National Raspberry Cake Day and Enjoy

National Raspberry Cake Day

- Today is National Raspberry Cake Day!

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National Cheesecake Day and Enjoy

National Cheesecake Day - Today is National Cheesecake Day!

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National Chicken Wing Day and Enjoy

National Chicken Wing Day - Today is National Chicken Wing Day!

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National Hamburger Day and Enjoy

National Hamburger Day - Today is National Hamburger Day!

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National Crème Brûlée Day and Enjoy

National Crème Brûlée Day - Today is National Crème Brûlée Day!

The English refer to this delight as "burnt cream," but the name crème brûlée sounds so much better!
The origins of this dish are vague, but the name first appeared in Francois Massialot's cookbook in 1691. "Trinity Cream" or "Cambridge Burnt Cream" became a traditional dessert at Trinity College in Cambridge during 1879 when a version of crème brûlée was served with the college arms branded into the cream top. Crème brûlée is a five-ingredient French delicacy. Rich vanilla custard is topped with a hard "burnt sugar" top.

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Beautiful Morning

Beautiful Morning - What could possibly darken this beautiful, cool (59°), clear morning? I imagined that nothing could!

Following several wickedly hot (triple-digit) days, the cool morning seemed nearly dream-like. I drove to mine office and began the day. I soon received an email confirming my appointment as a Dealer by Hogue, Inc. (the premier manufacturer of pistol grips, rifle stocks, etc.). I was joyous!

THEN the telephone rang. The Caller ID said, "CA Gov." I thought that was odd, but thought it best to answer the call.

ME: "California Technologies."
CALLER: "Yes may I to speak to Mr. David please?"
ME: "What is this concerning?"
CALLER: "Is this Mr. David?"
ME: "What is this concerning?"
CALLER: "Yes may I to speak to Mr. David?"
ME: "No."
CALLER: "Is this Mr. David?"
ME: "No."
CALLER: "Urgent matter to speak to Mr. David."
ME: "What is urgent to you may well not be urgent to him. What is the nature of this call?"
CALLER: "Is this Mr. David?"
ME: "I grow weary of this banter and am now exiting. PLONK"

Nearly immediately, the telephone rang, displaying the same Caller ID. I let it go to voice mail, and the caller left no message.

I shall not allow this to darken my day!

The Street

The Street - There is activity on the street on which my office is situated. It is part of a revitalization program that is designed to revitalize and beautify the downtown area.

Solano Street is currently four lanes—two in each direction. The project will change this to two lanes and change the parking from parallel to diagonal.

It will take some time to become used to this change, once it is completed!

The Rattlesnake Bite

The Rattlesnake Bite - It is difficult to imagine anything worse than being bitten by a venomous rattlesnake, but according to one man who recently experienced such trauma, there is something worse—the hospital bill.

According to the total of the itemized expenses on the bill, the bite victim owes $153,161!

The ridiculous charges showed an $83,341 bill for the pharmacy, a $22,433 charge for laboratory services, and a $17,766 intensive care charge and $21,225 for intermediate care, among others.

Donald Trump for President of the United States

Donald Trump - Donald Trump is a candidate for the office of President of the United States.

Donald Trump said that America was once great. I fully agree!

America was once very easily the greatest nation extant. America was, indeed, "...the land of the free and the home of the brave..."


Mr. Trump says he can make America great again. He may well be the only person running for President who is capable of such a daunting task!

Donald Trump says what he thinks, means what he says, and—most importantly—has the resolve necessary to effectuate such a return to greatness.

He holds career politicians in low regard—making the valid point that they have no business sense. Additionally, they prioritize the special-interest groups that financed their elections. Mr. Trump needs no such funding and, therefore, has no allegiance whatever to such special-interest groups.

The rhetoric of politicians and the mainstream media is stultifying. It drones and regurgitates endlessly in a miasma of failed ideas and owed favors. Mr. Trump would have none of that.

Gun-Free Zones

gun-Free Zones - It seems such a simple matter to evaluate the efficacy of "gun-free zones," but somehow liberals and much of the mainstream media seems patently averse to making that evaluation.

There should be absolutely no question regarding "gun-free zones": They simply serve as an open invitation to criminals, and there is no evidence whatever to support the inane postulation that such designations deter criminal activity.

A criminal is, after all, a criminal. By definition, a criminal is not law-abiding and has only contempt for laws. Why, then, would anyone be so ridiculous as to propose that gun-free zones by signage would serve as a deterrent to a criminal? Of course, it would not. It would, in fact, suggest to the criminal that he need not fear armed citizenry and is, therefore, invited to conduct his activities with no concern whatever that he will encounter armed resistance.

The creation of "gun-free zones" becomes truly obscene when it is applied to military properties!

The position that such zoning is rational is the position of a hapless dilettante with no grasp whatever of real-life conditions. How else could anyone find it sensible to deny trained military personnel the ability to protect themselves? It is not a tenable position to avow, certainly.


Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said the four Marines who were killed in yesterday's shooting at a Navy reserves facility in Chattanooga "never had a chance" and called for an end to gun-free zones.

Mr. Trump said, "Get rid of gun free zones. The four great marines who were just shot never had a chance. They were highly trained but helpless without guns."

How do liberals propose to explain to military personnel that they can trusted to protect the country but cannot be trusted to protect themselves?

The Day the Music Died

The Day the Music Died - The lives of many musicians have been ended by airplane accidents. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper, Rick Nelson, and three members of Lynyrd Skynyrd all died in airplane crashes.

Stevie Ray Vaughan along with three members of Eric Clapton's entourage (agent Bobby Brooks, bodyguard Nigel Browne, and assistant tour manager Colin Smythe) died in a helicopter crash.

"American Pie" is a song by American folk rock singer and songwriter Don McLean. Recorded and released on the American Pie album in 1971, the single was a number-one US hit for four weeks in 1972. In the UK, the single reached No. 2 on its original 1972 release and a reissue in 1991 reached No. 12. The song was listed as the No. 5 song on the RIAA project Songs of the Century.

McLean dedicated the American Pie album to Holly.

To gain time to sleep and launder clothing after a show in Clear Lake, Iowa, and to avoid the long bus journey to Moorhead, Minnesota, Holly chartered a plane for himself, Ritchie Valens, Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup. Jennings gave up his seat to J. P. Richardson (the Big Bopper), who was suffering from influenza and complaining that the bus was uncomfortable for a man of his size.

The pilot, Roger Peterson, took off in inclement weather, even though he was not certified to fly by instruments only. In the early morning hours of February 3, Holly, Valens, Richardson and pilot Peterson were killed when the plane crashed shortly after take-off.

Study: California Drivers Can't Seem to Put Their Cellphones Down

Study: California Drivers Can't Seem to Put Their Cellphones Down - It is truly amazing and frightening to read the results of a recent study indicate 9.2 percent of drivers were using phones to talk, text, or otherwise take away their attention during observations earlier this year.

Certainly more discouraging, the study shows this was up from 6.6 percent of drivers in 2014!

The study was done for the state's Office of Traffic Safety and transportation experts at the University of California, Berkeley.

At nearly 13 percent of drivers, Sonoma County had the highest rate.

I first read this story at home this morning and found it astonishing that cellphone usage has risen following the passage of laws meant to regulate such usage.

As I drove to my office, I paid particular attention to the other drivers. During the brief drive to my office (four blocks), I saw four people with their cellphones held to their ears! Particularly when one considers the relatively small cost and ease of implementation of hands-free communication, I believe there is absolutely no excuse for such distracted driving!

Fish Story

Fish Story - Terrifying-looking new species found lurking near just-discovered volcano off Sydney coast!


Scientists discovered a number of scary looking new species off Sydney.

Researchers made find during CSIRO voyage off Australia's east coast.

In addition to the fish, four extinct volcanoes in a cluster were also found.

Discovery was made possible by a new research ship that can map depths.

Cluster is 20kms long and 6kms wide and rises 700m from ocean floor.

Gun Control: Control Your Gun

Gun Control: Control Your Gun - I have a nice A/V system at my office. It consists of a 39" Vizio LCD HDTV, an Onkyo HT-S3500 5.1-Channel Home Theater receiver, 5 speakers, a powered sub-woofer, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Roku.

I spoke last week of my enjoyment of classic television programs. I spoke of how YouTube has a great many classic television programs available for viewing, and I gave some examples.

YouTube is a great resource for instructional videos of all types. For example, I shall soon be upgrading the magazine release on a Ruger 10/22 rifle—installing an extended magazine release that will more efficiently accommodate changing magazines. This upgrade is of particular interest to Californians, since this state allows a maximum magazine capacity of 10 rounds.

Searching for "Ruger 10/22 extended magazine release," for example, returns several links to videos showing how this upgrade is accomplished.

YouTube has a great many videos dealing with gun control. In this venue, "gun control" refers to controlling guns, that is, hitting the target.

Gun safety is critical. Hitting the target means one is not hitting something other than the intended target!

Practice is important in any sport, and it is of particular importance with regard to shooting sports.

A Kinder, Gentler Time

A Kinder, Gentler Time - Television programming has become a pustular miasma of foulness. I find a great deal of it to be well beyond that which I can comfortably watch—and of scant entertainment value.

I enjoy the classic television shows from the 50's and early 60's! Among my favorites are:

"The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," "Sea Hunt," Sky King," "Highway Patrol," "Route 66," "Dragnet," "The Twilight Zone," "One Step Beyond," "Lost in Space," "The Munsters," "The Addams Family," "McHale's Navy," "Mister Ed," "77 Sunset Strip," "What's My Line," People Are Funny," "Four Star Playhouse," "Wanted Dead Or Alive," "Rawhide," "Bonanza," "Have Gun Will Travel," The Beverly Hillbillies," "Green Acres," "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show," etc., etc.

Perhaps your tastes mirror mine. Perhaps you would like to watch some of the classic television from the 50's and 60's.

I have wonderful news for you: YouTube has an incredible wealth of such television shows—many available as full episodes. It is a simple matter to find them! Simply go to the YouTube home page. click on the Search tool, and enter such queries as "old tv shows," "50's tv," "classic tv," etc.

Or, you can be specific and enter such searches as, "Highway Patrol full episodes," "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet full episodes," etc.
Additionally, there are a great many play lists that will display tens, dozens, and even hundreds of full episodes unattendedly.

Here are a few to get you started:

Let It Rain!

Let It Rain! - I saw something falling from the sky this morning as I drove to mine office. Mr. Nitro became wet. I remembered experiencing this previously, yet it was so long hence it required a thorough probing of my memory in order to bring the experience to my conscious and allow me to capture the memory and draw from it and thereby identify what I am seeing falling from the sky.

It is RAIN!

It is raining very lightly, but it is raining!

Thank you, Father, for this gift you have given us. We shall treasure each drop. This is a very welcome sight. This area has been without rain for far too long!

I believe I shall go outside and let the rain fall upon me!

Brrrrr!, Discourtesy, and Roadkill Cars

Brrrrr! - It is difficult to acclimate to this sudden change in the weather—going from triple-digit highs only a few days ago to a forecast high of 77° tomorrow! While a drop in temperature was certainly welcome, the quickness with which it took place puts a strain on one's system.

At the moment, it is a relatively brisk 66°. For the brief period that I was outside—walking a few yards from my home to my vehicle and then from my vehicle to my office—I found the coolness to be restorative and invigorating.

I arrived at my office and scurried to disable the alarm system. I heard the telephone ringing as I unlocked the front door. Clients were awaiting me. I said, "Come in and excuse me while I answer my telephone."

I answered the telephone. The caller said his computer would not allow him to connect to any of several Web sites that he routinely visited without issue. I told him that I was with clients but would be pleased to look at his computer this afternoon. He said maybe I could just tell him what to do over the phone to get it working so he didn't have to bring it to me.

I told the caller that it was unlikely his computer could be fixed in that manner and attempting to do so would be grossly unfair to the clients who were waiting to speak to me.

The caller became agitated and said he needed the computer fixed right away. I said, "I must go now. Should you decide to bring your computer here, I have unscheduled time this afternoon after 1 P.M. He sid nothing and ended the call.

Cooler Weather and Evil Telemarketers

Cooler Weather - Watching the local news broadcast on television this morning, I became gleeful upon hearing the weatherperson forecasting cooler weather for the next several days.

In place of the triple-digit weather we have been suffering, the forecast this morning predicted a high of 93° today, 89° tomorrow, 82° Thursday, and temperatures remaining in the 80s through the weekend!

Forecasts call for partly cloudy conditions through Saturday and possible thunderstorms on Thursday.

Rain would certainly be welcomed with joy!

Evil Telemarketers - Most telemarketers are not evil—although they are all distruptive and appear to be fully ignorant of the "Do Not Call" database—but some telemarketers are "selling" a "service" the need for which they created!

I am referring to those heinous cretins who infest a computer with a pseudo virus then offer a "service" to rid the system of the infection.

Such an infection was the cause of woe that faced a client yesterday. I determined the culprit to be a "program" called Driver Pro.

Driver Pro is a paid system optimizer program that is typically added when one installs another free software application. This program is also bundled within the custom installer on many reputable download sites, so if you have downloaded a software from these websites, chances are that PC Utilities Pro – Driver Pro was installed during the software setup process.

I ran Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, and it found a plethora of PUPs. PUPs range from registry cleaners that claim to speed up your PC, to various toolbars, convenience apps, and all-in-one PC performance boosters. These utilities can be simply annoying and misleading or harmful and dangerous. That is why the output logs produced by scanners may use words such as "Potentially" and "Optional." Most of this software is not an infection such as a virus, but it may make false claims, serve ads, conflict with other installed applications, or is a trial with a goad to purchase a full version to finish the task it promised to do.

The foul purveyors of such malware—often termed "ransomware," because it holds the computer for ransom and forces the user to pay the ransom in order to release the computer from the thrall of the infection.

Driver Pro purports to scan the system and find missing or incorrect drivers and alerts the user that the full version of the program must be purchased in order to correct the problem.

In reality, Driver Pro's report is totally bogus. In this instance, a telephone number was given that was stated to be a Microsoft technical support number. Of course, the number has no connection with Microsoft.

Attempting to remove Driver Pro by using the Control Panel / Uninstall Programs method returned a message that the program did not exist.

Revo Uninstaller removed Driver Pro and released the computer from bondage.

Unfortunately, not all infections may be addressed similarly. There are many variants of PUPs that appear as a result of the installation of Driver Pro.

I recommend that one purchase the Pro version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. It is $24.95 per year for a three-PC license. This will go far toward ensuring that you do not fall victim to malware.

If your system does become infected, however, I recommend that you have the issue addressed by a professional.

Hot Weather, the Drought, and Drive Carefully

Hot Weather and the Drought - Here in Northern California, we are experiencing a heat wave and a drought! Either condition alone is most unpleasant. Together, the two produce a nearly unbearable condition.

Our lawn is brown, my vehicle is filthy, and we are unpleasantly hot. It would certainly be worse were it not for a large evaporative cooler, two room air conditioners, and several fans!

It is difficult for me to recall how once I anticipated the hot season with relish! But I did! When I was younger, I enjoyed hot weather greatly. Apparently, those days are gone forever!

How hot has it been? It has been well past 100 degrees for several days. Today is forecast to be a comparatively pleasant 97 degrees!

Drive Carefully - The streets and roadways are dangerous places always. During extremely hot weather such as we now have, the dangers increase greatly!

Impaired drivers, distracted drivers, and road rage are ever-present dangers. The probability that one will encounter such drivers increases greatly during hot weather.

One must be ever-vigilant and drive with great caution and considerable attention to the conditions around one. When the weather is hot, tempers flare, drivers' attention diminishes, and people tend to drive with greater speed and less caution than they would otherwise.

It is not sufficient that one be attentive to one's own driving: It is crucial that one be attentive to the drivers with whom one shares the roadways!

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day!! - Happy Independence Day!

I wish everyone a very happy and safe Independence Day!

While you enjoy the 4th of July weekend, take time to reflect upon what July 4th represents!

Independence Day of the United States, also referred to as Fourth of July or July Fourth in the USA, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, the date on which the United States formally separated from Great Britain.

Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, and political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States.

Independence Day is the National Day of the United States. Independence Day itself has nothing to do with the military, or soldiers.

Made in the U.S.A. Day, In the News, and Enjoy

Made in the U.S.A. Day - Today is Made in the U.S.A. Day!

Today is a day on which we celebrate products made in the U.S.A. We should always purchase goods produced in the U.S.A. whenever possible.

I have chosen a particular product that is made in the U.S.A. and sold directly from the factory to customers.

I recently purchased a razor kit from Harry's. I do not recall ever being so satisfied with any purchase!

Quality razor blades are really hard to make, and historically a couple of major brands have controlled almost all of the world’s razor blade factories. They have used that position to earn huge profits by selling razor blades at really high prices. That changes today. Harry’s is now the only brand in the world that makes blades and sells them directly to you.

The magic of a great blade is strength at the base and sharpness at the tip. We grind steel into a specialized “Gothic Arch” angle to deliver just that. Our razor cartridge has 5 precision-angled blades to spread pressure evenly across your face for maximum ease and comfort.

The morning of my first use of my new razor system from Harry's I was apprehensive. My apprehension soon fully vanished with the first stroke of the razor!

I had several days' of facial hair growth, and my new Harry's razor removed it so smoothly and comfortably that I found myself checking to ensure there was a blade in the razor!

I highly recommend this product!

In the News - They walk among us!

TVLand Pulls "Dukes of Hazzard" over Confederate Flag Issue

Aliens Will Look Like Humans, Says Cambridge University Expert

Robot Kills Worker in Volkswagen Plant

Teachers Granted Power to "Confiscate and Destroy" Unhealthful School Lunches

Couple Call in Ghostbuster and Priest Claiming Demonic Poltergeist Molests Them in Their Sleep

Enjoy - Relax and enjoy these images and videos!