The Counterterror War That America Is Winning [Click] “The United States has centered its efforts on invasions and insurgencies. But another campaign appears to be having greater success.”
“The Vermont Department of Health is reporting 314 new cases of COVID-19. While this is technically the largest single day report, as we communicated yesterday, we had an outside vendor IT glitch that delayed the delivery of test results.
“At this time, we believe the issue has been resolved. We are therefore investigating whether or not the IT glitch and subsequent fix may have impacted today's case count, as well as our previous days' case counts.
“It is possible – but not confirmed – that we will see older tests come through over the next few days. We are actively working to assess the impacts, monitor the situation, and we will keep the public informed, including providing updated numbers, as we learn more.
==================== After this week’s recall election, California Democrats haven’t lost a statewide race in 15 years, the AP reports. =======================
Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “Midterm electorates are typically whiter and more educated than presidential electorates.”
“At one time, this sort of change from the presidential to the midterm electorate might have made midterm electorates worse for Democrats. But given changes in the electorate, this midterm turnout pattern may actually aid Democrats, or at least not hurt them as much as it once did.”
“The outcome in key swing states whiter than the national average, such as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and New Hampshire, may be influenced heavily by educational turnout differential. In states with large nonwhite cores, such as North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada, minority turnout will play a more critical role.”
Well now, that was fun. Last weekend, we picked apples, got pie and creamees and brought home fresh cider. Tonight, I drove over to the grocery store to replenish supplies ahead of the weekend. The car smelled a little funky, so I checked around and discovered we forgot to bring the cider into the house. So it had warmed and swelled and fallen over and nearly all of it had leaked into the floor carpet behind the driver's seat. So, I washed the rubber mat and soaked up as much of the cider as I possibly could, before heading over to the store (accompanied by at least 8 fruit flies). When I arrived home and brought in the groceries I realised I felt dizzy and a little shaky. LOL! Apparently I was getting a wee bit tipsy from inhaling hard cider on the drive!
I remember when I was young we would always stop along the way to my great uncle and aunt's place to get a jug or two of fresh cider from the farmers' roadside stalls, at least one frozen (very welcome in such hot weather). Alas, many of the small growers are gone, many of the apple orchards are gone, and the highway has been bypassed by a freeway. Many things are better these days, but that isn't one of them.
Ah, I see that there are a couple of orchards in southern Vermont that boast of their Gravenstein apples! Must try those.
Gravenstein A very old apple from Italy, grown in the USA since the late 1700s. The combination of both tart and sweet flavors makes this a wonderful culinary apple for pies, tarts, and sauces as well as a sprightly flavored eating apple. Good too when pressed as a single variety sweet cider. It’s available mid- August through mid-September. Large yellow green smooth skin with red blush.
Definitely try the gravensteins (Americans usually pronounce the last syllable "steen" rather than "stine"). I doubt I would actually kill to get a frozen gallon of unfiltered gravenstein cider, but the thought might pass through my mind on a hot day. . .
Oh my! I found a recipe for Heirloom Apple Cake that uses Gravenstein apples! It looks AMAZING!! Only...it just has the ingredients list, not the how to. But I bet I could fudge that part based on pies I've made in the past. Here's the list:
Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 Tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon table salt 3 eggs 1 cup canola oil 1- 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup maple sugar (you can use all granulated sugar if you cannot find this) 2 teaspoons vanilla 3 cups of peeled and chopped apples (Gravenstein preferred, but get the best apples you have access to) 1 cup chopped pecans 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) 1/2 cup heavy cream
I meant to say "based on pies and cakes I've made in the past". I have made apple cake before, so might follow the basic recipe from The Joy of Cooking and use the ingredients above. Hmmm.
Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and beat well. Stir in apples and nuts. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a separate bowl; add flour mixture to butter mixture and stir until combined. Spoon batter into greased 13”x9” baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool. Top with whipped topping. Enjoy!
Joah Marshall: The California Recall and Mail-in Voting [Click] Of the two linked stories, the one from the LA Times is much better than the one from the NY Times. I hadn’t really thought about it, but this year’s recall election is VERY different from the one that gave us Gov. Schwartzenegger.
I find it difficult to compute mail-in voting as "easy." Not everybody has my difficulty struggling with a small-type paper ballot but -- do I really need to mention this? -- the nearest mailbox is about the same distance from my house as my usual polling place. And while I wouldn't say I have never experienced lines, I've never found them a problem.
I will either reserve it from the library or just go sit in the bookstore and skim it. I agree with others that he was wrong to keep quiet on the information he had just so he could profit from it in book sales. I would rather not add to his money haul.
Naomi and I went sketching/painting at the zoo today; me to test my equipment and some different supplies, she to test a new type of gouache and a new "desktop" easel. All went reasonably well. The bronze pelican was very cooperative.
No results I would be willing to show at this time, but just getting past my terror of putting ink and color on paper is a milestone. I still have to figure out what equipment I will use and famiarize myself with it. The zoo has all sorts of things to depict, and it is a safe space. I expect that I will shortly drop my so-called "intermediate drawing" class--it just doesn't show any promise of teaching me what I want (drawing, for instance). The same eight hours per week could be put to better use. But it helped me to again get past my fear of trying.
The Counterterror War That America Is Winning [Click] “The United States has centered its efforts on invasions and insurgencies. But another campaign appears to be having greater success.”
ReplyDeleteThe 5 Biggest Bombshells In The Woodward-Costa Book [Click]
ReplyDeleteJosh Marshall: What Civic-Moral Calculus Should We Apply to Mark Milley? [Click]
Those made a worthwhile read, especially the second. Thanks, Alan.
DeleteGlad you liked them. I thought so too.
DeleteThere is nothing good to say about these numbers.
ReplyDeleteCOVID VT Today (9/16) and Yesterday (9/15)
New Cases: 362* /// 136 *official count says 314
Deaths: 294 (+2) /// 292 (+1)
In Hospital/In ICU: 42/10 /// 39/10
Positivity Rate: 3.2% /// 3.4%
Recovered: 87.1% /// 87.6%
People Tested: 2,125 /// 1,067
“A note about today's case numbers:
“The Vermont Department of Health is reporting 314 new cases of COVID-19. While this is technically the largest single day report, as we communicated yesterday, we had an outside vendor IT glitch that delayed the delivery of test results.
“At this time, we believe the issue has been resolved. We are therefore investigating whether or not the IT glitch and subsequent fix may have impacted today's case count, as well as our previous days' case counts.
“It is possible – but not confirmed – that we will see older tests come through over the next few days. We are actively working to assess the impacts, monitor the situation, and we will keep the public informed, including providing updated numbers, as we learn more.
Two items from talkingpointsmemo.com:
ReplyDelete====================
After this week’s recall election, California Democrats haven’t lost a statewide race in 15 years, the AP reports.
=======================
Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “Midterm electorates are typically whiter and more educated than presidential electorates.”
“At one time, this sort of change from the presidential to the midterm electorate might have made midterm electorates worse for Democrats. But given changes in the electorate, this midterm turnout pattern may actually aid Democrats, or at least not hurt them as much as it once did.”
“The outcome in key swing states whiter than the national average, such as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and New Hampshire, may be influenced heavily by educational turnout differential. In states with large nonwhite cores, such as North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada, minority turnout will play a more critical role.”
Well now, that was fun.
ReplyDeleteLast weekend, we picked apples, got pie and creamees and brought home fresh cider. Tonight, I drove over to the grocery store to replenish supplies ahead of the weekend. The car smelled a little funky, so I checked around and discovered we forgot to bring the cider into the house. So it had warmed and swelled and fallen over and nearly all of it had leaked into the floor carpet behind the driver's seat. So, I washed the rubber mat and soaked up as much of the cider as I possibly could, before heading over to the store (accompanied by at least 8 fruit flies). When I arrived home and brought in the groceries I realised I felt dizzy and a little shaky. LOL! Apparently I was getting a wee bit tipsy from inhaling hard cider on the drive!
Aha! A clear violation of the open container law!
DeleteI remember when I was young we would always stop along the way to my great uncle and aunt's place to get a jug or two of fresh cider from the farmers' roadside stalls, at least one frozen (very welcome in such hot weather). Alas, many of the small growers are gone, many of the apple orchards are gone, and the highway has been bypassed by a freeway. Many things are better these days, but that isn't one of them.
Delete😁😆🤣
DeleteHonest, officer, I haven't had anything to drink!
I only inhaled!
(I had actually removed the container before I headed to the store. Think that would get me off?)
Ohhhh, I hear you.
DeleteGood things need to be preserved!
Gravenstein apples were the very best local apples, for cider and applesauce in particular.
DeleteAh, I see that there are a couple of orchards in southern Vermont that boast of their Gravenstein apples! Must try those.
DeleteGravenstein
A very old apple from Italy, grown in the USA since the late 1700s. The combination of both tart and sweet flavors makes this a wonderful culinary apple for pies, tarts, and sauces as well as a sprightly flavored eating apple. Good too when pressed as a single variety sweet cider. It’s available mid- August through mid-September. Large yellow green smooth skin with red blush.
Removing the jug would certainly have saved you from the open container law (assuming they have one in Vermont, which is likely).
DeleteDefinitely try the gravensteins (Americans usually pronounce the last syllable "steen" rather than "stine"). I doubt I would actually kill to get a frozen gallon of unfiltered gravenstein cider, but the thought might pass through my mind on a hot day. . .
DeleteOh my! I found a recipe for Heirloom Apple Cake that uses Gravenstein apples! It looks AMAZING!! Only...it just has the ingredients list, not the how to. But I bet I could fudge that part based on pies I've made in the past. Here's the list:
DeleteIngredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon table salt
3 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1- 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup maple sugar (you can use all granulated sugar if you cannot find this)
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups of peeled and chopped apples (Gravenstein preferred, but get the best apples you have access to)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup heavy cream
I meant to say "based on pies and cakes I've made in the past". I have made apple cake before, so might follow the basic recipe from The Joy of Cooking and use the ingredients above. Hmmm.
DeleteI do wonder where they get the heirloom canola oil, but that's being pretty damned picky!
DeleteThis could work:
DeleteCream butter and sugar; add eggs and beat well.
Stir in apples and nuts.
Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a separate bowl; add flour mixture to butter mixture and stir until combined.
Spoon batter into greased 13”x9” baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Let cool. Top with whipped topping. Enjoy!
Joah Marshall: The California Recall and Mail-in Voting [Click] Of the two linked stories, the one from the LA Times is much better than the one from the NY Times. I hadn’t really thought about it, but this year’s recall election is VERY different from the one that gave us Gov. Schwartzenegger.
ReplyDeleteJOSH Marshall. . .
DeleteI find it difficult to compute mail-in voting as "easy." Not everybody has my difficulty struggling with a small-type paper ballot but -- do I really need to mention this? -- the nearest mailbox is about the same distance from my house as my usual polling place. And while I wouldn't say I have never experienced lines, I've never found them a problem.
DeleteIs anyone here planning to read Woodward's book PERIL? I'm tempted.
ReplyDeleteI will either reserve it from the library or just go sit in the bookstore and skim it. I agree with others that he was wrong to keep quiet on the information he had just so he could profit from it in book sales. I would rather not add to his money haul.
DeleteNot I; I don't recall reading any of the genre.
DeleteI agree, Susan. Well said. I like your idea of getting it from the library. I now have library cards at two libraries, so stand a reasonable chance!
DeleteNaomi and I went sketching/painting at the zoo today; me to test my equipment and some different supplies, she to test a new type of gouache and a new "desktop" easel. All went reasonably well. The bronze pelican was very cooperative.
ReplyDeleteWould love to see the results!
DeleteI assume you got the Pelican's best side?
No results I would be willing to show at this time, but just getting past my terror of putting ink and color on paper is a milestone. I still have to figure out what equipment I will use and famiarize myself with it. The zoo has all sorts of things to depict, and it is a safe space. I expect that I will shortly drop my so-called "intermediate drawing" class--it just doesn't show any promise of teaching me what I want (drawing, for instance). The same eight hours per week could be put to better use. But it helped me to again get past my fear of trying.
Delete