Luck or What???

 

Yesterday, I spent the day in Knoxville, first at the hospital where my back surgery will take place making final preparations, then to the mall for lunch, then to a department store to return an item that was the incorrect size, then to SAMS for several bulk purchases, then on the way home we stopped at a grocery store to pick up an item or two...

In the past year, we have made essentially this same trip over 100 times or more and at every one of these stops, the parking lot is always 80-95% full, and we end up parking almost as far away as you can park...  And, while the walk is cumbersome with a cane and sometimes slightly uphill, it only takes about 15 minutes.

Today, our first stop was exactly what we expected, all the handicapped spaces close to the main entrance were taken and we had to park in a lower parking lot and make the 15-minute journey (more uphill than normal) to get to our destination.

Interestingly, ALL THE OTHER FOUR STOPS, we found a handicapped parking space (1 left which means someone had just pulled out) at all our remaining stops and locations...  this has never happened before...  we might find 1-2 but never 4 in a row...

Is this what someone refers to as LUCK?

It is doubtful that this kind of luck will ever happen again...  that is to stay 4 spaces in a row...  so, it becomes an incident that I think is worthy of my comments...

Sawing Stone

 

Our US Electric Grid

CNN: As heat ramps up ahead of what forecasters say will be a hotter than normal summer, electricity experts and officials are warning that states may not have enough power to meet demand in the coming months. And many of the nation’s grid operators are also not taking climate change into account in their planning, even as extreme weather becomes more frequent and more severe.

All of this suggests that more power outages are on the way, not only this summer but in the coming years as well.

Power operators in the Central US, in their summer readiness report, have already predicted “insufficient firm resources to cover summer peak forecasts.” That assessment accounted for historical weather and the latest NOAA outlook that projects for more extreme weather this summer.

But energy experts tell CNN that some power grid operators are not considering how the climate crisis is changing our weather — including more frequent extreme events — and that is a problem if the intent is to build a reliable power grid.

“The reality is the electricity system is old and a lot of the infrastructure was built before we started thinking about climate change,” said Romany Webb, a researcher at Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. “It’s not designed to withstand the impacts of climate change.”

Webb says many power grid operators use historical weather to make investment decisions, rather than the more dire climate projections, simply because they want to avoid the possibility of financial loss for investing in what might happen versus what has already happened. She said it’s the wrong approach and it makes the grid vulnerable.  READ MORE...

Sunrise from Space

 

Retirement Lessons

BY JOHN EDWARDS

I am fully settled into my retirement after thoroughly enjoying the first 5 years. For me, retirement is akin to a permanent summer vacation: I get to do what I want, when I want, where I want, and with whom I want. With no undue obligations. I am fortunate to be in such a position.

To be sure, the pandemic experience has put a damper on life, especially prior to widespread vaccine availability. But my wife and I have adapted and survived, even thrived. That being stipulated, there are some things I have gotten wrong and hope to change over the next 5 years. These are lessons that, if applied well, will make life more interesting, more enjoyable, and more healthy. That, in any event, is the plan.

The lessons learned revolve around the subjects that are important to me in retirement and include, in no particular, order: travel, health, mental engagement, friends and family, and living my way.

Lesson 1: Travel Is Important (We Want More, More, More)

My wife and I did not travel much when working. We were too busy. So it wasn’t until we had more time in retirement that we fully realized what we had missed. And how enjoyable the exploration of new and the revisiting of known places really is. However, with the notable exception of cruising, we don’t especially like the act of traveling, per se, but we both enjoy the planning and the anticipation of travel and exploring our destinations once we arrive.      READ MORE...

Foolish Jump

 

Burden of Identity

As students have confronted the many challenges of the past two years, they’ve leaned on their professors for support. They’ve asked for accommodations, extensions, and flexibility. They’ve sought help coping with personal issues, including strains on their mental health.

It adds up to a lot of extra work for instructors. But that work has not been distributed evenly. Professors who are white, cisgender men performed less emotional labor — that is, managing students’ feelings and their own — in the early stretch of pandemic teaching than did their colleagues, according to a recent study based on faculty surveys from three colleges.

That uneven burden is driven by the different demands that students place on professors of different identities, according to the paper “Teaching College in the Time of Covid-19: Gender and Race Differences in Faculty Emotional Labor,” published in the journal Sex Roles. Instructors who are white, cisgender men, it says, have a “status shield” that protects them from students’ requests.

Cisgender men and women of color, white cisgender women, and gender-nonconforming professors did not have that protection, it found.

Both the data and further interviews suggest that “women of color were already tapped out,” says Catherine White Berheide, a professor of sociology at Skidmore College and the paper’s lead author. What changed, in other words, was that male professors of color and female, white professors began doing the amount of emotional labor that female faculty of color were already doing.

The study has limitations: Its sample is 182 professors at three small, private liberal-arts colleges. But its findings are in keeping with the literature on how instructors’ identities — and, especially, students’ perceptions of them — affect the work of teaching. With faculties still dominated by white scholars — and, at the senior level, men — students don’t grant the same authority to instructors who don’t match the classic portrait of“professor.” That makes teaching harder.  READ MORE...

Lazy Dog

 

Our Federal Government

How many of you want our Federal Government telling us what to do...  when to do it...  and, how to do it?

For instance,

the Federal Government tells us that we can get an abortion, if we want one, but in order to get that abortion, we have to follow their rules and guidelines...

I have no problems with someone wanting an abortion...  as it is their right and their body...  but, I am opposed to our Federal Government thinking that they are the ones who should be giving us that power...

As far as I am concerned the federal government can stick their heads up their asses...  if I want to get an abortion, I damn well am going to get an abortion...

Tell the government to stay the hell out of our lives...

The larger our federal government becomes, the more powerful it becomes and the more it can control our lives and how we live those lives...

Right now, the federal government says we can enlist in the military at age 18 and under special circumstances age 16 and kill foreigners that we believe are our enemy but in some states we are not old enough to drink alcohol...

And, if I am not mistaken, you have to be age 21 in order to vote.  How can you possibly be old enough to kill in the military and not be old enough to vote in a political election that says it is ok for you to enlist and kill...

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?

Why have we given our Federal Government that much power and why do we want our Federal Government to become larger and larger and wield more power?

We need to demand a smaller government.

We need to demand a government with less power.

We need to demand that our government work for us.

Future Concerns

 

While we cannot predict the future with any degree of certainty, we can forecast anticipations and possibilities along with some deep concerns...

Presently,

• We are faced with a Democratic President, House, and Senate...
• Unregulated Illegal Immigration
• Unstopable Inflation
• Supply Chair Shortages
• Increase in Crime & Violence

In November (5 months away)of this year, we have our midterms elections...

and, because of the items listed above, it is highly likely that control of the House and Senate will be the domain of the Republicans...

So, 7 months from now when they take control, there is a good possibility that they will pass legislation that if the President vetoes will be passed over his head so that:>

• We will return to energy independence
• Inflation will begin to decrease
• Illegal Immigration will begin to decrease
• Crime and Violence will begin to decrease
• Supply Chain shortages will begin to decrease

So...  all of that is good right?

Well, two years later, we have another election, and if the Democrats retain control of the Presidency, then there is a good possibility that they will gain control of the House and Senate again, and their policies will return and we will again be facing the same crisis that we are currently facing...

It is the general public, you and I, that elects the President and who we want to serve in Congress.

We favor the other party whenever the current party is causing us problems with our quality of life...  therefore, the general public, you and I, are the ones causing this roller coaster lifestyle that we are living and will continue to live as we flip flop back and forth between parties.

Our society grows but slowly...  however, the wealthy continue to get wealthy and if we are constantly pointing the finger at each other, there is never an opportunity to point the finger at the wealthy which is exactly THEIR PLAN OF ACTION...  THEIR STRATEGY...

Time to wake up America!!!

Momma Bear

 

Alcohol Endangers the Heart

How much alcohol is safe to drink? It sounds like a simple question, but it is hard to figure out from health authorities because there is such a wide discrepancy in advice between different countries.

It can get even more confusing because they don’t agree on how much alcohol is in a standard drink. For example, in Austria, a standard drink is a whopping 20 grams of alcohol, compared to just 8 grams in Iceland. In the United States, a standard drink is considered 14 grams of alcohol, which is around the amount contained in a 1.5-ounce shot of distilled spirits, a 12-ounce beer, or a 5-ounce glass of wine. Of course, you also have to pay attention to the specifics of your drink, because your favorite double IPA may have twice the alcohol content of a regular beer.

And even if you figure it out completely, the recommendations from your health authorities may be too high according to new research. In the study, scientists found that to minimize your risk to the heart, you should limit your consumption to less than 5 cans of 4.5% beer or less than one bottle of wine per week.

Levels of alcohol consumption currently considered safe by some countries are associated with the development of heart failure, according to new research presented at Heart Failure 2022, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

“This study adds to the body of evidence that a more cautious approach to alcohol consumption is needed,” said study author Dr. Bethany Wong of St. Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. “To minimize the risk of alcohol causing harm to the heart, if you don’t drink, don’t start. If you do drink, limit your weekly consumption to less than one bottle of wine or less than three-and-a-half 500 ml cans of 4.5% beer.”  READ MORE...

Timber

 

Coconut Milk

Due to its distinctive flavor and creamy texture, coconut milk can add a nice twist to coffees, protein shakes and desserts. Although it’s nowhere near as popular as other plant-based milk alternatives in the US, it retains a loyal fan base.  But how nutritious is this drink? And can it bring about any tangible health benefits?

Coconuts are well-known for their high saturated fat content. For decades, this nutrient has been linked to the obesity epidemic and a host of chronic diseases. However, recent years have seen a steep increase in studies(opens in new tab) challenging these findings, and even contradicting them.

If you feel confused, don’t worry. In this article, we’ll discuss the nutritional value and potential health benefits of coconut milk to help you decide whether it is the right plant-based alternative for you.

There are two types of coconut milk – canned and cartoned. Whilst they’re made out of the same ingredient, they differ in terms of consistency, nutritional value, storage ability and culinary uses.  READ MORE...

Cow Ball

 

M & M's Newest Flavor

With today's abundant M&M' options, it may be hard to imagine a world with limited choices when it comes to the iconic chocolate candies. Once upon a time, in all reality, picking up a bag of M&M's could only mean purchasing the plain chocolate variety. 

According to M&M's website, that was the first flavor launched in 1941, and the peanut version didn't come on the scene until 1954.

My, how things have changed! Last year, Mashed was able to rank 20 M&M's flavors, including some more unusual offerings such as coffee nut and key lime pie. 

The ever-evolving brand is continually adding new candy flavors to its lineup like the more recently launched Crunchy Cookie M&M's, which invoke a chocolate chip cookie taste, and limited-release M&M's Munchums, which come in both milk chocolate and salted caramel flavors, are gluten-free, and have an outer shell made from chickpeas (via PR Newswire). 

Now, there's one upcoming flavor that M&M's thinks fans will be particularly excited about.  READ MORE...

Hail

 

Goals and Purpose

Life is about goals and purpose...

• Goals are something that one wants to achieve....
• Purpose comes with achieving those goals...

Some people believe that Goals and Purpose are mutually exclusive and for some, I suppose they are...  but, that does not mean they are mutually exclusive for everyone.

Some of us believe that purpose can only be of a religious or spiritual nature and while that may be true for many, it is not true for all...

A religious or spiritual purpose is brought about because we believe that we were created by God and that God only creates things for a purpose...

While this makes sense...  it does not mean it is the absolute truth.

• Some people may think that their purpose is to learn everything they can.
• Some people may think that their purpose is to earn as much money as they can.
• Some people may think that their purpose is to do no harm to anyone.
• Some people may think that their purpose is to become devoid of desire.

I have a purpose that I am supposed to accomplish something, although I have no idea what that something may be...  I don't know if that something yet to be accomplished is spiritual or not or if it might be connected to some evil or wrongdoing...  I'm not sure that I'll know it even when it is happening...  even though I hope that I would.

So, would this still be considered to have a purpose?

The God of Spinoza

An awesome extract from Spinoza on God and Rationality...


”Did you know that when Einstein attended some conferences in the numerous universities of the USA, the recurring question that the students asked him was:


Do you believe in God?


And he always answered: I believe in the God of Spinoza.


For the ones who haven't read Spinoza, I hope this will give them an idea.


Baruch De Spinoza was a Dutch philosopher, of Portuguese Jewish origin, considered one of the great rationalists of his time along with the French philosopher Rene Descartes. Spinoza was born in Amsterdam in the 17th century of a businessman father who was successful but not wealthy.


This is the nature of the God of Spinoza:


God would have said:


"Stop praying and giving yourselves blows on your chests, what I want you to do is to go out into the world to enjoy your life.
I want you to enjoy, to sing, to have fun and enjoy everything I've done for you.
Stop going to those gloomy, dark and cold temples that you built yourself and that you call my house.
My home is in the mountains, in the forests, the rivers, the lakes, the beaches. That's where I live and express all my love for you.
Stop blaming me for your miserable life; I never told you that you were a sinner.


Stop being so scared. I do not judge you, nor criticize you, nor am I ever angry with you, nothing bothers me, nor do I devise punishment. I am pure love.


Stop asking me forgiveness, there's nothing to forgive. If I made you... I filled you with passions, pleasures, feelings, needs, limitations, inconsistencies... of free will, how can I blame you if you do or say something out of that what I put in you? How can I punish you for being as you are, if I'm the one who made you? Do you think I could create a place to burn all my children who misbehave, for the rest of eternity?
What kind of God can do that?
Forget about any kind of commandments, of any kind of laws; those are wiles to manipulate you, to control you and only to create guilt in you.
Respect your peers and don't do to others what you don't want for you. The only thing I ask is that you pay attention in your life, that your alert status is your guide. This life is the only thing there is, here and now and the only thing you need.


I have made you absolutely free, there are no prizes or punishments, there are no sins or virtues, no one carries a marker, no one carries a record.
You are absolutely free to create in your life a heaven or hell.


I couldn't tell you if there's anything after this life, but I can give you a tip. Live as if there wasn't.
As if this was your only chance to enjoy, to love, to exist.


So, if there is nothing, then you will have enjoyed the opportunity I gave you. And if there is, be sure that I will not ask you if you behaved well or not. I will ask you, Did you like it?... did you have fun ?..What did you enjoy the most? What did you learn?...


Stop believing in me; believe is to assume, guess, imagine. I don't want you to believe in me, I want you to feel me when you kiss your beloved, when you play with your little girl, when you love your dog, when you bathe in the sea.


Stop praising me. What kind of egotistical God do you think I am?
I'm bored of your praise, I'm fed up with thanks . Do you feel grateful? Prove it by taking care of yourself, your health, your relationships, the world around you. Do you feel overwhelmed?... Express your joy! That's the way to praise me.


The only thing sure is that you are here, that you are alive, that this world is full of wonders.


What do you need more miracles for? Why so many explanations?


Don't look for me outside, you won't find me. Find me inside... I'm beating in there for you."


Baruch De Spinoza.”

Learning From Mistakes

What do you know about politics?

Not very much...

Most all politicians lie...  spin the truth to their advantage...  or withhold information...

Don't have much faith in someone who acts like that...

Do you?

I would like to say that I belong to a political party but I don't...  I don't care much for Democrats or Republicans, although, I believe I dislike Democrats more because of what they did to Donald Trump...

Trump was no politician and he said things that he should not have said, but there was no reason to treat him like they did...  and, I will never forgive them for that...

Now, we got progressives who are nothing but a bunch of socialists...  and, socialism leans closer to Communism than it learns towards Democracy...

I enjoy my freedoms too much to allow the government to take control of every aspect of my life...

Governments by definition are neither efficient nor effective...

So, why would I want them to manage all aspects of our lives...

History repeats itself which means none of us learned very much from the first time around...  how many times do we have to do something and fail before we realize we should do something differently.

Socialists never learn from their mistakes...  otherwise, the entire world would be Democratic...