Thursday, February 3, 2022

A couple of thoughts on a winter day

 


I made a good batch of chili the other day, just in time for an early February snowstorm in my area. 

I'm one of those people who believe there's no such thing as a bad bowl of chili. I say the same thing about pizza. Friends tell me they only enjoy chili at certain times of year - early autumn and during the winter months.

I enjoy chili year round. During warmer months I might make a batch featuring chicken or ground turkey. I've made batches that included ground sirloin and ground pork. I've made batches without beans (the way my relatives in Texas tell me chili must be made), and I've made a batch or two that includes two or three different types of beans (the way my Italian friends tell me chili must be made). 

I'm partial to a recipe that calls for ground beef, chili beans, onions, and red and green peppers. It's a recipe I grew up and still enjoy, even when my Texas relatives call it a chili of "Northern aggression." 

Confirming what we suspected:

Researchers at John Hopkins University released a study that concluded the lock-downs ordered during the first wave of Covid-19 in 2020 had little impact in the fight against the virus, a matter many already believed to be true. 

Like most I complied with the orders because I had little choice the matter, and I put faith in the medical and science experts who were leading the fight against a virus we knew little about. And I think that was the right thing to do at the time. 

However, if additional research supports the findings of the John Hopkins' study, I hope that truth is widely shared and recognized. 

Interesting but not exactly meaningful

USA Today offered a report that named some of the "winners and losers" of this year's national signing day for college football. The report had a few good observations, I thought, but missed the mark on others. 

I'm not sure signing day remains as important as it once was, particularly when we factor in the college football transfer portal, which allows the big stars of last year's signing day to transfer to another school this year.

I enjoy reading these reports and even the early power rankings, but I keep in mind that it's all speculation. It's good material for the sports writers and bloggers, and it's interesting to college football fans like myself. As my Uncle Ernie was always fond of saying about such things, "Nothing really matters until the whistle blows at the start of the first real game of the season." 

-- Thank you for reading. Comments and questions are always welcome. Leave a message here or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com.



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