by Doctor Science
Today while link-hopping around Wikipedia, as you do, I learned that "thinking about the immortality of the crab" is a Spanish idiom meaning "daydreaming". Actually, I would say that the best English translation is "woolgathering" -- a much less intellectual and sophisticated idiom, though an old one, dating from 1550. But in Spain you're not spacing out, you're doing philosophy.
Here's an open thread, while I wait for the next installment of this Fimbulwinter.
Studies of crabs, by Leonardo da Vinci. How much more immortal can you get?
Evidence of massive regional differences in the US:
- the Northeast is getting winter weather (snow storms), and feels battered by it.
- California is getting winter weather (rain), and is purely delighted. We've got flash-flood warnings, the gutters are overflowing and making a mess, and we are still delighted.
Even the people who don't like rain much are very clear that we need it. And most of us wish we could get some snow in the mountains as well.
Posted by: wj | February 08, 2015 at 09:35 PM
It was 73 in central North Carolina today. Ridiculous.
Posted by: dr ngo | February 08, 2015 at 11:43 PM
Piedmont region of S.C. here, high 60's, very nice.
Not that I got to enjoy it, I was busy making a weekend batch of scratch spaghetti sauce most of the day.
Posted by: Brett Bellmore | February 09, 2015 at 06:41 AM
Here in central NJ most of the precipitation seems not to have eventuated. Meanwhile, up in the Boston area Sprog the Younger is looking at another 8 inches of snow on the ground (on top of the 2 feet that was there already) plus another 8 or so predicted to fall in this storm. And then another blizzard Thursday night.
She's already talking about California for her next life stage.
What do you put in your spaghetti sauce, Brett? I make mine with ground beef, Italian sausage, sweet peppers, carrots, onions, and zucchini in season, in addition to the usual garlic, tomatoes (I like to use both diced and puree), herbs, wine.
Posted by: Doctor Science | February 09, 2015 at 09:46 AM
Essentially the same, except I didn't have any zucchini on hand, or else that would have gone in, and my rosemary was moldy, and had to be tossed, so none went in.
And I add sugar to make my wife happy. Filipos have a national sweet tooth. ;)
Mom used to say, spaghetti sauce wasn't ready until you could stick a spoon in it, and it wouldn't fall over...
Posted by: Brett Bellmore | February 09, 2015 at 10:16 AM
the NC weather was awesome indeed this weekend.
it was my wife's birthday and, being from Cleveland, she was a bit peeved at having such warm and clear weather. early Feb is supposed to be cold, grey and ideally, slushy.
i made her beef Wellington, by request: one of Gordon Ramsay's recipes (prosciutto, no foie gras or crepe).
Posted by: cleek | February 09, 2015 at 10:18 AM
Yes, well, Cleveland-ish was around fifty yesterday, so twist the knife by assuring her her that's she missing bleak grey skies coupled with some classic OH winter whiplash - just above zero three or four days ago, just below fifty yesterday, mid-teens and dropping today...
Posted by: Nombrilisme Vide | February 10, 2015 at 12:52 AM
(And by yesterday, I mean yesterday's yesterday, as I didn't think to change the comment text before mindlessly posting to see if commenting was possible again.)
Posted by: Nombrilisme Vide | February 10, 2015 at 12:55 AM
started snowing saturday afternoon, still snowing now. it's tuesday AM.
snowed last week, and it really, really snowed the week before that.
the drift in front of the house is higher than our living room picture window, so something like 8 or 10 feet.
feh.
i am going to ponder the immortality of the crab now.
Posted by: russell | February 10, 2015 at 01:43 AM
One of the Puerto Rican women that my wife used to work with would tell her that she's dreaming of pregnant birds.
Apparently that's something like contemplating the impossible.
Posted by: Slartibartfast | February 10, 2015 at 12:25 PM
cleek--
when I saw your comment, my first reading was
"(prosciutto, no foie gras or creep).", probably due the proximity of Gordon Ramsay's name. Anyways, I'm glad you left the creep out.
Posted by: JakeB | February 10, 2015 at 02:52 PM
the creep was for dessert.
Posted by: cleek | February 10, 2015 at 03:52 PM
I had the most ridiculous go-around with a climate denier the other day. He asked me what specifically I didn't like about "the weather outside your door", clearly thinking that would shut me up. I should have shut up.
Instead, I said that from my door, I could see mountains which ought at this time of year to be accumulating heavy snowcaps to serve as creek water come summer.
He said he could put snow machines on all of those mountains for a billion dollars, which ought to take care of my "aesthetic concerns".
Note that he ignored the practical concerns about lack of snowpack. Also note the lack of mention of the cost of refrigeration coils required to *keep* that snow from melting in our warmer winter climate, of course.
I wonder if "thinking about the immortality of the crab" is a Christian version of "Does a dog have Buddha nature?"
Posted by: John M. Burt | February 23, 2015 at 01:38 AM