Saturday’s Forum
Steven L. Taylor
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Saturday, July 24, 2021
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76 comments
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science and former College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored
A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog).
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BlueSky.
American history as Republicans would have it taught.
After putting the health department in time out for a week or 2, the Tennessee Tantrum is over and Republicans there have returned to tilting at the usual libtard bogeymen.
Civilization is collapsing. Kraft has partnered with Van Leeuwen to produce…macaroni and cheese ice cream.
Marijuana farmers blamed for water theft as drought grips American west
Of course it’s those dirty dope smoking hippies stealing the water and not those fine upstanding Amurikan almond farmers. My youngest had a neighboring landlord stealing water from their outside spigot. CJ wouldn’t have minded if the guy had asked and had a good reason, something could have been worked out, but as was his water bills went up a noticeable amount.
This part cracks me up:
All fine and dandy and I agree entirely, but as long as indivduals have to pay for it by the street meter, it’s theft. And the folks taking it from fire hydrants? Yeah, that’s theft too. Especially in times of drought like now.
@CSK: Speaking as one who is not all that fond* of either food, double yuck.
*I loved ice cream growing up but as an adult I’ve pretty much lost my taste for it and rarely have any. I think I am lactose intolerant and my body expresses that thru lack of desire for it.
@OzarkHillbilly: Lactose intolerance can develop in middle age. I’m not 100% sure but after a lifetime of chugging whole milk I might be developing it myself.
R.I.P. Steven Weinberg
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/profile-of-steven-weinberg-from-the-end-of-science/
@OzarkHillbilly:
I like chocolate ice cream, but seldom eat it. Every time I see an ad for Kraft Mac and Cheese, I think of the Palin family. It was apparently the staff of life in that household. At least Bristol Palin seemed to be constantly preparing it for her younger siblings.
The very thought of mac and cheese ice cream turns my stomach.
@CSK: Maybe it’ll become popular in Korea and Dunkin will serve it with their tomato and garlic donuts (which are actually quite good, in fact). I don’t see the appeal myself, but I don’t see the appeal of several Ben and Jerry’s flavors, either.
@Just nutha ignint cracker: Thinking about it further, I expect that it will come out tasting a little like a slightly salty cheesecake ice cream. The macaroni component will either be gone completely (most likely) or will be innocuous (and really dumb as an idea, IMLTHO) chunks of chewy something.
@Just nutha ignint cracker:
According to Mashable, it tastes “like vanilla ice cream with Kraft cheese powder sprinkled on top.” As far as I can tell, there are no macaroni pieces in it.
I’ll pass.
Midweek, the new Return To Work agreement (RTW) for film and TV was released. Surprisingly, all the unions have signed off on allows individual studios and networks to require vaccinations from cast and crew. Interestingly, a few studios are networks aren’t following through in making that a requirement, while others, such as WB and Universal, are being super stringent. I had to poll every crew and cast member as to their vax status, with the acceptable answers being:
Fully vaxxed.
Partially vaxxed.
Not vaxxed.
Choose not to answer.
In cast, it broke down 50-50. Half vaxxed. Half not.
In crew, it broke down about 80-15-5. 80% vaxxed. 15% Not vaxxed. 5% Choose not to answer.
Of the 15% not vaxxed, probably 1/2 are just scared of it. Openly scared of it. It’s not a political thing. For the other half, it’s 100% political, and almost all are Teamsters and Construction guys.
Question for the group: Are any of your companies/employers going to be mandating vaccines to return to work? If so, how do you feel about it?
When I lived in Japan, all foods had some Japanese angle to their taste (although I learned that a jarred paste called “peanuts” was actually peanut butter in a way that the product called “peanut butter” was not). At my request my mom mailed me half a dozen boxes of Kraft Mac’n Cheese mix and since milk was still milk and butter was, um, ok, I could get a hit of home cooking in my little Japanese kitchen.
Ice cream flavor, no thanks.
I have dined on cold mac and cheese straight from the fridge left over from yesterday many times.
Followed by ice cream right after that for dessert on occasion.
I don’t think I’ll be putting it all in the blender.
Macaroni and cheese milk shake anyone?
Partly inspired by a lot of the content I catch here I started reading The Logic of Democracy: Reconciling Equality, Deliberation, and Minority Protection by Anthony McGann. It’s quite good… he seems quite down on the American system.
@EddieInCA: “Question for the group: Are any of your companies/employers going to be mandating vaccines to return to work? If so, how do you feel about it?”
The entire UC system is, and they’re demanding proof by mid-August. I’m all in favor, although I feel a little silly showing my proof since the program I teach in is low-residency and I’m about three thousand miles from most of my students and colleagues…
@Teve:
The Con Artist-in-Chief is supposed to appear at a TPUSA rally in Phoenix today to rant about how the election was stolen from him.
Also in attendance will be Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs. Talk about the Devil’s Brigade.
@EddieInCA:
Well, I can tell you that all the employees at Reynolds-Applegate Inc. and its sister corporation Apple Grant Inc. are vaccinated. 100%! Both of us.
@Teve:
Hey, both of my cats are valued employees! The Roomba, on the other hand, is an idle lay-about who’s only here because the Meile is too heavy for SHMBO to run.
@CSK:
Satan has a wicked a sense of humor.
@CSK: Well that certainly doesn’t sound good, no. Still, one of our regulars here was talking the other day about having hand cranked some buttermilk ice cream, so there’s a following for combination sweet/savory.
@dazedandconfused:
Indeed.
@Just nutha ignint cracker:
Buttermilk ice cream is probably far more palatable, including as it does half-and-half. Admittedly, improving on mac and cheese ice cream would be a very low bar to leap.
@CSK:
I apparently can never not read this as TP-as-in-toilet-paper USA.
Somehow fitting.
@CSK:
And yet you read comments in pro-trump websites voluntarily.
I think you underestimate your intestinal fortitude.
@Kathy:
Sigh. I know. But hey, someone needs to keep you all abreast of the Trumpkins’ latest shenanigans. And I only check Lucianne.com, because it aggregates all that crap from The Gateway Pundit, The Conservative Tree House, etc., thus saving me the necessity of inspecting them myself. I get queasy so you don’t have to.
@Jen:
You know, I read it as “Toilet Paper USA,” too.
@Teve:
He was one of the greats.
@CSK:
After an emergency conference call between the Queen and president Macron, the Trident/M51 deterrent fleets are reported as putting to sea with a full warload.
The Pope initially called for restraint.
However after hearing the words “…macaroni and cheese ice cream..” His Holiness is reported as saying “Nuke ’em from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.”
@Mister Bluster:
Whatever did happen to that downvote button anyway?
@Teve:
“comorbidities”
Also known as crocodiles. 🙂
Heh. Initially read that as “hippies kill 500 people a year”.
Counterpoint: Parmesan ice cream recipe from 1789:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR7fywQ-vUE
So this isn’t new. =)
Also, there was a place near me that used to make bacon milkshakes that were awesome. It sounds bizarre, but the saltiness and chewiness went great with the sweetness of the ice cream.
@JohnSF:
God help you guys if this abomination ever takes hold across the pond.
@JohnSF:
As did I.
@CSK: Thank you for your service.
@Stormy Dragon: an ex once brought me a chocolate bar with little bacon pieces embedded. I was very suspicious, but it was mighty tasty.
@Teve:
I’m glad someone appreciates all the sacrifices I make for OTB.
@Stormy Dragon:
Also ricotta is an ingredient in several rather yummy Italian desserts.
Also, cheesecake…
Its the macaroni that constitutes a flagrant breach of the UN Food Decency Convention of 1947.
Really bad luck being the biggie.
@Stormy Dragon: Bacon makes everything better.
Optimistic science news!
UK based AI company DeepMind (now owned by Alphabet ) and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory have announced the AlphaFold system making highly accurate protein fold predictions.
And database of protein structure predictions is to be made freely available online.
Could make for massive gains re. understanding functional protein biochemistry, and longer term linkage with genomics re. organism developmental and functional gene/protein relationships.
In other good news
(that probably nobody else here will even remotely care about, let alone regard as good, but whatever…)
British/Irish Lions 22 South Africa 17
Woo-hoo!
@CSK:
I occasionally check out BrexiKipper favoured sites for indications as to what those lads are thinking these days.
However, I find that initial hilarity frequently descends into rage and/or despair.
I commend your fortitude, sir.
I’m glad I don’t live in Washington because my initial impulse was… Better left unsaid. The “slew of one-star reviews”? Beautiful and far more like justice than anything my baser instincts come up with
@Stormy Dragon:
@OzarkHillbilly:
@Teve:
@CSK:
In Seaside, Oregon, a local confectioner sells a crisp rasher of bacon, covered in dark chocolate, and drizzled with maple syrup. At first, second, and third glance my reaction was “WTF’ing F?” but after one taste, I was hooked. My arteries scream every time we go in, but I simply can’t resist.
@flat earth luddite:
Hmm; if I deep fried that in batter I could be on to winner…
@JohnSF:
I’m a tough one.
@flat earth luddite:
Dark chocolate is good for you. It may take a bit of the curse off the bacon.
@CSK: Chase with a glass of red wine, just to be sure. 😀
@Jen:
Absolutely. Thanks for reminding me. How could I have been so remiss?
@Jen:
Nooo! Chocolate with Spanish or Italian XO-style brandy, or port.
NOT red wine. Heathen barbarian!
(Swigs another swig of a rather nice Castelnuovo Berardenga Toscana. Yum!)
@JohnSF:
@CSK:
@Jen:
Happy to contribute to the downfall of western civilization today. Remember, my ancestors thought that lutefisk was fine dining, and North Dakota in winter was mild and temperate.
Of course, rumor also has it that some members of my clan forgot that it was (a) loot and pillage and THEN (b) burn.
@JohnSF:
Excuse me, but the red wine is for the health benefits. Health benefits. Really, John. You should know that.
@CSK:
My health is improving by the minute 🙂
If I’m ever in Livingston, Montana, I am DEFINITELY stopping in this guy’s store and shaking his hand, offer to buy him a beer!
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tucker-carlson-montana-confrontation_n_60fc3a4be4b0d2a22d4bd136
@Jax:
I hope the sporting goods store doesn’t get firebombed.
Interesting article in The Times about Marie Le Pen and the right wing RN in France, and the limits of populism when it becomes unpopular.
(No linky, Times paywalled, reading paper version; page 17 if that helps 🙂
Polls of RN party support indicate 50/50 split re. compulsion of vaccination.
And less aligned “right” voters c. 75% pro-compulsion IIRC.
As Le Pen must have non-RN aligned votes vs Macron can’t afford to go anti-compulsion, let alone anti-vax, while about half the hardcore RN vote are going full-on Trumpkin-stylee on the issue, and raging at her for not doing likewise.
‘twould take a heart of stone not to laugh.
The Phoenix TPUSA was supposed to end at 5 p.m. Trump showed up to speak at 655 p.m., and yes, he’s whining about how the 2020 election was stolen.
@flat earth luddite: I can second luddite on the chocolate covered bacon. He sent some to me in a Christmas package while I was in Korea. Very good. (Personally, I thought the drizzling with maple syrup was overkill, but I have a well known and tenuous relationship with maple sugar to begin with. Suffice it to say that in this case, the maple syrup did not diminish the overall effect.)
@CSK: Still, he has a point. Chocolate and red table wine? REALLY?
First, port qualifies as red wine.
Second, there are plenty of other red wines that pair quite nicely with chocolate.
@Just nutha ignint cracker:
Speak to Jen about it.
@Jen:
True; but fortified makes one heck of a diff.
Cabernet franc with chocolate? THGTBKM!
Well, maybe if I was are that stage of the evening…
Rioja?
Northern Rhone! Southern, possibly maybe.
If you were going to twist my arm and demand I nominate a red wine for choc, I’d say an Amarone della Valpolicella, or a Banyuls or Maury from south France
But (best of all IMO) is a dark white(!): Aussie Rutherglen Muscat. Yum!
@Jen: Yeah, but your article is talking about snooty rich people wines. I haven’t bought a box of wine that cost more than $4 since the last time I gave somebody a bottle of wine as a gift–and even that was only a run of the mill merlot that I got at Grocery Outlet.
@CSK: There’s an ancient Sesame Street where Oscar the Grouch makes strange ice cream flavors like spaghetti and meatballs.
@Kylopod:
Once some of my Tufts colleagues and I whiled away a lunch hour thinking up repulsive foods. I believe the winner was “blueberry tuna casserole.”
Reportedly while in line they chanted “No Masks!” At reporters.
Tune in next week to hear local tv anchors say, “Pam, health officials have traced 82 new cases of the delta variant back to a rally last week…”
@Teve: 82’s probably an underestimate. Stay tuned for a month from now when death’s are up because of that rally. Trump’s gonna need a new slogan….maybe “Killing Them Slowly”?
@CSK: (barf emoji)
I saw a bit of the speech, when Trump said the US Women’s soccer team lost to Sweden, the crowd cheered.
@CSK: everything in the Pacific Northwest is Salmon Something With Marionberry Something Else, so blueberry tuna casserole doesn’t sound too strange.
@CSK:
Late commentary, but in the late 70’s, King County (WA) jail served liver/gravy casserole over white rice. I hate to admit it, but Nutriloaf was a vast improvement. Hell, tuna MRE’s were a vast improvement.