Month: September 2014

Amanda Green tagged me for the Character Blog Tour.  She introduced her character, Ashlyn Shaw here.

So, here’s mine, Richard Schneider, founder of the FTI Schneider dynasty, in the novel Survival Test.:

1) Is he a fictional or historic person.

Richard Schneider is a fictional character (dammit–I really want him or someone like him to be real).  He lives in the near future.

2) When/where is the story set.

The story is set in the mid-21st century in a collection of space stations, a nascent lunar base, and a mission to one of the Earth-Sun Trojan points to investigate to investigate a small cluster of asteroids recently discovered (in story time) to be captured there.

3) What should we know about him?

Schneider is an engineer with a passion for space.  He lost his first wife in an auto accident that also crippled his son.  In time he remarried and his wife shares his passion.  Together they founded FTI, “FutureTech Industries” to make cheap access to space and to begin exploiting space in a real way.  Making money is incidental to him.  He needs to turn a profit, and a substantial one, to keep the company going but it’s all for that end of opening up space to humanity.

4) What is the main conflict/what messes up his life.

War.  While Schneider, along with his wife and son from the first marriage, is touring the facilities he has built, and is building, in space, a limited nuclear war breaks out on Earth.  Limited it may be, but the main combatants have missile defense systems that they each use to deny the other, and anyone else, access to space.

None of the facilities in space are ready to be self sufficient.  There are experiments in space farming, a colony that’s only partially completed, some pilot industries in orbit and on the moon, but nobody’s ready for long term survival without support from Earth.  Unless they can cobble together an answer in time, they will all die.

5) What is the personal goal of the character.

Survival looms large, of course, highlighted by two of the people he loves more than any other face death with him.  He can take comfort that his two younger children are safe on Earth, but with the General in charge of the Air Force Aerospace Command being “sticky” he’s cut off from contact with them as well.

Beyond survival, continuing his mission of making a substantial human presence in space, heralding a new age of exploration and discovery, and a new frontier, is never far from his thoughts.

6) Is there a working title for the novel?  Where can we read more about it?

It’s a completed novel.  It’s available from Amazon, in trade paperback and for the Kindle.

As for who I’m tagging that would be Mark Wandrey and Mackey Chandler.

Mark Wandrey
Located in rural Tennessee, Mark Wandrey has been creating new worlds since he was old enough to write. After penning countless short stories, he realized novels were his real calling and hasn’t looked back since. A lifetime of diverse jobs, extensive travels, and living in most areas of the country have uniquely equipped him with experiences to color his stories in ways many find engaging and thought provoking. His current work is the “Earth Song” series, seven books placed in a future where an orphaned mankind must fight for its very existence in a hostile galaxy…

Check out his blog at: http://earthsongseries.blogspot.com/

Mackey Chandler
Mackey Chandler is retired, living in Rochester MI. His vision of things is shaped by a childhood of constant moving and an adult life of dozens of blue collar jobs. Plumber, mold maker, truck driver, mechanic, restaurant repair and aerospace machinist. Realtor and manifest clerk, motorcycle salesman and window washer are just a start. The variety of employment and wide travel shows up in a wide range of characters and social levels. This Human Wave science fiction books are all DRM free.

And his blog:  http://mackeychandler.com/

Enjoy. 

Moved to https://thewriterinblack.com/2017/05/17/nobody-wants-to-take-your-guns-2/ Look there for latest updates.

Whenever I, or others, object to “registration” or bans on transfers, or other forms of “gun control” and firearms restrictions as steps toward an eventual complete prohibition and the confiscation that such would necessarily entail, we get told we’re paranoid and “nobody wants to take your guns.”

Well, perhaps we should consider these “nobodies”:

“A gun-control movement worthy of the name would insist that President Clinton move beyond his proposals for controls … and immediately call on Congress to pass far-reaching industry regulation like the Firearms Safety and Consumer Protection Act … [which] would give the Treasury Department health and safety authority over the gun industry, and any rational regulator with that authority would ban handguns.” Josh Sugarmann (executive director of the Violence Policy Center)

“My view of guns is simple. I hate guns and I cannot imagine why anyone would want to own one. If I had my way, guns for sport would be registered, and all other guns would be banned.” Deborah Prothrow-Stith (Dean of Harvard School of Public Health)

“I don’t care if you want to hunt, I don’t care if you think it’s your right. I say ‘Sorry.’ it’s 1999. We have had enough as a nation. You are not allowed to own a gun, and if you do own a gun I think you should go to prison.” Rosie O’Donnell (At about the time she said this, Rosie engaged the services of a bodyguard who applied for a gun permit.)

“Confiscation could be an option. Mandatory sale to the state could be an option. Permitting could be an option — keep your gun but permit it.” Andrew Cuomo

“I do not believe in people owning guns. Guns should be owned only by [the] police and military. I am going to do everything I can to disarm this state.” Michael Dukakis

“If someone is so fearful that they are going to start using their weapons to protect their rights, it makes me very nervous that these people have weapons at all.” U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman

“In fact, the assault weapons ban will have no significant effect either on the crime rate or on personal security. Nonetheless, it is a good idea … Passing a law like the assault weapons ban is a symbolic – purely symbolic – move in that direction. Its only real justification is not to reduce crime but to desensitize the public to the regulation of weapons in preparation for their ultimate confiscation.” Charles Krauthammer, columnist, 4/5/96 Washington Post

“Ban the damn things. Ban them all. You want protection? Get a dog.” Molly Ivins, columnist, 7/19/94

“[To get a] permit to own a firearm, that person should undergo an exhaustive criminal background check. In addition, an applicant should give up his right to privacy and submit his medical records for review to see if the person has ever had a problem with alcohol, drugs or mental illness . . . The Constitution doesn’t count!” John Silber, former chancellor of Boston University and candidate for Governor of Massachusetts. Speech before the Quequechan Club of Fall River, MA. August 16, 1990

“I think you have to do it a step at a time and I think that is what the NRA is most concerned about. Is that it will happen one very small step at a time so that by the time, um, people have woken up, quote, to what’s happened, it’s gone farther than what they feel the consensus of American citizens would be. But it does have to go one step at a time and the banning of semiassault military weapons that are military weapons, not household weapons, is the first step.” Mayor Barbara Fass, Stockton, CA

“Handguns should be outlawed. Our organization will probably take this stand in time but we are not anxious to rouse the opposition before we get the other legislation passed.” Elliot Corbett, Secretary, National Council For A Responsible Firearms Policy (interview appeared in the Washington Evening Star on September 19, 1969)

“Banning guns addresses a fundamental right of all Americans to feel safe.” Senator Diane Feinstein, 1993

“If I could have gotten 51 votes in the Senate of the United States for an outright ban, picking up every one of them… ‘Mr. and Mrs. America, turn ’em all in, I would have done it. I could not do that. The votes weren’t here.” U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) CBS-TV’s “60 Minutes,” 2/5/95

“Banning guns is an idea whose time has come.” U.S. Senator Joseph Biden, 11/18/93, Associated Press interview

“Yes, I’m for an outright ban (on handguns).” Pete Shields, Chairman emeritus, Handgun Control, Inc., during a 60 Minutes interview.

“I am one who believes that as a first step, the United States should move expeditiously to disarm the civilian population, other than police and security officers, of all handguns, pistols, and revolvers… No one should have the right to anonymous ownership or use of a gun.” Professor Dean Morris, Director of Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, stated to the U.S. Congress

“I feel very strongly about it [the Brady Bill]. I think – I also associate myself with the other remarks of the Attorney General. I think it’s the beginning. It’s not the end of the process by any means.” William J. Clinton, 8/11/93

“The Brady Bill is the minimum step Congress should take…we need much stricter gun control, and eventually should bar the ownership of handguns, except in a few cases.” U.S. Representative William Clay, quoted in the St. Louis Post Dispatch on May 6, 1991.

“I don’t believe gun owners have rights.” Sarah Brady, Hearst Newspapers Special Report “Handguns in America”, October 1997

“We must get rid of all the guns.” Sarah Brady, speaking on behalf of HCI with Sheriff Jay Printz & others on “The Phil Donahue Show” September 1994

“The House passage of our bill is a victory for this country! Common sense wins out. I’m just so thrilled and excited. The sale of guns must stop. Halfway measures are not enough.” Sarah Brady 7/1/88

“I don’t care about crime, I just want to get the guns.” Senator Howard Metzenbaum, 1994

“We’re here to tell the NRA their nightmare is true…” U.S. Representative Charles Schumer, quoted on NBC, 11/30/93

“My bill … establishes a 6-month grace period for the turning in of all handguns.” U.S. Representative Major Owens, Congressional Record, 11/10/93

“I’m convinced that we have to have federal legislation to build on. We’re going to have to take one step at a time, and the first step is necessarily — given the political realities — going to be very modest. Of course, it’s true that politicians will then go home and say, ‘This is a great law. The problem is solved.’ And it’s also true that such statements will tend to defuse the gun-control issue for a time. So then we’ll have to strengthen that law, and then again to strengthen that law, and maybe again and again. Right now, though, we’d be satisfied not with half a loaf but with a slice. Our ultimate goal — total control of handguns in the United States — is going to take time. My estimate is from seven to ten years. The problem is to slow down the increasing number of handguns sold in this country. The second problem is to get them all registered. And the final problem is to make the possession of all handguns and all handgun ammunition — except for the military, policemen, licensed security guards, licensed sporting clubs, and licensed gun collectors — totally illegal.”Nelson T. Shields of Hangun Control, Inc. as quoted in `New Yorker’ magazine July 26, 1976. Page 53f

“Our goal is to not allow anybody to buy a handgun. In the meantime, we think there ought to be strict licensing and regulation. Ultimately, that may mean it would require court approval to buy a handgun.” President of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Michael K. Beard, Washington Times 12/6/93 p.A1

“Waiting periods are only a step. Registration is only a step. The prohibition of private firearms is the goal.” U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, December 1993

“The sale, manufacture, and possession of handguns ought to be banned…We do not believe the 2nd Amendment guarantees an individual the right to keep them.” The Washington Post – “Legal Guns Kill Too” – November 5, 1999

“There is no reason for anyone in the country, for anyone except a police officer or a military person, to buy, to own, to have, to use, a handgun. The only way to control handgun use in this country is to prohibit the guns. And the only way to do that is to Change the Constitution.” USA Today – Michael Gartner – Former president of NBC News – “Glut of Guns: What Can We Do About Them?” – January 16, 1992

“I would personally just say to those who are listening, maybe you want to turn in your guns,” Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, 2012

” 4. Any person who, prior to the effective date of this law, was legally in possession of an assault weapon or large capacity magazine shall have ninety days from such effective date to do any of the following without being subject to prosecution :
(1) Remove the assault weapon or large capacity magazine from the state of Missouri;
(2) Render the assault weapon permanently inoperable; or
(3) Surrender the assault weapon or large capacity magazine to the appropriate law enforcement agency for destruction, subject to specific agency regulations.” Legislation introduced in Missouri.2013

And you can repeat the exact same thing for Minnesota

“Since assault weapons are not a major contributor to US gun homicide and the existing stock of guns is large, an assault weapon ban is unlikely to have an impact on gun violence. If coupled with a gun buyback and no exemptions then it could be effective.” NIJ Memo on a new “Assault Weapon” Ban. 2013

“The sheriff of the county may, no more than once per year, conduct an inspection to ensure compliance with this subsection” (Warrantless searches by law enforcement?) Washington State Senate Bill 5737 (2013)

“the state of Iowa should take semi-automatic weapons away from Iowans who have legally purchased them prior to any ban that is enacted if they don’t give their weapons up in a buy-back program.  Even if you have them, I think we need to start taking them,” Iowa state Rep. Dan Muhlbauer (D-Manilla) 2013

California Senate Bill 374 (Steinberg 2013) would expand the definition of “Assault Weapons” to include ALL semi-auto rifles (including rimfire calibers) that accept a detachable magazine.

SB374 would ban on the sale and possession of ALL Semi-Auto rifles and require registration to retain legal possession in the future. California Senate Bill 47 (Yee 2013) would expand the definition of “Assault Weapons” to include rifles that have been designed/sold and or equipped to use the “bullet button” or similar device.

SB47 would ban on the sale and possession of ALL those Semi-Auto rifles and require registration to retain legal possession in the future.

California Assembly Bill 174 (Bonta 2013) would ban the possession of any firearms that were “grandfathered “ for possession if registered in previous “Assault Weapons” gun control schemes. 

Californians that trusted the State of California and registered their firearms will be required to surrender the firearms to the Government or face arrest. Passage of AB174 would make SB374/SB47 (above) into confiscation mandates.

California Senate Bill 396 (Hancock 2013) would ban the possession of any magazine with a capacity to accept more than 10 cartridges. ALL currently grandfathered “high-cap” magazines would become ILLEGAL to possess and the owners subject to arrest and the magazines confiscated. (“High-cap” means a capacity that has been standard, that the firearms were designed for, since the 40’s–AK pattern rifles–or 60’s–AR pattern rifles.)

“We want everything on the table. This is a moment of opportunity. There’s no question about it…We’re on a roll now, and I think we’ve got to take the–you know, we’re gonna push as hard as we can and as far as we can.” Illinois Rep Jan Schakowsky says assault rifle ban just the beginning, ‘moment of opportunity’ and seeks to ban handguns (2013).

“People who own guns are essentially a sickness in our souls who must be cleansed.” Colorado Senator (Majority Leader) John Morse. 2013 (Cleansed?  “Final Solution” anyone?)

“We needed a bill that was going to confiscate, confiscate, confiscate.”  Discussion among Senator Loretta Weinberg (D37), Senator Sandra Cunningham (D31), Senator Linda Greenstein (D14) of New Jersey’s State Legislature, May 9, 2013

“No one in this country should have guns.” Superior Court Judge, Robert C. Brunetti, Bristol, CT. September, 2013

Proposed Missouri Bill to ban “assault weapons“: 4. Any person who, prior to the effective date of this law, was legally in possession of an assault weapon or large capacity magazine shall have ninety days from such effective date to do any of the following without being subject to prosecution:
(1) Remove the assault weapon or large capacity magazine from the state of Missouri;
(2) Render the assault weapon permanently inoperable; or
(3) Surrender the assault weapon or large capacity magazine to the appropriate law enforcement agency for destruction, subject to specific agency regulations.

New York sends out Confiscation letters.

“It is extremely important that individuals in the state of California do not own assault weapons. I mean that is just so crystal clear, there is no debate, no discussion,” Leland Yee, California State Senator.

Shannon Watts (head of “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense”): “@MikeBloomberg and I want guns gone. Period. It doesn’t matter what it takes.” (Twitter, 2014).

“Upon review of all the parties’ evidence, the court seriously doubts that the banned assault long guns are commonly possessed for lawful purposes, particularly self-defense in the home, which is at the core of the Second Amendment right, and is inclined to find the weapons fall outside Second Amendment protection as dangerous and unusual.” U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake. (The “assault weapons” being described are semi-automatic weapons–meaning one shot fired per pull of the trigger–of fairly modest power, near the low end of center fire rifles.)  As for the claim that said weapons are not particularly useful for home defense.  I address that here. “

2. No person, corporation or other entity in the state of Missouri may manufacture, import, possess, purchase, sell, or transfer any assault weapon or large capacity magazine.” Bill introduced in Missouri House.

NJ.com editorial boards advocates for “mandatory gun buybacks”. http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/09/nj_gun_buyback_programs.html “So do all the voluntary gun buybacks you want. But until they are mandatory, and our society can see past its hysteria over “gun confiscation,” don’t expect it to make much difference.”

“Gun Surrender” without the anonymous provision:
“We’ll take that weapon into safekeeping as a matter of practice. It’s pretty easy,” he said of the surrender process. “We are working to find ways in which we can make it easier for people to turn in weapons and firearms.”
Callers will provide their name, telephone number and address, and the reason for surrender. Once the firearm has been checked to see if it was involved in a crime police will mark it for destruction.
(So, basically, people with illegal guns, or guns used in crime, will stay away in droves.  The only purpose of such a provision is to take legally owned guns from people.)

Another shooting in another “gun-free zone” (Florida requires guns on college campuses to be locked up and cannot be carried) leads to calls for gun prohibition:
“I’m talking about flat-out banning the possession of handguns and assault rifles by individual citizens. I’m talking about repealing or amending the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.”

Another one who clings to the “The Second only applies to government ‘militias'” creed (never mind that the first time that came up was in the Miller case in 1939 and the Supreme Court’s decision, despite the government arguing their case unchallenged, was only on the basis of whether the weapon had a militia use, not whether the deceased Miller (why his side wasn’t even presented) had been a member of a proper militia and so, given the Supreme Court’s returning to the original, plain meaning of the Second in Heller and McDonald decisions sees only one possibility (recognizing the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is apparently not on the table):
“Repeal the stupid Second Amendment.” Article in Wisconsin Gazette.
Note:  Normally I reserve this page for explicit calls for gun confiscation and the author of this article doesn’t explicitly call for such.  But I figure a complete repeal of the 2nd could really only be for one purpose.  So I’ll allow this one.  I’m not, however, going to include every such call for repeal.  Let this one stand for the idea.  I’ll unbend occasionally when something is egregious enough, but this page is for calls for actual confiscation.

“An advisory panel charged with looking at public safety in the wake of the deadly Newtown school shooting agreed Friday to include in its final report a recommendation to ban the sale and possession of any gun that can fire more than 10 rounds without reloading.” (Banning possession means you can’t have it.  I.e. they’ve taken it whether directly or by forcing you to get rid of it yourself.)

“Let’s say that one again: A gun-free society.” From an article in The Washington Post.

“In other words, yes, we really do want to take your guns.” Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo.

“I urge President Obama to ban firearm possession in America. He is the president of the United States. He can change the country. He can do it today. I believe in him.”  Opinion piece in Democrat & Chronicle, a Gannet Company (Gannet publishes a number of “mainstream” newspapers).  This individual appears to be a bit weak on how lawmaking works in this country but the sentiment is there.

“I don’t know enough details to tell you how we would do it or how it would work, but certainly the Australia example is worth looking at,” Clinton said at a New Hampshire town hall on Friday. (“Australian example” is confiscation–they may pay what the government thinks is a “fair” amount, for it but the end result is that the gun is gone.)

Some older ones recently brought to my attention:
“Guns are a virus that must be eradicated.”—Dr. Katherine Christoffel, pediatrician, in American Medical News, January 3, 1994.  In the 1990s Dr. Christoffel was the leader of the now-defunct HELP Network, a Chicago-based association of major medical organizations and grant seekers advancing gun control in the medical media.  The name HELP was an acronym for Handgun Epidemic Lowering Plan.

“Data on [assault weapons’] risks are not needed, because they have no redeeming social value.—Jerome Kassirer, M.D., former editor, New England Journal of Medicine, writing in vol. 326, no. 17, page 1161 (April 23, 1992).

“Certain kinds of weapons, like the slightly modified combat rifles used in California, and certain kinds of ammunition, must be outlawed for civilian ownership. It is possible to define those guns in a clear and effective way and, yes, it would require Americans who own those kinds of weapons to give them up for the good of their fellow citizens.” New York Times editorial
(Emphasis added in the above).

“Screw The NRA! It’s Time To REPEAL The Second Amendment Once And For All” This one’s a little harder to accept into this list.  In the article they author claims not supporting summarily banning all firearms, but really, banning is the only justification for a repeal of the 2nd.  Look, may think it’s unnecessary but the 2nd is there.  Even if you don’t care for it, it does no harm unless you’re planning on banning.  Therefore any call for a repeal of the 2nd Amendment is a call for prohibition and to “take your guns”.  And saying that it’s not all the guns does not justify it.

“We should, that is, seek to ‘control’ access to them and their use. But even that’s not going far enough. We should get rid of them, that is, ban them. Guns create too many problems, promote too much fear, and lead to too many deaths to not consider banning them. Perhaps they were necessary at some point in our history, but let’s declare that that time has run its course.” Salon

“As a person of principle let me be very clear to any “conservatives” who troll the Kos for proof that liberals want to take away thier guns.  Here you go conservatives:  We liberals really do want to take away your guns and never let you have them back.“ They go into a lot of “ifs” after that, but they ring a little hollow after this bold statement.

“Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh … also provided his opinion of the Second Amendment, stating that ‘we should ban guns altogether, period.'” In a hidden camera interview.

“Needed: Domestic Disarmament, Not ‘Gun Control’ That headline pretty much says it all.

an guns. All guns. Get rid of guns in homes, and on the streets, and, as much as possible, on police. Not just because of San Bernardino, or whichever mass shooting may pop up next, but also not not because of those. Don’t sort the population into those who might do something evil or foolish or self-destructive with a gun and those who surely will not. As if this could be known—as if it could be assessed without massively violating civil liberties and stigmatizing the mentally ill. Ban guns! Not just gun violence. Not just certain guns. Not just already-technically-illegal guns. All of them. ”  Article in The New Republic

“What has to go?
All magazine fed, self-loading firearms.
Yes, that means handguns too.
Yes, that includes your 4 shot Remington hunting rifle.
Yes, that includes rigid controls on police firearms.

Your 5 shot revolver can go home with you officer, your 17 shot handgun stays inside the armory of the police station.  Armory, not your locker.  Signed-in, signed-out, via proximity card reader, with real-time computer controls at the State and Federal levels.” Daily Kos

“We could use a President who was, like, ‘OK. Everybody turn in all your guns tomorrow by 5 p.m. After that, if I catch you with a gun then I’m sending SEAL Team Six to your house with a recent Facebook picture of you and those tanks that shoot fire that we haven’t used since Waco — Ummm — I mean since World War II.'” CNN Commentator W. Kamau Bell

“Obama is not going to take away America’s guns. I would argue that he should” Daily Beast Columnist Barrett Holmes Pitner 

“Bans on the manufacture and sale of all semiautomatic and other military-style guns and government offers to buy back any rifle or pistol in circulation. It won’t solve the problem, but Australia proved that such programs can help reduce gun deaths.” NY Times writer Thomas L. Friedman (Anyone who invokes Australia is calling for confiscation.)

“Given that even micro gun control measures will be effectively blocked by the NRA and its allies, and that promoting mini measures as potentially effective is misleading, progressives may as well go for the big enchilada: Call for domestic disarmament.”

“If I could I would take all the guns in America, put them on big barges, and go dump them in the ocean,” says Walker in the above video from the Oregonian. “Nobody would have a gun. Not police, not security, not anybody. We should eliminate all of them.” Multnomah County Circuit (Oregon) Judge Kenneth Walker
“But nobody wants to take our guns?”

Another holiday season recipe.  This time, low-carb poultry stuffing.

Unlike most stuffing recipes, this one doesn’t use bread.  It’s got a delightful mix of textures and flavors, especially when it’s absorbed flavor from the bird.  If you don’t like to actually stuff the bird, you can do it as a stove-top recipe by adding a bit of chicken or turkey broth to it.

Ingredients:
1 lb sausage
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped portobello mushrooms.
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped walnuts (I’ve also used hazelnuts to good effect)
Optional (“stove top” version):  1/2 cup chicken or turkey broth

Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it into crumbles.
Using a slotted spoon or spatula lift out the sausage, leaving the drippings behind, and place it in a large mixing bowl.
Add the chopped onion to the skillet.  Cook until transparent.
Add the remaining ingredients (you used a large enough skillet, didn’t you?)  And stir them together with the onions for about two minutes.
Optional:  add the broth and cook an additional two minutes, stirring constantly.

This produces enough dressing to stuff a 20 lb bird.  Note, if stuffing a bird, do not use the broth.  It will pick up the poultry flavor from the bird itself.

Enjoy.

The holiday season is creeping up on us.

I grew up with big holiday feasts.  Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, candied yams, Pumpkin Pie and, well, all sorts of big, heavy, yummy, foods.

Nowadays I can’t eat like that.  Carbs.  Sugar.  Bad juju for the diabetic writer.

So I had to find substitutes.  And that brings us to one of those substitutes today, a side dish to go with your main entree.

Green beans sauteed with bacon and garlic.

This is relatively simple, in keeping with the “active writer” aspect, but quite tasty.

Ingredients:
4 slices bacon
1/4 cup finely minced onion.
2 Tbsp minced garlic (I’ve mentioned that I like garlic, right?)
1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed.

Fry the bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat until crispy.  Remove from the pan, leaving the grease, and set aside.
Add the onion and the garlic to the pan.  Stir-fry until the onion is softened.
Add the green beans to the pan.  Stir fry until they’re bright green. (You’ll recognize the color change when you see it.)
Turn the heat to low.
Crumble the bacon.  If it doesn’t crumble into small pieces, chop.
Add the bacon to the green beans and toss together.
Transfer to a serving dish and set out alongside the rest of your feast.  And it will be a feast.

Enjoy.

Another late post.  Sorry about that.

This time:  Slow roasted barbecue pork ribs.

Now, purists will say that the best way to serve pork ribs is slow grilled over hardwood coals, slathered with the sauce of your choice until they’re cooked through and the sauce is well carmelized.

I agree.

Unfortunately, we can’t always do that for whatever reason.  I find these an acceptable substitute.

The first thing we need is my pork spice rub.

Here’s how you make that:

SPICE RUB
2 tablespoon dried parsley
2 tablespoon dried thyme
2 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoon dried paprika
2 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoon onion powder
2 Tbsp kosher salt
2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Mix the ingredients in a small bowl.
Put in a shaker jar of the type used for coarse spices.  I use one that had originally been used with a commercial “rib rub.” It was okay but, frankly, I like mine better.
To use, sprinkle liberally over the pork and rub into the surface.

Next, you’ll need a low-carb barbecue sauce.  My recipe for that can be found here.

Now for the ribs.

Ingredients:
1 rack of baby back pork ribs
Spice Rub
Barbecue Sauce
Leave in meat thermometer. (I love my Polder.)

You can see that if you already have the spice rub and the barbecue sauce, this is a very simple recipe.

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Farenheit (About 110 C)
Liberally coat both sides of the ribs with the spice rub.  Rub it into the meat well.
Place the ribs in a roasting pan.
Insert the leave-in thermometer into the meat so that the tip is in the middle and halfway between two of the ribs.
Cover the pan with foil.
Place the pan with the ribs into the oven.
Cook until the thermometer reads 160 degrees Farenheit (about 72 C).
Remove from the oven.
Turn on the broiler and let it heat while you proceed with the next step.
Uncover the ribs and coat both sides liberally with barbecue sauce.
Place under the hot broiler for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce is carmelized to taste.  I like it where it’s just starting to blacken at the edges.
Remove the ribs, turn them, and repeat on the other side.
Remove from the oven.  Cut into individual ribs, and serve hot.

Enjoy.