, I spent many years working at a golf course. It was one of my more enjoyable jobs because the crew was always fun and seemed to work together. There are pretty easy tasks associated with clubhouse work. Clean the members clubs, wash the carts, collect the range balls. But work always became quite a bit busier during tournaments.
Next to the pro shop sat the restaurant/clubhouse. And if there is one thing I remember (from the time I worked there), it was the famous “crab salad”. This special dish was special ordered by the owners, and chefs were instructed to keep it on the menu at all times. I’ve tried many times to recreate it, and think I’ve come pretty close.
First things first…received some great news from a few docs. Cannot express how incredibly relieved I feel right now. Also crossed off a worry that has been nagging me for many years. Good day? No, great week!
That said, in other news, we were dealing with a mess here (tech). Still working on figuring out a good set up for my “extras”. Started with upgrading a case… that didn’t go as planned. Will probably part out that pc, and use an OptiPlex 3070 to replace it.
Absolutely love the Intel Optane (16G) for Linux operating systems. This is the third I installed and all are performing great. Affordable, fast, and just enough space to hold the essentials. (Lots of traditional SSDs/thumbs being used for “storage” space now).
If you do a tuner scan with antenna attached to your tv (or myth system), you are likely to find quite a few PBS channels. And these are great for documentaries, as well as government/statehouse hearings or debates. There are also historical programs/stories… and I caught a pretty good one the other day. It covered famous historical women from the Columbus area (Ohio). And during the credits, discovered a great tune.
Fall is coming, and to be honest, missing the trails. From west central Ohio down to the south west region there is a lot to offer. Whether its bike trails, nature preserves, frisbee golf courses, etc. Lots to look at, lots to see.
You can even find some unexpected hidden parks and falls if you do a little research.
Depending on how far you wish to dig into it, there are plenty of areas to tighten and tweak a mythtv setup. My first introduction was an offshoot of Fedora, called mythdora. Soon, was able to get unsupported hardware functioning by building my own blend, creating a headless server and customizing a wireless connection…oh that Atheros driver took some time.
What is most important (imo) is the actual feed going into the TV tuner. And for assistance, antennaweb has always provided some great information if you are considering OTA antenna. Obviously, the best signals are produced by either tower or rooftop antennas, positioned in the right way (depending on your product/area).
How’s the picture now (with the in house antenna)? Not bad to excellent.
Grab a pack of thinly sliced (boneless) pork loin. In addition, yellow onion, green pepper, red pepper, mushrooms, and Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Sauce. You will also need soft tortillas, shredded mozzarella cheese, sour cream, taco sauce.
Heat sliced pork loin (about 2 or 3 slices) in oven (or air fryer) at 400 for 12 minutes (15 minutes if frozen). While heating, chop 1/4 onion and 1/4 peppers into thin slices. Mix with mushrooms.
When loin has completed cooking, slice into thin strips. Add full mixture into lightly coated (olive oil) skillet. Cook on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes.
Add 1/4 cup of Buffalo Sauce to mixture. Cook for additional 5 minutes in skillet until liquid has slightly evaporated.
Add shredded mozzarella cheese, sour cream, taco sauce, slightly above center of soft taco shell. Add skillet mixture just below. Fold like a taco.
Hello internets. Forgive me for sounding a little too excited, but I’ve been having many (good) flashbacks of some great times in open source development and projects I used to work on.
Even though this was something I absolutely was not going to do, it just looked too damn good to pass up. A centralized location for an antenna, program guides, scheduled recordings, and a trip to Dinosaur World (Clifford reference) to pick up hardware… Micro Center, “the only place where a boy like me can be happy”. Umm. Yes.
So the project was a networked TV source, frontends/backend server/clients, just like yesterday. The difference is, I am not using a satellite/cable feed this time, but a mere household antenna. Very similar to rabbit ears. 50+ Channels with info, guides, like a good old cable receiver…plus the “dvr” option.
We are not trying to reinvent the wheel here, actually we’re using the updated software of yesteryear. Did someone say xbmc is still around (kodi)? And mythtv? Say whhaaaattt? And they play together nicely, fluently? Sign me up!
Can’t believe I’m saying this in August of 2026, but if you’re looking for a DIY PVR or simply looking for a way to network an OTA antenna feed, give kodi + mythtv a shot.
Remember seeing this cat in the early 00’s at many places. Always was a party. The days of packetnews/xdcc, #vcdq, and MD. Highly influenced by acclaimed local artists like Bootsy, James Brown, Roger, Zapp, and others including Parliament, George Clinton… Funkadelic.
A true talent. Funktastic, the late 90’s, early 00’s. Great to see he is still going strong. The ‘Nati!
Allow me to start with something very important. This processor/setup DOES NOT support the AV1 codec. Furthermore, hardware cannot be upgraded to support the AV1 codec. Software decoding must be used to handle the “heavy lifting” with such files. The best (micro/card sized), and most budget friendly set up, to handle this file type (codec) is the Radxa X4, equipped with an N100 cpu. Good luck finding one. If you do, good luck getting it at the original $60 price tag.
A few options on the 2017 Dell OptiPlex 5050 Micro (mini)
Budget Buys?
-No OS, No HDD, No Power Cord, i5-7500T = $60-$70 w/ 8GB RAM (eBay) (Option 1)
-No OS, No HDD, No Power Cord, i7-7700T = $99 w/ 8GB RAM (eBay) (Option 2)
Whatever choice you made above, you are going to AT LEAST need two additional items.
A hard drive (m.2 SATA, SATA, or both).
Power cord
Because RAM is getting very expensive, Option 1and 2 seem much more attractive.
Why is this worth it? First, form factor. Approximately 7 x 7″ and very capable of running Linux systems, as well as performing as a frontend htpc. Second, price (especially in current economy). It is not a gaming pc, nor a graphics designing/video editing juggernaut. It is what it is, doesn’t pretend to be anything else.
Where to begin (assuming you went option 1, go to next step for option 2).
Use your favorite disk imaging tool to create a bootable USB. Boot, install system as directed by your chosen OS. All should run fairly well, without unreasonable expectations.
Have Fun! I know I will.
Updated 07/21/26: Added pictures and clarified a few statements.Do not want to jinx it, but this little (outdated) PC is running wonderfully right now. Small, cool, quiet, efficient.
