”On this day in 1937, a massive explosion caused the steel-framed school building in New London, in Rusk County, to collapse, killing a reported 298 people. It was the worst school disaster in United States history. Of the 500 students in the building, only about 130 escaped serious injury. The explosion, which was heard four miles away, occurred when a manual-arts teacher turned on a sanding machine and inadvertently ignited a mixture of gas and air. Three days after the explosion, inquiries were held to determine the cause of the disaster. Investigators learned that in January 1937, to save gas expenses of $300 a month, the school board and superintendent had authorized plumbers to tap a residue gas line of H. L. Hunt's Parade Gasoline Company. Apparently gas had escaped from a faulty connection and accumulated beneath the building. No school officials were found liable. More than seventy lawsuits were filed for damages, but district judge Robert T. Brown dismissed the few cases that came to trial for lack of evidence. The thirty surviving seniors at New London finished their year in temporary buildings while a new school was built on nearly the same site.”
I have always remembered this event as the one that my classmates and I gathered donations for while I was in first grade at Baileyhill Elementary in Eugene, Oregon. Obviously, looking at the date it could not have been the New London disaster. It must have been the Texas City explosion in 1947. We had just finished collecting metals and stuff for WWII so we were pretty good at talking the other poor folk into giving up necessities to help others. Both the explosions can be traced by a desire to cut costs and screw people out of living wages. Texas, even today, excels at that. That is why we lag in education, and health care for children. If a government of the people will not assist the new and weakest it sure as hell is not gonna help the adults.
The Chile Rellenos planned for dinner tonight turned into a small disappointment. Click the picture for a larger view.
The RECIPE with kitchen notes is HERE.
The major problem with this dish (IMHO) is that removing the skin after broiling leaves one with a disgusting pile of green vegetable flesh with the consistency of used toilet paper. It falls apart every time it is moved. It was impossible to “stuff” the chile because there was no chile structure to contain. I would have been better off to have treated the poblano as if it were a bell pepper being stuffed. If I had just cut off the top and deseeded it prior to loading the chile with fresco queso/ground meat and tooth picked the top back in place I could have found a way to cover them with batter and fried them. The taste and flavor of this dish is too good to just forget. However the poblano was surprisingly hot. I think the tomatoes, if I had not skipped the tomato sauce step, would have reduced the fire.
When I woke this morning my feet and ankles were twice normal size so I spent most of the day with my feet elevated above my heart. I did too much walking and sitting yesterday.
If the weather is as good tomorrow as today I am going to take my newspaper and breakfast burrito out onto the front porch. I love warm/hot weather. My shoulders and hips do not hurt so badly. Amazingly my lower back pain while walking is almost gone. I am walking more upright and taking longer strides. This place is a fountain of youth.
That said, however, I have appointments with Dr Gonzalez (cardio) and Fields next week as well as the Aetna Home health care nurse. I am taking Rascal to his vet for his first annual physical examine. While filling out the forms for his appointment I discovered a picture of him labeled “6 months” with date stamp 05/30/2004. So he is about 11 now instead of the 13 I have been claiming. The fact remains that he is now acting like a kitten again.
I just now was reminded that I am having coffee with YD tomorrow at Starbucks. I will take her most of the leftover spaghetti sauce. After coffee I am going to IKEA to look for a combination narrow storage cabinet with something like cubby holes for my spices. I have 37 spice jars now in drawers. Most do not have a name on top so I have to lift one out to read its label. If I have small shelves I could display the names easier.
Yall be most excellent to one another. Catch you on down the road!
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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