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Open thread 3/27/23

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  • ghostsniper March 27, 2023, 11:04 AM
    • John Venlet March 27, 2023, 11:14 AM

      Too rich for my blood, Ghostsniper, not to mention too ornate.

      • ghostsniper March 27, 2023, 1:04 PM

        This one is a little closer to my liking.

        This one is closer to your neck of the woods.
        Take a look, I’m gonna tell you something.

        https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1967-S-Shore-Dr-Holland-MI-49423/128514785_zpid/?mmlb=g,41

        I like all the individual elements in this kitchen, but not all at once as they are.
        Nevermind the distorted focal length that has become the fantasy of photog’s of late.

        I really like the quilted maple inset panels on the cabinets and I like the double ogee countertop edges.
        But what I’m seeing overall is lack of “theme”, or, multiple themes.
        The appliances, the cabinetry, the countertops, the paint, the trimwork, etc., etc.

        There is too much going on and the eye cannot focus in the cacophony of sensations.
        A mismatching of the elements of design.
        If I were to guess I’d say the interior designer was an amateur, or was led by the homeowner who spent a lot of time looking at house magazines and could not be swayed to reason.
        Even the flooring is a mess. Dare I say, laminate. And in golden oak of all things. Please.
        If anything has been over done in homes over the past 50+ years it is the application of golden oak flooring. And cabinetry.

        Let’s start with the overall color, the pale green with white trim.
        A kitchen is already a hectic place, and even when inactive it looks like stuff is going on.
        So I like to tone it down a little.
        Ask Casey, colors can play havoc with your brain, or they can work in harmony with the brain.
        I prefer the latter, especially when people are using very hot and/or very sharp things.
        Calming.

        So I would start with the light green and white trim and work with that.
        I like a real wood hardwood floor in a kitchen as it is easier to stand on than say, tile.
        If installed properly wood floors are no more problematic than any other material save stained and epoxied concrete.
        So I would have specified a dark stained close grain hardwood floor, maybe walnut or hickory, with planks no less than 16′ in length.
        I hate longitudinal seams, and NO V seams between the planks to collect dirt.
        We’re talking about a kitchen here and proper hygiene is imperative.

        The cabinets should be white with white beadboard panels and brushed nickel hardware.
        I have no problem with the stainless steel appliances and I believe they will harmonize more fluidly with the white cabinets and the nickel hardware.

        The appliances.
        Oh dear.
        They are scattered all over the place, and this is a fairly large kitchen with 2 islands.
        Where the roadmaps is?
        I’d have to study the floorplan to understand how the appliances should be layed out for efficiency.
        Suffice to say the way they are is not right.

        That backsplash. Somebody hand me an aspirin.
        Again, overpowering. And out of place.
        I would choose to run the light green paint right down to the countertops and prevent the dark and haunting areas between the upper cabinets and the counters.
        That dark “void” as it is now is confusing. Let the natural light bounce off the light green background for all the world to see.

        Speaking of countertops.
        Please.
        Again, what were they thinking?
        There is a time and place for all things and this is neither.
        Black marble should be in morgues and funeral homes, not the place you live and love.
        I would have went with a more neutral tone and material.
        I like stone values but I’m not limited to the idea.
        Perhaps a solid color Corian solid surface type that would blend with the light green color palette.
        Maybe even a tan of light ochre color.
        To me, if a counter has a “pattern” it is hard to see stuff like crumbs and spills.
        Again, think hygiene.

        Lighting.
        I use 3 types of lighting in the homes I design.
        Ambient, Accent, and Task.

        Ambient
        I would install dimable LED continuous strip lighting out of view on top of all wall cabinets and they would be turned on all at once with 1 or 2 switch locations.
        These would be turned on toward the end of the day and not be stark like other types of lighting. Just enough so that you can walk around without stumbling and maybe get a drink from the fridge.

        Accent & Task
        I’m a fan of recessed lamps in the ceiling but frequently I see them misplaced. I believe they should be over the countertops so that the counters are illuminated AND they will sidesplash into glass fronted wall cabinets. As these are working lamps they do not need to be on a dimmer.

        Undercabinet lamps. Again, LED in a moderate, say 3500 kelvin temperature, to further illuminate the counters.

        Because this kitchen does not have soaring ceilings I would not like long hanging pendant style lamps over the kitchen islands that can be accidently hit with hands or collect loads of dust and aerosol cooking grease. I would play with the idea of the ceiling mounted lamps over the islands being in a “contrary” but harmonizing style. An idea might be large lamps that are primarily white with nickel accents and with multiple Edison style bulbs shining through cracked ice glass diffusers.

        So there ya go.
        Just a few ideas off’n the top o’ my skall to turn a delirious kitchen into a pleasing place to spend time.

    • ThisIsNotNutella March 27, 2023, 4:37 PM

      Must take an army of Spics to keep it spick-and-span.

      Your tax dollars probably paid for some Ukrainian to own that.

      I find the kitchen a tad over-done. Had I the wherewithal to live in such a palace, I’d keep a peon on hand just to bring me snacks from the kitchen — which I’d make a point of not even knowing where it was located, let alone what it looked like. And I’d make my servants sleep in cupboards just like at Versailles.

      I’d also kidnap the Takarazuka Reviews full cast of the Rose of Versailles and train them not to be lesbians. At least some of the time.

      Well, a man can dream.

  • anon March 27, 2023, 11:50 AM

    Dear chocolate chip cookies: Get thee behind me! 🙂

    • John Venlet March 27, 2023, 11:58 AM

      Gerard’s mom’s recipe is excellent, but you have to bake them yourself, so that should help ease the temptation, but if you want to succumb to a chocolate chip cookie temptation without baking, try Tate’s, they go down easy. Sorry, I know I’m not helping.

    • Anonymous March 27, 2023, 3:55 PM

      Dear chocolate chip cookies: Get thee inside me!

  • ghostsniper March 27, 2023, 2:47 PM
    • Joe Krill March 27, 2023, 5:32 PM

      Ghostsniper, I read that book years ago. Went to Jeckyll Island and saw the “hotel” where the evil ones did their plotting. I wish that Americans would wake up to the fact that we have become economically enslaved by nothing more than some evil individuals adding zeros to ledgers that were not worth the paper they were printed on. Gave new meaning to the wizards sleight of hand.

    • azlibertarian March 29, 2023, 7:13 AM

      If it helps someone understand money and the Federal Reserve to read Jekyll Island in a .pdf format, then I’m all for it. But I prefer the tangible form that is impervious to a memory failure and maybe puts a few shekels into the pocket of the author.

      $33 (at this writing) is kinda expensive for a paperback, but the Amazon price goes up and down, and it’ll be the best $33 you can spend on your own education.
      https://www.amazon.com/Creature-Jekyll-Island-Federal-Reserve/dp/091298645X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=27MSZWO35K3XY&keywords=creature+from+jekyll+island&qid=1680098576&sprefix=Creature%2Caps%2C204&sr=8-1

      While I’m at it, buy Unintended Consequences too. Mine is in hardcover, and at today’s price of $465, I’m not selling.
      https://www.amazon.com/Unintended-Consequences-John-Ross-Hardcover/dp/B00YRCHQT0/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3AINJ19N2JH9L&keywords=unintended+consequences+by+john+ross&qid=1680099135&sprefix=Unintended%2Caps%2C228&sr=8-2&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.c3015c4a-46bb-44b9-81a4-dc28e6d374b3

      • Terry March 29, 2023, 7:56 PM

        Unintended Consequences by John Ross

        Around 15-20 years back, a friend of mine (Vietnam USAF air crewman) recommended I read that book. I could not find a new copy so I checked out our local public library. This is when I still lived near Gardnerville, NV.

        Checked at the library and found out the book was loaned out. And there was a waiting list for getting it. Three months later I finally checked the book out and could not put it down.

        I also could not find a copy new or used anywhere to purchase. Excepting used and very expensive books. The library copy I checked out was “well read”, beat up.

        Jump forward around eight years. We then lived in Idaho. My wife and I were at a small gun show in nearby Montana. She always checks out books. While she was looking at books for sale at the gun show I was inspecting firearms.

        After about 20 minutes or so my wife walks up to me and says “look what I found” and hands me an essentially new and I believe unread Unintended Consequences.

        She asked one of the book sellers if he had the John Ross book. He said, is it a thick book. Yes it is. He says, I think I may have that book at my home. I live four blocks away. Let me check. He left the show and returned a few minutes later with “the” book. He says to my wife, I need more money for this book, it is as new. He says, is ten dollars ok? OK. My husband has wanted this book for some time.

        My wife has a huge book collection of her own. I have a relatively small collection of keepers.

  • Mary Ann March 27, 2023, 3:04 PM

    The Holy Cookie!

  • Anne March 27, 2023, 3:53 PM

    Would someone please re-post the link to Gerard’s mom’s cookies?
    Thank you!

  • ghostsniper March 28, 2023, 11:57 AM

    Professor Raoul X, a guiding hand of history
    https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2656871/posts

  • ghostsniper March 28, 2023, 1:40 PM

    Nashville Shoot Out Body Cam
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue2tZa4hT0c

  • Anne March 28, 2023, 1:49 PM

    Can anyone here direct me to a “thing”, or a “gizmo” that works like this:
    you put it on the side of a vehicle–car, bicycle, canoe, etc. When that vehicle passes a certain monitoring point the gizmo alerts the monitoring device and a record is made of what time the vehicle passed the monitor. Obviously they have these on car racing events, but I am trying to find something less expensive that we could attach to canoes, or rubber rafts with a monitoring device on the shoreline. Any suggestions are most welcome.

    Second issue for today: we have someone here who went for a hike in the jungles. Has anyone heard from him? Do you remember who it was here that was following him?
    Thank you

    • Mike Seyle March 28, 2023, 2:02 PM

      Mike Austin, who was supposed to be giving updates on the link below. I check in every day. Nada.
      https://mikeaustin.org/thereturnofscipio/

      • ghostsniper March 28, 2023, 2:21 PM

        Mike Austin is a comedian:

        I’m trying to picture this in my mind, but I can’t:
        New Video Released Shows Double Amputee Stabbing Man Before Police Shoot Him Dead as He Runs Away on His Stumps

        https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/watch-new-video-released-shows-double-amputee-stabbing-man-police-shoot-dead-runs-away-stumps/

        Stumpy apparently had lost his legs after a recent altercation with police. (I wonder how that happened?) He didn’t learn from that first incident and went back for more. Maybe he was trying to lose his arms too.

        The interwebs are having a field day with this one. Yeah, it’s cruel and all but leave them alone. What with war in Ukraine, earthquakes in Turkey and the skies filled with Chinese balloons, we all need a good laugh.

        “That guy should have worked at iHop.”

        “What do you call a guy with no arms or legs on your porch?…Matt. And if he’s in the pool?…Bob”

        Of course this mayhem happened in California. Where else?

    • ThisIsNotNutella March 28, 2023, 5:49 PM

      Google around for RFID race timing tags. RFID portals, etc. When Joe Wanker the Banker pads his Healthy Productive Ubermensch Managerialist Worker Bee LinkedIn profile by running in charity marathons, 10K runs, etc… it’s all timed and validated for social proof plus the placing on his commemorative t-shirt if he does well enough in the field.

      There are doubtless specific (*) solutions for whitewater kayaking. Let your fingers do the walking. RFID + whatever aquatic terms you’re interested in. GIYF.

      Might not be so great if you’re trying to log boats at greater distances from the shore — then might want to think along the lines of QR codes and computer vision.

      * Immersion and transmitters. Not a match made in Walmart Discount Bin Heaven.

      • Anne March 28, 2023, 8:40 PM

        Thank you so much “This is not Nutella” much appreciate your help!

  • julie March 28, 2023, 9:11 PM

    I made a batch of the Holy Cookies on Saturday, thinking as I made them that they should be making an appearance here again soon. We had nephews over; amazingly, there were three cookies left the next day, but not for long.

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