Calculatus Eliminatus

Posted in Mistakes, Truth by

I love the above term. When my sons were young, I guess in the late seventies, we watched a Cat in the Hat show in which someone lost something. Then the Cat in the Hat came up with a solution.

When you mislaid a certain something

Keep your cool and don’t get hot

Calculatus Eliminatus is the best friend you’ve got

Calculatus Eliminatus always helps an awful lot

You can google the term yourself. I suppose to some degree I am already a little in danger of stealing the Dr. Seuss out take, but I hope I will be forgiven. If you have not heard it or seen it, it would be very good to look it up. Also, as with much of Dr. Seuss, there is some good humor there too.

However, if you like I will try to give you a short version. The concept is that you look someplace. Once you have, that place has been eliminated as a place that something might be. If you look enough places and eliminate them, you will find what you are looking for.

I was recently reminded of the little song being as I lost my checkbook. For three days I looked for it. I was reasonably certain it was in the house. However, there was a time element. Though there was no evidence anyone was misusing it, I decided to stop payment on the checks.

Then, about a month later, I walked in and set my keys on the place next to the head of my bed when something caught my eye. That’s right, there it was, my checkbook right in plain sight. I had put my keys right on top of it apparently a month earlier.

Sometimes, I find things like that the best evidence of space aliens. I mean, otherwise, how could I have overlooked it for a month. One of those gray things must have snuck in and took it. Then later, after examining it, he returned it where I would be sure to see it.

Well, then I thought of the old Cat in the Hat thing, Calculatus Eliminatus. Obviously, that was one place I should have eliminated. It also goes to prove the adage that the best place to hide something is in plain sight. I don’t know. If I hadn’t put my keys there, I might not have ever found it. I almost didn’t see it then. Also, my own observance, there is no one better at hiding something from me than I am.

Nothing New Here

Posted in Uncategorized by
Daily writing prompt
Why do you blog?
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Actually, I’ve answered this one years ago. Maybe it won’t hurt to revisit it. Who knows. It might even help.

I guess it all started when I asked my son for suggestions on how I might increase the sales of my books. a month or so later, he pointed me to this site. Sounded like a good idea so I logged on and got set up. Of course the purpose was originally to bring people to my books and occasionally I still use it for this purpose. If your are interested in looking at my selection of more than 35, check my home page. There is a complete list there as well as instructions on how to order them.

However, I don’t think I would attract many readers if all I wrote about was – what I wrote. Not knowing anything else, I just started writing about that which is important to me, which includes many things in many subjects.

It was sort of one of those contradictory things. I knew I wouldn’t get a huge following but I hoped I did. In the world politics, I hoped to point out errors that people make, Democrat or Republican. I have written a few things bad about Republicans and I have written many things bad about Democrats. The problem, of course is that I need to stand on a mountain with a 5000 watt sound system but all I have is a valley with a megaphone. That is better than I had before.

I like to write about dumb commercials, regardless of where I find them. If you have read my posts for a while, you will be well of aware of them, like the almost nude woman in a magazine…advertising shoes. I suspect, if they could have, they would have had the woman pose nude… that is, if they thought it would sell shoes. Of course, if they paid enough, they would have a line of women waiting for the chance to get their face before the public.

I think, by far, the most important thing I write about is Christianity. When all is said and done, it is the most important thing — period. I guess many get tired of hearing me on this subject but if I get through to 1 or 2 a year, I consider it well worth the effort. This is especially true if somehow one of those people I get though to becines another Billy Graham. I hope I have not set my hopes too high. It is the nature of Christianity. We spread the great news and God does the rest.

I like to write about what I call the CEO affect. (Chief Executive Officer) I mean, there are a lot of products where it is obvious the CEOs don’t use the product. They certainly don’t open the packaging. This covers it all from plastic blister wraps, to instructions, to reliability, to customer support. Well, I guess it wouldn’t include customer support. If he doesn’t like something he would not have to deal with people whose 2nd language is English and of course, they know nothing about the product. If the CEO has a problem, he just goes to the dumb engineer and fires him.

I like to talk about restaurants. When I like them, I write about that. When they are not so good, I write about that. I have a list of about 3 or 4 restaurants that I simply no longer go to. I have a list of dozens that I go back to frequently. On of the biggest mistakes many restaurant managements make is that more and better ads will make up for low quality food and service. Oddly, I have gone into big restaurants where the service was much faster than McDonald’s and I have gone to places where it is less expensive and better.

Naturally, my posts don’t always help the good places. I wrote a very good word for Abbay’s and the only people who read it were in India. Sorry to say, I don’t think Abbay’s employees noted much of a gain in their evening crowd.

I do have hopes that one day the owners of some of these places will read my posts and start fixing things. I mean I do like do like Big Mac’s. I just don’t like waiting 15 minutes to get them…and then waiting another 10 minutes for the drinks. Neither do I like doing battle with a fancy ketchup dispenser when other methods would work so much better. (I wonder if the CEO of McDonald’s has to deal with those things. While I’m at it, let’s ask if if the current CEO of Wendy’s has to wait for three employees to finish their conversation before taking his order. I don’t like kiosks, but I neither have to wait for them to take my order nor do I have to wait behind ten cars.

I guess the drive throughs go hand and hand with the world of fast food. First, drive throughs take priority over counter service. McDonald’s will keep it’s drive through open if it means shutting everything else down. I suspect many other fast food places will as well. The one place that noted is not that way, they have big drive-though lines but I never have had to wait much at the counter. Also, the food is brought out promptly and accurately.

The really bad thing about drive throughs I don’t understand, while people like me go into a place and place our orders, a line of cars with idling engines belch green house gases into the atmosphere and those going green outfits never say a word. And me… me…. I just sit here and shake my head.

My best guess, you just might find those going green people right in the drive through lines with the rest of them. By the way, did you know you can get a pizza at a drive through. That’s right. One night we were going to order a pizza to take home. They had the counter closed and the drive through open. How do they even do that?

Well, it is nice for those who do not like traipsing through the rain or putting up with the noon day sun. All they need do is SHOUT their order into a… whatever, and in a while, they will have your order ready, that is, unless they gave you a Dr. Pepper instead of a Diet Coke.

This is not restricted to restaurants. It’s banks, prescriptions, in a round about way, groceries. The country has gone drive through crazy. I guess pedestrians must just go hungry.

Certainly, I love to pick on our neighbors to the north. I love to say that every time they mess up, the value of my home goes up and it is true. I live 12 miles from the Memphis airport but I can’t remember the last time I’ve been in Memphis. They no longer have anything I need or want.

However, the facetious remarks are made to encourage them to straighten out the mess they have created for themselves. It would not only help them but me as well. The stupidity seems to be spilling over to the south, to the north, and to west, and to the east. May I remind one and all that Shelby County schools had very close to the worst reading scores in Tennessee. With scores that bad, it’s not the kids. It’s the schools. It is why people are moving south. It is why people in Memphis are sneaking people into Desoto County schools, which is illegal.

Of course, I can’t prove it, but I suspect that there are more U-Hauls going south across that state line than north. I also suspect that it is costing some of those folks a lot of money to give up their Memphis homes.

Well, I do write on other things, but I suspect that is most of the reason I blog. I wonder if those guys north of the state line ever pay any attention to me. It just might do them a little good.

I don’t think they do. I don’t think they will. I’ll let you figure out why.

The Right Thing

Posted in Abortions, Christian values by

I heard this from a preacher one day on the radio. I don’t know who it was. I wish I could remember but I only heard him the one time while I was driving. He said something so profound that I almost pulled into a parking lot to write it all down.

This basics of it is this. We think and think things over many times trying to figure out what the right thing is to do. Many of us go to God and ask him, what do you want me to do? Sometimes we consider a question for days, weeks or even months.

However, the truth is that we know the right thing to do from the beginning. Figuring it out is not that difficult. It’s doing it that’s the hard part.

Well, to be truthful, sometimes we do have to make decisions where we really don’t know what is better. We may not truly know what we want. We might not even be able to determine what God wants.

On the other hand, frequently, we know exactly what the right thing is. We simply don’t want to do it.

I think that this is never more true than in the subject of abortion. I mean, it is plain, “Though shalt not murder.” It sort of removes all doubt, doesn’t it. We can start speculating about this and that, but it all boils down to one thing, doesn’t it? Is abortion murder? And again, likely you already know what is right and what is wrong concerning it. It just is that sometimes that little baby is just not convenient. Sometimes, we can’t afford it. And, by the way, “I’m going to college. How can I take care of a kid and study for that big test?”

Naturally, it is brought up that I am a man and I can’t understand. Mind you, I am not telling you what is right. I am only reminding you of what every woman knows. Abortion is murder. It cannot be denied. How does one call murder the right thing?

In this county, for a very long time, the decision was the mother’s without exception. It was her right to chose. However, how are you going to answer the question properly. Will you one day stand before God and try to explain your actions. For that matter, will you be able to. You think you have that really neat way of justifying the killing of a child placed in your care by God.

You see, the right thing isn’t always the easy thing. It is not always the convenient thing.

As the man said, it’s not really determining the right thing. It’s doing it that is so downright difficult. Taking care of a child while studying for a test is not the easy way. Having a kid really messes up the social life. Then too, what man will want a woman who already has a child?

None of it is easy. There are things that help, but it is never easy.

And, by the way, I made many decisions that I didn’t want to make. I really preferred the easy way. I must admit, I didn’t always do the right thing. Then, after, I very frequently regretted doing the wrong thing to this day. It is something of a problem with getting old. Every day, every woken moment, something might come to mind that I messed up because I figured I’d take the way of convenience.

One day, if you should live long enough, you too will regret as you remember those times when you chose convenience over the right thing.

Will You Please Join Me in a Little Speculation?

Posted in Christian values by

In EX 34:29-35, we see that when Moses returned from the top of the mountain, his face shined. It frightened those who saw it to the point that Moses wore a veil. I can’t remember exactly when I first became aware of the passage, I guess when I was in my mid twenties. It is certainly not one of those things that is all that important I guess. I mean, as I read it, it seemed that it was almost written as an afterthought.

Yet, I get the impression we can maybe draw a minor conclusion from it. People often wonder what we will be like when we get to heaven. Well, we will be in the presence of God, even more than Moses was. It somewhat suggest to me that we, all of us who go to heaven we will shine, although, I would have to say, it would be the light of God showing in us rather than from us.

We will, from time to time meet people we met here on earth and when we do, their faces, maybe their whole body will shine. Even then, we will recognize and they will recognize us. I don’t guess it’s all that important, but I figured I would mention it.

Also, it makes me wonder if Adam and Eve’s faces shined, especially before the fall. I mean, I got the idea that they and God conversed regularly. I have no idea what they talked about but before the fall, Adam had no sin. It does make me a little envious of Adam. It would really be nice to be able to have two way conversations with God every day.

My wife always accuses me of thinking too much. She asks me if I ever just turn my brain off and let it rest for a while. In this case, she may be right. Indeed the Bible does caution us about speculating. None-the-less, it does say that Moses’ face shined. Are we speculating to much to think that he will cause our faces to shine too.

However, I think it will be more than that. I don’t think that we will even think that much of it. However bright I become in the body that God gives me, it will pale in brilliance of God’s glory.

On the other hand, those who don’t make it to heaven, I don’t think there will be much light where they will go. You see, God is the source of all light. Those separated from God will also be separated from light. Given the choice, why would anyone want to go there. The truth is, all have a choice. We must all choose. Those who do not chose Jesus as their savior and lord, by default have chosen hell. Let me put it another way. If you have not chosen to accept Jesus as your savior, then you walk the path that leads to hell. When and if you chose to accept Jesus as your savior, God immediately gives you citizenship in heaven. It is a citizenship that cannot be taken from you. It is far more permanent than citizenship in the US

However, every man that has ever been saved shares one thing in common. They admitted that they need to be saved. They have admitted their sin. For how can a man turn from sin and chose a savior unless he first admits he needs one. Those who are without sin have no need of a savior. Other than Jesus, that person does not exist.

It is somewhat of an enigma. The first step in being saved is realizing you are a sinner. Once you realize your sin, then, and only then will you seek salvation and a savior. Then, of course this all mans nothing if you don’t accept the right savior, the real savior; the one who died on the cross for us. No one else has the power. No one else has the authority. John 14:6 “I am the way….” When Jesus said that, he eliminated any and all others. If it is not true then He lied and there is no hope for anyone. In the same verse Jesus said that He is the Truth.

So, as I said, you have a choice. If you go to hell, it is only because you made the wrong one.

Nutrition Deficiencies

Posted in Food by

Many moons ago, a man who worked with me made quite a point of trying to convince me and world that if a person eats properly, he need not take any supplements. I disagreed with him and I explained why. Might I mention, this man made it a point to eat the right foods.

Well, about a week later, he came in complaining that the doctor wanted him to take some vitamins. I mean, he was making it a point that the world knew he was angry.

The fact is, as we get older, two things work against us in getting the proper nutrition. First, as we get older, we simply do not eat as much. My best guess, we are not as active. Our metabolism slows. And, believe it or not, our brain no longer burns as many calories. As a child, our brains use half the calories we take in. As an adult, that drops to 1/5. (Sort explains why it is that we pick up the weight after we reach our mid twenties.

Second, our digestion system does not work as well. I have come the personal conclusion that it collects the calories just as well, the vitamins and minerals, not so much. Now that I am over 70, I take a bunch of supplements, as does my wife. When I noticed my wife being really lethargic, I took her to the hospital. She was low on sodium and vitamin D. The multivitamin was apparently not enough. Moreover, the sodium really hit me. I mean every physician and his cousin is saying cut back on the salt. Well, she is different. Seems she can have all she wants.

Also, there was vitamin D in the multi-vitamin and it still was not enough. Moreover, with the China Virus, we find that we need more D anyway. More than strong bones, it seems to also help our immunity.

Every night, now, it is a ritual my wife and I. We have to take the prescription pills and the supplements.

So, you think you are getting all the vitamins and minerals you need from your food, if you are over 40, you just might want to check with your doctor. It seems to me as if that is when the deficiencies hit. Of course for some it will be earlier or later. Just please, don’t wait for a hospital visit to find out that you aren’t getting enough vitamin D.

Car Thievery

Posted in Crime, Lawyers and Representation, Liberals by

Yesterday, I was looking around the web concerning crime. I found something that I thought I would pass along. Of over 80 cars stolen in Southaven, MS this year, nearly half were taken from hospital parking lots. I had to think that over for two reasons. I guess it makes since. After all, many people spend hours days or even weeks in the hospital without returning to their cars. It would seem the thief need not in a hurry.

Secondly, just what could be done to decrease the thievery, both collectively and individually. I have been giving it more than casual thought.

I know that Baptist Desoto has security personnel patrolling the lots. One might think it would discourage the thieves. However, they do drive well marked cars with flashing lights. I suppose a person could wait until the flashing lights are on the other side of the lot.

I guess as an individual, we can make sure to lock all doors and maybe leave that 250 pound friend you have and pay him a dollar or two to stand watch over the Mercedes you have. On the other hand, you should leave the Mercedes behind and take the old 49 Chevy. Wait a minute. 49 Chevys might be just the sort of thing an antique dealer might be looking for.

Hay! Here’s an idea! When we catch the thief, let’s make sure he stays in prison for a while, like 20 years. He might be causing problems in prison, but he won’t be stealing cars for a couple of decades. Who knows? If we keep that up for a while, we just might not have to lock our cars up anymore.

How am I Feeling

Posted in Growing Old by
Daily writing prompt
How are you feeling right now?
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Old. I just can’t keep up with the indoor work anymore. The outdoor work is getting completely out of hand. Every now and again I must part with five or six hundred dollars to do that which I can’t.

It is what you can expect should you survive a while. It did not surprise me. It just crept up on me. One day I woke up and found I just couldn’t do what I used to. I have power tools too. I have a good power hedge trimmer. It does all the work. I do all the sweating. When done, the trimmers are still in good shape. I go into the house under the AC and hope I will survive another battle with the outdoors.

The last couple of days I did something indoors that I should have done years ago. That was a bad mistake. Not only am I older now, but the task continued to grow bigger. Sometimes you can put things off. Not so much this time. Now every muscle have is telling me I should not have put that task off.

If you happen to see an old man fighting with a bunch of bushes growing up in his back yard, you might wave. It just might be me. Then again, possibly just a man like me.

Like a Room Full of Kids

Posted in Christian values, Confessions, Deceit, Lawyers and Representation, responsibility & irresponsibility, Uncategorized by

After a tragic event, I prefer to hold my comments to myself for a week or two. Frequently, if I jump too early, I end up eating my words.

Tonight, I have decided to say a few words about the tragedy in Hawaii. I thought about writing immediately after but I am glad I waited for things to unfold. The one thing I noticed is that it was similar to walking into a room full of kids where something was spilled causing substantial damage. When I ask who did it, the kids, in chorus say, loudly, “Not me.”

Ever since the disaster a great deal of time has been wasted pointing fingers. This one says this and that one says that. I guess none of those fellas was in the Marines. They wouldn’t have done that. It is very shameful behavior by them all.

As I see it, someone squandered a good opportunity. If one would have raised his hand and said, “It’s my fault and I apologize. I didn’t see it coming and I should have. I assure you, I will not make that mistake again and I need to do what I can to see to it that we recover as much as we can as quickly as we can. After, in the aftermath, we need to take a good hard look at what happened and, in as much as possible, make sure that it is never repeated.”

I suspect that any man (or woman) who said that would have the full attention and the loyalty of his friends and constituents. In general, people don’t like it when people mess things up. Even more, they will generally respect the man who owns it.

I learned it day one in boot camp, don’t make mistakes and when you do, admit to them. It seems a little contradictory. It effectively goes against the natural behavior, but it is the most important thing a leader can do. It’s kind important for the followers too. It is hard to face up to our shortcomings, but those who attempt deception will pay the price, especially when it is so obvious.

Best at Something

Posted in Liberals by

Ch 24 news reports that Memphis has the best hotel bar in the country.

Had to think that one over. Is that something to brag about? Don’t think so, especially if it’s about the only thing for which to brag.

Now, let’s see. I don’t hear any bragging over the schools.

Biden Need Not be Concerned About Prison

Posted in Biden by

Given his mental capacity, he is he can no longer assist in his own legal defense, which means he cannot ever be convicted of anything.

Then again, does that really give any sane person any comfort. I mean, he really does have the power to start a world nuclear disaster and he doesn’t know how to exit a stage.