Those Cable Company Rascals

     The apartment complex I live in had a big tado about how they were including Bright House cable in our monthly rent. Seventy channels now included in our rent. This is what they refer to as basic cable TV. Well when I was paying for basic cable and internet my bill was about $40. Now with my free cable my bill went up to $45. I checked with Bright House. They said yes my cable is free. My basic internet is now $40 a month and the modem rental is $5 a month. So my internet went up from $15 a month to $40. Guess the cable company is double dipping me and the apartment complex. What a racket!

Those Cable Company Rascals

     The apartment complex I live in had a big tado about how they were including Bright House cable in our monthly rent. Seventy channels now included in our rent. This is what they refer to as basic cable TV. Well when I was paying for basic cable and internet my bill was about $40. Now with my free cable my bill went up to $45. I checked with Bright House. They said yes my cable is free. My basic internet is now $40 a month and the modem rental is $5 a month. So my internet went up from $15 a month to $40. Guess the cable company is double dipping me and the apartment complex. What a racket!

The Experiment Of Going Back To A Dumb Phone From A Smart Phone

     Some time back I posted about going back to a dumb phone. I have worked out a method as to how you can figure out if you can. Most of us fell into the smart phone thing. It's cool. But it has overwhelmed us. I think it is terrible to see everybody walking around with their head bent down looking at a phone.
     So can you go back to a dumb phone? Here is a way to see if you can. Go to Sears and buy a Consumer Cellular phone. Hook it up for 1500 minutes. Take your smart phone and forward it to your dumb phone. See how many calls you get. Of course you will not be able to Face book someone every time you go to the bathroom. But you still have communication.
     The bottom line is can you deal with life without being hooked to a phone like a baby with a pacifier? Is it really that important that you have on line access all the time? Are you that important? the smart phone thing has made you feel that you are number one. Your Face book buddies can tell you every time you go to the bathroom. Do not think you can live with out it.
     When I go to the lunchroom at work all the people are sitting there staring at their phones. Like they are robots. People do not even talk to each other. Just in their own little world staring at the phone. Is this right? They sit there and watch these stupid videos. It is a telephone my God, Not your life. Or is it?

The Experiment Of Going Back To A Dumb Phone From A Smart Phone

     Some time back I posted about going back to a dumb phone. I have worked out a method as to how you can figure out if you can. Most of us fell into the smart phone thing. It's cool. But it has overwhelmed us. I think it is terrible to see everybody walking around with their head bent down looking at a phone.
     So can you go back to a dumb phone? Here is a way to see if you can. Go to Sears and buy a Consumer Cellular phone. Hook it up for 1500 minutes. Take your smart phone and forward it to your dumb phone. See how many calls you get. Of course you will not be able to Face book someone every time you go to the bathroom. But you still have communication.
     The bottom line is can you deal with life without being hooked to a phone like a baby with a pacifier? Is it really that important that you have on line access all the time? Are you that important? the smart phone thing has made you feel that you are number one. Your Face book buddies can tell you every time you go to the bathroom. Do not think you can live with out it.
     When I go to the lunchroom at work all the people are sitting there staring at their phones. Like they are robots. People do not even talk to each other. Just in their own little world staring at the phone. Is this right? They sit there and watch these stupid videos. It is a telephone my God, Not your life. Or is it?

Ronald Reagan

     As time goes on you start to reflect. What was your personal best times? Do you break it down into years? A decade perhaps. Do you break it down into who was President? Or was it your personal age? 
     I was born when Eisenhower was President. Then John F. Kennedy. Who was the first and only Irish Catholic President. Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and our currant President Barrack Obama.
     I have seen good times regardless of who is President. Because I really do not care. I was one of the six people who voted on Jimmy Carter in 1980. I liked him. How could you hate a President that rode around in a Plymouth Valarie and wore a jean jacket? He just gave into special interest groups too much and caused him unable to make the right decisions quickly. Other than that this would be the nicest man you would ever run into.
      This post is about Ronald Reagan. This is just my prospective. So don't call me out on any specific facts and details. Jimmy Carter was a designed to loose by big business. But jean styles went to straight leg styles in 1977 when Carter was President. A good thing. Those bell bottoms made girls look like cows. For some reason the interest rate jumped up to 18 to 21 percent if you had good credit. A lot of what I call Mom and Pop businesses decided that a 15% gross income was not worth all the hassle. So they closed there businesses and capitalized on a high interest rate on savings. There was no motivation to keep a business open to maybe make 15% income when you have to deal with employees that are getting benefits and are constantly getting sick and hurt. Plus all the Social Security benefits you have to match. So they just closed. This was the beginning of off sore production. 
     Mr. Reagan comes rolling in chaos. We have prisoners in Iran. His Secretary of State Alexandr Haig calls Iran and says we will just nuke you. And supposedly Jimmy Carter had it all worked out. I think it would have drug out a while. Nothing like a few hundred B-52s to get the point across. 
     It is funny that most of the wars we were engaged in had Democratic Presidents. Which were all blamed on previous Republican administrations. 
     Under the Republican administrations the economy ran full blast. Look at the 1920s. It was one of the wildest times in the United States. Free economy, lets see how Prohibition works. Not very well.
     When Jimmy Carter was President he have the solar stuff put on top on the White House. You know all the energy efficient things. Reagan had all the stuff taken off and said that the next thing is we will have to dry our clothes on a line. 
     During the Reagan administration dress became more conventional. With the exception of that new MTV thing. Everyone got cable TV, the FM stations would simulcast Austin City Limits on your stereo receiver. How great. 
     The B52 was still our main line bomber even though it came on line in 1955. The Abraims tank came out. Still our main battle tank. 
     Everyone seemed to have a pretty good time when Reagan was President. Although I hear a lot of people say he broke up the labor unions. But it was the individual business owners greed that sent almost everything offshore. Not Reagan. At this time doctors and lawyers were not allowed to advertise. Now all the ads on TV are doctors and lawyers. And cell phones. 
     Interest rates for borrowing fell when Reagan was President. People started buying again. The people buying were working. This generates tax revenue. Which helps the nation pay off any outstanding debts. A clean budget. 
      As our manufacturing base faded (again the greed of the owners) faded we became a service economy. Someone else will do it for you for a fee. But you can only hand that twenty dollar bill back and forth so long before it gets wore out. No new money. 
     Unforturtunatey we became very reliant on the best of everything. George W. Bush won the election with a landslide. Four years later Clinton won. Who was nothing but a thief and a husband of a designing bitch called  Hillary Clinton.

Ronald Reagan

     As time goes on you start to reflect. What was your personal best times? Do you break it down into years? A decade perhaps. Do you break it down into who was President? Or was it your personal age? 
     I was born when Eisenhower was President. Then John F. Kennedy. Who was the first and only Irish Catholic President. Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and our currant President Barrack Obama.
     I have seen good times regardless of who is President. Because I really do not care. I was one of the six people who voted on Jimmy Carter in 1980. I liked him. How could you hate a President that rode around in a Plymouth Valarie and wore a jean jacket? He just gave into special interest groups too much and caused him unable to make the right decisions quickly. Other than that this would be the nicest man you would ever run into.
      This post is about Ronald Reagan. This is just my prospective. So don't call me out on any specific facts and details. Jimmy Carter was a designed to loose by big business. But jean styles went to straight leg styles in 1977 when Carter was President. A good thing. Those bell bottoms made girls look like cows. For some reason the interest rate jumped up to 18 to 21 percent if you had good credit. A lot of what I call Mom and Pop businesses decided that a 15% gross income was not worth all the hassle. So they closed there businesses and capitalized on a high interest rate on savings. There was no motivation to keep a business open to maybe make 15% income when you have to deal with employees that are getting benefits and are constantly getting sick and hurt. Plus all the Social Security benefits you have to match. So they just closed. This was the beginning of off sore production. 
     Mr. Reagan comes rolling in chaos. We have prisoners in Iran. His Secretary of State Alexandr Haig calls Iran and says we will just nuke you. And supposedly Jimmy Carter had it all worked out. I think it would have drug out a while. Nothing like a few hundred B-52s to get the point across. 
     It is funny that most of the wars we were engaged in had Democratic Presidents. Which were all blamed on previous Republican administrations. 
     Under the Republican administrations the economy ran full blast. Look at the 1920s. It was one of the wildest times in the United States. Free economy, lets see how Prohibition works. Not very well.
     When Jimmy Carter was President he have the solar stuff put on top on the White House. You know all the energy efficient things. Reagan had all the stuff taken off and said that the next thing is we will have to dry our clothes on a line. 
     During the Reagan administration dress became more conventional. With the exception of that new MTV thing. Everyone got cable TV, the FM stations would simulcast Austin City Limits on your stereo receiver. How great. 
     The B52 was still our main line bomber even though it came on line in 1955. The Abraims tank came out. Still our main battle tank. 
     Everyone seemed to have a pretty good time when Reagan was President. Although I hear a lot of people say he broke up the labor unions. But it was the individual business owners greed that sent almost everything offshore. Not Reagan. At this time doctors and lawyers were not allowed to advertise. Now all the ads on TV are doctors and lawyers. And cell phones. 
     Interest rates for borrowing fell when Reagan was President. People started buying again. The people buying were working. This generates tax revenue. Which helps the nation pay off any outstanding debts. A clean budget. 
      As our manufacturing base faded (again the greed of the owners) faded we became a service economy. Someone else will do it for you for a fee. But you can only hand that twenty dollar bill back and forth so long before it gets wore out. No new money. 
     Unforturtunatey we became very reliant on the best of everything. George W. Bush won the election with a landslide. Four years later Clinton won. Who was nothing but a thief and a husband of a designing bitch called  Hillary Clinton.

Using What You Have On Hand

     This is hypocritical for me to write a story on using what you have on hand. only somewhat though. As time goes on I have found using what you have to be a useful and frugal way of doing thing. As in the 1980s and 1990s subscribed to the Conspicuous Consumption model. Buying every little gadget, clothes, tools and everything else. 
     This is great fun if you can afford it. But who can afford it anymore. An example of this was I pointed my humidifier at the dehumidifier and let them fight it out. 
     In this day and age there is a specific tool for everything. A gadget or service for everything. Most of which we can all do ourselves if we take on the challenge. Obviously there are things we cannot do. But many we can. 

Using What You Have On Hand

     This is hypocritical for me to write a story on using what you have on hand. only somewhat though. As time goes on I have found using what you have to be a useful and frugal way of doing thing. As in the 1980s and 1990s subscribed to the Conspicuous Consumption model. Buying every little gadget, clothes, tools and everything else. 
     This is great fun if you can afford it. But who can afford it anymore. An example of this was I pointed my humidifier at the dehumidifier and let them fight it out. 
     In this day and age there is a specific tool for everything. A gadget or service for everything. Most of which we can all do ourselves if we take on the challenge. Obviously there are things we cannot do. But many we can. 

Radio Waves

     In our daily lives we are subjected to millions of radio waves. Something that no one was subjected to 150 years ago. What kind of impact has this had on life on the planet? Some time ago I posted about the fact of pavement contributing to global warming as forest and grassland does not reflect heat up into the atmosphere. Touch your hand to grass and then touch it to pavement on a hot day. Get the picture!
     Believe me I like radios as much as anyone. But what has the generation of all this radiation impacted life on Earth? Radiation is generally regarded as a bad thing. Natural accruing radio waves came from lightning and cosmic sources that were mostly repelled by the atmosphere. 
     High tension power lines often buzz if you listen close. Some people complain about hyper sensitivity to power lines. The most potent radiation comes from atomic or nuclear sources. These are generally regarded as deadly. Fact is a movie was made where they used to test atomic weapons in the United States. Within twenty five years most of the cast died of some kind of cancer. 
     So your clock radio may not kill you. Years ago they said cell phones cause brain tumors. Who knows. Have you ever seen so many sick and tied people? Everyone has something wrong. 
      Did the aliens decide that we should just poison our own atmosphere and burn our selves up with radio waves?

Radio Waves

     In our daily lives we are subjected to millions of radio waves. Something that no one was subjected to 150 years ago. What kind of impact has this had on life on the planet? Some time ago I posted about the fact of pavement contributing to global warming as forest and grassland does not reflect heat up into the atmosphere. Touch your hand to grass and then touch it to pavement on a hot day. Get the picture!
     Believe me I like radios as much as anyone. But what has the generation of all this radiation impacted life on Earth? Radiation is generally regarded as a bad thing. Natural accruing radio waves came from lightning and cosmic sources that were mostly repelled by the atmosphere. 
     High tension power lines often buzz if you listen close. Some people complain about hyper sensitivity to power lines. The most potent radiation comes from atomic or nuclear sources. These are generally regarded as deadly. Fact is a movie was made where they used to test atomic weapons in the United States. Within twenty five years most of the cast died of some kind of cancer. 
     So your clock radio may not kill you. Years ago they said cell phones cause brain tumors. Who knows. Have you ever seen so many sick and tied people? Everyone has something wrong. 
      Did the aliens decide that we should just poison our own atmosphere and burn our selves up with radio waves?

Missing The Time And Energy For Basicaly Useless Projects

     Most of the time people complain about being bored. I found a way to cope with boredom is to engage in basically useless projects that no one cares about by you. This however can become expensive when you get on a kick and buy a bunch of things you will never use again. 
     I got on a model railroad kick. Having a model railroad on my dining room table for seven years. No wonder I do not have a girlfriend! I spent tons of money on stuff that I can not even give away anymore. 
     For years I was on a golf kick. I would take older clubs and clean and even take to time to repaint the marks the perfect color. But I could play fairly well. And then I just quit playing due to pressing affairs. 
     The bicycle thing proved to have a lot of utility. For years I used bicycles as my primary transportation. Not using a motor vehicle for months at a time. But I did however go over board with this too. Having too many bicycles. But I spent a lot of time messing with them and not bothering anyone else. Kind of a win win. But I am left with far too much stuff that I may never use. 
     In Indiana I used to row a fairly large garden. That anyone who wanted anything from it was welcome to. I had English hybrid tea roses. About ten varieties that were on the side of the house and again anyone was welcome to clip some for themselves. I grew a lot of vegetables as well. Many different kinds of flowers and landscape plants. Guess I do a better job with inanimate objects than humans. I did have a pretty cool Lab that would hang out with me. And a couple of stray cats that stayed outside. 
     These things can take up a lot of time and energy. Giving you exersize and something to do. For the most part not bothering anyone else. Not being bored either and you were focused on the project. 
     The point here is when you think that you are bored be thankful that you are doing something you want to do not have to do. Because at some juncture you will be forced to do something that you do not want to but have to do. And will yearning for the tome you were bored.

Missing The Time And Energy For Basicaly Useless Projects

     Most of the time people complain about being bored. I found a way to cope with boredom is to engage in basically useless projects that no one cares about by you. This however can become expensive when you get on a kick and buy a bunch of things you will never use again. 
     I got on a model railroad kick. Having a model railroad on my dining room table for seven years. No wonder I do not have a girlfriend! I spent tons of money on stuff that I can not even give away anymore. 
     For years I was on a golf kick. I would take older clubs and clean and even take to time to repaint the marks the perfect color. But I could play fairly well. And then I just quit playing due to pressing affairs. 
     The bicycle thing proved to have a lot of utility. For years I used bicycles as my primary transportation. Not using a motor vehicle for months at a time. But I did however go over board with this too. Having too many bicycles. But I spent a lot of time messing with them and not bothering anyone else. Kind of a win win. But I am left with far too much stuff that I may never use. 
     In Indiana I used to row a fairly large garden. That anyone who wanted anything from it was welcome to. I had English hybrid tea roses. About ten varieties that were on the side of the house and again anyone was welcome to clip some for themselves. I grew a lot of vegetables as well. Many different kinds of flowers and landscape plants. Guess I do a better job with inanimate objects than humans. I did have a pretty cool Lab that would hang out with me. And a couple of stray cats that stayed outside. 
     These things can take up a lot of time and energy. Giving you exersize and something to do. For the most part not bothering anyone else. Not being bored either and you were focused on the project. 
     The point here is when you think that you are bored be thankful that you are doing something you want to do not have to do. Because at some juncture you will be forced to do something that you do not want to but have to do. And will yearning for the tome you were bored.

An Interesting View Of Work From NPR

     This morning I awoke to NPR radio. Just like every day. The weekend program is different from the normal programming. I normally awake to the NPR news. 
    The story they had on Saturday morning was about people with high education ditching their careers for a lesser position that they could do when they want to. An interesting idea. 
    Kind of what I did eight  years ago. First of all you take a pay loss. So you have to adjust for that. You take a social standing loss. As if you had one anyway. 
     The Yuppie thing from the 1980s is dead. For a lot of folks the biggest house, Rolex and BMW are not a factor. You really do not care anymore. Half of the population is on entitlements. The other half are either working a crummy job or have a good job.  The good job people are in jeopardy. As that job may end any time some. Just look at Hewlett Packard shedding 30,0000 jobs. That is a lot of jobs. Most of them making high dollars. So here comes the forecloses. 
     The lady in the program started talking about how she was professional of some sort. Maybe a doctors degree. But she became unhappy with her position. And just quit. From what I gather she just takes day jobs. I would have to think this means giving up the benefits that come with working for a corporation. Sure it does. You can no longer afford the lease on that Lexus or Mercedes. You may have to have just a beater car, public transportation or a bicycle. Housing changes. You have to have a manageable rent or other accommodations. You cannot go to the mall for clothes. You do not get manicures. Or your hair done. But if you do not feel like going to work that day you do not. 
     The job you land that day may be different from the last time you elected to work. No big deal, you are only in it for the money anyway. So by the time you learn what you are supposed to be doing the shift is over. Next time you have that job you will be more comfortable with it. In the event you do it again. So you are effectually a mercenary. Get paid for your work and that is it. You bring only yourself to the table. 
     This would be a great game to play if the United States had socialized medicine. But we did for years. It is called the Health Department. In every county. This would be great if you were not thinking about depending upon Social Security when you get older. As you would probably have several 1099s coming in at the end of the year. You could however set up your own IRA or 401K that let's you contribute at will. If there is any. You have to figure every thing out for yourself. But you will have the spare time to do it right? 
     In the early 1980s I had several part time jobs at one time. Here and there. Different uniforms for each. If it even required a uniform at all. A big plus with this lifestyle would be if you have access to VA benefits. Then you have medical. I had no health care from an insurance company. If I had to pay I just paid cash. 
     So only you can decide if it is worth living in that 4000 square foot house and having all those bills. Or just be a bottom feeder. The currant depression has not ended. We have only learned how to deal with it. So how have we learned to deal with it? Well we for one thing have seen prices on food rise a great deal. But wages have not risen. How can they? If they rise to a certain extent it really upsets the apple cart. The people that pay for things on entitlements do not seem to care. Why would you?
     As we all think that everything is fine and dandy, it is not.

An Interesting View Of Work From NPR

     This morning I awoke to NPR radio. Just like every day. The weekend program is different from the normal programming. I normally awake to the NPR news. 
    The story they had on Saturday morning was about people with high education ditching their careers for a lesser position that they could do when they want to. An interesting idea. 
    Kind of what I did eight  years ago. First of all you take a pay loss. So you have to adjust for that. You take a social standing loss. As if you had one anyway. 
     The Yuppie thing from the 1980s is dead. For a lot of folks the biggest house, Rolex and BMW are not a factor. You really do not care anymore. Half of the population is on entitlements. The other half are either working a crummy job or have a good job.  The good job people are in jeopardy. As that job may end any time some. Just look at Hewlett Packard shedding 30,0000 jobs. That is a lot of jobs. Most of them making high dollars. So here comes the forecloses. 
     The lady in the program started talking about how she was professional of some sort. Maybe a doctors degree. But she became unhappy with her position. And just quit. From what I gather she just takes day jobs. I would have to think this means giving up the benefits that come with working for a corporation. Sure it does. You can no longer afford the lease on that Lexus or Mercedes. You may have to have just a beater car, public transportation or a bicycle. Housing changes. You have to have a manageable rent or other accommodations. You cannot go to the mall for clothes. You do not get manicures. Or your hair done. But if you do not feel like going to work that day you do not. 
     The job you land that day may be different from the last time you elected to work. No big deal, you are only in it for the money anyway. So by the time you learn what you are supposed to be doing the shift is over. Next time you have that job you will be more comfortable with it. In the event you do it again. So you are effectually a mercenary. Get paid for your work and that is it. You bring only yourself to the table. 
     This would be a great game to play if the United States had socialized medicine. But we did for years. It is called the Health Department. In every county. This would be great if you were not thinking about depending upon Social Security when you get older. As you would probably have several 1099s coming in at the end of the year. You could however set up your own IRA or 401K that let's you contribute at will. If there is any. You have to figure every thing out for yourself. But you will have the spare time to do it right? 
     In the early 1980s I had several part time jobs at one time. Here and there. Different uniforms for each. If it even required a uniform at all. A big plus with this lifestyle would be if you have access to VA benefits. Then you have medical. I had no health care from an insurance company. If I had to pay I just paid cash. 
     So only you can decide if it is worth living in that 4000 square foot house and having all those bills. Or just be a bottom feeder. The currant depression has not ended. We have only learned how to deal with it. So how have we learned to deal with it? Well we for one thing have seen prices on food rise a great deal. But wages have not risen. How can they? If they rise to a certain extent it really upsets the apple cart. The people that pay for things on entitlements do not seem to care. Why would you?
     As we all think that everything is fine and dandy, it is not.

Donald Trump

     We have all seen him. Loved him or hated him. I have never watched any of his TV shows. Just took him as an another Howard Hughes if you will. But he certainly has the opportunity to get his word out. And is his word wrong? To a certain extent I feel he is right on the money. He may just be our next Ronald Reagan. 
     The nation has been through several years of just giving things out to people in need. Which is a great gesture. But the normal working people have been beaten to death. I used to hate Jerry Falwell. but he had some good points. You cannot get yourself into a situation were the government supports a lifestyle that is just giving things to people who do not want to make an effort to support themselves. 
     We have created an environment to which is more advantageous to sit at home and guard the television and do nothing then seek out a decent job. So now we have a bunch of sub human useless eaters running around. They contribute nothing to society and just consume the resources that have been amassed by people that have contributed to the cause. 
     One thing about the Mexicans they work. Have you ever went to a work site were they were not working? That is because the older Americans being white and black are too lazy to work now. They are living on the money that their families have build up. And is decreasing rapidly. As the older generations wealth is decreases, so does any inheritance. Making a bunch of fat worthless children. Now you get the drift. 
      Every day I see fat, lazy, and disabled people come in the store. They do nothing and expect everything. Putin is probably laughing at us now. He  has us were he wants us now. The Russians could over run Europe now. The fat and lazy white girls in the United States only know to eat a lot and stare at their phones. They are completely worthless.  If the Olympics have an eating and cell phone contests the United States would take every gold medal. 
     So what would The Donald do? Send every immigrant out of the country? To where? Europe seems to be the hot spot now. So who would do all the work? Little Johnny White just wants to stay at mommy and daddy's house and play computer games. Bobby Black just wants to hook up with two or three girls he can bounce around from to support him. Who is going to build the buildings, work at Mac Donald's and work at Bank of (Latin) America? 
     All the people who would then considered Americans would have to be trained to put down their cell phone. Worry about something other than a computer game and work. 
     Maybe Donald Trump will build a casino in every county in the United States and everyone could work there. But again, who would build the buildings? Kind of tough to drive a nail with a cell phone in your hand. The mentality of a lot of people is to stand back and watch to see who else will do something. Kind of like some kind of game. Maybe tag. Do kids even play tag anymore. Maybe if there is an app on their phone. But certainly not outside. It is too hot or cold. And they are tired and hungry. So when there is something that needs to be done the cool thing is not to do it. See who gets stuck doing it. then that person becomes the loser because that ended up doing the task and the winner is the one who does the least. Is that what work smart not hard means? 
     No matter what anyone says it is the work ethic that needs to be improved in the United States. But it is hard for a young person to understand as their parent (yes I said parent not parents) are on disability going to the pharmacy to get their drugs buying food on food stamps and pretty lazy. 
     The American Dream has changed. For a great deal the goal is to not work hard but hardly work. Just hang out and let the dummies do it. They will sooner or later burn out and the lazy people can just plug along and get paid. 
     How are we going to fix this Donald? The first thing is to put a cap on entitlements. Everyone can make a mistake. But limit the entitlements to one child for females. A married couple that has another child does not automatically get a raise because they have. As broken down as I feel many times I could probably get disability. But my acts have gotten me to where I am. I have been working since I was ten. I should have saved enough money over the years to retire. Or not need that much money. Who's fault is it but me? 
     If all entitlements would stop today it would be total anarchy. You would have to carry a machine gun to the grocery store. People would be like animals. The system would fall down. You would have to be tough to survive. Kind of like the Dark Ages. 
     Social Security is a hard question. People have paid in to this all their working lives and depend on it to live. This on top a pension and saving should make the last years worry free. But it has not now days. You have children who have sucked you dry. Your health is failing and costs you a lot of money even with Medicare. While some get Medicaid completely free. 
     So Mr. Trump should we go to socialized medicine? That takes a lot of things out of the picture. Like insurance. That takes out Obama Care and all the other problems. Insurance has to be the largest scam that was ever devised. Then you have to take out the tort laws. This makes for tough luck and sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. So the doctors, lawyers and insurance people could fill the spots that the dispersed immigrants now fill. 
     Pollution levels at at a low for the last several years. Technology and decreased industrial production have contributed to this. I for one am tired of paying $300 for a pair of eye glasses made in China and buying a fly swatter proudly made in USA. Do you think that this may have something to do with the economy? But it was the ultra rich that sent production abroad. They do not have to pay insurance, Social Security, have any lawsuits from tort law. Think about it. 
     As far as energy goes North America (Canada, United States and Mexico) have been able to solve most of their energy needs. But for some reason the currant administration has been trying to stop it. With the shale oil project between the United States and Canada and coal the hemisphere has all the energy we need. The Germans were converting coal to aviation fuel in the 1930s. They still have a nice countryside. This also creates jobs. Don't want to do that do we? 
     Why is the Federal Reserve printing so much money? Are we going back to a cash economy? Most people pay with things with a debit or credit card. Why all the cash? What is your thoughts on that Donald? The interest rate has to go up a little. Let's go back to the 1950s. You got 3% on savings and paid 6% for a loan. With good credit of course. 
     I think as a nation we are like a big zit. It needs to be burst. But there is not anything as fun as busting a big zit is there?

Donald Trump

     We have all seen him. Loved him or hated him. I have never watched any of his TV shows. Just took him as an another Howard Hughes if you will. But he certainly has the opportunity to get his word out. And is his word wrong? To a certain extent I feel he is right on the money. He may just be our next Ronald Reagan. 
     The nation has been through several years of just giving things out to people in need. Which is a great gesture. But the normal working people have been beaten to death. I used to hate Jerry Falwell. but he had some good points. You cannot get yourself into a situation were the government supports a lifestyle that is just giving things to people who do not want to make an effort to support themselves. 
     We have created an environment to which is more advantageous to sit at home and guard the television and do nothing then seek out a decent job. So now we have a bunch of sub human useless eaters running around. They contribute nothing to society and just consume the resources that have been amassed by people that have contributed to the cause. 
     One thing about the Mexicans they work. Have you ever went to a work site were they were not working? That is because the older Americans being white and black are too lazy to work now. They are living on the money that their families have build up. And is decreasing rapidly. As the older generations wealth is decreases, so does any inheritance. Making a bunch of fat worthless children. Now you get the drift. 
      Every day I see fat, lazy, and disabled people come in the store. They do nothing and expect everything. Putin is probably laughing at us now. He  has us were he wants us now. The Russians could over run Europe now. The fat and lazy white girls in the United States only know to eat a lot and stare at their phones. They are completely worthless.  If the Olympics have an eating and cell phone contests the United States would take every gold medal. 
     So what would The Donald do? Send every immigrant out of the country? To where? Europe seems to be the hot spot now. So who would do all the work? Little Johnny White just wants to stay at mommy and daddy's house and play computer games. Bobby Black just wants to hook up with two or three girls he can bounce around from to support him. Who is going to build the buildings, work at Mac Donald's and work at Bank of (Latin) America? 
     All the people who would then considered Americans would have to be trained to put down their cell phone. Worry about something other than a computer game and work. 
     Maybe Donald Trump will build a casino in every county in the United States and everyone could work there. But again, who would build the buildings? Kind of tough to drive a nail with a cell phone in your hand. The mentality of a lot of people is to stand back and watch to see who else will do something. Kind of like some kind of game. Maybe tag. Do kids even play tag anymore. Maybe if there is an app on their phone. But certainly not outside. It is too hot or cold. And they are tired and hungry. So when there is something that needs to be done the cool thing is not to do it. See who gets stuck doing it. then that person becomes the loser because that ended up doing the task and the winner is the one who does the least. Is that what work smart not hard means? 
     No matter what anyone says it is the work ethic that needs to be improved in the United States. But it is hard for a young person to understand as their parent (yes I said parent not parents) are on disability going to the pharmacy to get their drugs buying food on food stamps and pretty lazy. 
     The American Dream has changed. For a great deal the goal is to not work hard but hardly work. Just hang out and let the dummies do it. They will sooner or later burn out and the lazy people can just plug along and get paid. 
     How are we going to fix this Donald? The first thing is to put a cap on entitlements. Everyone can make a mistake. But limit the entitlements to one child for females. A married couple that has another child does not automatically get a raise because they have. As broken down as I feel many times I could probably get disability. But my acts have gotten me to where I am. I have been working since I was ten. I should have saved enough money over the years to retire. Or not need that much money. Who's fault is it but me? 
     If all entitlements would stop today it would be total anarchy. You would have to carry a machine gun to the grocery store. People would be like animals. The system would fall down. You would have to be tough to survive. Kind of like the Dark Ages. 
     Social Security is a hard question. People have paid in to this all their working lives and depend on it to live. This on top a pension and saving should make the last years worry free. But it has not now days. You have children who have sucked you dry. Your health is failing and costs you a lot of money even with Medicare. While some get Medicaid completely free. 
     So Mr. Trump should we go to socialized medicine? That takes a lot of things out of the picture. Like insurance. That takes out Obama Care and all the other problems. Insurance has to be the largest scam that was ever devised. Then you have to take out the tort laws. This makes for tough luck and sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. So the doctors, lawyers and insurance people could fill the spots that the dispersed immigrants now fill. 
     Pollution levels at at a low for the last several years. Technology and decreased industrial production have contributed to this. I for one am tired of paying $300 for a pair of eye glasses made in China and buying a fly swatter proudly made in USA. Do you think that this may have something to do with the economy? But it was the ultra rich that sent production abroad. They do not have to pay insurance, Social Security, have any lawsuits from tort law. Think about it. 
     As far as energy goes North America (Canada, United States and Mexico) have been able to solve most of their energy needs. But for some reason the currant administration has been trying to stop it. With the shale oil project between the United States and Canada and coal the hemisphere has all the energy we need. The Germans were converting coal to aviation fuel in the 1930s. They still have a nice countryside. This also creates jobs. Don't want to do that do we? 
     Why is the Federal Reserve printing so much money? Are we going back to a cash economy? Most people pay with things with a debit or credit card. Why all the cash? What is your thoughts on that Donald? The interest rate has to go up a little. Let's go back to the 1950s. You got 3% on savings and paid 6% for a loan. With good credit of course. 
     I think as a nation we are like a big zit. It needs to be burst. But there is not anything as fun as busting a big zit is there?

We Have Been Modern For A Long Time And Don't Know It

     We all like to think of ourselves as modern. And who would not? Modern, up to date, in fashion or what ever you what you want to call it. 
    A documentary was on PBS the other day. It was about the Civil War in the United States. It was strong and to the point with many issues. But something to pick up on was the technology that they had. Much more than most would give them credit for. Yes there was electricity. They had a great working knowledge of metal working. They had photography. Fine furniture and the ability to build fine homes and buildings. Transportation was by horse or the railroads. But sill efficient. 
     Move to the 1870s and 1880s. They successfully performed surgery on then President Grant for his throat cancer. On a boat none the less in the East River in New York City as to no one was to know that the President was in dire straights. Like anything else is the availability to the masses is not wide spread. Therefore the latest technology is limited to the privy. 
     Let us talk about railroads for a bit. Many of the bridges used by railroads were built in the 1800s. Railroads were a primary transportation utility until the 1960s. For the most part all long range and heavy materials were moved by a railroad. Trucks were only used for short distances to deliver the goods to the ultimate user or distributor. Passenger trains were the way to get around. That is how you traveled long distances. They were comfortable and fairly fast. As you did not have to stop and get lodging and food. The train was always moving. With lodging, restaurants, observation cars, club cars, bar cars it had to be a cool way to travel. The United States also had a great interurban transportation system in place in many cities. For example when I used to live in Evansville, Indiana there were still traces of a train line that ran east to Hatfield, Indiana about twenty miles and west to Mt. Vernon, Indiana about twenty miles west. And I believe it was electric. This gave the people that lived in rural environments an opportunity to go to the city for work, visiting and shopping. What a great idea. Los Angeles, California had the Red Line which was a vastly greater example of what I just described. General Motors purchased the system and closed it. To sell cars. 
     The television was actually invented in the 1920s. They even had color. The United States, Russia and England were pioneers in television broadcast. A Hungarian was instrumental in it's invention. The United States had X stations operating in about 1931. I first found this out watching Bobby Jones golf instruction movies on the Golf Channel. They always started out in a certain fashion. The one that got me on a television was one that started in a wealthy persons home. He was watching the Bobby Jones movies on television! At least 25 inch none the less! 
     Telephones are unreal now. Everyone can not go to the bathroom without Spacebooking it to someone else. But there was a time when your phone was hooked to a wall and cord. Now home phones are a luxury if not an oddity. If I could afford it I would have a home phone as well as a cell phone. Be like a citizen with my number and address in the phone book! But then you get all those bothersome soliciting phone calls. But if you think about it the telephone was responsible for the internet, fax machines, data transfer all starting in the 1930s with the exception of the internet. Which if you take in account the fax, data transfer and mobile phones was in effect at that time. It is just that it was not in every household. 
     The older of media was the radio. The first commercial radio station in the United States was WDKA in Pittsburgh. A 50,000 watt station that ushered in a lot of other 50,000 watt stations that aided aircraft navigation. An aircraft could lock into the radio signal itself or a carrier beam sent by the station. If they did not care to listen to the normal programing.  Follow it to their designation regardless of the weather. These stations were called clear channel stations as other stations broadcasting on that frequency would have to greatly reduce their power at night so they would not interfere with the clear channel station. Pretty smart before radar and GPS.
     I could stretch this out into automobiles, aviation, ships, weapons and countless other things. Take home appliances. But I think I will save them for another post. You can look at this on your smartphone. But you are too busy looking at videos and Facebook I know.

We Have Been Modern For A Long Time And Don't Know It

     We all like to think of ourselves as modern. And who would not? Modern, up to date, in fashion or what ever you what you want to call it. 
    A documentary was on PBS the other day. It was about the Civil War in the United States. It was strong and to the point with many issues. But something to pick up on was the technology that they had. Much more than most would give them credit for. Yes there was electricity. They had a great working knowledge of metal working. They had photography. Fine furniture and the ability to build fine homes and buildings. Transportation was by horse or the railroads. But sill efficient. 
     Move to the 1870s and 1880s. They successfully performed surgery on then President Grant for his throat cancer. On a boat none the less in the East River in New York City as to no one was to know that the President was in dire straights. Like anything else is the availability to the masses is not wide spread. Therefore the latest technology is limited to the privy. 
     Let us talk about railroads for a bit. Many of the bridges used by railroads were built in the 1800s. Railroads were a primary transportation utility until the 1960s. For the most part all long range and heavy materials were moved by a railroad. Trucks were only used for short distances to deliver the goods to the ultimate user or distributor. Passenger trains were the way to get around. That is how you traveled long distances. They were comfortable and fairly fast. As you did not have to stop and get lodging and food. The train was always moving. With lodging, restaurants, observation cars, club cars, bar cars it had to be a cool way to travel. The United States also had a great interurban transportation system in place in many cities. For example when I used to live in Evansville, Indiana there were still traces of a train line that ran east to Hatfield, Indiana about twenty miles and west to Mt. Vernon, Indiana about twenty miles west. And I believe it was electric. This gave the people that lived in rural environments an opportunity to go to the city for work, visiting and shopping. What a great idea. Los Angeles, California had the Red Line which was a vastly greater example of what I just described. General Motors purchased the system and closed it. To sell cars. 
     The television was actually invented in the 1920s. They even had color. The United States, Russia and England were pioneers in television broadcast. A Hungarian was instrumental in it's invention. The United States had X stations operating in about 1931. I first found this out watching Bobby Jones golf instruction movies on the Golf Channel. They always started out in a certain fashion. The one that got me on a television was one that started in a wealthy persons home. He was watching the Bobby Jones movies on television! At least 25 inch none the less! 
     Telephones are unreal now. Everyone can not go to the bathroom without Spacebooking it to someone else. But there was a time when your phone was hooked to a wall and cord. Now home phones are a luxury if not an oddity. If I could afford it I would have a home phone as well as a cell phone. Be like a citizen with my number and address in the phone book! But then you get all those bothersome soliciting phone calls. But if you think about it the telephone was responsible for the internet, fax machines, data transfer all starting in the 1930s with the exception of the internet. Which if you take in account the fax, data transfer and mobile phones was in effect at that time. It is just that it was not in every household. 
     The older of media was the radio. The first commercial radio station in the United States was WDKA in Pittsburgh. A 50,000 watt station that ushered in a lot of other 50,000 watt stations that aided aircraft navigation. An aircraft could lock into the radio signal itself or a carrier beam sent by the station. If they did not care to listen to the normal programing.  Follow it to their designation regardless of the weather. These stations were called clear channel stations as other stations broadcasting on that frequency would have to greatly reduce their power at night so they would not interfere with the clear channel station. Pretty smart before radar and GPS.
     I could stretch this out into automobiles, aviation, ships, weapons and countless other things. Take home appliances. But I think I will save them for another post. You can look at this on your smartphone. But you are too busy looking at videos and Facebook I know.

Would We All Seem Pathetic To The Past People And Hopefully The Future Folks?

     Think about it. This is going to be tough. This is going to require that you put you phone in your pocket or whatever. Because you are going to have to use observation with your eyes in the analog world to see what I am talking about. 
     So you are actually walking or sitting somewhere without a phone in your hand. As I said this is going to be tough, but someone has to do it. If you have the courage to stick with it and after you get over the shock of not having a phone in your hands you may accidentally look up and see the real world. 
     Now that you have gotten this far you can see how pathetic we have become. The first thing you may notice is that if the Olympics had an eating, cell phoning and disability events the United States Of America would get every gold medal. Have you ever seen so many overweight, out of shape people. A gold medal. How about the cell phoning event? Clearly a winner and when you add texting and social media another win. Then the disability event. Hands down winner. I wish I had invested in a cane company and a handicapped mirror hanger company, would have it made. Within the next ten years we will have to make three quarters of our parking lots handicapped only to accommodate the load. 
     Lets take another take. How many young males have a good working knowledge of tools? How many young females know how to cook? What ever happened to shotgun weddings? To refresh your memory or perhaps educate you to this is that if you were out of wedlock and got a girl pregnant you were forced to marry her. There was not Section 8, WIC, food stamps, free cell phone, monthly cash. The people responsible had to assume the responsibility. Bottom line. "She looked good that night but....", " It was just a one night thing." OPPS!
     We have probably evolved into the most decadent society besides the old Roman Empire which fell when it became so. If you have been able to stay off you phone for this long you will also see that most people do not seem to be happy. That is because they are not. This is analog you know. No digital fluff. 
     The people that are or we think that are really hitting are one payment from being repossessed. But they are putting on the Ritz. The people with entitlements are pretty much set in their ways. Knowing how to work it to the maximum. The young guys who do not want jobs are busy trying to hack into your bank account between playing video games. Most of the young girls are fat or a waif. 
     And the ISIL is coming. They are invading Europe as we speak. If their culture is so good why are they leaving it? It would be different if they would come to a new culture and take it up. But no. They want to stick their culture down your throat. This is just a prelude to another holy war. Which was stupid in the first place. These people are seeking shelter in thriving economies. Creating a burden on them that should not exist. Put them on a ship and send them back from were they came, let them work it out. They are leeches at best and probably terrorists. 
     So sit on your phone and check out spacebook and all the other things that were meant to divert you from reality . We will eventually pay the price. 
     How many white families do I wait on that are stupid? At least 50% They think that they are doing good. The mother does not know how to cook. The husband is worried about his boat. They have a payment on everything in the house. It is a mess. 
     

Would We All Seem Pathetic To The Past People And Hopefully The Future Folks?

     Think about it. This is going to be tough. This is going to require that you put you phone in your pocket or whatever. Because you are going to have to use observation with your eyes in the analog world to see what I am talking about. 
     So you are actually walking or sitting somewhere without a phone in your hand. As I said this is going to be tough, but someone has to do it. If you have the courage to stick with it and after you get over the shock of not having a phone in your hands you may accidentally look up and see the real world. 
     Now that you have gotten this far you can see how pathetic we have become. The first thing you may notice is that if the Olympics had an eating, cell phoning and disability events the United States Of America would get every gold medal. Have you ever seen so many overweight, out of shape people. A gold medal. How about the cell phoning event? Clearly a winner and when you add texting and social media another win. Then the disability event. Hands down winner. I wish I had invested in a cane company and a handicapped mirror hanger company, would have it made. Within the next ten years we will have to make three quarters of our parking lots handicapped only to accommodate the load. 
     Lets take another take. How many young males have a good working knowledge of tools? How many young females know how to cook? What ever happened to shotgun weddings? To refresh your memory or perhaps educate you to this is that if you were out of wedlock and got a girl pregnant you were forced to marry her. There was not Section 8, WIC, food stamps, free cell phone, monthly cash. The people responsible had to assume the responsibility. Bottom line. "She looked good that night but....", " It was just a one night thing." OPPS!
     We have probably evolved into the most decadent society besides the old Roman Empire which fell when it became so. If you have been able to stay off you phone for this long you will also see that most people do not seem to be happy. That is because they are not. This is analog you know. No digital fluff. 
     The people that are or we think that are really hitting are one payment from being repossessed. But they are putting on the Ritz. The people with entitlements are pretty much set in their ways. Knowing how to work it to the maximum. The young guys who do not want jobs are busy trying to hack into your bank account between playing video games. Most of the young girls are fat or a waif. 
     And the ISIL is coming. They are invading Europe as we speak. If their culture is so good why are they leaving it? It would be different if they would come to a new culture and take it up. But no. They want to stick their culture down your throat. This is just a prelude to another holy war. Which was stupid in the first place. These people are seeking shelter in thriving economies. Creating a burden on them that should not exist. Put them on a ship and send them back from were they came, let them work it out. They are leeches at best and probably terrorists. 
     So sit on your phone and check out spacebook and all the other things that were meant to divert you from reality . We will eventually pay the price. 
     How many white families do I wait on that are stupid? At least 50% They think that they are doing good. The mother does not know how to cook. The husband is worried about his boat. They have a payment on everything in the house. It is a mess. 
     

The Value Of Backpacks

     You see people with backpacks every day. Not as much as you did a few years ago. But you still see them. 
     A person with a back pack several years ago would have been considered an itinerant. Some kind of hobo. As they have went out of fashion again, I still like them . 
     Using multiple back packs work for me. I have my work back pack. My laptop back pack, my grocery back pack. All of which have their specific duty. 
     As a bottom feeder and a bicycle rider I use my back packs. Even on the motorcycle. When I worked in sales I would ride my Harley-Davidson with a shirt and tie with a back pack containing my laptop computer. Kind of a turd in the punch bowl with Harley riders. Imagine this. A person riding a Harley Davidson in dress clothes and a back pack. But I have always been an iconoclast.

The Value Of Backpacks

     You see people with backpacks every day. Not as much as you did a few years ago. But you still see them. 
     A person with a back pack several years ago would have been considered an itinerant. Some kind of hobo. As they have went out of fashion again, I still like them . 
     Using multiple back packs work for me. I have my work back pack. My laptop back pack, my grocery back pack. All of which have their specific duty. 
     As a bottom feeder and a bicycle rider I use my back packs. Even on the motorcycle. When I worked in sales I would ride my Harley-Davidson with a shirt and tie with a back pack containing my laptop computer. Kind of a turd in the punch bowl with Harley riders. Imagine this. A person riding a Harley Davidson in dress clothes and a back pack. But I have always been an iconoclast.

Not Really Living But Prepared To Do So If It Would Happen

     Sometimes I feel that I am not really living. At least as other people do. But I try to be in a position that in the event it would happen I would be prepared. Just in case someone would want to deal with me. 
     I have collected a bunch of bicycles over the years. The goal is that someone that I would want would come over and want to ride a bicycle with me. But they have not. I am only needed when needed. Otherwise a drone, flake and nerd.
     I have too many sets of golf clubs. Again thinking that I could get a group together even if they do not have clubs. Scratch again. Check out an older post called Simply Tolerated. All you have to do is use the search feature at the bottom of this post. With you can pull up any post or subject. The translation feature will let you convert in to most all languages.
     If you have missed the point here, it is that you cannot force the subject. If you are not in the click or are reasonably undesirable you just can not fix it. It is what it is. 
     So with so many unsuccessful attempts you wonder why you crawl back in to your hole? That is because you cannot change the past. You do however have some input into the future.

Not Really Living But Prepared To Do So If It Would Happen

     Sometimes I feel that I am not really living. At least as other people do. But I try to be in a position that in the event it would happen I would be prepared. Just in case someone would want to deal with me. 
     I have collected a bunch of bicycles over the years. The goal is that someone that I would want would come over and want to ride a bicycle with me. But they have not. I am only needed when needed. Otherwise a drone, flake and nerd.
     I have too many sets of golf clubs. Again thinking that I could get a group together even if they do not have clubs. Scratch again. Check out an older post called Simply Tolerated. All you have to do is use the search feature at the bottom of this post. With you can pull up any post or subject. The translation feature will let you convert in to most all languages.
     If you have missed the point here, it is that you cannot force the subject. If you are not in the click or are reasonably undesirable you just can not fix it. It is what it is. 
     So with so many unsuccessful attempts you wonder why you crawl back in to your hole? That is because you cannot change the past. You do however have some input into the future.

Kitchen Pots And Pans

     Some people never cook. If they do cook it means putting something into the microwave oven. Of one of those frozen dinners in the oven. As most of the time they eat out. Perhaps they get take out or even delivery.
     There are the folks that cook at home. Nothing fancy but do their best with food that is within the budget. It requires a stove, oven and refrigerator.  As almost any place of residence has these appliances it works. Basic and useful. There are little things as well. I have lived here for 13 years and have just recently realized that when the light goes out on the oven it is at the set temp. Duh!
     When setting up a decent home kitchen you need pots, pans and bowls. Knives and utensils. My take on frying pans are get at least a 12 inch pan. You can put less in a large pan but not more in a small one. Same way with sauce pans. One or two for recipes. That's all you need. 
     Most hook up with a cheap department store package that comes with a stock pot, frying pan and two sauce pans. That is all you really need. But you should really think about getting a pan or pot one at a time. Get a nice one that will last. Maybe get a 12 inch Lodge iron skillet, the best in class. Available at Walmart. Less than $30. I also have a Tranmontina tri-clad stainless pan with lid in the 12 inch size. It can be a pain to clean and a lot of food will stick if you do not know how to use it properly. I have recently bought a T-fal stainless steel bottom non stick 12 inch pan. The box says you can use metal utensiles with it. By when you open up the box is states otherwise. So I do not. And do not forget yard sales and relatives. Mom hooked me up with a 10 Revevre Ware frying pan and a couple of sauce pans. Stainless steel with copper bottoms. The standard in the USA in the 1940's to 1960's homes.
     Sauce pans can be used for many things. Making sauce. Heating canned vegetables. I have had cheap department store pans for years and they do work. Just not that fancy. If you can snag a couple of nice ones fine. But get one or nice ones and you will mostly be done. Yard sales may be a good place to go. But try to get a lid with it as it is very useful. 
     Now we will talk about Dutch ovens and roasters. I bought two to make a test. A Granite Ware (you know the blue thing your mother and grandmother used) a 5 quart Lodge cast iron Dutch oven. I was suprised as the Granite Ware roasted a whole chicken just as well or better then the Lodge which was much more expensive and a pain to clean. The Dutch oven in the cheap set will not likely take the oven heat. The Lodge will take any heat you throw at it and I think the Granite Ware will as well. 
     Then we come to a stock pot. I got the Tranmontina 8 quart stock pot with a pasta cooker, steamer and lid. You can make some kicking soup with this one. Even if you are not making 8 quarts! And you can use the other accoutrement's in the event you need them. 
      The thing of it is that you have enough instruments to get the job done. In the event that you will even use them or need them . 

Kitchen Pots And Pans

     Some people never cook. If they do cook it means putting something into the microwave oven. Of one of those frozen dinners in the oven. As most of the time they eat out. Perhaps they get take out or even delivery.
     There are the folks that cook at home. Nothing fancy but do their best with food that is within the budget. It requires a stove, oven and refrigerator.  As almost any place of residence has these appliances it works. Basic and useful. There are little things as well. I have lived here for 13 years and have just recently realized that when the light goes out on the oven it is at the set temp. Duh!
     When setting up a decent home kitchen you need pots, pans and bowls. Knives and utensils. My take on frying pans are get at least a 12 inch pan. You can put less in a large pan but not more in a small one. Same way with sauce pans. One or two for recipes. That's all you need. 
     Most hook up with a cheap department store package that comes with a stock pot, frying pan and two sauce pans. That is all you really need. But you should really think about getting a pan or pot one at a time. Get a nice one that will last. Maybe get a 12 inch Lodge iron skillet, the best in class. Available at Walmart. Less than $30. I also have a Tranmontina tri-clad stainless pan with lid in the 12 inch size. It can be a pain to clean and a lot of food will stick if you do not know how to use it properly. I have recently bought a T-fal stainless steel bottom non stick 12 inch pan. The box says you can use metal utensiles with it. By when you open up the box is states otherwise. So I do not. And do not forget yard sales and relatives. Mom hooked me up with a 10 Revevre Ware frying pan and a couple of sauce pans. Stainless steel with copper bottoms. The standard in the USA in the 1940's to 1960's homes.
     Sauce pans can be used for many things. Making sauce. Heating canned vegetables. I have had cheap department store pans for years and they do work. Just not that fancy. If you can snag a couple of nice ones fine. But get one or nice ones and you will mostly be done. Yard sales may be a good place to go. But try to get a lid with it as it is very useful. 
     Now we will talk about Dutch ovens and roasters. I bought two to make a test. A Granite Ware (you know the blue thing your mother and grandmother used) a 5 quart Lodge cast iron Dutch oven. I was suprised as the Granite Ware roasted a whole chicken just as well or better then the Lodge which was much more expensive and a pain to clean. The Dutch oven in the cheap set will not likely take the oven heat. The Lodge will take any heat you throw at it and I think the Granite Ware will as well. 
     Then we come to a stock pot. I got the Tranmontina 8 quart stock pot with a pasta cooker, steamer and lid. You can make some kicking soup with this one. Even if you are not making 8 quarts! And you can use the other accoutrement's in the event you need them. 
      The thing of it is that you have enough instruments to get the job done. In the event that you will even use them or need them . 

Low Cost Beef Choices

     As the price of beef and all meat is on the rise, not again but still we have to look into our choices. 
     Let us start with beef. With the best cuts running anywhere from about $15 to $29 it is out of most folks budget. Standing rib roasts, T bones, Porterhouse, rib eye, all very high priced. Even the bargain cuts we eat as kids at home are high. Round steak, chuck steak, chuck roast, round roast, ground beef are high. Also cuts that were really cheap like flank steak, stew meat and back ribs are up there now. There are many other cuts out there now as well. 
     Tenderness is the big thing with price. Anyone can take a rib eye, throw it on the grill or a hot pan and make a delicious steak. The less expensive cuts require a little more time and finesse. Marinating is generally the key. As well as how you cook it. So if you are going to cook a flank steak or other similar cut plan on marinating it for at least a day. There are dry and wet marinates. Wet in a stainless or glass bowl for 24 hours will usually do the trick. Then cook it low and slow. Or a quick braise in a hot pan getting the outside browned and the inside rare. This is usually done best with a dry salt and garlic power marinate. Whether you go slow and low or pan seared the meat should be cut across the grain. As the meat is mostly muscle. Cut it into thin strips and it will also not be as tough. London broil is also a good cut to be creative with. Get a two pound London broil and cut it into four eight ounce servings. To be used all at once or freeze the other three. Ground beef is another thing. Ground chuck usually has the best lean to fat ratio of 80/20. 
     Chicken is really a mystery now. You can buy a whole box of eight piece chicken for $6 or a whole roasted on for about $7. But a whole raw chicken is $7 on up. Pieces in packages are out of this world. Why. Because that cheap cooked chicken is a drawing card to get you into the store. Chicken can be baked, fried, boiled or grilled. The whole chicken can be roasted at home with leftovers. The bones be boiled down to make chicken stock for other recipes. If not going to be used within a day or two the stock should be frozen. You can also make stock out of the whole chicken that you buy and cut up yourself. If you do not plan on using the whole cut up chicken at one time put it in freezer bags and use it later. Also think about buying chicken livers, gizzards and hearts. They can be great. Check the search area on this blog for ways to do them. 
     Let's talk about pork a bit. Do you like pork chops, spare ribs, country style ribs, roast, bacon, sausage? Pork makes it all. So people even make a whole pigs by roasting it in a pit. But most buy it at the market in the serving we want. Oddly enough bacon used to be the cheapest but is pretty high priced now. Your cooked and smoked sausages make for about the least expensive meats you can bring to the table. 
     As I do not know that much about lamb I will not discuss it. 

Low Cost Beef Choices

     As the price of beef and all meat is on the rise, not again but still we have to look into our choices. 
     Let us start with beef. With the best cuts running anywhere from about $15 to $29 it is out of most folks budget. Standing rib roasts, T bones, Porterhouse, rib eye, all very high priced. Even the bargain cuts we eat as kids at home are high. Round steak, chuck steak, chuck roast, round roast, ground beef are high. Also cuts that were really cheap like flank steak, stew meat and back ribs are up there now. There are many other cuts out there now as well. 
     Tenderness is the big thing with price. Anyone can take a rib eye, throw it on the grill or a hot pan and make a delicious steak. The less expensive cuts require a little more time and finesse. Marinating is generally the key. As well as how you cook it. So if you are going to cook a flank steak or other similar cut plan on marinating it for at least a day. There are dry and wet marinates. Wet in a stainless or glass bowl for 24 hours will usually do the trick. Then cook it low and slow. Or a quick braise in a hot pan getting the outside browned and the inside rare. This is usually done best with a dry salt and garlic power marinate. Whether you go slow and low or pan seared the meat should be cut across the grain. As the meat is mostly muscle. Cut it into thin strips and it will also not be as tough. London broil is also a good cut to be creative with. Get a two pound London broil and cut it into four eight ounce servings. To be used all at once or freeze the other three. Ground beef is another thing. Ground chuck usually has the best lean to fat ratio of 80/20. 
     Chicken is really a mystery now. You can buy a whole box of eight piece chicken for $6 or a whole roasted on for about $7. But a whole raw chicken is $7 on up. Pieces in packages are out of this world. Why. Because that cheap cooked chicken is a drawing card to get you into the store. Chicken can be baked, fried, boiled or grilled. The whole chicken can be roasted at home with leftovers. The bones be boiled down to make chicken stock for other recipes. If not going to be used within a day or two the stock should be frozen. You can also make stock out of the whole chicken that you buy and cut up yourself. If you do not plan on using the whole cut up chicken at one time put it in freezer bags and use it later. Also think about buying chicken livers, gizzards and hearts. They can be great. Check the search area on this blog for ways to do them. 
     Let's talk about pork a bit. Do you like pork chops, spare ribs, country style ribs, roast, bacon, sausage? Pork makes it all. So people even make a whole pigs by roasting it in a pit. But most buy it at the market in the serving we want. Oddly enough bacon used to be the cheapest but is pretty high priced now. Your cooked and smoked sausages make for about the least expensive meats you can bring to the table. 
     As I do not know that much about lamb I will not discuss it. 

Green Beans, Potatos And Bacon

     A nice little simple dish that can be a meal or hearty side. All you need is a medium to large saucepan. Five small red potatoes, a can of green beans, and about a quarter pound of bacon. 
     Put enough water in the saucepan to halfway cover the potatoes. Put in the green beans. Cut the bacon into small pieces. Salt and pepper. Heat on high for about fifteen minutes. Turn down to low heat. Cook for about thirty or forty minutes All done. 

Green Beans, Potatos And Bacon

     A nice little simple dish that can be a meal or hearty side. All you need is a medium to large saucepan. Five small red potatoes, a can of green beans, and about a quarter pound of bacon. 
     Put enough water in the saucepan to halfway cover the potatoes. Put in the green beans. Cut the bacon into small pieces. Salt and pepper. Heat on high for about fifteen minutes. Turn down to low heat. Cook for about thirty or forty minutes All done. 

Stock Market

     Well my prediction from 2014 is coming true. The stock market is going to rectify itself again. With the economy as bad as it is there is no way the stock market should have been as high as it was. 
    So who loses. You folks with 401Ks to start. My 401K dropped 60% in 2001. Not that big of a deal for me as I did not have that much in it. But many people I know lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. As their entire retirement was tied to the stock market. 
     In days of old when Knights were bold the individual companies managed the retirement plans. Being responsible for them as an individual company. Now most are on a 401K deal the responsibility of being a company is out of the picture. 
     The Dow Jones Industrial Average has been the benchmark of the Stock Exchange for years. Now it is going down again. It has to. 
     Seventy-five percent of Americans are living check to check. Miss a weeks of work and are done. Toast. Doesn't matter if you drive a Mercedes or ride the bus. You are living check to check. So much for the great economy. 
     At least fifty percent of the sales my grocery store does is on food stamps. I would consider that a good economy. Wouldn't you. Most people work within 2 or 3 dollars of minimum wage. There are still a lot of people out of work.
     The real season the Market is so high is that the dollar doesn't buy what it used to. Just look at the prices at the store. If you consider a nice neighborhood in any city, the prices of those homes have went up considerably even though it is the same house. Same thing just more dollars to buy. 
      Why has the Federal Reserve printed up so much cash money? Most people seem to be using a card whether debit or credit. Where is all that cash going? Why do we need it. Is is possible we are going to move back to a more cash economy. Wouldn't that be interesting. 
     It appears that the stock market is rebounding. The media has had its fun with the markets movement.  

Stock Market

     Well my prediction from 2014 is coming true. The stock market is going to rectify itself again. With the economy as bad as it is there is no way the stock market should have been as high as it was. 
    So who loses. You folks with 401Ks to start. My 401K dropped 60% in 2001. Not that big of a deal for me as I did not have that much in it. But many people I know lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. As their entire retirement was tied to the stock market. 
     In days of old when Knights were bold the individual companies managed the retirement plans. Being responsible for them as an individual company. Now most are on a 401K deal the responsibility of being a company is out of the picture. 
     The Dow Jones Industrial Average has been the benchmark of the Stock Exchange for years. Now it is going down again. It has to. 
     Seventy-five percent of Americans are living check to check. Miss a weeks of work and are done. Toast. Doesn't matter if you drive a Mercedes or ride the bus. You are living check to check. So much for the great economy. 
     At least fifty percent of the sales my grocery store does is on food stamps. I would consider that a good economy. Wouldn't you. Most people work within 2 or 3 dollars of minimum wage. There are still a lot of people out of work.
     The real season the Market is so high is that the dollar doesn't buy what it used to. Just look at the prices at the store. If you consider a nice neighborhood in any city, the prices of those homes have went up considerably even though it is the same house. Same thing just more dollars to buy. 
      Why has the Federal Reserve printed up so much cash money? Most people seem to be using a card whether debit or credit. Where is all that cash going? Why do we need it. Is is possible we are going to move back to a more cash economy. Wouldn't that be interesting. 
     It appears that the stock market is rebounding. The media has had its fun with the markets movement.  

Cook's Illustrated Magazine

     I am on my third issue of Cook's Illustrated Magazine. I have really enjoyed the publication. First it has no advertising. All the pictures are black and white. Or just drawings. Makes for a unique publication. 
    Everything is however for sale. As I thought that I had access to cooksIllusstrated.com. I did not however, just the magazine. But I could pay extra for it. Every cook book is for sale. Which is why they are in business. 
     The content is good. With tips and recipes. Product testing. Both kitchen tools and consumers products. 
     My weakness is kitchen tools. I already had iron skillets. So I could blow off that article. So far their test have sold me a Danish dough whisk, a knife sharpener and a non stick skillet which I said I would not buy again. This last issue has an article on carbon steel skillets. Did I mention they already sold me on a tri-ply stainless steel skillet? Does anyone read this stuff. The best recommended carbon steel skillet is now on back order at Amazon. Guess so. 
     I have not tried a lot of the recipes. Although many of them look good and they give an in depth reason for doing things the way they do and explains haw they done it another way which a worse result. Very strong. Each issue has a lot of recipes. Every one specific. 
     The magazine is also part of the PBS shows Cook's Country and America's Test Kitchen. 
      Both shows that I enjoy. As many do. Cook's Country focuses more on updating old recipes. Where America's Test Kitchen does perfected recipes and tests on food products and kitchen equipement.