Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Industrial Maintenance Resources

I'm back from another hiring venture for engineering technicians. The field is called multi-craft maintenance. Another name is "mechatronics". It seems that finding people with the right broad skill sets is very hard. A lot of the promising candidates haven't refreshed their basics for many years. I mentioned to a few candidates some resources which they might want to have to brush up on their basic skills.

So, If you stumbled across this looking for hints, here are a few key trade resources:

For PLCs and electronics there are a lot of online resources. Use your google-fu or drop me a line if you need hints for starting places.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Breaking News

So...  For the last several months things have been breaking down.   Cars, irons, microwaves, shoes....  Wearing out....

Our situation reminds me of the Israelites: for forty years in the desert their clothes and shoes didn't wear out.   That's how blessed we have been.  Maybe not forty years worth, but our 'stuff' has lasted well. 

Imagine how the Israelites felt upon entering the promised land when their stuff started wearing out normally.  "What kind of junk is this?  My last ox cart lasted over forty years and this one only ten!  They just don't make anything the way they used to..."

It feels a little like that.  Still, blessed be God from everlasting to everlasting!

Friday, November 30, 2012

Me

Here is a sentence some of us made while playing the sentence game around the table one afternoon.

ME

Me is the word I used to describe the sound ineffable that flows
softly through my screeching house with great grace and astounding,
marvelous accuracy in times past before I grew to know video recorded
stories that became my horribly indescribable nightmare of hideous faces
in closet doors that came at me with screeching laughter and knives that
were very deceitful and sharp though in the shape they were it was hard
to distinguish which one actually was real because someone had chosen
a costume that had deviousness glittering sharply throughout its entire 
frame of wood which was hiding behind the closet of my dream which
had those unreal yet frightening faces mysteriously screeching at me
while scornfully, softly sneering yet singing with gracefulness incredible
that maybe made the sneering scornful in different faces which seemed 
offensive to myself, less so to others, but mostly more ridiculous to people
 who don't like me silly or my fairytales which are to amazingly marvelous 
for simple people to appreciate fully and enjoy thoroughly or at least believe
in a story like mine which as a real true dream that passes away in drip drop
 silence that yells truthfulness and wakefulness though truly it was merely 
just odd and weird so freakishly that I grabbed my own vorpal leg which
was turning somersaults without my consent which created a soft sound 
that I described as Me.

Friday, November 23, 2012

A name for today...

It is an uncomfortable sort of day.  I am inclined to say " happy thanksgiving", but that was yesterday; or perhaps " merry Christmas ( or good Advent), but it is too soon. Black Friday is so vulgar, so commercial. It makes me think of plagues.

I have decided to dub this Friday following Thanksgiving...  Leftover Day.

So, a jolly Leftover Day to you all.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

A curry stew

Curry Stew

Lentils (handful)
Carrot (one)
Celery (two cut pieces or one small stock)
Chicken Bullion (two)
Onion (small one)
Garlic (big clove)
Sweat Potato (pieces maybe one small one)
Garam Masala (two heaped tea spoons)
Curry Powder (three heaped-ish tea spoons)
Meat (Turkey or Chicken) (handful)


for garnish
Parsley
Soft cheese (Cream cheese mixed with feta)


Note: this is for a small pot. It was based on dorm room experimentation.

Lightly saute the onions until tender in a small splash of oil and smidgen of butter. Add garlic and meat and lentils. Sprinkle on the first dose of garam masala. Soon after, add water and bullion. As you bring this to a boil, add the carrot and celery and potato and the curry powder. If you are using leftover baked potato, wait a bit longer before adding them. Let it boil for a bit, maybe five minutes or so, before lowering the temperature to a simmer. Remember to use a lid on the pot, but also check regularly in case you need to add more water or something else that strikes your fancy. 
While the stew is simmering, you can mix up the cheese. Start with equal portions of feta and cream cheese and then sway the balance in accordance with your personal taste. I like it to be heavier on the feta.
When the lentils are soft, you are ready to add the leftover potatoes and the rest of the garam masala to the stew. I might have also added a splash of lemon juice . . .
Serve the stew with a glob of the cheese mixture and a sprig of parsley.

It makes a few servings of tasty stew.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

http://www.fromsadtoraw.com/Recipes/DenisesVinaigrette.htm

I really enjoyed this dressing! I added ginger.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

I have studiously avoided election day blather today. I honestly care greatly, but don't feel the need to exercise (self-righteous) outrage, or partisan glee. Both seem sadly out of place. Tonight our church body met for communion, for reconciliation, remembering that our first loyalty is to Jesus who died to save us. I am reminded of a line in "A Man for All Seasons". It was as Thomas More was led to execution: "I am commanded by the king to be brief, and since I am the king's obedient subject, brief I will be. I die His Majesty's good servant, but God's first." That indeed should be our position "... but God's first"

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Eastern European Comfort Food

With the cool weather, soups are lovely.  In any weather soups are splendid, but especially in cooler weather.  Here is one of my absolute favorite soups.

BORSCHT
1 lb. stew meat cut into bite-size chunks
2 T oil
1 onion coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed  (More garlic and onion is completely acceptable)
1 can tomatoes
1 T sugar
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. celery salt (I have added celery in the past, also tarragon in place of this)
1/2 tsp. basil
1 T salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. pepper
5 cups water
2 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
1 bunch of beets, peeled and shredded
(You may also add carrots or other stuff)
1/2  cup lemon juice
2 T parsley chopped
1 carton sour cream

Brown meat in oil in deep Dutch oven or in large soup kettle.  Add onions and garlic.  Stir occasionally.  Continue cooking until onions become soft and transparent.  Add tomatoes, seasonings, and water.  Add more water if necessary until all ingredients are just covered.  Bring to boil.  Add cabbage and beets and lemon juice. Then simmer gently for an hour or so.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top. 

It is best the second day, heated up on the stove.  A stout rye makes an excellent accompaniment.

It's hard to communicate....


Sunday, October 14, 2012

Sunday night music

For all you Pandora users.

Check out Anouar Brahem.    He is a Tunisian oud player.  Pandora links him with Django Rienhardt sort of stuff.  Very chill.

Food explorations

So, you other married Mahoney men often post kitchen adventures on FB.  Sometimes the young ladies get in some recipes also.

What if we posted our favorites here with tags like curry  or breakfast.... make it a searchable set of family favorites perhaps?

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Ora et Labora

Pray and Work.  
How do you keep your relationship with God active, integrated with the rest of life?  That is really difficult in the regular busy work life.
Something I've been using to help keep me on track is the Liturgy of the Hours.

It consists of prayers, hymns, psalms,, readings from scripture.  These are visited early, 6 am, 9 am, noon, 3 pm, 6 pm, and 9 pm.  Seven times a day! 

  I haven't (save in the most stressful times) prayed through the whole set each day, but I usually manage two or three times a day.  

I use an app iBreviary, but there is an web based version at http://divineoffice.org/  .  There is also has a podcast, but I don't find that the audio works as well for me.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Hello World!


Mahoney (or O'Mahoney or Gaelic Ó Mathghamhna), (pronunciation: MAHN-ee[citation needed] or ma-HOE-nee[citation needed] and occasionally MAH-huh-nee[citation needed]) is an Irish surname that originated in the early eleventh century. The forebear of the Mahoneys was Mathghamhan (or Mathuin or Mahon), the grandson of Brian Boru. Mathghamhan was killed at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.
The Mahoneys flourished in southern Ireland. They were princes of an area in Cork along the River Bandon[citation needed]. They ruled as sovereigns over this territory until the English conquest of Ireland. The meaning of the name is "descendant of bear."

Source: Wikipedia

So began our little tribe.  I and mine are blessed to reside in Middle Tennessee.