Try Your Best To Demolish Stupidity

The Best Rule Ever

Stupidity has always been around. I'm sure if Adam said something to Eve (if they existed), she probably said in a very archaic language..."Wow, you're so stupid!" I hear things every day and think that we are becoming more and more stupid as the days go on. What's causing this in human beings? I also know that stupidity is kinda determined from a first-person perspective. What someone does may not seem stupid to them, but to all around them, it is seen as a question of their intelligence. Kinda like this hoe in Starbucks as I write this that is yelling at someone on her phone. Honey, no one in this establishment wants to hear about your situation. It seems to be making you upset and you should be in your house speaking about this in private. You are stupid! Don't involve the countryside in your issue as it does not pertain to us.

Breathe.

On a much larger scale, I read today that the asshat over the board of education in Oklahoma wants to test teachers coming from what he calls "blue states" because he doesn't want kids taught about more genders than simply male and female. That's not the only reason I am sure, but that's what he's screaming for reasons. The last thing that teachers should have to deal with is having to take a test from a stupid person with right wing perspectives. It's just too much! A teacher goes through all the education and training and has her teaching certificate in that state. She moves to Oklahoma....I can't imagine why...and then she has to take a test to prove to a dumbass that she is on his insanely stupid level. I'm sure she's much smarter than he would ever be, but hey, people in Oklahoma voted for him. It takes stupid people to vote for stupid people. We've seen that in local elections and in national elections. Just look at who resides in the big White House in Washington.

It really makes you scratch your head and wonder where the hell humans are heading. 

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

It's A Night For Jack!

Podcasting with a Jack & Coke

 It's been a good day today. Of course, the morning was slept away as we didn't get out of bed till after noon. It wasn't till after 1:30pm until we got out of the house and on our way to Mellow Mushroom to get lunch. We hung around and wasted time till we got home so that I could go join my Scottish club for a summer social. Hung out with some friends and had a couple Jack & Cokes. I didn't leave the bar till around 9pm. I left and stopped by a liquor store on the way back because I was not through drinking Jack this evening. I came home and cooked some soba noodles and then poured a stiff drink. I may do an episode of the podcast before I lie in the bed and read for a while. I need to get deeper into the book I'm reading. Until later....

Keep Call Centers In The US

 

I just spent more time than I should have disputing a payment with my PayPal account. The first call had to be ended because of the drastic language difference. I called back and spoke with someone that had a slightly better accent (you know which one) and told her I needed to speak to someone in the US. Once the very nice lady picked up, the call went smoothly and we were able to get so much accomplished. I was put at ease with the issue and felt that something was being done. 

With the amount of US citizens using online services or credit services, it would be expected that the companies would supply US citizens for help with those services. I know better than many that it's hard to do that in the current state of things in the US and the job market within our country. I also know first had because of working with a worldwide payments processing company that having someone that many of your customers understand is a must. If you want to keep happy customers, you need to provide them with people that can be understood and that can be helpful to concerned people when issues arise. 

Thankfully, I was able to get the account number changed and, since it's PayPal, I hope that all services I pay with that service goes uninterrupted. 

All We Needed Was A Wonderful Cat

Mimi being peaceful

We're so very proud of our little Mimi. She has more personality than many cats I've seen. She kinda exists for her and doesn't give a crap. She likes to sleep, eat, and take loud, litter kicking dumps. She will attack the back of legs when she feels feisty and she will lay on our chests when she feels like getting some loves. She has a couple of toys she likes to play with but not many. She has more important things to do than play with some weird cat toys. She would rather pic up her salmon or a workout glove and scream to us that she caught something at 2am when she should be sleeping herself.

Ms. Mimi appeared at our door a couple years ago when we lived in an apartment in Duluth, GA. She was a stray and she looked hungry. The day we first saw her, we fed her a can of tuna. She ate it like she'd never eat again. The next time, we had some food to give her. The third time, she just walked into the apartment and ate while in there. The fourth time she came to the door, she walked in and stayed for a while, sitting on the couch with Tommy and purring. We didn't know what to do with her so we allowed her to go back out for the night. The next night, we were ready to allow her to stay in the apartment all evening. Weird thing is that I got a litter box for her to use and unlike a stray cat, she took right to it. Confused, we kept her.

I knew that if we were going to have her as a pet, she was going to need all her shots and be spayed. I took her to the vet and after about an hour or two, the vet sat me down and said what I kinda imagined. "She's going to be a mom!" Of course the hoe had come to our door to find a safe place to have her kitten. I had to go on a work trip that weekend and took Tommy with me. We decided to board her for the weekend and when we came back, we had offspring. She was very close to having the kitten. Sadly, the kitten did not survive over a week. Mimi wasn't about taking any time with the kitten and was more concerned about getting some attention for herself. 

Now that she is in a comfortable home, she has become grand master of the house and we just live under her whims. Every now and then, we have to be like....Bitch, calm down as I clip your tallons. We know she doesn't like it but I've gotten to the point where I just pick her up and put her in my lap. It's better than wrapping a towel around her and needing two people to accomplish the job. The last time we did that, we thought she was turning into Satan.

The experience of having her around has been wonderful and we kinda wish we could get another cat. I think she would disagree with that idea and so we will just have her. She is enough.

Heading back to Mobile!

 

Grrr! 

Well, we’re going to be heading to Mobile again weekend after next. We really had a good time while down there and wanted to go have more fun. Tommy is taking part in the leather bear competition. I’m very proud of him and can’t wait to see him showing off. 

The Awesome Beaches of Alabama

Sunset at Gulf Shores

When I think about beaches I love to go to, I always think about Gulf Shores in particular. I love the town and the white sand. There are wonderful restaurants and bars. It may not be Panama City Beach, Destin, or Clearwater, but the atmosphere is always worth remembering. The beach down the road, Orange Beach, is just as wonderful. Pensacola is not terribly far away where you can find another beach, Pensacola Beach. If you want a journey, find out the time when the ferry leaves Fort Morgan and ride across Mobile Bay to Fort Gaines and check out Dauphin Island where you will find the Alabama Aquarium and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. There are public beaches on that side of the bay as well. You really can’t go wrong. If you want to travel a little farther to the west, you will reach Biloxi, MS where you will find casinos and great restaurants. 

Buckets of Goodness

I was shocked, shook, and astounded when I saw this display in a gas station in Foley, AL. Who came up with the idea to put 20 small bottles of Fireball into a bucket for $20? Whoever it was needs a slap on the back. This is brilliant! We, of course, bought one and added ice as suggested. We drank two this morning before leaving the house. 

A Night Of Homemade Asian Goodness

 

Tofu or Chicken with Ginger and Black Bean Sauce

Last night, I made a version of a recipe that I've been making for quite a few years. I don't remember where I found it. I think it was in some magazine we had lying around the house. I believe it was sometime around 2013. Wow, it's been over ten years ago! How time flies when life deals you a few blows.

Anyway, instead of using tofu, this time I used chicken breast. We had some large chicken breasts in the fridge and they needed to be used. I cut them into small pieces and fried them in a wok. I then added the whites of green onions, ginger, and garlic to let them start getting flavorful. Then I added small crowns of broccoli to stir fry. I then poured in the sauce, tossed, and covered for about 5-6 minutes. I made some rice towards the end of cook time and had it ready in a bowl. I spooned the goodness over the rice and topped with the green onion pieces.

I can't put into words how much I love this dish. The sauce is the kicker! The flavors that are packed into the sauce are wonderful. I must say that it wasn't only the sauce that was full of flavor. After cutting up the chicken, I seasoned it with Slap Your Mama and with Badia Complete Seasoning. The combination of the flavors were exceptional and I enjoyed every single bite.

Just so that everyone can make it, here's the recipe. Being totally honest, I've never used the peppers nor the star anise. I tried the dried mushrooms the first time I cooked this, but since then, I've never wanted to. If you want mushrooms, buy either sliced or unsliced mushrooms and add them later. I always liked adding broccoli to mine and I add it to stir fry before I add the sauce. For the green onions, it is best to chop those starting at the white end. Place the white part into a bowl and then chop the green parts into one inch pieces and put them in another for garnish added last. For the tofu, you can get either firm or extra firm. Either will work. Just make sure to not burn the tofu or let it stick to the bottom of the wok. If you don't have a wok, you can use a large frying pan. I would tell you to go buy a wok for your home and learn the joys of cooking in it.

Tofu with Ginger and Black Bean Sauce

5–6 dried black Chinese mushrooms (optional)
1 cake (10 oz/300 g) firm tofu or other choice of meat
3 tablespoons oil
1–2 dried red chilies, cut in half and deseeded (optional)
4–5 large cloves garlic, smashed
6 slices ginger
1 whole star anise pod (optional)
6 green onions (scallions), cut into sections

Sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon black or yellow bean paste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup (125 ml) water (or use chicken stock)

Instructions

1. Soak the mushrooms in warm water for about 20 minutes to soften, then drain. Remove and discard the stems, cut the caps in half and set aside.

2. Cut the tofu into bite-sized cubes. Place in a colander to drain.

3. Combine all the Sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

4. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet until hot, but not smoking. Add the chilies (if using) then the tofu, turning gently with a spatula until all the pieces are coated with oil and shaking the pan occasionally to prevent sticking. Fry until the tofu just begins to turn yellow but is not brown or crispy.

5. Add the mushrooms, garlic, ginger, star anise and half the green onions and stir-fry gently for 1 to 2 minutes.

6. Add the Sauce and stir carefully to blend. Cover the wok, lower the heat and braise for 5 to 6 minutes, adding a few tablespoons of water if the Sauce becomes too dry.

7. Add the remaining green onions to the wok and transfer to a serving dish.

Let's go for a really long walk!

 

Every day is a winding road...

I really got depressed about my weight last year and started tracking all the food I ate while walking every single chance I got. Every time I got out to walk, I would walk 6 miles or more. I love walking on the local Suwanee Creek Trail. It's such a relaxing walk. If you walk from the top to the bottom and back, the total milage is more than ten miles. I've done it before and it felt great. I'm sure there's someone screaming...."What the hell are you thinking?! That's insane!" Let me explain.

I love being outside. The fresh air is intoxicating and the exercise is so good for everyone. More people should be getting outside and going for refreshing walks. Granted, we in the northern hemisphere are now in the bowels of summer and it is going to get much hotter than it is now. This week, we in the state of Georgia are looking at 90+ degree weather each day. When I walked outside the house yesterday, it felt like I was walking in a sauna. No joke....the heat almost took my breath away. Fat people have that feeling when they walk out into air soup in the South. It's the added insulation!

I had lunch today with the husband at Waffle House and then stopped by the Jesus Chicken place and got a Peach Milkshake which I love with all my heart! It's the best milkshake around...at 620 calories. I will need to take a long walk today to get those calories taken off my calorie budget for today. That's one good thing about taking a walk. Calorie burning is necessary for either losing weight or weight maintenance. I was raised on a southern diet of vegetables, meat, and bread with pure lard added into all of it. Sure, there is weight issues in my family but the shit food didn't help anything or anyone. If it did anything, it added to heart issues, blood issues, fat issues, and probably mental issues. At nearly 48 years old, I had to do something to start reversing all the bad that food did to my health.

Last year, I had a test run to see if there was any calcification in my heart walls. Thankfully, the result was a zero. That's great since that leads to heart disease and heart attacks. The grand father-in-law just had his third heart attack and it looks and sounds scary as hell. That's something I wouldn't wish on anyone. It hurts everyone around to see someone in pain and in the hospital, but the person suffering is the one getting the brunt of it and needs some life changes. Maybe the beer, cigarettes, and whatever else could be lessened. We'll be standing by to see.

After 60 years, it's still going

 

Like sands through the hourglass...

It debuted in 1965 and Days of Our Lives is still going strong. Well, as strong as it can living on a streaming app owned by NBC/Comcast, Peacock. In the past couple of years, the decision was made to move the show from public broadcast television to the Peacock app. I'm sure there was a financial reason for doing it, but it was a decision that many people hated. It's not hard to see why they hated the idea.

Before it was removed from television, it was one of the remaining four soaps still being broadcast. ABC Network has General Hospital. NBC had Days of Our Lives. CBS had two soaps...The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful. Granted, out of all the remaining soaps, DAYS was the least awarded (sadly) and the ratings weren't the best. I think that is because of generations. Not the show Generations, which was a soap that was on NBC in the 2000s. It was controversial, but that's for another time. General Hospital has a very loyal and long time following. 

Like viewers of DAYS, GH has had viewers since its debut in 1963. It is a daytime ratings booster for ABC and I feel like it is in a perfect time slot that fits the schedules of younger people getting sucked into soaps. On CBS, Y&R airs earlier in the day which is more of a housewife time frame, unless someone takes a break long enough to watch. I'm speaking in terms of the Central Time Zone where Y&R airs from 11am till noon. The state news is at noon for 30 minutes and then B&B airs for 30 minutes. This used to be perfect timing when soaps were a common thing on daytime television. After B&B, As The World Turns aired from 1pm to 2pm and then The Guiding Light was from 2pm to 3pm. For moms that didn't want their kids to watch soaps, that was perfect timing for the kids to get home and the television to be smut free. That's not the case for the Eastern Time Zone where the shows air an hour later. The Guiding Light was coming on here just as the kiddies were getting home. Those were the days.

I'm currently watching the DAYS episode from May 19th of this year. I'm a month behind! Thing is with soaps...you can be a month or more behind and almost pick up where you left off if you don't have the ability to view past episodes. I have the Peacock app for that reason and to see all the other shows and movies on it. I mean...who doesn't like Murder She Wrote?! 

Anyway, for a show that's been on for 60 years, one would wonder how someone could keep up with stories and timelines. Maybe that's my superpower. I used to watch DAYS with my mom as a child and things stuck. I remember weddings, killings, evil doings, and births. I can weirdly sit down and draw out a family tree of all the families on the show. The Horton, Dimera, Brady, Johnson, and the Kiriakis families are pretty much all tied together through marriages, affairs, and other life events. We see that in real life. People say it's just smut, but hey, soaps only get their cues from real life. The only thing that isn't real life is the snatching of babies from the hospital, switching blood test results to make baby daddies think they aren't, or someone dying nine different times and coming back until the actor dies in real life. That really happened. On both DAYS and GH! Not the frequency, but the coming back from the dead bit. On GH, it may not have been death, but they wouldn't go away and stay away. The Cassadine family was as ruthless as the Dimera family is on DAYS. There always has to be a villain or there wouldn't be a story. It's always conflict - resolution.

I'm pretty sure no one is going to read this, or if they do, they won't get this far. I could go on and on about DAYS because I love its history. It's not a girly thing to love a soap. It's a program and I've watched it for a long time. These characters are somewhat family to me now. The good ones and the bad ones equally have a place in my brain. There are characters that I hate with a fiery passion and there are those that I love with as much passion. The ones on it presently aren't the worst. There have been some crazy ones through the years...Satan being one of them. That storyline went on for way too long. Thankfully, that writer is gone and has been replaced by writers that understand the history of the show and want to incorporate it into current lines. I appreciate that and hope they continue. I've seen enough dying and coming back to last me the rest of my life. New characters are needed to keep the show going and the interest in it to continue. There are people from the past that could be brought back and there are children of the families that could also be brought back or even shown for the first time. That's a financial issue and one that DAYS has been worried about for years. Hopefully Sony will continue to be a part of the production along with the Corday family that started the show.