Sunday, June 30, 2019

A pasta diet platter!

By whatever name they go by, the various forms of pasta are a popular mealtime treat here in America and elsewhere. Numbering at about 350 types, I personally like to prepare and eat just a few; Spaghetti, Penne Rigate and shell are three of my favorites!

When combined with a good red sauce, (like the ones that come in a can from Hunt's), I cannot think of many other meals that I enjoy more! The only downside being the carbs. The recommended serving of regular spaghetti on the package is 56 grams of noodles which is also about 56 noodles. A bundle measures about ½ inch across which is about the same diameter as a penny (see below), so it might not look like a lot. But whoa, if you look at the nutritional panel here, you can see that you'll be
consuming 41 fat causing carbs. [Note: While the dry amount does look kinda small(ish), those noodles actually do increase quite a bit in size after cooking!] However, I've found that by
eating just half a serving at meal time, that I could make a serious dent in the number of carbohydrates! Then continuing on that culinary theme, I often like to cook up a hamburger patty and then eat only half of that... Throw in a simple
oil & vinegar salad and you're all set!

I've found this to be a filling meal that comes in at only 320 calories, and when combined with the low carbs (30g), this 'pasta-styled' meal can be very diet friendly!

Notes: The picture at left shows a bundle of 56 grams worth of spaghetti noodles aka one serving. The better way to measure would be by using a scale and by getting used to the gram weight measurements rather than going by ounces. OK for those who don't like that idea, there are 29.3 grams in an ounce, so this would be about 2 ounces of pasta....

One added bonus to eating this way is you only have to cook stuff up one times for two meals. That's assuming your single, of course.


Saturday, June 29, 2019

The 2020 election. My early predictions!

While the 2020 Presidential Election was still quite some time off into the future, I thought I'd make a prediction or two as to who the winner will be...

As June 2019 drew to a close, there were 24 candidates who had just finished the first of many such debates to be held on national TV. That process was designed to winnow down the field to one finalist that would be picked by the DNC as the party's candidate of choice to run against the incumbent Donald J. Trump. After watching the first two, I'd have to say that their combined efforts were just a tad short of mediocre. This was more of a meet and greet affair which showcased each candidates personal agenda rather than getting into the nuts and bolts of just how their plans could actually work. That said, there were a few standouts, in my opinion;

Warren, Harris and Castro did very well and picked up a ton of followers on Twitter. (They had definitely inched upwards and would likely do well in the coming debate battles). The rest of the field did not fare as well, with front runner Joe Biden losing quite a bit of ground even as he had a double digit lead over the rest of the field. The next two debates will occur on July 30 and 31 and promise to add perhaps a little more detail into how each candidates grandiose plans might be realized. By the time that the third debate swings around in September, it's hoped that some of the lower rung individuals (DeBlaseo comes to mind) will have dropped out. Then, as the field gets smaller and smaller via dropouts, there will be more time for each candidate to speak (or to hang themselves) during the two hour allotted amount of time. While some have argued that the size of the Democratic field somehow makes it harder to win the general election, there is no historic correlation between the number of contenders for a nomination and whether the eventual nominee won the general election. The far more important dynamic of such a large field is how difficult it is for any of those in the bottom half or even two-thirds of the field to have any chance of punching through.

Meanwhile the Republican contender, Donald Trump, will just sit back and watch the whole boring process grind on through the balance of the year as the Democrats will have six debates by December 2019. Then, at some point in time in 2020, the DNC will announce their pick at their convention and the real fun will start! Right now the safe bet would be Joe Biden, as he is by far the most moderate of that group of March Hares. That said, I would bet the farm that some of those running will make incredible sharp turns to the Right in order to stay afloat. That also will make for some great viewing....

Thursday, June 27, 2019

When it rains it pours! Luke Combs.


A rough storyboard idea for this popular number by Luke Combs. Storyboards are always the precursor process to a finished video, don't you know?

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Forsythkid: Come 2020. we all need to pull together!

Forsythkid: Come 2020. we all need to pull together!: As good or bad as everyone's life experience might have been, these last many years. Things can get worse. Is Donald Trump the savior...

Come 2020. we all need to pull together!


As good or bad as everyone's life experience might have been, these last many years. Things can get worse. Is Donald Trump the savior of a Nation? I'm not sure. A Representative Republic is very difficult to endure, over time. The Founding Fathers knew that all too well. Still, all things considered, I've had a pretty good ride. But, all good things will end... Me? I'm more than happy to fight to the death for the generations that follow me....  https://youtu.be/zLqqHGy0pc8

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Honda Clarity noise on battery power!

Not a bad car! I always did like the Honda brand! This excerpted video was from a short rest drive.