Several weeks ago we went over to Hood River to pick up our wine club wine at two wineries and on the way home had lunch at Thunder Island Brewing in Cascade Locks.  I had Kedai Pan Mee, a Malaysian chili noodle dish that was outstanding, inspiring me to find recipes for that dish on Mr. Google. So, last night for dinner I created my own version by taking elements of Kedai Pan Mee combining them with my Mu Shu Pork recipe and came up with Ziggyman Pan Mee Moo Shu. The missus told me twice how good it was. If you feel inspired to give it a try, here is my recipe:

Ingredients

1/8 cup chicken stock or broth

1 Tbs soy sauce

½ Tbs grated or finely diced fresh ginger

¾ Tbs Hoisin sauce

½ Tbs Oyster sauce

1 tsp  corn starch

1 Tbs chili paste with garlic (I use Sambal Olek)

1 garlic clove, minced or grated

3 -4 cups thinly sliced cabbage or slaw mix

½ yellow or white onion, diced

2 mini red peppers or color of your choice

2 stalks of regular size bok choy, white stalk cut into 1 inch pieces, green leaves rough chopped

2 green onions cut for garnish topping

½# ground pork (not sausage)

Asian Noodles (I used ramen wheat noodles, but any egg or wheat noodle works)

Directions:

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Boil water for noodles and cook until your desired tenderness. Drain and have ready

Fry the pork with the chili garlic paste and add the minced garlic clove. Cook until not pink (about 3 – 4 minutes)

Add the cabbage, peppers, yellow onion, and bok choy stalks. Cook for about 3 minutes or until cabbage is soft.

Stir in the broth/stock mixture and cook on high heat until the sauce is thickened.

Put noodles in individual serving bowls and add the meat/vegetables on top. Garnish with the white and green parts of the green onion. Bon Apetit!

Note: Kedai Pan Mee has a soft fried egg on top of the meat/vegetables if you desire. Also, if you don’t want it as a noodle dish, I have cooked the pork, cabbage, diced onion and peppers with the broth mixture and put it  in a small flour tortilla. Yummy.

I need a breather today from writing about current events, but if you want a good read about the tariff’s that Donald says he will put into effect on ‘day one,’ here is an article that gives some perspective on what to expect. I would bet that at least 70% of those in the “majority“ don’t have any idea how tariff’s work and what the effect might be come January 20^th.

https://www.oregonlive.com/nation/2024/11/who-pays-tariffs-and-what-do-they-accomplish-trumps-latest-tariff-plan-explained.html

Me thinks there will be lots of Corona and Dos Equis drinkers switching to Miller High Life after the 25% tariff on Mexican products goes into effect. And, forget about your guacamole and avocado toast. 90% of the avocados Americans consumed in 2022 were imported. Of the avocados imported into the US, 89% came from Mexico. Thinking about buying a new car? Better do it now.

Anyhoo. The good news for this holiday season is the price of turkeys are down 20% compared to recent years. Gasoline prices are down 26.7% from a year ago, and airfare is down 18.9%. Don’t get too comfortable, though, the tariff war will result in higher inflation and all that extra money we were told would be jumping into our wallet will be going to the producers who have paid the tariff.

I lied. I couldn’t help but do a little writing about our current events. I guess the Donald is rubbing off on me. I’d better watch out or I may pick up some of his other traits, but with my luck I would be found to not be above the law.

Have a wonderful evening and start prepping for Turkey Day!! Ziggyman

President-Elect Trump completed his Cabinet picks this weekend with the naming of Scott Bessent to lead the Treasury Department. From what I have read about Bessent, he doesn’t seem to be a controversial figure like several of the Cabinet nominees and the stock market seemed to approve with a nice northerly move today. As secretary of the treasury, he will be Trump’s chief economic policy advisor.  I have read and heard that he is experienced, professional and very knowledgeable about economics. What is really interesting about this pick is the fact that he worked for billionaire George Soros’s investment firm for many years. Soros is a well-known progressive Democrat who has given millions of dollars in support to liberal causes and is hated by Republicans. Bessent has also been a Democratic donor in the past. The other notable thing about him is that he is openly gay, which might put him at odds with some of the other socially conservative cabinet nominees. I heard from some analysts today that they believe he will temper some of Trump’s more extreme economic views, especially on tariffs, and be a voice of reason related to economic policy.

The other cabinet nominee announced was Lori Chavez-DeRemer for Labor Secretary. This was a big surprise to the business community and is already getting skeptical attention from the employer community because of her pro-union stance. She has been the U.S. House Representative for Oregon’s 5^th congressional district since 2023 and is probably one of the most pro-union Republicans in recent history. Now, if you are a conspiracy theorist  you might think that this was an idea put into Trump’s head by Elon Musk, who has historically been anti-union. He goes to Trump and says, “Ya know Donny Boy, the labor unions were pretty good to you during this election. Let’s reward them with a pro-union minion like that gal from Orygon.” But, Elon’s real objective is to hurt Uber, who he is in fierce competition with for the use of self-driving autos for ride sharing. If Uber drivers become unionized versus being gig workers, the profitability of Uber decreases and the company becomes less competitive with Tesla. I know, it’s pretty convoluted, but I can be a conspiracy theorist if I want to be.

I did a little research on Pam Bondi, Trump’s new nominee for AG, and boy oh boy, it looks like she already got to Jack Smith, the special counsel in the federal cases against Trump. In a past vow, she stated “The Department of Justice, the prosecutors will be prosecuted, the bad ones.” “The investigators will be investigated.”  She has been a Trump loyalist throughout her career and will probably follow in the footsteps of Bill Barr, his last AG, and be a minion for Trump’s desire to get retribution for those he considers his enemies. Today, Jack Smith, the special counsel, dropped all federal charges related to the election subversion case and the classified documents case. Once again, Donald Trump got away with it and we will have to sit back and watch Pam Bondi try to convict Jack Smith for working his ass off to show America that no one is above the law. It was a tough row to hoe for Smith as he had to try to do the job that Merrick Garland, a passive milquetoast, should have started doing in 2021; a Supreme Court that is as loyal to Trump as all of his new Cabinet; and, Judge Aileen Cannon, who is either incompetent or corrupt. So for doing his job, his life will be miserable for the next couple of years.

Had a great time at Skyway Bar and Grill last night watching the show put on by Petunia and the Vipers, one of our favorite bands from Canada. The band he put together for this show was one of the best group of musicians he has put together of the many times we have seen him perform. My favorite musician was the newest member of the band, playing clarinet, saxophone, and was killer on rhythm guitar. If you like rockin’ cowboy music, check out Petunia and the Vipers.

That’s enough rambling for today. Gotta go turn on the Chargers vs. Ravens game and hope Justin Herbert has as good a game as Bo Nix had yesterday. The Oregon Ducks do put out some outstanding quarterbacks. Have a great evening! Ziggyman

                                              What’s Ziggyman Reading?

I just finished The Bangtail Ghost by Keith McCafferty, the last in his Sean Stranahan series. Sean Stranahan is a painter, fly fisherman and private investigator who enjoys solving mysteries, often assisting Sheriff Martha Ettinger when the need arises. There is an attraction between Sean and the Sheriff that results in an ‘on again, off again’ relationship. If you love the great outdoors, the author tries to educate the reader with an aspect of the wilderness in each of the eight novels in the series. The Bangtail Ghost of this book is a mountain lion, so you learn lots about cougar behavior. Because many of the supporting characters are in each of the novels, I suggest you read the series in order. https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/keith-mccafferty/

Another novel I recently read was Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry. I was introduced to this author by my daughter several years ago when she was in a book group at Our Table Cooperative, a co-op of farmers in Sherwood, Oregon. Wendell Berry is an American novelist, poet, essayist, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer, whose writings tend to center around rural America.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendell_Berry. I enjoyed Hannah Coulter because the time period of the novel is similar to my life. A description of this book from the book jacket states, “In this latest installment of Wendell Berry’s acclaimed story about the citizens of Port William, Kentucky, Hannah Coulter sorts through her memories. Twice-widowed, alone, and in her late seventies, Hannah recalls childhood, young love and loss, raising children, and the changing of the seasons. She offers her steady voice as she contemplates the deterioration of community, with wise and often fiery opinions about the way things were, are, and might have been.” There are several other books in this series about the folks of the fictional rural town of Port William, Kentucky. The stories are told from the perspective of the Membership, a group of families that includes the Coulters, Catletts, and Feltners. If you were born in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, a time period that had black and white television, unpaved roads, social activities that included large family and neighbor gatherings, I think you would enjoy this book.

Finally, I have been reading novels by Richard Russo whose most well-known novel was probably Empire Falls for which he won a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2002 and was made into an HBO miniseries in 2005. Thus far, I have read Empire Falls, Mohawk, and The Risk Pool. The setting for each of these is upstate New York and are semi-autobiographical. Like Hanna Coulter, the time period of these three books is similar to my life. Mr. Russo is a year and a half younger than me so I can relate to many things in his novels. I am just beginning to read Nobody’s Fool, which was made into a movie in 1994 starring Paul Newman. In fact, Paul Newman starred in Empire Falls and another film, Twilight, co-written by Russo, and has his photo on the cover of Nobody’s Fool.

While we’re on the subject of reading, I just learned that the National Literacy Trust’s annual literacy survey found that only 35% of eight to eighteen year old’s enjoy reading in their spare time. There are probably many reasons for this, including the approaches to teaching reading today in the schools, which put an emphasis on targeting struggling readers; video entertainment from smartphones, computers, and game boxes; and, a lack of funding in some communities resulting in library closures. As a student in grade school in the 1950’s, I remember having to stand in front of the class and present my “Book Report,” a book picked out by me and read for pleasure. Research has shown many benefits of reading for enjoyment, including, academic achievement, social and emotional wellbeing, relaxation, and life satisfaction. I have many friends in my age group today who read for pleasure each day and enjoy talking about and sharing books with each other. It is alarming to me that only one in three kids today enjoy reading in their spare time. But, hey, why sit down and read when you can get all you need to know or be entertained by watching Fox News or CNN.

Well, I didn’t win the Make America Great Again bible. Pam Bondi, who the hell is she? I’ll need to do some research. I guess the two football clowns, Walker and Tuberville, are being considered for other positions in the Kakistocracy. I’m still thinking Tuberville for Secretary of Defense, as I see Hegseth following the path of Gaetz soon. Remember, Tuberville radically held up over 300 senior military promotions for over six months because he disagreed with the Pentagon’s abortion policy of reimbursing service members that travel across state lines for the procedure. He also has pissed off colleagues for saying “no one up here is more military than me.” Tuberville has never served in the military.

I guess that will do it for today. It’s raining out there, so I think I’ll pour myself a cup of coffee and sit down in my reading chair to enjoy a few more chapters of Nobody’s Fool. Have yourself a great weekend!! Ziggyman

BREAKING NEWS!!!

Actually it broke earlier this morning with the announcement that Matt Gaetz is withdrawing consideration to be the next Attorney General. If I was a betting man I would bet he didn’t want any chance of the investigation into his paying a teeny bopper to have a boinkin’ session, as well as payments to other women, to see the light of day. In my opinion, he will be rewarded with a position of some sort for his loyalty to tRump — it just won’t be one that needs a confirmation hearing. So the search begins to find a candidate for AG who is as wacky as the nominees for other positions. We could make a game of this and have you name the person you think will be the next nominee for AG. The winner could be awarded a “God Bless the USA” Bible, which also includes texts of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Pledge of Allegiance. Since they are printed in China, I would need to make the $59.99 purchase before the 60% tariff’s kick in. For my choice in this game I’m having a tough time deciding whether the nominee will be Herschel Walker or Tommy Tuberville. I think I’ll have to go with Herschel, because if the Fox Newsman doesn’t get confirmed for Secretary of Defense, then Tommy Tuberville will probably be the nominee. After all, he has said he was “more military” than other members of the Senate who have served our country. Tommy has never served in the military, but that doesn’t matter in Donald’s world, because he has never served either. Remember, our soon to be Commander in Chief thinks that fallen soldiers are “suckers” and “losers”.

I just read an article today in The Guardian and learned that there is actually a term for Trump’s clown picks and this shit show. My friends, the Word of the Day is “kakistocracy” and means Government by the worst, or as  Nancy Friedman wrote in 2016, “you could say that kakistocracy is ‘government by the shitty’.” https://nancyfriedman.typepad.com/away_with_words/2016/12/word-of-the-week-kakistocracy.html

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/21/trump-administration-kakistocracy

Well, that should be enough learnin’ for today. Kakistocracy is a pretty big word and I don’t want to overload your brain cells with this rambling. Time to go pour a cocktail and watch the 5:00 News to find out what the latest developments in the world are. Keep smilin’. Ziggyman

I had a busy day yesterday so didn’t have an opportunity to sit in front of the computer and put together some ramblings. My friend Special Ed stopped by the house to visit and while I was finishing up an email he went out and roamed the property, coming back in with these morsels – chanterelle mushrooms, cauliflower mushroom, and two highly prized matsutake mushrooms. Matsutake is the kind of mushroom that people in Japan go wild about. Because of their fragrant aroma and absurdly high price, they are considered the “King of Mushrooms,” with the price being upward of $1,000 per pound there. These two weighed just under a pound. Now to figure out how I am going to cook them.

While going through my Apple News later in the day, I saw that the Donald has picked Linda McMahon as his nominee for Education Secretary. She is probably more qualified than Betsy Devos, his first ED Secretary, because she is the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). I have been a school vice principal and principal, so I see the need to have someone as the head of the Department of Education with so much knowledge about wrestling. This pick is right in line as most of tRump’s other nominations, all having the distinction of being unqualified for the position and having either their own agenda or willing to sponsor tRump’s. Matt Gaetz as Attorney General would be the first attorney general in 20 years without prior Justice Department experience and has very little experience as an attorney. Probably the most experience he has had in the legal sense would be that of being investigated himself for sex trafficking. Gaetz said in a post on X that there needs to be a “full court press against this WEAPONIZED government that has been turned against our people.” “And if that means ABOLISHING every one of the three letter agencies, from the FBI to the ATF, I’m ready to get going!” If confirmed as attorney general, he would oversee both the FBI and the ATF. Then we have Kristi Noem for Homeland Security Director, who would oversee Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency responsible for enforcing U.S. immigration laws, as well as many other agencies, including the Secret Service. Probably her strongest qualification for this position was that she shot the family dog who she described as “untrainable.” ICE and Secret Service agents carry guns, so see, she’s qualified. I’m not even going to comment on RFK Jr. for health secretary  in charge of Health and Human Services. I can understand the reason he is such a wacko, after all, he does have a disability caused by a brain eating worm. Bobby once said an abnormality seen in a scan “was caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died.” Me thinks it ate more than a portion. Anyhoo, as you can see, the Trumpster is following the game plan of his strategist Steve Bannon and “flooding the zone with shit.” He probably expects that not all of his nominees will be confirmed, but, in the meantime he will continue to make nominations that are sure to get folk’s bowels in an uproar.

I need to end this rambling and prepare for the Trail Blazer game against Oklahoma City. Have a great evening and be sure to say your prayers at bedtime. Ziggyman

Winter weather has arrived on the mountain earlier than usual this year. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), the scientific government agency that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditions, charts the seas, and conducts deep-sea exploration, predicts a La Niña weather pattern this year, and for the Northwest that means colder and wetter than average. Woke up this morning to our first snowfall of the season, the earliest in a long time. I texted our daughter to have her let our grand dog, Charlie, know that winter play is just around the corner. I use information from NOAA frequently, both on the mountain and at the beach. Unfortunately, they are an agency that has the motto of “Science, Service, Stewardship.” You probably see where I’m going with this. Science – that’s bull pucky. Service – if it doesn’t serve me, get rid of it. Stewardship – how Woke. FYI, NOAA falls under the Department of Commerce, and do ya think that The Heritage Foundations Project 2025 has any ideas on what to do with that agency. You bet your sweet bippee they do. In Chapter 21 of the Project 25 document, titled Department of Commerce, ‘The Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise’, the plan for NOAA is stated as follows:

“The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
should be dismantled and many of its functions eliminated, sent to other
agencies, privatized, or placed under the control of states and territories.”

The document goes on to list the six main offices of the agency and then comments “Together, these form a colossal operation that has become one of the main
drivers of the climate change alarm industry and, as such, is harmful to future
U.S. prosperity.”

Perhaps there are some efficiencies that could and should be considered, but when I see statements that the climate change alarm industry is harmful to future U.S. prosperity, I think the opposite is true. I believe we are in the midst of climate change and if we don’t do something about it, U.S. prosperity is going to suffer.

Anyhoo, how did I get off on this tangent. I was just saying that it snowed overnight and I end up rambling about Project 2025 plans for NOAA. Wait until I start on the plan to eliminate the Federal Department of Education. We will save that for another day.

I hope you are having a great day and getting plans together for Turkey day next week. Oh, and how about them Trail Blazers. Won their third game in a row yesterday afternoon. And Go Ducks!!! Still #1. OSU Beavers – I’m sorry – hopefully your basketball season will be better than the football season. Keep smilin’ my friends. Ziggyman

Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday May 14, 2024

Had a phone call from a friend this morning letting me know I hadn’t posted for awhile. Yeah, I know. Been busy with other projects and then this week watching the impeachment proceedings. One thing I know for sure. If tRump’s defense team in this impeachment trial is the best he could get, he’s in deep doo-doo for what’s coming up in future civil and criminal trials for which he will be a defendant. It appears that he will be having some difficulty getting competent attorneys to represent him in the future. My friend also told me that he disagreed with my last post about the governor and the reopening of schools. He said that school districts weren’t prepared to reopen because they hadn’t properly planned and had not installed ventilation necessary for a safe reopening. I don’t know about the planning process for the many school districts in the State of Oregon, but I do know that as a result of the pandemic and the resulting loss of revenue for the state budget, school district funding has been hit hard. Just like other agencies, such and police and fire, 80 – 85% of budgets are for personnel costs, meaning salary and benefits. The cost of installing new ventilation systems in an existing school building with current budgets and the availability of contractors to do such installation in a timely manner is probably not feasible. That argument, however, was not my point in the post. My argument was that the governor was putting teachers ahead of seniors for vaccinations, in conflict with CDC recommendations and what other states were doing, with her expectation that schools would all of a sudden reopen because teachers were put in Group I. I don’t think it has anything to do with school districts not having plans to reopen schools as most school districts, in my opinion, do have plans. The reality is that teacher unions will make a voice in the process to reopen and I don’t think the governor and her advisors considered that could be a hiccup in her plan. News accounts have already proved my argument. I was also making the point that since she has made this decision, she better make damn sure that schools do reopen soon. If they don’t, then students and seniors are both getting short changed.

We’re at 16″ of snow tonight and will probably get another foot overnight. Keep smilin’. Ziggyman

Oh baby, that’s what I’m talkin’ about! We had this 9# pork shoulder roast in the freezer that the missus wanted out to make more room, so I took it out on Friday and began the thaw process. Yesterday morning I gave it a good coating of rub, let it sit for an hour while the Big Green Egg was getting to temperature, threw in a couple of handfuls of soaked hickory, and proceeded to smoke it at between 200 and 250 degrees for 7 hours. Doesn’t it look like something you’d like to have heaped on a nice bun with a layer of coleslaw and some barbecue sauce? Me too, and that’s just we did. Put a big scoop of potato salad next to it and it reminded me of the days we owned our delis. It was pretty doggone tasty.

I’ve become increasingly disturbed at some of the decisions the governor has made over the past couple of months related to the COVID-19 battle. The most recent doesn’t follow the guidelines of the CDC, as she made the decision to move teachers ahead of the elderly for receipt of vaccinations. Even though more than 90% of the people who have died of the coronavirus in Oregon were over 60 years of age, she has made the decision to deviate from CDC guidelines and vaccinate teachers first. Originally, the governor said teachers and residents over 65 would both be eligible at the same time, but last week rolled that back and said teachers would be eligible first, which is contrary to federal recommendations, contrary to Oregon’s own Vaccine Advisory Committee, and differs from what most other states are doing. I spent over 30 years in the field of education, so I’m not attacking teachers for moving up in line, but, in my opinion, her rationale in doing so is not going to get her desired effect. She says she made this decision so schools could soon reopen for in-school instruction. I predict that if schools do reopen this school year it will be the end of April or May for two reasons. First, the vaccination rollout in Oregon has been such a cluster— (you know what), teachers probably won’t get their full doses until early March. Secondly, teachers have said even if they get vaccinated, their students will not have been and they could end up spreading the virus at home to their unvaccinated parents or others in multigenerational homes. Educational and labor advisors to the governor should have made her aware that large school district teachers unions would probably fight the reopening of schools while the coronavirus is still out there. Perhaps they did and she didn’t listen. If, after making this bold decision, and if schools don’t reopen, then she should resign. She owns this decision and has the responsibility to make sure schools do reopen soon, otherwise she’s thrown senior Oregonians under the bus and will still not have gotten the job done of getting students back in the classroom, meanwhile many more elderly Oregonians will have probably been put six feet under. Just my opinion, folks.

Wow! Where did January go? It seems like we were just putting up the Christmas tree and here it is the First of February. At least we’ll have a Super Bowl to watch next Sunday. Go Kansas City!! (I hope someone reminds Mr. tRump that Kansas City is not in Kansas.) 🙂

Have a great evening, stay safe, and pray for a quick turn in line to roll up your sleeve. Ziggyman

Oh boy, this is going to complement tonight’s dinner. I found this recipe on a blog a couple of years ago for “Red Lobster Cheesy Biscuit Bread,” a copycat recipe for Red Lobsters famous cheese biscuits baked as a loaf of bread. I’ve made it several times and it’s ‘to die for.’ Don’t drool all over yourself now. Stay tuned for more bread baking adventures from Ziggyman. One of my Christmas gifts from the missus was a sourdough starter crock, whole wheat flour, and the book Breaking Bread: A Baker’s Journey Home in 75 Recipes. I have a batch of sourdough starter culture going and will soon be baking my first loaf of sourdough bread. Here comes the Pillsbury Dough Boy.

It’s been cold and snowy the past couple of days so the missus directed me to start the woodstove first thing in the morning and to keep it going all day until we go to bed. It’s so damn hot in here I have to shower twice a day. It does feel good though, especially when I come in from outside. I got another load of firewood on Saturday to start getting seasoned for next year, so I’ve spent the last couple of days filling the wheelbarrow and taking it out back to stack. Easy way to get my exercise and 10,000 steps in.

I’ve been reading, over the past few days, Parts I and II of the “2021 Roundtable,” an annual series of interviews with financial experts in Barron’s weekly magazine/newspaper. One of the more interesting questions to one of the participants, James Anderson, was not about finances or our economy, but rather the current state of our society.

“James, at the risk of injecting more politics into the discussion, your prediction of a low-level civil war in the U.S. for the next five years was rather disturbing. It is difficult to predict such things, but how do you see this playing out?”

Anderson: “History shows, whether in America in recent years or globally, that once you enter a period in which there is profound social and political division, and profound disrespect for the truth, that tends to carry on and multiply until you have a denouement to the system. We can still see those tensions increasing. The likelihood is that this will continue for at least another five years, until you see social and demographic change.”

Wow! After surviving the past four years, five more years of low-level civil war would be more than my psyche can handle. I don’t think he is wrong, however. After the events that occurred on January 6^th, and the lack of consequences for tRump by the Traitor Party, along with some of the responses they have made over the past week, I think we are on a path to more unrest. I saw a report today from The Department of Homeland Security that the U.S. faces heightened threats from domestic extremists following the breach of the Capitol. To add to this, the Traitor Party of Oregon is saying that the attack on the Capitol was a ‘false flag,’ meaning an operation to discredit tRump and his supporters brought about by anti-tRumpers. The endorsement of conspiracy theories by the GOP is laughable. One person’s tweet “Same Stupid. Different Day” describes it perfectly.

Anyhoo, time to go make a martini. Have a great evening.  Ziggyman