≡ Menu

Open thread 5/24/23

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • DT May 24, 2023, 4:03 PM

    MC Escher should be by any moment now

  • ghostsniper May 24, 2023, 5:57 PM

    If you don’t like Havarti cheese you need your ass kicked.

    What does havarti cheese taste like?
    If you’ve never had havarti, you’re in for a treat. This semi-soft cow’s cheese is creamy, smooth, and supple in texture. On first bite, you’ll be struck by how buttery and rich it is—perfectly mild but never boring.

    While we’ll happily gobble up classic havarti all day long, there are plenty of adventurous options when you’re in the mood to mix it up. Wisconsin cheesemakers have perfected a number of varieties: try a dill-infused havarti for a Mediterranean-inspired bite, or a horseradish havarti that adds aromatic flair to any dish. You can never hav-arti enough!

    How is havarti cheese made?
    While havarti is made in a process similar to most other cheeses, the flavor and texture of this cheese are in a league all their own. The whole process starts with a set of enzymes known as rennet that is added to fresh Wisconsin milk in order to start the curdling process. Cheesemakers separate the curds from the whey, draining the whey and pressing curds into cheese molds.

    Then, the cheese is aged anywhere from a few months to years. The longer the cheese is aged, the more intensely flavorful it becomes! Similar to swiss cheese, havarti has small “eyes,” or holes, distributed throughout—thanks to friendly bacteria in the cheesemaking process.

    What’s the difference between havarti and swiss?
    While havarti and swiss cheese both have holes, these cheeses differ in flavor and texture. Swiss has a firmer texture and is nuttier—thanks to its longer aging time—with large holes called “eyes.” Havarti is semi-soft, with a super buttery and creamy flavor. Havarti’s eyes are smaller and more evenly distributed than swiss.

    Why does havarti cheese have holes?
    Cheesemakers add good bacteria in the crafting process, who make a happy home in the cheese and release carbon dioxide. These gas bubbles become trapped as the cheese is formed, causing little holes or eyes.

    How long is Havarti cheese aged?
    How long havarti is aged depends on the cheesemakers and the target flavor profile. It’s typically a pretty short aging process—around three months. This ensures the signature creaminess and mild flavor. However, some varieties are aged over a year or more.

    This causes the cheese to develop a firmer texture, slightly saltier taste, with a distinct nuttiness reminiscent of hazelnuts.

    Must-try Wisconsin Havarti Cheeses
    Carr Valley Cheese Havarti: For a classic havarti that shines in its simplicity, you can’t do better than Carr Valley’s havarti. This creamy cheese is mild, buttery, and smoother than jazz. Pair with raspberry jam or fresh pears for a decadent duo.

    Roth Cheese Dill Havarti: Roth Cheese infuses their havarti with bright, earthy dill for a subtle, savory twist on a classic. This delicate cheese pairs particularly well with smoked salmon, capers, and radishes—so it’s pretty much required for any weekend brunch.

    Decatur Dairy Pepper Havarti: In the mood to spice things up? Try Decatur Dairy’s pepper-filled havarti, with just enough heat and smokiness to balance the natural milkiness of the cheese. Light yet zippy, this melt-in-your-mouth cheese is the perfect addition to any Southwestern dish.

    Pairing Havarti Cheese
    What beer goes well with havarti cheese?
    With such a light, delicate cheese, we recommend an equally light beer. Pilsner, saison ale, or sour ale all pair well with havarti. For more beer and cheese pairing tips, don’t forget to read our full guide covering all the details!

    What wine pairs best with havarti cheese?
    For red-wine, try a light-bodied option like Beaujolais or pinot noir. For that summer feeling, pair havarti with a chilled glass of rosé or sauvignon blanc.

    What accompaniments should I serve with havarti cheese?
    Havarti pairs well with sweeter, fresh fruits like pear, fig, or Honeycrisp apple. If you like pairing cheese with jam or jelly (who doesn’t?), try havarti with a little raspberry jam or honey. And, of course, don’t forget to include walnuts, crackers, or some crusty bread for some crunch.

    • Terry May 24, 2023, 7:17 PM

      How about a dissertation on Limburger cheese.

      I’ll wait.

    • julie May 25, 2023, 12:14 PM

      When my kids were little, I used to buy big blocks of Havarti cheese slices at Costco. It was the only kind they would eat, which was nice because it was one of my favorites, too. Haven’t bought any in ages because we don’t shop at Costco anymore; next time I’m at the store I’ll have to find some.

      • ghostsniper May 25, 2023, 1:58 PM

        Julie, I get mine in the deli section of the grocery store.
        Sliced thin for sandos.
        For just snackin, let it sit on the counter for 15 mins afore diggin in, let that flavor bloom.

  • Joe Krill May 24, 2023, 7:41 PM

    Ghostsniper–You need to do a daily op-ed each day for this site. You are 100% more readable than a picture and it is obvious you have the talent. Plain and simple. And thanks to four of you for keeping this blog going.

  • Casey Klahn May 24, 2023, 9:07 PM

    It saddens me to see the White House under attack these days.

    https://ibb.co/kXKfHn7

  • ghostsniper May 25, 2023, 4:07 AM

    Not a day goes by that I do not hate this rotten assed gov’t more and more.

    Yellowstone National Park rangers euthanized a newborn bison calf after a visitor touched the animal, trying to help it catch up with its herd, the National Park Service said on Tuesday.

    The herd had been crossing the Lamar River on Saturday evening when the calf got separated from its mother on the river bank, according to a press release from the agency. A man observing the scene approached the animal with apparent rescue intentions.

    “As the calf struggled, the man pushed the calf up from the river and onto the roadway,” NPS said. “Visitors later observed the calf walk up to and follow cars and people.”

    Park rangers repeatedly tried to reunite the calf with the herd, but the herd resisted.

    The rangers later euthanized the calf, saying its persistence in approaching cars posed a hazard to guests, according to NPS.

    NPS is investigating the incident and asking the public to share any relevant information to a tip line. The agency has yet to identify the man behind the incident, describing him as a “white male in his 40-50’s, wearing a blue shirt and black pants.”

    Pending the outcome of the investigation, he could be charged with Class B misdemeanors, including disturbing wildlife, disorderly conduct (creating a hazardous condition) and approaching wildlife, according to Morgan Warthin, a spokesperson for Yellowstone National Park.

    If found guilty of those charges, the man could face up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine, Warthin told NPR.

    Yellowstone requires that visitors stay at least 25 yards away from its two breeding bison herds, which collectively contained 5,900 animals at the last count in 2022. The park is the only place in the contiguous U.S. to have maintained a continuously free-ranging bison population since prehistoric times.

    Yellowstone’s herds were nearly poached to extinction in the late 1800s. Today, park guests can spot the animals nearly year-round and from the roadway in places like Wyoming’s Lamar Valley, a confluence of rivers in the park’s northeast corner.

    NPS has frequently defended its policy of not interfering in the natural death of animals on public lands, including orphaned offspring.

    “Our focus is on sustaining viable populations of native wildlife species, rather than protecting individual animals,” reads an NPS webpage on the policy. “An animal’s survival depends on its own daily decisions and natural selection.”

    Another Yellowstone bison calf was euthanized following human interference in 2016. Edward O’Brien of Montana Public Radio reported that two tourists placed the calf in their car and drove it to a nearby park facility because they “thought the animal looked cold and uncomfortable.”

    https://www.npr.org/2023/05/24/1177857710/bison-calf-yellowstone-man

    Hey, national park killers, er, service.
    Next time a young bison is lined up to be murdered contact me and within minutes I will transfer 5000 of my favorite legal tenders to your possession for said bison, which I will pay out of pocket to relocate to our small acreage here in the upper midwest. I will bear all expenses thereof. Thank you for your consideration, assholes.

    • Casey Klahn May 25, 2023, 5:03 AM

      It’s a proven fact that you can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd. I once wintered in Yellowstone – my only experience as a ski bum. The buffalo and the people intermix and you are mere feet from bison who walk past your bubble scooter or the snow coach.

      Wildlife. This past 2 weeks I’ve identified bear scat in my yard, and yesterday I believe I had my forth-in-a-lifetime sighting of wolf in the wild. Meaning my north field. This time he was nearer to buff colored than the others I’v seen here who are nearly black. Meaning: more wolf than before. I won’t look it up but some news or website shitz have Washington State as home to somewhere around 20 or 30. Maybe they were tracking one pack with a derivation from Wyoming, or something. Because there dem sure ain’t only 30 wolf in this state. In my whole life I’ve seen probably 7, in five sightings.

      Fish & Wildlife are: if we didn’t see it, it isn’t there. This reinforces my theory that the Whitetail here have been decimated by big predators, and this is a manmade problem because of limits to cougar hunting, and trucking of wolf around to bring back some estimate of balance. Grrr. Politics!

      Ghost, when did you move from Fla to Ind. ? I musta missed that. Whose watching the Okefenokee now?

      • ghostsniper May 25, 2023, 6:40 AM

        Yes. Moved to south central Indy (Brown County) in 2006 after living in southwest FL (Lee county) since 1966 – 40 years zactly. My only regret is that we didn’t move here 20 years earlier. I’m not cut out for extreme heat and insane amounts of people.

        Over the past 5 years Gerard spotlighted several of my exploits in FL, my first job at McDonalds in Fort Myers, FL when I was 15 in 1970, then I built a Harley almost from scratch, again in FL, in the early 70’s, and then the Bean Blossom bridge here in hoosierville and a couple others.

      • Trooper John Smith May 25, 2023, 1:52 PM

        You can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd, but you can be happy if you’ve a mind to.

  • ghostsniper May 25, 2023, 4:29 AM

    I’m not going to get into a big dust up over this, but merely point out “one more instance” where a law enforcement employee claims something that just is not so. See here:
    =========
    “The law change doesn’t allow just anybody to possess a firearm,” Foley said.
    =========

    Allow. JFC

    Foley is a gov’t employee of diminutive intellectual horsepower and comes right out publicly and announces such. This alone, as far as I’m concerned, is grounds for elimination and banishment.

    My first step for punishment and rehabilitation for Foley to be forced to read and learn all the works of one Lysander Spooner and the to read and learn the entire Bill of Rights. After, he would be tested on these subjects and his rehabilitation would be adjusted accordingly.

    To view the longer picture, see here:
    https://fox59.com/news/indycrime/indy-teen-arrested-for-carrying-ar-style-gun-around-local-motel/

  • ghostsniper May 25, 2023, 9:20 AM

    uh-oh

    now what?

    • julie May 25, 2023, 12:17 PM

      Looks like the bots are developing a new tactic: copypasting a legit comment to appear like a real commenter. At least, I’ve never seen one do that before. Weird.

      • Trooper John Smith May 25, 2023, 1:56 PM

        Skynet smiles.

  • ghostsniper May 25, 2023, 2:07 PM

    Your cool pik of the day

    https://goodmorningland.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Rainy-day-Cool-Good-Afternoon-Images.jpg

    Get away from the usual, the normal, even if for only a few moments.
    Resituate yourself, into something different.
    Once every dam day, at least.

  • ghostsniper May 25, 2023, 2:13 PM

    Sketty Head
    ========
    Is this embarrassing or what?
    Sounds like something a little kid would come up with right?
    You’d only be partially right.
    As soon as you see it you’ll know which part.
    The other part is complete shyster.
    I hope they charge money to park that trash there.
    But you know what?
    With the way things are these days I wouldn’t be completely surprised if that sold for the asking price. I’d just be a little more disappointed.

    https://www.etsy.com/listing/1407313622/sketty-head

  • ghostsniper May 25, 2023, 2:35 PM

    sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!
    This is where’ll be on Sun afternoon – about 2 miles from my house.
    Brown County Dragway.
    I hear em all the time.
    They have it all over there, old, new, borrowed, blue.
    All classes from run what you brung to triple A fuelers and some stuff you’ve never seen before.
    Ever seen outhouse races?
    My friend Dewey is supposed to have his atrocious 580ci blown 1972 Chevy Vega there.
    So yeah, come on over, I’ll buy the first round.
    After a few hours in that sun I’ll be ready come back here to the crib and stretch my long ass out on the porch.
    No website.
    But over in the left column you can see some pix and vids. YOW!

    https://www.google.com/maps/place/Brown+County+Dragway,+LLC/@39.2641191,-86.2427535,445m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x886b7fa4750ac325:0xe678de98a46c2a42!8m2!3d39.2641191!4d-86.241671!16s%2Fg%2F11r2rk1h2t?entry=ttu

  • ghostsniper May 25, 2023, 6:13 PM

    So they didn’t learn a thing from the Bud Light uproar, huh?
    If they keep this up I’ll have so much unspent money Elon will be lookin’ over his shoulder!

    After Bud Light and Target, The North Face has become the latest American brand to face a boycott for promoting Pride.

    The company’s Summer of Pride ad was released yesterday on its Instagram page and has already drawn ire from conservative consumers.

    The commercial features drag queen ‘Pattie Gonia’ telling consumers to ‘come out… in nature with us!’ and declaring themselves a ‘real life homosexual!’

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12124037/North-Face-faces-boycott-summer-Pride-drag-queen-ad-campaign.html

  • Casey Klahn May 26, 2023, 4:14 AM

    Let’s stir things up. Casey walks to the burn pit with all the excess charges from a day of firing at the mortar range, lights a wick and tosses it. FOOOF!

    I bring you: Henry Kissinger, at 100 years of age. The storied history of American Secretaries of State includes men like Cordell Hull, John Foster Dulles, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Haig, Hillary Clinton…

    I would say topping the list for influence and accomplishments was Hank Kissinger. Remember when he was the favorite of the Playboy Club set? Remember when he told Le Duc Toe to kiss it and sign the Paris agreements? Moved Egypt into the Western sphere? Toppled commie dictators from Chile to East Timor?

    The Left has a big case of the ass against Kissinger because he was a lion of anti-communist Cold War influence. He kicked ass, and took names. Consequently, the news bios of the old keener will paint him in a bad light. The Right? I’ll let some of you torch him, but be advised I will expect you to use logic and rhetoric, or I’m coming back for you.

    BTW, in Kissinger’s hey day, I was a HS student on the debate team (1970s). I am reading in the news that debate is no longer allowed at debate tournaments. If you say anything nice about Israel or capitalism, you get an automatic lose from the Marxist judges at colleges and high schools these days. As I pay respect to a guy whose essays have always made great sense to me, and I won’t mitigate that, I am aggravated to no end that debate as a learning tool is dead. A debater may go on to become a lawyer or a politician or a newsperson. That’s all completely go-to-Hell now. Don’t think, don’t comment, don’t know things. Stay in your lane and until you can glad-hand Marx, you’re persona non grata in this society.

    • ghostsniper May 26, 2023, 4:58 AM

      Debate these days means going for the other guys eyes and dragging his gutz through the nastiest grime you can find. A bottomless pit filled with bare fisted brawlers. Bring your 3′ pipe wrench.

      • Casey Klahn May 26, 2023, 9:51 AM

        Recondo Pit, eh?

        Since we’re on movies, I watched Sisu. That SOB is immortal against the NaziSS, in this mostly fictional ass-kicking fantasy about WWII action in Finland. I liked the true story of a Norwegian commando/ SEO-type whose book is titled: We Died Alone. It’s a true story and he makes Sisu’s problems look weak by comparison.

        Debate today: you just don’t. If you don’t know what to believe by now, that boat done float already.

        • ghostsniper May 26, 2023, 11:18 AM

          Thanks for the Sisu reminder. Saw the trailer a couple months ago and went looking for the full monty only to find out it hadn’t been released yet. Gonna watch it tonight if I can find it.

  • Anne May 26, 2023, 9:24 PM

    Wasn’t it the Finns who fought the Russians in the winter war? There are stories of those guys laying in the snow for six days with minimum movement so they could take out huge numbers of bad guys~
    SISU is a very real and it appears in today’s world to be a quality limited to a very few groups of people. Perhaps the Mossad, perhaps the French Foreign Legion. I don’t know, but I suspect there are some similar qualities in the Japanese, Chinese, Korean armies, etc. IMHO SISU comes from living in very miserable weather!! I believe the Finns the Russians seventeen times after being invaded and losing each time (or something like that)!

Next post:

Previous post: