draft
The USA has proven beyond doubt that it is an unreliable ally, capable at any time of devolving into a racist and self-destruction quasi nationalism, a nationalism as conceived by the most literal and ignorant of people. And as its economy craters due to the hard work of the bipartisan globalist morons, most Americans will find themselves on the short end of the stick. Impoverished and unemployed or working at stupid menial jobs while the elite jetsets around the world. I doubt that Americans will enjoy living in this world they so diligently created. As their self-impoverishment becomes more apparent, I think they will be shocked. And that they will lash out, I predict, with some truly insane late-imperial militarism.
And yes, any country that is affiliated or allied with us will no doubt be drawn into stupid military adventures, expensive as well as ill-conceived, demonstrating the most crass and shallow understanding of the situation even as it uses some clever but expensive new munition.
Historians will write for centuries about the stupiity of the USA and perhaps also of the west, of their (or at least the USA's) self destructive behavior but they wont have any answers. It is not much more complicated than it appears. People are not pretending to be shallow. They are shallow. The USA self-destructed out of greed and dumbness.
But we may not have to worry about the judgment of history as everyone may be dead due to global climate change. Go methyl hydrate! Go polar ice caps! Yay!
Thursday, April 30, 2020
Thursday, April 23, 2020
Pride and the Endless Pit!
draft
It is pride, false pride, that lead the righteous to their inevitable doom, destined by the Gods to rot for all eternity for their failure of character. No amount of experience can prevent those who are predestined for eternal torment will prevent them from making that fateful mistake on that fateful day. And so it is with me, two days before a self-generated intermediate deadline, I say "Now is a good time to use a modern HTML / CSS layout technology, I had read about how CSS Grid works and it looked straightforward. And with that single decision, all forward progress halts, and his soul is thrown into the endless pit! If anyone out there happens to have used this technology and can answer some simple questions, please let me know.
It is pride, false pride, that lead the righteous to their inevitable doom, destined by the Gods to rot for all eternity for their failure of character. No amount of experience can prevent those who are predestined for eternal torment will prevent them from making that fateful mistake on that fateful day. And so it is with me, two days before a self-generated intermediate deadline, I say "Now is a good time to use a modern HTML / CSS layout technology, I had read about how CSS Grid works and it looked straightforward. And with that single decision, all forward progress halts, and his soul is thrown into the endless pit! If anyone out there happens to have used this technology and can answer some simple questions, please let me know.
[ So I nearly have this fixed. It turns out that there are too many ways to do everything and anything in CSS and I pity those who must implement this in a browser. So, I am taking the time to learn CSS more or less from first principles. I have the problem about half solved and I am sure I can get where I want to go. ]
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Authentic Southern Vegetarian Sweet Potato Pie
draft
This recipe is completely authentic except that it isnt.
1. We use the Trader Joe's frozen to-be-baked crust and a glass pyrex pie baking dish. 2. Bake about 2.5 - 3 lbs of sweet potatoes at about 450 F for over an hour or until the sweet potatoes are squeezable. Use a baking dish. Insert a knife or fork into each sweet potato so it doesnt explode. 3. In a dish combine the (cooled) sweet potatoes with 1 cup sugar, vanilla, some corn starch, the peel of one orange, the juice of 1.5 - 2 oranges, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Mix well. Add cornstarch until you get the consistancy you are willing to live with for the rest of your life. Is it sweet enough? Too sweet? 4. Cook bottom of pie crust in oven for 10-12 minues at about 400 F. 5. Let pie crust cool a little bit and then add filling. 6. Make the executive decision about whether you want a crust top to your pie and add it if so. 7. Bake for about 30 minutes but do not let the crust burn. 8. Be careful not to burn the sh*t out of yourself.
This recipe is completely authentic except that it isnt.
1. We use the Trader Joe's frozen to-be-baked crust and a glass pyrex pie baking dish. 2. Bake about 2.5 - 3 lbs of sweet potatoes at about 450 F for over an hour or until the sweet potatoes are squeezable. Use a baking dish. Insert a knife or fork into each sweet potato so it doesnt explode. 3. In a dish combine the (cooled) sweet potatoes with 1 cup sugar, vanilla, some corn starch, the peel of one orange, the juice of 1.5 - 2 oranges, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Mix well. Add cornstarch until you get the consistancy you are willing to live with for the rest of your life. Is it sweet enough? Too sweet? 4. Cook bottom of pie crust in oven for 10-12 minues at about 400 F. 5. Let pie crust cool a little bit and then add filling. 6. Make the executive decision about whether you want a crust top to your pie and add it if so. 7. Bake for about 30 minutes but do not let the crust burn. 8. Be careful not to burn the sh*t out of yourself.
Monday, April 20, 2020
Vocabulary in the Age of Trump
draft
Words to know in the time of plague and the collapse of our government and our society:
-- supine, n. failing to act or protest as a result of moral weakness or indolence
-- boogaloo, n. right-wing term for a coming civil war
Words to know in the time of plague and the collapse of our government and our society:
-- supine, n. failing to act or protest as a result of moral weakness or indolence
-- boogaloo, n. right-wing term for a coming civil war
Friday, April 17, 2020
On Civil Disobedience in a Dictatorship
draft
A friend who will remain nameless asks a reasonable question: is it fair or right for us to use civil disobedience to protest the right wing dictatorship in Washington. Well, if you have faith in the system or in our elites, then possibly the answer is no. But I have no faith in our depraved elites or in our system. I think that ICE/Gestapo is going to keep murdering children, that Devoes is going to keep destroying people's lives and ignoring court orders, that the right wing DOJ will exonerate russian spies and that our Republican representatives will do anything to defend an obvious criminal and traitor in the white house. In other words, I think the question is nonsensical and could only be asked by someone who is in total denial of the situation they are in. Your government is probably murdering children right now and you dont know about it but your lack of knowledge does not make you innocent in these circumstances. You are complicit in their crimes unless you take every possible action to stop and defeat them.
A friend who will remain nameless asks a reasonable question: is it fair or right for us to use civil disobedience to protest the right wing dictatorship in Washington. Well, if you have faith in the system or in our elites, then possibly the answer is no. But I have no faith in our depraved elites or in our system. I think that ICE/Gestapo is going to keep murdering children, that Devoes is going to keep destroying people's lives and ignoring court orders, that the right wing DOJ will exonerate russian spies and that our Republican representatives will do anything to defend an obvious criminal and traitor in the white house. In other words, I think the question is nonsensical and could only be asked by someone who is in total denial of the situation they are in. Your government is probably murdering children right now and you dont know about it but your lack of knowledge does not make you innocent in these circumstances. You are complicit in their crimes unless you take every possible action to stop and defeat them.
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Picture from Benton Jew
draft
Many years ago, Benton Jew and Josh Pines came to town and I guess we all went to Griffith Park Observatory.
Many years ago, Benton Jew and Josh Pines came to town and I guess we all went to Griffith Park Observatory.
Purchase Stamps from the USPS
draft
Since the Trump weirdo is trying to destroy the USPS, now is a good time to purchase stamps from USPS.com or from your local post office. The more the merrier.
Since the Trump weirdo is trying to destroy the USPS, now is a good time to purchase stamps from USPS.com or from your local post office. The more the merrier.
HI Trump Weirdos! Hey!
draft
One of my few comments from a Trump weirdo.... deleted. Yay! Totally fucking bugnuts. I hate these people and I want them to die.
One of my few comments from a Trump weirdo.... deleted. Yay! Totally fucking bugnuts. I hate these people and I want them to die.
More on Operation Paperclip
draft
[Excerpted from a letter to a friend regarding Operation Paperclip]
I think you might benefit as I have from reading this book. The CIA made public a book review on it:
https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol-58-no-3/operation-paperclip-the-secret-intelligence-program-to-bring-nazi-scientists-to-america.html
It wasnt just rocket scientists, it was much more than that, and complicit is not the word. In many cases these are the leaders of the projects that killed 10s of thousands of slave laborers (100s of thousands?). I am not aware of the Manhattan project being even close to what happened in Nazi Germany. We are talking about some of the worst people of the Nazi regime when it came to such things as medical experiments with a 99% death rate on non consensual subjects. And it was after the fact and we hired these people because we did not believe that we could compete with the Russians with their German scientists any other way. I say, bullshit.
I dont think that the Manhattan project makes us equivalent to the Nazis even a little bit, in any way, whatsoever. I could argue this persuasively for 100,000 years and some people could not hear me, so I suggest we dodge it. They dont want to hear what went into the decision to drop those bombs, what went into the decision to stop dropping those bombs, and so forth. It is way beyond their capability to put themselves into the mindset of those who were there. Even the simplest historical issues are beyond their capability to hear. If it were me, I would not have dropped the bombs directly on those cities, I would have deliberately dropped it offshore, for example. The city would have been wrecked, many people would have died although not as many who did, and the point would have been made. But would the Japanese leadership have heard the message if they had done that? I dont know, but I know that the people who were there and whose job it was to save American lives did not think that it would. Hiroshima was not a civilian target, not even a little itsy bitsy bit. Some scholars wrote a nasty letter a few years ago (10?) comparing Hiroshima to the beautiful and innocent city of San Francisco not realizing how insanely stupid and ignorant their argument was (and these were people who studied the subject), because even a stupid moron who studied the war in the pacific would realize that San Francisco was one of the eseential cities in our war in the Pacific. Perhaps people in academia in this subject are by definition stupid, I dont know, but they sure did not enhance their credibility in this discussion. The Manhattan project is one of the great achievements of our civiilization and really is not comparable in any way with the use of Nazi scientists who deliberately killed people in their charge.
There is an important issue here: we can not trust our government to uphold our morals. We must realize that we must take action and at the very least punish those who, for example, by government policy use torture to achieve policy goals. We have used torture in our nations past, but never by policy to the best of my knowledge. Is this an important point, yes I think it is.
We are all complicit today in the destruction of our government and the murder of innocent people, whose number we will never know because unlike the Nazis we deliberately do not keep and destroy the records (see EPA and Gestapo/ICE). Every day that Trump is in power, every day that McConnell puts right wing nuts in the court system means our system failed. The courts need to be sanitized at once, failure to do so means that we live in an oppressive right wing dictatorship. There is nothing those people wont do to achieve their bizarre right wing goals over the wishes of the majority of the people in this country (which is obvious to everyone in the world except maybe Americans in denial).
The game is over. Its time for a new government.
[Excerpted from a letter to a friend regarding Operation Paperclip]
I think you might benefit as I have from reading this book. The CIA made public a book review on it:
https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol-58-no-3/operation-paperclip-the-secret-intelligence-program-to-bring-nazi-scientists-to-america.html
It wasnt just rocket scientists, it was much more than that, and complicit is not the word. In many cases these are the leaders of the projects that killed 10s of thousands of slave laborers (100s of thousands?). I am not aware of the Manhattan project being even close to what happened in Nazi Germany. We are talking about some of the worst people of the Nazi regime when it came to such things as medical experiments with a 99% death rate on non consensual subjects. And it was after the fact and we hired these people because we did not believe that we could compete with the Russians with their German scientists any other way. I say, bullshit.
I dont think that the Manhattan project makes us equivalent to the Nazis even a little bit, in any way, whatsoever. I could argue this persuasively for 100,000 years and some people could not hear me, so I suggest we dodge it. They dont want to hear what went into the decision to drop those bombs, what went into the decision to stop dropping those bombs, and so forth. It is way beyond their capability to put themselves into the mindset of those who were there. Even the simplest historical issues are beyond their capability to hear. If it were me, I would not have dropped the bombs directly on those cities, I would have deliberately dropped it offshore, for example. The city would have been wrecked, many people would have died although not as many who did, and the point would have been made. But would the Japanese leadership have heard the message if they had done that? I dont know, but I know that the people who were there and whose job it was to save American lives did not think that it would. Hiroshima was not a civilian target, not even a little itsy bitsy bit. Some scholars wrote a nasty letter a few years ago (10?) comparing Hiroshima to the beautiful and innocent city of San Francisco not realizing how insanely stupid and ignorant their argument was (and these were people who studied the subject), because even a stupid moron who studied the war in the pacific would realize that San Francisco was one of the eseential cities in our war in the Pacific. Perhaps people in academia in this subject are by definition stupid, I dont know, but they sure did not enhance their credibility in this discussion. The Manhattan project is one of the great achievements of our civiilization and really is not comparable in any way with the use of Nazi scientists who deliberately killed people in their charge.
There is an important issue here: we can not trust our government to uphold our morals. We must realize that we must take action and at the very least punish those who, for example, by government policy use torture to achieve policy goals. We have used torture in our nations past, but never by policy to the best of my knowledge. Is this an important point, yes I think it is.
We are all complicit today in the destruction of our government and the murder of innocent people, whose number we will never know because unlike the Nazis we deliberately do not keep and destroy the records (see EPA and Gestapo/ICE). Every day that Trump is in power, every day that McConnell puts right wing nuts in the court system means our system failed. The courts need to be sanitized at once, failure to do so means that we live in an oppressive right wing dictatorship. There is nothing those people wont do to achieve their bizarre right wing goals over the wishes of the majority of the people in this country (which is obvious to everyone in the world except maybe Americans in denial).
The game is over. Its time for a new government.
Monday, April 13, 2020
This is Why We Can't Wait
draft
However, this is why I do advocate as of now a general strike and civil disobedience, which might indeed get people killed.
Because doing anything else, is immoral. Waiting is immoral. And I cite for you the following evidence: Did Trump remove the rules protecting the elderly at nursing homes? Would you agree that if he did such a thing that it would be an act of incredible cruelty, removing necessary protections (we know they are necessary because of things that have happened) to protect those who can not protect themselves?
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-rolls-back-rules-protecting-elderly/
This is just sick.
If we had a government that functioned, this would not have happened because the Orange Moron would have been in jail one or two years ago.
However, this is why I do advocate as of now a general strike and civil disobedience, which might indeed get people killed.
Because doing anything else, is immoral. Waiting is immoral. And I cite for you the following evidence: Did Trump remove the rules protecting the elderly at nursing homes? Would you agree that if he did such a thing that it would be an act of incredible cruelty, removing necessary protections (we know they are necessary because of things that have happened) to protect those who can not protect themselves?
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-rolls-back-rules-protecting-elderly/
This is just sick.
If we had a government that functioned, this would not have happened because the Orange Moron would have been in jail one or two years ago.
Sunday, April 12, 2020
New Constitution Project
draft
Every day that Trump remains in office just proves that the government has failed and that we need a new constitution. Voting for Biden will remove one of the symptoms, which is nice, but it wont fix the corrupt politicians or judiciary and it wont fix an obviously failed constitution. Since our elites have failed to fix or even discuss a new constitution we may as well start discussing one ourselves. It wont really help and any good ideas (or bad ideas if they are useful to someone who wants to steal money) will just be taken without attribution, but thats OK. As peons with no political power, what else do we have to do with our time?
Every day that Trump remains in office just proves that the government has failed and that we need a new constitution. Voting for Biden will remove one of the symptoms, which is nice, but it wont fix the corrupt politicians or judiciary and it wont fix an obviously failed constitution. Since our elites have failed to fix or even discuss a new constitution we may as well start discussing one ourselves. It wont really help and any good ideas (or bad ideas if they are useful to someone who wants to steal money) will just be taken without attribution, but thats OK. As peons with no political power, what else do we have to do with our time?
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
How To Get the Bernie Supporters to Vote for Biden
draft
I have heard a lot of people command and threaten Bernie supporters that they had better enthusiastically support Joe Biden or they are traitors, etc. I dont think that is the best approach. Here is what I suggest you do to get people's enthusiasm. The following is intended for example only, obviously the details might vary.
Joe Biden would announce a major policy speech. For that speech, Bernie Sanders would introduce him and say something like "I would like to introduce my good friend and long time colleague in the struggle for justice in this country, please welcome, Joe Biden!" and then Biden would go up there and, in JFK or RFK style, in ringing tones, say something like "We will end racial discrimination in this country! We will guarantee an elite education to anyone who qualifies! We will see that the rich pay their fair share of taxes and undo the stupid so-called Republican tax reform! We will put the criminals of the previous administration in jail! We will punish those countries that have interfered in our elections and attacked our society! We will get the right wing nutty boys like Roberts, Gorsuch and Kavanaugh off the bench because America will not be a slave to the right wing minority! We will make our elections free and fair for all Americans! We will take a leading role in addressing global climate change! We will do all this and more. Join me!"
And then I think you would no longer have to threaten Bernie supporters to get their vote.
I have heard a lot of people command and threaten Bernie supporters that they had better enthusiastically support Joe Biden or they are traitors, etc. I dont think that is the best approach. Here is what I suggest you do to get people's enthusiasm. The following is intended for example only, obviously the details might vary.
Joe Biden would announce a major policy speech. For that speech, Bernie Sanders would introduce him and say something like "I would like to introduce my good friend and long time colleague in the struggle for justice in this country, please welcome, Joe Biden!" and then Biden would go up there and, in JFK or RFK style, in ringing tones, say something like "We will end racial discrimination in this country! We will guarantee an elite education to anyone who qualifies! We will see that the rich pay their fair share of taxes and undo the stupid so-called Republican tax reform! We will put the criminals of the previous administration in jail! We will punish those countries that have interfered in our elections and attacked our society! We will get the right wing nutty boys like Roberts, Gorsuch and Kavanaugh off the bench because America will not be a slave to the right wing minority! We will make our elections free and fair for all Americans! We will take a leading role in addressing global climate change! We will do all this and more. Join me!"
And then I think you would no longer have to threaten Bernie supporters to get their vote.
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Facebook List of Celebrities You Have Met
draft
But what is a celebrity?
Here is a possible list, all real.
Jimmy Carter
Forrest J. Ackerman (and Wendy Wahrman Ackerman)
William Shatner
Ivan Sutherland
Ed Catmull and John Lassiter
Lynda Weinman
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Jim Clark
Bill Joy
Tim Leary
Terrence McKenna
Grace Hopper
Willis Ware
John Dykstra, Richard Edlund, Joel Hynek, Dennis Muren, Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricich
Jerry Brown, Jr.
Graham Nash
Matt Groening
A host of West Coast SF writers, Larry Niven, Poul Anderson, Bob Silverberg, etc.
Sumner Redstone
Mark Hammill
Bill Mumy
Jim Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd
Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera
Harry Marks and Saul Wurman
Steven Spielberg
Jeffrey Katzenberg
Bob Kurtz
Greg MacGillivrey
Joni Mitchell (sortof, its a long story)
But what is a celebrity?
Here is a possible list, all real.
Jimmy Carter
Forrest J. Ackerman (and Wendy Wahrman Ackerman)
William Shatner
Ivan Sutherland
Ed Catmull and John Lassiter
Lynda Weinman
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Jim Clark
Bill Joy
Tim Leary
Terrence McKenna
Grace Hopper
Willis Ware
John Dykstra, Richard Edlund, Joel Hynek, Dennis Muren, Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricich
Jerry Brown, Jr.
Graham Nash
Matt Groening
A host of West Coast SF writers, Larry Niven, Poul Anderson, Bob Silverberg, etc.
Sumner Redstone
Mark Hammill
Bill Mumy
Jim Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd
Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera
Harry Marks and Saul Wurman
Steven Spielberg
Jeffrey Katzenberg
Bob Kurtz
Greg MacGillivrey
Joni Mitchell (sortof, its a long story)
Saturday, April 4, 2020
Look! My Lyft Driver Gave Me a Mask!
draft
My Lyft driver, a nice Hispanic lady, had a very limited supply of masks and she offered me one. At first I refused but she wanted me to have it. I gave her a big tip but that isnt what matters. What matters is that people help each other in a time of crisis.
Unlike my friend David in LA who goes out of his way to infect people.
Me at Pharmacy in Montecito
Thursday, April 2, 2020
Returning the Gift of Nastiness in the Pandemic
draft
Its not everyday that you get to return the favor of nastiness to someone who has attacked you in the past and for no good reason. I am sentimental about my old friends, yes even my old lovers. Friends on Facebook for several years she suddently attacked me for no reason. So here we go, dear, love you! Text follows.
End of text. That was fun!
Its not everyday that you get to return the favor of nastiness to someone who has attacked you in the past and for no good reason. I am sentimental about my old friends, yes even my old lovers. Friends on Facebook for several years she suddently attacked me for no reason. So here we go, dear, love you! Text follows.
Since you went out of my way to be as nasty as you could be to me for no good reason, and when I was just being cordial and pleasant, I wanted to return the favor. I hope that you or someone you love is damaged permanently in this pandemic. With luck it can be someone who dies because you infected them so you can live with the guilt, assuming you are capable of experiencing guilt. Please dont ever talk to me again.
End of text. That was fun!
Getting A Message to Richard Edlund, Somehow
draft
I just want to get a message to Richard Edlund, ASC, somehow. I know he is on the Board of Governors of the Academy. Anyway I want to make sure and hope that he is taking care of himself in these challenging times. And to thank him for all the times he has been very kind to me. He probably doesnt even notice, he is probably kind to everyone. But it really has meant a lot to me over the years.
I just want to get a message to Richard Edlund, ASC, somehow. I know he is on the Board of Governors of the Academy. Anyway I want to make sure and hope that he is taking care of himself in these challenging times. And to thank him for all the times he has been very kind to me. He probably doesnt even notice, he is probably kind to everyone. But it really has meant a lot to me over the years.
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
The Whole World is My Garden
draft
For those who use Voltaire's garden as a way of excusing their failure to stand up for what is right, my response is that my garden is the whole world. If you fail to stand up for what is right you will not be forgiven by history.
For those who use Voltaire's garden as a way of excusing their failure to stand up for what is right, my response is that my garden is the whole world. If you fail to stand up for what is right you will not be forgiven by history.
When is a Nazi a Nazi?
draft
When is a Nazi a Nazi? Do you have to wait until they kill 6 million innocent people? Or is it sufficient for them to kill as many of their scapegoat ethnic and other group(s) from "shithole" countries as they can get their hands on?
Was Adolf Hitler a Nazi before the extermination camps? Of course he was. For those who say he was not, you are just excusing your moral laziness. You should not have to wait for all the murders to happen before you should be willing to stand up and oppose them.
You can send me all the holocaust porn you want, and it doesnt change a thing. Your sophistry does not excuse you from failing to oppose these murders. You are complicit with their crimes.
Fat and Unhappy
draft
Letter to my friend Andy about being overweight.
The situation about losing weight seems to be somewhat complicated. It doesnt seem to be so much about the "healthiness" of the food I eat, although that is part of it, but is probably about the amount/calories thereof. I have been cooking at home every meal for about 15 years. I am a lacto vegetarian (which means I eat cheese and butter, but avoid eggs and of course meat of any type). But I have decades of bad food habits, big meals, and medicating anxiety with food. I have a sweet tooth. My metabolism has changed with age (my father warned me of this) and my exercise per day has gone way down. If you subscribe to the calorie theory of weight loss (and I only sortof do), then you realize to your horror that one scone may be the total calories permissible in a day. To that add the interesting evidence of calorie restriction and life extension, and you realize that you (or me, rather) is / are fucked. I have a variety of different cost/quality equations that I use to control my expenditures and I am most excellently knowledgable about reducing cost in this area, but sadly that would reduce fresh fruits and vegetables and increase carbohydrates. Bad. So I increase costs and eat healthy home made soups, stews and salads. Non fat dressing. Olive oil when an oil is used. Try to keep a lid on the amount of cheese, use half the butter a recipe calls for. On the other hand, life is short, and food is a big part of the pleasure I am permitted to get in this disgusting world we live in. With the orange moron as president and my life and career a ruin, who would begrudge me a half a stick of butter to make blueberry ersatz scones once in a while? Is that so much to ask from life?
So I am fat and unhappy and that is not the way its supposed to be.
Add to that the local culture where all the people here look like they just stepped out of a Nike catalog (and possibly did) and the situation is worse. And everyone here eats kale and my feeling is that the only people who are qualified to eat kale are people from the South, probably black, and they use a lot of tasty pig fat when they do so, and cook the shit out of the stuff. I dont go with this healthy kale thing.
Letter to my friend Andy about being overweight.
The situation about losing weight seems to be somewhat complicated. It doesnt seem to be so much about the "healthiness" of the food I eat, although that is part of it, but is probably about the amount/calories thereof. I have been cooking at home every meal for about 15 years. I am a lacto vegetarian (which means I eat cheese and butter, but avoid eggs and of course meat of any type). But I have decades of bad food habits, big meals, and medicating anxiety with food. I have a sweet tooth. My metabolism has changed with age (my father warned me of this) and my exercise per day has gone way down. If you subscribe to the calorie theory of weight loss (and I only sortof do), then you realize to your horror that one scone may be the total calories permissible in a day. To that add the interesting evidence of calorie restriction and life extension, and you realize that you (or me, rather) is / are fucked. I have a variety of different cost/quality equations that I use to control my expenditures and I am most excellently knowledgable about reducing cost in this area, but sadly that would reduce fresh fruits and vegetables and increase carbohydrates. Bad. So I increase costs and eat healthy home made soups, stews and salads. Non fat dressing. Olive oil when an oil is used. Try to keep a lid on the amount of cheese, use half the butter a recipe calls for. On the other hand, life is short, and food is a big part of the pleasure I am permitted to get in this disgusting world we live in. With the orange moron as president and my life and career a ruin, who would begrudge me a half a stick of butter to make blueberry ersatz scones once in a while? Is that so much to ask from life?
So I am fat and unhappy and that is not the way its supposed to be.
Add to that the local culture where all the people here look like they just stepped out of a Nike catalog (and possibly did) and the situation is worse. And everyone here eats kale and my feeling is that the only people who are qualified to eat kale are people from the South, probably black, and they use a lot of tasty pig fat when they do so, and cook the shit out of the stuff. I dont go with this healthy kale thing.