If you have no clue what Flarf is, don’t worry. You aren’t alone. Explanation can be found here. It’s been about a decade since I Flarfed, so we will see how this goes. Enjoy the linguistic corrosion!
———————————————————————————
In order to harvest fresh pods
sustainable resources and a provider of plastic waste
Blood and Bacon
Mad cow disease strikes again
Locally owned and dominated
Fresh color with some special details design makes your sexy
her children grew to accept her as a part of the family
with everyday essentials
we marvel at the future
In fact, if we listen to the chemical industry
get seeds and fertilizer
Semi-cultivated insects, and gourmet food
can be used for all purposes
kept from starving in the winter
when they are least effected
The Cow’s rustic ambience
My knife is a utility knife first
Well, this is bananas
A fresh examination of meteorites, craft cocktails, a Japanese team of archaeologists, this Idaho company, there was a war
A little yellow pizza with a slice missing was born May 22, 1980. Pac-Man, hungry for “Pac Dots” or “dots” he aims to navigate the entire map eating them all before being eaten by the four colorful ghosts. Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde. Colored Red, Pink, Cyan, and Orange respectively.
I originally wanted to title this, “10 reasons Pac-Man is the best, and another 10 reasons why you’re wrong.” Based on that knowledge you can assume I am a huge fan. Not to the level of hording old school lunch boxes, but I do have a tattoo of Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man representative of my wife and I. I’m also wearing my Pac-Man pajama pants as I am writing this for inspiration, so there’s that as well.
I won’t go into the extensive history of Pac-Man and it’s lore. That can easily be turned into a novel, and I’ll make it easy for you to find all the information of our subject here. However, we will dive into some of the more fascinating facts that you may or may not know about this famous yellow dot. Most of which you can google around and find yourself, but this is a quick and easy top ten for you.
After (coming up on) 42 years of limelight exposure, Pac-Man has had numerous iterations and spotlights. Every year around his birthday he gets lift in the mainstream, and it’s always refreshing to see the younger generations learn about him and his history.
For Pac-Man’s 30th birthday Google provided the world with a playable game. It is reported the Google Doodle lost millions of dollars of labor hours from people playing at work. Play here!
Blinky, Clyde, Inky, and Pinky
Without too much blabbering, let’s get to the facts!
Pac-Man’s original title was Puck Man. But for international distribution, it was changed to avoid defacement (changing the P to an F). If you saw the movie “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” You may have already known this.
Why Puck-Man? In Japanese, “puck puck” is similar to the Japanese onomatopoeic word “paku paku” or “to gobble something up” as a slight English variation.
This fun fact comes from Found Item Clothing. “The highest possible score in the original arcade Pac-Man version can be achieved by playing the so-called perfect game. To reach the perfect game, the player needs to bag the maximum score on the first 255 levels by eating every possible dot, fruit, power pellet and enemy ghost, and then get the maximum score once again at the final level, the so-called split screen level at which the game crashes. The maximum number of points sums up to a total of 3,333,360.”
If you thought the game may be rigged, well it isn’t necessarily in the players favor. As you progress through the game, the ghosts get faster, while Pac-Man slows down.
In 2009, The Guinness Book of World Records named Pac-Man the most recognizable video game character of all time (94% of Americans polled recognized him).
The ghosts are programmed with predetermined paths. They can be learned and it is possible to play the entire game avoiding them altogether.
Pac-Man was the first game to ever include cut-scenes. This helps drive the narrative as well as give the player a small break between levels.
The focus of the the original game was to influence more females to gaming. The creator, Toru Iwatani wanted gaming to appeal to women and families. “Back then, there were no home games. People had to go to the arcade center to play games. That was a playground for boys. It was dirty and smelly. So we wanted to include female players, so it would become cleaner and brighter.”
“Weird Al” Yankovic proposed a parody to The Beatles “Taxman” titled, “Pac-Man” which was denied by George Harrison until 2017 and can be found on his compilation album.
If you put your finger in your ear and wiggle it around it sounds like Pac-Man.
To this day, I still find Pac-Man (or Ms. Pac-Man) an extremely fun game to play. Most likely conditioned that when I see something related, I have to stop and check it out. I hope this fascination carries on and younger generations know that the start of video games, the grandfathers of modern gaming came from a yellow pizza. Yes, even before that plumber guy and his brother.
I’m no spring chicken, but I have learned a few things about the human body since becoming more invested in my overall health.
Everything you are about to read is based on my experience and things I have learned in my health journey. I am not a doctor, licensed dietician, or work in the medical field. This post should not be referenced as a recipe for anyone else’s success, nor should it be used to diagnose, treat, or assist in anyway for anyone’s medical conditions or physical health. I think this is what I need to say so I don’t get sued. Just to make this clear, my opinions or experiences outlined therein this post are in no way to guarantee similar results or help medical ailments.
When I was in college I was doing good. I probably didn’t have the best diet, but I was riding my bike, a lot. In my college town you really didn’t need a car to get around because everything you needed was pretty close together. Also riding a bike around town was a great way to get exercise in. Some days I was riding anywhere from twenty to forty miles. Not all of it was necessity, I really enjoyed riding my bike.
Then graduating and moving states, I got rid of everything I owned (begrudgingly my bike included), attempting to maintain biking on a loaner from a friend, it really wore me down. Not so much the biking, but in the 100+ degree heat of Las Vegas. Buying a car started the downward spiral of laziness and allowing my bike to gather dust. Eventually selling my new bike after a year of use.
Be the change!
Marriage and fatherhood also came later with additional elements of back burner-ing my physical health and diet. To be honest none of this is to make excuses, but showing how easy it is to forget or put your health aside. I knew I need to make a change, and I eventually did, and I was making great progress, until we decided to pack up the house, kids, and dog, and move across the country. Again, not making excuses.
Now that we are settled, it’s primetime to regain control of my body, and let the dad bod slip away. Think Lester Burnham in “American Beauty.” Putting Kevin Spacey’s personal life out of mind, the line “I want to look good naked,” is my inspiration and really hits home when I think about my fitness goals. Not that anyone else is going to see me naked except my wife and me; physical fitness and having good self confidence comes with mental health and feeling good in my own skin. So yes, looking good naked is a plus.
Thinking about what I had thought in the past of what good physical fitness looked like, I think about my old roommate in college. He was going to the gym five days a week, counting calories, making sure all meals had high protein content, limiting sugars and taking in as little carbohydrates as possible. He was “bulking” up, and had definition. But here I was eating Taco Bell four days a week, with less than 5% body fat and never hitting the gym. I was in great shape, but wasn’t doing the things I should have been doing to ensure longevity of fitness. Especially when it came to diet.
Now, being a Midwest dad, first winter survived, and packed on the winter weight. Still not counting calories, but my wife and I have made conscious choices about the foods we take in. We aren’t on a strict diet, but we are making sure we have more fresh fruits and veggies for us and for the kids. I have started with a subscription based service for other supplement needs (protein powder, pre-workout, collagen, and creatine). I have used several products in the past to support my workouts and overall health. From what I have learned most protein powders are good, if you want to add one into your regime, find one low in carbs. I’m not about to spit out any sort of data or which is better or worse only because I am still learning.
The main four things I have learned in my journey:
You don’t have to count calories to lose weight, but you do need to be in a deficit to allow your body to burn off stored calories. This doesn’t mean you need to starve yourself, but find low calorie foods that will help keep you fuller, longer. Fresh fruits and veggies are always a plus!
When working out and wanting to “burn fat” you can isolate what muscle groups you want to work out, but this doesn’t mean you are going to only burn fat/calories in that group. You can’t tell your body, burn this here. Your body first starts burning fat off of your internal organs. So when you work out for a few days and don’t see a difference, don’t get discouraged. Know that your body is working from the inside out.
Our bodies are made up of 60% water. I assume we should all know this, but one thing I learned is if your body doesn’t have enough water, your internal organs aren’t working efficiently enough to do their jobs. In turn, increased water intake will allow for your body to work more efficiently and as you workout or exert yourself physically, you will be burning calories.
You get out what you put in. Think of your body like an engine. If you put garbage in an engine do you expect it to churn gold? Unless we’re talking about Doc Emmett Brown’s DeLorean, then no. It is the same way with your body. Put in clean foods, have a physical exertion game plan in mind, churn some body gold. It is simple to put into words, but the motivation is the hard part.
Find something that is fun for you! I have added the Oculus into my workouts. There are plenty of games that help you move and have fun, but as you move (this is additional movements added to your day you hadn’t had in mind previously), you are using energy and moving, which will help to eliminate stored fats/calories.
Win the day
Humans are inherently drawn to gamification or reward-based systems. Think about “hacking” your body the same way. Find something that is fun and rewarding at the same time! Some people enjoy working out and to each their own. I can’t say I am in that classification, but I enjoy seeing the results from my workouts and feeling good about myself.
For me, having physical exertion, sweating, and feeling good about my body not only helps my own personal opinion of how I look, but encourages a strong mental health as well. As mental health has taken a significant front seat in most peoples minds, it shows having a positive self image stimulates mind and body.
If you are looking to start a regular workout, start with your diet. Great physical shape starts in the kitchen. That combined with an obtainable movement goal, and something you can keep track of, you will have a recipe for success!
Back in my day…Netflix was a DVD mail in subscription. But those days are long gone(ish), and pricing for the streaming giant has been going up consistently year after year. After this last price hike, a lot of people were reconsidering the service, our house included. With the plethora of streaming services at consumers fingertips, it begs the question what more does Netflix have to offer that others don’t?
Netflix has been progressing in the original content arena, looking to demonstrate value over quantity, but it doesn’t seem like it is enough to persuade people to stay. The linked article from Michele Malais with USA Today reports, “Netflix suffered the first loss in worldwide subscribers in a decade, deepening troubles that have been mounting since a surge from a locked-down audience during the pandemic’s early stages began to fade.”
This is to suggest the pandemic had a silver lining for the streaming goliath, but as restrictions begin to lift so does Netflix’s grip on attention spans. More people are no longer locked down, and cradled by the boob tube. Malais goes on to report shares of Netflix dropped 36% Wednesday morning. IGN reporting a loss of $54.3 Billion overnight. Quarterly reporting from Netflix shows subscriber count was projected to have a conservative gain of 2.5 million subscribers, but in fact they lost 200,000 subscribers during January – March.
Netflix Stock
What does this mean? Well, I can imagine the executives at Netflix are scrambling for answers. It also seems the masses have spoken with loud outcry about the price increases for the streaming service. If they would have only polled Twitter, they could have avoided all of this, in my humble, sarcastic, opinion. The answer? A lower price point plan with ads. They have to make up for the lost revenue somehow!
When people have a problem with pricing, showing them ads has become the status quo. It’s like the golden era of television coming back into style. Where ads have always been part of the entertainment experience.
The other contrast Netflix will be employing will be watchdog tactics to battle login sharing. This has been running rampant since Netflix first hit the innerwebs. Now that Netflix is all-of-a-sudden aware of their client base, their solution is to reduce cost, add advertising in programs, and restrict and/or penalize people sharing logins. Netflix was never this control hungry before, but with a broadened scope and the streaming battlefield getting increasingly competitive, this is Netflix’s solution.
Netflix on fire
I had always said before Sling’s Orange/Blue offerings, when cable television was still in commanding control there needs to be an ala carte programming package. Not everyone wants Telemundo. If I had the knowledge and capability, that would have been my million (billion?) dollar idea. I am starting to think that may be a viable solution for streaming services. In today’s market there are some “bundling” available, but not the true form of pick and choose. To have something like that, all the partners involved would have to agree on pricing, who gets what percentage, and prominent placement if each studio was bundled into one application. They have to make sure they have the viewership to make stakeholders happy.
With Netflix dropping the subscriber growth ball four of the last five quarters, investors are getting increasingly nervous. At this rate, Netflix stock could become the next GME meme stock. That may be a far fetched idea, but no one thought that would have happened to Gamestop.
The new lower cost tier should be significantly reduced in price to entice the login “borrowers” to setup their own accounts. Not to mention, what is the penalty for login sharing? Is it a three-strikes, you’re out scenario? This next quarter won’t break Netflix if they have another poor earnings call, but it will be interesting to see if these new changes will be accepted and/or appreciated.
In the beginning, Facebook started as a place to share ideas, connect with friends and family, and become the global hivemind, has now decayed into a cesspool of vitriol, hate, and unfettered biased judgement.
I’d like to assume we have all been there, “I don’t use it as much anymore. It’s just filled with people bashing on each other. I only keep it so I can stay connected with my family. How else is the family going to see pictures of the kids?” Among these examples, I’m sure there are a million others. It’s like the Dane Cook joke (probably stolen), where the female stays in her relationship with her beau because her cd’s are in his truck. Same principal for Facebook.
We all make excuses on why to keep things and you would think after the documentary “The Social Dilemma,” it would have convinced many more to unplug from “The Matrix.” All human minds and attention spans being harvested to appease stakeholders. Most of the evidence compelling people to abandon their digital lives were literally spelled out, spoon fed, in an easily digestible format. But like the drug-addicted mind, the masses kept going back for more, looking for the next dopamine hit.
There are movements in the name of unplugging. Countless bloggers, vloggers, streamers, and influencers whom are attempting to persuade people to leave the platforms and log out for good. I know not everyone fits in the criteria of jumping ship as they need their logins for work. Social Media managers, directors, and content developers/curators do have important roles to fill. Albeit contributing to the mass addiction. This post is definitively aimed at Facebook, but it can be said for any social platform.
Conversely, I do have hope that I hold onto, white-knuckled at that, in the good of social media. The benefits of positive social media by cutting through the white noise of the negative. There have been strides made to encourage and maintain a safe-space for Facebook users, but is commonly met with even more backlash and negativity. I would like to think Facebook does have the global mind in its best interests, but I have yet to see the paradigm shift.
Nope, don’t like that.
Technology has advanced so fast, it literally has given older generations whiplash. Look to when any technology group or platform is required to go to congress. Most of the people in government lack the common knowledge to use their own “smart” devices, let alone, they probably still own a VCR. Similar to the medical field, technology has advanced so quickly, the majority of the world is running to catch up.
Maybe Facebook was put into the mainstream too fast, too soon. Maybe it should have remained on college campuses for a few more years to be perfected before handed to the likes of the world. I am curious if all this negativity was always in the world and platforms like Facebook provided these people and ideas with a digital soapbox. Or having this ability is what unleashed the keyboard cannon fodder.
The baseline to be questioned, what would your life be like without Facebook? Provided you don’t need it for work. When you open your phone, is the first application you go to a social platform, is it Facebook? Have we as a society been conditioned like Pavlov’s Dog to immediately be drawn to Facebook? Do we bite the hand that feeds? What would you consider the food Facebook provides you? Is it good for you? These are all critical questions we should be asking ourselves, instead of consistently increasing the MAU / DAU (monthly/daily active users) of Facebook to help line the pockets of shareholders.
In recent(ish) news Facebook was placed under scrutiny with earnings calls, essentially damaging the value of the stock ultimately losing Meta $230 Billion in a single day. This kind of loss is alarming, but at the end of the day, do you really think Mark Zuckerberg is concerned? Given his total value/worth, he can easily live the rest of his days without working another day.
Thinking back to the movie, “The Social Network,” if Mark Zuckerberg is anything like Jesse Eisenberg‘s portrayal of him and the conversations used in the movie are valid, Zuckerberg never wanted to create an advertising behemoth. Even further if this speculation is true, while the lavish luxuries are nice, there is a good chance Zuckerberg is looking for a way out. All contingent on if art imitates life.
Facebook has the foundation for good intentions, but leave it to humans to destroy something inherently beautiful. Humans have always been destructive, but now it seems even more so now that it is no longer physical. Destroying something digital needs to be that much more grand to satiate the thirst for demolition, at least in my assessment.
Ultimately, no one truly NEEDS Facebook, but after so many years using the platform it can be that much more scary to unplug. I have had the thoughts of unplugging and deleting my profile, but here we are, and it still lingers in my app drawer. I would like to think there are more positive social media advocates out there, but the battle is an uphill one and it seems not everyone is geared for the task. Until then, I’ll keep holding my breath until we have a perfect world and social media is used for its intended purity purpose and not just to tear everything down that doesn’t fit the deformed new status quo.
– Omnium Rerum Principia Parva Sunt – “The beginnings of all things are small”
A definitive(ish) look into our (random) theme and what it means
In a google search, Merriam-Webster shows 71 possible synonyms for the word random. At the root, the word is defined as made, done, or chosen without method or conscious decision. This, I think, is where we get into the causation of action. Humans have needs, wants, and desires, all of which can’t be truly random. The way I perceive it, there isn’t any action that can be completely random. You may think of things and they seemingly come to you without cause, but on the subconscious level, there is some degree of inspiration.
We can get even deeper into Quantum Physics. Harrison Crecraft maintains a PhD in Geology suggests in an article he published on Medium.com, “Quantum measurements and observations are fundamentally random. However, randomness is in deep conflict with the deterministic laws of physics. Do hidden properties determine outcomes, so that they only appear random to us? Does our observation or consciousness act outside of physics to instantiate random change? Does the universe spit with each possible outcome manifested in a separate branch? These and other questions are still debated and unresolved. The answer boils down to the nature of time.”
“Random” Words
The way I perceive this is that yes, everything is random at the fundamental level, but when you apply these parameters to humans, time and determination alters the foundations of random. This becomes intentional. Which is to suggest nothing is random, everything is pre-determined, and you have no control over your fate or destiny. Which makes me call bullshit on the movie “Garden State.”
“Random” image This has nothing to do with the post
Think about if you have ever played the lottery. When you get “quick picks.” There is nothing random about that. You have given your money for the chance to win the big one. Relying on a machine to spit out “random” numbers that will hopefully change your life forever. When that machine is prompted to spit out the numbers, it is running hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of processes (algorithms) to determine when was the last time it sequenced certain numbers at that specific terminal, what is the likelihood of those numbers winning, what value it wants to give the ticket for winning…etc. The list goes on an on. This of course is speculation because gaming lotteries will never express every part of the innerworkings of their machines.
I have seen the increase of people talking about numbers, values, and sequencing in Rubik’s cubes and playing cards, talking about the total possible permutations with shuffling cards and cubes, being in the quintillion range. This is true, and although the conversation is compelling, suggesting that shuffle maybe the only time in the known universe for that specific shuffle to happen, it is still not random. It took me some time to think about this and accept the shuffles can’t be truly random, yet they can be classified as unique. The correlation of the two words can commonly be confused. I know I have in the past.
It is not all doom and gloom. This is where I attempt to shift the conversation to a positive spin. You do have control over the choices you make and those choices will alter the determination of your path or trajectory in life. In essence, random is out of the question, but good intentions and good causation can adjust your outcome. Nothing is truly random, but the sequencing of events is always in your control. If you have passion, and you have motivation, go for it. Don’t let your mind or internal monologue stop you from pursuing your cause, regardless of how “random” you may think it to be.
I must be late to the party (as always), but the party does involve chocolate.
We went through my wife’s favorite guilty pleasure store (secretly mine as well), this weekend. Target. The funny thing is when people say there is always truth behind every joke, the same can be said for memes and social media lulz. Everyone claims you can go into Target to purchase only one item and spend at least $100 on other impulse items. “Oh yeah, I remember months ago I was saying I needed a battery operated battery installer, and would you look at this, Target has it on special!” I know that example is somewhat outlandish, but still the sentiment is poignant.
As we were perusing in between telling the kids we don’t need this or that, literally several hundred times (even though my wife and I are the exact same way, wanting this and that), I found a little end cap, completely unrelated to the aisle we were near. “Oat Made” by Hershey’s. It looked just like the classic chocolate bar we have had from growing up until now. This little brown packaging of nostalgia was calling my inner-child, grinning from ear to ear, I grabbed the bar and started investigating.
Hershey’s Oat Made Image Provided by : Target
Both my wife and I have been looking to cleaner diets as of recent. Taking into consideration all the things we ingest and is packaged and marketed as “food.” We have never been of the classification of health nuts, but after having kids we have let the consciousness of food thoughts slip a little and we are now taking a more proactive approach to what we are eating/drinking. Also, I have mentioned in previous posts, I should be diabetic based on my sweet teeth. To which I have begun cutting out, not entirely, but like most things in life, everything in moderation. It was recently described to me by a dietician, just a little bit is enough to curb cravings. No need to binge consume to satiate or pacify your cravings. This is where rubber band dieting comes into play.
Without going too deep into the abyss of dieting and healthy eating, let’s get back to the chocolate. The “Oat Made” bar prominently suggests it is a plant-based confection. The bar I found was the extra creamy almond and sea salt. There is a Classic Dark bar available as well.
Getting it home and tearing into it, I felt like Charlie looking for the golden ticket. Of course there was no ticket, but a pleasant surprise. The mouthfeel and flavors were practically identical to the original Hershey’s chocolate bar. The differences weren’t strong enough to dissuade me from eating again. I would think in a blind taste test I could tell the difference, but it would be a narrow margin. If you are thinking of going plant-based diet, know someone who is looking for an alternative to meet the needs of their vegan diet and has a sweet tooth, or you just want to choose a new option to classic chocolate bars, this is a pretty solid option.
Given this is a mass produced big brand bar. There are most likely numerous local and startup companies that could use additional business. My choice will always be slave and cruelty-free Tony’s Chocolonely, hands down the best. I’m not suggesting don’t give the Hershey’s bar a try, but know there are other options out there and potentially available to you, contingent on your geographical location, and/or the company’s ability to ship.
I’m not going to be making a shift into plant-based diet, but I am rethinking my sweet cravings to healthier choices. Even the word “healthier” may be misleading, because it is still a chocolate bar. Lastly, it seems like Hershey’s is keeping this test launch under wraps, because they still haven’t highlighted this new(ish) venture on their website.
My wife first found this recipe via Chef Michael’s TikTok. The algorithm must have known we have been looking for new delicious meals for dinner. In the video the dish looked absolutely amazing, so we had to try it. The color contrast, the differences in textures, almost like you could taste it in your mind without getting too visceral. Our iteration was truly fantastic! If you are like us and aren’t super strict about carbohydrates or following keto and gluten restrictions, you can add the dish to rice or pasta. Make sure and look at “The Pro Tips” in the recipe. There are additional suggestions from Chef Michael.
We elected to use bowtie noodles (primarily because it is a household favorite and the kids will eat it), our son (4), due to the green nature of the pesto only wanted butter noodles. Our daughter (6), who is an avid fan of broccoli, was excited to try something new, especially because it has her favorite vegetable. This recipe has easily made its way into our hearts and onto our regular meal rotation.
We’ve talked about the meal, now let’s talk about the man behind the creation. Chef Michael is primarily a chef (with keen intellect in the kitchen), TV Personality, Podcaster, Blogger, and Author based in Austin, Texas. He is known for his successes in losing over 80 pounds in one year due to his specialization in the Ketogenic diet. The key to his success was never severe restrictions where most people fail by subscribing to the theories of starvation, torture, or suffering. “Whether dieting or not, food should be vibrant and exciting.”
Chef Michael has been developing low-carb recipes that make people feel totally nourished and satisfied. This being a far cry from what most people think about when dieting. I know I have an understated lust for sugar, something I have always had. Like most things in life, everything in moderation. Chef Michael is working to educate the masses about bringing fun back to food, without sacrificing flavor. As food should be. Check out his newest cookbook for additional inspiration and delicious recipes!
A one-pot meal done right! This recipe is designed to be quick and easy. In 20 minutes, you’ll have a yummy, simple meal that’s not only delicious, but healthy and filling as well. A dish the whole family will love…
Wanna switch it up? This pesto chicken goes GREAT served over pasta or low-carb noodles! It’s also a fantastic way to use up whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. Instead of broccoli and tomatoes, this goes really well with sliced asparagus, mushrooms, or any other veggies you may have.
*And don’t forget to read through the PRO TIPS for this recipe below!*
Macros per Serving
Calories: 615
Protein: 58 g
Fat: 34.4 g
Net Carbs: 12.7 g
INGREDIENTS:
Serves 4 people
2lb – Chicken breast tenders – see PRO TIPS below
1 tsp – Sea salt
½ tsp – Cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp – Garlic powder
2 Tbsp – Avocado oil
1 head (about 1 lb) – Broccoli, cut into small florets
10 oz – Grape tomatoes
½ cup – Chicken broth (or water + ¼ tsp salt)
Two 6.5 oz jars – Basil pesto (store-bought or homemade) – see PRO TIPS below
¼ cup – Shredded parmesan
DIRECTIONS:
Start by slicing the chicken tenders into roughly 1-inch pieces. Add the sliced chicken into a mixing bowl and add in the salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Stir the chicken well until it’s coated in the spices.
Warm up a large skillet over high heat. Once hot, add in the avocado oil and the seasoned chicken. Press the chicken into one even layer in the pan. Sear the chicken for 3 minutes, without stirring it, or until it gets a golden-brown crust. Flip the chicken over and repeat on the other side.
Take the chicken out of the pan and set it aside on a plate to rest. Meanwhile, place the same pan back over high heat and add in the chicken broth. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to remove the fond. Then, add in the broccoli florets and tomatoes (or any other vegetable you like). Place the lid on the pot and let the vegetables steam for 2 minutes, or until the broccoli is just tender.
Turn the heat off and stir in the chicken and the pesto, until everything is evenly coated. Top with the shredded parmesan, and serve family-style, right out of the pan.
PRO TIPS:
For convenience, I used store-bought pesto, but if you’re feeling “chefy”, make your own pesto! In fact, find my homemade pesto recipe on page 32 of my cookbook New Comfort Cooking!
When shopping for pesto, keep in mind that every single brand of pesto will taste completely different. So, I generally recommend buying good quality pesto from a brand you trust. For instance, Costco has a really nice pesto that I love! I also suggest looking for any pesto imported from Italy. However, I do not recommend you use the Aldi brand pesto, as I have personally tried it and it’s not very tasty.
Don’t like pesto? Try it with alfredo sauce instead! (Or you could even mix the two together into “pesto alfredo!)
For an even lower carb version, simply remove the tomatoes, and swap in any over your favorite low carb veggies
For a tasty upgrade, add fresh mozzarella and/or drizzle the top with balsamic reduction! YUM!
You can absolutely use boneless/skinless chicken thighs instead of the tenders (I just prefer the white meat in this recipe, but that is totally up to you!) But this recipe is also FANTASTIC with shrimp, or even salmon cut into cubes as well.
You can honestly use any vegetable you like in this dish, just keep in mind how long different vegetables will need to cook through. But if you don’t like broccoli or tomatoes, this recipe works great with asparagus (cut into 1-inch pieces), sliced mushrooms, sliced zucchini, or sliced French green beans.
In an effort to preserve the park and all it has to offer, Yellowstone National Park is offering the “Inheritance Pass.”
In the form of a donation it will be used to maintain the park for the next 150 years. In the year 2172 is when the Inheritance Pass will be active for those generations to enjoy the park. People who purchase the pass will still receive an annual pass to be used while they are still alive.
Clever idea, and I believe the concept may draw people into the program. Unbeknownst to me, approximately 4 million people visit the park every year.
Putting aside your opinions of Elon Musk, and some of his wild behaviors on social media, he seemingly has a plan for good. Not chaotic evil as some would suspect.
This comes from news brought to the world yesterday, Elon had placed an order to purchase roughly 9.2% total stake in Twitter (approximately $3.5B after market close Monday). Personally, that kind of money is alarmingly gross for one person to have. Understandably not all of this is liquid, assuming a large portion of it is tied into investments.
There are speculations of Elon’s “Master Plan,” and this has been ongoing since early 2006. More recent iterations and speculations deriving from Max Chafkin at Bloomberg. His speculation plays with the concept of Elon making this bullish buy “just for the lulz,” but goes on to refute this jest. Historically Elon’s approach to gags are never just playful in nature, but have an objective behind them. Most often than not, it is like “vaguebooking,” where the audience is no further wiser about the objective. I’m not sure if there is a similar term for the Twitterverse. Vaguetweets? Vaguetweeting? Obfuscweet?
After recent events surrounding Elon’s approach to Twitter, Max speaks about Elon’s requirement to hire a lawyer or “Twitter-sitter” to ensure Elon is not overstepping in regards to his businesses to the masses. This would have been ideal for others in the past. Elon has been in hot water in the past, but nothing to the extent of other users whom have had their entire profiles suspended or deleted. As the largest shareholder, I wonder if he is going to need to restrain his thoughts anymore.
As Elon has been very public about his feelings with regard to Twitter and their content regulations, handlings, and restriction of free speech, it can be speculated this purchase of nearly 10% of the total company ensures his foothold in the company’s future. He has made statements in the past (previous master plans) about helping the world with renewable energy, reversing climate change, and working to do good for all. This sounds like a pretty lofty goal for any one human. I would like to assume he is true to his word, and he is doing what he can to make things better. How does this relate to Twitter? I think if he is the largest shareholder, he would be granted certain advantages about steering the company in the right direction. It could also be a way for him to look under the hood of Twitter and build his own social media empire?
Another speculation Max made in his Bloomberg article is this is Elon’s way to secure his Twitter profile for life. Being the largest shareholder, it would seem his account has ranked the status of “untouchable.” It seems his Dogecoin banter has taken a backseat with this new endeavor, but (again, further speculation), similar to Reddit’s in app currency, what if Twitter started using Dogecoin as it’s primary in app currency? Bridging the gap between social and crypto. This could be the layman’s platform to learn and understand what crypto is, how the blockchain works, and why a decentralized currency is important for the world.
I refuse to believe Elon is a terrible person based on his public appearances and statements about who he is and what he wants to do to better the world. Then again, I have yet to see anything to sway the opinion one way or the other. It seems he does have a good heart with good intentions. Starlink providing internet to those in need in other countries in time of crisis was huge. Let’s stay the course, and make the world better. I like the sound of that.
