Important: Senate Dems say the Judiciary Committee will "take a hard look" at John Durham's "abuses" as revealed by the NYT. Dems should take this on. It'll counter House GOP BS by showing what a real investigation into "weaponizing government" looks like:https://t.co/NVcFeSbICW
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) January 30, 2023
… The New York Times disclosed extraordinary new revelations this past week about prosecutor John Durham’s years-long quest to delegitimize the FBI investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. In 2019, this obsession of President Donald Trump was initiated by his attorney general, William P. Barr, but as the Times found, Durham’s effort was itself profoundly tainted.
Now, because Democrats have 51 Senate seats after gaining one in the midterm elections, they have subpoena power on Senate committees that were previously divided. That means the Judiciary Committee is in a position to investigate the Barr-Durham escapades.
Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), the Judiciary Committee chair, is signaling such an intent. In an emailed statement, Durbin said that reports of Durham’s “abuses” are “outrageous,” and “one of many instances” in which Trump and Barr “weaponized the Justice Department.”…
“weakening the country’s institutions and safeguards for political benefit is how Mr. Barr did business in the nearly two years he served as the nation’s top law enforcement official under Mr. Trump.”
— Steven Beschloss (@StevenBeschloss) January 30, 2023
Member of the NYTimes Editorial Board wants us to know that the Grey Lady is so over that Barr fellow:
… [I]n his 2022 memoir, Mr. Barr did an about-face, bashing Mr. Trump for lacking a presidential temperament and singling out his “self-indulgence and lack of self-control.”
In the book, he urged Republicans not to renominate Mr. Trump in 2024, accusing the former president of going “off the rails” with his stolen-election claims by preferring the counsel of “sycophants” and “whack jobs” to that of his real advisers. Clearly concerned that history was paying attention, he was even stronger in his videotaped testimony to the Jan. 6 committee, loosing a variety of barnyard epithets and bitter insults to describe Mr. Trump’s legal strategy. He said the president had become “detached from reality” and was doing a disservice to the nation.
The hollow and self-serving nature of this turnabout was always apparent. Mr. Barr never made these concerns public at a time when his dissent would have made a difference. Instead, he left office in 2020 showering compliments on his boss, praising Mr. Trump’s “unprecedented achievements” and promising that Justice would continue to pursue claims of voter fraud that he must have known were baseless.
But if Mr. Barr harbored any fantasy that he might yet be credited with a wisp of personal integrity for standing up for democracy, that hope was thoroughly demolished on Thursday when The Times published the details of what really happened when Mr. Barr launched a counter-investigation into the origins of Robert Mueller’s report on the 2016 Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. The reporting demonstrated a staggering abuse of the special counsel system and the attorney general’s office, all in a failed attempt by Mr. Barr to rewrite the sour truths of Mr. Trump’s history…
The Durham investigation, of course, has never presented any evidence that the F.B.I. or intelligence agencies committed any misconduct in the course of the Russia investigation, bitterly disappointing Mr. Barr and especially his patron, Mr. Trump, who had assured his supporters for months that it would produce something big. Desperate for some kind of success, Mr. Durham indicted Michael Sussmann, a lawyer who had worked for Democrats in their dealings with the F.B.I., over the objections of two prosecutors on the special counsel team who said the case was far too thin and who later left the staff.
Mr. Sussmann was acquitted last May of lying to the bureau, and the jury forewoman told reporters that bringing the case had been unwise. Mr. Barr later tried to justify the trial by saying it served another purpose in exposing the Clinton campaign’s starting the Russia narrative as a “dirty trick.” The trial did nothing of the kind, but it did expose Mr. Barr’s willingness to abuse the gratuitous prosecution of an individual to score political points against one of Mr. Trump’s most prominent enemies…
But weakening the country’s institutions and safeguards for political benefit is how Mr. Barr did business in the nearly two years he served as the nation’s top law enforcement official under Mr. Trump. He has a long history of making the Justice Department an instrument of his ideology and politics; when he was attorney general in 1992 during the Bush administration, the Times columnist William Safire accused him of leading a “Criminal Cover-up Division” in refusing to appoint an independent counsel to investigate whether the Bush administration had knowingly provided aid to Saddam Hussein that was used to finance the military before Iraq invaded Kuwait. Under Mr. Trump, Mr. Barr did the opposite, demanding that an unnecessary special counsel do the bidding of the White House and trying to steer the investigation to Mr. Trump’s advantage. His efforts came to naught, and so will his campaign to be remembered as a defender of the Constitution.
Unless and until attorneys such as Barr and Durham face accountability, the threat of professional disgrace and the loss of their law license, other lawyers will be tempted to engage in such shenanigans. https://t.co/YBKzMok7Za
— Jennifer "Pro-privacy" Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) January 30, 2023
… Three responses are warranted, although sadly none is likely to hold Barr accountable.
First and foremost, Attorney General Merrick Garland should have the spine to remove Durham for gross misconduct. Moreover, any report issued should remove the names of those exonerated in court or who were never charged. They are victims of a political smear, which Garland should not enable by allowing baseless allegations to circulate publicly. Don’t hold your breath, however. Garland has shown little willingness to revisit the department’s conduct in the prior administration. (As an alternative, the inspector general could investigate Barr and Durham.)…
Second, Barr and Durham should face disciplinary action just as coup architect John Eastman (coincidentally on Thursday) was charged with 11 counts by the California state bar for “violating a variety of attorney ethics rules in multiple episodes, court cases and other conduct,” as CNN put it. Unless and until attorneys such as Barr and Durham face accountability, the threat of professional disgrace and the loss of their law license, other lawyers will be tempted to engage in such shenanigans…
Finally, Congress should be investigating Barr and Durham’s gross misconduct. You can be sure, however, that MAGA Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee and the “weaponization of government” select subcommittee won’t be interested.
Two options remain, however. Senate Democrats can take up the matter, hold public hearings and demand answers from Garland as to why he has not cleaned house already. In addition, Democrats on the weaponization subcommittee should press at every hearing to investigate this matter and, when Republican witnesses are called, demand they respond to the facts regarding Barr and Durham. At the very least, they can take turns reading the Times’s report aloud at public hearings.
In sum, just as Garland seeks to hold accountable political leaders who threatened our democracy, he must hold his own department lawyers’ responsible for misconduct. If not, an inspector general, state bars and congressional Democrats should do the job.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Oy. More Garland Derangement Syndrome
Wouldn’t Garland have to request an IG inspection? and if the IG (who I believe is the same one as under/during Barr) were investigating, would we know?
dmsilev
So, today’s bit of WTF. At work, we’re getting a Large Expensive Thing ™ installed tomorrow, and in preparation, I spent a while today reading through the manual. And found this bit of advice:
Uh, yeah, thanks. I was unaware.
WaterGirl
Consequences. Consequences or they will keep doing this shit.
piratedan
Just like most of us, I think many of us would really like to see some accountability for those that held power and the ability the shield others while they abused not only their authority but aid and abet their ongoing criminality.
JAFD
This being an open thread. I’m going to beg your indulgence and introduce a new subject …
Today, a microwave oven was installed, which finished the renovations of my apartment. Yay!
Now, never having had a microwave oven as part of a complete kitchen before, I know they are good for:
hi-tech teakettle
corn on the cob (waiting expectantly for season)
baked potatoes (but weather when I feel like having a baked potato is weather when I want oven on to warmup the joint.)
heating up leftovers and frozen dishes
So, anything you can thinkup that I’ve missed, or other things that microwave con do better than conventional cookery, or that conventional methods can’t do ???
Recommended cookbooks or websites ?
Thanks, very much !
WaterGirl
@dmsilev: I have a vivid memory of getting my first camera when I was still living at home. 8th grade? High school? I don’t recall for sure.
But I was reading the instruction manual while we were all sitting at the dinner table, and I was laughing because the manual said not to put your finger over the lens while taking a picture.
That did not go over well with my mother, who decided that I was mocking the gift she had given me.
dmsilev
@JAFD: If you bake, it’s great for controlled melting of butter and chocolate and so forth.
Popcorn.
Reheating and defrosting.
That’s the bulk of what I use mine for.
WaterGirl
@JAFD: Um, I have one… do not put metal in your microwave!
Leto
@WaterGirl: The “Jack: Special Council Podcast” podcast covered this exact topic in really good detail. I’m sure you’ve already listened to it, but I have to say it was really good.
Timill
@JAFD: They can be used to store food so that cats can’t steal it…
Ken
@dmsilev: When I see something like that, I assume someone successfully sued the company after actually doing whatever stupid thing the warning is about.
It’s marginally less depressing than thinking that companies find it (on net) profitable to pay lawyers to think up stupid things people might do.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
just for those people asking WHY HASN”T GARLAND HAD HIM THROWN IN LEAVENWORTH YET?, though admittedly and thankfully that number is limited here, here’s some news:
Here’s a key nugget from the Politico story
Perry’s phone was seized in August. It took until the end of December for Howell to review teh material to determine what prosecutors could see. Another month for the appeal, and Kyle Cheney said on the Hayes program that the appellate panel has given itself until the end of February to issue their ruling.
An actual criminal prosecution, as opposed to a reported story or a Congressional hearing in which one side has effectively stood down (cause they’re dumb), takes a while, and runs into a whole lot of procedural bumps in the road.
and I’m looking for the exact role, which Cheney mentioned on MSNBC but is not in the linked article, played a House leadership group, which includes Hakeem Jeffries and voted unanimously to support Perry’s appeal, in the name of the rights and privileges and prerogatives of the Legislative branch, in opposition to Executive, to be decided by the Judiciary.
dmsilev
@WaterGirl: Usually warnings like that are because in a previous version of the product, someone did Obviously Stupid Thing and complained that no-one warned them. I just wasn’t expecting to find something like that in the instructions for a sophisticated piece of lab equipment. I guess in a previous version, someone licked the busbars…
Gin & Tonic
The other day my dear wife and I stopped in at one of those deep-discount miscellaneous-stuff stores. You know, last season’s merchandise, stuff that wasn’t moving in regular retail, odd lots, weird shit. I found “espresso”-flavored M&M’s, something I’d never encountered before and didn’t know existed. They are *good.*
That is all.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Gin & Tonic: They made almond M&Ms for a while a couple years back. I guess the dozens of us who liked them weren’t enough to keep them on the shelves.
WaterGirl
@Leto: I think I wrote about that in a post yesterday.
I was THRILLED when Andrew McCabe used the word “ginned up” multiple times, along with the word “corrupt”. He was pissed. And I’ll bet he still is.
After all the shit they dragged him through for bullshit made up out of thin air, I’m betting he’s ready for there to be consequences for this blatant abuse of power.
WaterGirl
@dmsilev: Yep!
Alison Rose
I’m reading Prince Harry’s memoir and it’s pretty engaging thus far, but I’m struggling with how I’m gonna shelve it after. I arrange my books alphabetically by author’s last name…but Harry doesn’t technically have a last name. Now that he’s stepped away from royal duties, he could start using Mountbatten-Windsor like his kids, but he doesn’t appear to have done that. Apparently William’s kids use “Cambridge” as a last name at school, so I guess he could use “Sussex”, but he probably won’t. So I guess I have to put it under H. My nonfiction bookcases are directly across from my sofa, which means I’ll constantly be staring at the noticeable spine and feeling like it’s in the wrong place. I’ll find a way to cope.
satby
@JAFD: If it has a “reheat” setting, that’s great for evenly reheating food without overcooking it. A “beverage” setting is the same but for liquids (on mine multiple presses of the buttons goes from 1/2 cup to 2 cups, so read the manual). The different buttons usually use variations on the full cooking power, and can really fine-tune how you use your microwave. Defrost setting is a lower power that will defrost meat without cooking it, again you’ll need your manual to determine how to use it (multiple button presses on mine increase the lbs and hence time of your item to defrost). It can be a great tool, but each model is very different so get familiar with the controls through your manual. And if you like pasta at all, get one of these things, easiest way to cook pasta ever.
Gin & Tonic
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Really?
Timill
@Alison Rose: File under ‘W’ for Wales? I believe he went by “Captain Wales” on active duty in Afghanistan.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
This was Judiciary Dems’ first tweet on the subject, four days after the story broke. They had at least a half a dozen up about the Ticketmaster hearings, featuring United States Senators making puns based on what I gather are Taylor Swift lyrics.
@Gin & Tonic: I haven’t seen them on the shelves in years
Alison Rose
@Timill: Yeah, I saw that too. But then that would feel weird since his brother is now Prince of Wales. Plus without the name on the spine, that would also bug me, LOL.
satby
@Alison Rose: The family name of the former Queen and her offspring has been Mountbatten-Windsor since she struck a deal with her husband early in their marriage in 1960. All the other names cited are titles of course, and he no longer is entitled to Wales as his father is now King, not the Prince of Wales.
Chacal Charles Calthrop
@JAFD: if you buy or bake good bread, a few drops of water on a stale slice for twenty seconds makes it taste more like fresh bread. Microwaves work by making water molecules jump around, and bread goes stale by drying out.
Tom Levenson
@Alison Rose: von Battenberg is probably a little bit much, even for the Hanoverian tendency among us.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: ah, it is in the Politico piece, I scrolled past it
WaterGirl
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Do you live in a smallish city?
I can get things in Chicago when I go visit my family that I cannot find in the stores here.
Also, we have 3 different stores (chain is called Schnucks) in town, and they are all classified as different kinds of stores. So you can get items at different stores.
Ohio Mom
@JAFD: When the microwave is full of splatters, just put a bowl of water inside for I dunno, 30 seconds? Test to see if the steam has softened the splatters enough that they will wipe right off. If not, add some more seconds and test again. You won’t even need soap, the splatters will slide right off into your paper towel or rag.
That is also the cooking method I use when I am not sure of what time I should type in — pick a short time period, test, put backbif necessary, etc. Because some things can’t take overcooking (butter you are trying to soften for example).
Have fun!
WaterGirl
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Ugh.
satby
@Gin & Tonic: @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Here ya go
Ohio Mom
@Ken: When Ohio Son was in public school, I could sometimes tell a teacher’s past experiences by the classroom rules given out on the first day. Every “don’t” was obviously something some kid had done before.
Except for the junior high science teacher. He had two all purpose rules, Don’t bother anyone else and Do what I say the first time. I admired his simple elegance.
satby
@Gin & Tonic: I see you also have Google-fu 👍
LNNVA
@Timill: Thank you! Everyone who has a cat should have a microwave.
Manyakitty
@WaterGirl: for real.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@WaterGirl: I do, but I travel a lot. And I try to avoid looking too closely at the candy racks. When I do it means my self-discipline is at a low ebb.
Manyakitty
@JAFD: easy popcorn, whether prepackaged or using a purpose-built container
WaterGirl
@Timill: That’s what the dish cabinets are for! I call it “protective custody.”
Ohio Mom
@Alison Rose: Harry must have a visa or a green card or some such official document, I don’t suppose he is an “illegal.” And he is earning money, doesn’t he have to pay taxes as a resident here?
There has to be a last name on those pieces of paper, but what it is, I don’t know if we can find out.
Manyakitty
@WaterGirl: are you the one who recommended “Jack”? OMG so good–I wish the episodes were twice as long! Thank you!
WaterGirl
@Manyakitty: Yes, I talk about Jack a lot, and I have front paged it more than once, so it definitely could have been me. They definitely end too soon!
Alison Rose
@satby: The MW name was for non-titled descendants. Since he’s still technically Prince Harry, it wouldn’t automatically apply to him. He could use it if he wanted, but I don’t think he ever has.
Alison Rose
@Ohio Mom: Well, on his son’s birth certificate it just lists him as “His Royal Highness Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex”. I’d imagine most things have allowed loopholes for him on the last name thing.
dmsilev
@Ohio Mom: Probably a green card; he’s married to a U.S. citizen.
Do those documents require both a first and last name? Or is it just the norm?
Mai Naem mobile
@JAFD: the Steamers bags of veggies you get in the frozen section that you cook in the bag in the microwave are good. Also plain rice(if you don’t have a rice cooker) or veggies in those cheapo plastic steamer containers. Also you can make a quickie heating pad/compress if you stick a wet dishcloth/papertowels in a zip lock bag for a few seconds. Just be careful on the time so you don’t get it too hot.
satby
https://www.royal.uk/royal-family-name
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@JAFD: I don’t actually recommend these, since microwaves are, I believe, very different machines than they were twenty-five, much less forty-five years ago, but this was always one of Letterman’s favorites
and for some reason, looking for that pulled this out of the cobwebbiest parts of my brain (and that’s saying something)
Yup, that’s Richard Deacon as in Mel Cooley, as in “Shut up, Mel!”
DMcK
@JAFD: Bacon! Comes out just-right crispy with a lot less mess & grease. I think you can get a little bacon rack for this purpose.
Alison Rose
@satby: Right, so he can use it if he wanted to…but as far as I’ve seen, he hasn’t. It’s certainly not on the book.
Leslie
@satby: Linky no good, sez my browser.
Mai Naem mobile
I can’t believe the incredible amount of resources the DOJ and really this country has used on having to go after TFG and all his scandals and his cronies’ scandals. All because a small bunch of WATBs couldn’t be convinced to vote for a woman. It’s such an awful self inflicted wound.
Manyakitty
@JAFD: also, the last-minute world of mug cakes. Mmmmm
Martin
Can’t say I’m surprised that DeSantis is coming for New College, but I am surprised at how thoroughly he’s trashing the place.
There’s all kinds of really interesting universities around the United States. They’re universally small, but for policy folks like I was, they’re great places to go for policy ideas and inspiration. New College was one of those, and IMO the best thing happening in Florida. It’s one of those places that once you learn about it, you don’t want to tell anyone about it because it seems like something the powers that be will need to bring to heel.
I know I probably overindex on the economic consequences to states through their policy choices, and there’s no real damage to Florida due to a tiny college like New College, but it does serve as good evidence for why everyone should give up on Florida. DeSantis could have ignored a college with about as many students as your average middle school, but importing Chris Rufo to be a trustee shows a particular degree of malice against anything in the state he might disagree with.
Conservatism used to at least pay lip service to the concept that it takes WAY longer to build something than to tear it down, so resist the urge to tear down. Nothing is more radical than the current GOP. If I were a Florida academic, I’d take the first out of state offer I got.
Bostondreams
@Martin: He’s also defunding ALL universities with DEI and ‘CRT’ programs at state universities, no matter their funding source.
Ohio Mom
@Alison Rose: Maybe Harry is modeling himself after one-named pop stars, you know, like Madonna or Sting.
I think satby has found the answer, he must sign his checks Harry Mountbatten-Windsor. Even that would be hard to fit in the signature line though.
Manyakitty
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: these both look FASCINATING.
Speaking of unexpected cookbook authors, have you ever seen the Vincent Price Cookbook? It’s legit.
satby
@Leslie: sorry I used the share feature and I guess it wasn’t feeling like sharing. Here’s the naked link:
https://www.amazon.com/Microwave-Pasta-Original-Fasta-Servings/dp/B01H0SSBWI/ref=asc_df_B01H0SSBWI/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167126565975&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10657693627565394113&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9016276&hvtargid=pla-308640976690&psc=1®ion_id=972485
satby
@Alison Rose: His title only applies in the countries where his family is royal, which is not here. Here, he needs a last name for official documents, and the link from the royal.uk clearly states that’s the name they use. And presumably why his kids’ last name is that. If you insist on making it harder on yourself by not believing the royal’s own site on the subject, have at it. I’m out.
NotMax
JAFD/
If it’s 900 watts or more, good for scads of things.
As for that corn on the cob, comes out super when cooked in the husk. Lots of vids online showing how to grab one end with a potholder or towel when it’s done and squeeze the ear out, silk-free.
Reheating pizza? Loosely cover the slice(s) with a lightly dampened paper towel.
10 or 12 seconds or so will warm those breakfast (or dessert) muffins.
Nifty for defrosting items.
Just remember – no metal. Those Chinese food containers? Remove the metal handles before reheating.
To avoid spatters on the interior walls and ceiling, loosely covering stuff with plastic wrap or waxed papaer, a plate (paper or regular dishware) and/or one of those collapsible silicone covers will help facilitate clean up.
If yours is equipped with a power setting, experimenting with 90%, 80% and so on can come in handy and is a shallow learning curve.
satby
ok, just ordered 6 different bags of M&M flavors…..
mvr
@JAFD:
Uses for microwave: Reheat coffee. Make broth with a bullion cube which you can then use to make instant pot risotto. Heat beanbags for bedwarmers (in the spirit of the advice about flatware and wall plugs, don’t eat the beanbags after heating). Warm glue when the basement it too cold (same advice). Defrost stuff.
kalakal
@JAFD:
If in need they make a better light than a conventional oven.
Our house was a repo and was a bit of a wreck* decor wise when we moved in. Amongst other depredations the previous occupants had taken all the light fittings. The first night the only sources of light in the kitchen were
a) opening the fridge
b) opening the microwave
The conventional oven performed poorly in this regard
Microwaves are great for reheating coffee but if you use one to make tea you are an abomination and should be shunned
* It’s why Mrs kalakal and I could afford it, sweat equity
NotMax
@dmsilev
You betchum.
;)
Leslie
@satby: Thanks! I have, somehow, never heard of this device. Looks very handy.
Alison Rose
@satby: I’m not trying to fight with you or anything. This is a very minor thing I brought up only because I’m a dork. We don’t need to turn this into anything more than it is. I’m simply saying that name isn’t on the book, so for me personally, in my own library, it would feel odd to shelve a book under a name it doesn’t bear. I wasn’t viewing this as an argument or anything.
Geoduck
@kalakal: Oh, so you bought this house, huh?
satby
@Leslie: I love it. Especially for ravioli and tortellini, cooks them gently without having any break.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I’ve gleaned over the years that Jennifer Rubin used to be a lawyer, along with once being a neocon and an almost comically fervent Romney supporter, but I wondered if she ever practiced law in/with the government and might know something about the DoJ IG process. Maybe not
Jen’s been on a journey
mrmoshpotato
Oh cry me a river, and go fuck yourself, William Pelham Barr!
Kelly
@JAFD: Most mornings I microwave a bowl of oatmeal with raisins, powdered ginger and milk. Sometimes apple chunks instead of raisins.
prostratedragon
@dmsilev: Whenever I see such warnings I’m reminded that they’re probably there because someone really had needed them.
kalakal
@Alison Rose: It’s a confusing problem with history is that members of the nobility were referred to by different names throughout their lives as their titles changed and the titles weren’t their family names. Generally they’re referred to by the most senior title.
The Royals changed their name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor at the beginning of WW1.
You also got people who got carried away with hyphenation.
Admiral Reginald Aylmer Ranfurley Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax started out as
Plunkett but inherited from his mother an obsession with adding ancestors names. He was engaged in correspondence during the battle of Jutland to obtain a royal licence to add the Ernle-ErlrErnle-Erle while he really should have been concentrating on commanding a battlecruiser
prostratedragon
@JAFD: Superquick plate/mug warmer.
Anne Laurie
Harry’s book was ghostwritten by J.R. Moehringer, who is an award-winning writer under his own name (and the source for Ben Affleck’s movie The Tender Bar).
If you don’t want to credit the ‘real’ author (I prefer to shelf bios by their subject, myself), I’ve always seen Harry & Megan credited as ‘the Windsors’ in magazines, et al.
mrmoshpotato
@JAFD:
Making a ball of aluminum foil spark like mad.
(Do NOT actually put aluminium foil, or any metal for that matter, into the microwave.)
Canadian Shield
Regarding the microwave, as already mentioned moisture control is key. Straight-up microwaving pulls moisture out and turns leftovers into cardboard in my experience. A damp paper towel is a great tool, put it around a leftover burrito/wrap and it will steam it and retain the original structure. Heat up soft tortillas or pita on a plate with a crumpled damp paper towel all wrapped in clinch plastic for 1-2 minutes is a great way to have hot and soft wraps. Pizza reheating in a microwave is pretty much fork and knife material. It’s also saved many a baked potato in my house when I didn’t get the timing right with the oven…
Kelly
@JAFD: A ventilated cover for warming a plate in the microwave contains some mess and warms food a little faster. Inexpensive, built for this use, well worth having.
mrmoshpotato
@kalakal:
You mean they took all of the ceiling lights, not just the bulbs?
Redshift
Microwaves, let’s see…
You can heat up hot fudge for single bowl of ice cream. Just put a couple of spoonfuls in a mug or juice glass, heat for six or seven seconds, and pour.
I have a dish for making omelettes in the microwave.
Rice, couscous, vegetables, and of course, bacon.
NotMax
@Satby
Instant Pot also a champ for pasta. Granted, have to break spaghetti stands in half so they fit in alternating horizontal rows but that’s a small price to pay. Can even cook it in the store bought sauce, dilutes with additional water. A million how-tos online. Like to top the pasta, sauce and water with some frozen precooked meatballs before affixing the lid, which heat up to serving temp while the pasta cooks.
Halve the time recommended on the package, rounding up any fractions to the next minute. After releasing pressure it may appear too liquid-y. Stir, and in a few minutes that is absorbed and all is as expected.
Another Scott
@Mai Naem mobile: Yup, I use mine for rice. It has a “rice” button.
Glass 2 quart pot with lid
1/4 cup Basmati rice
1/2 cup water
3 frozen chicken breast “fingers”
salt, pepper, spice to taste.
slight drizzle of EVOO
Cover pot. Put in microwave oven.
Push “Rice” button.
Come back in 20 minutes.
Remove from microwave, let cool 3-5 minutes, plate, eat.
:-)
Cheers,
Scott.
NotMax
@Redshift
Microwave scrambled eggs.
Microwave ‘omelet’ in a mug
NotMax
@Mai Naem mobile
Also too, raw rice in a sewn shut clean woolen sock can be microwaved for use as a topical heating pad. Depending on your model of oven, be careful. It can emerge hot or can be HOT.
opiejeanne
@mrmoshpotato: The seller of our current house took two chandeliers and the sconces by the fireplace, and she was welcome to them. She didn’t mess with the he ones that are “cans” in the ceiling, except to install burned out bulbs in all but one in every room, so there was only one working light in each room. She was a piece of work.
Anyway
Coming late to this thread I agree with all the microwave suggestions But NO Nyet Nein to reheating pizza. Pizza needs to be crispy after reheating and microwave turns it into a soggy mess. Toaster oven or stovetop is better for pizza. And toast!
pluky
@Alison Rose: I believe Harry remains a Windsor, estranged from the House though he be. His kids as non-royal descendants of a monarch get the cadet surname Mountbatten-Windsor.
pluky
@Timill: Daddy is no longer Prince of Wales, so that wouldn’t work. Further more, when made Duke of Sussex, that being the senior title (The Duke of a domain is better than a Prince of House) he would have stopped using Wales.
lowtechcyclist
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Patrick Pexton: ““Have Fred Hiatt, your editorial page editor—who I like, admire, and respect—fire opinion blogger Jennifer Rubin. Not because she’s conservative, but because she’s just plain bad.”
Hard to care about the judgment of someone who likes, admires, and respects Fred Hiatt.
lowtechcyclist
We can only hope. His image should have been permanently in the shitter after it was clear that he basically lied all over the place about the Mueller report. But at the time, the MSM let that pass without notice. So now they’re going “hey whoa, look at this”?? Fuck them with many fucks.
Kay
This is really interesting. It’s a detailed poll on attitudes about women, gender and equality (warning- 75 pages and it’s a pdf). The authors wanted to check their results against some other studies but …..no one bothers to do any:
Men who describe themselves as “Independents” have fewer sexist views than Republican women.
But here’s the real kicker:
False stereotypes of women and abortion- we know they’re false because we have actual information on abortion- so beliefs that are not true but are irrationally negative towards women.
Mimi haha
@Alison Rose: You could choose Dewey or LC for nonfiction. Most books have the cataloging information on the page just after the title page and before the dedications.
Chief Oshkosh
@dmsilev:
“Light fuse and get away!”
“Do not point at face while pulling trigger!”
catclub
MARSHMALLOWS!
catclub
@mrmoshpotato:
You can put in metal that does not have sharp edges. I had a microwave that had a metal rack.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Anyway: Best way to get that crispy crust is to pre-heat a pan in a 400 degree oven and then put the leftover pizza directly on the pan. How long you then leave it in the oven depends on how thick it is. 5-10 minutes is usually good
Soprano2
@Kay: Like the older woman I heard interviewed on NPR right after the Dobbs decision, who said something like “Well now those young women will have to be more careful who they open their legs for” (this was an attitude my mother had, BTW. I always wondered what she thought when she found the paperwork for my sister’s abortion). The anti-abortion people really really really think the vast majority of women who have abortions are young “sluts” who have sex with too many men they aren’t married to and thus deserve what they get. They say they’re sympathetic to women who want abortions, but they’re not because they have no idea who those women actually are. If they wanted to help them, wouldn’t they start by finding out who actually has abortions? Instead, most of their propaganda is targeted at young, single women.
sab
@Alison Rose: I have a Barnes and Noble e-book ( a Nook) and when I down-loaded Harry’s book my Nook filed it alphabetically with the M authors, so I assume Barnes and Noble thinks he is a Mountbatten-Windsor.
WereBear
@dmsilev: I think of them as lowest common denominator warnings.
Chris T.
@dmsilev:
Yes, this is my preferred method of melting chocolate. Watch out, it’s easy to go from “melt” to “burn” (though this is always true of a good chocolate, regardless of how you melt it).
There’s a trick I learned for melting smaller quantities of, e.g., butter, when even using a lower power setting on the microwave results in too many hot spots: stick a Pyrex measuring cup full of water in the microwave along with the thing-to-be-melted. This soaks up a lot of microwave power and evens out the heating.
Bill
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: when people are in jail (ordinary people that is) they have a right to trial within 60 days, at least in my state. Courts and prosecutors can try cases promptly if they want to.
evodevo
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Try WallyWorld…it’s the only place I have seen them…and not on a regular basis.
Mo MacArbie
The best way to reheat pizza is not to; just eat it cold.
kalakal
@mrmoshpotato: yup, they did a number on the place
Ixnay
@JAFD: look up Barbara Kafka. She wrote two innovative cookbooks using nukes. Her book on roasting is invaluable. I often dice and then nuke carrots and celery while the onion is sauteing, then throw them together for soups etc….
J R in WV
@Canadian Shield:
Back when I still worked 5 days a week in town, I would frequently pick up a good pizza from a local place for supper. I found that te microwave was the worst for reheating ‘za, and finally used our biggest cast iron skillet to heat carry-out pizza, crisp on the bottom, hot goodness all through.
I do use the microwave for baked potatoes, 6-8 minutes and then I put them in the countertop oven to crisp the skin on convection-bake at the highest temp for 10 minutes while I tear up a salad. Mostly I use the microwave to heat prepared meals.
billcinsd
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I’m pretty sure almond M&M’s are still available in my area. I really liked Coffee Nut flavored M&M’s, which I have not seen lately.
billcinsd
@Alison Rose: Couldn’t you go with Harry Sussex, then?