I’d never had a copa roast. It’s apparently from the neck meat. Which means lots of connective tissue. Which means low and slow cooking…like in a crock pot!
Paired with mashed potatoes and an oniony brown sauce = yum.
–Simon
Kurobuta Copa
That Which Can’t Be Found…
…can be built!
I’m growing increasingly weary of the construction quality of purchased products. It’s nothing new, of course. Every product, once popular, is imitated by other manufacturers (patents allowing). And what begins as a consumer-friendly price reduction quickly turns into marketing gimmicks to build brand loyalty, followed by a race to the bottom. The prices stabilize somewhere beneath the original price, and then once that maximum price a consumer is willing to pay for the product is determined, the profit margin can only increase by reducing manufacturing costs. Ergo, in capitalism, a good idea turns into a readily-available mediocre product that breaks much sooner than it should. And we put up with it.
But what really irks me is when I can’t even throw money at the problem and find a luxury-priced version of an item that’s actually built better – what I call the “lazy tax”. Apparently I’m an aberration to consumer spending habits, for what I want usually doesn’t even exist. And in the time I spend searching for the unicorn, I could have built it myself.
So fine! Here’s my new cucumber trellis:
Constructed with treated lumber, PVC-coated fencing wire, and deck screws; this bad boy certainly isn’t going anywhere. Especially since it’s mounted to stakes driven 3 feet into the soil. Total price? I dunno, maybe around $40? Certainly no more than $50, considering I had some materials on hand already.
A flimsy bent wire prefab? Definitely more.
Don’t stand for this people! By all means, be lazy and spend your money. That helps the economy and drives up shareholder stock values (hopefully mine, most importantly). But don’t settle for cheapness!
Wasting your money on cheap imported good is definitely American, but so is ingenuity.
Lecture over.
–Simon
Post Bow, The Echo of the Hook
In continuing my theme of asinine titles for meteorological terms, here’s a more dramatic sequel to April’s inclement weather.
A particularly nasty bit of weather had descended upon us the evening of May 16, preceded by the familiar calm. And as the wind picked up, I checked the weather radar. This time, I was more concerned than my usual apathetic American High Plains upbringing self would normally be. And this static image doesn’t replicate the still image transitional timeline. There was a very clear storm rotation in progress, and one of the most easily recognized of radar signatures was to our southwest.
A hook echo, and so well-defined that the NWS had issued a radar-confirmed tornado warning. And it was 100 miles out and on a direct path to us. Admittedly, that’s a bit far to expect a tornado to travel on the ground, but it’s happened before.
There were 5 confirmed tornadoes in Indiana that day, presumably this among them. Fortunately for us, it dissipated before reaching our home. But as the remnants of the storm passed overhead, it was obvious it hadn’t lost its rotation.
There’s the devil’s sphincter for you.
Out west, these storms were always rain-wrapped, so the funnels were not so clearly defined. They were ominous masses of dark creeping across the cotton fields, and they were clear indications to move your ass. Here though, you can see shapes, and these were the clearest I’ve seen up close. This time, winning the meteorological lottery came with pictures.
(23 people died in the storms that weekend.)
–Simon
Gardens and Greenspace
Let’s do some outdoor updates, yeah!
And that was Mother’s Day.
–Simon
Parks with Ken: Grant Park, Kennard Nature Nook
What do you get when you abut a public park against a rich neighborhood? Why, rude residents, of course. And the fact that it “closes” at 4PM and is only open on weekdays lends me to believe it’s a very old and Boomery neighborhood at that.
Which is even confirmed by the website’s photo: Karens doing yoga.
Here’s more evidence:
Anyway, aside from the implied hostility, here’s my review.
Review:
Difficulty: 1/5
Points of note:
- Nice scenic path along the Holes Creek (which was quite swollen with all the recent rain).
- The Holes Creek eventually connects with the Great Miami River, though this is far downstream near Miami & Erie Canal Park (looks like a good fishing spot).
- Again – surrounded by rich and unwelcoming people.
But if you’re like me and don’t give a damn about judging eyes from the privileged, it makes for a nice scenic walk. I was surprised there were no kids present. I sure would have been sneaking off to the creek had this been in my backyard. Maybe they were all in expensive extracurriculars. Dunno.
–Simon