Considerations

1. Oh, I love that kiss my ass quote! I might have to print that out and stick it on my front door.

   Of course you put vinegar on chips. Salt and vinegar only. Ketchup on the side for dipping.

   My wolfit ran up to some millennials in the park the other day who were hanging around drinking beers and being loud in that youthful way.

   “Don’t worry,” I said. “He’s not gonna hurt you.” I reassured as they stood there looking a bit terrified.

   “Not unless I say the magic word…”

   “What’s the magic word?” they asked tentatively.

   Seriously? Thick as ****

   • Lucifer, the wolf, would tear them to pieces if they attacked you. I think that people instinctively understand that at a deep genetic level.

     Your preference for chips with salt and vinegar on them with some sauce on the side (including ranch or blue cheese dressing) is very civilized.

     • I’m with Jules on this. Has to be malt vinegar tho.

   • I’ve done it. Malt vinegar. Don’t really like to hide the taste of a perfect french fry with anything but salt, though.

     • Well, of course malt vinegar, and there is the question of whether it’s sprinkled or the fries are bathed in it. Volume is important and using it sparingly is better.

2. No to vinegar and ketchup on my fries. I don’t care for the former and the latter is too bland. My preference is a good Kansas City style BBQ sauce, Gates Extra Hot being my choice. Honey mustard is a good alternative.
   Firearms sales are indeed up and certain ammo is more difficult to find these days. I’ve seen that in an uptick in obvious novices at the range. I don’t mind helping these people out, but you should have some basic idea of how your firearm is operated before you arrive.

   • Yes, newbies to firearms (who take their understanding from watching television) are more dangerous to themselves than anyone else.

     • The range I used to frequent back in SoCal had a Range Master and staff that were constantly on the lookout for people doing Bad Things on the range like holding the gun sideways, moving it around as they fired, and acting like gang bangers. People exhibiting that type of behavior were first politely asked if they needed some help in how to properly hold their weapon, and then depending on their response were either given some free instruction, handed a brochure on “First Steps”, or asked to leave.

       Half gratefully accepted the instruction and usually signed up for some classes.

       The other half left and were never seen again…..

       • I ran into bangers, honing their skills at the Lyttle Creek (Cajon Pass) range.

       • The range I work at is in a rural setting and so far nearly everyone I’ve encountered there has been polite and friendly. Just about all the newbies I encounter fess up to it and willingly accept help. Folks like that I’m happy to help and send on their way with an at least basic understanding of the platform.

3. Anything you want on fries is fine, for now. The Thought Police haven’t got around to them yet, being busy elsewhere. Enjoy them the way you want, for now.

   • Soon, there will be a right and wrong way to prepare eggs, and there will be condiment police. As you say, not yet.

4. Depends on the fries…ketchup for most bought ones, but for proper homemade “chips”, I’m with Jules for zing.

   Great quote…might be time to go John Galt.

   Adding insult to injury of the willful destruction of everything American, we now have the decision for no adult beverages on planes to avoid “close contact” due to COVID. Can things get any more stupid? Probably.

   • Oh, yeah, they can get a lot more stupid.

     And Billy the Kid said that, “The stupider people are, the more surprised they are when you kill them.”

     I went Galt to the extent possible.

     This morning I spent four hours paddling my canoe in Blue Ridge Reservoir (not far from the house), trying to forget how messed up things were. Then I loaded it up took the rig home and them took the car into town for supplies. Even going Galt, I’m on the leash to basic supplies.

5. I’ve know two people who took mayonnaise with their french fries as a dipping sauce.

   • The closest to that I got was dipping in Ranch. I usually don’t do that, but I have. Same with blue cheese dressing.

     • I hate when a couple otherwise perfect fries end up in the mayo cup I didn’t want with my to go burger.

       • I don’t put mayo on a burger, a hot dog, or anything like that, but I put it in a tuna salad mix.

6. i sometimes have gravy on my fries, or even mustard, but never vinegar…..be a good time for china or gates to pop a few emp weps over us. one of my daily reads is predicting just that in the next 3 months. imagine lights-out with all this going on……the horror, the horror….. you reckon any civilians have nukes? they have their own bioweapons lab so… the mrs. says the dims want us shooting at each other so they can go full martial law n pick up our guns. they may be that stupid.

   • Does a steel roof help to defend against EMP? I honestly don’t know but it might have some effect.

     Gravy on fries is just delicious. I first started eating them that way in Georgia. Not that I’d go back to Georgia to get a side of brown gravy with my fries.

     • A steel roof could help if it were properly grounded and you had a perimeter ground.

       That would be a LOT of work to put in considering what you have for “soil” there. You have to jackhammer trenches down about 18″, lay large diameter copper bars/pipes in the trenches, and then fill the trenches with Bentonite clay. Oh, and ALL the connections have to be bolted, or much more preferably, welded.

       You’re basically installing a ground system like the one on Mount Wilson the broadcasters use.

       • That’s way too much work, DRJIM. As you point out, it would require a significant backhoe work. Jackhammering would take weeks if I had to do the perimeter. When we laid down the footings we could blast first.

         • Yep, it’s a backbreaking job to do a perimeter ground properly in your type of soil, not to mention expensive.

           If you have any sensitive electronics that you might really NEED to use in the event of an EMP, put them in a steel container and close the lid. If you’re really paranoid, you can tape the seams shut with adhesive-backed aluminum foil tape like they use in HVAC.

           Ammo can to garbage can, depending on the size of the article you need to shield. Ignore the BS about special metals (like”Mu Metal”) for the containers. Regular old steel works fine.

7. Vinegar works for me, as does catsup, but I have the fondest memories of the frites (fries, just never call them ‘French fries’ in Belgium, DAMHIK) and the various sauces one could put on the frites.

   • The VERY best thing to put on papas fritas is chimichuri sauce.

8. Now you are talking! Uruguayan Chimichurri is the best (I am biased, grew up there). It also goes like gangbusters on proper Chorizo made with nice chunks of diced fat in the local varieties of Chorizo (what Mexico calls Chorizo is nothing close).

   • How is Uruguayan Chimichurri different than Argentine Chimichurri?

9. Actually, if the fries need anything on them, it’s BBQ Sauce.

   • The war continues…

10. I’m offended, too; but I’m not getting what I want. I must be doing it wrong.
    I’ve never considered vinegar for anything other than pickles and canning.
    Good reading, as always.

    • Malt vinegar and salt, sprinkled over freshly cooked french fries is not bad. You can also dip them in a sauce of your choosing as well. I didn’t think that I’d like fried green tomatoes but I love them. Same with fried pickles. Sometimes you have to step out of the box and give it a try.

11. DRJIM, I have used steel ammo cans (.30 and the larger .50) as Faraday cages for the purpose of protecting electronics. I don’t have a lot of sensitive gear, but what I have is there. Hardening the house against EMP is sort of a bridge too far for me.

12. Vinegar on cooked spinach.

    Paul L. Quandt

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