The Very-Many-Questions-Not-Worth-Their-Own-Thread Thread XXXIX

[shadowplay]

In 1985, I owned an anthology of science fiction short stories and lent it to a cross-country teammate. He never gave it back, and I later discovered it (my very book) at a used bookstore in town.

This is why I have a policy of not lending people things. On more than one occasion I lent something out only to have the person I lent it to claim no knowledge of me having lent them anything when I ask for it back.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

This is why I have a policy of not lending people things. On more than one occasion I lent something out only to have the person I lent it to claim no knowledge of me having lent them anything when I ask for it back.

My brother in law stole all of my good wii games like this.

 

[tjs282]

Is a quid a pound? Is it also common slang for 'all good'? That is how it was used in an episode of IT Crowd.
"I will pay you back"
"We're all quid"

Could possibly also be that you mis-heard 'quits' for 'quid' (though the other way round would seem more likely...?)

(But when I do, I'll listen for this exchange)

I saw that episode yesterday night. And Roy's 'mate' definitely says 'quits' not 'quids'

 

[H4run]

My brother in law stole all of my good wii games like this.

Dang Hobb

edit: I rarely think about someone borrowing my stuff, I don't have many stuff to begin with. But about money I usually lend them when they ask, and after that I will not ask them for the return, if they have good intention they will give it back, if they not, that is the end of it.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Dang Hobb

edit: I rarely think about someone borrowing my stuff, I don't have many stuff to begin with. But about money I usually lend them when they ask, and after that I will not ask them for the return, if they have good intention they will give it back, if they not, that is the end of it.

Well at that point I had no reason not to trust him but he went and gave all of my games away to his friends. I ended up raiding his bedroom to get the rest of them back.

And Roy's 'mate' definitely says 'quits' not 'quids'

So 'we're all quits' is a saying in the UK? That makes even less sense. And I had subtitles on and it transcribed it as quid but that service does have errors occasionally.

 

[CKS]

So 'we're all quits' is a saying in the UK?

"We're all quits" is a saying in the USA, though I don't think I've ever heard it around St Louis. I've always understood it to mean that everything is even, so we can stop keeping track of favors or whatever it is that we are keeping score about.

 

[H4run]

Well at that point I had no reason not to trust him but he went and gave all of my games away to his friends. I ended up raiding his bedroom to get the rest of them back.

That's just too much, like he doesn't have any conscience. There is so much age different between you too, is he a kid?

 

[hobbsyoyo]

"We're all quits" is a saying in the USA, though I don't think I've ever heard it around St Louis. I've always understood it to mean that everything is even, so we can stop keeping track of favors or whatever it is that we are keeping score about.

I've never heard it anywhere before but I'll take your word for it!

That's just too much, like he doesn't have any conscience. There is so much age different between you too, is he a kid?

Yeah he's 7 or 8 years younger than me. I think he was a senior in secondary school when this happened. So still a kid but also not really. He should have known better but didn't care.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I could put him the spare room and get him to sort out my books for me....make him arrange them alphabetically by author...or something equally cruel!!

That's something I used to do with my own book collection, when it got big enough to need that level of organization.

Yeah, lending books is something I don't do anymore. If someone wants to read something I have, I'll mention the library, Amazon, Chapters, one of the local second-hand places, eBay, or whatever.

Some of what I let others borrow have proven to be extremely expensive to replace, and some of it is not replaceable at any price.

Over the years as I've moved around, a couple of landlords have asked if I'm setting up a lending library (when you have several dozen bookshelves and thousands of books, they sometimes get that impression). I tell them no, I don't lend books, and the reason I have so many is because I've been collecting for most of my life.

Then comes the question, "Have you read all of them?"

The answer: No. Of course not, because one of the reasons I bought them in the first place was because I knew the time would come when I wouldn't be able to afford new books, and I wouldn't be stuck for something new to read. It really is like a personal library here, with fiction, nonfiction, media, and everything separated as best as can be managed (had to put some books where they fit, not with the rest of the series or category where they should be). I used to work in a library a long time ago, and habits don't really die. At least I have not gone as far as putting little tags on the spines with their Dewey Decimal numbers on them, although I remember exactly what some of them should be.

I don't buy many new books (or used ones for that matter) anymore, for a variety of reasons. The last books to come in here are reference books on historical costumes and clothing worn by people from ancient times to (sort of) modern. This is because I needed some guidance on what the medieval-era characters in my now-very-large NaNoWriMo project would wear, what it would be made of, and how it would be constructed.

 

[Samson]

Can anyone explain what "Identity Politics" means when used in a derogatory fashion? After I was accused of it I looked it up and it seems to mean for example a gay man who is concerned with his rights joining Stonewall rather than the Labour party to channel their activism. I am not sure this can be the meaning intended here because A) it does not seem inherently bad B) does not bear any relationship to the topic of discussion and C) when groups like the non-Corbyn Labour party and the DNC are accused of it it would make even less sense.

Spoiler Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Identity Politics :

The laden phrase “identity politics” has come to signify a wide range of political activity and theorizing founded in the shared experiences of injustice of members of certain social groups. Rather than organizing solely around belief systems, programmatic manifestos, or party affiliation, identity political formations typically aim to secure the political freedom of a specific constituency marginalized within its larger context. Members of that constituency assert or reclaim ways of understanding their distinctiveness that challenge dominant oppressive characterizations, with the goal of greater self-determination.

Spoiler Conservapedia: Identity politics :

Identity politics is the basing of one's political and sociological viewpoint by claiming membership in some "oppressed" group and then constructing most of one's lifestyle and identity around their supposed membership in this group.

 

[Synobun]

Anyone have some simple ways to make plain peas and corn more palatable? I'm facing the issue where the first couple spoonfuls are alright but then the rest feels the equivalent of chewing playground sand. I've been seasoning with garlic salt but it's not been much help. I added some light dusting of paprika but this seemingly had no effect.

Spicy or particularly saucy are out due to digestive issues, but would adding a little bit of butter help? Or something else I can add that counters the texture a little?

Also, I've heard good things about frozen grapes. Just freeze a bunch and pop them into your mouth when you need a snack. Are there any other fruits that can be used similarly?

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Can anyone explain what "Identity Politics" means when used in a derogatory fashion?

It's an artifact of the USian political system interacting with USian racism. Many straight white Christian male USians firmly believe that "listen you <racial epithet> you should side with me against <gender epithet>" should be an effective argument that can be directly followed by "listen you <gender epithet> we're white so you gotta side with me against <racial epithet>" and that somehow this combination should maintain the position of privilege to which they are accustomed. When they start spouting about "identity politics" they are just decrying the fact that this approach is so absurd and offensive that it has stopped really working for them.

 

[Samson]

Anyone have some simple ways to make plain peas and corn more palatable? I'm facing the issue where the first couple spoonfuls are alright but then the rest feels the equivalent of chewing playground sand. I've been seasoning with garlic salt but it's not been much help. I added some light dusting of paprika but this seemingly had no effect.

Spicy or particularly saucy are out due to digestive issues, but would adding a little bit of butter help? Or something else I can add that counters the texture a little?

Also, I've heard good things about frozen grapes. Just freeze a bunch and pop them into your mouth when you need a snack. Are there any other fruits that can be used similarly?

I eat quite a bit of peas. The most important thing is to get good quality frozen peas (fresh are better, but need to be eaten within an hour or 2 of picking). Cheap ones can be just awful. I frequently have them just with a little grated cheese (stilton is probably my favorite), or even better a simple cheesey roux sauce. I do like it with chilli sauce, but that will not help you. What I do not recommend, though it rhymes:

I eat my peas with honey, it's really rather nice.
It makes them taste quite funny, but it sticks them to the knife.​

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Anyone have some simple ways to make plain peas and corn more palatable? I'm facing the issue where the first couple spoonfuls are alright but then the rest feels the equivalent of chewing playground sand. I've been seasoning with garlic salt but it's not been much help. I added some light dusting of paprika but this seemingly had no effect.

Spicy or particularly saucy are out due to digestive issues, but would adding a little bit of butter help? Or something else I can add that counters the texture a little?

Also, I've heard good things about frozen grapes. Just freeze a bunch and pop them into your mouth when you need a snack. Are there any other fruits that can be used similarly?

I've been making a really good simple fried rice that uses the small chunk frozen mixed vegetables. Throw just cooked hot brown rice in a pan and stir in vegetables long enough to get them thawed out, then make a hole in the middle of the pan, turn to high heat, and pour in a couple of whisked eggs. Stir it all rapidly until there's no runny egg left. Ideally you won't get any chunky egg, it will just get cooked onto the rice and veggies. I season mine heavily with soy sauce, garlic powder, black ground pepper, and red pepper flakes, but you should still be able to get a good flavor without upsetting your stomach.

Fine chopped any precooked meat is a good addition as well. Stir in same as vegetables.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Anyone have some simple ways to make plain peas and corn more palatable? I'm facing the issue where the first couple spoonfuls are alright but then the rest feels the equivalent of chewing playground sand. I've been seasoning with garlic salt but it's not been much help. I added some light dusting of paprika but this seemingly had no effect.

Spicy or particularly saucy are out due to digestive issues, but would adding a little bit of butter help? Or something else I can add that counters the texture a little?

Also, I've heard good things about frozen grapes. Just freeze a bunch and pop them into your mouth when you need a snack. Are there any other fruits that can be used similarly?

Can you eat rice? If you can, it should be easy to make your own version of veggie rice (fried, steamed, or whatever). My own version involves Uncle Ben's Bistro Express (Oriental Style) that microwaves in 2 minutes (I don't use my stove for various reasons, nor do I own a frying pan). I add the peas and carrots and corn (canned), microwave again for about half a minute, then add either plum sauce or sweet & sour sauce. Some people prefer soy sauce, but I've never thought soy sauce goes well with that type of rice. For me this is enough for either 2 smaller meals or one larger meal (assuming you also have some kind of meat and/or dessert).

Butter is good on peas and corn. I've also considered trying a sprinkle of cinnamon on them (I've learned a few odd things from my years in the SCA; they didn't necessarily use herbs and spices the same way we do now). I have a vague memory of a recipe we used for a feast that involved carrots and honey, and that it tasted okay. Of course there are many kinds of honey around now, although most are really expensive.

Frozen or chilled grapes are wonderful. And that's even without dipping them in chocolate.

Cherries should also work if they're chilled (dunno about frozen). I have some "snacking tomatoes" in the fridge. They're the size of large grapes, and just right for a bit of a snack. I can't have too many at a time (tomatoes are acidic), but they taste really good.

I've been making a really good simple fried rice that uses the small chunk frozen mixed vegetables. Throw just cooked hot brown rice in a pan and stir in vegetables long enough to get them thawed out, then make a hole in the middle of the pan, turn to high heat, and pour in a couple of whisked eggs. Stir it all rapidly until there's no runny egg left. Ideally you won't get any chunky egg, it will just get cooked onto the rice and veggies. I season mine heavily with soy sauce, garlic powder, black ground pepper, and red pepper flakes, but you should still be able to get a good flavor without upsetting your stomach.

Fine chopped any precooked meat is a good addition as well. Stir in same as vegetables.

That sounds yummy.

 

[Birdjaguar]

"We're all quits" is a saying in the USA, though I don't think I've ever heard it around St Louis. I've always understood it to mean that everything is even, so we can stop keeping track of favors or whatever it is that we are keeping score about.

I've never heard the phrase, ever and I've lived in Maryland, Maine, NC and NM.

Anyone have some simple ways to make plain peas and corn more palatable? I'm facing the issue where the first couple spoonfuls are alright but then the rest feels the equivalent of chewing playground sand. I've been seasoning with garlic salt but it's not been much help. I added some light dusting of paprika but this seemingly had no effect.

Spicy or particularly saucy are out due to digestive issues, but would adding a little bit of butter help? Or something else I can add that counters the texture a little?

Also, I've heard good things about frozen grapes. Just freeze a bunch and pop them into your mouth when you need a snack. Are there any other fruits that can be used similarly?

Follow Tim's and Valka's advice and add both to rice or even noodle dishes. You can add both to mashed potatoes too. Both are quite delicious with butter and salt.

 

[shadowplay]

Anyone have some simple ways to make plain peas and corn more palatable? I'm facing the issue where the first couple spoonfuls are alright but then the rest feels the equivalent of chewing playground sand. I've been seasoning with garlic salt but it's not been much help. I added some light dusting of paprika but this seemingly had no effect.

Spicy or particularly saucy are out due to digestive issues, but would adding a little bit of butter help? Or something else I can add that counters the texture a little?

Oil and vinegar? Butter and salt?

 

[Synobun]

Well, when I said simple, I was hoping for something that'd add one or two steps, not something that'd upgrade to an entire culinary experience. Of course, if I added meat and eggs and manually boiled rice and did it on the stove with pots and pans it'd be better. Valka's is the closest since I already prepare the peas and corn in the microwave in a container, and I'm adding the peas and corn as a side dish to up vegetable intake.

Rice is hit or miss but I can try. I haven't tried it since before the food poisoning; maybe it's okay to eat again.

What sweet and sour sauce do you use, @Valka D'Ur? Do you microwave it again after adding the sauce?

 

[thecrazyscot]

Well, when I said simple, I was hoping for something that'd add one or two steps, not something that'd upgrade to an entire culinary experience. Of course, if I added meat and eggs and manually boiled rice and did it on the stove with pots and pans it'd be better. Valka's is the closest since I already prepare the peas and corn in the microwave in a container, and I'm adding the peas and corn as a side dish to up vegetable intake.

Rice is hit or miss but I can try. I haven't tried it since before the food poisoning; maybe it's okay to eat again.

What sweet and sour sauce do you use, @Valka D'Ur? Do you microwave it again after adding the sauce?

Could do something similar to what I do to gussy up canned green beans: butter, salt, pepper, and some Italian seasoning. Don't skimp on the seasonings (but uh, don't way overdo it either). Pretty tasty. Last night I also added a few handfuls of fresh spinach. You can also add butter beans, carrots, etc. Although I usually microwave sliced carrots separately with some butter, a splash of water, a little brown sugar, and some salt.

 

[Gori the Grey]

would adding a little bit of butter help?

Butter helps every vegetable. I have it on good authority.

I have a vegetable cookbook. Betty Crocker. Better Homes and Gardens. Sunset. I can't remember. But a recognized food authority. It has a chart with the vegetables going down the first column and then a "seasonings" column. "Butter" is in every row. It's the only thing that occurs in every row.

I'll look up the row for peas and see what else they suggest besides butter. But I know they suggest butter for peas. Because they suggest butter for everything.

And you know? I don't think they're wrong.