Fast melange

I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I don't quite understand the Fed chairman Powell raising interests rates after a week of bank collapses. It seems like he is doing his best to destroy the economy in the name of taming inflation.

A friend smarter than I am believes that he is purposely doing it to harm the Biden administration. In any case or whatever the motivation, the timing is terrible.

Was saddened to hear that two of my favorite candies might be on their way out in California, Skittles and Hot Tamales.

A first-of-its-kind measure, Assembly Bill (AB) 418 would prohibit the manufacture, sale, or distribution of any food product in California containing Red Dye No. 3, Titanium Dioxide, Potassium Bromate, Brominated Vegetable Oil, or Propyl Paraben. Each of these chemicals is currently banned in the European Union (EU) due to scientific studies that have demonstrated significant public health harms, including increased risk of cancer, behavioral issues in children, harm to the reproductive system, and damage to the immune system.

I am a serious skittles abuser and sort of bummed out by the news. Could it be that what I like is what is worst for me?

Jennifer J. sent this pic over. Looking west from De Luz rd.

Leslie and I have a recent neighbor from I believe Arkansas that likes to drive his big truck really fast and dust all the rest of us out in our driveways. I don't really understand the behavior.

When we were driving to Palm Springs from DHS a big truck with liberty and gun maga stickers and Arizona plates careened through traffic at breakneck speed, ultimately cutting in in front of us. There was a deep river crossing people were carefully plowing through and this nimrod decided to drive on the shoulder and spray everybody patiently waiting in line.

What is it about big trucks and anti social behavior? Is it fashionable in some right wing circles to be a complete asshole?

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Rainbow picture from Joel.

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We got home from the desert with our new/old Le Creuset dutch oven and immediately made braised short ribs, well, after a three hour slow cook anyway. 

Served them with orecchiette the first night and polenta with last night's reheat.

They were absolutely incredible. 

 

Speaking of Le Creuset, I stopped by Ron and Lena's place after my bird shoot yesterday. 

They have just returned after a three month plus trip to Asia. 

Lena blogged the trip here.

Anyway, she has been a long time collector and broke out some of her pieces, including her lovely new wok.

Leslie wants me to take some cooking classes, get a better handle on my spices. She was worried about a thyme overload the other night but I think it tasted fine.

But probably not a bad idea.

My niece Rachel thinks I am channeling her father, Buzz, who was a restauranteur and an excellent chef. 

Not sure why I am starting to cook at 65 but I am definitely enjoying it.

We have about sixty orange trees left on the ranch. 

We have not been giving them the best of care the last ten or twenty years, simply can't afford the water.

All this rain is really bringing the oranges back, they look very happy and healthy again and are starting to blossom.

But look at those weeds! 

Going to have to attack them soon...

I have the most beautiful morning and afternoon drive in all of Fallbrook.

The whole Santa Margarita River valley is really greening up.

Finally, I am not a big car sticker guy but a man named Steve created this nifty avocado yin yang and I had to stick it on my car. 

Very nice job!

I was selected to be a new Google Bard trial user. It is their AI machine.

I honestly don't need a machine to help me write but thought I would try it out yesterday.

I asked it to write a blogpost for me. This is what I got:

It is really not that bad. Lake Hodges is not part of Fallbrook but how would a machine know? And where exactly is the Fallbrook Greenbelt? Did Bard make that up? 

I asked for a separate query on birds I might find in my yard in Fallbrook and got this, fairly accurate. Fsiled on the woodpecker species, we get acorns and Nuttals. No Gambel's quail or rock wren, no barn owl and only a very rare western tanager. But close.

I also got this strange extortion attempt this week regarding my gallery website but I am not going to worry about it. I think it is bullshit.

Assholes!