I usually off the afternoon of Good Friday, but I've never had it as a holiday.
Ours do but we also get one Jewish holiday in the fall and one Islamic holiday at some other time in the school year depending on when various religious calendars line up.
You were afraid of water falling on you outside so you went to a hotel that has water inside? This is why people despise America.
Not just any indoor waterpark. A really cheesy overpriced one. USA! USA!
You can take off for Jewish holidays here, but you have to convince the school that you are Jewish by saying "L'Chaim" correctly.
I've never had trouble with the chet, but I somehow don't think that would help here.
I've never tried it at work, because of my last time and working with actual Jewish people.
I only left out my middle name, Danger.
The weather map is neat. Sometimes it disagrees with my weather app about whether it is raining here, so I look out the window for a tie breaker.
My son gets a week and a half off for the non-denominational holiday of Passover. I would say it's because he goes to a Jewish school but the public schools follow the same calendar.
Fortunately a name like that won't make Mossy's friends despise us any worse.
2: when I went to private girls school, we got no religious holidays off but were allowed to take them if we wanted to.
At my nominally Christian-affiliated school, we got no Good Friday off.
The really good bagel place closes for Passover, so I'm kind of observing it.
Hawaii asked me the other day if people actually celebrate Easter. (She meant beyond egg hunts and chocolate.)
The bagel situation here is really pretty ridiculous. Austin may have some passable options. I bet Kalahari does not.
We have a millennial who rediscovered ancestral tradition and unlocked the ability to charge $2 for a bagel by making a better bagel than the boomer Jews.
My gremlins are frolicking about the house, as they have no school on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, or Easter Monday.
M and I have an annual observance on Good Friday where we watch Jesus Christ Superstar and eat Filet-O-Fish sandwiches. Afterwards we usually get drunk and I pound out "Garden of Gethsemane" on the piano with the windows open. He has been out of the country for the past couple of weeks but is literally flying back today just for this -- he leaves again after the weekend. It's our only strictly-observed household holiday, other than our own birthdays.
I usually just go to church, but that is intriguing.
You were afraid of water falling on you outside so you went to a hotel that has water inside? This is why people despise America.
The park where I jog in the evenings has a small pond, whose water level in recent drought years has fallen distressingly low. Now with all the rains it's full nearly to the top! It makes me so happy every time I see it. And then I think about how my basement situation has made me hate and fear the rain and the water and -- especially -- rain water that's on the ground, or in the ground, or or pooling up in any manner whatsoever. Anyway, I can have both feelings at the same time, because Americans are so complex! We love nuance.
I have complex feelings about Filet-O-Fish sandwiches, largely because I'm not sure if someone taking Lipitor should eat one.
We love nuance.
Counterpoint: https://kieranhealy.org/files/papers/fuck-nuance.pdf
Ten pages to denounce nuance seem about right for sociology.
Forecast for us is two days of sun and the temperatur no less than two degrees above freezing, so it's camping time tomorrow. We are taking plenty of warm clothes, mostly for the benefit of Crom the dog (now four weeks away from pupsplosion)
13. Something called "Kalahari"
So, named after a desert world famous for not having much water. Makes sense.
13. Something called "Kalahari"
So, named after a desert world famous for not having much water. Makes sense.
Yes, but does the real Kalahari have African-themed rooms?
As late as the 1990's, North Carolina had an official holiday on Easter Monday, but no holiday on Good Friday. Apparnetly it was a relic of anti-Catholicism in the early tweneiterh century state legislature.
I asked my mother if there's a place in my hometown (where I'm flying tonight) with good bagels these days. She said yes, the place is called Casper Fermentables. How much more hipster? None.
It's funny how much staying power the hipster aesthetic ended up having.
After I realized how good avocado toast is, it all followed from there.
I have complex feelings about Filet-O-Fish sandwiches
I don't even like Filet-O-Fish sandwiches! I once suggested that we try a different format of fish, or even a different (better) fish sandwich, but M grew visibly distressed so I dropped it. I mean, it makes sense. You don't eat communion wafers for the taste.
Yeah and they've got that sort of fleshy texture.
(I have never actually had a communion wafer but this is my understanding of the joke)
I eat a lot of avocado toast. It never occurred to me until I saw it being mocked.
I don't even like Filet-O-Fish sandwiches!
Despite being collectively snooty as a family about fast food, growing up for several years we had a tradition of going to McDonald's for a Happy Meal after Saturday morning martial arts. I distinctly remember at a certain point my brother and father and I all went "Wait, whose idea was this tradition? Who really likes it" -- "Not me, I thought someone else!" and we discontinued it.
I just got a new alcohol stove made out of beer cans by someone who must be a hipster. He drew a logo on it with a Sharpie and it looks good.
42: I like McDonald's. It's just that the fish is really, really processed in ways that go beyond the usual. I can't eat the nuggets either.
The stove is made from a mini can of lime lager and the windscreen from a Sierra Nevada can.
I still have fond memories of the texture of the outside of McNuggets, but the whole things were pretty gross the last time I had one.
I still have my semiannual Big Mac. It's disappointing more often than not, but not every time, and that's evidently enough to keep the periodic craving going.
Even as a kid, the nuggets made me ill. But back then I could eat the fish or McRib without problems. I used to work there.
Did we cover the part where the Diocese of Pittsburgh had to make a public announcement that they would NOT be suspending the Good Friday fast for Pirates Opening Day?
Shame they closed the Benkowitz fish sandwich stand--they would've sold a zillion of them tomorrow.
Moonlit Burgers has fries that taste like McDonald's fries made perfectly, if you're into that.
When I was about twelve I threw up a quarter pounder. It was probably a coincidence--I used to get migraines that almost always made me puke--but the association was strong enough that I've never even thought about trying one again.
I just remembered that the good smashburger place opened a location by Duquesne--I keep thinking about driving out to Dormont for one, but not getting around to it. But Uptown, I could do Uptown.
The burgers are so much better. I think not from smashing, but just the quality of the ingredients.
49: Seems like a fair question because they did issue just such a dispensation for St. Patrick's Day.
I think this kind of thing is why the last bishop stopped the St. Patrick exemptions.
Even for a team that was good, I don't see why you'd expect an exemption. St. Patrick's Day is at least a legitimate Catholic observance.
Basic McDonalds cheeseburgers are like crack to me. Just the perfect ratio of sodium, "meat", plastic cheese, ketchup, and pickle.
Good Friday and Easter Monday are both (always) public holidays in the UK.
School here has Good Friday off, and every year it catches us off guard, because what?
You people are lost. The true junk foods: fried chicken, fried seafood, or sausage-based options, either the chicago hot dog or an eclectic variety of grilled sausages or meat skewers the world over. Ribs and pulled pork also OK.
Chain hamburgers are a pretty uniform abomination, and putting cheese or gloopy sauce on them is a confession of failure as stark as a fedora on an out-of-shape dweeb wearing a stained T-shirt with a slogan.
In other news, I have reservatiopns for the insanely good Uighur place's Iftar Saturday. They've moved, and now I can walk there.
Chain hamburgers are a pretty uniform abomination, and putting cheese or gloopy sauce on them is a confession of failure
Sauce is historically integral! Hamburgers as a class are one of the many street foods whose comparative advantage is disguising bad meat with a range of tricks.
Chain burgers diminish it from the optimum, but not because they use sauces or cheese.
re: 60.2
I'm with you, more or less. There are a few OK chain hamburger places in the UK, but even in those, I always choose the option that's a burger, with some salad--lettuce, tomato, onions, maybe some gherkins--and no sauce.
If I'm in some kebab place that has good fierce chilli sauce, maybe a bit of that on it, otherwise, none. No cheese, either.
I try to avoid getting burgers outside the US, they're just never good. (Not that all burgers in the US are good, just that the ones elsewhere are pretty uniformly bad.)
"Good Friday and Easter Monday are both (always) public holidays in the UK."
Actually, no. Good Friday is a Scottish Bank Holiday but not a public holiday, or at least not everywhere in Scotland (I don't get it, for example) and Easter Monday is a public holiday in some bits of Scotland, including my bit, but not a Bank Holiday. In England and Wales both Good Friday and Easter Monday are Bank Holidays.
I didn't even know bank holidays and public holidays were different.
Chain hamburgers are a pretty uniform abomination
Ruby Tuesday's hamburgers are a basic abomination. McDonald's cheeseburgers are such an abomination that they do the horseshoe thing where they circle around to becoming good again. The cheese they put on there, its straight from the Velveeta mines. Just really the peak of what 1950s-era industrial food processing technology had to offer.
Probably should make a joke about getting a bank holiday off for Ruby Tuesday.
The Tennessee House, in an attempt to drown nuance, held hearings to expel three of their members for disrupting the proceedings and decided to expel only the ones who were black.
Spike is correct. But try with extra pickles and onions next time. Extra extra perfect.
I was really guessing that we'd discuss meteorology.
Partly cheesy with a chance of hamburger.
It was helpful to be reminded that it was raining today. I thought to air the house. I don't open the windows this time of year except during or after rain because the pollen kills me.
Watch out for amphibians crossing the road at night. Today I found a yellow spotted salamander.
re: 66
Oh yeah, I always forget that. I do always remember the difference around Christmas and New Year, but never remember there's a difference at Easter.
Ironically, I work for a Scottish company, but we get English/Welsh holidays (I think for historic reasons to do with who our clients mostly are).
South Texas has really had a ton of rain. I guess I always pictured it as a desert. Not that I've been there.
78 The relevant measure is east-west, not north south. https://www.texascounties.net/statistics/precipitation.htm
You know those Pillsbury crescent rolls in the tube? I bought the organic version because I'm all about the health.
Hey what are your communities looking at doing with opioid settlement money? We have $113K so far and can apply for more at the state level.
It looks like we are going to use the money to fund a new social worker at the police department, although it would be my preference to have that role attached to EMS services instead. I'd like to know other cities are doing with their funds.
I try to avoid getting burgers outside the US, they're just never good.
My girlfriend's 80-something aunt was here from India (she comes about once a year) a few months ago and was insistent on getting a burger because they're so much better in America. M says well sure because they're beef. Aunt: No no no, I don't like beef, they just don't taste the same in India. M: Right, because they aren't beef, unlike the one you just finished.
81: City council was just discussing this! We're getting $325k. It's going to come back to discuss what to do with it.
85: Have you considered organic crescent rolls?
I'm hoping we can get some of that money spent on Narcan distribution. Maybe put Narcan boxes in public buildings, like defibrillators.
I had a training on how use the defibrillator thing and do CPR, but I probably need a refresher.
The only thing I remember is that CPR trainers are not big Princess Bride fans and don't like it when you suggest the only thing left is to "Go through his clothes and look for loose change."
You just need to remember to time your chest compressions to Tony Manero's footsteps.
Actually, now that you mention it, I remember that too.
I learned to use the beat from Staying Alive.
Modern AEDs are almost foolproof. It has pictures where to put pads, gives verbal instructions, won't shock if something is incorrect, plays a beat for chest compression timing, tells you if compressions are hard enough. I'd be comfortable using one even though my training expired years ago (potential liability aside.)
Yeah, when I did a training I left with the impression that if you are decent at listening and following directions, you should consider yourself qualified to use one.
We went down to Philadelphia for the seder and got back yesterday. It's snowing here.
I don't like to tell other people their business, but it doesn't seem like a good moment in history to go around announcing that you do control the weather. Even if only from the Philadelphia office.
if you are decent at listening and following directions, you should consider yourself qualified to use one.
Oh well, I'm out.
I had another stroke on Monday! They didn't make me stay in the ICU this time and it was only one overnight. Now I'm fine again, to whatever extent I'm ever fine. I have some avocados so I will probably go put one on some toast in a minute.
Thanks! I tell you what, calling 911 through video relay is weird.
Yikes. I'm sorry you had to go through that again. I hope the avocado toast is good.
Mine never comes out as good as I get from a restaurant.
I'm not trying to tell you what to do or anything, but you should probably stop having strokes.
Only time Apo has ever told someone to stop stroking.
Covid better be over because I just washed my wallet and the vaccine card got a little destroyed.
Sending sympathy, Messily.
||
The last surviving Nuremberg prosecutor just died, and it sounds like he had an remarkable life:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-65223756
|>
109: I recommend the documentary "Watchers of the Skies" which is actually about Raphael Lemkin but has a great interview with Ben Ferencz.
Back from camping! Weather was kind to us and we saw plenty of wildlife, some of which we ate. The boy needs some better boots if he wants to keep any skin on his feet at all, so that's the next project. Crom is unfortunately suffering from morning sickness but managed to choke down a few bits of grilled meat, and enjoyed racing around the moors.
How old is the boy? There are ages where keeping them in shoes that fit is maddeningly difficult, because it's changing so fast. (Newt still gives me a hard time about making him run a 10K in the snow with a hole in his running shoes when he was twelve or so.)
107: Can you get it from your doctor's office. If they're on Epic, there's a little COVID module. Ours can pull in the info from the state immunization registry.
For some reason, my doctor's records have only 4 of the 5 shots I've gotten. So it would be easier if covid were just over.
Why would covid ever be over? It's out there, mutating like a champ, and it'll carry on doing so forever, like seasonal flu. Most of the time the version that comes around will probably be quite mild, because if you're an infectious agent killing your host isn't the greatest evolutionary strategy. But it won't go away.
If they didn't want it to be over, they should have used better paper for the card. My voter registration card went through the wash far better.
My organ donor card was signed in the last century and still held up. My organs are probably not in that good of condition.
116: I'm sure your organ is holding up just fine, Mobes.
That's why I'm not allowed back at the Olive Garden.
So, my one sister who never had covid got covid. Maybe I'm wrong.
I just passed a covid test again, so I'm right.
111: he's 24, so probably won't grow out of them.
My mother just got COVID for the third time but is so heavily immunised that it basically felt like a sore throat.
Yeah, that's an age where you can probably buy the right size without worrying about room to grow.
The dog is a bitch. And do dogs even live that long?
90-92: I should get a medical alert bracelet that says "chest compression tempo: 'Seven Nation Army' so someone can give me CPR in an emergency even if there aren't any old people around.
92: When my wife took her CPR certification, the instructor noted that you could also use the beat from "Another One Bites the Dust," but it's probably best not to sing along if you do so.
That's why the suggestion in 90 is more common.