Not sure id make that assumption.  When i was a kid in middle school/early HS, it would have been quite easy to hide a jug or 2 downstairs in the crawlspace. Even easier since i "lived" in the "basement" and the access door was right there beside my TV ( was a tri level thing, not a true basement, but meant the crawlspace under the living room was easily accessible from my floor level ). They would have never noticed it. 

( and that crawl space is a story for another day and another room..  )

Tue Jul 21 2026 09:02:33 EDT from IGnatius T Foobar

If a 16-year old wants to drink, and goes to the trouble to home-brew
instead of just stealing big brother's ID, I say let 'im drink.

Yeah. And if he's got the setup at home, his parents are ok with it, all the more reason to let him drink.

I would get there just before she got off, so we would eat when we got home.

Tue Jul 21 2026 09:03:37 EDT from IGnatius T Foobar Subject: Re: Taco hack

Even back in the late 80s when my future first wife was working the
drive thru. Going to pick her up, I'd order a taco, id get bag full of

Did you eat the taco in the car, or did you wait until you got home?

Burger king just went woke :

" The Your Way Champion is a "reimagined restaurant manager role designed to empower restaurant leaders and put the guest experience first," Burger King announced in a news release. The champion will wear a dedicated uniform and serve as a point person for customers, overseeing order customization and satisfaction. "

How is that woke?  

Designation a particular "Champion" is a woke thing.

Sat Aug 01 2026 10:42:22 EDT from IGnatius T Foobar

How is that woke?  

I make spaghetti - it is my mother's recipe. It isn't Italian. I overcook the pasta. Most call for 9 minutes to be al dente. I go 11 minutes, at full boil, until the starch starts to boil off and the noodles are soft - like a comfort food - like mashed potatoes. I get BULK Italian seasoning - and I add all the green spices I can find. I add tomatoes, olives, mushrooms and lots of celery. It is actually more like a Washington State goulash. The base sauce is the same for both. I make it in quart pots, and I simmer it all day once I get it all mixed in. Diced onions, bay leaves. There are other things in there too. 

But the secret is to squeeze out the ground beef between your thumb and forefinger into the smallest chunks possible, then to dice them up with your spatula as you brown them - not into a paste - but into the smallest chunks possible. Season them. But they should basically be "taco meat". But the ratio is pretty large - like, 2 pounds to 2 large base jars of pasta sauce.. 

My wife recently tried to do it herself without my assistance. She didn't add enough Italian seasoning or green spices. She said I "overspice". She also didn't cook the noodles long enough, and she didn't break the meat down enough. She mixed it in with too much pasta to too little sauce - and as we ate it, she said, "I did something wrong..." 

Yeah... You didn't listen to me. Hers was just a little flat. A bit bland. It wasn't terrible. But mine is WAAAAY better. And my mom's was better yet. 

Definitely not a traditional Italian sunday sauce in any way ... but it does sound tasty!

The closest us wops get to what you're describing might be a Bolognese.  More herbs than the standard tomato sauce, and loose meat cooked directly into the sauce rather than made into meatballs.  Now there's a sauce that everyone does differently.  Some just go with meat and tomatoes and herbs, others add carrots and/or celery, I've seen it done with beef stock or worcestershire sauce and some babagalootz even add cream to it, but if you make it right you don't need that because it's rich enough.

And you're right, that method transforms what would otherwise be a simple plate of pasta into a real comfort food.