When I was a kid, we had a huge basement with a smooth concrete floor. We would roller skate down there when housebound and have a blast, although it could get really cold. Unfinished basements have a lot of potential.

Roast pork sandwiches in Philly are great. I once had an Italian roast pork from Tony Luke’s that was divine....moist sliced roast pork, sharp Provolone (yes, it exists) and broccoli rabe. Screw cheesesteaks, this was better. (And yes, a lot of cheesesteak places use Cheez Whiz, which I find digusting. But apparently…

A long, hot bath. Pour in the epsom salts and have a book and a drink handy. Turn the radio to the classical station (or whatever relaxes).

I keep having flashbacks to reading “A Tale of Two Cities” a few years ago....and I won’t say anything more.

“The Economist,” a right-of-center magazine, soundly panned the bill as bad for the country and bad for economic growth, and went so far as to posit that the GOP has pretty much given up on the 2020 election and instead is working to screw over the Democrats as much as possible by handing them an economic disaster.…

It’s a sentimental time of year....

My sister likes to add mini marshmallows and salted peanuts to ‘em.

My mom makes a cheeseball using cream cheese with horseradish and celery salt and shredded dried beef, and rolled in more dried beef and parsley. Christmas is not allowed to happen without a cheeseball and I usually eat about 2/3 of it, I love it so much.

I am a total ho for mustard and will take a quart jar with glee. And use it in a flash.

Bitcoin equates with collectibles, like stamps or Beanie Babies, in that they’re only worth what people are willing to pay for them. Their only REAL worth lies in cashing them in for government-backed currency.

The state licensing board is the place to go; it’s their job to deal with complaints like this, and in most states it’s taken seriously. Some states will also publicly list the names of any professional (lawyer, dentist, massage therapist) who has faced disciplinary action, so you may want to double-check the name of…

I explained it to a relative that it was like the power company telling you what appliances you could use, or to what purpose, or how long per day you could use them. That was enough.

My new job requires a LOT of Excel use. Thank you, Baltimore County Public Library, for making this and other stuff available. Libraries truly are the modern job training center.

Oh, and for the love of mud, don’t force people to say what they’re thankful for. And if you’re at a house where they do this, have fun. Say “NEXT!” with a death glare. Or burst into tears and babble something about antidepressants. Or go into bizarre sexual stuff and make everyone uncomfortable. Or show up with a…

Of course, I’m not being 100% serious....but really, serve the Thanksgiving meal for when you can work it and at a time that works for you and your family. There is no ONE SET TIME. Screw all that. Serve it when you want. Noon is the tradition in my family, there are advantages, and screw all this “noon = lunch”…

Heresy. A turkey sandwich, with lettuce and a slice of canned cranberry sauce, with some chips, a glass of Pepsi, and a thin slice of pumpkin pie are the ultimate Thanksgiving evening meal. There is no better. Save the warmed-over stuffing/mashed potatoes/scalloped oysters for lunch the next day.

In my family, eating at noon gives us time to go for a walk or socialize afterward, and do the dishes leisurely. And my mom’s generation is old-school....”Dinner” doesn’t necessarily mean the evening meal, just the main meal, and can come at noon. You just have a light evening meal. (The evening meal is “Supper.”)

WRONG. Noon. If you’re not ready by noon, you’re not a cook. PREPARE STUFF IN ADVANCE. And then have leftovers for dinner.

Something I stumbled on...Archive.org has tons of old time radio shows from the Golden Age for free download. My faves:

In some areas, it used to be called “ramming.” May still be.