the best history is fiction http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com Most recent posts at the best history is fiction posterous.com Tue, 21 Jun 2011 10:31:53 -0700 Twitter users run amok http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/twitter-users-run-amok http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/twitter-users-run-amok

I now I have a writer following me who has…

  • posted 16,868 Tweets
  • has 13,395 followers
  • is following 14,332

In what way is this a Good Thing?

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/917866/WRS_Constitution.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eT3OAVbHtD Roger Scrafford scrafford Roger Scrafford Mon, 20 Dec 2010 10:09:00 -0800 Miscellaneous Lenin http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/miscellaneous-lenin http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/miscellaneous-lenin

1907 - A stagecoach robbery organized by Vladimir Lenin and Joseph
Stalin killed an estimated 40 people and netted approximately 250,000
rubles. Ten years later ...

1917 – Vladimir Lenin issued a decree establishing the Cheka, the
first Soviet secret police.

Source: Wikipedia

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/917866/WRS_Constitution.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eT3OAVbHtD Roger Scrafford scrafford Roger Scrafford Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:01:15 -0700 Add this to my vast array of skills: http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/add-this-to-my-vast-array-of-skills http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/add-this-to-my-vast-array-of-skills Refrigerator Repairman!  Our freezer-bottom contraption experienced the death of its defrost thermostat.
After a great deal of disassembly, I finally reached the piece and did a bunch of diagnoses.
$20 later, it's up and running, and has been so for the past month.
And don't nag me about brands, OK?  It's an "Amana."

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/917866/WRS_Constitution.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eT3OAVbHtD Roger Scrafford scrafford Roger Scrafford Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:11:31 -0800 Today's Lesson http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/todays-lesson-29 http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/todays-lesson-29 The scenario: You’ve grilled a few shrimp using some fine metal
skewers and have brought them into the kitchen. Skewers and all,
you’ve placed the shrimp onto your plastic cutting board, forgetting
that the skewers are now fiendishly hot. The shrimp does fine, but
the metal skewers melt into the cutting board. (And why do you have a
plastic cutting board? Are you insane?)

The lesson: Never place fiendishly hot items on your plastic cutting
board. Nor on your wooden or bamboo cutting board. In fact, never
place anything on your cutting board that you’re not about to cut.
It’s a Cutting Board, dammit!

That is all.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/917866/WRS_Constitution.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eT3OAVbHtD Roger Scrafford scrafford Roger Scrafford Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:28:40 -0700 The 18th Century Goes to the Dogs http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/the-18th-century-goes-to-the-dogs http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/the-18th-century-goes-to-the-dogs From The official site of Colonial Williamsburg - http://bit.ly/2NbZPp

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/917866/WRS_Constitution.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eT3OAVbHtD Roger Scrafford scrafford Roger Scrafford Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:42:00 -0700 Radio adaptation all but finished http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/radio-adaptation-all-but-finished http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/radio-adaptation-all-but-finished

I've resumed my labors after several weeks of forgetting what I've actually written.

I have only nine holes remaining in the story, each of which involves no more than simple mechanics -- get this character out the door, get that character into the room.

My  70-page historical radio drama -- part one of twelve -- is nearly done!

Good thing I'm not involved in nanowrimo!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/917866/WRS_Constitution.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eT3OAVbHtD Roger Scrafford scrafford Roger Scrafford Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:21:00 -0700 Recovering from Mando Madness http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/recovering-from-mando-madness http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/recovering-from-mando-madness

I played pretty well, but the master of Keeping It Together was Mr Dumovich.

It was a wedding, you see, outdoors.  Some rain, but a good time for everyone.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/917866/WRS_Constitution.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eT3OAVbHtD Roger Scrafford scrafford Roger Scrafford Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:37:00 -0700 Buns http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/buns http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/buns

Sunday night's burgers were delicious: home-ground chuck roast, grilled peppers from the farmer's market, etc. Tasty. But O those buns.

When you're a celiac like me, off-the-shelf buns are not an option. Not knowing any better, I called my pizza mix into play, letting it rise a lot longer for better lift. And things looked promising.

But then came the baking. Oh yes, they baked up well, and after 40 minutes they were fully cooked.

The exterior was hard as a turtle shell. I microwaved one to soften the exterior a bit, and that helped, but not enough.

I conclude that the oven needs a lot more moisture. I might even do the next session using a pan of water and paper bags for the dough. 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/917866/WRS_Constitution.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eT3OAVbHtD Roger Scrafford scrafford Roger Scrafford Sat, 08 Aug 2009 18:08:17 -0700 When friends botch their computers http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/when-friends-botch-their-computers http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/when-friends-botch-their-computers ... it's not a happy time.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/917866/WRS_Constitution.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eT3OAVbHtD Roger Scrafford scrafford Roger Scrafford Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:06:00 -0700 Names in late 1700's America http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/names-in-late-1700s-america http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/names-in-late-1700s-america

I've needed some period given names for some time.   A fellow named Douglas Galbi has some very useful lists at galbithink.org.
He has separate lists of surnames, male and female, which list names by their descending frequency of occurrence. It's a great help.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/917866/WRS_Constitution.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eT3OAVbHtD Roger Scrafford scrafford Roger Scrafford Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:03:57 -0700 I still say it should be pronounced "Shill's Hole" http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/i-still-say-it-should-be-pronounced-shills-ho http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/i-still-say-it-should-be-pronounced-shills-ho Nice morning walk, downstairs to the water
and then back up to 85th near Sunset Park.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/917866/WRS_Constitution.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eT3OAVbHtD Roger Scrafford scrafford Roger Scrafford Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:09:00 -0700 Late-night helicopter action http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/late-night-helicopter-action http://rogerscrafford.posterous.com/late-night-helicopter-action

Beginning around 10:50pm, a smallish helicopter circled Greenwood and 80th (or a bit North of that) at a just-above-the-trees altitude. At 11:07pm it headed northeast, as if on a mission.  It did not return.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/917866/WRS_Constitution.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eT3OAVbHtD Roger Scrafford scrafford Roger Scrafford