yoyolll

Hitchhiker’s Guide

Songs of Conquest if you’re looking at turn based 4X games.

I believe the N64 was huge in the US, Canada, and Japan, but PlayStation dominated that generation overall. I always preferred the PS graphics, the library, and the controller personally.

It’s kinda weird that the N64 seems to have a much bigger legacy. I think it’s because of Nintendo’s ability to make timeless games that are remembered more fondly than PS ones, but I would argue that games like Spyro, Tekken 3, GT2, and SotN aged just as gracefully as the N64 classics like SM64, Smash, Mario Kart, and OoT. Plus you can play them on a normal controller.

Everyone likes to circlejerk about revolution or whatever, but for 99.9% of people in developed countries, life is too good to put it on the line.

I like dunking on poor journalism as much as the next guy but Microsoft isn’t just some local office in Redmond. They’re a giant international megacorp with 200k+ employees. Their PR is 24/7. If they didn’t respond immediately, it means they don’t care to.

Bean, chickpea, and lentil dishes last a week in the fridge (probably more tbh).

Also, if you have a desk/cube, a great tip I picked up from a vegan friend is to keep a jar of peanut butter and a spoon in your drawer. Before I became remote, I would eat about 2 tablespoons at 10, 3, and 5. Probably not quite as good as the protein balls but cheap and effective.

This means people in the test market are clicking on those ads. Not much we can do about it at that point - it works therefore they’ll use it.

Getting two birds stoned at once.

For lentil soup you need:

As much chopped leeks as you can handle. Should cover the bottom of the pot at least. Leeks are huge, cheap, delicious, and freeze really well chopped, so I always keep them stocked. You can use onions instead, but I think leeks are much better for soup.

2-3 medium carrots, quarter slices

2-3 celery, sliced

2-3 cloves garlic

2 cups dry/raw green or brown lentils or split green peas

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup pearled barley or orzo pasta (or other pasta/grain, or just use more lentils)

Half bunch kale leaves in bite size pieces

Extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon or white vinegar

Salt, pepper, paprika

Optionally, bay leaves and turmeric

Step 1: heat a pot with oil and cook your leeks, carrots, and celery until soft. Leeks cook a bit longer.

Step 2: add the spices and let them bloom. Add tomato paste and stir until sauce forms.

Step 3: stir in lentils/peas and barley/orzo.

Step 4: add 7 cups water (adjust to preference) and bring to a boil, then let simmer. Cook for 30-45 minutes (or 15-20 in pressure cooker) depending on the lentils/peas you picked. Lentils are done when they are just about bursting.

Step 5: add lemon and kale

Obviously, a lot of this is to taste. If you don’t have good fresh veggies, the broth can be a little flavorless. You can add a bit more lemon and salt, or bullion if it’s really bland. If you know the veggies aren’t great, just use more of them in the first step. You can also use less water.

You can broil the kale with a bit of olive oil and salt for 3-4 minutes until it’s crispy before adding to the soup. This will give it a less fibrous, more crunchy character.

Sure. I posted the “formula” these recipes below:

1. Fry hard veggies in oil until soft - can be onions, leeks, carrots, celery, potatoes etc.

2. Add spices, soft veggies, and/or pastes and stir to form a sauce - tomatoes, peppers, garlic, ginger, etc.

3. Stir in your beans/chickpeas/lentils/peas. Most beans should be cooked, lentils and peas usually can be dry/raw.

4. Add water, bring to a boil, and simmer. Amount and time depends on if you want a soup, stew, or just some sauce.

5. Add leafy greens and anything that should be dissolved - spinach, kale, lemon, vinegar, sugar, cilantro etc.

So here is a really simple one I make at least once a week, as you can eat it hot or cold, with or without rice. It makes a great packed lunch. You can make the beans or chickpeas ahead of time or use a 30 oz can, but cooking them is much cheaper. Either way, make sure you rinse them off. I put in 1 cup dry beans/chickpeas (makes 3 cups cooked) in my Instant Pot with 4 cups water for 25 minutes for beans, 35 for chickpeas, instant release. Then I use the pot to cook the meal.

Also, you can chop and freeze most hard veggies (carrots, leeks, onions, celery, ginger, garlic). They aren’t as good as fresh, but it’s a lot more convenient if you have to cook after work.

This recipe is really flexible so I’ll just tell you what I do, but the ratios are all preference:

1 large onion, finely chopped

Equivalent amount of carrot, quarter slices

3 cups cooked pinto beans or chickpeas

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed

3 tablespoons tomato or red pepper paste (I use half of each but red pepper paste can be hard to find in US grocery stores)

Juice of 1 lemon or white vinegar

1.5 tablespoon sugar

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Optionally, bay leaves, paprika, and parsley

Step 1: frying hard veggies. Heat up a medium or large pot (stainless is best but any material will do) and add enough olive oil to fully cover the bottom and a bit more. It might be more oil than you think you’ll need. Fry your onions until soft.

Side note about onions: you can cook them quickly in 5-10 minutes at medium-high heat. They are ready when soft and translucent. But if you have the time and want a complex flavor in your dish, you can cook them for up to 20-30 minutes at low heat. Always salt them to help draw out the water.

Either way, add the carrots when the onions are almost done (2-3 minutes left).

Step 2: make the sauce. Add your garlic and let it cook a bit until fragrant. Add black pepper and optionally a couple of bay leaves and paprika. Stir for 30 seconds to let the spices bloom and then add your tomato/pepper paste and stir continuously until a sauce forms. About 1-2 minutes. The oil should be reddish.

Step 3: add the beans. Just stir them in and make sure they are covered in the sauce.

Step 4: water. Add 3 cups water (less if you’re in a hurry) and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Step 5: anything that should be added to the water. Add the sugar and lemon/vinegar. This is really to taste, so you can add more when it’s almost done if it needs it. It should be just a little sweet and tangy. You can also add leafy greens like kale or spinach, but I don’t add them if I plan on eating it cold later.

Let it simmer until it’s a very beany stew (not a soup), but at the very least 10 minutes. It should be a little watery. Check the flavor and add salt, pepper, sugar, lemon/vinegar, or olive oil as needed. Parsley makes a great garnish.

This can be eaten hot or cold, with or without rice. Will keep about a week in the fridge.

I’ll reply below with a lentil soup recipe that’s more or less the same thing.

I love reading judgy comments from people sitting on their ass watching a stranger do something incredible.

The majority of the aluminum in circulation in the US is recycled. It’s significantly more than even glass and paper. The reason is because it’s much cheaper to use recycled aluminum than raw.

But you’re right when it comes to plastic.