AMA midwestyankee

[midwestyankee]

Seela, I mentioned the study of foreign languages because that is one way that people become interested in other cultures and their literature. Americans tend to do most of their traveling domestically, and a very small percentage of adults here read books. I think that your comment on the thin supply of books in translation here make sense. Demand is low so sellers keep low inventory. And with fewer brick-and-mortar bookstores available, people will be less likely to stumble on a good book in translation into the future.

 

[cookiecat]

Are you religious?

Do you believe in reincarnation?

 

[midwestyankee]

Are you religious?

Do you believe in reincarnation?

No and no. I grew up in a Catholic household, attended CCD for 12 years, and then left to join a Methodist church as an adult. I took a course once where we read the Bible in detail from start to finish. I am pretty well acquainted with Christian beliefs and practices but I no longer follow any of them.

It seems to me that reincarnation requires that we have some sort of spiritual core identity that lives on after the body dies. I can’t buy that idea in any way.

Being spiritual and honoring the wonder of nature does not require the existence of an organized religion. Acting in good faith and kindness with one another do not require an organized religion. I feel that I do honor the spirit of nature and act in kindness despite not having set foot in a church for decades.

 

[cookiecat]

Do you have a secret no one else knows about?

 

[midwestyankee]

Do you have a secret no one else knows about?

I've been pondering this one.

On one level, I think that we all have secrets that we don't share but they're mostly inconsequential. I suppose I have a few somewhat consequential secrets but I can't think of anything consequential that only I know. Of all the things I have done that I keep to myself, someone else knows about each thing. Several different people share different secrets and I think that's probably true for most of us.

There's a difference, though, between a private act and a secret. By keeping parts of my life private, am I really keeping a secret? It's easy to read "secret" as something illicit or that others might judge to be wrong or immoral in some way. On that level I don't think I have any secrets. Still, I keep a certain amount of my life private and I don't feel bad about that at all.

 

[midwestyankee]

I was going to say your crush on me, but that’s not a secret.

Kidding.
I know it’s my pizza you crush upon.

Jellied cranberry sauce or homemade?

For the record, I have never found indigestion sexy.

Isn't there a third cranberry option? My grocery store carries canned prepared whole berry sauce. The jellied sauce has some uses as an ingredient but I prefer whole berry sauce at the table. Canned or homemade is a distinction without a difference.

 

[midwestyankee]

I like slicing the canned stuff. It feels good.

Of course you do. Because jellied cranberry is the fruit analog of pizza that you can fold like cooked lasagna.

 

[midwestyankee]

All about texture, my friend.

I've heard that, but in a much more intimate setting.

 

[seela]

Do you have a song, smell, food etc. that always brings back a memory of a very specific, but utterly mundane moment?

If yes, what's the trigger and what's the moment?

I'm going to ask everybody this question, because among my friends I'm the only weirdo to have lots of mundane connections like that and everybody else only seems have these triggers for meaningful things. I refuse to believe I'm the only one.

 

[midwestyankee]

Do you have a song, smell, food etc. that always brings back a memory of a very specific, but utterly mundane moment?

If yes, what's the trigger and what's the moment?

I'm going to ask everybody this question, because among my friends I'm the only weirdo to have lots of mundane connections like that and everybody else only seems have these triggers for meaningful things. I refuse to believe I'm the only one.

I used to have a doozy of this. When we used to buy frozen concentrated orange juice, nearly every time that I made up the orange juice I remembered a certain conversation I had with a friend in college. Which wasn't exactly last year. It was a completely mundane conversation and I don't know why stirring orange juice would bring it back.

 

[midwestyankee]

What are some charities you donate time or money to? You don’t have to name the exact charity, but a type.

I did your Pizza to the Polls. I wish they showed us where our pizza went.

On a household basis, I suppose we put about 80% of our giving toward church or church-centered charitable activities. The rest is split between clothing donations to a veterans group, cash to arts groups, and far too many cookies, wreaths, and holiday trinkets sold by scouting groups to raise money for their programs.

I used to have a personal policy that I would drop all of the singles in my wallet into the Salvation Army bucket every time I passed one. When I learned about the SA's policies regarding the LGBTQ community I stopped that.

I wish I knew that, too. With my luck, my pizzas fed a group of voters in the reddest county in Alabama and ut wasvfaux New York style.

 

[midwestyankee]

Broadway show tunes, yay or nay, and which ones?

Show tunes, yes; musical comedies, no.

For all the disdain I have for most musical comedies, I really do enjoy many of the individual songs. Among the older, let's call them classic musicals, I have numerous nostalgic favorites. A few: "Get Me to the Church on Time," "The Hills are Alive (with the sound of music)," "Over the Rainbow, " and "I'm Going to Wash that Man Right Out of My Hair."

Among more recent shows, I'm partial to nearly every song from Les Miserables and "Music of the Night" from Phantom. Presently, I think my favorite is "One Day More."

 

[ultramarineblue]

What super power do you wish you could have?

 

[wicked woman]

Christmas tree...real or fake?

When do you decorate for Christmas?

 

[seela]

Any thoughts on Bryson DeChambeau?

 

[midwestyankee]

What super power do you wish you could have?

13-year-old me wanted X-Ray vision (yes, for the boobies). These days I would settle for night vision if only for driving after dark.

 

[midwestyankee]

Christmas tree...real or fake?

When do you decorate for Christmas?

Real. Always real, and often we cut our own at a tree farm.

I don't decorate. That happens above my pay grade but I'm content to observe while I sip Scotch.

 

[midwestyankee]

Any thoughts on Bryson DeChambeau?

Yes. I believe that he screwed up his body for an illusory advantage. Also, he's arrogant beyond his means. I'm enjoying watching him struggle this weekend.

 

[seela]

13-year-old me wanted X-Ray vision (yes, for the boobies). These days I would settle for night vision if only for driving after dark.

Wouldn't x-ray vision go through the boobies, too, though?

What's the coldest temp you've experienced, roughly? What's the hottest? What's your favorite weather?

 

[midwestyankee]

Wouldn't x-ray vision go through the boobies, too, though?

What's the coldest temp you've experienced, roughly? What's the hottest? What's your favorite weather?

If I recall correctly, Superman could control the depth of field, so to speak, of his X-Ray vision and I would want that same capability.

I have been outdoors at about -30F on a windy day so the wind-chill equivalent was roughly -80F. As a college student I worked in a paper mill. The temperature beneath the heated paper pulp running through the forming machine, a space in which I had to work for short periods every few days, was roughly 125F. The hottest temperature I can recall experiencing for an extended time was about 115F in the Sacramento, CA area one summer when I was there for business.

 

[seela]

If I recall correctly, Superman could control the depth of field, so to speak, of his X-Ray vision and I would want that same capability.

I have been outdoors at about -30F on a windy day so the wind-chill equivalent was roughly -80F. As a college student I worked in a paper mill. The temperature beneath the heated paper pulp running through the forming machine, a space in which I had to work for short periods every few days, was roughly 125F. The hottest temperature I can recall experiencing for an extended time was about 115F in the Sacramento, CA area one summer when I was there for business.

Well that makes sense, the being able to control the depth of your x-ray vision thing, I mean.

Still working on the math on those temps. But they all sound awful, even without knowing what it is exactly in rest-of-the-world temperatures.

 

[wicked woman]

I don't decorate. That happens above my pay grade but I'm content to observe while I sip Scotch.

Okay, family 'you' then.


I had to give up on a real tree decades ago. That year, I put up our real tree, as I always did, and decorated it. Looked lovely. When I woke up the next morning, I discovered it had fallen over on my Turkish rug! When I called my Dad to help make it stay vertical his solution was eye screws in the wall with a wire. Figured I needed a tree that I could put up myself that wouldn't fall over. Gone were the large tree holders that you could put bricks in. I get the best of both worlds now though since my son still gets a real tree. My lighted fake trees are so easy, I can have more than one tree.

 

[midwestyankee]

Okay, family 'you' then.


I had to give up on a real tree decades ago. That year, I put up our real tree, as I always did, and decorated it. Looked lovely. When I woke up the next morning, I discovered it had fallen over on my Turkish rug! When I called my Dad to help make it stay vertical his solution was eye screws in the wall with a wire. Figured I needed a tree that I could put up myself that wouldn't fall over. Gone were the large tree holders that you could put bricks in. I get the best of both worlds now though since my son still gets a real tree. My lighted fake trees are so easy, I can have more than one tree.

I forgot to answer your timing question. Retirement makes it easier, both to start sooner and to stretch the work out over many days. Typically we will have a few painted Santas or other winter-themed items on display by Thanksgiving. Since we won't be hosting any guests this year I don't know when the decorating will begin. Might even be earlier than usual, with the excuse that we need the uplift for our spirits. I might even agree, though begrudgingly.

 

[midwestyankee]

Well that makes sense, the being able to control the depth of your x-ray vision thing, I mean.

Still working on the math on those temps. But they all sound awful, even without knowing what it is exactly in rest-of-the-world temperatures.

80 below 0F is -62C. 115F is 46C.

 

[ultramarineblue]

13-year-old me wanted X-Ray vision (yes, for the boobies). These days I would settle for night vision if only for driving after dark.

Of course you would want x-ray vision. I feel you on the night vision. I just wish other's lights didn't appear so bright.