Good Morning, Dragon.
How’s your chest? Feeling better?
Continued heat and allergies are kicking me a bit. :(

Thanks SD, banks under government control, what a concept.

Mornin’, pups.

Not getting any better. Going to VA Saturday morning.

Sorry you’re under the weather, guess there in FL at least it’s warm enough?

From the last bullet:

And don’t think the slow rot of public education is unique to California: that state’s woes are the nation’s.

What is happening to access to college is CATASTROPHIC for progressives.

Good plan. Glad for that.

It’s bad for everyone. Even conservatives need educated. Maybe even more so.
LA city council just voted to repeal a ban on medical mj. If we could get it legalized, maybe we could fund more education from the taxes.

I bet US banks are on the phones with their pet congresscrittersnow explaining why that would be a bad solution for America and worse for the congressdritters re-election fund.

Once again, California leads the way. Slowly disassembling their higher education system in the name of letting the 1% keep more of their money. Seeing the same thing in Ohio.

Boxturtle (And how the #&!! do they expect us to pay for education without jobs?)

And that’s what the lottery funds were supposed to do, in TX. Not happening, it’s all about Perry’s buddies getting away with murder.

Good morning, everyone. SD, I didn’t know you were sick, you just mentioned weather-related woes a few days ago. But I was away much of last week. Hope it is nothing serious.

Free public education built the middle class.

As it goes,so goes the middle class.

I made copies of SD’s link on the 5 biggest lies about education posted yesterday and placed them in the teaching lounge.Quite a reception.*g*

Good morning SD, demi ,buzz , and all the pups.

Progessives?!? You mean everyone.

I think public education ought to cover through a BS degree. It’s really tough to get a decent job with just a diploma anymore.

But why worry about education? We’re training for jobs that no longer exist in this country and anybody capable of breathing can say “You want fries with that?”.

Boxturtle (Stories about hacking up education REALLY annoy me. I think SD did it on purpose)

Argh. What are you drinking? And would you like a sticky bun with it?

Even if our bridges fall down around us, we need to recover public education first.

Boxturtle (Solutions for this are easy for anyone not taking campaign contributions to see)

Good morning everyone.

Thank you for the post SouthernDragon.

How’d it go with your daughter being in a class that you were teaching? Was that strange for her?

I’ve got my coffee, so I’m fine, but thanks.
(I think I’ll pass on that sticky bun, too. Kinda defeats the purpose of my morning walks.)

If meritocracy breaks out, the heirs of ill-gotten gains now trying to take over gov’t won’t have a chance. Their handlers know this.

Progessives?!? You mean everyone.

Not the OWNERS of all of us.

Remember Carlin: The want OBEDIENT workers without critical thinking skills, willing to silently take increasingly shittier, lower paying jobs — oblivious to the big red, white, and blue dick that’s being shoved up their ass.

Hi hi. Nice to see both of our public teachers here this morning.

What was the response? I forwarded it to my teacher daughter, but she is horrendously busy and I suspect she hasn’t read it yet.

The California article is so sad. I thought I remembered that college used to be free for California residents, but I may be mistaken about that. Talk about the proverbial “cut off your nose to spite your face” when states (and voters) bleed public higher ed dry, while (in CA, at least) they pour money into prisons to lock up more people.

OOPS. This is in reply to JClausen at #12. Guess I need more tea.

The line the wingnuts like, that we just can’t find workers capable of doing the jobs left here, is one of the biggest lies – when they pay for ability, they get it.

Ouch.

I don’t know what I was smoking the other day when I mentioned about the leaves not changing very fast in our neck of the woods. They have exploded into brilliant colors the last few days.
How was the walk with the kids the other day. It sounded like a great time for you and them.

SD, have not been here since late last week. Sorry you are under the weather.

It wasn’t free when I attended, forty years ago. But, it was affordable. I worked a part time job and paid for school without getting a loan.

I have taught this group of kids since they were in kindergarten so they all are like family to me.

We talked in Social Studies about communities yesterday and I thought of how much this community means to me.

ps. After getting at least 50 hugs yesterday my attitude is 100% better.

I’ve taught 34 years, never made shit for money, but those hugs are worth a million dollars.

The concept of democracy is based on informed voting, that’s what the autocrats go after first.

Good morning demi.
Sorry I missed your PUAC last Saturday. I read it later and the lead topic was great. Wish I could have been there.

That’s great, J. Here’s another one.
(((JClausen)))

WRT the free speech bullet, I read that the pepper-spraying Nazi (John Pike) was finally fired after being on “administrative leave” with full pay for several months. He claimed the pepper spraying was self defense, that the students were preventing officers from leaving, etc. Lotsa BS, apparently SOMEONE didn’t buy it.

Missed you too. But, hey, we’re there every Saturday morning. Don’t forget to tip your waitress. :)

Why didn’t we make a plan for jobs that would replace all the jobs lost to computer technology? Huh? Why? I want to know.

When I began college in 1960, tuition at Ohio State for in-state students was only a couple hundred dollars per quarter. I lived at home, worked part time, and paid my own tuition, books, and after awhile, sorority fees. Not possible now, for most people, in any state.

Having the whole event on film makes it ever so hard to lie.

Eat Right. Don’t smoke. Exercise. Die anyway.

Boxturtle (For best effect, image me saying that with a mouthfull of jelly donut

Micro$loth is looking to hire a bunch of foreign techs, claiming that American techs don’t have the skills. They are willing to pay Big Bucks to do so. Probably more than it would cost to train locals, but it would take longer. And time is money.

Boxturtle (Thinks tech visas sould be sharply reduced and we should train our own)

And, take your vitamins. Keep a positive outlook. And, die anyway.
I like what Woody Allen said: I’m not afraid of death, I just don’t want to be there when it happens.

Fired, yes. Charged with Agggravated Assualt, no.

Boxturtle (Wonders if he’s exposed to a civil suit personally or if UC covered him)

To get a bachelor’s degree at a flagship public university today, a family of four, with both parents working and together earning $50,000 per year, with one in college, must borrow between $60,000 and $70,000.

Good morning firedogs. Thanks for the post and host SD.

I just threw an 11 lbs bone-in pork butt in the smoker. What are y’all doing with your Wednesday?

Love the suggestion that European bankers take their own crappy bonds as bonuses. That would have prevented our current disaster.

I liked this line from a Charlie Pierce column yesterday:

…he’s climbed so far up his own ass that he could sneeze and break his collarbone.

They were talking about George “Effing” Will, and a commenter added this:

On the way to his collarbone, George Effing farted and blew out several teeth.

I am going to have to remember those. LOL.

Typically, foreign nationals take jobs of all sorts at lower salaries, and without benefits, also live in groups to save money. And take public transportation.

Traveling to texas. When’s dinner?

Boxturtle (ashamed to admit I get by with a gas grill)

Not sure about that, or if he intends to contest the firing. I still think the Chancellor should get the boot. But apparently she won’t. Wonder if they’ll renew her contract when it’s up?

Thanks a million.

Sorry to hear you and SD are under the weather.

Molly, If you are still here, the article was well received with a lot of headshaking.(most have taught 25 years or more and are sick at what has transpired in public education)

Is this for the weekend? Having a party? Sounds yum!

This makes Rmoney’s insisting we can all borrow from our parents to get our new enterprise going all the funnier. And cheating on SATs much easier to understand.

Yes, I am still here. Sticking around for a bit this morning before I have to run off to Docent duty.

I was hoping there would be a good response to the article.

Odd, M$ never mentioned that when they were asking for the increase. Must have slipped their minds.

Boxturtle (or their script. Anything M$ says requires a script)

Should be ready around 6. I figure roughly an hour a pound.

Just for dinner tonight, though we’re having two parties this weekend. Little one is turning 7 on Sunday. Bday party at Chuck E Cheese’s in the morning with a few of her friends, then big party at the house in the afternoon/evening for family and friends.

Oh, I just have seasonal allergies that can be helped by OTC medicine, but Dragon probably will feel better after a round of antibiotics.

I think they will. After all, she was doing exactly what they told her to do. Or they’d have already fired her. I think the extortion is that she’ll keep her mouth shut if she keeps her job.

Boxturtle (Dunno if the students will support that deal)

It depends on whether we see some significant cooling, which was forecast. I’m getting indooritis. Would love to plant some flowers today, but only if it stays in the 90′s.
We went down the hill to the pool in the afternoon and had a nice refreshing swim. (Yes, so along with the morning walk, I excercized twice yesterday. Can you say calves of steel?)

I assume there will be a special cake for the occasion?

I want me one of them smokers.

Hoppy Bird Day to her! also, Smoking!

Education used to be about forming better citizens, not job training. One of the many social disasters foisted on the public by my generation of economists was that higher education makes people more ‘productive’ and that’s why it should be publically funded. That a good education just makes us better people counts for nothing. We are now seeing the delayed effect of that philosophy of education.

Trying to send this cool your way. Those heat domes get themselves comfortable and stay around, it’s pretty unbearable.

Well rounded is one of those descriptions that’s disappeared – about the time that Wall Street became the object of all the top graduates in the Ivy League. (Remember the Peace Corps?)

Ah, thanks. Forecast shows getting down to 83 by Friday. I’m hoping this is Indian Summer and we’ll see Fall soon enough.
The heat is what everyone here is talking about. That’s how bad it’s been. Okay, no more complaining here.

I hated “well rounded” when I was a student. It always translated to me having to take , pass and pay for classes outside my major that I had absolutely NO interest in.

Boxturtle (I have never been asked a single question about Descartes in a job interview)

there will be a cake. cbl’s been working on it for about 10 days already.

I have a Cook’s Illustrated magazine that recommends the Weber Smoky Mountain ($298.95) over the Big Green Egg ($799.00 plus stand). My son and my daughter-in-law’s father bought my DIL the Egg. I’m not telling them about the recommendation.

Workout queen!

I work out twice a day, if getting out of bed counts as two times.

Sounds like you’re having what we had in July. I was off the bike and in the house with the AC on much of that month. I love summer, but that was TOOOOO much.

Everything I’ve heard says ‘no egg!’.

My rig is a Charbroil that we got for under $200 at WalMart. Works wonderfully.

Get a bicycle. LOL.

I do indeed remember the Peace Corps. In 1963 I was desk officer for operations in East Africa (it was an Antioch College co-op job–a real plum). I was going to join up after graduation, but one thing led to another and I ended up in Yale. The quality of the PCVs was putstanding. The training was tough and the attrition rate was nearly 50 percent. Those who got through were really good.

Off to swim in the great capitalist cesspool.

US KIA Afghanistan: 2,130

Afghan, Iraki, Yemeni and Pakistani casualties: estimates vary to over 2M

US MBS 2012: 34,224 and counting

No war but class war

Several Species of Small Furry Animals…

Be good to yourselves, and all other living things

Namaste

Never. Give. Up.

Such good times for the country, and I would have loved to go there, too. It wasn’t possible for me, since I had to support myself.

Around here, homemade smokers seem to rule. My neighbor has one we call Grillzilla. Holds about a dozen full slabs, with room left over for brisket.

Boxturtle (He fires that up, and the dogs watch it until they get rib bones)

We’ve had burn bans most of the two summers past, no wish to grill anything here.

msmolly @68

My odometer rolled over 2,000 this past weekend.

I credit/blame you.

You notch the handle for that, right?

Thanks for good company, things needing doing are yapping at me now. have a good day, all of you.

Congratulations! I’m jealous. I rolled over 1,400 Sept. 30, was hoping to hit 2000, but probably won’t quite make it. I’ve cycled until almost Thanksgiving the past two years, but as it gets colder and wetter I can’t ride as often.

We have the regular Weber bullet and the big Weber bullet ( I probably have the name of the second one wrong ). They look like R2D2 and his dad!

This weekend we cooked 6 pork butts and 8 racks of ribs for our annual Meatfest end of the summer party A few years ago I found an attachment for the cordless drill that lets you pull a pork butt in about a minute flat.

The left over pulled pork is in the freezer for sometime in the dead of winter when I need a pulled pork sandwich.

Maybe because I’m a Midwesterner, I have no idea what “pulled” pork actually is, although I’ve eaten it a couple of times. You actually use a drill attachment to pull the meat off the bone?

Gotta run off now, but I will check back in a little while to see if you’ve enlightened me!

Just a general comment on our endless wars with a tie to a point previously made on FDL…

AP story titled: White House widening covert war in North Africa

The salient quote:

the advance teams had been there for six months, according to three U.S. counterterror officials and a former intelligence official. All spoke only on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the strategy publicly.

Question: Will Obama investigate this “unauthorized” leak?

Answer: It depends if it was an unauthorized unauthorized leak or an authorized unauthorized leak!

Msmolly @74
msmolly @77

I began riding in early May. It was more of a challenge than I assumed.

For the most part, it was enjoyable and good for me. There were a few scorching days with high winds that almost caused me to return to more leisurely recreational pursuits.

I am rewarding myself with the purchase of a neon Fat Tire beer sign to hang in my man cave.

So someone gets information illegally, then discusses the information obtained illegally?

Anyone willing to give me some odds on this “former intelligence official” getting treated slightly differently from the way Obama is treating Assange?

Funny thing is that Romney could go directly after Obama tonight on leaks. But he won’t.

Romney, like Obama, wants centralized power to pick winners and losers… to decide on life and death without due process.

So scary.

I got a commuter bike this past summer and was doing about 25 miles roundtrip daily. But with days getting shorter and me leaving after dark, I’ve cut back on it. Don’t like too. Like saving the gas / parking money. But my daytime neighborhood isn’t particularly safe after dark.

If you are still around, where in the world did you find it and is it made for food? Christmas is coming and Mr needs a good stocking stuffer!

Pulled pork = pork (usually the ‘butt’, or shoulder of the pig) slow cooked, typically by smoking, and then pulled. Just torn apart. Usually served on its own or in a sandwich.

You must ride more miles per outing than I do. I got the bike out in March, didn’t ride during the hottest July weather, have been averaging 75 miles a week, usually 15-20 miles per ride. I am sure going to miss it when I have to put it up for the winter. I even bought a special pair of gloves (made for runners, I think) that should let me ride more comfortably when it gets cold. I can always layer up, but my hands have gotten very cold.

But here in NW Indiana it gets rainy and sometimes even some snow in November.

I’ve eaten it a few times in sandwiches, but never quite understood the “pulled” part. It usually has BBQ sauce on it, so not a real favorite.

With BBQ sauce. Did your fambly learn the BBQ skills in Oakland? Mr is from Emeryville, and I swear to God, BBQ is religion in his family. A new BBQ place opened in our area and he had to critique every last bite of it.

Now that I’m retired, I have the luxury of riding during the day. Before I retired 2 years ago, I occasionally rode to work, but more often tried to squeeze in a ride after work, and as it got dark earlier and earlier, my riding was constrained. It’s why although a lot of Indiana folks grumble about DST, I like it because more outdoor time. Until I moved here I had DST all my life, and then of course Indiana switched, so was only without a couple of years.

It’s basically the same technique as making shredded checked for enchiladas or some such. Heh, the sauce is he best part. I’ve been toying with the idea of figuring out how to make a vegetarian version.

Hi, all. RE the Afghan war. Neither uniparty candidate wants to mention it because they recognize the truth that we are losing and will lose. Neither wants to be the one to say we need to get out now (and never should have been there), nor wants to say we need to send more troops as the “green on blue” killings mount. They hope people here will forget about our presence there. It will be a case of no additional people but the drones will have a greater presence. If possible, the next uniparty president will not withdraw troops so we can occupy Afghanistan forever.

I see KrisAinTX has explained what pulled pork is, you smoke the pork butt in a smoker then , normally people use two large forks to shred the meat so it can be eaten in sandwiches, ususally with a homemade BBQ sauce (Tennessee and North Carolina have a running feud about whether vinegar based or tomato based is better. Hubby is from Tennesses but he makes both kinds for his pulled pork. The drill attachment was something he heard about from a friend on a smoker enthusiast website.

Yes it is made for food and that’s the only thing we use it for. I found the drill attachment on line at http://www.porkpuller.com and the guy who makes it has youtube videos in case you need a demo before buying. I don’t know what the current cost is but when we got it several years ago it was probably 50 bucks or so. Ok now I’m hungry…

Originally pulled pork is from the Carolinas and the ‘sauce’ is simple vinegar with a touch of sugar and whatever you used to rub the meat.

The heavier sauces are not typical of pulled pork.

I learned nothing of real BBQ in California YSD! Not until I came to Texas did I understand REAL BBQ.

There are a couple of places in the Bay Area (Carmen’s in Castro Valley is the best IMHO) that serve genuine BBQ.

I should add that this is sad. A travesty really.

Can’t really find real BBQ in California. Just like you can’t really find real Chinese or Mexican in most of Texas. Shitty.

To the Mods: Hope it was ok to answer yellowsnapdragon’s question. I don’t want it to seem like I am trying to sell something, its just a tool I found that was helpful. Please let me know if my post at 94 is a problem.
Thanks

Although I love ribs with (a small amount) of BBQ sauce, I don’t eat anything with sauce on it, much. And I think the BBQ sauce I eat is either Montgomery Inn (Cincinnati) or Trader Joe’s, and both are tomato based. I really just like pork plain and unsauced.

I will have to bookmark that for the next time I visit my sister/brother-in-law in Castro Valley. That’s not the sort of thing they favor, much, although we’ve been a couple of times to a local (prob. not Castro Valley) restaurant that has BBQ chicken and ribs dinners — can’t recall the name, but you order at a counter and take your food to your table.

EDIT: I Googled and I think it’s Armadillo Willy’s in Dublin.

Pork provides its own sauce :) Pork fat, rendered down through slow cooking, is all you need IMO.

I prefer sauce on the side whenever I eat BBQ out. I make it the same way at home; SOTS. I think it’s the best way to go. You allow people to choose whether or not they want sauce, or how much they want.

I wouldn’t worry about it, you’re not selling anything. Are you new here? I don’t recognize your handle. Welcome to FDL and the Diner! I meant to say hello earlier.

Carmen’s does ribs and chicken, and the style of service you describe seems like them. Carmen’s also does brisket and sausage.

Definitely check them out. They’ve been around since the late 70′s IIRC, and they’re really damn good.

Ok now I’m hungry…

My pork butt’s been on for 3 hours now and I’m already thinking about slicing off an edge to tear up for lunch…

I think the place we’ve gone to is Armadillo Willy’s in Dublin.

*holds out plate*

But I wouldn’t tear it up…

I’m not really new , but I mostly just lurk and comment very sporadically, I just couldn’t help chiming in on the smoker conversation! Thank you for the Welcome, I appreciate it. Speaking about BBQ and smokers and regional differences, I live in New England and a lot of people here have never heard of pulled pork.

You’re cool. Answering a question is never a sin.

Now I’m thinkin’ of getting’ a pulled pork samich from the “Texas” bbq a few doors down.

I know it’s tempting but you have to be strong! Number one rule of smoking meat: No peeking! Cuz then you have to stabilize the temp all over again.

Do it. You won’t regret it.

Makes my mouth water. I’m having shrimp salad when I get home. Not sure where good BBQ is here in South Bend. Famous Dave’s is a decent chain, but…

You’re too good sometimes.
Sometimes you just gotta Tear It Up.

While not nearly as exciting as Kris’s Own Pulled Pork, I pulled out one of the frozen sauce containers of our homegrown homemade pasta sauce for dinner.
How’s that for delayed gratification? But, we worked hard on that stuff, so now all I have to do is sit back and enjoy. Okay, boil a pot of water. I can do that.

I made that, too, with roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, and fresh basil and oregano. Used my cuisinart, but left it chunky. It is great over whole wheat linguini.

Mine had bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, all from our garden, with onions and some had no meat, but some batches got some sausage bites.
We’re having it over angel hair pasta.
I’ve been out front trimming some tall bushes, and I’m pulling yuck out of my hair. I was washing the kitchen windows when I noticed how out of control the bushes had gotten.
PS: your recipe sounds really yummy. Some of my batches I blended the tomatoes in the blender, but other batches I just chopped up the tomatoes, so like you said, chunky. I made so many batches I just had to mix them up. :)

Congrats old gold. Way to go.

Luther 35th this weekend. I will toast to our friendship and common bond.

You guys are so cute. I mean it.
Hey, I just watched the Mitt Romney Style video at Elliot’s diary. Again.
It’s hilarious, but, as a warning, it’s earbug catchy.
PS, on edit: you guys meaning oldgold and JC, but not preclucive of all the other cuties here.
Shoot, I have to go out. Son needs deodorant, car oil and brake fluid.
Sounds like fun to me. :)
You all know he’s my buddy and well, I really like to spend time with him. So, since it’s prolly too hot to continue on the yard work, I’ll be in a position to have him help me stick the trimmings in the barrel.
Yes, I am devious. Why do you ask?

None of mine has meat — yet. It’s really tomato sauce, not spaghetti sauce, but I’m going to mostly use it over pasta. I will slice some mushrooms and saute them and mix them into it when I heat it, and maybe brown some hamburger or ground turkey for some. I used some a couple of weeks ago in eggplant parmesan, too. (More “residue” from the neighbor’s farm baskets. What an education!)

I’ve discovered another pasta to use, from the supermarket dairy case: Buitoni whole wheat 3 cheese tortellini.

Oh, I’ve had it before. Pretty tasty.

Yes. When I’m in a splurging mood, or when it’s on sale, I’ve served the fresh buitoni raviolis. Yummm.
Nap time for me. Maybe I’ll see some of you later. I imagine there’ll be a debate thread.

Thanks. Heheh. All the pork pullers are on back order ’cause they are so popular.

Gee, this is a tasty Diner.Wish I could’ve joined in live. I’ve never known what pulled pork was, either. I’m edumucated now.

Hope southern Dragon got his sandwich, and that he feels much better soon.