dsavitsk

For the rice: -add 1tbsb butter, 2tbsp thyme, 2tbsp smoked paprika, a little powdered onion and garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 cup dry rice to a hot sauce pot and toast everything for a minute or two stirring regularly. The rice should get coated by the paprika. Add 2 cups broth (veg or chicken), bring to a boil (will be almost instant if it was hot enough to toast the rice), cover, and simmer on low for 15 to 17 minutes. For the okra: - Chop an onion (I like yellow for the sweetness) and saute for a minute or two in olive oil and a pinch of salt. - Add a bag of frozen (or fresh if you have it -- we don't) okra, and saute for a few minutes -- the okra will release its slime and soften a bit. - Add a clove or two of chopped garlic and let soften. - Add a big can of good quality tomatoes, or a bunch of fresh ones, a can of drained chick peas (or fresh if you can find them), and 1 cup of broth (veg or chicken), a bunch of thyme and smoked paprika and let cook for 10-15 minutes. A 1/2 cup of white wine is also good at this point as it helps bring out some flavors from the tomatoes -- not strictly necessary. - Add Tabasco (or something else spicy -- but the vinegar in Tabasco works well here) when it is close to done, and salt & pepper to taste. Fresh lemon juice just before serving is also nice. I generally use a 14" saute pan on medium to med-high heat for this as it seems to dissipate the liquid at a better rate than something with higher sides. Otherwise it can turn a bit mushy by the time enough liquid has evaporated. Follow it with the chocolate chocolate-chip walnut cookies you made the night before.

Okra stew over rice!

We bought one of those memory foam + gel things about a year ago (a Serta cool elegance). We spent a lot of time in a store trying everything, and ended up with a mattress that was preposterously more expensive than we were intending. But it was amazingly comfortable, and perfectly firm which I like. A year later, the support sucks. And really, had we had a 90 day option, it would have been returned as it sucked within that period, too. I am not particularly heavy, but it is not nearly as firm as it was when new -- unless I sleep in the middle where it is still nice.

Sorry for both of your losses. But glad to know that both had happy lives and were well loved. RIP Miko and Boyfriend.

A Sony lovefest on HC? Never thought I'd see that day. I'd prefer the new Aetna integrated myself.

Sorry for your loss, Ian.

Sorry for your loss, Larry. I wouldn't worry about the son -- everybody deals with tragedy differently and it's not worth your energy to worry about him. Use the energy to take care of your mom instead.

Happy Birthday!

How to dissolve a tap embedded in aluminum: http://www.forkrobotics.com/2013/04/dissolve-a-tap-broken-in-makerslide/

Happy Birthday!

Finally got through to customer service -- only took two days -- and they are going to send new ones. So all good.

Perfect. That's just what I was looking for and I couldn't remember the name. Thanks.

We just got some new chairs, and they seem to have wrapped the arms in foam for shipping prior to the finish being, well, finished, so there is no finish on them. Shipping back seems like more work than refinishing them myself, but I am not happy. And they don't seem to be answering their phone.

Where are people buying large heatsinks these days? Other than heatsinkusa.com which does not have what I am looking for.

Are you sure it isn't a software/driver issue? Did you try loading a live Linux distro to see what happens?

Fuck them, too.

Glad to hear he's OK. Are you shitting me? Fuck them.

Yes. Bottom paragraph: http://www.triedandtruewoodfinish.com/environ.html

I use the original wood finish. It has worked well on everything from maple to walnut to teak to cherry. It leaves the wood feeling like wood, not like it has a layer of plastic on it. And if it ever starts to wear, you can just put another layer on. I'll add that over 7 or 8 years, I've managed to use about 1 quart, about half of which was spilled. Consistency is like honey. Use an old cut up t-shirt and put a very thin layer on. Wait an hour, and rub it off. Repeat 24 hours later. For a kitchen surface, 2 or 3 layers is sufficient. If you want to build up a sheen, 6 or 7 is nicer. Then burnish with a very soft cloth or very fine steel wool.

This is my favorite finish for wood. http://www.triedandtruewoodfinish.com/ It is an oil that cures to a hard finish. You just sand and wipe it on once a day for a few days. I use it on my amps, but I also use it on butcher blocks, etc. It is totally safe and even smells kind of good.

Get a USB3 drive with Windows to Go and use a computer at your local library/hackerspace/friend's house/university/coffee shop.