Eggs in the shell blow up real nice. And if you want major fireworks, try a ball of tinfoil. Years ago when I worked in a restaurant (earlyish 70's), we got this microwave. Other than making these fabulous sandwiches (sliced meat and cheese inter-layered) we (meaning me) managed to find out what not to do. Discovered that eggs explode very nicely. Not a quick method to making a boiled egg. It didn't take all that long to clean up :). The next thing was a baked potato, still in the foil. We used to make them in advance, and just reheat them while the rest of the meal cooked. But there were always some left over, and reheating is not really the ideal solution. Enter the microwave. Popped a foil clad potato into the microwave, and presto, sparks a plenty. Hit the stop button and called to my friends, "Hey, come look at this!" Hit start, more sparks. Then the manager came into the kitchen, gave us the benefit of the doubt and informed us about what we were already in the process of discovering, that metal in a microwave is not a good idea.
One little trick that is safe to do, but produces a mildly interesting effect is to microwave grapes that have been cut in half. You will get these tiny flames dancing along the cut edges.
I was a teenager at the time, and prone to such activities. I'm not likely to try such things these days. I'm even careful about how I boil water in a microwave :)
I took a one-evening microwave cooking course with Mom back in the 80's. The first thing the instructor did was crumple up a piece of tin foil and throw it in the microwave. Thus we all got to see arcing and then we talked about how to avoid it. It was cool to see it that dramatically.
What in the hell are you doing cooking an herb-encrusted roast pork tenderloin in the microwave?!? It's called an oven-safe pan. I recommend something in the Calphalon variety or some other non-sticking type.
Eek. I thought microwaves were supposed to be useful for defrosting? At least, mine has a setting it claims is for defrosting....
I suppose that wouldn't be surprised if the general slant at NYTimes would go that way, just given what often seems its own American Left tunnel vision. But I think that the ad hominem aspects are almost an inevitable consequence of the pseudo-democratic practice of giving "equal time" in any given article for the "opposition" to be heard. So instead of having reporting (at any depth) about his 1988 address – even if that stretched or challenged the reader's theological knowledge – the linked article (thanks!) simply spends time noting the protests of the select rabbis and Act Up! (if I recall correctly) activists. No explanation is offered of why Ratzinger thought Judaism fulfilled in Christianity or what bearing natural law thinking might have for a theory of sexuality. Clearly he thought some other people might be wrong about something: what could be more wrong? (Not that that's a contradictory way of thinking....)
Maybe calling such reporting "weenie-democratic" would be more accurate: it's more lazy and banal than anything else. It's like repeatedly identifying him as having "long been one of the staunchest defenders of Roman Catholic orthodoxy." Apparently not only is he capable of having the "conservative" label slapped on him, he's obstinate in his error. I fear that this high achievement of getting to something like the "conservative" or "liberal" label is, even in the NYT what what we today call "analysis."
Would that such were the case! I get the feeling that this has been propagated more at the editorial level, or even worse, from some stockholders' board to the editors: "No one wants to read that stuff. Give them some glam! Some glitter! Celebrities sell! Conflict sells! No one cares about the details! And of course everyone knows that theology is just rationalized bigotry....
Yeah, give me the honest, respectful clash of ideas any day. To my mind, that's real respect and, potentially, friendship through a truly-understood diversity.
How have you survived nearly 4 decades?
I'm still hung up on the "nearly 4 decades" part....
One little trick that is safe to do, but produces a mildly interesting effect is to microwave grapes that have been cut in half. You will get these tiny flames dancing along the cut edges.
Ah, the joys of microwave adventures :)
That's some pork abuse right there.
Microwave.
*scoffs*
/yes, I've come a long way.
But I take your point to heart: I'll move in by the end of the week.