Quick Word of Thanks to Nissan

I was a bit confused the other day when added windshield washer fluid. There are three other things that look like they need attention from time to time. Well, Nissan did send me an Email telling me it’s time for a yearly checkup. So I put the wife in the car and we went up to have the car checked.

Before anything else, I asked about all the things that look like they need attention. I asked, what are they. How do I know they need new fluid. Finally, what kind of fluid do they need.

One is for the breaks and uses regular break fluid. One is for the motor and one is to cool the batteries. The fluid for the batteries and motor is the same type of fluid and I can get it at a car parts store. The good new is that, once I got my head in the right place, I could see they are right at the top.

After all that, I found out that the car needed no attention. After another 2000 miles, I need to have the tires rotated. However, in spite of not needing any attention, they cleaned all the leaves that collected in under the hood and vacuumed the interior. No charge. Not a bad deal.

However, they were all interested in how I liked the car. I asked if they are still selling them. They said they just sold one a couple of days ago.

If I have any regrets, it’s that I didn’t get the one that was 10000 more but I just couldn’t afford it. I likely would not have been able to finance it. With it having 100 mile more range, I would not be as hesitant to a little farther than home. (140 miles instead of 85). Also, it has a self drive function. Still, for 10000, I think I’ll drive it myself.

SUCCESS!!

Gavin Newsom has finally managed to drive Elon Musk and his two big corporations from California to Texas. He has been trying for years. I would guess many will be making the move with him. More U-Hauls outbound from California.

I noticed on a side note, I noticed that Mr. Musk will be contributing very largely to Trump’s campaign. Do you suppose Newsom had something to do with that too?

Without Speculation

I am still not going to add any opinions to the assassination. However, because it is so factual, I will say two things. When I was in the Marines, with my M-14, I could stand at 100 yards and hit the bullseye two out of three times in seconds. Prone, as the shooter in this case was, I could hit it about every time. If I were in charge, those roofs would have been very closely watched for that reason if nothing else.

Second, due to efforts to get women into the Secret Service, they had women about a foot shorter than Trump feebly trying to protect Trump. Just tell me how effective that is going to be. If they are going to have women protecting people, make sure they are at least as tall as the one they are protecting. It really would work better that way. Well, I suppose she could just hold a nice thick frying pan up.

Really Wished I Liked Avocados

Throughout third grade and through graduation, I had a friend who had an avocado tree in his backyard. At that time, avocados weren’t the big thing they are today. From what I understand, they really are healthy, though you really need to know what you’re doing to get one of them open. A person could easily lose a finger.

I don’t really hate them. I just don’t really care for them. Maybe if I had been eating them from the cradle I might have liked them more. Some people about go nuts over them.

Nowadays, I have even less desire for them. It seems that they have gained some value. I go into Subway, and they ask if I want avocado on my sandwich. Can’t blame them. They are out to help folks get healthy.

Who knows? If I had eaten them all my life, I would maybe be healthier. I might even live longer. On the other hand, there have been doctors who have said a little chocolate is healthy. It has anti-oxidants, you know. I really do need a daily portion. Not too much, just a little.

I have really taken a liking to bell peppers lately. For years, I avoided them. I couldn’t imagine them actually tasting good. Then one day I went to a big dinner where they served stuffed peppers. I figured I should at least eat the stuffing. Then I realized that the good unusual taste that was being transferred to the stuffing was from the peppers.

Since then, I haven’t eaten many stuffed peppers. Not many folks make them and I don’t really know how. However, I have frequently eaten the peppers. I found two restaurants that make a gravy with them that would cause me to overeat if I let them. In addition, Subway will put them on my sandwich without charging me one penny more. Sometimes I can talk them into putting extra on there. I find them especially good on their tuna sandwiches.

Going back to the avocados, does anyone know any way of making them taste good, as good as bell peppers. I suppose it is asking too much to make them taste as good as chocolate. Has anyone ever tried mixing avocados with chocolate? Maybe mix chocolate chips into them.

Take Care, Things Are Not Always as They Appear

The prompt about making food reminded me of something that happened a very long time ago. Well, maybe not so long geologically speaking. Let’s put it this way. I am now 76 and it happened when I was yet in high school. That would make it early 60s. I am sure to some of my readers, that is ancient.

Regardless, I had made a yellow cake. While it was cooling, I started on the frosting, chocolate. I had made a syrup of coco, water, a little salt, vanilla and water. My younger sister had entered the kitchen and I could see she was eyeing the my little mixture. I warned her that she wouldn’t like it if she got any of it. I turned to prepare the confection sugar and out of the corner of my eye I saw my sister move suddenly. Yup, from the expression on her face, I could see she tried to raid the syrup.

I got a pretty good laugh and my sister got a long drink of water. She didn’t even bother with a glass. She drank it right out of the faucet. I am sure if she could, she would have liked to be able to undo that function. I suspect she wished she had a backspace key. Fortunately, five minutes later, it was just a bad memory.

I must admit, I would have been tempted too. That little mixture I made up really looks good. But it is the ultimate in bitterness. The chocolate frosting that I put on that cake was mixed with sugar. In fact, it was mostly sugar. It wasn’t truly chocolate, but chocolate flavored.

You know, a lot of life is like that. It looks so-o-o good, but, in the end, it is very bitter. I don’t know about you, but it seems I need to learn that lesson over and over again. The sweetness of chocolate is only there after the sugar is added. Somethings in life remain bitter, regardless of how much sugar is added.

One Way to Decrease Your Enemies

No bout a doubt it. President Trump has one less enemy. J. D. Vance is now, not only his friend, but his running mate. Amber Rose also is no longer any enemy. She used to be a never Trumper, but last night she spoke out strongly in his favor. At this rate, who knows. Old Joe might even become a friend. Okay. Not likely, but I can hope.

Trying to Figure That One Out

Just heard the woman heading the Secret Service took full responsibility for the failure of the security for President Trump. Then, apparently, in the next breath started blaming local police and those who worked for her. Does it really work that way. Can she really say she is responsible while she says others are to blame?

Personally, I think that the person assigned to lead the security team was responsible. He or she took that responsibility and should totally own up to the failure. On the other hand, the shooting itself belongs to the shooter. At this point, it is my guess no one directly told him to do it, although, I will probably have more to say about this later.

Ir-regardless, as we in the south like to say, at this point, this is one case I don’t think the failure belongs in Washington. If at some point, it is determined she did cause the failure, then she should admit it and immediately resign. On the other hand, blaming it on local police as she did, does seem a little odd, especially considering she likely does not yet know.

Food. Now That’s an Interesting Subject

I must admit I had to wrestle mentally with this prompt. Then it all became clear when I substituted the word do for the word would. I hope that will be okay. You see, if I would like to make something, I usually do. About the only thing I haven’t tried is homemade pie. Something about that crust that scares me. If and when we do make a pie, we buy the crust as well as the filling. In my book, that does not qualify as making a pie.

Right now I’m considering making a beef stew. When we bought the slow cooker, it came with a recipe that is great. The hitch is that I keep putting off the trip to the store. I am always putting off trips to the store these days. When I finally go, I spend $250 just for my wife and me. Then, it seems I got so little.

Mostly, these days, we eat out. With just the two of us and my wife eating so little these days, a lot gets wasted. She just loves chili dogs so we open a can of chili now and then. To keep it healthy, I generally open a can of veggies or pull out some that are frozen. I don’t know. Seems to me corn and peas taste better when frozen. (heated of course) To me, carrots and cabbage have to be fresh.

I try to keep raw hamburger patties in the freezer for those days when we just just don’t don’t feel much like going anywhere. It really is sirloin but in a different form. A little gravy, a little mashed potatoes or baked potato and we have steak dinners.

A couple of interesting stories about the potatoes. My wife’s grandmother was one of those who did not like the modern stuff. You know, before she visited us, she insisted on baking the potatoes in the oven and boiling the potatoes first for mashed potatoes. Before she went home, she loved the 7 minute potatoes that come out of the microwave and she was amazed at how we got the potato flakes to taste so good. The secret, add a slice of Kraft American cheese before adding the hot water.

Every now and again, we like the red potatoes too, you know the little ones. Add a few spices while they boil and they can really spice up a meal. Hint: don’t peal them.

It just is, it’s not nearly as much fun cooking when it’s just the two of us. Moreover, it’s no fun cleaning up after.

Therefore, when we go to a restaurant, I always thank them, not just for cooking my food, but also for doing my dishes. It does sometimes confuse them, but one day, they will figure it out.

Daily writing prompt
What foods would you like to make?

Strategies for Staying Healthy

Eat healthy, but not too much (Pizza at least once a week)

Exercise, but as little as possible

Sleep, as much as I want.

Avoid poisons such as drugs and tobacco. (alcohol is a drug)

And, by the way, rely heavily on my doctor and pharmacists

Made it to 76. Maybe I am doing something right

Daily writing prompt
What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?

Some Folks Want What They Want, Even When They Know It Is Wrong

In a way, I wish I were more as a reporter. I guess that if I had taken the right classes in college, I might have learned how to do research better. Mostly, if I can’t find it on the internet, I’m sunk. Moreover, what they put on the internet isn’t always true. Like the fella said, you can’t believe half of what you read or anything you hear. So it is that in order to write something and be believable, I have to find it in at least three places, better if it’s five.

Well, there is one thing I can write about… that which I have seen or experienced. For instance, I do have considerable knowledge on the gas shortages of the seventies. I was there. I saw it and I experienced it. If someone tried to tell me it didn’t happen, I would know the person either lacked the knowledge or was lying. Oddly, there are people who do that sort of thing. Perhaps I might one day write a book on such things. There would be but two problems. The book would be very thick and I’d never finish it. As soon as I thought I was done, I’d have ten more things to add to it.

You see, I don’t write so fast. Moreover, before I could release it, I would have to proof read it three times to make sure I didn’t have a bunch of stupid grammar mistakes. There are people in this world that could likely write something like that but I’m afraid no one would read it. One dem intentionally tells something I know is false. Before I can get my computer turned on, ten more repeat the lie, which, of course makes it true, even though it’s not.

Moreover, people do like to believe the lie. In some regards, it is called gossip and the only place you would see something like it printed were in the tabloids like The National Inquirer. Nowadays, I am more prone to believe The National Inquirer than something like the New York Times.

So, let me explain something I saw on TV. Some of it I suppose you can take with a grain of salt. However, it is what I saw and it is what I heard, maybe 15 or 20 years ago. My memory is not so good, but I do remember enough to make it an effective true story.

Sorry, can’t remember, but I think it was on Sixty Minutes. To be sure it was one of those TV magazines and it includes my thoughts and emotions as I heard it.

At any rate, they were interviewing a chaplain of either Yale or Harvard. They said which one, I forgot, sorry. The point is, it caught my attention. Why…why, would they be interviewing a chaplain. I figured they would never interview any kind of a preacher on any major network TV, let alone on prime time. I had to stop and see what my ears would not believe.

Actually, something else surprised me. I didn’t know they had chaplains at those colleges. I sort of wanted to find out about that too.

So the interview began. They introduced the man and immediately got down to the reason they decided to interview him. He was homosexual. I guess it is one of those man bites dog stories. I mean, if the man taught against homosexuality, no one would want to give him a second on TV let alone one of the expensive minutes.

So now I’m thinking the commentator will never bring up the point that the Bible does speak against homosexuality. I mean, 15 years earlier, they would have. Certainly not in the here and now. Surprised me! He did. He had the nerve to ask about it.

Here’s the thing. It was arranged. Now the so called chaplain was given a soapbox and he was not going to pass up the chance to use it for spreading his guile and deceit. You see, he explained that God meant it only for the Jews. You see, he wanted the Jews to become a large nation. If they were a bunch of homosexuals, they would not increase in population.

Okay. After I reached up and put my jaw back in place and I listened to his logic, weak as it was. Still, I had to admit that I could not sit down with anyone and explain his error. Nonetheless, I knew the reason for the logic. He wanted to believe the lie, possibly suggested to him by someone else, so he did.

Afterword, I went to my Bible and read the passage he quoted, Leviticus 18:22-23 and quite frankly, as far as it went, I had to agree with the man. But then I read on. Verses 24 & 25 makes it obvious that the man was in error. Perhaps he stopped reading before he got there.

It is plain that the reason God has given the Hebrews the land is that God is also punishing those who were in the land. They had there chance to repent and didn’t. If you look at the larger picture, you will see they were given 440 years. And, because they were defiling the land, God has given the Hebrews instructions to utterly kill everyone there. It was Gods way of pronouncing judgement on those who lived in the land, same as He can pronounce judgement on the US if we don’t repent. If the US continues to defile this land with, among other things, homosexuality, He would be completely righteous to destroy us and remove us from this rich and bountiful land just as he did those in the land given to the Hebrews.

This tells me that God simply does not like homosexuality, regardless of who is doing it. Moreover, it speaks of them defiling themselves, which tells me that it is not only wrong but deviant. You see, of all the sins, homosexuality is the only one that is not natural. I guess you could say, it was man made. In Romans, Paul calls it unnatural.

How-some-ever the man did have something of a point. When God gave the law to the Israel, He gave it to Israel as a gift. If they obeyed the law, God promised to bless them and keep them in the land. If they disobeyed the law, God told them that he would punish them and drive them out of the land, which He eventually did.

Nonetheless, I do not see that it would cause any harm to any nation to collectively follow God’s law to the best of our ability, or at least the 10 Commandments. Murder, stealing, lying and even jealousy can spell doom for any country. Certainly, idolatry will do it no good.

There are two more things I need to say about homosexuality specifically. Regardless of the law, disease has a habit of following the practice. It may be why God wanted both man and animals killed. It was an effort to control the disease that had become common in the area. Can’t say for sure but I have heard the theory from those that know more than me, a lot more.

Besides, it is logical. It’s not just the disease that destroys the cities it abounds in but the immorality as well.

Secondly, what ever it is called, it is outside of marriage as God defines marriage. That, in itself makes it wrong, even if there were no passages at all directly concerning the practice.

Now, going back to that TV magazine, I wonder just what the motive was for them to conduct the interview. I wonder just how the interviewer is explaining it to God. For that matter, I wonder how that So-called chaplain is explaining his actions to God. As a leader, he will have far more to answer for.

However, I’m sure it was what the guy wanted. Otherwise, how in the world would he have talked himself into it, and then try to justify it with God’s word. Some folks want what they want, even when they know it’s wrong. Even when they know it leads to destruction.

Incidentally, what God put in his word is true and you can believe 100% of it.

Now I wonder. Do they even still have chaplains at colleges these days. We might be better off if we don’t, considering what this guy called truth.