Monday, September 4
Sunday, September 3
UNIDENTIFIED Flying Objects
Not too long ago, our federal government admitted to the general public the existence of UFOs but would not disclose anything else... that might include being in possession of alien spacecraft or being in possession of aliens.
Is this the right position for the government to take?
Personally, I would say YES!!!
Why?
A global panic would be my answer...
If you go back to the adage, IT IS BETTER TO GET FORGIVEN THAN TO GET PERMISSION... then I would suspect this is the position of the government.
Sometimes, the public does not have the right to know what is happening... sometimes they do... however, if you look at what is happening with the public regarding mainstream media, then you would clearly see that the public is being manipulated by the media.
If the media can manipulate the public regarding Donald Trump then they can clearly manipulate the general public regarding UFOs and the truth behind them.
If there are aliens lurking about either in the skies or on earth somewhere, then their presence will be revealed to us when the time is right and not before. It is not our choice, it is the choice of the aliens who are concealing themselves.
Americans especially but the rest of the world as well, like to be in control of all situations, and when we are not, it pisses us off.
Invasion of Privacy
If the damage is not too severe, it will heal itself. If it does not heal itself, then, I will need to have surgery to stitch up the tear or to bolt the muscles down to the bone. The recovery period is about 3-4 months, maybe longer since I am in my 70s.
I have performed google searches on rotator cuff issues, diagnosis, surgery, recovery, and exercises just to get an idea of what might lie ahead for me.
NOW... when I go on YouTube to look for a video to post on this blog, I am inundated with videos about the rotator cuff.
SOMEHOW... anytime I do a google search on anything that information is distributed to all sorts of other places trying to get me to watch or buy something pertaining to the rotator cuff. While the rotator cuff is current, this happens EVERYTIME I do a google search on any topic.
If this search is performed on my android phone, then I get hit with advertisements, text messages, and other stuff pertaining to that search. If I look at google news, then there are all sorts of ads trying to sell me something related to that search.
This pisses me off so bad, that I refuse to look at any of these ads when I actually do want to buy something. Because you solicited me without my permission then I am buying from someone else. If you come to my door trying to sell me something, I will not buy because you were not invited.
There is one exception and that is Girl Scout Cookies.
I am sick and tired of people trying to sell. This is one of the reasons why my wife and I don't go on vacations anymore in the Caribbean because there are all these people trying to sell you timeshare meetings for a variety of free gifts.
It got so bad one year that we literally would run in the other direction when we saw them coming or if they caught us off guard, we would ignore them as if we did not see them.
Our behavior was RUDE and I admit that but their behavior invaded our space and sometimes our privacy. Unfortunately, this is the world that we live in and violations of our privacy are just going to escalate.
Understanding and Accepting Creation
My parents took me to a United Methodist Church which I suppose might be a little different than a Methodist Church, but I am not sure how other than in the name.
I remember all the most popular stories from The Bible as they were repeated over and over again by a variety of ministers each of whom had a slightly different interpretation as to their meaning and purpose. I could not understand why there might be different interpretations to these stories as the basic concept never changed.
I remember asking one minister why Jesus was considered to be poor since those 3 wise men brought his very expensive gifts at the time of his birth. The question was not answered.
I remember asking one minister that if Jesus did exactly what God asked him to do, then Jesus had given up the FREE WILL that God had given him, so what was the point of giving us free will. The question was not answered.
I remember asking another minister if Jesus was an extraterrestrial because he told Pilot that his kingdom was not of this world (earth) so it must be somewhere in the universe. The question was not answered.
There were other questions I asked but I don't remember them as I was always questioning. My constant questioning was not to prove the minister and/or religion wrong and invalid but to strengthen my own understanding.
There is no doubt in my mind that our universe was created by someone or something, I just don't think it was the God that is mentioned in the Bible. That God is a God derived from human understanding and interpretation.
The God that created the universe is an extraterrestrial with extremely advanced knowledge and skills. The universe has a beginning and an end as do all things... that logic seem unavoidable... so the God that created the universe could have come into being at the END OF TIME while simultaneously created the BEGINNING OF TIME or the universe.
When that God came to earth to give us survival knowledge, the people of earth created the Biblical God of the Bible.
It is also possible that these advanced extraterrestrials tampered (altered) with our DNA so that we would advance quicker. When one looks at the complexity of the human body, it just does not seem likely that our bodies simply evolved over time into this complex machine. No matter how many years it may have taken to get here, this kind of complexity had to be engineered into our DNA.
The Mediterranean Diet
Mediterranean diet for heart health
The Mediterranean diet is a healthy-eating plan. It's focused on plants and includes the traditional flavors and cooking methods of the region.By Mayo Clinic Staff
If you're looking for a heart-healthy eating plan, the Mediterranean diet might be right for you. It's less of a diet, meaning a restricted way to eat, and more of a lifestyle.
It blends the basics of healthy eating with the traditional flavors and cooking methods of the people in the Mediterranean region.
Why the Mediterranean diet?
Diet is known to have an effect on long-term diseases. These include heart and blood vessel problems known as cardiovascular disease. Observations from a study in the 1960s found that cardiovascular disease was linked to fewer deaths in some Mediterranean countries, such as Greece and Italy, than in the U.S. and northern Europe.
More-recent studies linked the Mediterranean diet with lower risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Today, the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthy eating plans that American nutrition experts recommend. It's also recognized by the World Health Organization as a healthy-eating pattern.
Many cultures have eating patterns similar to the Mediterranean diet, including Japan, for example.
And other diets have some of the same recommendations as the Mediterranean diet. Two examples are the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Research suggests that it's key to follow the Mediterranean diet over the long term for your heart to benefit.
What is the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating based on the traditional cuisine of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. There's no single definition for the diet. But most often, it's high in:
- Vegetables.
- Fruits.
- Whole grains.
- Beans.
- Nuts and seeds.
- Olive oil.
- Seasoning with herbs and spices.
- Each day, eat vegetables, fruits, whole grains and plant-based fats.
- Each week, have fish, poultry, beans, legumes and eggs.
- Enjoy moderate portions of dairy products.
- Limit how much red meat you eat.
- Limit how many foods with added sugar you eat.
- Share meals with family and friends.
- Get regular exercise.
- Enjoy wine in moderation if you drink alcohol.
- Plant based, not meat based
Moderate amounts of dairy, poultry and eggs are part of the Mediterranean diet, as is seafood. In contrast, red meat is eaten only once in a while.
Healthy fats
Unsaturated fats are a strength of the Mediterranean diet. They're eaten instead of saturated and trans fats, which play roles in heart disease.
Olive oil and nuts are the main sources of fat in the Mediterranean diet. They provide unsaturated fat. When unsaturated fat comes from plant sources, it seems to lower levels of total cholesterol as well as low-density lipoprotein, also called LDL or "bad" cholesterol.
Replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat lowers risk of cardiovascular disease events and death related to cardiovascular disease, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Seafood, seeds, nuts, legumes and some vegetable oils have healthy fats, including the polyunsaturated kind.
Fish also are a key part of the Mediterranean diet. Some healthy choices are:
- Mackerel.
- Herring.
- Sardines.
- Albacore tuna.
- Salmon.
- Anchovies
Omega-3s are unsaturated fats that may lower immune system action in the body known as inflammation. They also may help reduce blood fats called triglycerides, and they affect blood clotting. Omega 3s may lower the risk of stroke and heart failure too.
Lean fish and shellfish also are included in the Mediterranean diet. Shellfish include shrimp, crab, clams and scallops. Some types of lean fish are cod, haddock, hake and whitefish.
Choose fish that are low in mercury, such as the ones listed above. This is important for children ages 1 to 11 and people who are pregnant and breastfeeding.
Too much mercury can harm the brain and nervous system over time. If your family catches and eats fish, check local fish advisories to find out about any cases of mercury contamination.
Like people all over the world, some who live in the Mediterranean region drink alcohol and some do not. Many versions of the Mediterranean diet include some wine with a meal.
Red wine tends to be included more often than is white wine. Some experts and dietary guidelines recommend that women limit themselves to one glass of wine a day, and for men no more than two glasses a day.
Alcohol has been linked with a lower risk of heart disease in some studies. But it's not risk-free. So don't start to drink alcohol or drink more often in hopes of gaining possible health benefits.
Recent studies cast doubt on the notion that even a little alcohol may be good for the heart.
One large study suggested that people who regularly drank any amount of alcohol had a higher risk of high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. The more alcohol they drank, the higher the risk.
Another study found that having slightly more than one alcoholic drink a day was linked with a higher risk of atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat.
If you drink alcohol, talk to your health care provider or a specialist in nutrition, called a dietitian, to figure out what amount — if any — is right for you.
Factors that affect your decision might be the extra calories alcohol brings to the diet, or any kidney or liver problems you may have. And if you just don't like the taste of alcohol, that's a good reason to stay away from it too.
Want to try the Mediterranean diet? These tips will help you get started:
- Eat more fruits and vegetables.
- Each day, aim for 2 to 3 servings of fruit and four or more servings of vegetables.
- One serving of fruit equals a medium piece of whole fruit or one cup of chopped.
- One serving of vegetables equals two cups of leafy produce, one cup of raw veggies, or half a cup of cooked vegetables.
- Choose whole grains. Switch to whole-grain bread, cereal and pasta. You also can try other whole grains, such as bulgur, barley and farro. If you eat about 2,000 calories a day, aim to have at least 3 ounces of whole grains. You can get 1 ounce from a slice of bread, a cup of ready-made cereal, or half a cup of cooked rice or pasta. Read the Nutrition Facts label to find out how much of a product is in one serving.
- Use unsaturated fats from plants. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats may help lower the risk of heart disease. For example, you could replace butter with olive, canola, or safflower or sunflower oil in cooking or at the table. And instead of putting butter or margarine on bread, you could use nut or seed spreads on toast or on an apple.
- Eat more seafood. Eat fish or shellfish 2 to 3 times a week. Children and people who are pregnant or breastfeeding may want to limit certain types of fish due to mercury levels. One serving of fish is around 3 to 5 ounces for adults. That's about the size of a deck of cards. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends smaller servings for children twice a week.
- Fresh or water-packed tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel and herring are healthy choices. Stay away from deep-fried fish.
- Get nuts. Each week, aim to eat four servings of raw, unsalted nuts. One serving is a quarter of a cup.
- Enjoy some dairy. Some good choices are skim or 1% milk, low-fat cottage cheese, and low-fat Greek or plain yogurt. Limit how much cheese you eat. One serving is about the size of four dice. And cut back on higher fat dairy. That includes whole and 2% milk, butter, margarine, and ice cream.
- Reduce red and processed meat. Eat more fish, poultry or beans instead. If you eat meat, make sure it's lean and keep portions small. And before you cook it, first try to remove any fat you can see.
- Spice it up. Herbs and spices boost flavor and lessen the need for salt.
Saturday, September 2
I am Not a Football Fan
As I got older, I signed up for football and was put in the position of a defensive linebacker. My dad's position was fullback. I cannot remember if I tried to be a fullback or not, but really enjoyed playing a defensive linebacker because we could use our hands.
I did not play football in college and gradually over the years lost interest in watching football. However, during my first marriage whenever with visited my ex-wife's parents or my parents over the holidays, we would watch football. Whenever they came over to our house, we would watch football.
After 23 years, I divorced my first wife and it was then (more or less) that I stopped watching football. My second wife like watching football but only wanted to watch the championship games for some reason. I would watch with her out of politeness.
I am not sure why I don't like football especially since I played football... but, it is what it is.
There are lots of people (obviously) who like watching football and I am fine with that as long as you do not expect me to watch with you.
Goodbye Jimmy Buffett
James William Buffett (December 25, 1946 – September 1, 2023) was an American singer-songwriter,[10] musician, author, and businessman. He was best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett recorded hit songs including "Margaritaville" (ranked 234th on the Recording Industry Association of America's list of "Songs of the Century") and "Come Monday". He has a devoted base of fans known as "Parrotheads".
Aside from his career in music, Buffett was also a bestselling author and was involved in two restaurant chains named after two of his best-known songs; he owned the Margaritaville Cafe restaurant chain and co-developed the now defunct Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant chain. Buffett was one of the world's richest musicians, with a net worth of $1 billion as of 2023.
Piper and I
My apartment was more like a condo with two bedrooms, two baths, a foyer, a living room, dining room, kitchen, office, and balcony. There was an HOA but the fees were not all that much as a recall.
I came home on the weekends (about a 4 hour drive) and we planned to rent out the condo or sell it if the job did not work out. The job did not work out and I left after a year. We rented the condo for about 3 years before selling it at a profit.
With I was there, we decided to get a pet for me and since a dog was too much maintenance, we decided on a cat. We found a Siamese cat for sale for $100 that was pure-bred but it cost $500 to get those papers, which we declined.
I named the cat Piper but the cat had not been socialized, so for several weeks, the cat would hide from me. I had a food bowl and water bowl, and a liter box. He ate the food and drank the water and used the box but would not show himself. At night I would feel him walking on my back.
He eventually came out and we became the best of friends. He did not like me being away during the day but when I returned, he sat with me on couch for the rest of the night and then slept with me in the bed.
When I moved back down to our home in East TN, he easily became friends with the other cats since the other two had visited me every other weekend. He never got close to my wife even though, she gave all three cats treats twice a day. Piper would lay in her lap until I appeared then he wanted to just be with me.
A couple of years ago, a mast cell cancer was removed from his tail but the surgeon said that she did not get it all and it could come back. So far it has not returned to his tail, although he could have metastasized to other parts of his body. All three of our cats are over 10 years old and cats don't usually live longer than 15 years or so... there are always exceptions.
A pure Siamese has totally black paws on the bottom with not splotches which Piper has. The Vet spotted this right away. Siamese cats are very vocal and this one is no exception. Piper hurt his eye outside a while back and lost it but that does not slow him down any.
Right now, Piper is laying against my leg as I sit on the couch. Tippy a yellow cat is on the top of the seat of that same couch and Chazy another yellow cat is sleeping at the same location on another couch. My wife is outside in the sunroom but these cats prefer inside with the AC like me.
Piper is the second animal that has ever gotten close to me. The first was a dachshund when I was a child. One might say, animals are my weakness.
It's Just a Matter of Time
More than likely this will never happen to anyway unless one of two things happen. First, we have a near death experience. Second, we decide to retire. The near-death experience can be a diagnosis of a life-threatening disease, like cancer or a heart attack.
Most of the time, this reflection usually comes when we retire or are about to retire. For some of us, it is difficult to stop working as that is all we have known. Or, it is difficult because we have no idea what we are going to do when we retire.
For my wife and I, when we retired, we traveled as if we were going to die tomorrow, going somewhere every other month. COVID slowed us down dramatically but after five years, we were burned out anyway. COVID became a good excuse for us.
When life is not as good as expected or it could be, we tell ourselves that it's just a matter of time before everything changes again. And, that certainty helps us keep a positive attitude.
The one certainty in life is the consistency of life changing. It is not routine in the way it changes but it always changes. Sometimes the change is for the good and sometimes bad. However, whatever happens, it will happen again and go off in a different direction.
And, it is just a matter of time, before today's youth come to realize what I am talking about. It is never too late to have that realization and having that realization will happen.
Opposing Viewpoints
When I was in college from 1966 through 1974, I was an all out card carrying LIBERAL... I was a hippie with long hair and bell bottom jeans and I was ignored and alienated because I did not look like the other college students at that North Carolina College.
HOWEVER, I wanted and demanded to hear opposite points of view about what I believed it. It was important for me to hear both sides of an argument so that I could make up my mind.
Both my parents were Democrats and raised me as a Democrat although neither of them were as liberal as I was, so we conflicted with our points of view even on many, if not all, liberal issues.
Today, my liberal views would probably fall into the category of a Progressive Democrat although at the time there were no such concept as Progressive Democrats.
My parents were more than willing to pay higher taxes so that the government could give more social programs to those not as well off financially as we were... however, we were not that financially well off as there were many who lived better than we did and more money than we did... so, I never understood why my parents felt that way.
Once I left college, I found that those who managed businesses DID NOT WANT TO LISTEN TO OPPOSING POINTS OF VIEW... it was quite a shock to my mental faculties to be confronted with such nonsense and illogical thinking. I found myself in hot water all the time because I was fond of expressing my points of view.
When I went to graduate school to earn an MBA, my political thinking changed from that of a liberal to that of a conservative... although I still held onto some of my liberal views... I was against the second amendment (and war for that matter) and I felt that our Federal Government had no right telling us what we could or could not do with or to our bodies.
Being a liberal conservative was not healthy either in the business world as they were mostly straight conservatives... AND, I still found my opposing opinions to be unwelcomed by management.
It was odd for me when I became management and had to listen to opposing views, especially since I was on top of everything and thought my opinion should rule. I did not like being management because I was always defending, explaining, and pushing for my points of view to be accepted.
Management is nothing but a bunch of EGOS fighting each other for power and control. There were some friendships and alliances but mainly enemies who wanted to take control away from me.
Once I got control of my ego, I left being management and vowed never to return. It was not worth the emotional expense of remaining in charge. Let the fools have their ship, I said to myself.
Since then, I have come to realize that the business world is all about power and control. But, if you have wealth, then no one can take the power and control away from you unless they are wealthier.
Robots Doing House Chores
Imagine the biggest market for a physical product you can. Are you thinking of mobile phones? Cars? Property?
They are all chunky markets but in the coming decades a new product will be rolled out that will dwarf those giants, says Geordie Rose, the chief executive of Sanctuary AI.
The Vancouver-based firm is developing a humanoid robot called Phoenix which, when complete, will understand what we want, understand the way the world works and have the skills to carry out our commands.
"The long term total addressable market is the biggest one that's ever existed in the history of business and technology - which is the labour market. It's all of the things we want done," he says.
Before we get too ahead of ourselves, he qualifies that statement: "There is a long way to go from where we are today."
Mr Rose is unwilling to put a time frame on when a robot might be in your house, doing your laundry or cleaning the bathroom. But others I have spoken to in the sector say it could be within ten years.
Dozens of other firms around the world are working on the technology.
In the UK, Dyson is investing in AI and robotics aimed at household chores. READ MORE...
Friday, September 1
Term Limits and Age
Officials in Congress can spend 40 years or more in Congress and when that happens, they tend to be more concerned with RE-ELECTIONS than with doing anything that is right for Americans...
I can say this with confidence because the same problems we had in the 1960s we will have today in 2023... nothing has really changed... WHY?
TERM LIMITS is what we need in Congress.
We can limit the terms to two terms or we can say that these elected officials can serve no more than 20 years. This includes Congress as well as the Supreme Court Justices.
There is something to be said for TENURE and I agree but TENURE is less important than nothing changing...
- We still have racial issues
- We still have drug problems
- We still have wage issues
- We still have rising healthcare costs
- We still have declining education
- We still have rising crime
- We still have military issues
THEORETICAL PHYSICS
I am Voting Conservative in 2024
It could be Trump or it could be DeSantis and it could be Haley... Just like SHINGLES, I don't care...
WHY?...
Because:
- I want to be energy independent again
- I want to have a growing economy
- I am not interested in going green
- I want lower taxes
- I want a small government
- I want a strong global military presence
- I want to close our southern borders and stop ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
- I want to stop the flow of drugs from China and Mexico in the US
- I don't want to buy an EV or a Hybrid
- I am not interested in BLM, CRT, or becoming WOKE
- I am not interested in SOCIALISM
- I am not interested in Government Handouts
- I am not interested in SOCIALIZED MEDICINE
- A divided America is a WEAK AMERICA