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MickinMD

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  1. MickinMD's post in Not Another List!!! was marked as the answer   
    I also worry about such a future for us.
  2. MickinMD's post in What in the hell does axiomatic mean? was marked as the answer   
    Western philosophical argument and logic is divided into two periods: Presocratic and Socratic.
    The logic displayed in the writings of Plato (Socrates' student) and Aristotle (Plato's student) set the standard for debate based on truth and logic.
    But there has to be an agreement among the arguers where the debate starts and potentially leaves the truth.
    In ancient Greek, axíōma means 'that which is thought worthy or fit' and is the highest place of common belief among Socratic debate.
    For example, the ancients often debated whether "things are many" or "things are one" (the atomists claimed things were made of one kind of small thing) but they all agreed on the axíōma that there were "things" that exhibited many different physical properties: the question was that if you kept cutting them in half, in half again, etc. would they eventually break down into something else (atoms)? Really interesting arguments. For example: The philosopher Zeno said, "If things are many, then you can't walk to the door.  You have to walk halfway first, then halfway of the half that's left, then the remaining halfway, etc. etc. and there would be an endless number of halfways."  I wasn't until the 1900's that scientists realized that a REAL-world line cannot be divided into an infinite number of existing points like math does: there is a minimum "quantum" length. Zeno and the other atomists had it right 2500 years ago!
    So, the word "axiom" entered English as meaningc"a statement that is taken to be true, to serve as a premise or starting point for further reasoning and arguments." - Wikipedia
    It's derivative, "axiomatic," then logically means " self-evident, unquestionable or taken for granted," - Miriam-Webster Dictionary
    As in: "MickinMD's posts tend to be long."
     
  3. MickinMD's post in What would you do (pizza thievery question) was marked as the answer   
    Since waiting for another pizza probably doesn't fit in with plans, I'd call the pizzeria and tell them to change the charge to a 14" pizza.  If they refuse to do it. then tell them to come and get it, you'll dispute the bill and also complain to the chain/owner.
  4. MickinMD's post in Elaine Benes really hit the head on the nail a few times. One of the best was… was marked as the answer   
    Elaine: The female body is a work of art. The male body is utilitarian. It's for gettin' around. It's like a Jeep.
    Quote from S09E09 - The Apology
    Director: Andy Ackerman
    Writers: Jennifer Crittenden
     
     
     
  5. MickinMD's post in Crab cakes was marked as the answer   
    I have the recipe for crabcakes used by Shirley Phillips, founder of Phillips Seafood restaurant in Ocean City which then also went to Baltimore's Inner Harbor and then frozen foods that taste nothing like what you get in the restaurant.
    The John Shields, who had Gertrude's Restaurant in Baltimore did a Coastal Cooking Show on PBS and did a spot on Miss Shirley's recipe.  It was later edited out of reruns of the episode, so I think Phillips wasn't happy it got out.
    Anyway, here it is plus a John Shields' tartar sauce recipe, cut and pasted from some online stuff and typed from John Shields' book. I don't know if the links work anymore but are not needed:
     
    Miss Shirley's Eastern Shore Crab Cakes
    John Shields c.2004 Coastal Cooking with John Shields 
    https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/miss-shirleys-eastern-shore-crab-cakes-232203#
    Shirley Phillips was raised on Hooper Island, Maryland, in Chesapeake Bay, and grew up surrounded by the finest seafood imaginable. Given her upbringing, it's not surprising that she married a waterman, Brice Phillips. The couple made their way to Ocean City, Maryland, and opened a crab shack, selling "jimmies" — heavy, fat, perfectly seasoned crabs — to tourists and locals alike.
    Almost fifty years later, that roadside crab shack has evolved into one of the largest seafood operations in America, Phillips Foods. Miss Shirley is still a part of the daily operation of her signature Ocean City restaurant, which serves thousands of crab cakes every season. According to Shirley, the secret to a good crab cake is good crab, lots of lumps, and simple seasoning.
    Yield
    Serves 6 (Mickey’s note: serves more like 4: make into 8 or even 4 balls instead of 12).
    Ingredients
    1. 
    1. 2 eggs
    2. 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
    3. 2 teaspoons lemon juice
    4. 2 teaspoons crab seasoning, such as Phillips' seafood seasoning (Mickey's note: Old Bay seafood seasoning works great)
    5. 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
    6. 2 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
    7. 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
    8. 2 pounds jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over
    9. 4 slices white bread, crumbled (Mick’s Note: torn or cut into small 1/2"- 3/4" pieces)
    10. Vegetable oil, for frying (Mick’s Note: most prefer broiled, where a little oil is usually brushed-on)
    11. Soda crackers for serving
    2. 
    1. Tasty Tartar Sauce Mickey’s Note: from a food store or the additional John Shield’s recipe for Tartar Sauce at the bottom of this recipe file.
    Preparation
    1. 
    1. In a medium-size bowl, thoroughly combine the eggs, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice crab seasoning, parsley, mayonnaise and mustards.
    2. Place the crabmeat in a large bowl gently fold in the breadcrumbs and the egg mixture so as not to break up the lumps. Shape into 12 slightly flattened balls and chill for at least 1 hour.
    2. To fry the crab cakes:
    1. Pour oil into the skillet to a depth of about 1 1/2 inches. Heat the oil to 370째 and fry the crab cakes, a couple at a time, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spatula to paper towels to drain.
    3. To broil:
    1. Place crab cakes under a preheated broiler, turning to cook evenly, until nicely browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
    2. Serve with soda crackers and tartar sauce.
    Coastal Cooking with John Shields, by John Shields, Broadway Books
    Tartar Sauce Recipe
    https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/tasty-tartar-sauce-232202
     
    Ingredients
    1. 
    1. 1 cup mayonnaise
    2. 1 tablespoon minced shallots
    3. 1/2 cup minced sour pickles, such as dill or cornichon
    4. 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish, drained
    5. 1 teaspoon capers in vinegar, drained and chopped
    6. Dash of lemon juice
    7. 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh or bottled horseradish, or to taste
    Preparation
    1. 
    1. Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. Chill before serving.
     
  6. MickinMD's post in I am home sick today. was marked as the answer   
    Hope recovery is quick.
    Last week, I spoke to my cousin on the phone and she asked, "Do you have a cold?"
    I said, "No, I walked Jake a couple miles yesterday despite Code-Red, bad air in Maryland from those Canadian Wildfires. I woke up with a sore-throat this morning that lasted a few hours."
    We're "Fair" now and air quality is supposed to return to "Poor" on Thursday.
    You're two states closer to them than me!  Hope they're not getting you.
  7. MickinMD's post in Grilled souvlaki skewers are ready! was marked as the answer   
    Souvaki brings back a very pleasant memory!
    My cousin Phyllis and I were walking through Athens in 1996 after touring the Acropolis with our group and guide. I had read some travel books saying to visit the "Plaka" - a commercial area off the tourist-trap area not too far from the Acropolis.  Our guide wanted to take us to some carpet factory where, of course, she would get a kick-back but we told her to tell us when the tour bus was closest to the Plaka, point us in its direction, and we'd get off the bus and find it - I had a city map good enough to get us back to the hotel.
    The woman guide, wanting us to buy something at the factory, argued we'd get lost, etc. and that attracted the interest of other tourists on the bus.  By the time we got off we took half the bus with us!  She scowled at us as we waved goodbye!
    Phyllis and I shopped then found a restaurant with outdoor tables facing a big church and figured that was probably a safe place to eat.
    Being away from the tourist traps, the waitress didn't speak English, the menu was in Greek letters - which I struggled with despite using them in chemistry - and all we could think of saying was "Gyros" and point to the picture of beer.
    As the waitress began walking away, Phyllis looked over my shoulder, her eyes got real wide-open, and she called out, "Wait!  We want that!" as she pointed to the next table.
    At the next table was a group of Germans who, fortunately, spoke English and, when we asked what they were eating, they said, "Souvlaki!"
    It was Souvlaki, piled high, seasoned and open faced on some kind of pita bread with some kind of side - salad I think.
    It was SO good.  Tourist-trap restaurants were cheap in Greece back then, but we got a bargain of a Souvlaki platter plus a beer for about 240 drachma: $6!
  8. MickinMD's post in So, which forumites have used the word hegemony? was marked as the answer   
    I haven't used it since the last time I tried to conquer another country.
  9. MickinMD's post in ok who the eff took Petite's folding embroidery scissors? was marked as the answer   
    I think it was the same guy who took 6' electrical extension cord.
    I keep it in my Instant Pot travel case in case the short cord on the Instant Pot doesn't reach an outlet when I take it to a party filled with fold.
    I couldn't find in this afternoon.  Maybe I left it at the last party.
    I took 30 Golabkis - Polish Stuffed Cabbage and returned home with 6 leftover.  They were enjoyed during the Super Bowl.
  10. MickinMD's post in Reactions don’t get us to the drivel goal, friends. was marked as the answer   
    Reactions like H2O + Na2SO4 -> H2SO4 + Na2O  ?
    They even wrote a poem about that stuff:
    Little Sammy Student,
    Is lying on the floor.
    For what he thought was H 2 O,
    Was H 2 S O 4!
    H2SO4 , hydrogen sulfate, is better known as sulfuric acid.
  11. MickinMD's post in Talk to me about Digital Pianos was marked as the answer   
    Basically, here's what you need with any digital piano to be used for practicing piano while taking lessons:
    The piano itself: you need good touch sensitivity (soft to loud depending on how hard you hit the keys) which is typical in today's decent digital keyboards, hopefully a built-in metronome for practicing (otherwise a separate one), a sustain pedal operated by foot on the floor and a music rest (aka music desk or sheet music stand).
    Unless you go for bundles that cost around $650 or more, you won't get a digital piano with weighted keys, which take a little more pressure to push down and give you a little better feel for how much pressure you need, but it's not a big deal for a beginner.  The Yamaha P-45 does have weighted keys and with sustain pedal and power supply costs $549.99 at Amazon, but it's a 2015 piano and is missing too many recent, good features.
    But there's still an attempt to make the keys feel normal.  According to the Roland site: "It’s frustrating to learn piano on a keyboard that doesn’t feel like the real thing. Unlike typical portable keyboards that have lightweight synthesizer-type keys, GO:PIANO’s 61 full-size keys provide playing feel and expressive touch inspired by the keyboards on acoustic grand pianos. This helps to support your developing technique and ensure a smooth transition if you choose to play a larger keyboard in the future."
    You also need a light that rises over or clips-on to the music rest and shines on the sheet music.  I got this very inexpensive ($16.99) music stand light on on Amazon and it works great: bright and covers two pages of a large sheet music book - it runs by battery or power plug.
    The Yamaha NP-12 and Roland GO:PIANO that @goldendesign listed look like good 61-key choices in the under $400 price range.  The GO:PIANO 61 bundle with adjustable stand, sustain pedal and power supply is $429.99 at Amazon (doesn't include a bench to sit on).
    This review of the Roland 61-key version on YouTube shows very good touch sensitivity.  This review of the Yahama NP-12 doesn't show it as clearly, but it's there.  I liked the sound of the Roland better than the Yamaha, but it may be due to the quality of the recording and the acoustics of the room in which it's played.  Both sounded good.
    A review of the Roland GO 61 said the piano skimped on plastic and it seemed a little flimsy: "Most keyboards cover up their hollow interiors, but the GO:PIANO has a bottom that shows you how little plastic is actually used.  This is a plus if you care about weight, but I’m a little apprehensive about using too much strength while playing on an X-stand."
     
    I'll mention a couple of 88 key digital pianos only because I don't know about early childhood piano lessons and how long it will be before piano lessons would require a larger than 61 key range.
    I do like the Roland GO:PIANO 88, which has 88 keys instead of 61 for only about $100 more on Amazon, where the bundle (with bench) I just linked is $549.99 (and $449.00 at Sweetwater) and includes almost all the extra stuff that may not come with the basic unit alone: sustain pedal, music desk (sheet music stand), bench, adjustable piano stand, and power supply.  The GO 88 doesn't have the small screen to help with navigation the GO 61 has.  The GO 88 has fewer voices you can use while playing (types of organs, horns, etc. sounds) but can be set for grand piano, electric piano, church organ, strings.  The GO 61 does many more, though personally the four listed are plenty.
    The Roland Pianos include an interesting feature: a free Piano Partner 2 app for Apple or Android phones that let you record what you played and includes a diary of what keys you played, etc. to share with teachers, etc. and more.
    One site likes the Roland FP-10 as the best digital piano under $500.  The bundle at Amazon costs $649.99.
    "It’s frustrating to learn piano on a keyboard that doesn’t feel like the real thing. Unlike typical portable keyboards that have lightweight synthesizer-type keys, GO:PIANO’s 61 full-size keys provide playing feel and expressive touch inspired by the keyboards on acoustic grand pianos. This helps to support your developing technique and ensure a smooth transition if you choose to play a larger keyboard in the future."
    When I visited good music stores and looked at digital pianos, they all told me $3000 or more was needed for a good piano, but the piano I got was the Casio Privia PX-870 where the bundle including the bench cost $1199 on Amazon.  It sounds very good, though the $17K Kawaii Baby Grand Piano I lost in the house fire sounded better!  I had realized I had no room for it in the house, so I replaced it with a digital piano after the fire.
  12. MickinMD's post in History of Roman rule was marked as the answer   
    The Roman Empire ruled most of Europe the Middle East and all the Mediterranean lands by the First Century BC: Julius and Augustus Caesar.  Around 300, Constantine the Great reunified the then divided-into-three Roman Empire and relocated the capitol to Byzantium, now renamed Constantinopolis (Constantinople in English).  Eventually, the Empire became divided the into separately governed Western Roman Empire, ruled from Rome, and the Eastern Roman Empire, ruled from Constantinople.
    In the last 400's C.E. the Western Roman Empire Collapsed.  The Eastern Roman Empire made a couple attempts to restore it by it was too expensive to do.  The Eastern Roman Empire, based in Greek culture went on until the Turks overran it in 1453.  The Turks thought the Greek phrase "in the city" was the name of Constantinople and they thought they were retaining the name with their corruption of the Greek phrase: Istanbul.
    After the 400's, Europe entered the "Dark Ages" and a number of European Kings tried to gain power over others by courting the support of the Vatican, the Roman Catholic City-State within Rome. In the late 400's to early 500's Clovis, the King of the Franks (basically modern France) converted his people to Christianity.  The most success of a Pope-supported state was that of Charlemagne (Charles the Great) who established and ruled the Holy Roman Empire from 800 to 814.
    Europe was mostly a set of small nations where about a dozen made up Italy, dozens made up Germany, and the powers were mostly what became Austria and, from 1100 - 1500's, the Polish-Lithuanian Empire that ruled most of Eastern Europe - 1/3 of the entire continent.
    During the Dark Ages, Christianity faded or was never established in many European countries and it's not well appreciated today how it was missionaries from Ireland who restored Christianity to much of Europe: Poland still celebrates the Irish Missionaries bringing Roman Catholicism to Poland around the year 1000.
    After the Bubonic Plague wiped out at least 25% of Europe's population in the 1200's and 1300's, the value of human labor rose so much that guilds and other organizations that demanded better pay/hours and raised the standard of living arose, ending the "Feudal System."  The Renaissance followed in the 1400's and 1500's.
    Up to that point, it was the Arab world that had maintained high learning: the Greek and Roman classics and math.  Most of the words we have in math, like Algebra and Zenith are Arab words.
    Before the Renaissance, Europeans were still using Roman Numerals.  The Moors in Spain began spreading their knowledge to the European Christians who didn't understand the numerical concept of zero: they were told, "Just draw a hole."
    As the Renaissance took hold and the skills and learning of Europeans soared, Europe took a leading place in the world that is still in place to some extent.
  13. MickinMD's post in Cooks or chemists was marked as the answer   
    Sweet potatoes contain a compound called chlorogenic acid and also contain iron compounds.  When diced, the surface gets exposed to oxygen in the air and it reacts with the acid and iron to form the dark spots.
  14. MickinMD's post in Why, lord, why? was marked as the answer   
    Check out Amazon with a search: small frying pan with lid.  There are lots of them from stainless steel to various non-stick surfaces.

  15. MickinMD's post in Overseas update was marked as the answer   
    When I was in Catholic School, we were taught French in 8th Grade because one of the nuns was from Quebec.
    So when I got to high school I figured I'd have a leg up sticking with French.
    I didn't know it until I got to college, but in the pre-computer-translator days American Chemistry Majors were required to pass a fluency test (or a 202-level college class) in French, German, or Russian so there would be a pool of chemists who could translate articles in the main 3 foreign languages od chemistry journals.
    So I lucked out.
  16. MickinMD's post in Almond differences was marked as the answer   
    Some of the skins wore off in the deshelling and salting processing.
  17. MickinMD's post in How The East Goes, So Goes The World???? was marked as the answer   
    Henri may have an impact on the East Coast.  I promised 10 miles, hope for 15, and if I feel good after 15 will go for 20 - weather permitting.
  18. MickinMD's post in Sometimes I Hate The Weatherman! was marked as the answer   
    We've been having extremely heavy thunder showers for several afternoons/evenings in a row.
    Tonight, I finished taking evening-care of my on-vacation brother's family's dog Jake and bearded dragon Rango, and left for home just as it began to rain.  I went half a block and I needed highest-wiper-speed.  I got to the main road and night had descended suddenly and cars were going 25 mph where the speed limit's 40.  I took my time driving home - crossing paths with two drivers with no headlights on - they probably hadn't needed them 10 minutes earlier.
  19. MickinMD's post in 2 hours is my limit was marked as the answer   
    I should do some yard work today but we've got a couple more days with highs forecast in the 80's, not 90's, and I'm very pleased and relieved today that my new fence won't cost as much as I thought.  So I'm going to sit on my butt and watch TV.
  20. MickinMD's post in One of these things is not like the other was marked as the answer   
    The one on the left used to belong to Roy Rogers and the one on the right was owned by Festus.

     
  21. MickinMD's post in One of these things is not like the other was marked as the answer   
    The one on the left used to belong to Roy Rogers and the one on the right was owned by Festus.

     
  22. MickinMD's post in There is no joy in 90/10 ground beef, none at all was marked as the answer   
    I agree.  When Christopher Kimball was running America's Test Kitchen, he pointed out over and over that there was much more taste in 80:20 ground beef that you lost when you hit 90%.
    I had to add a significant amount of oil to the pan to fry 90%+ ground beef and eventually figured I might as well let 80% fry mostly in its own tasty fat.
  23. MickinMD's post in Does this look like a good budget table? was marked as the answer   
    With a big, glass-lined exterior wall like that, I'd smile too even though that table is too small.
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