Pilot Push Back Against Vaccine Mandates

Maybe you've heard of doomsday cults: religious sects with charismatic leaders who predict the world will end by a certain date. Doomsday comes--but by some miracle, the world doesn't end. Neither does the cult--many members go on being members.

So it is with coronabros. We were all supposed to die of COVID (well, a bunch of us, anyway). Now that apostates have kept on living, left the cult and refuse to take the holy water, some of the cultists are coming unglued.

Southwest Airlines cancelled over 1,000 flights over the weekend. The word over at Unreported Truths is that there's a pilot sick-out over vaccine mandates, and pilots from other airlines are ready to join them. Some blue checky-check on Twitter called the sick-out "domestic terrorism." Silence is violence, and apparently so is not showing up for work. Other cultists want the president to fire them, apparently not realizing that Southwest Airlines is a private employer, nor that firing pilots wouldn't put planes in the air.

Photo from Pexels.

Fauci thinks it's too early to know whether people can get together for Christmas, but I think it's early enough to make a backup plan for Thanksgiving flights.

As we go to hell in a handbasket, let's at least enjoy the ride. My recommendations for dinner and a movie:

Low-Carb Mexican Casserole

I thought I'd seen a recipe for a Mexican casserole involving eggs, beef and cheese, but there isn't one in any of my cook books, nor do I use very many online recipes. So maybe it's my own creation, dreamed up while I had a crop of Anaheim chilis and a craving for Mexican food. If it isn't, let me know who to give credit to.

Low-carb Mexican casserole.

7 Anaheim peppers (Hatch chilis), roasted and peeled*

1 pound ground beef

4 eggs

1/2 c salsa

2 cups shredded cheddar

1/2 t cumin

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

Hot sauce (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 (180C or gas mark 4). Brown the ground beef with the cumin, garlic and onion powder. When the beef is done, spread it in a 9x13 pan. Beat the eggs and pour them over the beef. Spread the salsa over the beef and eggs. Top with the chilis, then the cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and more spices if desired. Bake for 40 minutes and top with hot sauce if desired.

*If using fresh chilis, broil them at 450 (230C gas mark 8) for five minutes, then turn them over and broil for five more minutes. It's OK if the skin turns tan or black. If the skin isn't puffing up, leave them under the broiler longer, turning every five minutes. The riper the chilis, the faster they'll be ready. Remove them from the oven when done and let them cool, then peel. Use gloves with spicy chilis. Split the chilis lengthwise and remove seeds.

Movie: Mayberry Man

This crowd-funded movie from here in central Indiana involves an arrogant movie star, Chris Stone, who is sentenced for speeding and stealing peaches to spend a week among the folksy people at Mayberry Fest, an annual event that pays tribute to The Andy Griffith Show. Like the show, the movie is warm, funny and suitable for the whole family. I saw it last night at the Heartland Film Festival, where some of the actors and others involved with the movie discussed the cast (some are real-life tribute artists), the budget (low--but I wouldn't have guessed from the production value) and distribution (it's in a few theaters, on Amazon Prime, and the DVD is for sale). If you can't be with friends or family on Thanksgiving, Amazon Prime lets you organize a watch party.

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