Saturday, May 31, 2014

A new national awakening is dawning on the eating of saturated fats!

On the heels of the national news that saturated fats, (long discouraged by many health experts) is not as bad as once thought, I bring you this. Why? Two major studies now have indicated that the original 1960's documents put forth to link saturated fats with heart disease were bogus, to put it mildly.

Thusly and with renewed hope, I now plan to sally forth with a modified version of the Paleo diet!

What if your government is feeding you a load of crap?
Here's the deal. Both mainstream vegans and the Paleo people both agree that processed foods are not particularly good for long term health! And, they are both in agreement that many of the fast food carbohydrate based cookies, crackers and chips are not the best for us to eat either short term or long term. What they do agree on is for everyone to eat m ore fresh vegetables, fruits and some 'unprocessed' fresh meats, poultry and fish. (Just so happens, this is what we ate as a species, for a million years or more before the advent of our agrarian settlement about ten thousand years ago).

To that end, I have put together the following simple 'splash, dice and dash' recipe for a simple and healthy stir fry!

Ingredients:
Low lean to fat, no heart disease or tooth decay!
82 grams beef, cut into small pieces
60 grams bell pepper, cut into strips
60 grams onion, cut into strips
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp olive oil

Optional additions:
Diced tomatoes
Pineapple chunks
Mushrooms, okra, celery....
whatever, use your imagination!

Directions: Add the oil, heat on medium high, add the rest of the ingredients, cook for about four minutes and serve! Sides can include an egg and toast! Note: I often throw this together in the time it takes to toast the bread!

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Obama looks royally on as the US Economy shrinks!

DO NOT PANIC! Obama is all over this!

The U.S. economy contracted in the first quarter for the first time in three years as it buckled under the weight of a severe winter, but there are signs activity has since rebounded. Read the entire article at http://www.foxbusiness.com/economy-policy/2014/05/29/chilly-1q-us-economy-contracts-for-first-time-since-11/

My thought: Yes, it was that mean old winter that's caused all our problems. The new Teflon Don otherwise known as Obama maintains that he has done absolutely nothing....and you know what? I can believe that!

The cost of Chili has gone up!

With days and days of overcast weather in the forecast, I thought it might be a good idea to crank out a bowl or two of chili. But, wait! The cost...she's a gone up!

These days I like to make what I'd call 'Fast n Simple' chili. There are just four main ingredients; a pound of hamburger, a can each of petite diced tomatoes and kidney beans and a package of
McCormick Original Chili mix. After browning the hamburger and draining off the grease, everything is combined in a small ceramic-iron pot and then cooked on low for about an hour. Simple!

And, at about a dollar a serving, this still a pretty tasty dish in these troubled times.What did a bowl of red cost a few years ago? I'm not sure, but I can assure you it was a lot less!

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Is it becoming more and more Helter Skelter out there? Can you feel it?

Back in November of 1968, the Beatles released a ninth album called 'The Beatles', but which many knew as the White Album. In it was a sound titled Helter Skelter that was made infamous by the crazed antics of a man by the name of Charles Manson. In August of that same year, two sets of murders occurred and it was in the Labianca home that one of the killers mis-wrote the words "Healter [sic] Skelter" on a refrigerator in that home. Fortunately, the vision of social chaos that Charlie Manson envisioned never came to pass.... that was then.

Fast forward a few decades to the here and now and what do we see? Racists and racism is very much alive and well, perhaps even thriving. Muslim extremists, for instance, would love to perform a little bit of Helter Skelter on the Christians among us and, on occasion, they have succeeded. The Media no longer seeks out and reports the truth, they report their version of the truth. Don't like what you hearing on one channel, merely change it to another for a different version of reality. Even our own President has been caught in repeated lies, half truths and deceptions that seem to grow almost daily in number. 'If you like your plan, you can keep your plan period.' Oh really? More White House scandals anyone? We're at 24 and counting!

The truth be told, America is now edging more closer to a major societal breakup, than it has at anytime in our history, in my opinion. Even the horrors of the Civil War may pale in comparison to the road we seem to now be on. After all, a country that loses it's connection with God is a truly lost country. A country that tolerates homosexuality is aberrant. A country that turns its back on its allies is not trustworthy any longer. A country that is run 'on the fly' by a delusional leader (Obama) and a left sided Congress is a country getting ready to fly apart!

Here's a forecast you all - Over the next several months, June thru Sept - the stock market will tank horribly. The Fed will then attempt to increase the printing off more money to offset a capsizing ship of state, something they've already been doing for six years! Stagflation will quickly follow on the heals.... and then my friends....

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Conway Twitty - Rainy Night in Georgia!



I always get goosebumps and I think this was taped in Branson, not positive. That video guy, I do think he was a bit shaky, however...

Monday, May 26, 2014

God knows, I'm Mr. Blue...The Fleetwoods!


This song goes out to JE, my first love as a young tow-headed simple boy!

'The reality that separates the child, the boy, the adult and the old man
is the intensity of each individuals physical existence and memory of such, as we each race through our brief time on this earth!

'The child lives for each single moment alone. The boy or girl, envisions moments that are yet to come. The adult coldly calculates meaningless gains.. And, the old man? Well... He ponders the mistakes made by those others!'
My edit - Mar, 2019...

Bee Gees with Too Much Heaven!


Only Barry is left now - still a most magical time!
Outside, the rains fall on the just and the unjust, and in equal fashion. It's just sad to see the real miracles of our time fade away....this post goes out to Joann Roddy, a lady I knew very long ago!

Driving and those darn speed limit signs!


Way back in 1885, Karl Friedrich Benz revealed the first gasoline-powered automobile on the public street system. The fastest his car could go was a paltry 13 mph. Since that time, advances in science and technology have brought faster vehicles and better roads, both of which have served to increase travel speeds for automotive travel. Today, attainable speeds are far higher than the maximum speeds that society generally accepts as reasonable for motorized travel on public streets, yet the speedometers on most motor vehicles display maximum speeds that far exceed the maximum legal speed limits on most roads. For the more simple minded among us, this can be very confusing.

Speeding, commonly defined as exceeding the posted speed limit or driving too fast for conditions, is a primary crash causation factor. Based on a survey of road safety performance, speeding is the number one road safety problem in the US, often contributing to as many as one-third of fatal crashes and serving as an aggravating factor in most crashes. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speeding-related crashes account for over 13,000 fatalities per year in the United States, making speeding one of the most often-cited contributing factors for fatal crashes.

It very true that selecting an appropriate speed limit for a specific area can be a very polarizing issue for a community. Residents and vulnerable road users generally seek lower speeds to promote quality of life for the community and increased security for pedestrians and cyclists; motorists seek higher speeds that minimize travel time. Despite the controversy surrounding maximum speed limits, it is clear that the overall goal of setting the speed limit is almost always to increase safety within the context of retaining reasonable mobility.

And my point is...

In Valley View Village, a small community of about 100 homes located near Forsyth Missouri, a careful and concise study done years before determined that a speed limit of 15 mph was appropriate. This finding was based on the type of streets, their average length and the fact of the presence of
children at many times of the day. Now, many years later, the same conditions remain and so the speed limit imposed seems reasonable. Yet, there is a small faction living there that cannot seem to drive at or below the posted limits. Perhaps they don't clearly understand or maybe have not thought through the consequences of their actions. A small child, for instance, running out into a street from behind a parked car gives a driver very little notice. At 30 mph, they have exactly one half the reaction time that would have been available had they been going 15 mph (at the posted limit). And if they also happen to be sipping coffee while talking on their cell phone (as I have witnessed), well I think the reaction time could get close to zero! And then, SMACK – YOUR DEAD!

Supposing that they did hit and kill a child, then many world's will come to an abrupt halt! The child will be dead, the parents forever grief-stricken and the hapless driver will be facing a boatload of charges – (very expensive charges I might add), not to mention the stigma that would then forever be attached to them as a person who committed manslaughter. They will certainly also have plenty of nights ponder that horrible day over the coming years....

And the moral is...

Everyone please, the next time you get into your vehicle, remember that it is a very efficient killing machine and treat it accordingly. When you drive, make sure that's all you are doing. No cell phone use, no food and no idle chatter with a passenger. Just keep your eyes on the road, concentrate,  drive at or under the speed limit and expect the unexpected to happen at any moment. Do those simple things and maybe, just maybe you'll  get to where you're going, safely!

Saturday, May 24, 2014

The surprising cost of a good T-Bone steak on Memorial Day 2014!

Out of curiosity, I stopped at a local grocery store situated near Forsyth Missouri to find out what a traditional T-Bone steak would cost me on Memorial Day 2014. (In my very limited view, the only real grilling steak out there is the T-Bone! It's thick and juicy and handles the high temperatures found in many grills really well)! I'd heard some stories circulating around that meat was getting a bit expensive at some locations across the nation. (Could that be true even in the heartland of America)? I remember that back in 2013, a T-bone cost in the neighborhood of $11 a pound (in the Midwest). This year they were running on special at $6.99 a pound as you can see. This was at the Country Mart
grocery near my home and even though the steaks are on the thin side – this is an excellent deal!

Historical Notes: By the way, back in 1970, a select T-Bone steak could be had for just $1.28 a pound! With a 17+ trillion dollar debt that's scheduled to hit 20 trillion in a few years, I seriously doubt if that kind of price will ever again be seen. We seem to be headed, in rather rapid fashion to a fate similar to that of the Weimar Republic!

Friday, May 23, 2014

These days it seems, you need a busload of faith to get by....


A me mix of faith and our sad reality. This mix is Lou Reed, God bless him, along with a mixed dose of hard reality (courtesy of now the almost forgotten foreign war in Iraq)! Of a time of nation building when we were strong and invincible. Nowadays, not so much. Gross misconduct, on the part of a current administration, that is absolutely no way for us to to set an example for the rest of the world! http://youtu.be/Oq1jHol8pGw

Update: Socialism and fascism will more than likely take root as we move into 2015 -God help us all! The kids in America, who will suffer the most, are so clueless as to make one weep...

Death of a target.. or the maybe the Nation...


Warning - a very primitive video here! I'm not sure where this rather strange video came from back in 2002 or thereabouts - This was an early stretch of my video imagination - You see, I was just first experimenting with video back then. Anyway, watch this early effort and perhaps wonder as to my true sanity!

A followup: - Target is still with me (I think he's out in the garage somewhere) and he's probably doing well. I only wish I could say the same for my Country.... I feel we have all been shot in the ass!

On people who drive beyond the speed limit!


I live in a relatively quiet small town in southwest Missouri call Forsyth. My house is located in a small neighborhood with ranch style houses similar to those you'd find in thousands of neighborhoods back in the 80's. Yes, it's quaint and it's quiet you might say. And, that's just the way me and some of the others who live on Baker street like it.

However, as of late, we've developed a problem of sorts. That problem is people who speed down the road like they were on the way to a raging fire! Now, mind you, it's not everyone who speeds, just a few. Maybe three drivers that maybe feel they are too important to have to worry about obeying the speed laws. Drivers who go fast enough to make it hard to stop if some child runs into the road. Drivers who maybe need some intervention in the form of the police, I'm thinking..... Let's see now, a C&I driving citation will net you 4 points.... on your license...

Driving record point accumulation in Missouri is a serious matter.
  • If you accumulate 4 or more points in a 12-month period, the Driver Licensing Division will send you a warning letter stating that you are in danger of losing your driving privileges.
  • If you accumulate 8 or more points in an 18-month period, your driver's license will be suspended for 30 days. If you've previously had your license suspended for accumulating too many points, you'll lose your driving privileges for 60 days on the 2nd suspension and 90 days on any subsequent suspensions.
  • If you accumulate 12 or more points in 12 months, 18 or more points in 24 months, or 24 or more points in 36 months, your Missouri driver's license will be revoked for 1 year. 
As a start, I've asked the Taney County Road and Bridge office to install a speed limit sign on my end of the street. There's already one that reads 15 MPH! We'll see how that goes before getting confrontational...

Update: My call to Taney Country Roads and Bridges was originally taken by a fill in, with a promise that someone would get back to me. That never happened....

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Boycott Mexico!


Boycott Mexico, not just because they imprison innocent Americans, but because I feel their government is backward, evil and corrupt!

Frankly, I feel that the Mexican government is an abscess on the face of this planet and they have been infecting the US southern border for far too long....  

Please do not vacation there, buy anything made in Mexico or support immigration!

What Memorial Day means to me!

Lt. Daniel C. Owen July 1943 T-6 Trainer
My father is in the middle
Memorial Day is a US federal holiday wherein the men and women who have died in the service of their country are honored. It's held on the final Monday of May and this year, that falls on Monday, May the 26th.

Thankfully, my father who served in the Air Force in WWII as a fighter pilot, survived that horrible conflict fighting off IE Shima and still managed to live to a ripe old age. But, he has passed now and I
miss him very much.

Is Obama the unaccountable President?

Each time Mr. Obama is faced with a scandal, he does three things: First, he expresses outrage (he is, after all, a man only of words, not deeds); then, he blames his predecessor, George W. Bush; finally, he wraps the entire mess up in bureaucratic red tape — a blue-ribbon investigation.

That last move, Mr. Obama’s go-to dodge, does two things: No one, not even the president himself, can speak on the matter (“It’s under investigation and we should hold off on any … “); And second, a lengthy probe means Americans will be distracted and move on by the time any final finding is reached.

With every scandal, the president — the CEO of the United States, if you will — said he first learned about it in the papers. If he were head of Apple or IBM, he’d have been fired years ago, because in business, it’s your job to know, and ignorance is, frankly, even worse than failing. Fail = fired.

So, is Obama THE unaccountable President? No, I'd say he is just a no account all the way around...

Currently, his Administration is at two dozen scandals and counting.....

The above material was excerpted from an article by Joseph Curl of the Washington Times!

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

River Run looks to be ready for Memorial weekend!

A drive through River Run Park just a few days before the start of the the Memorial Day weekend confirmed to me that everything seemed to be shipshape and in working order! It also appears as if the park will be fully booked as orange cones are in evidence for many of the campsites. But, don't be alarmed if you haven't made a reservation as the park maintains some sites on a first come first serve basis. You can get additional information by calling the park at (417) 546-3646 .

This very popular park honors the Golden Access cards, features fully equipped bathrooms with
showers and has a Park Attendant on site! I think the rate for a powered RV site with water is something like $18 per night making them very affordable as you enjoy the sight of the Bull Shoals river meandering close by. Convenience stores are also close as is the city of Branson Missouri, just a few miles down the road!

Directions 

GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
36.67444, -93.1125
36°40'28"N, 93°6'45"W

From Forsyth, Mo. on MO Highway 160, go east across the bridge to the intersection of Highways 160 and 76; turn south on MO Highway 76 and cross bridge. The park is located to the right of the highway just after crossing the Bull Shoals Lake bridge. Additional information can be found here!

We are living in a very special time!


Well, it's certainly the 21st Century and while some aspects of this turn of the millennium was not all we expected (no flying cars, anti-gravity tubes or the like), it's still been pretty exciting to see some of the devices that the mind of man has developed and which we all take for granted in 2014. Cell phones, tablets, the Internet, social networks were undreamed of when I was growing up and our planet has never before been as well connected as it is today!

Now, if we all could just become closer as a peoples... that would be a real miracle! Sadly, under Obama that will never happen. I feel we are living in the last days of a great Republic!
  [Photo credit: River Riggs]

Monday, May 19, 2014

We'll touch the sky! Small faces! Somewhere about 1965!

Somewhere about that time in our nation, all cultural hell was about to break loose! A trend that continues to this day. Thank you God, for allowing me to be a part of that incredible time! I'm also pretty sure I matched the video with the audio, but at this late stage in my life... who cares! OK! After further review, yes I did - I remember that I used the drummer's beat as the visual cue for the audio match.. And, I remember how much I hated my ears sticking out of my thin hair... life's a bitch!

The Road of Life poem!

Note: Picture stolen from Destiny Ward's FB page who got it from Iyanla Vanzant. The short poem, however, was mine.

A poorly written poem? Yes! But, I hope the meaning is clear. Lets us all live better lives and exonerate the Creator during the brief flash of time we all have here!

Making the perfect sunny side up fried egg!

While there are a many ways to prepare an egg (boiled, poached, scrambled..etc); sunny side up is the way I happen to like mine prepared. Getting one to turn out well, though, has always been a challenge. In the past, they've often been either too runny or were over-cooked with the bottom blackened and the yolk turned into a solid and unappetizing mass! So, after some research, I came up with a simple procedure that I think works pretty well....

First, try and make sure that you are using a non-stick frying pan with even perhaps a dash of olive oil to insure the egg doesn't stick! Also, allow that egg to come to room temperature before cooking, if possible. Next heat the pan to only medium – not medium-high heat. Carefully crack the egg open in the pan making sure not to break the yolk. After just a moment of cooking, add about a teaspoon of water and then quickly cover the pan. Reduce the heat to medium low or even low and maybe throw a slice of toast into a toaster. In the time it will take that toast to brown (about 3 minutes or so), the egg will be done to close to perfection!

Now for some other health considerations!

What about all that cholesterol?

Seriously, that debate concerning the harmful effects of cholesterol has raging for decades (research has shown that we manufacture our own cholesterol independent of what we eat). If you're afraid of all the hype, then simply don't eat them. But for those who choose to, here are a few of the benefits of this, one of natures most perfect foods...


The glycemic impact is low!

This nutritional panel tells a story. For a couple of dimes worth of cost, each egg supplies energy (70 calories) and in a way that doesn't spike a person's blood sugar. That's a good thing in an age of obesity...

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Critique: Marie Callender's Country Fried Chicken and Gravy!

I've commented on some if the Marie Callender products in the past and can say, without a doubt that this is one of her better creations! You get just about everything a hungry man would want in a meal. There's that chicken breast thing sitting pretty as you please in a pile of mashed pertaters along side of which is a hearty helping of corn! And at only 560 calories, this meal won't break the diet budget!

While tasty! This meal has over a 1000 mg of sodium!
The directions are simple. (Something I insist on if I'm going to go to the bother with when preparing a TV dinner). You just slash the plastic over the corn and the little packet of gravy, nuke everything for about 4 minutes, lift the plastic and stir the potatoes while rotating the chicken a quarter turn, reseal and then give her
another shot on high for about 3 minutes. Simple enough even for an aging gnome like myself. And while I can't remember what I payed for it, I know it was either on sale or under three bucks. I'm too cheap to spend much more than that.

Taste wise, this meal hit all the marks! The chicken was moist, the taters tasted like taters and the corn was sweet! I gave this a solid 8 on a scale of 10!

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Three foods that will provide some bang for the grocery buck!

It's 2014 and the US economy is tanking (a little) under the administrations of a government that frankly isn't working very well and looks to get worst with time. Health care costs are now through the roof for many of us, and energy costs are likewise scheduled to increase dramatically by 2015 (if Obama gets his way). In the midst of all this potentially bad news is the need for each of us to eat every day. So, here are a few ideas I had concerning foods that can give us a real nutritional bang for every spent dollar!

Eggs are the real 'protein deal', and can still be had at a relatively cheap cost! – At about 80 calories for a medium sized egg, these little wonders provide 30% of a person's daily protein requirement. And, each egg costs a mere 20 cents on average in mid 2014! In addition, they store well and can be prepared in many ways!

Potatoes bring most everything we need in the form of amino acids and do so with a blast of carbs that our bodies and brains also require in order to work well. A 5 lb bag can still be had for about $3, making them very cost effective. There are about 15 medium sized Russet potatoes in such a bag providing about 150 calories each! (Add a little milk or green beans and you can survive on just those foods)! Like eggs, they have a long shelf life and can be mashed, boiled, fried or shredded.

Peanut butter! Yes, that lowly looking little jar we all have stashed somewhere in our pantries is relatively cheap to buy, and yet each tablespoonful, has a very high fat content (95 calories)! And that figure, in the world we are all headed for, is a very good thing! Stock up on a few jar of these and you can't go wrong!

Finally, a word about the environment and those global warming alarmists. Contrary to the useful idiots, on the far left, who are campaigning for reductions in CO2 emissions, what we need is exactly the opposite of what it is they propose! A warmer climate with higher levels of carbon dioxide will likely cause a net increase in food production for the planet's population, especially for the Third
World nations. The real problem we face (and which is out of control), are the sheer levels of our numbers. A fact that is never addressed by the Liberals, but which remains the driving force for increased pollution concerns planet wide.

The bottom line; if we do not learn how to adjust the population downwards, then the mass extinctions of millions of other species will continue unabated, as is even now occurring. According to the UN, scientists now estimate that 150-200 species of plant, insect, bird and mammal become extinct every 24 hours! In addition, millions upon millions of acres of virgin forest will continue be cut down and burned, each year, releasing billions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere. This is not idle conjecture – it's a fact! A fact that may well prove the ultimate downfall of mankind....

Fox News needs to wake up! Rx corporations are evil!

While the programing content remains excellent, many of their commercials have got to go! These days when 'break time' happens, I often do one of the three:
  1. hit the mute button
  2. change channels
  3. turn the TV off
Why? Mostly it's the nature of the pharmaceutical commercials I find the most noxious. They often use scare tactics to get the public to ask their doctor to give them a certain brand of medication. Medications that often seem to fall into one or more of these categories:
  1. they are way too expensive
  2. they cause side effects that are more dangerous than the condition they are deigned to help
  3. they can kill
  4. they circumvent your doctor's ability to provide professional care
I firmly believe that, at some point in the future, these companies will be disclosed for what they are; a new form of cancer and consummate evil that exists solely for the almighty buck.

Friday, May 16, 2014

Carpenters - Close to You


At a time in my younger life, this lady - this most very precious lady, got my sorry ass though some tough times! I'd listen to her angelic voice on the radio and I found hope... I miss you Ms. Carpenter... I think millions miss you! I surely hope you found in heaven, what you sadly missed in an earthly existence...

Open your eyes and start here fellow travelers!


Note: After the video text ends at the 1:10 mark , please then... 
CLOSE YOUR EYES and just listen...or watch TV or drink or whatever... Please, open your eyes, by simply closing them! (Aged and dull minds, like mine, will understand and mostly concur).

The song is by Synthetic Substance - However, the other text words are all mine. The point of this effort has since been long lost to me. The current global mess of circa 2016 (now 2018), is pretty much the same as it was back in the 13th Century when so many of us suffered just to get food on the table! Today. Billions still do...For God's sake! Open your eyes!.. or not... Self awareness given by our Living God, is a gift granted from on high! And, yet is also very full of restrictions and responsibilities for each human born in His image. Those who have been granted sight and who have accepted God's desire to stand true, will be moving on.


Those who have been given great favor from on high, and who were bequeathed the greatness of many worldly possessions and then failed the Son of Man via deceptions; lies, greed or cowardice shall not go forth, but will surely fall by the wayside onto dry and parched soil.



Finally, for all the multitudes, who were birthed and who found themselves on parched and hard earth, and then did suffer and die horribly, yet were of pure heart.... They shall gain a free pass to our Father's House.... Amen. That is my belief this day! 

When the blue sky falls grey and you can't find the way.
Open your eyes, you feel like you go insane.
You can't play their game.
Open your eyes.

This? life is game you'll play it with me
This? song is

Open your eyes.... replay as often as needed!

I hope, you all will all go out into this world and do something worthwhile... That is, please make your lives count for something! Make a plaster of Paris sculpture perhaps..

'This day and each day, I'm not only me.
I exist in a Universe made solely by Thee.
Living as I do, I arise each morn
Cleansed by pure dreams, my soul thus reborn..'

Not cut of a normal cloth.. rags doth suit me better in most people's eyes.

Do you wish to follow this rabbit hole...? 
 

Thursday, May 15, 2014

My Adventures with Dumpster Denny!


Chapter One

 First off, my name. It really is DanOmanno Dingo. A moniker that caused me all sorts of trouble while growing up. However, you dear reader, may call me DanO. And proudly, I’m now a duly certified and professional Dumpster Diver thanks to one man who you shall meet shortly! Now, truth be told, I’m not really sure on the exact date I decided I was cut for this sort of work, but I can tell you the year. It was early on in 2013 that a particularly nasty and prolonged sinus condition strangely helped launch a new found career into the depths of what was otherwise a very odoriferous environment. A world that thanks to a perpetually stuffed nose, I could not sense very well at the time.

It was my first encounter with, and subsequent learning experience from, a rather strange man that is the subject of this story. Like most major changes in life, Dumpster Diving or DD began by a chance encounter. Thinking back, I remember that it was a very warm early afternoon in June with the weather just beginning to show signs of the hotness of the summer that was to come. I had stopped at local eatery to escape the moist and tepid still air that is so often part of the Ozarks, even in the spring. Some air conditioning and a cold beer were foremost on my mind as I drove towards the parking lot. Even at such an early afternoon hour, a thin veneer of sweat had formed on my upper lip as I urged my poorly maintained, but still running, Jeep down the main street of town. A popup shower had just gone through and steam could be seen rising vertically from the pavement. This made my drive that day, even a bit more surreal than normal. As so often happens in south Central Missouri, you can get brief thunderstorms where winds blow the rain every which way and then voila, it’s gone and you’re left with only a slowly rising mist as a reminder.  Overhead, the sun was once again making its presence known as it peeked hotly through thinning clouds and already small spots of perspiration began to show through my cotton polo shirt. (A shirt I had bought on sale years ago and which now bore many of the same signs of age as the rest of my 55 year old body - wrinkled with some brown spots here and there).

“Great”, I thought to myself as I parked my Jeep, stepped out and headed for the front entry. “Memo to self”, I muttered. “I gotta get that frigg’in AC fixed.” Jeeps were well known for two things in my book; great air conditioning - when they worked - and every penny you had when they didn’t.

As I walked slowly across the steamy lot, I wondered if there might not be a moral in there somewhere – bad AC and something about the government - and then the thought left my mind as quickly as it came. Another sign of encroaching senility? I headed towards the entrance while punching the lock button on my key. A chirping sound behind my back insured that my auto was locked. (Not that there was really anything inside it worth stealing). ‘Cold beer and colder air’, were my only thoughts as I walked slowly through a curtain of fog…

I’d selected this particular restaurant, café, food emporium (or what ever you might want to call it), because it was close to my home. You know, just doing my little part for the environment by saving on gas. (Actually, that was not true. I stopped there because of its name – Charlimpea).

Truth be told, from the outside the place appeared a little (maybe a lot) run down. The marquis indicated it to be a steak and ale joint (there was even a picture of a big slab of steak). The name was Charlimpea’s Steak House. That word Charlimpea, if I recalled correctly, was Indonesian slang for ‘smelly armpit’. I smiled as I wondered who had missed that connection when they named the joint). Hey everyone! We serve smelly armpit steaks here!

As I sauntered in, I noticed that the establishment also supported a rather modest bar. I also immediately discerned that things seemed just a little bit out of kilter. Nothing looked square or true. It was as though the builder had depended more on wishful thinking than in any actual skill with a hammer and saw. ‘T-square? He’d exclaim, what’s that?’

As I opened the door and crossed the threshold, the atmosphere went from overly bright sunlight to a subdued but much cooler murkiness. (The kind of bad light you get when looking for a lost sock under your bed). I stood there a moment as my eyes adjusted and took in what appeared to be a cheap painted plywood bar top that was only marginally complimented by a line of squat looking barstools. I thought in passing that the bar itself was so poorly constructed, that even the stools looked a little out of place. As though even they didn’t really want to be there, but being as they were dead objects, they had no choice.

Now suddenly unsure of myself, my eyes quickly swept the rest of the establishment. While the eating section off to my left appeared brightly lit and modern, the bar area itself reminded me more of that dark hold in movie called ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’. A rather sinister place with wet and oily walls. A place where old Bootstrap Bill had grown into and become part of the ship. After a moment’s hesitation, I thought what the hell. Charlimpea’s was, after all, still a watering hole. A man’s oasis where one could grab a cold one and enjoy some time out of the heat.

Searching for an unoccupied stool, I took note that in spite of the early hour, the venue was occupied by three rather seedy looking men. Two of them sat close together, fingers clinging furtively to their beer steins. (A mannerism that somehow reminded me of condemned prisoners who are waiting for a last minute reprieve). The other man sat by himself off to the left. One of the two turned toward me as I entered. I noticed that he had a rather bad tic that involved his left eyelid causing it to appear he was winking at me like mad. By the glint of it, I realized in all probability that eye was also made of glass. As he continued to star at me, winking at a really good clip, I was unsure as how to react. Was there some form of Morse code going on here? One winky-dinky if by land, two if by sea, three you get screwed by Blinky and Lee? The man next to him (Lee perhaps?) was just visible over Blinky’s shoulder. From the way his eyes were skewed at various angles, I was pretty sure his elevator was also stuck somewhere between floors. I quickly dismissed the idea of sitting by either one.

A bit closer to where I was standing, the third man sat with his back to me, head slowly bobbing up and down like one of those drinking toy birds. “What kind of place have I wandered into?” I thought candidly. I stood there for a moment, now unsure which end of the bar to move to. Life can be so perplexing at times.

Picking what I felt was the lesser of two evils; I elected to choose a stool next to the solitary man on
A poor sketch I made of Mr. B
the left. Being careful to keep both eyes wide open as I didn’t want a careless blink to go noticed by Blinky, I sat down next to the person I now thought of as Mr. Bobblehead. On closer inspection, I was able to tell that he too was a little misshapen by the fact that one shoulder was seemed about an inch or so higher than the other. As a result, Mr. Bobblehead had a bit of a natural lean to him that brought him even closer than I would have liked. I squirmed around in my seat and tried to compose myself. It was at that point that I also discovered a rather annoying sound coming from his vicinity. Faintly at first, then not so faintly, I could hear him as he nursed his beer. Every time he took a long slurp, his head would bob up a bit and then go back down for another go. I stood there for a moment just watching. His head would go down, then up, then back down again. Each cycle punctuated by a loud sluuurp! I quickly found this to be very annoying…

As I tried to settle into my bar stool, a very slight breeze coming from his direction gave me my first whiff of what could best be described as ‘eu-de-dumpster’. A sickeningly sweet smell that was a serious miasmal onslaught to even my impacted nasal cavity. Even with an allergy, the smell that got through was akin to sticking ones nose into a diaper gone really bad. I’ll admit right now, I did not find that first encounter with this strange man very pleasant and made a mental note, then and there, to move a few more stools down when the first opportunity presented itself.

Still, trying my best to be sociable (this due to my stellar upbringing), I turned and tried to exchange pleasantries with a man I had begun to think of as Mr. Diaper DooDoo Bobblehead. In actually, I learned his real name was Denny. (I made a mental note, though to hold the other name in reserve, just in case].

Denny, it seemed, was a regular ‘barfly’ at Charlimpea’s. (A fact that was also visually confirmed after I observed six or seven real flies buzzing around his head). He was also definitely the source of the diaper gone overboard smell. I surmised that the poor man must be down on his luck and was intrigued in spite of myself. “Howdy there partner”, I threw out in a lackluster attempt at cordiality. As I was talking, I slowly edged as far to the right of my stool as I could.

“Let me guess. You’re in what? Waste management?” As I asked this, I could not resist sporting a lope-sided grin while holding my nose between the tips of two fingers..

After no answer was immediately forthcoming, I shrugged and turned to order a top of the shelf beer.  The bartender, who had been standing patiently across from me, immediately brought me the selected libation. Her name, I learned, was Brandi. (As Brandi timidly presented my cold brew, I surmised her to be something of a local strumpet. I also surmised she was not used to a high roller like me). Beer now firmly in hand, I gave her a quick, (yet disinterested) smile without trying to appear rude.

“My name is DanO, but you can call me Dan Oh-Oh-Oh”, I said as I stuck my finely toned right arm her way and visually contorted my face. (This subtle play on words and the cute way I visually faked an orgasm was usually a sure ice-breaker). Not so much this time, though…

Brandi took my hand in hers and shook it up and down. (Actually, I felt her handshake was a little too mechanical and was strangely reminded of a robot with a short circuit somewhere deep in its cold metallic innards).

“Up and down, up and down. I’m sure hoping this lady runs down”, I thought laconically as she continued to vigorously pump my arm for all she was worth. I also noticed her eyes hungrily taking in the expanse of my rock hard and tautly-tanned biceps. Inwardly, I smiled as I was used to this kind of response from girls like her. I then disengaged my hand as quickly as I could. (As a practicing Adonis, I do take good care of the finely tuned corvette that is my body. Most women, poor creatures that they are, were always eager to consume my precious fluids. Something I had to be constantly on the alert for.)

“Thanks for the Samuel Adams”, I offered and then turned my eyes downward while waving one hand in casual dismissal. Brandi, now no longer needed, walked down the length of the bar to do whatever it is that people like her do when they can no longer converse with people like me. I took a sip of beer and then looked over to my new found, if somewhat septic, bar companion.   

I’ll admit, much later, that my interest was peaked by a number of this man’s unusual attributes. There were those flies for one thing, and that all pervasive smell. Finally, one had to consider the unique way in which he consumed his beverage. It was a moist sucking sound. A sound like nothing I’d ever heard before. A sound I could imagine a mosquito would make if you could somehow amplify it as it went about its business of sucking a person’s blood. A slow, wet hungry sound like a straw makes as it probes, in vain, the bottom of an empty glass. It was a sound that could easily drive you nuts.

In an effort to make him stop for a moment, I asked Denny what he did for a living. He raised his hand an angled it towards me in a wave off motion. The slurping noise stopped and as his head turned towards mine, he belched loudly. A new odor wafted my way causing my eyes to water briefly. I turned in his direction.

“I like diving into dumpsters and the one out back is a real favorite!” He made that statement as though I would instantly understand and agree. Then, he eyed his now empty glass of beer. “Hey bud, you want a buy me a beer?” A bushy eyebrow went up with the inquiry. He was now turned fully towards me with an empty glass held out in front of my face as though challenging me to fill it. All the while, flies made slow orbits around his head.

“Like yeah, that’s just not going to happen”, I thought as I mentally considered my options. I knew that if I bought him another drink, that horrible slurping noise would resume! Did I want to even endure that? I wasn’t sure. I also wasn’t sure if I wanted him to be anything other than a stranger. As the silence stretched on, a couple of his flies must have decided that I too looked pretty good and headed my way.

“I got a better idea” I said, avoiding the issue altogether. “How’s about we check out that dumpster? You said there’s a good one here?” I asked somewhat flippantly.

“I’ve never seen anyone go through garbage before.” A grin spread across my face as I was sure the odd fellow would decline the invite. To my surprise, he got off his stool and headed for the door. “Sure – follow me, bud” he said over his shoulder. I shrugged, finished the last of my beer and ambled to the door.


[End Chapter One]

Authors note: Will there be a Chapter Two? I dunno as I'm a very slow writer. Check back with me in another three years... 

While Obama tightens the energy screws on coal-fired plants....

The battle over energy and climate is now set to rage on Capitol Hill and the cost to the average American could be severe! The far left, Obama and the Democratically controlled Senate what our country as energy poor as they can make it, all in order to 'do our part' and to appease the environmentalists. And just in case you've ever wondered why the debate over global warming is important, remember that the left’s pushing of this notion has nothing to do with science and has everything to do with the big government expansion for which they need a working rationale.

In comments to the EPA , the American Coal Council said the new standards would essentially 'take coal off the market as a power source for new plants'. They also indicated that there would be steep and even drastic increases in the cost of electricity nationwide. So, everyone needs to be prepared to sacrifice in the coming years and decades. But, what about saving the earth? Would our sacrifice be even worth it? Following is information that would seem to belie that notion....
-------------------------------------
China's coal industry – both in terms of consumption and production - is now close to matching that of the entire remainder of the world, according to figures released this week by the Energy Information Administration.


The two graphs tells the whole story. On coal production (right), at 4 billion tons per year, China accounts for 46 percent of the world's output. China's production has doubled since 2003, accounting for 69 percent of the world's increase. The country in second place - the United States - produces only 12 percent of the worlds total.

On consumption (left) the numbers are equally stunning. China burns almost exactly what it produces, 4 billion tons a year, accounting for 49 percent of the world total. This figure has doubled since 2005, making up for 83 percent of the world's increase. The country in second place - once again the United States - consumes slightly less than 1 billion tons a year, only 11 percent of the world total.

While coal consumption in the rest of the world has flattened, China's is still racing ahead full bore! Within a few years, the story of what happens with world coal consumption is largely going to be what happens in China and NOT the United States! In my opinion, the real story with Obama and his ideologue-minded group, it that they seem to care more about global equality than about our hopes of continued national prosperity.....

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Vapaa Menemään by Kristiina Brask!

Vapaa Menemään - Free to go!
Grinding out a song is work - lots of it.
For something she did later on- please see this better video!
---------------------------

Odotin sua yöllä turhaan mun vierelleni, katsoin tyhjää kohtaa,
jossa ennen nukkui mies jota arvostin, se kaikki valui hukkaan,
välttelet mua pakenet ja sä oot, niin kuin mua ei oliskaan, piiloudut
löydyt ja taas sä katoot sataa vettä niskaan.

Päätin nyt riitti en usko enää sun valheisiin, mä vaihdan lukkoja oviin
kun avaimet ei käy on turha tulla selittämään, kuinka tästä vielä selvitään
nyt kun kävelet pois, en kaipaamaan jää, nyt sä olet vapaa menemään.

Miksi kohtelet mua näin, vaikka kaikkeni tein, että onni oisi läsnä.
Olet päiviä pois ja mä säröille meen, mut aion päästä yli tästä.
Välttele vaan, pakene ja oo, niin kuin mua ei oliskaan piiloudun, en löydy niin mä katoon
antaa sataa vettä niskaan.

Päätin nyt riitti en usko enää sun valheisiin, mä vaihdan lukkoja oviin
kun avaimet ei käy on turha tulla selittämään, kuinka tästä vielä selvitään
nyt kun kävelet pois, en kaipaamaan jää, nyt sä olet vapaa menemään.

The BLT sandwich! Now's the time!

YES! It's time to enjoy a vintage BLT or bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich! I've been waiting all winter for the first true vine ripened tomatoes to begin showing up a my local grocery, and in mid May, I got my wish! I gathered together the ingredients I needed; namely bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and bread for a quick and easy assembly.

When making this very popular sandwich, there aren't too many rules. Just make sure to use the best tomatoes and bacon you can afford or find! I personally like my bread toasted and will use romaine rather than iceberg lettuce to bring a little more nutrition to the table. You also want to make sure that the tomato slices are cut nice and thick and that there is plenty of bacon! For this effort, I used 2 slices of Better Boy vine ripened tomato, 3 strips of smoked bacon, and about a tablespoon of lite mayonnaise all sandwiched between two slices of toasted Italian bread. The taste was absolutely incredible!

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Low cost meals in the Age of the Liberal!

After realizing that I'm getting too old to work (and couldn't find a job if I wanted one anyway), I've been investigating how I might be able to still eat well but also more cheaply. Right off the bat, I figured that meat of any kind was out of the question (or soon will be). Vegetables were definitely in as I could grow many of them over the summer for eating and in the winter time after making sure to freeze or can part of the harvest. Also, in the mix, were a few so-called 'bulk foods' that seem able
resist inflationary pressures like spaghetti pasta that brings goodly amounts of carbohydrates to the mealtime plate...

So, here is an example of what I came up with for this post. The meal, which cost me only about eighty five cents, brings on a good slug of carbs and isn't really too nasty from a nutritional standpoint. (Note that I used 'fake salt' or potassium chloride for the seasoning and that there is no cholesterol to be found)!at about 500 calories it conforms to my overall diet plan and no - I don't blame either Obama or the Liberals for the plight we are all in. For too long, I ignored what the children were doing on Capitol Hill and like the sea, if you take your eye off of them for too very long they will overwhelm you!

Empire Electric - clueless?

As a storm front swept through my neck of the woods near Forsyth Missouri on Monday evening I thought that it was not very severe in nature. Then, at 6:18 PM the power went out and then stayed out until 8:33 PM when it was finally restored. A call to the Empire Electric people, early on, was a bit distressing as the person who answered told me they were 'clueless' as to the cause.

As I sat there in the darkness, I reflected that outages with this group are quite common. There had been a handful in just the last 30 days! When I lived in a suburb of Chicago years ago, I think there were like three outages in ten years! and, they were all caused by things like blizzards and ice storms!

So, what is it with this group? Are they dealing with an aging infrastructure or is it something else?

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Shake it, with commentary!



The reason that I'm even posting this, is to illustrate a point! - That is; 1) it really does rock, and 2) that it stands as a strong reminder that creative artists, even younger ones, can succeed in the rapidly evolving medium we call the Net! American creativity is NOT dead! Just a thought...

Louie Louie - the lyrics!


I'm still looking for the 20 minute (seemed like forever version) I heard, sung across from Neely Hall at SIU way way back when! Not matter what age age you are -Rock On! And, yes, there is a more X-rated version... more on that later...

A dietary point of departure! The BLT!

There is just one time, during the entire year, when I break with common dietary sense and buy myself a package of bacon. And, that would be whenever the summer tomato plants are maturing on the vine! Not the hot house variety and not the ones sitting in the Produce Department still on the vine. (Who knows where they came from, anyway)?

No, what I'm talking about is the real deal. Locally grown tomatoes raised in good old Missouri soil that have all the rich and tangy taste one could hope for in a 'mater'! My goodness! A sliced juicy tomato sandwiched between two slices of white bread with some bacon, lettuce and a little bit of mayo and I'm definitely in culinary heaven!

Breaking the American camels back Obama style!

A typical homeowner, no debt with some savings template
"When you're living on a fixed income; paying 35% of that sum for what amounts to catastrophic healthcare coverage, then paying your bills and then trying to make that last $300 stretch for fun, food and gas - Well, it won't take much to break that old camels back, now will it?" - Author unknown

Sadly, the 'solution' for millions who own their own homes, but can no longer afford to maintain them will be to try and sell or auction it off in what amounts to a buyers market, pocket what they can and then perhaps move to a trailer...where they can look forward to a declining standard of living, limited healthcare and an increasingly bleak future! The only 'safety net' out there for many millions are the so-called entitlement programs, all of which will go away at some point. This according to the GAO of the government which has repeatedly stated that they are on an 'unsustainable course'.


Obama and a few of the opportunities he has brought us all!

As the nation settles into President Obama's second term, I've had a chance to now see some of the 'opportunities' his liberal thinking has given to me, as a citizen!
  1. I have the opportunity to now pay $500 a month for catastrophic health insurance, while on a fixed income!
  2. I have the opportunity to restrict my driving to just the grocery store and back as I cannot afford the price of gasoline.
  3. I have the opportunity to freeze in the winter and bake in the summer because I cannot afford my electric.
  4. I have the golden opportunity to eat healthier as I can no longer afford to buy meat. No name brands either, just generic please.
  5. I have the opportunity to look for work that isn't there...and so, sink further into despair!
Gosh, Mr. President, thanks so much for all these and the fact of a National Debt so deep and pervasive that even my children's children will feel its effects. Thank's Mr. President, thanks for nothing!

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Trying to survive yet another blaise TV dinner? Accessorize it, baby!

Take any TV dinner, such as Banquets 'Swedish Meatballs' (which I've written about in the past). By itself, it's a pretty lame deal in appearance and even in nutritional value. Not a pretty picture eh what! Just crapola in a box, that men, like me, eat when we're too lazy to cook at home – which is darn pretty often.

But, it doesn't have to be that way bunko! With just a little bit of extra effort you can go from this -

Reminds me of someones rotting brains... Pelowsi's maybe?
to this!
Notice how I cleverly hid the pasta!
Anyone can take the time to stop at a local specialty food store and grab some containers of calamari, aged rice and tartar (or whatever else floats your boat)! After nuking your boxed Banquet meal-a-deal, remove it from the plastic tray and add it to a plate with a little bit of this and that! Voila, you will have suddenly transformed a culinary dog into a racing horse!...What?

Friday, May 9, 2014

Homemade potato salad!

I made this recipe after tiring of paying $2.59 for a one pound container of mediocre potato salad at the local deli! I thought the taste was absolutely great and look forward to making some variations on this theme in the future!

Ingredients:
2 medium Russet potatoes, 300 grams nuked for 4 min (.59¢)
¼ tbsp vinegar .02
3 tbsp (31 grams) mayonnaise (.05¢)
2 tsp mustard (.02¢)
3 tbsp onion (23 grams), minced (.04¢)
3 tbsp celery (23 grams), chopped (.10¢)
3 tbsp relish (30 grams) (.05¢)
1 hard boiled egg, chopped (.20¢)
salt and pepper to taste N/A

To make hard boiled eggs

1) Place egg(s) in cold water
2) Heat to just boiling
3) Remove from heat and cover
4) Wait 12 minutes, drain an cool then peel

I nuked the potatoes in the microwave for about 4 minutes and then refrigerated them. Once they had cooled off, I peeled them by hand and then cut them into chunks. I then added all the other ingredients mixed them together with a fork. Makes about one pound of potato salad. Note that all the amounts are estimates - you might need to experiment to find the best mix for your particular tastes. Total cost ~$1.07!

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

River Run looking good for 2014 season!

It's May, the weather has warmed and the grass has been cut! River Run Park is now open for business and it's missing just one thing – you!


I stopped there this day to have a quick lunch while watching the Bull Shoals river move on by. There were a few boaters out there, even though it was a bit on the windy side. River Run is a quiet place where you can come to relax while still being in easy driving distance to the wonder shows the the nearby town of Branson!