"Bubarooni, Severe storm in Ellettsville and may impact Bloomington. Posted by: MissMarple2 | June 18, 2021 at 10:29 PM" Indeed it was MM. I think we got about 6.5 inches of rain and lost power shortly after you posted that for about 6 hours. Hope you are feeling better.

I'm hearing the thunder now MM.

I think that I read back during the Winter Crisis that energy producers were regulated by the Texas Railroad Commission. The commission has been infiltrated by renewable energy types over the last 20-30 years foisting their new religion. If I recall correctly, some northener, an Illini type who had imbibed the green energy hoax was forced off the commission due to debacle. Hopefully for The Lone Star, that was only the start of bloodletting and they will get back to producing reliable, coal and gas fired electricity soon. I know there are some pretty knowlederable peeps on the board who have discussed the timeline of producing that type of energy. What would you say, 10 years to rectify the situation?

Thanks Jane. I panicked, threw a ton of fuel in the smoker hit 400 plus degrees in the smoker. Not exactly the low and slow method I did hit 190 on the meat so I called it a day. Everybody liked the pulled pork so everything turned out OK in the end

I am smoking a 6 lb Boston Butt today, started about 7 AM. I am officially in 'the stall' and can't get past 167 degrees internal temp on the meat. Guests arrive at 6 PM. I am getting nervous...

I always read Neo's stuff.

Well written Clarice. The absurdity of the issue, alarming.

MM, I was surprised when you said you don't hear cicadas. I'm about 60 miles south of you and right now I can barely hear myself think because they are so loud. I have three large pin oaks. You can walk to the base of those trees and literally scoop up handfuls of their shells. btw, they stink like a rotting dead critter. As I was mowing today, I brushed off 15 to 20. I finally gave up and at open point had about 5 on me. Except for the one that landed in my right ear and began screaming, they were harmless. They are everywhere and they are noisy.

"regardless of what comment accompanies his links, I follow more narc twitter links and they have a higher percentage of being worth reading than anyone elses." Same here. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm a sucker for them nearly every time. I right click, open in a tab, and sometimes have to refresh it a few times. For me, a part of the charm of JOM.

In progressive Bloomington, IN roundabouts are all the rage. The simplicity of a four way stop has been replaced with an Evel Knevel Kalkulus of 'can I beat them into the circle'. There is a busy three lane roundabout by College Mall that takes nerves of steel and a total disregard for self preservation if you want to just get to the other side and go proceed straight on your way. It used to be a simple four way stop...

"My guess, and that's all it is, is the CCP accidentally leaked the bug from the lab but then, like any good commie, didn't let a crisis go to waste and promptly weaponized it to the world and it would not surprise me if it continued to do so all down the line." That's what I tend to believe what happened. I do think they decided to stamp it out internally in a manner only open to an totalitarian government, like welding peoples door shut. I also think they decided that if they were going to take a big hit by locking down to control the outbreak, their best bet was to spread it internationally to level the playing for the day when things returned to normal. Again, an option only available to an unaccountable, totalitarian state. The added benefit that other nations were overwhelmed by the pandemic and had to attend to their internal crises leaving little bandwidth to look at how this thing started was another plus. Totalitarians don't have to worry about the moral dimensions of their actions. They are informed only by the needs to maintain internal control and exercise external advantage and position. If they don't have to give a whit for their own subjects you can easily surmise their level of concern over those outside the Middle Kingdom. This the calculus they perform when deciding upon a course of action.

I think the jim nj would like this story: https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2021/05/21/Marines-HIMARS-24th-MEU/6981621614761/

Gus, if I am following the thread correctly, Clarice should be addressed 'Her Royal Highness'. I think 'HRH' is acceptable as well for brevity's sake. Somewhat fitting I do believe.

My first triumph on this board in years...

Any of you'uns not wanting to get willowed best be heading over to the new thread.

Foist!

It was Jane. I'm a guy who grills. I'm trying to expand my horizons by smoking neat instead, If that can make me a polymath...

I guess I did it right with the smoker today. As my guests exited they said 'chef', 'genius' and 'polymath'. The dude who said 'polymath' is now on my 'Christmas list'.

From reading Apalled's posts, he seems somewhat reasonable. I think at one time he imagined himself a kindred soul with many on this blog and can't figure out how he's diverged so far in his thinking with most here. I think the divergence occurred when many here, myself included, concluded the time to care about the condition of our togas was no longer important. It was time to fight back in the same manner we had been fought against, and frankly culturally assaulted for decades. A champion was found. Sometimes crude and sometimes prescient, this new champion was not afraid to use harsh nouns and assaultive verbs. This guy threw off the toga and fought. He broke the norms that were imposed on us and attacked the perceived standards others had created on their own. He gave voice to us who never had a voice. Now we have to decide how to go forward. Do we leave on the galea, greaves and lorica that we have put on to wage the fight the champion goaded us to don, or do we put back on the toga and make sure it is clean going forward. Do we back down. I have drawn the gladius. I shall not return it to it's sheath until I am victorious or have been defeated. Apalled never took off they toga, let alone drew a gladius. He believes, mistakenly there is a middle road between the toga and the gladius. There is not. They despise you Appalled. We just think you are squishy about confrontation. A new champion may be needed but, make no mistake that whoever picks up the mantle will need to use harsh nouns and assaultive verbs. They will need to fight. I will take my place in the phalanx line and fight. So long as my princep does. I don't think that Appalled will. I still find him interesting.

Did you guys know today is National BBQ Day? I have brined chicken and sausage on the smoker. In about 5 minutes I will go throw a bunch of mushrooms stuffed with cream, asiago and cheddar cheese, bacon, crab and green onion. Everything should be ready right at 6 PM. I am fulfilling a patriotic duty in doing so. It would be shirking of that duty not to mention there is a few beers involved too.

OK, with all the recent news about ransomware attacks lately, I'll tell y'all about my experience on 3-20-21 tomorrow after I've mowed and had a couple of cold ones. For now, I'll just say we got hit, didn't pay, adapted and persevered. I've never worked so hard in my life as I have the last 7 or 8 weeks.

I think TM quite gracious myself. I frequently snort when I read his posts and then move on to the comments which is why I've haunted this place for well over a decade.

Hey JohnH! I do have such a temp monitor. Not only does it allow me to stay outta the rain, it has enough range to allow me to sit in the garag while I watch tv and drink beer. I think I'm going to like this whole smoking meat thing this summer.

Testing out my new vertical offset smoker today for the first time. I've never used an offset before and I'm finding temperature management a challenge. This mornings weather report said rain starting by 9 PM. It appears they meant 3:30 PM. The challenge appears like it's going to get a little more so...

jim nj, i love your coverage of all things military.