The covered stairway the cuts up the hill on the way to Day Hall at Syracuse University.
Here’s Day Hall. Nothing too great to look at. It’s a dorm, after all.
We would leave the QUAD…
The QUAD where we took classes…
…and go up this covered wooden stairs …
Anyways, there is this large wooden covered stairway that we would always go though when we went up and down that hill. It was always snowy during winter and the covered stairway kept the stairs clear from the snow and the often raging Syracuse storms.
I cannot repeat how many time we have drunkenly climbed those stairs during our college days. Or how we would haul our book bags up and don those stairs to study.
Oh, for sure we would sometimes climb the wooded hill on the dirt path that lay besides the wooden stairs, and often a race would occur. Who would reach the top first? The stairs or the dirt path.
Guys, this is a simple story. It is a simple remembrance.
But once I graduated, I never climbed those stairs ever again.
We enter and leave these segments of our lives. And often forget about the little common, and everyday events that we so often took for granted at that time. This story is one such forgotten event; climbing the stairs at the university.
What long forgotten events are buried in your subconscious that you haven’t thought about in years?
Uncover that element and discover the things that made you who you are today.
Peace Out.
Today…
China has defeated “Sanction Witch of the West” Gina Raimondo!
Amazing!
If you had the opportunity to have any car you want for free which one would you get?
I’m not really a car person. Cars, for me, had always been just a tool of transportation. As long as it runs well, get me from point A to point B, easy to park, I’m happy.
But if I could get any car for free…
I would want an Aston Martin DB5.
Yes, the James Bond car.
This car is the pinnacle of white male douchebaggery. This car is a statement that says, “I’m the most privileged class in this society, and I know it. I went to the best school by legacy admission. All my friends have trust funds. I can do drugs all day long and never get busted for procession. I have a string of friends with benefits, and they all thank me for a good time. I wear Hermes or Armani and naturally believe that’s how people dress themselves. My monthly parking space costs more than your mortgage. I have multiple properties all over the world, some I’ve never been to. My yacht has its own supply ship, which I named mini-me. I’m old money rich. I’m polite and kind to all the wait staff and little people, I tip generously and I say thank you and please. But you know, oh you know… you’ll never be on the same level as me. Sure, my life is empty, and I don’t know how to find fulfillment because I have money to buy anything and everything. Whatever I do, whatever success I have, I always wonder, is it because I’m that good, or is it because I’m that rich? But does any of that matter? I have all the money in the world to fill that bottomless hole inside.”
Why China is not scared of USA!
Southwestern Meatloaf
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped
- 3/4 cup sliced celery
- 1/3 cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 dash cayenne pepper
- 3 cups dry bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 2 roasted green chiles, skins and seeds removed, diced, or 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
- Water to mix
- 1/2 cup tomato juice
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Sauté beef, onion, celery, green pepper and garlic in a small amount of butter.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef mixture with salt, cayenne pepper, bread crumbs, eggs, chiles, cheese, olives and enough water to mix. Mix well with your hands. Place into a greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Mix tomato juice and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Pour half this juice over the meat.
- Bake 15 minutes more, then pour remaining half of juice mixture over the loaf.
- Bake for about 45 to 60 additional minutes, until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear.
NATO and Ukraine military desperation
The Twin Vipers
Submitted into Contest #24 in response to: Write a story set in the dark recesses of space where the two main characters are often at odds with each other in humorous and comedic ways.… view prompt
Kaysie Davis
I was whistling to myself as I finished docking my ship at Maia Station. The Black Viper was squeezed between two other ships that made her look small. She might be small, but she had a big bite. Anyone who dared cross us soon learned why we are called the Viper.
My co-pilot and I were at the station to sell some cargo that we had acquired on another job. Mikell was already down on the station, settling up payment with our broker.
I exited my ship, hoping to have time to wet my whistle before we had to head back out. Maybe I would also have time to get a gift for my wife, it has been far too long since I saw her last.
As I walked across the ship bay, I was confronted by a smaller man in a sharp suit. He had an annoyed look on his face and was tapping his foot impatiently.
“It is about time that you are here! We have been waiting for the Viper for hours! You know Yaffa is not a patient man. Now, sign this manifest, and we will get the cargo loaded up.” The man did not wait for my response but turned and barked some orders at some waiting droids.
I smothered a smile, this was perfection. This little man must have been waiting for the Crystal Viper. That ship and her captain had stolen a few jobs from me last month. I could get payback and get paid at the same time.
“So sorry, we are late.” I took the manifest and signed my name, I needed Captain Aurora North to know who stole her stuff. “We will take off as soon as we are loaded.”
I messaged Mikell that we needed to take off ASAP. Her response cannot be repeated in polite company. At least she got further than ten feet from the ship. I would not be able to get my drink.
In short order, we had unloaded one set of cargo and loaded the other cargo. Mikell was back with our money. She glared at me from under her mop of short purple hair as she flopped into her pilots’ chair.
“Five more minutes, Zell, five more minutes, and I would have had our broker wrapped around my finger. I would have doubled our money off this score too. Who did you steal this new cargo from?”
“A man on deck thought we were the Crystal Viper here to pick up some cargo. Now, who am I to correct his error?” I smirked at her “Now, let’s get out of here before the real Crystal Viper gets here.” With that, I fired up our engines and headed off. We really would need to find a place to sell this newly acquired cargo. My wife would need to wait for her gift.
Aurora
I signaled Yaffa as soon as we were in orbit around the station. It had taken us longer then I would have liked to get here. Our attacker had been lurking and trying to follow us, so we had to lose him before we could get to the station.
Yaffa’s confused face was soon on our viewport. “Aurora? Why are you back? Is there something wrong?”
I blinked at him, “Back? What are you talking about? We just got here.”
Yaffa turned and barked at his one aid, “Didn’t you tell me that the Crystal Viper had arrived and picked up my cargo?”
“Yes, yes, master. The Viper and her Captain West. They left just a few minutes ago.”
I let out a loud groan, “You moron. That was the Black Viper and the frustrating Zell West. “
Yaffa let out a string of swears in his native language. “Are you telling me that my cargo was stolen?” He leveled a glare at his aid that promised a lot of pain later. Then he switched that glare to me, “This would never have happened if you were here on time!”
“Don’t blame me for your aids stupidity.” I met his glare with one of my own. Then I turned to Darries, “Can you find any trace of where the Black Viper went?”
He tapped on his console for what felt like forever. Then he grinned and looked up at me, “It’s faint, but I have a lock on what way they went.”
I sat back in my chair, “Let’s go get our cargo.” I swear that Zell goes out of his way to annoy me most of the time. How dare he take my stuff.
Zell
“Will you stopped that never-ending whistling?!” Mikell’s green eyes were aflame, glaring at me. “I will throw you out of the nearest airlock if you don’t!”
I held up my hands in submission. Mikell looked back down at her own console, muttering in her native language. I enjoyed the view of stars passing the viewport when a ship dropped out of hyperspace next to us. Our transmitter buzzed, whoever this is wanted to talk.
Mikell opened a channel, and before I could say anything, a sappy love song came over the line.
Whoever was singing, it was horribly off-key. The singing went on for a painfully long time. My fingers itched to fire some laser at the ship just to stop the noise.
A very nasally voice came over the line when the singing finally stopped. “Aurora, my princess, please return to me.”
Mikell was silently laughing in the seat next to me, I rolled my eyes and toggled the transmitter.
“Hey, lover boy, you have the wrong Viper. This is the Black Viper. You are looking for the Crystal Viper.”
“Please put my princess on the line.” The voice was somehow even more annoying than the singing. “I need to hear the crystal tones of my princess.”
“No princess here. And you better get some singing lessons before you try this again. Now, skedaddle before I really get annoyed.” I powered up my weapons to get my point across.
The other vessel fell back but was still following us. Maybe he thought I was hiding his ‘princess.’ I swore under my breath. Typical Aurora. She probably flirted with this guy while that co-pilot of hers robbed him blind. And this shmuck was so lovesick, he couldn’t even tell that she had anything do with it. We got at least one broken-hearted buffoon thinking we were the Crystal Viper a week. Well, as long as he stayed out of my way, he could follow us like a lovesick puppy, all he wanted.
At least, that’s how I felt. Mikell took offense to our tail and fired some torpedoes in his direction. That seemed to finally deter the moron, and he went back into hyperspace.
Aurora
Darries gave me a devilish grin, “We have the Black Viper on our scanners. It is just a few hyper yards ahead.”
I grinned back, “Let’s go say hello, shall we?”
We popped out of hyperspace right behind the Black Viper and fired a few lasers that grazed its hull. It didn’t take long for our viewport to light up with the picture of Zell. His crystal blue eyes were shining with amusement. “Is that how you say hello?”
“Why should I say, hello? You stole my cargo, and all the people you piss off keep putting dings in my hull!
Zell
Somehow I was not surprised when the Crystal Viper popped up on our radar and fired on us as soon as they dropped out of hyperspace. Aurora was pissed. Her long black hair flowed over her shoulders as she yelled at me. I really should be listening to what she is saying.
“….all the people you piss off keep putting dings in my hull!”
“At least you don’t have lovesick morons singing love songs at you all of the time!” I shot back, “The last one was in serious need of singing lessons!”
Almost as one, our co-pilots looked up at us and nodded. There were no other ships in the area.
“And I wouldn’t have stolen your cargo if I didn’t miss you.”
Aurora.
“You could have just sent a message.” I glared at the man on the viewport, but then I relaxed, “But I missed you too, husband. “
His crystal blue eyes, the ones my ship was named after were shining, “What do you say we deliver your cargo,” He held up his hand, to stop the objection he could see coming “To your buyers. Then go home and take some time off?”
Zell
My wife had finally softened, she brushed that black hair that I loved so much back behind her ear and nodded. We didn’t get to see each other much. Too much of a risk for people to know we were connected. We gave out plenty of hints and loved to drive each other crazy with pranks. Most of the universe, however, thought we were mortal enemies trying to destroy each other. They would never know that just a few years ago, we were married on a no-name planet, under the twin viper constellation.
Rick Dees and his Cast of Idiots – Disco Duck TOTP ( 1976 )
Oh My God!
What more can I say?
What are some common experiences among older people that younger people may not be aware of?
- Many of us grew up as Free-Range Children & Teens. Most did NOT have Helicopter Parents who never let us out of sight. We were out until the street lights came on. If we did have activities outside of school, it might just be sports or Boy/Girl Scouts, etc. Our days mostly consisted of hanging out with friends. (As a side note, most of us had stay at home mothers who actually had an informal Network. If you did something bad and another mother saw it, she would call your mother and tell her. Also, if need be, they would say something directly to you — and of course you knew that your mother would also know within a few minutes.)
- We actually ate meals together and talked. Dinner was a time to catch up with each other’s lives. Most kids had a good breakfast before going to school. Their mothers either packed a lunch, you could go home and even some of us ate at a School Cafeteria. School lunches were warm and good at a very low price.
- Fathers worked a lot of hours and often only had time with their kids during dinner. Many worked in their home offices afterwards or did yard work & home maintenaince. Most fathers in my area were veterans of World War 2 or the Korean Conflict. Most had undiagnosed and untreated PTSD. Lots of drinking going on sadly. Many of the men lived in desperation. Most smoked as well.
- Keeping up with the Jones’s, worrying what the neighbors would think, societal pressures, etc. were quite prominent on many people’s minds.
- Many women could not get a credit card, get their tubes tied, etc. unless she had her husband’s approval. Many jobs and educational opportunities were still closed to women.
- In a divorce situation, men almost never got custody of the children. Alimony was still very common. Some men just walked away and never paid anything — not much could be done to get them to pay. 50% of men lost contact with their children by the 5th year of the divorce.
- Vacations usually consisted of visiting Grandma and other relatives. Family Camping was common as well. Once in a while people would stay at old motels with pools so their kids could swim.
MM’s AI generations of a group at the beach
Pre-Code Hollywood: Classic Clips in Color
Learn something new.
What do older people wish they could tell their younger self?
What I’d tell myself might be different from what I’d tell the average young person. I came from a very dysfunctional family who kind of poisoned my childhood. I would have advised my younger self, once I had a job, to get as far away from them as I could, as early as I could.
But otherwise, I think I’d agree with a lot of the stuff parents tell kids. Concentrate on school. Set your sights higher. Apply yourself! You can achieve more than you think.
Not everyone is your friend. A lot of people are just jerks. The way they treat you is not YOUR fault, but you don’t have to lap it up and ask for more! Don’t let them bully you. Don’t let them block your path. Stick up for yourself! AVOID people who treat you badly!
Also, very important, never work for a jerk. A boss will show you exactly what he’s like in the first three or four days. Believe him! Don’t expect him to change. If you put up with abuse, you can expect more abuse.
But also I would have praised myself for being debt-averse. That’s one thing I think I did right! All my friends were thousands of dollars in debt by age 30. High-interest credit-card debt! I never bought anything unless I actually had the money for it. (Buying our house is an exception, of course.) I didn’t have a credit card until I needed one to travel for my job, and then I always paid it off at the end of the month. I was able to retire early because I had zero debt, even the house was paid off early.
Compilation: The Moon is Weird – No, really. The Moon does not make sense.
What was your strangest experience in an American ghetto?
When my father finished his PhD in the mid-60s, he and my mother took a six-week road trip from Canada to Mexico with some friends and me, their two-year-old daughter. Needless to say, these are not my memories.
Somewhere in the deep south of the US, they decided that they needed to do laundry. They drove around until they found a laundromat in a rather rundown area, and in we went.
Everyone else there was black. Conversations stopped abruptly as three pale Canadians walked in. Everyone stared at my parents, and they stared back. It wasn’t a welcoming vibe. The mid-60s weren’t a great time for race relations, and my father remembers wondering, rather worried, what was going to happen next and if we should leave.
Only two people in the laundromat didn’t give a hoot about skin colour: me and another toddler. We made a beeline for one another and promptly sat down on the floor to play. My parents report that all eyes went to the little white girl playing happily with the little black boy, both completely oblivious to the tension around them.
And the tension was gone. Smiles broke out, everyone’s laundry got done, and there were many amicable conversations as both groups met new friends.
We should all be as open-hearted and colour-blind as toddlers.
A Tale of Opposites
Submitted into Contest #24 in response to: Write a story set in the dark recesses of space where the two main characters are often at odds with each other in humorous and comedic ways.… view prompt
Cassidy Caldwell
Parvus was pleased at this request. He often found himself to take pride in his own matchmaking abilities. “Very well, my good friend. I will do all that I can. You there!” He raised his voice a bit to get the attention of Amasius.
He was successful. “Yes?” Amasius answered, his voice deep and soothing.
“Are you from these regions?”
“Alas, no.” A hint of sorrow grew behind the dazzling eyes of Amasius. “I am from the far regions of the mountains. A large storm blew across my home, and I am here to find the necessary supplies rebuild it.”
At the sound of this, Parvus had an idea. “Might I help you with this endeavor, friend? I am quite tall. You can hand me the supplies, and I can use my height to reach your homeland on the mountaintops.”
Amasius cheered at this. “You are kind, sir! My name is Amasius. What might I call you?”
“Weesnorp,” Parvus answered.
“How wonderful. Thank you so kindly so your help. The supplies should be this way…”
The two followed Amasius to a forest where they could collect wood to build his home. Parvus spoke on behalf of Weesnorp, telling great tales of his friend’s many talents and marvelous abilities. Amasius was very impressed, and began to grow more and more fond of him as they walked. When they arrived, Weesnorp used his great strength to pluck the large trees from the ground, carrying a dozen in his arms all at once to bring to the mountains. They made their way to the spot Amasius wished, and Weesnorp set to constructing the home above the clouds, where he could see. Amasius spoke to him as he built:
“Weesnorp, would you care for some ungula to eat as you work? I have just caught some, and would gladly prepare it for you. It is a small gift of thanks.”
Weesnorp tensed. He could not eat ungula. It caused him great pain. To his disbelief, though, Parvus responded by saying he would gladly eat it.
He spoke to Parvus in his most powerful voice: “Parvus, I cannot eat that. It makes me sick!”
Without knowing that Weesnorp was speaking, Amasius tried speaking to him, asking, “Would you like a large portion of it? I have plenty, but I know ungula has quite the ability to cause illness. I do not wish you any harm!”
Parvus responded to Weesnorp: “It does not make you sick! You are a liar!”
Amasius was taken aback. The voice of Parvus was so loud that he believed Weesnorp was speaking to him. He could not hear the real voice of Weesnorp. “I am terribly sorry to insult you, friend, but I am well practiced in the ways of preparing ungula. My people have eaten it for centuries. I do not think I am mistaken.”
The two could not hear the cries of Amasius, as Weesnorp was so entangled in his own anger. Weesnorp retorted at Parvus: “I am no such thing! I am an honest creature, and I say that my abilities are greatly hindered when I eat ungula! You must believe me!”
Parvus had completely forgotten about Amasius, and turned his attention completely to Weesnorp. “I do not believe a word you say!” he challenged. “Your abilities do not serve much good, with or without ungula!” His voice was rising in volume as he argued further.
At this, Amasius was wholeheartedly offended. “How dare you insult my wisdom! I am a prudentia, a species of great power and knowledge! My people have studied ungula for centuries, and I am mightier than you could ever imagine!”
His cries were no use. He could not break the argument between Weesnorp and Parvus, and the two continued to bicker. “My abilities lack? No, Parvus. It is you who do not serve much good! You could not walk two steps without being crushed by a creature of larger stature! You are nothing without me.”
This was all Parvus needed. His tiny body swelled with anger, filling his lungs with as much breath as he could hold. He yelled with all his strength:
“NO! YOU ARE NOTHING WITHOUT ME!”
As he did this, he sent out a large gust of wind across all of Lenunculus. Entire seas became instant tsunamis. Mountains were torn from the land and thrown into the air. Worst of all, Amasius was lifted from the ground and hurled into the farthest reaches of Lenunculus – farther than any creature had ever dared to travel. The planet was turned upside down in a more disastrous manner than it had ever before seen.
To this day, Weesnorp and Parvus continue their mighty battle, ignoring any creature that tries to interrupt them. Winds blow throughout Lenunculus every now and then when Parvus becomes incredibly angry, but none will ever match the magnitude of that fateful day.
How can seniors spot a romance scammer before it’s too late?
Anyone contacting you directly on social media is likely to be a scammer.
Now there may be people that innocently want to direct message you but when their profile picture is a pulchritudinous young woman and they are trying to contact me – a 67 year old bloke I reckon that’s a sign that something’s not right.
On top of all that the profile picture is undoubtedly taken from somewhere else and you will find yourself communicating with a foreign gentleman (I use the word gentlemen extremely loosely). Who after the second or third contact will sell you a sob story about needing money to travel to meet you.
For women the trick is performed by the same foreign person who now pretends to be working on an oil rig or in the special forces holding the rank of a general who has bizarrely run out of cash and needs you to send them some money so that they can fly to your country to meet you. The profile picture is either a rugged looking oil rig worker or a General with more medals on their chest than my brother Silvest.
I’m old fashioned enough to have met my wife in a social setting face to face and I recommend this way of meeting potential partners rather than using social media or even dating sites. Join a club, take a class and get out and meet real people but don’t trust the oil worker or three star general who are inexplicably strapped for cash.
As for the scammers just ignore their direct messaging requests.
Are you bothered by the fact that now you are older and the things you could do before, you now have to have help?
Not too much because I plan ahead for this kind of thing. I had figured out ways to do a lot of things myself. Between mover pads, rollers, ropes, and pulleys to disassembling things. I can come up with some creative ways of moving heavy things myself. It might take me all day to do something that only took an hour before but, getting it accomplished myself is always rewarding no matter how long it takes.
I had an RV trailer I used to travel in and work at campgrounds I got a free stay for a set of hours worked. . When I landed here, a house in the woods with 14 acres, it got parked and just sat there. I didn’t want to sell it and didn’t want it to rot away. So I converted it into a guest house with its own water and electricity. I thought someday I wouldn’t be able to keep up with everything I was doing. And I could offer somebody for a free place to stay if they would help out.
Fast forward 7 years and that is what happened. It was a friend I knew making it even better. He was having trouble making ends meet and I wasn’t able to keep up anymore. He loves it here and we love having him here. If you think ahead you can come up with ways or an idea, so I don’t have to ask for help. So to answer your question I am not bothered by him helping, we are helping each other. However, to be honest with you, it can be a little annoying we he does something in a few minutes that I know would have taken me all day.
Why didn’t the British counter attack against the Japanese in Singapore, when they had the numerical advantage?
Because this guy
managed to convince this guy
that Singapore was lost.
The British in Singapore were ill-equipped for fighting, with Brewster Buffalos for it’s main fighter, no tanks, and few anti-tank capabilities. Although the Japanese tanks were weak, the few Boys anti tank rifles could not cope with them. The few Hurricanes that could stand toe to toe with the Zeroes were too little and too late. After all, Churchill diverted a huge amount of them to the African Campaign against Rommel.
The Japanese were also at a breaking point, with their own aircraft and tanks lacking much fuel and spare parts to continue long operations. Also the fear of street fighting.
“My attack on Singapore was a bluff – a bluff that worked. I had 30,000 men and was outnumbered more than three to one. I knew if I had to fight long for Singapore I would be beaten. That is why the surrender had to be at once. I was frightened all the time that the British would discover our numerical weakness and lack of supplies and force me into disastrous street fighting.”– excerpt from Lt-Gen Tomoyuki Yamashita’s diary
So Yamashita gave the weak-minded Percival an ultimatum. Surrender, or we will raze Singapore city to the ground with street fighting. Believing that Yamashita held all the cards, and fearful of high civilian casualties, Percival surrendered.
Of course, the Japanese conquered Singapore, and the rest in history…
How harmful is it to eat an egg yolk a day by people in their 60s?
I eat 2 eggs almost every day including yolks and I am in my 60’s. Eggs are incredibly healthy. I have always used butter, I figure margarine is worse. I buy the best bread I can, $11 a loaf, easily worth it. Don’t drink much milk, but I do not avoid it. Have a bit of chocolate. Coffee every day. Soda though I actually prefer the no sugar variety. Some plain water but not too much. Booze nearly every day, a drink of something interesting. I recently discovered egg nog and brandy together. Lots of red meat, because I raise steers and lots of salmon. Lots of fresh vegetables with those.
Guess what? You have achieved your lifespan at 60, anything else is extra. Don’t worry about food.
Why does China consider India as its enemy?
They don’t!!!!
The Chinese frankly don’t care too much about India
It is India which is obsessed with China all the time
The first word that Chinese, Koreans, Taiwanese and even Japanese link with Indians is LAZY
The second word is UNRELIABLE
It’s why they demand upfront payment at the Canton Fair from Indian Importers
We Indians regard China as this country threatening their borders
They look at us as Pesky Squatters sitting on their territory
It’s not that they hate us
They regard us the way we regard Bangladeshis
As obviously way beneath them
Not all Indians of course
Some Indians do earn their respect by delivering achievements but most are not deemed worthy of their respect
Chinese regard only JAPANESE as their true enemies
At a certain level next comes Korea
Then maybe the USA
That’s it
India doesn’t make the list yet
The Moment I Realized Feminism Is A Lie
Stuffed Meatballs
(Albondigas en Salsa de Chipotle)
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- 9 (3/4-inch) cubes queso fresco
- 9 whole pimento-stuffed green olives
- 2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
- 1 cup finely chopped white onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (1 pound) can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup beef stock or broth
- 2 to 4 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped
- Sliced pimento-stuffed olives
Instructions
- Beat eggs with salt in large bowl. Stir in breadcrumbs; let stand for 5 minutes.
- Add beef, pork and cilantro; mix lightly but thoroughly. Divide meat mixture into 18 even portions. Shape 1 portion into flat patty; top with 1 cheese cube. Press meat firmly around cheese to enclose completely and form ball.
- Repeat procedure, stuffing 1/2 of meat portions with cheese and 1/2 with whole olives.
- Heat lard or oil in deep 10 inch skillet over medium heat until hot. Fry 1/2 of meatballs at a time, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes; remove to plate.
- Remove and discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings from skillet. Add onion and garlic; sauté over medium heat until soft, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in tomatoes, stock and chiles; heat to boiling.
- Return meatballs to skillet; reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, until meatballs are cooked through, about 45 minutes.
- Remove meatballs to serving dish with slotted spoon; keep warm.
- Transfer tomato mixture to blender container; process until smooth.
- Return mixture to skillet; heat over high heat to boiling.
- Pour sauce over and around meatballs.
- Serve with sliced olives.
Have you ever been punished for violating an odd law like one against fortune-telling in Oregon?
True story. My Dad was Welsh. He met my English mother at the end of WW2 (a long story for another day).
When I grew up in the English border town of Shrewsbury I found out there was an ancient law that entitled any resident who found a Welshman within the town walls after midnight could take him to a police station and claim a reward.
When I told my Dad, after his initial anti-English (light hearted) comments, he said “we’ll have to try that one day”. The law had never been repealed.
The perfect opportunity arose one night when, after returning home to visit him and my Mum after working overseas for many years, he and I were out for a drink in the town.
We called into an old Police Station and I told them I’d come for the reward. Dad played the part well, speaking only Welsh.
The young policeman on the desk was at a loss as to what to do. After finally convincing him the law was real, he called through for advice to HQ. They were obviously familiar with the ancient law as we could hear them laughing on the other end of the line.
Eventually the young policeman said I would have to fill in a form and wait for the official response from the Superintendent.
I’m not sure how far we would have got with the application because the officer on the phone asked to speak to me and said something like “good luck with your request but even though the old law has never been repealed, it has also never been tested for over 3 hundred years.”
Because of his friendly and jovial attitude we decided we’d milked the idea to the max and left it there.
We ended up having a good laugh about it. So I still don’t know what would happen if you “hand over a Welshman” after midnight in the border town of Shrewsbury, England and claim your reward.