Views of the Neighborhood – Concert in the Park

November 6, 2022November 5, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 111 Comments

Today we are going to a concert in the park in Lakeway. The Band of the Hills which is a community band for all ages is having a concert in the park. We are being catered by Buffalina Due pizza of Austin. Our entertainment is Chicago.

marinara – tomato, garlic, oregano.

margherita – tomato, mozzarella, basil, parmesan.

calabrese – tomato, mozzarella, basil, salami, serrano, garlic, parm.

fresca – mozzarella, prosciutto piccante, arugula, lemon oil, parm.

taleggio – mozzarella, sausage, scallion, parmesan.

pepperoni – tomato, mozzarella, oregano, parmesan.

red pie – tomato, double garlic, double parmesan, chili flake, oregano.

vodka arrabiatta – vodka sauce, fontina, mozzarella, garlic, oregano, parmesan, chili flake, black pepper.

four cheese – mozzarella, taleggio, fontina, parmesan.

mustard greens – sausage, garlic confit, lemon oil, pecorino.

apple pie – parm cream, fontina, moss, blue cheese.

eggplant parmesan – tomato, garlic, oregano, chili flake, mozzarella, basil.

veggie supreme – tomato, sungolds, mushrooms, peppers, onions, basil, garlic, chili oil.

mushroom – mozzarella, taleggio, spiced creme fraiche, red onion, parmesan.

pickle pie – mozzarella, fontina, oregano, giardiniera, chili flake, chili oil.

So hop on the bus and let’s get rolling.

Here is a boy scout and his sister guiding in the crowds.

Lakeway Justice center is the location.

We are on time. Looks like a Baritone player is a little late.

Looking at the heron sculpture in the distance gave rise to an interesting view of instrument cases.

Don’t worry about donating. You’re covered.

The director is beginning the concert.

We need to find a seat.

Not here.

Maybe we can sit with the Elk.

Here we go. A nice comfortable spot with the chessplayers

I hope you had a good time. Sit back and enjoy the concert and food. Chicago wants to play one song for sure. I hope you have a great week.

Steam of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt “Favorite Word”

November 5, 2022November 4, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 66 Comments

Looking at the coffee machine does not help hurry the process. No matter how much caffeine is needed, the machine has its own timetable. Probably on the COVID relief suppliment plan, is my thought. Yes. Finally, the aromatic brew begins its dribble from the twin spouts. The cup is at long last filled, and a lifesaving sip is delivered.

Having a clear head allows for a detailed examination of the carnage from last week. The plywood panels are in place where the five floor to ceilng glass windows used to be. It is impossible to look out into the yard but the knowledge of the six foot wide and deep hole where the safe used to be is in need of repair also. The plan is to call a contractor and set up a meeing for an estimate of the damage. I’m sure in my current state of impecunity the amount will cause the need for a heart bipass.

As the cup is being finished, my phone alerts me to someone (or something) on the front porch. Thankfully they observe the do not ring doorbell and Twiggy and Lucy continue their nap. The unlock procedure is started. The gate is pulled back, condertina wire coiled, machine guns on standby, mote subnet lifted, Trebuchet disarmed, boiling oil shut off, bolts and locks undone and front door thrown open.

Standing there is someone who looks like Baby Faced Finster. There is a cigar clenched in his teeth and an envelope in his little hand. Baby face peaks. “Look here see. This here is an settlement check. Warner Brothers have decided to cobver the cost of removing Sam and the safe, see. So all yuse have to do is sign this here contract and the money is yours.” He then hands me the envelope and a pen. I look at the check and the contract first but notice one other piece of paper.

The check is for $30,000 and my signature hits the sign before anyone changes their mind. Baby face takes the contract and the pen and disappears down the street. I open the other piece of paper and see it is from Linda Hill. It reads.Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “your favorite word.”Decide on your favorite word and use it in your post any way you’d like. Enjoy!

If you would like to enjoy, visit Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link.

https://lindaghill.com/2022/11/04/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-nov-5-2022/

“I missed yoyr favorite word.”

“Impecunity.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah it means having little money.”

“Small money?”

“No. Having hardly any money.”

“Ah so why is that a favorite word.”

“Hard to say. I just like it. Sounds better than ‘broke.'”

“So, you broke?”

“No but if I were I would love to use the word.”

“Better be careful what you love.”

“Yeah you’re right. I could end up broke.”

“And then your impecuniousness would prevent beer buying.”

“Look at you. Impecuniousness?”

“Not as dumb as I look. Your turn to buy.”

“I bought last time.”

“You check back on that?”

“Yup.”

“Call Uber.”

“On it.”

Thursday – A Little Personal – Lucy and Twiggy Outside

November 3, 2022November 2, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 116 Comments

“Where you going, Little One?”

“I’m going to the wilderness.”

“The wilderness. Where’s that?”

“No dog’s land around the corner.”

“Hey, wait for me. That could be dangerous.”

“Hurry up then. An adventure awaits.”

“Okay, keep talking to me, so I know you’re safe.”

“Everything is fine. So far, so good.”

“You sure everything’s fine? You’re pretty silent.”

“Just sniffin’ the clues. Can’t talk and sniff at the same time.”

So, what did you find out here?”

“A big bunch of nothing. That’s what.”

“Looks pretty bare, I’d say. I’m leaving.”

“One more sniff over there, then I’m with you.”

“That was a pretty long sniff.”

“After the puma takes in the wild scent of the water buffalo, the stalking is on.”

“Cut that out. You look like you’re possessed.”

“The puma keeps the water buffalo in its sight, careful not to spook it.”

“Well, the water buffalo has other plans than to be jumped on by a demonic puma.”

“The puma checks the trail. Yes, the scent is fresh.”

“I’m going inside now. You can stop.”

“Step by step, the puma closes the gap. The water buffalo looks panicked.”

“Hey, mom. Open the door. It is definitely time to come in.”

“The puma has the water buffalo cornered. The time has come to spring.”

“Come on, mom. This is getting serious.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, you big chicken. I’m just playing.”

“Okay then. I guess that no dog’s land got me spooked.”

“The puma saves the water buffalo treat for another day.”

“Quit that.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue # 384

November 1, 2022October 31, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 63 Comments

In Keith’s words.

“Using this photo ( below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put your offering (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before Sunday evening UK time. If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here. Thank you for taking part.

Link to Keith’s post. https://keithchanning.wordpress.com/2022/10/31/kreative-kue-384/

The Photo.

“Look at the leaves.”

“Beau.”

“What are you saying? They’re gorgeous.”

“Well, besides the fact that beau in French means handsome I think that sign is rather odd.”

“Oh, I see it now.”

“Might be a fun detour. Any town that is called Beau can’t be all bad.”

“I don’t know. We are running behind already.”

“Where do we have to be?”

“If we miss the ferry at 5:00 we will have to stay the night near the ferry dock.”

“Not the biggest threat in the world.”

“Yes, but then we will be a half day behind the rest of the trip.”

“Okay, then we skip Beau. I wish we could do this at a more leisurely pace.”

“You know we agreed on the itinerary.”

“I know but once into it the pace seems hectic.”

“I think you may be right. Let’s think about this for a minute. If we go to Beau we might miss the Ferry. If we miss the ferry we have an overnight we didn’t plan on. If we have an overnight we didn’t plan on we have extra money and time spent. If we have extra money and time spent we might fall behind and miss something. If we miss something . . .”

“Yes? If we miss something.”

“I’m coming up with so what if we miss something?”

“Bingo.”

“Let’s go to Beau and take our chances. I say we live for now.”

“You rebel you.”

Top Ten Things Not to Do on Halloween

October 31, 2022October 30, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 82 Comments

This post was published on October 31st, 2016. At last, Halloween falls on a Monday, so I can post it again. I hope you like it, and Happy Halloween to you.

* * *

I’m pretty sure I don’t have to explain the inspiration for this list. Since today is Halloween, it is pretty obvious. Yes, there are some things on this list that I have done, but I’ll let you figure out which ones.

Top Ten Things Not to Do on Halloween

10 On Halloween, do not run out of candy. If you do, at best, you will be marked as a cheapskate. At worst, the amount of soap on your windows will require a professional crew to remove. (That handing out pennies idea didn’t work so well, did it, Rube?)

9 On Halloween, do not try to hide in the basement with all the lights off. If you do, at best, you will miss out on some cute costumes. At worst, the gremlins, witches, and goblins will make it a point to discover why you are not home. (That glowing computer screen did you in Ferd.)

8 On Halloween, do not try any scare tactics on the trick-or-treaters. If you do, at best, the neighborhood watch group will be paying you a call. At worst, Child Protective Services will have your house identified as a possible child abuse location. (I know it seemed funny at the time, but think of the scarred little psyches, not to mention the accidents on your front porch.)

7 On Halloween, do not hand out homemade anything. If you do, at best, it will all be thrown away. At worst, the local health department will act on a complaint and insist on inspecting your kitchen. (That white glove sure looks terrible in the light, Bunkie.)

6 On Halloween, do not make the trick-or-treaters do anything for their treats. If you do, at best, you’ll get blank stares. At worst, you’ll get a visit from Tiny, the WFF champion wrestler who is escorting the kids, and he will insist that you dance or get his special treat. (You don’t want to see Tiny’s knuckle sandwich up close.)

5 On Halloween, do not hand out toothbrushes instead of candy. If you do, at best, you will win the “kook of the neighborhood” award. At worst, most trick-or-treaters will be polite, but Tiny’s kid will insist on a candy treat while sitting on your chest. (It is funny what is passed in the gene pool, isn’t it?)

4 On Halloween, if you insist on wearing a costume, do not make the trick-or-treaters guess what or who you are. If you do, at best, they will not have a clue. At worst, they will all guess wrong, and you will suddenly realize you have a screw loose for even trying in the first place. (Funny how some things go out of style quickly. Surprisingly, the five-year-olds couldn’t get your Tele Tubby costume. (Your favorite show as a kid, right?)

3 On Halloween, do not attempt to pass out shots of alcohol to the parents of trick-or-treaters. If you do, at best, you will be very popular until the wee hours of the morning. At worst, your neighbors will assume you have some kind of problem and will ask the police to ensure no kids get your handout. (That sure took a nasty turn, didn’t it, Beauford?)

2 On Halloween, do not leave a bowl of treats on the porch with a note to “take one on the honor system.” If you do, at best, the goodies will be gone before sundown. At worst, the trick-or-treaters will ring your bell every three seconds in pursuit of a refill. (You quickly learned that “honor” in your neighborhood means “me first.”)

1 On Halloween, do not watch Nightmare on Elm Street, Psycho, Friday the Thirteenth, Amityville Horror, The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby, or any other horror movie. If you do, at best, you will need the day off tomorrow. At worst, the EMS crew will find it mildly amusing that you were the cause of your own heart attack. (You could have just read a book, Bevis. At the scary part, you could have put it down.)

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Element”

October 29, 2022October 28, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 85 Comments

The coffee firm in my hand and a stroll to the backyard brings me face to face with Wile E Coyote. “How’s it going?” He looks up from the plunger. “Ready whenever you are.” This causes me to wonder how I got to be in charge of the signal for detonation. Waving my hand, I do a Pontius Pilot maneuver.” It is your job” He goes to one knee again, placing his hand on the t-bar slide. “I just thought you wanted to give the go-ahead.” Turning abruptly, a shout of “no” goes over my shoulder while heading for the house and taking cover under the heaviest sofa.

The sound of the C-4 being set free causes my molars to crack in the subsequent teeth clench. The vibration moves me like a basketball being dribbled in the NBA. The separation between me and the couch is complete just as a deathly quiet settles over the room. There is nothing compelling me to look through the shattered windows other than the distant sound of emergency vehicles sounding like a herd of cats.

Courage restored a look at the backyard brings to mind what a volcano must look like when first being born. A vast hole and at least six feet of dirt and turf surrounding it are where the safe used to be. It looks like Wile’s plan from the standpoint of moving the safe is complete. My mind immediately goes to the question, Where did it go?

To find out, processing through the security shutdown sequence and throwing open the front door is done. Wile is standing next to his flatbed truck which also harbors a smoking safe. My stunned expression must have brought some satisfaction to Wile since he smiles and hands me an envelope. He climbs up into the truck and waves goodbye. As he drives off, I can see the door of the safe open like a hatch on a tank, and Sam’s head slowly appear. Waving to Sam brings nothing in return but an obscene sign with his upraised fist. Sighing with relief and looking forward to being alone in my element, I open the envelope. Inside were two things. The first is Wile’s bill, and the second a note from Linda Hill. It reads. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “element.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

If you would like to have fun, visit Linda’s blog and read how. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2022/10/28/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-oct-29-2022/

“You just squeaked that prompt one in.”

“Yes, but don’t tell anyone.”

“Who am I going to tell?”

“Are you kidding me? You have a pack of fans.”

“A pack? Having fans is a little out of my element.”

“Oh, come on. You love it.”

“How do you know I have fans.”

“See the comment section down there?”

“Yeah.”

“Every week, someone wants to know more about you.”

“You’re kidding.”

“No. There is an element of danger in you that some people find attractive.”

“Danger?”

“Yup.”

“Like what kind of danger?”

“You seem to be single.”

“Well, yeah.”

“No visible means of support.”

“Okay.”

“Drinks a lot.”

“Guilty.”

“All in all, a very dangerous fellow.”

“I see what you mean. Folks like that?”

“Hey, any man who drinks all the time can’t be all bad.”

“Who said that?”

“Well, the element of drinking was espoused by W.C. Fields.”

“Sounds like a good element.”

“You finished with the discussion about fans?”

“For now. Let’s turn to VooDoo Ranger.”

“You’re buying?”

“Yup. You got the Uber.”

“On it.”

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Goodnews

October 28, 2022October 28, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 88 Comments

Today’s Good New story comes from the Good News Network. Here it is in its entirety.

Battery Tech Breakthrough Paves the way for Mass Adoption of Affordable/Fast Charging Electric Cars

Andy Corbley

–Oct 25, 2022

A breakthrough in electric vehicle fast-charging battery design from Penn State has enabled a 10-minute charge time for a typical EV battery.

The record-breaking combination of a shorter charge time and more energy required for longer travel range came from heating the battery to a Goldilocks Zone which has proven difficult for engineers thus far.

Their findings are hoped to accelerate the sale of EVs, and were announced on October 12th, in the journal Nature.

“The need for smaller, faster-charging batteries is greater than ever,” said Chao-Yang Wang, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Penn State and lead author on the study.

“There are simply not enough batteries and critical raw materials, especially those produced domestically, to meet anticipated demand.”

In August, California’s Air Resources Board passed an extensive plan to restrict and ultimately ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars within the state. By 2035, the largest auto market in the United States will effectively retire the internal combustion engine.

If new car sales are going to shift to battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs), Wang explained, they’ll need to overcome two major drawbacks: they are too slow to recharge and too large to be efficient and affordable. Instead of taking a few minutes at the gas pump, depending on the battery, some EVs can take all day to recharge.

“Our fast-charging technology works for most energy-dense batteries and will open a new possibility to downsize electric vehicle batteries from 150 to 50 kWh without causing drivers to feel range anxiety,” said Wang, whose lab partnered with State College-based startup EC Power to develop the technology.

“The smaller, faster-charging batteries will dramatically cut down battery cost and usage of critical raw materials such as cobalt, graphite, and lithium, enabling mass adoption of affordable electric cars.”

The technology relies on internal thermal modulation, an active method of temperature control to demand the best performance possible from the battery, Wang explained.

Batteries operate most efficiently when they are hot, but not too hot. Keeping batteries consistently at just the right temperature has been a major challenge for battery engineers. Historically, they have relied on external, bulky heating and cooling systems to regulate battery temperature, which respond slowly and waste a lot of energy.

Wang and his team decided to instead regulate the temperature from inside the battery. The researchers developed a new battery structure that adds an ultrathin nickel foil as the fourth component besides anode, electrolyte, and cathode.

Acting as a stimulus, the nickel foil self-regulates the battery’s temperature and reactivity which allows for 10-minute fast charging on just about any EV battery, Wang explained.

“True fast-charging batteries would have immediate impact,” the researchers write. “Since there are not enough raw minerals for every internal combustion engine car to be replaced by a 150 kWh-equipped EV, fast charging is imperative for EVs to go mainstream.”

The study’s partner, EC Power, is working to manufacture and commercialize the fast-charging battery for an affordable and sustainable future of vehicle electrification.

The good news here is that just maybe electric vehicles will be viable for the mass population. Today’s JohnKu talks about technology. I hope you have a terrific weekend.

When it seems doubtful,

The old saw kicks in hardest. . .

Necessity rocks.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy and Lucy See Something New

October 27, 2022October 26, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 124 Comments

“What the heck is that, Lucy?”

“I don’t know Little One. Looks like a toy.”

“What’s a toy doing in the backyard?”

Yeah, that is a good question. Smells like a toy.”

“You think Dad dropped it here?”

“I don’t see him but I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Maybe to take photos of us wondering how the thing got here.” You know how he is on Thursday.”

“I can tell you, this is not something I would play with at all.”

“You have to wonder sometimes. Our parents seem tone deaf when it comes to certain toys.”

“That is some kind of flower or something and I’m not going to jump at the bait.”

“You know it could be an agave. You know how dad is about margaritas.”

“We are a couple of dogs. I wouldn’t be caught dead playing with an agave.”

“I’m sure dad meant well. But I think you’re right.”

“I’m chalking that up to a toy fail. I think I’m going to tell mom.”

“Okay, but be careful. She may have a hand in it too.”

“Good point. Maybe they’ll get the hint when the thing sits there a while.”

“Yeah, a good old passive-aggressive move for sure.

Top Ten Things Not to Do When the Time Changes

October 24, 2022October 23, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 74 Comments

Halloween falls on the Monday before the changing of clocks on November 6th. The post on that Monday will be devoted to Top Ten Things not to Do on Halloween. Therefore, it might be a good idea to discuss the fall back routine of Daylight Savings time. This post was first run on November 14th, 2016. I think the advice is still good.

* * *

I dislike the time change situation and have to guard against doing some unnatural things during the “getting used to” period. I hope this list is not too late.

Top Ten Things Not to Do When the Time Changes

10 When there is a time change, do not think “fall back ” will really give you an hour of extra sleep. If you do, at best, you will be grumpy and disappointed. At worst, you will hold a grudge against the government until the “spring forward” time comes around. (Those threatening letters to the President have a way of coming back to haunt you. Don’t they felon?)

9 When there is a time change, do not expect your pets to understand the difference. If you do, at best, you will have a lot of whining around the house. At worst, those routines that are now disrupted will cause some significant animal errors. (What part of going outside by 7:00 did you miss trying to extend the visit by an hour?)

8 When there is a time change, do not expect your boss to understand your inability to adapt. If you do, at best, your boss has the same problem. At worst, the meeting called for your performance appraisal was an hour ago. (I’ll bet you are not happy with your raise this year, Ferd. Is giving back some of last year’s a thing?)

7 When there is a time change, do not think the rest of the world needs to understand your disorganization. If you do, at best, you will only miss a couple of scheduled events. At worst, your no-show profile will be noted, and the next event invitation will conveniently arrive one hour after the event is over. (There is only so much planners can take; after all, it’s been three months since the change.)

6 When there is a time change, do not forget to reset your timers. If you do forget, at best, there will be minor inconveniences until set. At worst, that oven setting will be an hour late, and you’ll be faced with raw chicken, and you invited your boss for dinner. (Lucky you, a Kentucky Fried outlet is just down the block. What you don’t know is your boss can’t eat fried food and just walked through the front door.)

5 When there is a time change, do not forget it gets dark earlier in the fall. If you do, at best, you’ll need to remember a flashlight next time. At worst, that sinkhole visible in the light somehow disappears in the dark. (That is until you manage to step in it and go up to your knees in freezing water, huh, Bunky?)

4 When there is a time change, do not take out on others the fact that you are out of sorts. If you do, at best, you will be ignored. At worst, you will insult those whose job it is to serve you. (You can’t tell, but Tiny, the WWF champ, is heading to your table to personally deliver the perfectly cooked meal you sent back. It seems that Tiny was on probation as a chef, and your meal was the test case. Hope your health insurance is in effect, Buster.)

3 When there is a time change, do not keep one clock on the previous time. If you do, at best, you might pay attention to that clock and miss something. At worst, you will keep reminding yourself of your unfortunate lack of ability to adapt and continue to measure your life in terms of what is missing as opposed to what you have. (A deep philosophical point that can be summed up with the word “stubborn.” Right, Clyde?)

2 When there is a time change, do not be concerned that you have to calculate scheduled times for your favorite shows. If you do, at best, you will miss a few shows due to your own error. At worst, you will employ a tremendous amount of effort only to discover the shows are on at the same time as usual. (Makes one feel foolish, doesn’t it, Homer)

1 When there is a time change, do not attempt to change your car clock yourself. If you do, at best, you’ll realize quickly you need help. At worst, you’ll make some adjustment that has never been seen before and will require a replacement clock to fix. (The clock reset is a little car manufacturer humor built into each car. Maybe this is the only exception to point number three.)

Views of the Neighborhood – Lakeway String-A-Palooza

October 23, 2022October 23, 2022 ~ John W. Howell ~ 60 Comments

Today we will take a trip to Lakeway Park to check out the String-A-Palooza. This is an event put on by school districts in and around Lakeway. Middle and grade school students all converge for a day of playing string instruments in and having fun.

We are catered today by Odd Duck of Austin. Our entertainment is Amadeus – The Electric String Quartet (of course)

Corn ribs, shiitake dressing, dukkah, cilantro relish

Gulf seafood ceviche, coconut purée, pear aguachile, tostada

Apple salad, pork rinds, kimchi vinaigrette, whipped chèvre

Falafel, TX caviar, cajun spiced ham, turmeric yogurt

Eggplant caponata, spicy pork jam, pine nuts, pickled okra, Sour Duck sourdough toast

Cast iron cheddar cornbread, spring onion cultured butter

Sweet potato agnolotti, ricotta, tomato butter, sunflower pesto, goat parmesan

Blackened redfish, zucchini, fried squash blossoms, sourdough bread sauce

Grilled quail, dirty Carolina gold rice, green beans, hot sauce butter

Dry-aged wagyu burger, pimento, pork belly, beer-battered pickled zucchini

Aged pork loin, whey gravy, butternut squash, shishito, salsa matcha