Computer Dead

Out of touch until further notice.  No, I have no fucking idea when that will be.

UPDATE:  She's baaaaaaack!  Monday, 03 May 2010, 11:15pm.

Didn't take as long as I feared it would. and took much too long in the bargain.

So.  Who's winning?

Roeder Complains of Treatment

WICHITA — The convicted killer of a Kansas abortion provider has filed a petition complaining of his treatment in prison and seeking his release.

All together now...aaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwww...!!!

Fucking crybaby.  Check the comments along the way.  He's not getting the sympathy he thinks is his due...

Thanks to JJ and deBeauxOs for the links.

Earth Day

Off to do some Worldly Good!

Fun with Numbers: Kaprekar's Operation

It is a simple operation, but Kaprekar discovered it led to a surprising result. Let's try it out, starting with the number 2005, the digits of last year. The maximum number we can make with these digits is 5200, and the minimum is 0025 or 25 (if one or more of the digits is zero, embed these in the left hand side of the minimum number). The subtractions are:

5200 - 0025 = 5175
7551 - 1557 = 5994
9954 - 4599 = 5355
5553 - 3555 = 1998
9981 - 1899 = 8082
8820 - 0288 = 8532
8532 - 2358 = 6174
7641 - 1467 = 6174

Let's try again starting with a different number, say 1789.


I found this to be a fascinating article, mostly because numbers are a foreign language to me, but there is a music...a rhythm to them that I find compelling.  Like other folks find Magick.  That I cannot seem to "play" their music doesn't stop me from appreciating their artistry.

Winter Stew

Hot, thick hearty, and sooooo yummy on a cold day!  The term "winter" does not refer to the season, but to the kinds of vegetables you put into it -- in this case:  cabbage, onions, garlic, peri-peri peppers (aka small red chilis -- whole, so you can see and remove them before they get stuck between your teeth!), celery, carrots, rutabaga, potatoes, winter squash, and broccoli.

Put a dry heavy-bottomed cauldron on stove, heating up to medium.  While it's getting hot, halve lengthwise and then slice thinly crosswise two cored quarters of a cabbage.  When the pot is up to temperature,  cover the bottom with olive oil, and then immediately dump in all the shredded cabbage.  Stir to coat with oil, and then continue chopping veggies and adding them in whatever order you like, stirring each time you add to the pot.  I use squash because it melts into nothingness and thickens the broth without adding flour or other thickening agent -- something I found out completely by serendipitous accident!.  And it has very little inherent flavor of its own.  And it's extremely high in water soluble fiber.  And because I just plain like winter squash.

There are no measurements to this dish.  You use as much as you like of what you have.  Don't have something on the list?  Use something else.  Or forget about it entirely.  If you don't like rutabaga, don't put it in just because it's on my list -- make up your own list.  You can, ferinstance, use an entire cabbage instead of just half.  Or substitute kale.  Or spinach.  Or sui choy.  Or all.  Or whatever.

When you've got all the veggies chopped and added and stirred in and covered with oil and the accumulating liquor in the pot (the pot should be pretty close to full if you're doing this in a serious way), start adding cold water until the veggies are almost covered.  Put a lid on it, but leave it ajar, and let it come to a boil.  Stir occassionally until you deem it done, and enjoy with crusty bread, salad, whatever.

Yes, you can add meat to it.  Whatever meat you like.

Tonight, I'm serving this with slices of ham and a garden salad on the side and ciabata to soak up the broth. 

And tomorrow, when the level in the pot has gone down a bit, I will add some drained and rinsed red kidney beans and some frozen kernel corn, both for color and for complete protein, and meat will not be necessary.  Which is good, because what's left on the bone will be in another pot being turned into a broth for split pea or lentil soup!