Everyday Occurances

[eyesup]

. . . eventually I'll want one that drives itself!

There have been accidents already that have been fatal. When buying a vehicle that drives itself, you have to sign a disclaimer that absolves the manufacturer of all liability. You are still responsible for what happens. The document states that there is still a driver that must remain attentive at all times. How can they call it autonomous?

I am amazed at the number of people who have never seen the effects of the GIGO rule in programming, which when combined with Murphy’s Law, presents a frightening scenario.
Besides, I prefer my own fantasy of personal autonomy.

Duane

[eyesup]

. . . and that reminds me of two ranches in Texas.
The XIT Ranch and the King ranch, 3,000,000 acres and 825,000 acres, respectively, in size.

The former wasn’t a ranching family and was created whole hog out an in kind land swap for payment by the state of Texas and went bust after less than 30 yrs. Owned by two brothers in Chicago that were businessmen and politicians. Not ranchers.

The latter is still a family ranch and has been in continuous operation for over 160 years.

Duane

[nuduke]

Quick revert back to driving - I too have noticed cruise control used a lot gives significant fuel economy.
John

[jbeegoode]

Awkward in Clothing

I have been helping as a home healthcare person, for a 90 year old friend while he recovers from an injury.

I haven’t had much experience with mangoes. I have pealed one and I’m cutting bite sized pieces into a bowl, when I discover just how slippery they are. It jumps out of my hand and on to the floor. As I desperately grab for it in vain.

I wash it off thoroughly and my hand, with a careful grip and then finish my job. A half an hour later, I’m sitting in a chair and happen to notice something on my shirt. I discover pieces of mango. There are yellow streaks on my shirttail. I lift it to inspect, discovering that there are extensive yellow streaks on my white pants. I dial the internet to discover that mangoes indeed stain, but there are suggestions for the cure. DF will demonstrate her more effective technique cutting them to help me out next time.

I have been mostly naked for a very long time. This is my first kitchen duty dressed in years. Back in the textile days, I would have been concerned about my clothing and checked them, immediately. I hadn’t even noticed that it had grazed the clothing. My norm now, is to notice when things touch me, which is natural to do. I even had to think about taking off my shirt to wash out the stains on the shirt. My new norm of a lifestyle would not have any concerns about ruined clothing. That would be silly. My new norm would not have me messing up a perfectly good costume while doing chores.

I don’t do as well as for how to live in clothes anymore, obviously. It has been one thing to notice the difference when I put something on after being without something on. I notice the preference and then, can’t wait to get this uncomfortable useless thing off of my better outfit. This is different; I have become dysfunctional in clothing. I’ve forgotten aspects of how to wear them, which are second nature to most people.

I sit on the patio in the hot weather and it is uncomfortable with clothing on. At home it would be beautiful. The monsoon filled the air with large warm raindrops. I couldn’t step out and dance in it, because my clothing would get wet and stay that way, even if my modest friend would not be shocked by my behavior. I wash dishes at the sink and get splashed and soaked, instead of just feeling it and letting it go. I do have a convenient piece of cloth to dry my hands with, because nobody seems to notice if I’m wet in dark pants. My waist is shrinking and my pants are falling loose, I have to pull them up and adjust them often, but I do have a convenient place to place my smart phone, whose weight pulls them down again.

 I do understand what a waste it is to be about a house dressed. I have a pile of clothing to be cleaned now that proves it. The old textile norms just don’t make sense. It is all very awkward.

[JOhnGw]

My wife's trick is to halve the mango without removing the outer skin and then scoop out the flesh using a melon baller or similar.

[Greenbare Woods]

Everyday Occurrences -- mowing my drain field area. 

About twice a year I go mow the bushes and wild grasses on my drain field area.  Today was my mow day.  Sunshine.  85F  Gentle breeze. 

I left it untended for the first 4 years or so and it became a bramble of weeds waist high and hard to walk through.  So I use my old mower set high and mow in May and August.  I mow naked, but I don't recall ever seeing a car passing on the nearby road while I'm out mowing.  Maybe they have come and I've been watching my mowing so I didn't see them.  I make a lot of noise so they may see me, but through the woods. When I'm mowing by my driveway I'm in plain sight about 200 feet (70 meters) from the road.  This photo is from a couple of years ago.  You can see the passing road behind the brush.



I've been thinking about going into town to get a new battery for my Mustang.  The prospect of having to put on clothes and look townish has discouraged me so far.  If I drive naked do I stop at the edge of town, or put on clothes in the parking lot?  Its so confusing. 

Bob

[JOhnGw]

....................... If I drive naked do I stop at the edge of town, or put on clothes in the parking lot?  Its so confusing. 

Bob

I have always intended to dress at the edge of town but never managed to find a spot to stop and ended up dressing in the, often busy, car park.

[Greenbare Woods]

....................... If I drive naked do I stop at the edge of town, or put on clothes in the parking lot?  Its so confusing. 

Bob

I have always intended to dress at the edge of town but never managed to find a spot to stop and ended up dressing in the, often busy, car park.

My road into town crosses two sets of railroad tracks at the edge of town.  There is this seldom used access road and about 100 feet off woods between the two railroad tracks. I often drive down there and put on my town clothes before going crossing the second railroad into town.   The often busy car park works too.  It depends on how I feel at the time.   

[jbeegoode]

Back to Mangoes. DF showed me how to cut the mango with the skin on. She has two sides, with a strip the width of the seed. She then cut slits perpendicular to each other, across the meat. She punched the skin from convex to concave and then scrapped off the meat. The thin strips that are the width of the seed are easier to handle with the skin on. The seed sucking is also more manageable, as some of the surface is bare from the knife scrape. This was less messy and more enjoyable...very enjoyable. Still, I've remained naked when I do this. No sense in putting on clothing to skin a mango!
Jbee

[nuduke]

Back to Mangoes. DF showed me how to cut the mango with the skin on. She has two sides, with a strip the width of the seed. She then cut slits perpendicular to each other, across the meat. She punched the skin from convex to concave and then scrapped off the meat. The thin strips that are the width of the seed are easier to handle with the skin on. The seed sucking is also more manageable, as some of the surface is bare from the knife scrape. This was less messy and more enjoyable...very enjoyable. Still, I've remained naked when I do this. No sense in putting on clothing to skin a mango!
Jbee

Er...do us a drawing, Jbee!
John

[jbeegoode]

Maybes a movie...but is that porn?
Jbee

[dbwvogel]

...but is that porn?

I believe that depends how you look at the camera. Or maybe it would be considered food porn? either way, I'd be interested in a mango method that works. I am generally the mango skinner at our house - half the time I'm dressed because of guests and such - but I never feel I get enough flesh out of it.

[eyesup]

What a strange topic drift this is.

I have a good friend from Jamaica. This is a fruit well known to that country. She once demonstrated to me her best method.

She made a small cut at the end, then grabbed the edge of the peel with her teeth and rolled the fruit away from her as she pulled down. She rotated the fruit and repeated it all around until it was peeled. I think how ripe the fruit is also changes how easy it is to peel.

Of course you still have the pit to get rid of but it is so slippery, it is a little dangerous to handle a knife trying to get at the pit. She just ate the fruit as is and discarded the pit.

Her method worked until I tried it. I made a mess. I guess it takes practice.
Try the internet, I saw many different ways of getting the fruit to a plate.

Duane

[nuduke]

I just get all sloppy and stained!
John

[jbeegoode]

I have sliced through several mangoes since DF trained me. I am pleased with her method.

I need someone to take pictures while I do it to post. I don't want my camera to get sticky. Usually I can tell the direction of the flat pit. I slice along the edge of the wide side, leaving three sections, two convex bubbles and a pit which then has an inner-tube layer and skin that is exposed. I use a serrated steak knife or paring knife.

I take each bubble and slice a pattern of perpendicular lines into the flesh not cutting the skin or my hand. I then push convex to concave. The meat spreads into squares, which easily scrape off with a spoon into a bowl. The skin is there to hold down the slippery devil and keep me from so much sticky.

I'm left with the pit and midsection. Rather than trying to hold on to the thing, I lay it on the cutting board and slice around the pit. I then have a strip that I can chew off of the skin, yum.

I cut close enough to the pit to take the truly slippery part off in some places. Identifying these, I can grip the pit and chow down. There is usually a minimal amount of meat left and it isn't such a mess.

Still, it is better to eat mangoes naked.
Jbee