Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “One/Won”

July 29, 2023August 11, 2023 ~ John W. Howell ~ 75 Comments

Serenity is having a cup of coffee and time to think of important matters. The machine has given up its addictive brew, and now, with feet up, the time seems right for those important thoughts. The first sip of nectar stimulates the brain into action. The first thought: One cannot live by bread alone. A good cup of coffee is the root of sustainable life.

Thinking that the important thought objective will be won congers the second: All things come to he who waits. A good cup of coffee is a virtue. Just as the third thought begins to bubble up from the subconscious, my ring doorbell detects a visitor. Grateful that the person heeds the “Do Not Ring the Doorbell” sign, a step over the sleeping Twiggy gets me to the security panel.

The tower machine guns are deactivated, the moat screen rolled, the concertina wire retracted, the boiling oil set to standby, the claymore mines detached, The trebuchet reset, the iron gate opened, and the locks and bolts opened. The front door is opened, and there stands someone who looks a lot like Bugs Bunny.

“Hi, Doc,” he says. “It’s my birthday, and I’ll cry if I want to.” He then hands me an envelope, which is from Linda Hill. “I was born on July 27th, 1940, and have decided you need some carrot cake.” Bugs then tosses a cake in my direction before turning and leaving.

Wiping cake from my eyes, I open the envelope. Inside is a message. It reads, Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “one/won.” Use one, use them both, use them any way you’d like. Bonus points if you use them both. Enjoy!

If you want to see how others handle the prompt, visit Linda’s blog. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2023/07/28/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-29-2023

“Squeeked by on that one.”

“Come on. I won it. Also, I need to thank Tom Okragly and Dan Conti for the Bugs information.”

“Yeah, but you had to take advantage of Bugs Bunny’s birthday to do it.”

“I call that fair.”

“Like a robber would say, he is ‘liberating the goods he steals.'”

“Where did that come from?”

“Deep thoughts from coffee.”

“Anyway, I did get the prompt done.”

“I suppose you can count it.”

“And I won the bonus. This calls for a drink.”

“Uber is waiting. Right over there.”

“That Bently turbo convertible?”

“No, the one behind it.”

“The truck with the sheep?”

“Got a good deal.”

Friday John Ku – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

July 28, 2023July 27, 2023 ~ John W. Howell ~ 66 Comments

Today’s good news story comes from the Good News Network. Here it is in full.

Hero Teen Saves Brother Being Swept Away: ‘Mom…I Might Not Be Back

Andy Corbley Jul 27, 2023

In New Zealand, a young boy has become the world’s youngest recipient of the Mountbatten Award after saving his younger brother from a treacherous stretch of coastal water last year.

The hero was Kalya Gamage, 14, who must have paralyzed his mother with fear when he saw his brother Kithmi being pulled out to sea by 3-meter waves and said to her, “OK, Mum, I’m going out. I might not be back.’’

12-year-old Kithmi was a good swimmer in his own right but couldn’t resist being ripped off his feet by several large waves that broke ashore on Chrystalls Beach in South Otago. Quickly tiring himself out trying to fight his way back to land, he was out around 60 meters (180 feet) treading water in a “notoriously dangerous” patch of coastal ocean where the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) notes “no one survives.”

Kalya jumped into the frigid water and had little difficulty reaching his brother but became nervous about whether he could reach the shore.

But he was relieved that they did, cold and tired but alive.

“Undoubtedly, Kalya’s brave response saved his brother’s life that day,” said the RLSS.

Kalya wants to start a business or be an engineer when he grows up but has spent time specifically improving his swimming skills. Those skills and the rescue they afforded won Kalya the 2022 Mountbatten Award, given to a single member of the whole British Commonwealth per year—over 2 billion people in 56 countries.

While his high school and even the Kiwi government expressed their pride at Kalya’s bravery and presence of mind, the greatest reward will, of course, be having his brother around for many decades to come. The good news here is a boy was saved because his brother thought quickly. Today’s JohnKu talks about saving others. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

We protect ourselves,

But the question still remains . . .

Would we protect others?

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy Back at Work

July 27, 2023July 27, 2023 ~ John W. Howell ~ 148 Comments

“Hey, Twiggy.”

“Hi, Dad, what’s up?”

“I see you are playing with your honey and bees.”

“I really like this toy. You have to pull the bees out of the hive.”

“Looks like fun. Did you enjoy Aunt Beth’s visit?”

“I sure did. We had a lot of fun together. We bonded again.”

“What was the best part?”

“I think the best was when she stroked my ears and played with my fur. The snuggles were good too.”

“Do you miss her?”

“Well, of course, I do, but the nice part is knowing she will be back.”

“That is so true. Visits are great knowing you’ll see the person again.”

“I think that’s what I said. Um, excuse me, but I have to get this bee out of the hive.”

“Looks like it is getting away from you.”

“Yeah, this floor does make it difficult.”

“Looks like you are back in control.”

“Yup, got that one, and there is one more.”

“Looks like a lot of work.”

“Yeah, but someone has to do it.”

“I think you are the best person for the job.”

“I suppose I’m the only person for the job. Not too many stuffed bee pullers around.”

“How right you are.”

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy Discusses Some Time Off

July 20, 2023July 18, 2023 ~ John W. Howell ~ 109 Comments

“So I have something to tell you.”

“Don’t give me that stuff about going for a ride in the car, which ends up at the vet.”

No, it’s nothing like that.”

“But it is similar in its horrific conclusion.”

“You are drawing the wrong conclusions. It’s a good thing.”

“Nothing good ever comes after the phrase, ‘I’ve got something to tell you.'”

“Well, this is good news. Your Aunt Beth is coming to visit.”

“That is good news. When does she get here?”

“She gets here tomorrow and then will be staying until next Thursday.”

“Wow, that’s a nice long visit. She bringing Jake?”

“No, Jake will be staying home. He doesn’t exactly like to fly.”

“What dog does like to fly. It would have been nice to see him.”

“Yeah, but just not this time.”

“It will be good to see Aunt Beth. I really enjoy trying to bite her nose.”

Yeah, about that. There’ll be no nose biting this trip.”

“I just pretend that I’m going to do it. Drives her crazy.”

“I’m going to tell her to ignore you if you jump at her.”

“Okay, I’ll behave myself. Maybe just a toe nibble.”

“No toes either. There’s another thing.”

“Ah ha, I knew it. It’s the vet, right?”

“No, we are going to take a break while she is here. This will be the last post till next Thursday, the 27th. Going to be off social media as well.”

“Giving the readers a break. A good idea.”

Tuesday- Anything Possible – Finger Point Prompt – “Showing”

July 18, 2023July 17, 2023 ~ John W. Howell ~ 66 Comments

Here is how it works. I open a book to a random page and without looking point. The word or words closest to my pointing finger is the prompt. Today I opened Eternal Road – The last stop to page 191 and found “showing” under my finger.

“Your green is showing.”

“Why do you say they?”

“Cause I can see you are jealous of my new shoes.”

“What are you talking about? Those raggedy-assed shoes?”

“Yeah, you are just saying that.”

“I can’t believe you would think something as ugly as your shoes would be something that would cause me to be jealous.”

“Well. Just look at yours.”

“Mine are fine. A little dirty, maybe.”

“How about those holes?”

“Where?”

“Look down the line. In the back.”

“I can’t see back there.”

“Trust me after pair fifty, there’s a whole mess going on.”

“Ah, who cares. Millipedes can’t control that stuff.”

“If you cared, you could.”

“Your arrogance is showing. When’s the last time you looked at your shoes after fifty pair.”

“What are you saying?”

“Your last fifty make mine look pristine in comparison.”

“I gotta get to the shoe store.”

“Now your pridefulness is showing.”

“Better that than sloppiness.”

“Hey, we millipedes have our challenges. How about a truce?”

“You want to come with?”

“To the shoe store.”

“Yeah, I need someone to help me carry the money.”

Top Ten Things Not to Do With a Smartphone

July 17, 2023July 29, 2023 ~ John W. Howell ~ 72 Comments

Photo by Creative Christians on Unsplash

This was run on June 17, 2017. Since we still have smartphones, I think it still works. I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

10 If you have a smartphone, do not use it to send a breakup message. If you do, at best, the message will fail to deliver. At worst, your message will be received just after the recipient has paid a no-return deposit on the condo you were to share. (Talk about awkward, Idiot.)

9 If you have a smartphone, do not use it to video record those embarrassing family moments. If you do, at best, you will be convinced to trash the video. At worst, your clip is now on YouTube with a million likes. (Yes, your family is well-known for its stupidity. Too bad they can’t show their face in public, Putz)

8 If you have a smartphone, do not think you must reach the last level of Candy Crush. If you do, at best, your phone will quit working. At worst, you will still work to achieve the level even as your family has finally given up all contact. (Can you say obsessed, Bert?)

7 If you have a smartphone, do not think anyone wants to see your pictures. If you do, at best, you may find a hapless victim who feigns interest. At worst, most people you show your treasures are sound asleep at the end. (Of course, they are now a captive audience huh, Buford?)

6 If you have a smartphone, do not think you can take pictures without permission. If you do, at best, you may be told to stop doing so. At worst, Tiny, the WWF champ you just photographed, has confessed to his therapy group how camera-shy he has become due to being more open in the discussions. (You are very right to begin running, Buster. I think Tiny is gaining on you, though.)

5 If you have a smartphone, do not publicly ask the robot assistant a question. If you do, at best, you won’t be understood. At worst, your question was so inane that now everyone realizes you are an idiot. (“What is the temperature today?” was a real crowd pleaser, Goober. Go sit down and be quiet.)

4 If you have a smartphone, do not think you can watch a video and walk simultaneously. If you do, at best, a few bumps by passersby will convince you to stop. At worst, being airborne due to walking into a taxi will give you time to think about next time. (You must now prepare for the second collision with the ground, Tex. Here’s hoping there is a next time.)

3 If you have a smartphone, do not take any selfies you wouldn’t want your mother to see. If you do, at best, she’ll never see them. At worst, those little photos you made for your friend’s eyes only are now featured on the Instagram gross photo of the week. (And you thought the cloud was an iron-clad secure place huh, Dufus?)

2 If you have a smartphone, do not be afraid of that ringing sound. If you are, at best, you can stop it by answering with a “hello.” At worst, the distraction of the ringing causes you to take extraordinary measures that finally silence the ringing. (You did know that water is harmful to a smartphone, right, Bucky? And BTW, smartphones were initially designed for phone calls. That’s what all that ringing was about.)

1 If you have a smartphone, do not operate any other machinery while using it. If you do, at best, you will get one chance with no consequences. At worst, you may hurt yourself and others, especially if you are driving a car. (But you know all this, right, Bunion?)

Views of the Neighborhood – Topography and Rocks

July 16, 2023July 15, 2023 ~ John W. Howell ~ 84 Comments

Today we are going to cruise the neighborhood. I want to show you two things. The first is to give you an idea of the topography and house placement in Lakewat. The second is to show how some folks use abundant rocks. We are catered by Quantos Tacos Foodtruck of Austin. (Mexico City Street food). Our entertainment is Alabama.

Tacos

Cachete – Barbacoa onion & cilantro Nixtamal tortilla

Buche – Pork Stomach onion & cilantro on Nixtamal tortilla

Carnitas- Pork onion & cilantro on Nixtamal tortillas

Longaniza – Mexican chorizo onion& cilantro on Nixtamal tortilla

Champiñones- Grilled mushrooms in Salsa Adobo, onion & cilantro on Nixtamal tortilla

Quesadillas

Suadero quesadilla – Suadero(brisket) 10-inch Flour tortilla, melted cheese, side of grilled onion & 1 chile Torreado

Cachete Quesadilla- Cachete (beef Cheek) 10-inch flour tortilla, melted cheese, side of Grilled onion & 1 chile torreado

Buche Quesadillas -Pork Stomach 10 Inch Flour tortilla, Melted cheese, grilled onion & chile toreado

Carnitas quesadilla – Carnitas(pork butt) 8 Inch Flour tortilla, melted cheese, grilled onion & 1 chile torreado

Longaniza Quesadilla – Mexican Chorizo 10-inch flour Tortilla side of grilled onions and Chile toreado

Champiñon Quesadilla – Grilled Mushrooms in Salsa Adobo, 10-inch flour tortilla, melted cheese, grilled onion & 1 chile toreado

Other

Frijoles Especiales -Charro style beans with campechano meat from pot in 8 oz cup

Cebolla Asada- Grilled onions of about 4oz

Cheese Quesadilla -10 inch Flour tortilla, Melted cheese, grilled onion

Picture of an old time school bus

The bus is packed. Let’s go.

This is a long uphill driveway.

This shows that houses are placed down the hill from the street.

This will give you an idea of the hilliness of the area.

This street goes steadily downhill. Houses in the hills too.

Because houses are arranged with either big back or front yards but not both, some folks have to place their pools in the front with a street view.

Another pool view from the street.

Cute little rock wall.

Random rocks pretty much left where they were found.

More substantial rock wall.

Fieldstone laid into a wall reminds me of the walls in the Eastern states.

Big ole dump of rock to keep the hill where it is.

Use of big rocks to retain the soil.

I hope you enjoyed the views and have some idea of our town’s topography. Now let’s enjoy the food and music. I hope you have a great week.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – ‘Record’

July 15, 2023July 14, 2023 ~ John W. Howell ~ 57 Comments

Waiting for my coffee to begin its journey from the bean hopper through the press and down the twin spouts, my thoughts turn to how nice it is to be in my own place. The aroma of the coffee filling the mug causes a reflection on how great the simple things of life are and how often they are taken for granted. Our brains don’t seem to be programmed to record the simple stuff but tend to make ample notes of the complex.

Jessica brought home that the fight or flight response is the record the brain plays repeatedly. When fighting isn’t possible, then the concentration turns to flight. That big bun and the big guy convinced me to take advantage of anything at hand for a getaway. Sipping my brew brings the total picture into focus. There has to be more time spent on the small blessings that are all around.

Feeling satisfied with my conclusion and getting to the end of my phone vibrates. Pulling the phone out of my pocket, there is a new text message from Linda Hill. It says, Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “record.” Use it as a noun, use it as a verb, use it any way you’d like. Have fun! Visit Linda’s blog to see what others have done with the prompt. Here is the link https://lindaghill.com/2023/07/14/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-15-2023/

“Wait a minute.”

“What?”

“No falling rocket or safe?”

“I guess not.”

“This has to be a record.”

“Well, you can’t have that kind of thing every day.”

“Yeah, but this is once a week, and I think I should.”

“Good thing this isn’t your blog.”

“Yeah, but I’m a reader and have rights.”

“What kind of right?”

“The right to be entertained.”

“And a falling safe does that?”

“You bet along with a cartoon character.”

“Anything else?”

“A description of your security system.”

“You sound like a broken record. I’ve done all those.”

“Yeah, so do more.”

“Or you find something else to read?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“I know. I did. Maybe a hint. What do you think?”

“I already ordered a Uber. He’s over there.”

“That flatbed truck?”

“No, the limo behind it.”

“The white limo with six rear wheels.”

“Yeah, it was on special. It has a pool.”

“For the record, I object.”

“The fridge is full of Voo Doo Ranger.”

“Objection overruled.”

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF -Fri-Yay Good News

July 14, 2023July 13, 2023 ~ John W. Howell ~ 84 Comments

Today’s good news story comes from the Good News Network. I have purposely left in several links since they show other photos taken from the Webb Telescope. If you have the time, they are spectacular. Here’s the story.

Rho Ophiuichi – Credits NASA ESA CSA STScI Klaus Pontoppidan STScI

NASA Celebrates ‘One Year of Science’ From Webb Telescope with Jaw-Dropping Image

Andy Corbley Jul 13, 2023

It’s been a long and successful year for the James Webb Space Telescope, and to mark the anniversary of its entry into service, NASA has shown off Webb’s vibrant picture of a small star-forming region in the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex.

“From our cosmic backyard in the solar system to distant galaxies near the dawn of time, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has delivered on its promise of revealing the universe like never before in its first year of science operations,” NASA stated.

The first-anniversary image displays star birth “like it’s never been seen before,” full of detailed, impressionistic texture. The subject is the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex, the closest star-forming region to Earth.

“It is a relatively small, quiet stellar nursery, but you’d never know it from Webb’s chaotic close-up,” boasts NASA. “Jets bursting from young stars crisscross the image, impacting the surrounding interstellar gas and lighting up molecular hydrogen, shown in red. Some stars display the telltale shadow of a circumstellar disk (dust and matter), the makings of future planetary systems.”

Two critical differences single out the JWST as such a remarkable machine: the first is that it sees into infrared light—a spectrum which the human eye cannot see, and the second is that it orbits the second LaGrange Point a million miles from Earth, removing any light pollution of our world from diluting its imagery.

It’s made some important discoveries and snapped some incredible photographs. From our own solar system, Webb has clarified details on Jupiter, such as the planet’s minuscule rings, as well as the Jovian aurorae, on Neptune, where the telescope was able to clearly image the planet’s rings and moons together for the first time, and from Saturn where it was able to gather exquisite data on the effect of methane clouds in Saturn’s atmosphere.

Webb has also been studying Saturn’s moons and managed to record a plume of water erupting from the surface of the ocean world Enceladus that was 6,000 miles long.

Outside the solar system, the JWST has taken amazing photos of the oldest galaxies ever found, created just 500 million years after the Big Bang, of an exploding star in the constellation Cassiopeia, and also lent a hand to a European effort to study X-ray light in the universe with a 4-panel mosaic of technological artwork.

“In just one year, the James Webb Space Telescope has transformed humanity’s view of the cosmos, peering into dust clouds and seeing light from faraway corners of the universe for the very first time,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Every new image is a new discovery, empowering scientists around the globe to ask and answer questions they once could never dream of.”

“Thousands of engineers, scientists, and leaders poured their life’s passion into this mission, and their efforts will continue to improve our understanding of the origins of the universe—and our place in it.”

The good news here is the human quest for knowledge is being met. Today’s JohnKu talks about the value of learning new things. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Like an ocean swell,

Lifts every boat the same way . . .

Learning lifts us all.