Two Reasons to drink Beer from a Glass

Here's looking at you!

I discovered an excellent beer in Austin Texas a couple of weeks ago while visiting my daughter and her family. It's Fireman's 4, a blond ale with a very mild, tart, flavor; very pleasant to my taste buds. However, I was drinking straight from the bottle, which I already knew was a no-no.

Why is it a No-no? The one reason I already knew was that the beer always tastes much better when drinking from a glass. If you doubt me, just try it, I am sure you will agree.

You see, when you drink beer, wine - or actually anything - from a glass your nose comes in to play; your sense of smell takes in the aroma which adds to the flavor when you take a mouthful of delicious beer. Your taste buds react with your sense of smell when drinking or eating , hopefully creating a pleasant taste sensation.

I knew a fellow in the navy who had no sense of smell. The poor bastard nearly poisoned himself several times because, without realizing, he would occasionally eat rotten food or drink spoiled milk, etc.. If there was no visual problem; mold, greenish meat, veggies that actually looked bad - he would generally ingest it. Luckily, he was married and his wife alerted him to most nasty uneatable things. The one benefit to his lack of smelling ability was that he stayed slender. Can you imagine? Ice cream tasting like just something cold - pizza tasting like crusty paste, prime rib tasting like lean, unflavored, hamburger meat, etc. I would rather be a taste-loving fatty!

In Austin I discovered reason number 2 to drink out of a glass: As I mentioned, I had been drinking beer from the bottle and, at the same time, munching on beer nuts. Jesus, I love beer nuts! You get that salty, sweet, roasted peanut flavor combination that is almost a sexual thing to me. I know - that's weird....

Anyhow, I swallowed a mouthful of chewed-up beer nuts then took in a big mouthful of that delicious beer. I always savor the beer in my mouth for a few seconds before I swallow to get more beer flavor satisfaction. This time, however, there was something soft, yet somehow crunchy feeling, in my mouth with the cool beer. I first thought it was a lone beer nut that escaped my usually thorough chewing and swallowing, but, as I moved the thing around the inside of my mouth with my tongue, I soon realized it was something other than a beer nut.

As it played out, the item in my mouth was a thoroughly drowned bee. I was quite sure that the bee did not enter the beer while I had been drinking it because - since I don't spend much time drinking a single beer - if it would had entered the bottle while I was drinking it would surely have still been alive. No, this bee came with the beer, all bottled up and totally dead, when it entered my unsuspecting mouth. I felt sure that being totally dead was a good thing since, if it would have still been alive, my tongue would probably have become much larger than the inside of my mouth. I don't even want to think about it...

So, anyhow, when you drink beer - drink it from a glass - preferably a clear glass so you don't have to worry about swallowing something weird or even dangerous like a scorpion or black widow.

Will I drink Fireman's beer again? Yes, it is a wonderful tasting beer - but, next time, I will do it properly.

Cutting root propagation

This is the easiest, fastest and most convenient way to clone plants from cuttings.




More to come....

A good Role Model?

Should celebrities be our children’s role models?
In his 1991 biography, A View From Above, basketball great Wilt Chamberlain wrote that he had had sex with approximately 20,000 women. "At my age," he wrote, "that equals out to having sex with 1.2 women a day, every day since I was fifteen years old." A record of which one can be proud? Lucky for him it all was done in the pre-AIDS, era.

French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane was banned for three games after head-butting Italian player Marco Materazzi during the World Cup final. Zidane claimed that Materazzi had been tugging on his jersey during the game so he told him, “If you wait, I’ll give you the shirt after the game.” After the head-butt he claimed that Materazzi then insulted his mother and his sister. Despite the head-butt penalty, Zidand was still awarded the Golden Ball for that competition. According to Wikipedia, over a year after the incident, Materazzi confirmed that his precise words to Zidane were: "I prefer the whore that is your sister." He also claimed that he didn’t realize that Zidane actually had a sister…. Would you want either of these accomplished idiots to be your kid’s role model?

James Harrison punches Aaron Francisco during Super Bowl 43: His proud fans gave him a standing ovation for a record-breaking 100 yard run-back touchdown but, later in the game, Harrison vents his frustration - for which receives a personal foul penalty plus much criticism - by multi-punching Arizona Cardinal Aaron Francisco. What a guy!

Michael Phelps was photographed taking a bong hit. Oops!

Snoop Dog appears seems to love hanging out with the “Girls Gone Wild”- college or otherwise. Setting another fine example….

Trust me, there are many more: Barry Bonds, Roger Clements, Michael Vick, and on and on. The truth is, having talent has nothing to do with being a decent human being. A good swimmer, football, soccer, baseball player, etc., may be very accomplished but possibly meaner than a Tasmanian devil and/or dumber than a rock! Are they good role models? Not in my world!

Don’t get me wrong; there are many accomplished, celebrities and perhaps even our relatives, friends or neighbors that would serve as exceptional role models - folks like Jay Buhner, Jamie Moyer and many other real, down-to-earth individuals. However, the reason they could easily serve as our role models is not because of special skills, or talents, but because they are caring, decent human beings eager to contribute to humanity and still remain humble.

I cried with Jay as he gently, tearfully held that beautiful, but cancer ridden, child at one of the Mariner games and I am truly impressed with his continued dedication to ill and underprivileged children.
A few years ago, I grieved with my grandson over the loss of my son, his father, but was thankful for Camp Erin and to the Moyer Foundation for helping him express his grief and helping us to move on.
These are the true role models; not exceptional athletes, actors or dare-devils - but real, unpretentious, honest individuals who deserve our honor and recognition and would serve as excellent patterns to use as we mold our own character.

Total Fuel Vaporizer: 150 Miles per gal in a 1970 Caddy?

OK - now I'm really pissed off!

Most people, with exception of us die-hard carburetor guys, believe we have to either drill for more dino-juice or develop alternative fuel, the most expensive fuel-cell machine, on-demand Hydrogen, electric or whatever. No wonder the oil/automotive industries have managed to screw us for so long. I mean, we get screwed daily without even the pleasure of an occasional kiss. It's like having climaxless sex!
The simple fact is - we, the people, just don't get it.

Most of us believe what our corporate leaders and politicians actually tell us the truth; "Everything is fine folks, you just need to give us a bunch more cash developing things you really don't need right now, or already have, and just bear with the piss-poor, inefficient, expensive, gas-guzzling, unneeded equipment we car manufacturers offer you, and bear with the off-and-on highly inflated price of fuel. And, by the way, we need more cash to put together the executive bonus and golden parachute funds."

By the way, if one considers how much energy it takes to develop and manufacture "green items", like efficient, rechargeable batteries for automobiles, or hydrogen-fueled autos, wind-driven machines, and other government-grant research on even more ridiculously expensive machines - one would realize that, with energy savings, it would all pay for itself in approximately 500 years!

So, now they (the auto-guys) want yet another bailout. And it will probably pass the Senate with the required, very complicated and useless, improvement plan. Shall we get real and clean out our BS filter so that we may filter out the crap these guys are feeding us?
It's true, cars will get more efficient and thus more expensive - that's the cost of efficiency. The basic fact is that, with perhaps the exception of fusion, we can get more mileage from the equipment we already have by changing the fuel intake system and getting rid of the computer junk that tries to compensate for inefficient fuel burning which results in very nasty emissions we have to breathe.

The gas and automotive folks already know about this and what to do to correct it; but you will probably never see a reasonable, already developed gas saving device implemented. It would not be as profitable as the keeping things basically as they are while "researching" for an expensive transportation alternative. Besides, if they get in trouble again, they can get bailed out again - millions of jobs are good leverage for that scenario. Keep that fact hidden that the company CEO along with his staff probably makes more every year than the entire blue-collar workforce on the factory floor, including worker's benefit packages.

How would you like to get over 100 miles per gallon on your present vehicle? Caddy, Hummer, bummer, SUV, et al? Well, you could easily do it if the automobile/oil industry and our government would make it so. The equipment has been invented and proven itself - it has been well documented so it is not a "conspiracy theory" I am passing on to you; it actually is a conspiracy waged by the automotive and oil companies! The truth is, it's been around for decades and only the people who proved the processes, and perhaps a few close friends, have used the equipment. I'm talking about something that I have actually proved to myself - The Total Fuel Vaporizer!

You see, this is the way our present equipment works: The internal combustion engine explodes fuel vapor in the combustion chambers (cylinders). However, what is actually delivered to the chambers is a mixture of vapor and raw gasoline. The gas vapor is compressed in the engine cylinder, causing it to explode which forces the pistons to move and furnish mechanical power move the vehicle. What happens to the raw gasoline? It is directed toward the exhaust pipe via the "anti-pollution" devices controlled by, you guessed it, the auto computer. The anti-pollution devices remove some (but not nearly enough) of the combustion/gas emissions exhausted into our atmosphere. However, if only pure gas vapor was exploded in that cylinder (combustion chamber), resulting emission pollution would be practically non-existent. In short, we would have a much cleaner world if the people involved would quit screwing the public.

In the 70's I read about a young man named Tom Ogle who invented and proved, under very strong scrutiny, that his Total Fuel Vapor system could achieve 100+ miles per gallon of gasoline on normal sized vehicles. His test car was a 70's vintage Mercury with a V8 engine. It proved itself and was well received - at the time. Google Tom Ogle for the full details.

Several years later, when working maintenance for a very large aircraft builder, we read about a farmer in the Northwest who ran his truck on fuel vapors by running a hose from the top of his gas tank (not in the liquid) to the intake of his carburetor. Most considered this a BS story but another maintenance guy and I decided to check it out. To make a long story much shorter - we set-up and ran a 6 cylinder gasoline engine by clamping a hose on the intake of it's single-barrel carb and hung the bitter-end in the top of a large (5 gal) bucket containing a gallon of gasoline. We successfully ran the engine for a half hour at idle RPM (about 500-600). Increasing acceleration caused the engine to die. We then found that we could successfully increase the RPM by agitating the bucket of gasoline. We decided not to continue because, on it's own, gas vapor is highly explosive and we had no desire to become "crispy critters". All it would take is one back-fire! It was apparent to us that, properly contained and distributed,the already proven, Total Fuel Vaporizer is a shoe-in for tremendous gas savings and near elimination of pollution..

So, basically, our very simple experiment proved the total vapor theory and we felt sure, since there was renewed exposure, that a vapor system was coming to a store near us very soon. We were wrong.

So, dearest readers, here's the bottom line: You probably already know most of this stuff, but the auto and oil industry and the majority of our government officials really don't give a rat's you-know-what about us, the consumer; it's all about favors, campaign contributions and profits. If you think I'm wrong - checkout history - you'll find the same process over-and-over. Ain't that the stark-naked truth? Why yes, it is!

So here's my challenge to our government: If you are really concerned about the manipulations created by the auto, oil industries, and related corporations, force them to use products that actually save gasoline; in other words, while researching alternatives, improve what we have already. Put the government laboratories to work on something other than figuring out destructive stuff and show the unwilling companies what does or does not work. Are we asking too much? Perhaps.....

Proposition 8: Thou shalt discriminate!

LDS - The church of Latter-day Saints - the Mormons... Ah, the TV commercials they pay for are so warm, human-like and heart-felt. I am even getting some of their ads on my YouTube videos; ain't missionaries enough?

Propaganda I say!

Some folks make it a point to try to stop people, who appear to be "different from them", from attaining equal rights and therefore happiness.

As a matter of fact, the Mormons contributed millions of dollars to make sure that our gay neighbors couldn't marry, adopt children and enjoy the life other straight, normal Mormons share. I mean, these guys are so interested in discriminating they PAY to do it!
It's the "gay agenda" - that's what it is! We can't allow them certain rights to health care, union and happiness... Or recently (on The Factor), as Newton Gingrich put it:
"Look, I think there is a gay and secular fascism in this country that wants to impose its will on the rest of us, is prepared to use violence, to use harassment. I think it is prepared to use the government if it can get control of it. I think that it is a very dangerous threat to anybody who believes in traditional religion." Spoken like a true, hard-core, bigot. No, I'm not making this up - really! Now, here's a guy who gets his butt kicked out (actually resigned as Speaker then kicked himself out because he totally f'd things up), of congress who some people still listen to. I think he has it exactly reversed on who is forcing their will on who in this scenario! Newt - a total waste of human skin...

Hey folks, I'm not gay but I think I can tell you what the gay agenda really is; it's to live a respectful, happy life as offered the rest of our fellow Americans. They have no interest in bothering you, in corrupting your marriage, the school system, your children or anything else. They just want the opportunity to live a happy life - just like the Bishop of any Ward and his (it can't be her) followers.

OK - I know that nearly all religions look down on so-called "different" people. I just happen to know more about the Mormon religion and the California proposition 8 acceptance has brought it to light to the rest of the country. The Mormons are certainly not the only bigots around. For example, Reverend Rick didn't contribute as much money but he certainly lent his views to the proposition campaign.
The Mormon religion has a very long history of, not only their own illegal marriage choices, but of allowing, and promoting, discrimination as well. I was "brought up" as a Mormon. I recall many Sunday school teachings, especially one, on the subject of the "Curse of Cain". You may recall that Cain was cursed by God for killing his brother Abel. During our Sunday School comic book - type lesson on the subject there were pictures of dark skinned descendants of Cain being discriminated against in one way or another. You see, God turned Cain's descendants black, or various shades of dark thereof, as punishment for murdering his brother. This was the "Mark of Cain". At the time, my pre-teen era, I felt that this action by our God was very odd. I mean, isn't he a "just" God?
A short time after the approval of the Civil Rights Law, after much public pressure, there was a revelation that "Folks with colored skin are as good as anyone else." Of course, as with women, they weren't yet good enough to serve in the Priesthood. A later "revelation" cured that one as well - for black folks, not women. But that is another discrimination story... By the way, revelations appear mainly to church upper-management personnel.
To sum it all up - I believe stepping on the rights of decent, law biding people is wrong no matter who does it. Get a real life Mormons - and let others live their own in peace.

Pam - truth in labeling?

Most major food companies hire entire departments to mislead and/or lie to you.



Here's one of my favorite examples: Pam cooking spray.



I actually use this stuff but I realize that it really isn't a "fat free" product as implied by the nutrition label information

Note the serving size. It is "one third of a second spray" - I don't think many people can actually achieve that small a time frame for a spray - that's actually shorter than I can push the button! And, if they could accomplish that short spray, the amount deposited on the pan wouldn't do much in the way of "no-sticking"!


A one second spray may do a job on a small pan but then the nutrition label info wouldn't hold true for serving size.








Ok, so here's the deal: A 1/3 second spray alows the company to claim that the product has 0 everything; 0 fat, 0 sodium, 0 carbs, etc.








Now we arrive at a near-truth.... the comparison chart.



However, notice that the amounts of the compared products (butter, margarine and oil) are in much greater amounts than the Pam product. A one-second spray is hardly near a tablespoon! The fat amont indicated by the one-second spray is <1g.

Also note that the calorie count for that one second spray is 7. That is extremely close to the number of calories in 1 gram of fat (9)! So, as everyone seems to say these days, do the math. Adding further; figure the amount of fat that must be present if you filled a tablespoon with Pam to make the comparison chart more realistic. Yes, you are correct - it would be lots!

Although not blatant at first glance, this labeling is still essentially a lie.

Next, I will explain my views on how Folger's coffee freshness can easily be questioned.

Later ....