February 16, 2024

Products that aren't what they used to be.

The kids are home this week (Teacher break), so last night I got them the fixings for quickie Apple Cinnamon Rolls using the Pillsbury Cinnamon rolls, some left over fried apples from last night's stuffed pork chops, and raisins.
I had taught the eldest how to unroll and re-roll the dough from the can with the filling inside(pinch the bottom of the dough as you re-roll) a couple years ago, but this time she calls me from my home office here, complaining she can't unroll the dough.
They aren't rolls anymore. They're biscuits that are cut, the top molded to look like it's rolled and brushed with a cinnamon sugar.
So we made filled biscuits instead.
They also don't have as much baking powder as they used to, even the top of the biscuit wasn't as fluffy as it used to be.
Guess the oldest is going to have to stop looking for shortcuts and buckle down and learn how to make sweet biscuit roll dough. It takes time (about an hour and a half for prep and the dough alone), and she's still a bit scared of screwing up.
To which I always say, " unless it's charcoal, it's still eatable"...

But man, that's a sucky trick for Pillsbury. They knew half the joy of those rolls was to unroll them and add dried fruit, nuts, or syrups before baking to jazz them up

Haele

February 6, 2024

Here we go...Tornado Warnings 2 miles SE of us in San Diego...

And now, the other band of heavy rain is overhead.
And me in a double-wide.

On edit - the rotation stayed in the clouds, other side of the ridge from the grandkid's school.

Stay dry, San Diego.

Haele

January 22, 2024

San Diegans, Check in! First major city -wide flood of the century...

I just came back from an hour and a half circuitous route to pick up the grandkids after their school flooded and power there went out. Only 2 1/2 miles away, normally a 20 minute there and back. To get there, I normally drive along Imperial Ave from Market to 69th, but the creek that runs along the Blue line Trolley overflowed about 3 - 5 ft above the banks. GPS was no help, especially since the whole area is hills and dips that were about 1 - 2 ft of rushing water.
I saw a jacked up Jeep stall out trying to ford, never saw anything like that here in San Diego since I moved here in 1984.
The bases all had shelter in place alerts.

Haele

January 7, 2024

My Two Cents - Tech Bros, Financial "Wizards", Pundits and Academia....

My Two Cents based on my opinions, shaped by six decades of academic experience (I was a good baby and my parents often took me to their college classes which I still vaguely remember), technical and humanities education and research.

1. Research and Experimentation is iterative. It builds on previous discoveries or writings. Therefore, logically, as individuals or groups work to advance a science, ideas, or their personal positions, these advancements are influenced by a myriad of whatever went before. They simply pick what resonates with their personal philosophical view and go with it.

2. People who are not sitting on their laurels because they gaslight themselves that they are at the top of their fields are constantly reading about or experimenting with the latest advances within their chosen fields.
These people are the ones who are too busy actually doing the work and refining the new information and technology to make headlines or show up for the cameras at conferences, fancy dress events, and on TV/Streaming services on a weekly basis.
You know, the people who are writing the scripts or realizing the ideas for the Bro or Wizard CEOs or Pundit mouthpieces - the Staff.

3. Tech Bros, Pundits, and "Financial Wizards" who find themselves in positions of power routinely plagiarize other people's ideas and work. Especially literary works they read as teenagers.
Those whose high incomes depend on the more emotion based sciences that make up successful political influencing, media dissemination, marketing and branding are constantly referencing authors whose works influenced their career choices.

I have noted before that if one looked at the educational and work background between someone like me, an average computer technician turned Project Manager and Systems Engineer, and Billionaire Tech Bros like Elon Musk or Larry Ellison, the primary differences are the initial financial backing to get into a good university and network, personal marketing, successful plagerization (err, leveraging on or buying out) of other people's hard work and ultimately luck.
One could say the same thing about the average accountant/bank manager like my brother in law and Bill Ackerman or Jimmie Dimon.

My Two Cents. Go ahead and Discuss.

Haele

December 22, 2023

Well, that was a wakeup thunderclap.

Sounded like it was right on top of us and might have hit a tree nearby. Glad I don't live in L.A., it's pouring out there right now.

Haele

December 10, 2023

Just saw a meteor heading past San Diego!

Pretty high up, ENE (heading towards AZ or NM) 5:15 pm Pacific. Sun was going down, so it was pretty bright against the navy blue sky, with a long clear contrail.
Times like this I wish I had a dashcam.

Haele.

October 20, 2023

Matt Gaetz offering himself up for censure if fellow GOP will vote for Jordan?

Yeah, the American People are behind Jordan? Except all politics is local, and representatives are beholden to their districts not "The American People". Why would they want to potentially lose their seat in purple districts because their constituents really don't want Jordan...

Republicans in disarray.

Haele

June 8, 2023

San Diego is trying to limit Short term Vacation rentals (Airbnb), but...

They weren't really careful and a LLC multi-property owner took advantage of a loophole to evict many of his month to month apartment and duplex leases into Airbnbs in choice vacation locations.
San Diego now has a lottery system (I think about 1000 a year, could be wrong) for licencing vacation rentals, partially to benefit the actual hotels (who pay the city hotel taxes, unlike the Airbnb hosts), and partially to slow the drain on available affordable housing these sorts of "investment" rentals have been creating over the last decade.

(Local news link below)
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/investigations/loophole-allows-ocean-beach-apartment-owner-to-get-more-than-100-short-term-rental-licenses/3241837/

We have a horrible housing shortage in this town, and his apartments are in locations where there's a lot of tourist businesses that need a surge in workers from May to November, but poor transportation and parking options for people to go there and work those jobs just due to the local terrain.

So when cornered, this guy says "he's had a change of heart" and will only turn his regularly vacant near the beach properties into vacation rentals instead of all 114 units? Right. He was caught.

Haele

May 1, 2023

American Idiots don't understand American laws don't work in Europe.

https://www.cbs8.com/video/news/local/chula-vista-man-accused-of-vandalizing-historic-anne-frank-home/509-6c392789-cc69-476f-a904-12b4b5cfe5ec

Idiot claims to be a "First Amendment Provocateur". Skipped bail and fled to Europe to get to some sort of Neo-Nazi homeland.

They don't play with that shit in Europe.

Haele

February 22, 2023

Wish me luck, second total knee replacement surgery is tomorrow. Update.

The first one last October, I recovered really well - except for that part two months later when I got tired of no one cleaning the kitty litter box for three weeks (because apparently walking short distances with a cane and being cleared to drive again meant I was all healed up) and I finally did it myself against doctor orders -and ended up spending the week before Xmas in the hospital with an infection below the surgery location that went septic.
Almost lost the leg below the knee; Aetna would have been so pissed after spending over $300k on that knee.

So now, everyone knows the drill. Grandma/Stepmom/Spouse does absolutely no cleaning that can scatter germs or bacteria for at least three months. Also, make sure Superwoman doesn't take over and start overdoing it with the "I can walk again" routine.

I can't wait for this last knee to be replaced. The pain really started ramping up as the weather got wet.

Update. The surgeon, who also did my right knee, declared this one was the worse he's seen once he opened it up and was pretty amazed I rehabbed to walking with a cane on it before. Bone spurs, no cartilage and indications that the lower joint was splitting.
Surgery went just fine, pain level (with nerve blockers still active) "four and sore" and the hospital food here is bourgie-good.
Four star level - dinner was Roast Beef Au-jus (Medium Rare) with roasted Garlic Red potatoes and Butter roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan, served with a fresh melon cup. Last time I was here, I had fresh made oatmeal with french toast that was like I would have made it at home.
Apparently the locals here come to the hospital cafeteria (where our food comes from) for low cost good food. My recovery nurse takes her boyfriend here for date night dinners.
This is Sharp Coronado Hospital in the San Diego Area. The rooms are horrible, the staff and doctors are great, and the food is better than a lot of restaurants in town. The staff complains they have to fight with the locals for tables in the cafeteria.

Anyway, going home tomorrow.

Haele