Tag Archives: family

CAUTION! Shopping on Amazon. Com Can Become Very Habit Forming

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Many moons ago I saw my first ad for A projector that could be plugged into a computer What a wonderful thing I thought. Two things kept me from buying it on the spot. There was no way I could afford it and there was nothing I could legitimately use it for. I would have had to invent one, and believe me, I did try.

That was years before Amazon. Since Amazon, I pseudo window shop entirely too much. Since then, I have purchased many things by Amazon. I willingly admit, too many and a few I regret.

This morning, in spite of the known hazards, I went wading through some of the dangers of Amazon ads and I was again about to be pulled in by the undertow. There on my monitor was a beautiful picture of one of those projectors.

Of all things, the picture showed a couple watching a movie using the one of those projectors. Of all things, they laid in a bed and they were looking at a huge 100 inch image on the ceiling.

NOW that was too much, really. I burst into laughter as I considered how it would be for my wife and I. I wanted that projector. Moreover, all I would need to do to afford it would be to give up eating for two weeks.

I was saves from pressing that make believe button by one fact. It would not work in my house. In the middle of each of my rooms is a light fixture and fan. I considered pulling one of them. We really don’t have a real need for all of them anyway.

Besides, the projector had five lasers. That is important for better skin tones. And then I saw one that contained its own battery. Now, I could imagine myself out in the woods, swatting bugs while watching my copy of Kelly’s Heroes. Yep, that’s right. I would visit our wild animal friends just so I would be able to use my new projector.

Then the reality hit me. I do like to eat. Besides, I have seen Kelly’s Heroes at least ten times. I guess the projector can wait. So I purchased some really comfortable socks instead.

You Can’t Take It With You

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Not only is it true. It is one of the most well known statements, maybe in the world. Even so, it would seem there are those who have tried. The pharaohs certainly made their try at it. With all the power at their hands, they left it all, every bit of it. In spite of all their efforts, it didn’t work regardless of their beliefs.

Jack Benny had his famous theory: he said if he couldn’t take it with him he just wouldn’t go. That didn’t work either. Truth be told, I suspect he was well aware it wouldn’t work, he did make a good try at it. Though he always claimed to be 39, he was 80 when he finally left his worldly things behind.

There are fakes the world round who try to sell wonderful potions and promise many of additional years of life. My MD prescribes for me drugs that hold my blood pressure down and very expensive pills that keep blood clots from forming, there is nothing mystical or magic about them. However, I must admit, they do seem to provide me for a few more years. However, I have no illusion about it. One day, any day, any time, I too will cease to breathe.

However, I do have, for sure, one argument with the old saying. You see when I go on to be with the Lord, I will bring many of my friends and relatives with me. Some have or will go on before. Some will follow.

Now of all we ever had, wouldn’t it be horrible to find out our most precious of all, that is our children, our friends, our relatives will never ever join us.

Indeed we can take our loved ones with us. However, if they never accept Jesus as their savior, they will remain forever separated from us.

It just might be a good reason to make sure they understand the plan of salvation, without delay.

Then again, the opposite would also be horrible, for them to go on to heaven without you.

You can take your most precious ones with you. My advice, make sure you do.

The pharaohs failed to take their gold and treasure. We have the ability to take that which is more precious than gold with us.

A Grand Conspiracy

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When I was a kid, for quite a while we lived near L.A. One benefit to living in that area of the country was that someone was thinking when they built the TV transmitters. They put them all in one place, on top of Mount Wilson. Antenna installation was simple and quick.

Many didn’t even put one up. They just used the rabbit ears. However, to get the really clear pictures, we needed a pole and four elements, that is to say, horizontal pieces of aluminum form something that resembled to arrows.

Once installed, one person gets in the house, one gets on the roof and if there is a third person, he stood in the backyard. The person on the roof adjusted the direction of the antenna while the one in the house reported the picture quality.

So there it was. No genius required. It was a piece of cake. If a person didn’t know which direction Mount Wilson was, he could get a hint by looking at the antennas on the surrounding houses.

Occasionally, problems were encountered. One of my teachers told me that when antenna was lined up properly at his house he had two images, a ghost image on the screen. After trying to adjust the ghost image out for A while, he turned the antenna towards a nearby water tower…problem solved. He was getting a reflection off the tower that was stronger than the direct signal from the mountain.

Nonetheless, it really worked out good for us. Though the transmitted were close to fifty miles away, we all received good signals. Aaaand, it was handy all five stations were in the same direction. There was no need to reposition for each channel.

Since they came up with the new signal standards, I find myself wondering if it still works out so well. It makes me wonder if it works out at all. I must guess, at the least, those people that settled for rabbit ear antennas before are likely having to make other arrangements. Maybe, if I have some readers in the Los Angeles area, you might let me know.

I have known a few around here that gave up and got cable. It does make me wonder if the cable companies are behind some huge grand conspiracy.

Protection Rackets

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Whenever I hear certain advertising on TV/radio, it does remind me of the depicted rackets. If I pay their protection fee, they provide a guarantee that no one will steal my identity.

I don’t know about you, but I remember seeing movies, shows, about organized crime outfits referred to as protection rackets that would insist that businesses pay “protection.” The plain promise was that if they paid, no one would hurt them. The implications were that if they didn’t pay, bad things very well might happen to them.

I’m sorry, but it does cause me to wonder. I have to consider, does the one thing have anything to do with the other? Of course not. No reputable business would do something like that, right?

Regardless, kind of works the same way. If I don’t pay the company, I pay the crooks. Only, truth of the matter is, I could end up paying both. That is to say, if the company is unable to recover my losses, all I have is the guarantee, which is what. Perhaps I get my money back, if that much. Honestly, I know not.

The better solution is to put teeth with the law. You steal my money, regardless of your methods, you go to prison, a long time. Hopefully, you return my money too.

Some would suggest it is senseless and impractical. So which is worse. Someone uses a knife to steal that dollar ninety-eight from me… Or the hacker who uses that computer to steal that million from my bank account. (I only wish I had that much in my account)

Nonetheless, I do believe it is to the benefit of one and all to prevent any kind of crime rather than attempting to recover it after it’s gone. The best way to prevent it is the threat of twenty years in a prison, without TV, radio, or anything resembling a computer.

If you don’t believe it will work, let’s just try it for a little while and see. I say it’s better to pay law enforcement instead of protection rackets.

It’s Not Just About Convenience—It’s a Safety Issue

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I recently learned that my Nissan electric vehicle locks all four wheels—a feature likely built into most, if not all, electric vehicles by design when the auxiliary battery goes below a certain voltage.

While in general, this is a good safety feature, it does have real dangers. Causing the wheels to turn in this condition can cause a fire. It has happened.

This makes it difficult if not impossible to move the car without getting the wheels off the ground. So, imagine yourself stranded in the middle of an intersection waiting for, perhaps, a heavy duty forklift. You can’t just push it out of the way of traffic and others might not believe you.

In my case, I found out when I called a tow truck to fetch my locked up car from under my car port. Fortunately, the operator did not need to learn on my car. He already had heard of an actual occurrence. He saved my house from the flames of my burning EV. As he told me about it, it sparked, visions in my imagination of everything I have up in ten minutes.

This needs to be treated as a potential danger. Something should be required to fix it. At the very least, it needs to be made very public. All those buying EVs should be notified in writing as well as emergency personnel. I would hope all tow truck operators already know.

As an aside, one thing that really irked me, I couldn’t open the trunk, where my wife’s wheel chair was. Imagine if there was something really important back there. As important as the wheelchair is, some things carried in trunks are far more important.

There needs to be a manual emergency release on all trunks by law. This should apply to gas powered cars as well.

3 Year Electric Vehicle Report

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It has now been three years since I purchased my electric Nissan. I’ve experienced one flat tire and replaced the bumper once. I also had two recalls addressed through software updates.

In a way, I am hardly an example for one as I only have 8000 miles on it. Nonetheless, here are a few remarks.

On three separate occasions, I discovered all my windows completely down—twice during heavy rain—despite being certain I had left them up. I don’t have any suggestions to offer, but I felt this was worth mentioning.

Surprisingly, they engineered the car to default to fresh air intake, despite my location in the humid South. To make matters worse, selecting recirculation mode disabled the automatic temperature control. Frequently, I have had to fight the controls to get it the way wanted.

I’ve learned to park in the shade whenever possible during hot summer days. Cooling the cabin takes considerable time, and it places a significant strain on the battery—especially for short trips. Pre-cooling the cabin with ambient air about ten minutes before driving on hot days would be ideal. It would put far less demand on the battery to cool the car from 90 degrees rather than from 130. These days, leaving windows down isn’t a practical option, even without rain concerns.

I do suspect it’s more common to have the screen horizontal, but I prefer vertical, especially while using GPS. I’m more interested in what’s directly ahead of me rather than what’s to the sides.

I would much prefer physical buttons on the dashboard instead of touch-sensitive controls. In bright sunlight, they become invisible, which creates a dangerous distraction while driving.

The outside mirrors fold back automatically when the car is locked—a non-optional feature that I find unnecessary. Returning them to their extended position sometimes requires readjustment, which I find frustrating and counterproductive.

What I found most frustrating was the lack of a standard charging interface. While the charging speed is impressive, it’s only useful when you can locate a charging station. This limitation effectively restricted my trips to about 80 miles—40 miles out and 40 miles back—with minimal buffer.

The cruise control defaults to off. When I purchased the car, I hoped to become comfortable with its controls, but I still find myself struggling with them.

One thing that frustrated me was the absence of a spare tire and jack on a $45,000 vehicle. I discovered this unfortunate oversight only when I experienced a flat tire. That was fun.

Finally, while the car does offer some remote operations, they’re largely unnecessary in practice. The FOB is quite basic.

The car is excellent, and I’m pleased with my purchase. Overall, I genuinely enjoy it. That said, there are a few areas where the design seems incomplete—it makes me wonder if their conventional vehicles have similar issues. If I’d chosen a different model, would a spare tire and jack have been included, or would they even be available as options?

I’m unlikely to purchase another new car at this stage of my life. Even if I did, I wouldn’t consider a Nissan. Sometimes it’s the small details that accumulate and become frustrating. It makes me wonder whether the engineer who designed the car actually drove it.

Some Will Never Figure Out the Simple Stuff

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My brother was got up early one Saturday morning to make his regular weekend drill for Marine reserves at Seal Beach California. Next thing he knew, he was on a C-130 going he knew not where. He knew it was serious though. He had all his gear and rifle. Moreover, if it were a regular training outing, they usually say something beforehand. In this case, everyone was tight lipped. If anyone knew where they were going, they weren’t saying.

As it was, it was big, more so than he imagined. I hesitate to call it a false alarm but it wasn’t. The situation was resolved and they turned the planes back home. The Cuban missile crisis was all averted and not one shot was fired.

Of course, as it turned out, my brother’s unit wasn’t needed. However, when the order was given, President Kennedy didn’t know that. I don’t know what exactly happened in the day, but I am pretty certain that the president would not have wanted to wait a minute if he did need them. It’s called being ready just in case. It’s called planning ahead. It might have been nothing more than a bluff. Any good leader knows what it’s about. Just because you want the troops in place doesn’t mean you plan on using them. However, it is a good practice to have them in place just in case.

If you were able to ask an old gun slinger why he always has a gun strapped to his hip, the would likely say, “I might need it. If I do, it’s entirely to late to get one if I do.” By the way, if he has a reputation, having the gun might mean not having to use it. To be sure, it is a bad practice to attack those who are able and willing to provide a strong defense.

If I heard the question once, I heard it a dozen times. When it was determined that ground troops were on the way to the Middle East, they wanted to know if there were plans to put boots on the ground. First, it is bad practice to Telegraph your punches, be it you’re a boxer or a president. Best to keep them guessing. Better to keep the opponent from knowing our plans. If at at all possible, it would normally be best if no one knows about the troops en route. That way, you can maintain the element of surprise.

It’s dumb to ask the question. Even dumber to expect an answer. Then of course, some never have a clue.

Memories

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The familiar route home, a path I’d traversed countless times, suddenly felt alien under the night’s dark canopy. As I navigated the shadowy road, a disorienting moment seized me—I was lost, despite knowing every curve and landmark. My speed dropped instinctively, and my eyes darted frantically across the landscape, searching for a recognizable silhouette or landmark. Seconds stretched like minutes until, mercifully, the terrain’s contours realigned in my mind, and recognition washed over me like a wave of relief. The sudden return of spatial awareness was profoundly comforting, a reminder of how our minds can momentarily disconnect from the most well-trodden paths.

As I approach my late seventies, the subtle signs of cognitive decline become increasingly apparent. Memory lapses emerge more frequently, compelling me to develop small strategies to navigate daily challenges. I find myself repeating tasks, correcting initial missteps, and occasionally experiencing moments of genuine concern. These subtle shifts can be overwhelming, transforming even simple routines into complex navigations that test my patience and resilience.

More than twenty years ago, despite having a sharp memory, I still occasionally forgot things. After breaking my ankle and relying on crutches, I quickly learned that navigating stairs was a challenging skill. Like many others who have used crutches, I initially went to great lengths to avoid stairs finding alternative routes whenever possible.

The familiar workplace demanded occasional navigation of stairs, a challenge I had grown accustomed to. On this particular day, I maneuvered through the doorway and ascended the steps with practiced precision. Reaching the center of the room, I paused, surveying my surroundings with a contemplative gaze. Supported by my crutches, I lingered in that moment of uncertainty, acutely aware that my memory had once again abandoned me, leaving me adrift in a sea of forgotten intentions.

As I glanced back at the steeps I had just ascended, a weary realization washed over me. My imminent return would inevitably resurrect the very reasons that initially compelled me to this challenging journey. The prospect of climbing these unforgiving steps twice, rather than the single arduous climb I had hoped for, loomed before me like an unavoidable burden.

As I retraced my steps, the purpose of my initial climb suddenly crystallized in my mind. Purposefully, I ascended the stairs once more, this time with clarity. After swiftly completing my intended task, I descended back to the room where I had started, mission accomplished.

That day, I proved something very important. For the remaining time I was on crutches, I never again forgot why I went from one room to another. That is to say, given the proper encouragement, a person can train their brain. I know I did. When something is important enough, one can keep from forgetting it.

Well, I suppose that’s not entirely true. For some reason, I can’t remember the filter size for my furnace. Every time I go to the store and get to where the filters are, I am reminded that I don’t know the size and I never wrote it down. Now my furnace needs two filters badly, and it keeps getting colder outside.

I guess I will have to make a special trip… In the cold.

Milkshakes & Memory

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It had been ages since my wife and I indulged in a milkshake, a simple pleasure we’d long forgotten. After running an errand at the local pharmacy, we spontaneously decided to stop by McDonald’s. The moment the creamy, cold beverage touched our lips, nostalgia washed over us. The familiar, sweet taste transported us back to carefree moments of our past. My wife, savoring every last drop, continued to draw from her straw long after the liquid had disappeared, her contentment evident in her lingering smile.

During my freshman year of high school, I often relied on milkshakes as a quick meal replacement. These creamy beverages provided a satisfying blend of calories and temporary fullness, perfectly suited to my slender teenage metabolism. At a lean 130 pounds, I could indulge in multiple milkshakes without concern for immediate dietary consequences.

During my time in Da Nang, an unexpected craving haunted me: milkshakes. The mess hall had spoiled us with exceptional cuisine—diverse, well-prepared meals that defied the challenging circumstances. Yet, amid the culinary abundance, milkshakes remained conspicuously absent from the menu, leaving a sweet void in my dining experience.

During my R&R in Sydney, I embarked on a personal mission to savor a milkshake each day of my six-day stay. However, my culinary expectations quickly deflated when I discovered the local interpretation of a milkshake dramatically differed from my own. The beverages served were more foam than substance, with an airy composition that seemed to be at least 70% empty space, leaving me utterly underwhelmed and craving the rich, substantial milkshakes I knew from home.

Upon my return to the United States, two vivid memories stand out: savoring a creamy milkshake and enjoying a slice of pizza, though not in a single sitting. Curiously, the details of my actual arrival remain a blur. I can distinctly recall boarding the initial flight, spending a memorable week exploring Okinawa, and then embarking on the return journey. Yet, the specifics of landing on American soil—including the location—have completely escaped my recollection. The peculiarity of forgetting such a significant moment puzzles me, leaving me to wonder how one can simply lose track of such a pivotal experience.

So many little things I remember as if it were yesterday. My return from Vietnam is completely blurry. I sit here pondering, just how can this be?

I Thought It Was a Little Mistake

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I forgot to tell the doctor that my wife was low on two of her medications. No big deal. We went back today, and he wrote the prescriptions for them. We then headed to Walgreens. As I was entering the store, I saw a well-displayed sign: their pharmacy was closed.

There ought to be a linguistic term for this peculiar incongruity—something akin to an oxymoron, but manifested through actions rather than language. Consider the irony: a pharmacy store chain store without a pharmacy seems as absurd as a McDonald’s with no burger inventory. The dissonance is palpable, a logical disconnect between expectation and reality.

I glanced down at my watch, a sudden urgency washing over me. While numerous Walgreens dotted the local landscape, only one remained open around the clock. Given her critical medication shortage, I knew I couldn’t risk waiting. The catch? This particular pharmacy was located in Memphis—a city I habitually steered clear of—yet tonight, it seemed to be our sole lifeline.

We embarked on our journey, my apprehension stemming not just from navigating Whitehaven, the Memphis neighborhood notorious for its frequent media appearances, but also from the anticipation of a prolonged wait at the sole open pharmacy—a scenario all too familiar from past experiences.

Navigating the congested highway, I felt the weight of my earlier error intensifying with each passing moment. The surrounding vehicles seemed poised to exploit my vulnerability, their drivers laser-focused on potential opportunities to alter my trajectory. In this unforgiving urban landscape, lane discipline had become a forgotten art, with each motorist operating as if turn signals and careful observation were mere suggestions rather than essential safety protocols.

My trip to the store was uneventful, a fact for which I am grateful. The wait time passed quickly, and during our browsing, one detail stood out dramatically: the heightened security measures. Compared to my usual Walgreens, this store seemed to take precautions more seriously, with numerous items securely locked away. Despite being less than 10 miles from the store I usually visit and crossing a state line, the difference in security protocols were striking, suggesting they might experience more significant theft challenges than my familiar shopping environment.

On the positive side, the folks at the store seemed friendlier and more professional than where I usually visit. Didn’t expect that.