Friday, November 30, 2018

Brain Dump

I recently saw an article where several members of Congress were complaining about the expense of living in the nation's capital. I have a simple and inexpensive solution. We, the taxpayers, may even save money.

Dear Congressmen/women:

There's this amazing invention called the internet. There are even amazing companies that have created websites for the express purpose of holding meetings online. Big corporations use them and so do little companies.

You won't have to find a place to live as you can live right at home.

You will be in closer contact with your constituents, you know, the people who voted for you.

You won't be bothered by those pesky lobbyists. Sorry no special treats for you.

You won't need to wine and dine fellow congressmen/women. You might consider a few get togethers with your constituents, so you don't lose touch with why you're SERVING.

You won't need to fly so much and be away from your family so much. Win Win.

We'll cut your pay in half, but hey, look at all the money you'll save! It'll be like getting a bonus!

Thursday, November 29, 2018

REAL Week 487

REAL - Reduce stress Exercise Adequate sleep Lower caloric intake

What Navy SEALs are required to do to make it into BUD/S:
Right up front: Never in a million years could I do what is required. However, I needed to start somewhere. Considering how fit the SEALs are, I figured it was a good place to start. My pushups are against the wall.

Using 1, 2, and/or 4-lb weights:
PT ~ Physical therapy
UBP ~ Upper body exercises, pushups, and chair sits against the wall

SEALFit shared some good hints I want to learn and remember:

23: 1-mile walk PT 1-lb x3 Stretch

24: 2-1/2 mile walk PT part of UBP 1-lb x4 Stretch

25: Rest.

26: 2-mile walk PT UBP 1-lb x4 Stretch A little yard work

27: 1-mile walk PT UBP 
1-lb x2 Stretch

28: 2-mile walk PT UBP 1-lb x4 Stretch

29: 1-mile walk PT UBP 1-lb x2 Stretch

Jimmy Thomas is a business man, running a popular romance book cover site, a cover model, personal fitness trainer, and health advisor. Pictures: February 2012 and June 2012. Inspiration, at least to me:


Wednesday, November 28, 2018

TBR

121. Guess Who's Coming for Christmas by Cara Colter contemporary romance. I love this story. It holds a place on my annual Christmas reading list. Each year, I look to add or discard stories. Keeping this one on the list.

122. I'm dreaming of some white chocolate by Rhonda Rhea nonfiction. How to reduce the busy-ness and focus on the meaning of Christmas. An amusing good general guide. She doesn't tackle the need to sometimes go no contact, but I didn't expect her to do so. Forgiveness and letting go is good, unless your healthy boundaries are being violated. It isn't being mean to decide to not associate with some people, even during the holidays. Jesus did not hang out with the Pharisees. Consider the company.

123. Under the Mistletoe by Mary Balogh Regency Christmas romance. Anthology of five stories. Most Regency stories often include at least one bedroom scene or close to it.

124. Secret Santa (A Very NASCAR Holiday anthology) by Gina Wilkins contemporary romance. Harlequin had an entire NASCAR romance line for a while. Introduced me to the sport and my favorite driver, Carl Edwards. He's retired. I miss him. He isn't in this story. :-) However, he does make a guest appearance in one of the other Harlequin NASCAR books. The author interviewed him and received permission to include him. For a while, the other drivers nicknames him Carlequin. He was a good sport. This is a cute story.

125. All I Want for Christmas (A Very NASCAR Holiday anthology) by Nancy Warren contemporary romance. Fun read. I enjoyed the NASCAR line.

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Follow Up 27 Nov

How'd I do?

Walk ~ Done

Physical therapy ~ Done

Eat healthy ~ Done

Re-writes ~ Done

Read ~ Done

Give the battle to God

Praise God in the storm

A busy day ahead

Monday, November 26, 2018

Carpe Diem

What needs to be done, today?

Walk

Physical therapy

Eat healthy

Re-writes

Read

Give the battle to God

Praise God in the storm

Sunday, November 25, 2018

Thank Goodness It's Sunday 441

~ Kneaders cranberry pistachio bread

~ Learning to make sparkling cranberries

~ Learning to make cranberry sauce

~ Thanksgiving

~ God's grace


Saturday, November 24, 2018

Brain Dump

While our media whined about losing a privilege, not a right, a missile from the Gaza trip destroyed an apartment building in Israel. Did I hear about it on the news? No. I read it on a friend's blog, who lives in Israel. Instead, I was subjected to over-the-top outrage over a prima donna reporter.

Presidential press conferences are not a Constitutional right. Really. It's an option.

A single reporter from one network tossed from the conference is not stepping on the First Amendment.

More news outlets don't have entrance to these conferences than do. Most citizens certain don't.

Other reporters from the same network still have access to these conferences.

The reporter in question wasn't asking a question, he was picking a fight; he was behaving like an activist.

A press conference is not an activist conference.

The truth is that the president did respond to the reporter's accusations.

The reporter rejected the answer given. That isn't the reporter's job. The reporter's personal opinion became the news story. The reporter is never supposed to be the story. Demanding capitulation is not a reporter's job. The reporter's job is to report not analyze and assess. It is not a reporter's job to tell the audience what their opinion should be. The audience is supposed to be able to listen to the reported news and form their own opinion. Reporters do not own the moral high ground. Strange but true.

The reporter in question behaved in an unprofessional manner, disrupted the conference, and interfered with other reporters doing their jobs.

As a curious side note, where was the outrage when the last president insulted the media and tossed reporters out of press conferences? The interesting things one finds when doing homework.

Dear Media, stop acting like petulant children and do your job: Report the news, good and bad, without giving your opinion. We survived the last president and the president before that and the president before that and the one before that and the one before that and... Get the picture? We'll survive this one, too. Yes, both sides of the mainstream media bring out the snark in me.


To all those not in the media: You are intelligent. You have access to almost everything the media does via the internet. I stopped watching the news media when I realized I was reading and hearing the news as much as two and three days, and sometimes a week, before it was reported on television or reported by the major outlets. Doing your own homework can be time consuming. With practice, it becomes faster. It's also interesting to discover how much more there is to a story than the media reports. Sometimes, the "rest of the story" tells a great deal more than the original story. Most people I know are pleasant and simply trying to live life the best way they know how. Most of the people I know are helpful.

Exceptions exist, and I've bumped into them. These are exceptions, not the rule. Unfortunately, sometimes these exceptions collect in a mob, but they're still the exception. I noticed that the media presents the exact opposite picture, making the exceptions appear to be the rule.

Thanks to all the amazing, awesome, wonderful people. Thanks to those who make my life better and more pleasant. We're in this together, for good or ill. Fred Roger's mother gave great advice: Tragedies happen. Look for the helpers. (paraphrased) Helpers are everywhere. God bless the helpers.

Friday, November 23, 2018

Annual Start to the Christmas Season

...with some of my favorite songs...

Stille Nacht (Silent Night) by Manheim Steamroller on their Christmas album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anv4FIQ4tbo

Believe Again: O Come All Ye Faithful by David Osmond

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF__6qGtwSc

Angels We Have Heard On High by The Piano Guys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrLoWt2tfqg

Baby, What You Goin' to Be by Trinity HS Alumni Choir
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsoB7mmdmFg

Mary, did you know? by Donny Osmond
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtLCCrEVqPA


Believe by Josh Grobin on the Polar Express album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ19mW-TMRk

Merry Christmas Darling by the Carpenters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR1ujXx2p-I

The Gift by Aselin Debison
https://youtu.be/YeQt6S2O0Qk

Josh Groban's O Holy Night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zh-yR0pbmU

Thursday, November 22, 2018

REAL Week 486

Happy Thanksgiving! 

REAL - Reduce stress Exercise Adequate sleep Lower caloric intake

What Navy SEALs are required to do to make it into BUD/S:
Right up front: Never in a million years could I do what is required. However, I needed to start somewhere. Considering how fit the SEALs are, I figured it was a good place to start. My pushups are against the wall.

Using 1, 2, and/or 4-lb weights:
PT ~ Physical therapy
UBP ~ Upper body exercises, pushups, and chair sits against the wall

SEALFit shared some good hints I want to learn and remember:

16: 1-mile walk. PT. 1-lb x3. Stretch.

17: 2-mile walk. PT. 1-lb x4. Stretch.

18: Rest.

19: 2-mile walk. PT. 1-lb x4. Stretch.

20: 1-mile walk. PT. 
1-lb x2. Stretch.

21: 2-mile walk. PT. 1-lb x4. Stretch.

22: 1-mile walk. PT. 1-lb x2. Stretch.

Jimmy Thomas is a business man, running a popular romance book cover site, a cover model, personal fitness trainer, and health advisor. Pictures: February 2012 and June 2012. Inspiration, at least to me:


Easter is coming.

Celebrate with a story. The Blessing Basket The thirteenth novella in the series. Welcome back to Holiday, USA, small town America, where no...