National Chili Day - Today is National Chili Day! Dinner - The weather yesterday afternoon was overcast and windy. It foretold of stormy weather soon to beset us. I determined that a big, hearty bowl of homemade vegetable soup would be a perfect dinner for such weather. I produced a wonderful vegetable soup that Laura later photographed and described to her Facebook friends as "stellar." In the News - They walk among us! Enjoy - Relax and enjoy these images and videos!
The first documented recipe for chili con carne is dated September 2, 1519, according to Wikipedia.
Hot chili peppers burn calories by triggering a thermodynamic burn in the body—speeding up the metabolism.
As enthusiasm for chili grew so did the competition to make the best chili. It is believed the first one took place in Texas in the early 1950s, although some accounts say it was in Terlinga, Texas in 1967.
Whether we are talking about the chili that includes meat, the vegetarian version, or the many other variations of this deliciously comforting food, chili holds a prominent spot in our culinary hearts.
When it comes to the story of chili, tales and myths abound. While many food historians agree that chili con carne is an American dish with Mexican roots, Mexicans are said to indignantly deny any association with the dish. Most historians agree that the earliest written description of chili came from J.C. Clopper, who lived near Houston.
By the 20th century chili joints had made their debut in Texas and became familiar all over the west by the 1920s. By the end of that decade, there was hardly a town that did not have a chili joint.
The soup consisted of baby carrots, spinach, white onion, green onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, potatoes, and an assortment of herbs and spices.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
National Chili Day, Dinner, In the News, and Enjoy
Monday, January 06, 2014
All Things Are Relative, In the News, and Enjoy
All Things Are Relative - All things are relative. In the News - They walk among us! Enjoy - Relax and enjoy these images and videos!
Whilst I bemoaned the cold 36° morning and saw the forecast for a brisk 67° afternoon,
I received an email from my dear friend, Chris. His email quickly made my grumbling seem inane indeed.
His message contained this bulletin:
* THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND RAPIDS HAS ISSUED A WIND CHILL WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM MONDAY TO 7 PM EST TUESDAY. THE WIND CHILL WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
* SNOW WILL CONTINUE TODAY AND WILL INCREASE IN INTENSITY THIS AFTERNOON. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES ARE EXPECTED BY THIS EVENING.
* WIND GUSTS OF 25 TO 35 MPH LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY COULD CREATE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.
* WIND CHILLS WILL DROP TO BETWEEN 20 AND 30 BELOW DURING THE DAY ON MONDAY.
I felt truly ashamed for the self-pity I had been feeling and vowed to accept the weather as I find it. It is now 42° at 8:30 AM. I shall endure!
Friday, December 13, 2013
Ice Cream Day, In the News, and Enjoy
Ice Cream Day - While July is National Ice Cream Month, and the 3rd Sunday in July is National Ice Cream Day, today is Ice Cream Day! In the News - They walk among us! Enjoy - Relax and enjoy these images and videos!
Ice cream is nutritious. A little heavy on the sugar and calories, ice cream is otherwise good for you. Its base ingredient is milk, which is loaded with healthy vitamins and minerals.
Charles E. Minches of St. Louis, Missouri is credited with inventing the ice cream cone.
On July 23, 1904 at the World's Fair in St. Louis, he filled a pastry cone with two scoops of ice cream to make the first ice cream cone.
There is some controversy over this claim. Italo Marchiony of New York City filed a patent for the ice cream cone months before the fair opened. And, he was selling lemon ice in cones as early as 1896.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
The Weather, In the News, and Enjoy
The Weather - If I could choose only one word to describe our weather, I would choose the word "COLD"! To many, our 27° morning might seem relatively comfortable and deem me a whiner. The truth is, I detest cold weather. I offer no apologies for this abhorrence. In the News - They walk among us! Enjoy - Relax and enjoy these images and videos!
Laura took this image on her way home from work yesterday. She exhibited safe driving by stopping on the side of the roadway to take this beautiful photograph with her Motorola smartphone.
Not far from here, two adults and four young children were lost in even colder weather (19°!) for two days. The local news reported they were found and taken to the hospital. A doctor pronounced them to be in good health and said they would make a full recovery soon.
Surely, the prayers of many were instrumental in this rescue!
A dear friend related to me yesterday that snow is falling with abandon—as it has been for several days—and temperatures are setting records. I pray for his safety, certainly, yet I simply cannot imagine living in such conditions!
I shall, most likely, shiver until Spring arrives!
Tuesday, April 02, 2013
Let It Rain and Gun Control
Let It Rain - I realize that water levels are becoming dangerously low in lakes, rivers, streams, and creeks, and we need rain and snow. I really enjoy warm, dry, sunny weather, however. Tomorrow is forecast to be very warm, with temperatures reaching into the low 80s! Thursday, however, rain and wind are forecast, and highs are predicted to be in the high 50s to low 60s! When the rain comes, it will be welcomed by many. I shall long for the return of the sun. I am being selfish, however, and I fully admit it.
There is a dramatic diversity among these legislative proposals: It is patently obvious that little or no harmony of opinion exists between the states. This fact leads many to propose that federal legislation should set gun-regulating standards. Many, contrarily, argue that individual state legislation reflects the will of the people and that gun-regulating laws should necessarily be state-based in order to ensure that the will of the people is satisfied.
Let it rain!
States are proposing gun-regulating legislation:
In my opinion, there should be no new gun regulation—neither by the federal government nor by individual states. I recommend that the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution should be strictly followed and that any proposed legislation that would in any way restrict the God-given right to own and bear arms should not be allowed.
The Old Testament teaches that the morality of self-defense is not only presumed—the act of self-defense is permitted and even mandated by key Biblical figures. Jesus' disciples carried swords, and Jesus even said in some contexts the unarmed should arm themselves.
The right to bear arms predates the Bill of Rights; the Second Amendment was based partially on the right to bear arms in English common-law and was influenced by the English Bill of Rights of 1689. This right is an auxiliary right, supporting the natural rights of self-defense, resistance to oppression, and the civic duty to act in concert in defense of the state.
It all seems so simple: By restricting the constitutional right of citizens to self defense by limiting their access to firearms significantly limits the capability of citizens to protect themselves against personal attack, terrorism, and tyranny.
The concept of "gun control" is, in fact, ill advised, at best, and highly dangerous, at worst: When the availability of firearms is restricted by legislation, it is only the law-abiding citizen who is affected—since criminals pay no mind to gun laws. After all, they are purposed to commit crimes, and it is patently inane to imagine a bank robber, for example, is going to be concerned with the legality of the firearm he acquires to facilitate his perpetration of criminal activity. After all, he has already committed himself to a life of crime, so it makes no sense whatever to imagine he will selectively obey some laws while ignoring others!
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Stormy Weather
Stormy Weather - Long ago and far away, Sammy Cahn said,
"Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky
Stormy weather.
All I do is pray the Lord above will let me walk in the sun once more."
Yesterday, stormy weather fell upon this area—following weeks of beautiful sunshine and relative warmth.
A tornado missed Corning only by a few miles—striking the neighboring city of Gerber. Fortunately, damage was minimal. A barn lost its roof—the only victim of the tornado.
I tracked the tornado as it traveled eastward toward Corning. The Weather Channel posted severe storm warnings for Corning, indicating the tornado was on track to hit Corning. At 2:45 PM, the warnings were lifted, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
Early in the morning, the sky was blue and clear, and the Sun beamed brightly. For a few minutes in the late morning, the sky darkened suddenly, clouds appeared, the Sun disappeared, and rain fell. This was a brief, light rainfall, and soon the sky was blue and clear once again, and the Sun reappeared.
In the neighboring city of Orland, a hailstorm greeted soccer players, and the soccer field quickly became covered with hailstones. The hailstorm was significant,and the soccer field soon appeared as if covered with snow.
On her way home, Laura encountered what appeared to be snow when she neared Corning. This was hail, also.
Today, the Lord has answered my prayers, and He is allowing me to "...walk in the sun once more."
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Inversion Layer, Mopar Breaking Bad, and DIYDigital HDTV Antenna
Inversion Layer - This morning, the temperature was 31° at 7 AM. A mere 50 miles from here (Paradise, CA), it was 55° at that time—as a result of an inversion layer. Mopar Breaking Bad - I cried when I saw the Challenger explode!
The high today is forecast to be 71° here, while the temperature in Paradise is predicted to rise only 4°—to a high of 59°.
I had depleted the windshield washer fluid in Mr. Nitro R/T's reservoir earlier this week. I braved the frosty weather this morning and re-filled the reservoir. When I positioned myself in Mr. Nitro's cabin and actuated the wiper/washer, it became apparent that the fluid had frozen in the lines. I sat and waited impatiently while Mr. Nitro's defroster melted the carapace of rime on his windshield.
DIY Digital HD TV Antenna - We discontinued DirecTV years ago and use Roku(R) units on our four LCD HDTVs. This affords us over 7,500 channels. At times, we enjoy watching local news, however, and for this purpose, I installed an RCA HDTV antenna. If you wish to avoid the $25 or so an HDTV antenna will cost, here is an easy build that will cost less than a dollar!:
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Cold Weather, Ted Nugent, Gun Control, and the New Jeep Grand Cherokee
Cold Weather - It was a frosty 28° when I slithered into Mr. Nitro R/T this morning. His windshield was encased within a carapace of rime. Fortunately, the windshield washer fluid was not frozen, and a few squirts and a few swipes of the wipers cleared the windshield nicely. Ted Nugent - Ted Nugent—or "Uncle Ted," as he is very affectionately known to his millions of fans—was rocking arenas when most extant rock stars were in diapers. He continues to rock hard today and is a true rock legend. He is also an avid hunter, gun and bow enthusiast, and strong supporter and defender of the Second Amendment.
Not far from here, temperatures of 4° were reported. This news did not, however, cause me to feel significantly warmer!
On his Web site—Ted Nugent Ammo, he thoroughly endorses and supports the hunting lifestyle and the right of the individual to keep and bear arms. He also markets high-quality ammunition in most popular calibers.
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee - The 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 is a sweet ride!
Friday, January 11, 2013
Encased Within a Chitinous Carapace of Rime
Encased Within a Chitinous Carapace of Rime - Mr. Nitro R/T's windshield and driver side window were encased within a chitinous carapace of rime this morning.
Fortunately, it was 31° outdoors when I slithered into Mr. Nitro's cabin and surveyed the icy encrustation. While it was obviously sufficiently cold for ice to form mightily, it was not so cold that the windshield washer fluid was affected adversely. All that was required was the squirting of a small quantity of windshield washer fluid and a few passes of the wiper blades in order to clear the windshield.
Whilst awaiting the fluid and blades to complete their appointed tasks, I realized that—while I had replaced the windshield wiper blades days previous with high-end Bosch ION wiper blades—the rear window wiper blade was due for replacement. I shall order such an one this morning.
Soon, the Big Brown Truck will arrive. I shall see it arrive on CATCam.
I shall watch the driver exit and walk to my door with our new Oster TSSTTRWF4S 4-Slice Toaster in hand.
We have had our current toaster for 12 years. It has served us well, but it is showing its age and lately has not been functioning properly. Out it goes. I did a considerable amount of research prior to ordering the new Oster toaster. While reasonably priced, this unit has dozens of reviews that praise it highly—easily outshining units costing twice as much as its $37 price. As I generally do, I ordered the toaster from Amazon.com. I enjoy the free shipping (and the free movies and television programs!) afforded by our Prime membership.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
It Is COLD! and New Windshield Wiper Blades
It Is COLD! - The temperature when I departed our nest this morning at 7:25 AM was 33°. This was stated by the local weatherman, Rob Blair, and mirrored by Mr. Nitro R/T's temperature probe. New Windshield Wiper Blades - I recently replaced Mr. Nitro R/T's windshield wiper blades. The Rain-X wiper blades were three years old. It was prudent, I felt, to replace them before they became troublesome. I did a good deal of research and found what I determined to be the best wiper blades—Bosh ICON.
When I settled into my perch here at my office and began this blog post, the temperature had dropped to 28°! The first task I performed was making a large mug of hot Mighty Leaf Green tea with honey. Sipping this warms me quickly. I must, however, eschew viewing the temperature display on my Desktop.
Each year, more and more vehicle manufacturers are specifying beam blades as original equipment. Beam (or flat) wiper blades are designed without metal or plastic brackets, joints or hinges, offering design and performance improvements over conventional wiper blades. The award-winning design of Bosch ICON™ distributes more uniform pressure along the entire length of the blade for ultimate all-season performance that lasts up to 40% longer than other premium wiper blades. Bosch ICON™ is the perfect choice for your wiper blade replacement needs.
The new blades are awesome. I ordered a set for Laura's Challenger, and I shall install them this weekend.
YIKES!!!! It is now 26°!!!!!
Wednesday, January 09, 2013
Windows 8 , Cold Weather, and Guitars
Windows 8 - A client bought a new Hewlett-Packard laptop yesterday and bemoaned that Windows 8 had no Start menu or shell. I recommended that he install the free shell application, Classic Shell—available at www.classicshell.net.
Cold Weather - It is not particularly cold this morning: It is 43° currently (8:15 AM) and forecast to be in the low 60s this afternoon. This weekend, however, forecasts are for lows of 24° to 26°. YIKES! That is COLD!
Laura took her Fender Special Edition Telecaster to work with her this morning. It is a beautiful guitar. Under my tutelage, Laura is learning to play. She has learned to tune her guitar and has mastered several chords. She will be a good student.
Here is my guitar--a Gibson Les Paul Traditional Pro.
Soon, we shall be making music together. I like that prospect a good deal!
Friday, January 04, 2013
Welcome to the Jungle!
Welcome to the Jungle! - Each day, I find myself increasingly less surprised by stories in the news. Yesterday, it was the two teenage girls who drugged the parents of one in order to gain unsupervised access to the Internet. Apparently, the parents routinely disabled the Internet connection at 10 PM each evening. - Apparently, a Denny's manager told two cops they must leave their guns in their car or leave the restaurant. It would seem to me that having armed LEOs would be welcomed. Subsequently, the Chief of Police issued a ban on officers eating at Denny's. - The vending machines would require a fingerprint scan to verify the identification of the patient, which is then linked to a prescription on file. This signals the decline of our society directly and to a degree unequaled by anything else I have encountered recently.
- This story is genuinely creepy.
- This absurdity invites no comment.
- It is simply astounding that the bike was able to successfully elude detection for 50 years.
- They walk among us.
- Perhaps these Mensa rejects relied upon Apple Maps.
- Great Scott!
- Really?
I am often told I have a very active imagination. I am, however, incapable of imagining what appeal the Internet could possibly offer that would allow these girls to rationalize their actions.
Today, I encountered the following:
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
Hello, 2013
Hello, 2013 - Am I perchance solitary in imagining that last year passed quickly? It certainly seems that way to me. As I sit here at my desk in my office I find myself absorbed in meditation over the past year—musing, if you will—and consumed by the concept that 2012 passed significantly more quickly than prior years.
It would be a simple matter to continue with mental concentration on this issue of 2012, however, it is time to move ahead. In doing so, I offer as closure the notion that 2012 seems to have passed quickly because the year seemed to pass quickly because the year was filled with so much tragedy, violence, uncertainty, and disappointment that I wanted it to pass quickly and, therefore, imagined that it did.
I must busy myself with other issues and attend to the daily business at hand—else, I fear, I would slip slowly but surely into a delirium and quickly find myself unable to successfully perform the various tasks so necessary to my daily agenda. I cannot allow this and must discontinue herewith my absorption relative to the year past.
Hello, 2013! What better way to greet the new year than by browsing lists of new laws greeting Californians today?
Here are the new laws greeting Californians today: List of New California Laws 2013
Here are the new gun laws greeting Californians today: New California Gun Laws 2013
What? That was not inspiring? All those new laws did not brighten your day?
Well, imagine that!
Sit back, relax, and be entertained!
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Frost on the Pumpkin
Frost on the Pumpkin - Actually, we have NO pumpkin. If we had a pumpkin, however, it would be very frosty this morning. This was the view that presented itself to me at 7:30 this morning, as I slouched in Mr. Nitro R/T and awaited the defrosting system to melt the icy carapace sufficiently to allow me safe passage.
Earlier this week, Laura and I completed our viewing of the 96 episodes of "My Name Is Earl."
Several years ago, we discontinued our DirecTV service and bought four Roku units. We have access to over 7,000 channels and pay only for Netflix—a mere $7.99/month! We dislike commercials intensely—not because of their content, but because they are so disruptive. We much prefer watching uninterrupted action. Once in the mood has been set by a television show or movie, few things are more hideous than having that mood shattered by a commercial!
We thoroughly enjoyed "My Name Is Earl," and I ferreted about yesterday at my office in search of a series that might serve to entertain us in the evening. The result of my search is a series called "Raising Hope." It was produced by the same man as was "My Name Is Earl" and features many of its cast, as well.
We had intended to begin viewing this series last evening. By the time we were nestled in bed and ready to watch the pilot, we were too fatigued. Hopefully, we will begin viewing it this evening.
