Confession of a punk

I intentionally misspell and mangle peoples names when I write. It's a form of deliberate aggression. Usually relating to celebrities, royals and politicians.
I never would have thought of this practice myself. The libs and snowflakes were my inspiration to botch identities because I do not value them, their existence or contributions to the world.

I read meta is buy manus.  Is that like anus with an M?

Potluck

Always a mixed bag as a kid.  The one dish that always looked better than it was was little smoky sausages with barbecue sauce.  Pimento cheese sandwiches were always nasty too.

Did a web search of potluck ideas....here were the most interesting:

Brownies with hamburger mixed in

Deviled eggs made with cinnamon instead of paprika

Jello mold with canned vegetables and tuna mixed in

Apple pie made with taco seasoning 

Chocolate covered shrimp

 

Christmas Dinner

We celebrated the holidays with my wife's family the day before Christmas and drove back home on Christmas day.  One of the assignments my wife gave me was to prepare Christmas dinner to enjoy when we got back.  I could do anything I wanted but I couldn't make spaghetti or lasagna.  It didn't matter what it was, just as long as I didn't to a pasta dish.  Why not?  She didn't want another pasta dish.  I guess I make those too often.  On Christmas eve I told her we were gonna have Bucee's for dinner.  Everyone gets to stop in for a brisket sandwich.  That didn't go over too well either, even though it was a lame attempt at a joke.  All my attempts at making a joke are lame.

We ended up taking two cars on the trip as my wife spent time with her sister a few days before Christmas.  So I got back earlier than she did and went to work preparing our dinner.

Up until now the most complicated thing I made was a lasagna.  For Christmas I made a birthday cake for Jesus.  Then I went to work on preparing the main dishes.  We had beef fajita, chicken fajita (with tortilla, lettuce, sour cream, grilled vegetables and salsas) corn on the cob and macaroni and cheese.  I had the oven and three different burners on the stove going at once.  Worried I would burn down the house.  

When I first started started cooking, spaghetti was complicated.  Figuring out how to time everything so it ended at the same time.  I struggled with that and after a few times figured it out.  With the exception of the cake, everything else was done within a few minutes of the rest of it.  All of it came out super good.  The chicken and beef were amazing.  The macaroni and cheese as amazing.  The corn on the cob was amazing and the cake was amazing.  All of it was amazing.  

My wife was pleased and made the remark my mom would be proud of me.  That hit pretty hard. 

While I've been between jobs I learned how to cook.  I wasn't deliberate.  It was a way to reduce expenses and be productive since we are down to one income.  Happy with the results!

Bruce Willis

Why is it such a tragedy that Bruce Willis is turning into a vegetable? The same thing happened to my mom and the only people who cared were her friends and family.

Celebrities suck the air of humanity for all things themselves. Biggest bunch of self serving people on the face of gods green earth with the exception of CEO, athletes and politicians.

In my mind those people live an inverted human experience because their lives are no more valuable or relevant than the rest of ours.  

Celebrating celebrities, athletes and politicians is one of humanity’s biggest flaws.  Celebrate your family, friends, colleagues and neighbors instead. 

Wtf?

Nearly 90 degrees the day after Christmas? Winter is the new summer which means summer is the new inferno. Blame it on gas powered cars instead of transoceanic shipping, electricity generation for all electronic devices that are everywhere, commercial, freight and private airplanes, cruise lines and data centers.

Until regulators get a grasp on the aforementioned energy intensive modern conveniences, the enviroterrorists should be ignored.

Merry Christmas

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. - John 1:14

Food quality

Food quality in restaurants is declining at a rapid pace. In the old days - 5-10 years ago they would make food following recipes at each location.

I remember seeing a shelf of spices above the grill at the local chipotle. The chef would combine the ingredients and prepare food on the grill.

They don't do that anymore. I didn't notice the spice shelf had been removed and they no longer have a chef. What I did
Notice was the food is now pre-made and stored in vacuum sealed plastic bags. Some kid gets whatever needs replenishment on the line out of the refrigerator, cuts open the package and heats it up. Or grills the meat. Most of it it isn't cooked in the store. It's reheated in the store.

It's probably more efficient to mass produce in a slop house and truck it to the store locations and make them reheat it instead of cooking it. The quality is probably more consistent because the recipes are being followed more accurately. Or ingredients are being combined by machine. I don't know.

What I do know is with higher consistency comes reduction in quality. Nothing food related is better when mass produced further away from point of consumption. It's made simpler and cheaper through efficiency.

That's why food is starting to suck. It's reheated slop made for mass consumption and convenience. Like feed for cows poured into a trough. Now it's slop for people poured into line containers.

Extracting profit and efficiency for higher yield destroys quality and authenticity. America is one giant means of production. We are all cogs in a machine.

Offspring and I discuss capitalism often. He thinks it is ruining and watering down human existence on many fronts including productivity, happiness and prosperity of the population. He's right. Business has become a sausage factory with nothing mattering more than production done the most efficient way possible at the lowest cost possible only to charge the highest price possible. Benefitting corporations and their executives and shareholders more than anyone else. The rest of us are just cogs in a machine. Means of production. Serve no value in life other than a labor market to be exploited.  I think capitalism is at an inflection point where priorities are misaligned and a reckoning of realignment is coming.. He thinks capitalism is functioning as ultimately designed.  

Frustration Boil Over

Father. Took to neurology appointment.  Was informed there is a durable medical equipment form of treatment for advance stage parkinsons.  A "port" is surgically implanted into the patient where "gold standard" medication can be delivered via battery powered pump directly to duodenum where medication is absorbed into blood stream at small intestine.  Pump allows for precise micro-dosing of medication to eliminate delayed absorption through medications being delivered in capsule form.  Think of it as a micro-infusion.  Device is worn for up to 16 hours a day.  Father was enthused about this next level treatment.  If you ask me, this is the treatment of last resort.  He believes this is the golden ticket that will fix his parkinsons symptoms.  I think it will better manage the disease and at the same time don't want him to be disappointed if reality of disease is not optimally controlled through use of technology.  Moderation of expectation.

There is concern with port installation and maintenance as understand this is to be done either by the patient or a medical provider.  The facility won't touch the port with a 10 foot pole.  Looking for alternatives.  Asked him if he would be willing to do it himself.   He's not sure.  We have a problem as facility said this is something more in line with skilled nursing.  I am unable to commit long term to being his medical technician to deal with flushing the port, connecting device in the morning and disconnecting in the evening.  I'm not sure I want to do this either.  Have mixed feelings on proceeding with this course of treatment.  What happens when this stops working?

Device is said to improve quality of life.

In the meantime, he is researching how his needs for treatment can be met.  Facility has not been helpful resource.  Surely he's not the only resident they've come across desiring this form of treatment for disease management.

While on the phone today, he expressed frustration and loneliness during the holidays.  Suggested we go to a camp in bastrop for a couple days to ride horses and explore hiking trails.  He desires entire family to be together.  How is this going to work?  He is no where near able bodied enough to hike or mount/dismount a horse or sit around a campfire and sing kumbya.

I understand he's lonely.  I feel like he's playing "poor me" and making this a "we" problem instead of a "he" problem.  I dislike the way I feel in response to both situations above.

We attended his Thanksgiving party.  His Christmas Party.  I took him to the dr.  I took him to buy new shoes.   My sister and I were on the phone with him for an hour yesterday discussing the pump.

He's difficult to be around.  It's like he wants us near but doesn't want to interact and leaves carrying  conversation to others.  If he does want to talk about something, it's about his church or where Z and I are with our job searches.  I tell him when something happens he will be among the first to know.  In the meantime, sit in silence or watch him try feverishly to operate a computer that he no longer has the coordination or muscle control to do.  

Walter.  Has been unable to sell his car and is frustrated.  Owes way more money than it's worth.  It is now overheating and the check engine light is on.  Wanted to buy a decommissioned Dodge Charger police car.  Unable to afford the insurance.  Walt left a message wanting me to "go online" and see what kind of car is available in his price range of $7,000.00.  Anything that is at the 7k price point is likely 15-20 years old and more than likely a piece of garbage.  However, there are some reasonable options.  I sent him 3 links with options from Craigslist that would be worth investigating as potential acquisitions - one less, one on point, one slightly more.  He calls me and we discuss option 3.  I told him to call the dealer and go drive it if he's interested.  He calls me back and said he called the seller dealer and wants me to go with him for a test drive.  

He is 7 years older than me.  He keeps telling me how stupid he is and he doesn't know how to use a computer.  He sent me two pictures from a medical waiting room.  One of an infant using an ipad and one of an elderly woman using an ipad.  He comments that he's the missing link.  No - he's the land of misfit toys.  If you ask me it is a convenient excuse for being lazy.  Maybe he can't read? Charlatan. 

Me.  My thinking surrounding both persons simultaneously in my orbit makes me a Trumpian transactional asshole.  I feel like I've got two boat anchors around my waist.  Be of service to others.  Be kind.  Show compassion.  My heart and brain are deformed. Dented.  Morally defective.  Bankrupt.  Power through these situations just to put them both behind me while bitterly putting forth a half-assed effort?  

Ugly, boring and ordinary.  Adjectives I frequently use to describe other people. Perhaps more aptly fit to describe myself.

Relationships are complicated.  Difficult.  Messy.   

Dear God - Please come into my heart and help me be more like you; to gladly and happily live a life of service to others.  I fall short of your glory.  Create in me a new heart.  In your name, Amen. 

Side note - AmericaFest in phoenix is a disaster with infighting in what is called the maga movement.  Tucker Carlson and Ben Shapiro are attacking one another.  Ben Shapiro isn't maga.  Shapiro is an unapologetic radical Israeli sympathizer pretending to be maga. And Tucker?  He talks to hear his own voice.  Shapiro should take his kippa and shove it up his ass.

Side note 2 - Tired of answering online questions and typing the same old shit to tell my story and experience.  All of it is in my resume that was uploaded as part of the application process.  If you're too lazy to read the resume, I'm too lazy to type it all out again and again.  Do us both a favor.  Read the resume.  If you want further discussion, please call to schedule an interview.  Talent acquisition people are lazy.

If given the choice

I always select a cd with a jewel case over a slip cover. I don't like cardboard cases for cds. Prefer the plastic jewel case. Even though they often crack during shipping.

There is a John Williams greatest hits cd. Most of the tracks are performed by the Boston pops. Therefore, that makes it an excellent pick up because so many of the major soundtrack recordings have studio orchestras. There's something special about an album recorded in Boston's symphony hall. The acoustics captured are every bit as good as each note.

Fire and Ash

 The new avatar movie.  Installment number 3.  The first avatar was really interesting.  Big, blue smurf people.  Or something like that.  The music was composed by James Horner and it was appropriate to the the movie.  The second installment was more of the same and now there's the third installment with a water theme.  

I listened to the soundtrack for part 3.  It was mediocre at best.  Composed by Simon Franglen who inherited the franchise from James Horner after his death.  This latest installment is a fire theme.  

My wife asked me if I want to go see it.  I politely declined.  She inquired as to why.  Like all things in our culture is growing a bit long in the tooth.  How many variations on a theme must we endure.  9 like star wars?  

James Cameron movies are high grossing films.  Terminator franchise.  Titanic.  Aliens.  Avatard series.  

THe issue with James Cameron is he thinks he is the greatest cinematographer of all times.  Every time one of his films comes out he goes on a media frenzy talking about how his work is so great and misunderstood having to justify his greatness.  The mortals are incapable of comprehending the greatness of his work without him going on a media bender to make sure we hear from him how great his work is.  He's not humble.  He's an arrogant asshole.  And that's why I don't want to see his movies.

He doesn't let the market decide the greatness of his work.  He goes around self promoting the authenticity of his work and how brilliant he is.  BFD.  While is work can be enjoyable, it's not "all that."  He's misunderstood.  We don't value his work as much as he does.

He's as bad as Gayle King and her rocket ride.  She's a self professed astronot.  He's a self professed genius.  Please explain to us oh great one how amazing your work is and how you and your team painstakingly tended to ever minute detail making your cinematic voice the greatest of a generation.  James Cameron is boring, ugly and ordinary.  If his work was so great he wouldn't need to blitz the media and bitch about the award shows not seeing the value of his work.  

His movies may be reasonably good and reasonably entertaining.  But, the orbit of James Cameron is exhausting.  Bitching and moaning about how we don't understand the greatness that is all things James Cameron is a constant disappointment.  Spoiled Brat.  Let your talent stand on it's own merits.  Not the self promotion of how stupid the rest of us are or that we and the film industry 'just don't get it.'  Eat a dick.  Asshole. 

Bilingual packaging

Completely ridiculous to have bilingual product packaging and preparation instructions on food items, hardware store items, etc.
This practice is a luxury extended to non-English speakers in the USA. It is not facilitating cultural integration. It is promoting segregation, greed, laziness and separatism to immigrants.

The problem with immigration nowadays is these people have allegiance to their country of origin and not their country of immigration.

If they're not interested in integrating, the government should facilitate their removal. If their country is so great, stay there. If you want to be an American, come here. And I mean be an American in the fullest sense of the word. Learn English, pledge allegiance to our country. Renounce citizenship from the third world shithole you abandoned to come here. And don't bring your bullshit here expecting a handout. Become a productive member of society instead of being a leach on the American taxpayer. Don't break our laws by starting your residency as a criminal. Those who do not respect / integrate into our culture or abide by our laws are not welcome here. Neither are those that hold allegiance to another country.

Company's should be heavily penalized for printing non-English languages on their packaging. Industry needs to do their part to motivate participation in our culture if they want to continue to allowed to be in and do business in America.

Rob Reiner

The left is doing everything they can to make rob reiner the lefts version of a Charlie Kirk. Rob Reiner apparently sucked as a father and was a liberal Hollywood fool.  He was a Meathead. 

Keith Lockhart Sleigh Ride Album

There's this Christmas album and it is mixed exquisitely well. A treasure trove of texture, color and nuanced detail. Recorded in Boston's symphony hall - you can hear every instrumental and vocal detail. A highlight in the holiday collection.

Symphony Hall is a stellar performance space. It's not particularly visually appealing on the inside or the outside. But what it does acoustically is delightful.

It’s official

Donald Trump is now one of the worst, if not the worst president of all times. Reclassification of marijuana tears it for me. But it unlocks research opportunities and makes it more widely available. The only thing marijuana is good for is mellowing out the anger, rage and unwarranted negative emotional intensity of black people and people suffering from anxiety and ptsd. Aside from that, it's useless. Trump is useless. Joe Biden didn't even do that and his own kid was a drug addict.

Next up - Trump weed to go with trump steaks and trump wine, trump phone, trump chocolate and trump toilet paper.  

Let’s not forget the addition of Trump brownies. Get baked.  

Prince William

He's aging. Now he's a balding old fart with a beard. "Oh I just can't wait to be king" is his fight song for his adult life. "Remember who you are."

Shut up.

Other side of meathead

 Meat head’s coin flipped

Carlos Lalonde

Filipino American composer won the Austin symphonic band's young composers competition. He's caught the social contagion of pronoun retardation. The entire presser refers to him as 'their.' Will not be attending concert and not interested in HIS artistic voice. And we have to highlight him being a Filipino American.  Because his work wouldn’t be near as amazing or relevant if he was just a Filipino, just an American or just a person assigned male at birth who developed schizophrenia.  STFU already. Why does any of this bullshit matter?  

 Because the Human Rights Campaign says it does.  Revoke any and all public funding and burn that institution to the ground.

Wokeness is a corrosive cultural cancer.  

Maybe I’m a corrosive cultural cancer. 

Rob Reiner will always be meat head to me. No one could have played the character like he did. When Harry met sally is one of the best films from my generation.  RIP meat head. 

Somalis

The majority of "Somali-Americans" are not Americans. They're Somalis living in America. There's a difference.

Government incentive

 Southwest recently made a huge announcement stating they will bring 2,000 high paying jobs to the area with an average salary of 180k.  The governor hailed this a boost for the local economy and providing jobs where people will earn enough money to live in the city.  The 2,000 high paying jobs will be flight attendants and pilots.

This big announcement demonstrates yet again how ignorant politicians are about business; specifically the airline industry.  Here is a newsflash for our esteemed political class.  Flight attendants and pilots typically DO NOT live where they are based.  They live somewhere with a lower cost of living and commute to their base either on the day their trip starts or a day before to insure they make their show time.

They do not contribute to the local economy.  If anything it is the equivalent of an illegal alien earning money in this country and sending it back to Mexico.  Or, in this case a pilot earning money in their "base" but living the rest of their lives in geography of residence. 

Austin will see minimum economic impact as result of Southwest bringing 2000 high paying jobs to Austin.  Yeah, bringing these jobs to Austin sounds great on paper but it is hollow.  The economic impact will be in the employees geography of residence.  Not the domicile they are assigned.

Shame on Governor Abbott for lacking understanding of how the industry works.  Shame on Southwest for exploiting economic incentives without providing any direct benefit to the community. 

Political class

Look! Mike Johnson took a picture of his colleagues from the podium in the chamber. The president is seated in the aisle.

Water study

Williamson county projected to have water shortage by 2036. Government has entered into a $500,000 water study to determine source of future needs. Participants include Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park and Leander.

Some are looking for residential consumers to conserve more. Others are questioning continued economic development and industrial growth.

In the mean time government will continue allowing building of homes, apartments and data centers while luring industries that are water intensive - such as pistachio and avocado farming.

The way we're living and expanding can't be allowed to continue at current intensity. We're gonna run out of water. Keep building. We'll figure it out. Are you crazy?

Trump is a pig

For the last decade I've given Donald j Trump the benefit of the doubt despite being severely flawed. I was a believer in the America first agenda. Though he is merely a year into his second term, I see Donald for what he is - a con man who cares only about his ego and those who stroke it.

He hasn't done anything to fix inflation. With the exception of gas, everything is getting more expensive. The employment situation is dire. He's more worried about global problems than domestic problems. He's done nothing to fix healthcare costs. He's getting nastier in making public comments about people he doesn't like - directly to their faces.

Trump is proving himself to be a scumbag on a daily basis.

Why has my opinion changed? Ask Piggy how she feels? Or the Somalis. I don't particularly care for them, but you don't blanket statement classify them as garbage. Rosie odonnel was an easy target - she's a loud, ugly, liberal lesbian who can't shut her mouth. Donald is the same but a fat, arrogant, conservative jackass. Two parts of the same piece of wood.

What really tore it for me? The Kennedy center honorees. Pleased to see George strait included- but gene simmons? Gene Simmons (Chaim Witz) is every bit a pig as Donald Trump. Both of them are crass, sexist arrogant animals. Chaim can't even take his sunglasses off when in the Oval Office. Trump got mad at scam bag Zelensky for not wearing a suit. Light sensitivity? BS. Simmons is just a disrespectful asshole worried about looking cool. He also changed his name to be more palpable to Americans.  What a phony.

3 members of kiss being honored. Make up wearing cartoon characters using Halloween masks as gimmicks to hide their utter lack of talent. The same way Donald Trump uses his buildings with his name on them; to hide the outright ugly person that is his hollow soul.

Birds of a feather flock together. Both Donald Trump and Gene Simmons are pieces of shit flushed from the same toilet into the same sewer.  Both are ugly, arrogant, talentless fools. 

Chaim Witz is a demon. Just look at him. Donald may be one too. At least Chaim Witz doesn’t try to hide who he is minus changing his name. Donald tries and yet he keeps showing us he is a demon too. How many times to see a glimpse of demonism before one realizes there’s a demon inside? About 15 years, I’d say. 

 

Also, picking on Marjorie Taylor Green isn't cool either.  I think Donald Trump is too stupid to realize one thing.  He may have started Make America Great Again - but he is no longer the torch bearer of the movement.  He isn't even executing on it.  MTG could be the leader of the America First agenda.  Along with Erika Kirk.  Imagine them being president and veep - it'd be a one-two punch to the democrats saying America isn't ready for a female president.  America is ready for a woman president - just not a stupid one. 

Us businesses

US businesses need to stop advocating for foreign workers in an effort to drive down wages. The H1b visa program brings cheaper labor here. There are not any more experts in India or Pakistan than there are here. This model of extracting every available piece of profit and cost reduction under the guise of providing opportunity to foreigners is a joke. Corporations need to stop being a thuggish group of greedy bastards.

Pretty soon corporations won't have a population to sell to if all the silver spoons want to do is suppress wages.

Business is broken. Social contracts have been betrayed. There will be backlash.

Happy Birthday! Pastor Rob turned 65!

The senior pastor at church turned 65 on Sunday and we all got to sing happy birthday to him.  Pastor Rob is the man.  I was very involved in church up until December 2005 when I got hired at JetBlue and got reconnected after leaving my role.  Here is what I can say about Pastor Rob - He is 65 years old and looks like he is 35 years old.  He is a man who loves his family, loves pastoring our church and leads a life of excellence and integrity.  His messages have always challenged me to be a better version of myself and there are may times I felt like he was speaking directly to me.  I know it's hard to tell given my frequent mean blog posts.  I fall short.  I am flawed.

Years ago, he lost his son in a car accident.  He persevered through the pain and continued leading the church.  I can't imagine the loss he and his family experienced when that tragedy happened.  The previous Sunday he mentioned it was going to be his birthday and he had no intention of leaving his position and feels just as excited and motivated to lead our church as when he and his wife started it.  I understand he has been senior pastor at our church for 38 years and the current facility has been in existence for 35 years.  Our church is one of the larger churches in the community and one of the more active.

There was a time they gave away bumper stickers... I know... Anyway it seemed liked 1 out of three cars in the late 90s and early 2000s  had a church bumper sticker on their car.  We did.

The worship style is modern and the messages are relevant.  I enjoyed church back in the day and enjoy it just as much today.

For pastor rob's birthday, pastor jurie preached.  Pastor Jurie is from South Africa.  Up until he preached this service, he stirred the demons in me.  Or something like that.  I feel like he's trying to manipulate us and he's always yelling when he talks.  I think he tries to be exciting and engaging.  To me it falls flat.

Anyway - on Sunday Jurie hit it out of the park and did an exceptional job capturing the three themes of Pastor Rob's ministry.  I don't know how long they've know eachother, but I do know Jurie interviewed family, friends and staff members and read a lot of the old notes from various sermons over the years.  

Here are the three themes to Pastor Rob's life:  Grace, Grind and Grit. We have a collection of phrases we say at every service:

I am loved by God

I can not earn it

I can not lose it

I am forgiven and made brand new

In Christ I live with passion and purpose

I am empowered by the spirit to be the church in the world

and to love this love revolution

Instead of trying to describe the Grace, Grind and Grit - I'll show you:

I stumbled upon this message from 13 years ago.  It is an ordinary example of the messages pastor rob preaches on any given sunday.  He's the best pastor I've ever had the privilege of hearing and knowing.

  
 

 

DJT

The Donald seems to be off the rails as of late.  The pardons, the ugliness, the focus on Ukranian and Israeli BS and the lack of focus on the homeland.  I think it is time for Donald to step aside and let the adults in the room run the show for a while.  Donald is losing control of Maga and voters are deserting him in droves.  He may have started MAGA, but he is no longer the torch barer.  I look to other people to step in and steer the ship.  The donald is getting ugly. 

It’s also time for mark Kelly to shut up. Mongoloid retard. 

Disposable

Drug runners are disposable. Actively seek to do harm to the citizens or break our laws and pay the price.

Broken Fast

I broke fast 65 hours into 72 hour fast. Disappointed.

I read it is important to listen to your body when attempting extended fasting. Headache returned last night. At hour 63 I started having acid reflux. By hour 64 my eyes were feeling like i vomited after a college binge drinking episode.

It's now hour 67 and the headache persists. At hour 65 I broke fast with an orange, some watermelon and chicken noodle soup over a two hour period.

Failure? I don't know. Disappointed, yes. I guess I had a reasonable success considering haven't done any fasting whatsoever since I was living in Florida. 2 years ago.

15 hours left

Did not sleep well. Headache returned.

I've come this far. I'm not quitting now.

The internet

The internet has turned people into retards. Always asking stupid questions expecting other people to answer them. It blows my mind how stupid and or lazy people are.

Pope Leo

He oughta just shut his mouth and mind his own business. Everything he asks others to do in matters of immigration he is unwilling to do himself. Only when there are a million third world immigrants - preferably Muslims - living in the Vatican does he have something of value to offer to the discussion. He doesn't understand the challenges. Fool.

Just shy of 36 hours

About to the half way point on my 72 hour fast. It's not that bad. The worse sensation is the perpetual headache that moves around my head. The hunger pangs aren't bad at all. Remember - goal setting…. I can eat again on Thursday. Electrolyte supplement to arrive today.