Random

[magid]

MA-folks: I was looking over the ballot questions that will be voted on November 2, and realized I don't really understand Question 2, about low-income housing variances. I think it has to do with minimizing paperwork to allow variances that would result in more low-income housing, but I suspect I'm missing something. Anyone understand this one enough to tell me more?

Best typo recently: yard sail. Not sure whether that's a physical sail (thereby allowing more vertical yard, useful in urban situations! :-), or the act of going for a sail using one's yard. If so, I suspect those people out in the suburbs would have to get large-yard sailing permits.

I saw a bus with two people in it, the sign on front reading "Instruction." First time I've seen that. I'd never thought about how bus drivers learn their routes; I guess I assumed that there'd be a mentor on the ride, but otherwise, it would be a regular bus in service. It seems a bit wasteful otherwise.

Annoying: a sore throat. Soothing: hot tea with local honey, and mushroom-barley soup enhanced with wheat-barley bread crumbs (too much barley flour: it's tending towards crumbling anyway) and thin slices of Brie. Unfortunately, it's not possible to be constantly sucking down liquids... But happily, it passed after a couple of days.

Pepper play: pickled hot peppers, marinated red peppers, and stuffed poblano peppers (with brown rice, raisins, sunflower seeds, roasted tomatoes, pecorino-romano, and topped with herbed mozzarella). I still have some mini bell peppers left....

Link sausage:

• Blog post: the disease of perfection, which I very much can relate to.
  
• Pictures: photos of Russia from a century ago... in color! (I'm fond of #16, for obvious reasons. And I find the clothing fascinating.)
  
• Video: Why Homosexuality Should Be Banned (watch before bashing based on title, please!)
  
• Music video: Janelle Monáe's Tightrope
  
• MP3: (aka most recent music obsession) Mount Kimbie's Before I Move Off (though I find that his music seems to stop, rather than end*.)
  * Which of course makes me think of Lipman's The Chatterlings.
  
• ETA 1520: Some amazing maps of Europe from a variety of social/nationalistic perspectives; incredibly funny.

Comments

[magid.livejournal.com]

I've tried the boiling water trick. It works, but is better for pots than casseroles. I'm a bit nervous to try oven cleaner (and it would require going out to buy oven cleaner, since I have a self-cleaning oven).

I appreciate your suggestions. I hope neither of us will have to use any of them again for a very long time!

[(Anonymous)]

Cool that you knew about this water trick! I had never heard of it.

I'd be scared to try the over cleaner, too. Last resort? Worth a try if otherwise one of your best pots is ruined?

Me too! And if we do, it should be the most of our troubles!

[magid.livejournal.com]

You've got a point about the oven cleaner. I haven't tried ammonia yet, though, so I'm still holding off on that.

[(Anonymous)]

Hope the point was helpful in some way. Hope the ammonia works and oven cleaner can be avoided!