Pour

August 3, 2024August 2, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 66 Comments

The coffee machine is taking its sweet time producing the brew I need. Desire is like a pore that gets bigger. When the cup finally arrives, the tendency is to pour it directly down the throat. My poor body is screaming, but a sip will have to suffice. Once done, my attention turns to the clock. It is set for August 3rd, 1924. The destination is Lyon, France, and the duration is an hour. The plunger is pulled.

We find ourselves in Lyon, the site of the 1924 Grand Prix of France.

Giuseppe Campari of Italy won the French Grand Prix, driving an Alfa Romeo P2 and finishing first among 22 drivers, more than one minute ahead of Albert Divo of France. The race took place over 35 laps for a total distance of 810.09 km.

We now know that Giuseppe competed in auto races until 1933. He was also a professional opera singer. Sadly, he was 41 years old when he was killed in a crash in 1933.

Just as the champaign corks start flying, our alarm goes off, and we land safely on the trusty couch. Linda’s text is waiting. It reads.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “pore/poor/pour.’” Use any of them or use them all. Bonus points if you fit ’em all into your post. Have fun!

If you are curious about what other bloggers do with this prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2024/08/02/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-3-2024/

“Looks like you got the bonus.”

“Yup. One more lug nut for my Bentley Turbo convertible.”

“You crack me up with that.”

“We all have to have a goal.”

“Yeah, but a Bentley Turbo?”

“Name a better one.”

“Best-selling author?”

“One that is achievable.”

“How about a Voo Doo Ranger?”

“I think you have something there. Uber?”

“Right over there.”

“That looks like a 1979 GMC Caballero.”

“It beats me. All those kinds of cars look the same.”

“It’s a classic. Of course, the cabin is a little cramped. Maybe you could ride in the back.”

“You would have to pour me out at the pub with my poor, very sore anal pore.”

“TMI, let’s all sit up front.”

“Good solution.”

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

August 2, 2024August 1, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 61 Comments

The Total Artificial Heart, made of titanium – credit BiVACOR

Today’s good news comes from the Goodnews Network

Titanium Maglev Heart Implanted Successfully in a Patient for First Time May Help Others Waiting for a Transplant

Andy Corbley –Aug 1, 2024

In a highly-anticipated world-first, the Texas Heart Institute has successfully implanted an artificial titanium heart that uses the same technology as bullet trains to pump blood mechanically throughout the body.

Called the Total Artificial Heart (TAH), the feat is seen as a major step in keeping people alive for longer and longer periods while they wait for heart transplants.

Texas Heart partnered with the medical tech company BiVACOR to create the TAH. It’s a titanium-constructed biventricular rotary blood pump with a single moving part that utilizes a magnetically levitated rotor that pumps the blood and replaces both ventricles of a failing heart.

The benefit of using magnetic levitation is that none of the moving parts ever scrape or slide against each other, reducing friction and dramatically increasing the longevity of the device. But what’s really cool is the TAH can pump blood at a rate of 12 liters per minute, enough to allow an adult male to engage in exercise.

The first-in-human clinical study, overseen closely by the FDA, aims to evaluate the safety and performance of the BiVACOR TAH as a bridge-to-transplant solution for patients with severe bi or univentricular heart failure. Following this first implantation completed at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in the Texas Medical Center, four additional patients are to be enrolled in the study.

BiVACOR founder and CTO Daniel Timms tests the artificial heart – credit BiVACOR.

“The Texas Heart Institute is enthused about the groundbreaking first implantation of BiVACOR’s TAH. With heart failure remaining a leading cause of mortality globally, the BiVACOR TAH offers a beacon of hope for countless patients awaiting a heart transplant,” said Dr. Joseph Rogers, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Texas Heart Institute and National Principal Investigator on the research.

“We are proud to be at the forefront of this medical breakthrough, working alongside the dedicated teams at BiVACOR, Baylor College of Medicine, and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center to transform the future of heart failure therapy for this vulnerable population.”

Heart failure is a global epidemic affecting at least 26 million people worldwide, 6.2 million adults in the US, and is increasing in prevalence. Heart transplantations are reserved for those with severe heart failure and are limited to fewer than 6,000 procedures per year globally. Consequently, the US National Institutes of Health estimated that up to 100,000 patients could immediately benefit from mechanical alternatives.

The successful implantation of BiVACOR’s TAH highlights the potential of innovative technologies to address critical challenges in cardiac care, such as long transplantation waitlists.

“This achievement would not have been possible without the courage of our first patient and their family, the dedication of our team, and our expert collaborators at The Texas Heart Institute,” said Daniel Timms, founder and CTO of BiVACOR.

WATCH the story below…

The Good News in this report is that more and more people can be saved. Today’s JohnKu talks about dedication. I hope you have a fabulous weekend.

Sometimes answers found,

By thinking outside the box . . .

Show dedication.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy Welcomes Tempeste Home From the Vet

August 1, 2024July 31, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 150 Comments

“Twiggy, wake up. Mom is heading this way with Tempeste.”

“Muufff. Oh, good.”

“They will be here pretty soon, so we want to be ready for them.”

“What did Tempeste have done?”

“Well, she has had Stenotic Nares Correction surgery and a spay.

“I know what spay is, but what is that other thing?”

“Her nostrils are pinched, so she had to have surgery to correct that so she can breathe freely.”

“I never noticed that she had a problem.”

“It is better to care for it now that she is young than to wait until there is trouble.”

“How about my nostrils? Are they okay?”

“Yes, yours are okay. You were checked out long ago.”

“That’s good. Hey, I hear something.”

“That is mom pulling in the garage.”

“I can’t wait to see if Tempest is okay.”

“How you doing Tempeste. I was worried.”

“I’m real tired. Plus, I have to wear this stupid cone.”

“That is to protect you from hurting yourself. Your nose looks good.”

“Thanks, I think. You know this bed is not big enough for the cone and me.”

“Mom brought you a bigger bed. How does that feel?”

“Oh, much better. I really need to take a nap.”

“Yes, you need to get some rest. Trust me, you will feel better tomorrow.”

“The nose thing I get, but what is a spay anyway?”

“We’ll talk later. But for now, know that you’ll be glad you have it. I know I am.”

Tuesday Anything Possible – Finger Point Prompt – Struggle

July 30, 2024July 29, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 55 Comments

Keith Channing is taking some time off from his Kreative Kue feature. Being addicted to prompts, I have brought back the Finger-Point Prompt. Here is how it works. I open a book to a random page and, without looking, point to a spot on the page. The word or words closest to my finger is the prompt. Today I opened Eternal Road – The last stop to page 201. My finger is closest to the word ‘struggle,’ our prompt.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to figure out this math problem. It is a real struggle.”

“You want some help?”

“You know anything about calculus?”

“Are you kidding me? I have a PhD in quantum physics.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“I think there is a lot you don’t know about me.”

“I would appreciate the help, but I need to know something.”

“What? As if I couldn’t guess.”

“What do you mean?”

“When people know I have a PhD, they always ask me what am I doing being a plumber.”

“That did come to mind.”

“Let me tell you a little story. I was working on a job, and when it came time to present the bill, the customer looked at it and said, ‘This comes out to $500.00 an hour. That’s more than my doctor charges.'”

“Okay, and the point is?”

“The point was my reply to the customer, ‘I know. I used to be a doctor.’ Now let me look at your problem.”

Top Ten Things Not to Do While Making a Top Ten Things Not to Do List

July 29, 2024July 30, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 49 Comments

This post was run on June 25, 2018. It still may make some sense.

Top Ten Things Not-to-Do While Making a Top Ten Things Not-to-Do List

10 If you are making a top ten things not-to-do list, do not search the internet for top ten ideas. If you do, at best, your creativity will be stilted. At worst, you’ll start duplicating others’ work without knowing it. (Looks like that plagiarism charge is going to stick, Elder. There goes the old writing career.)

9 If you are making a top ten things not-to-do list, do not ask Tiny, the WWF champ, to preview the ridiculous stuff you wrote about him. If you do, at best, Tiny left his reading glasses at home. At worst, Tiny just left his self-esteem support group and is now taking everything you wrote literally. (I wouldn’t worry about getting your shredded paper back, Elia. I think I would begin to move towards the door.)

8 If you are making a top ten things not-to-do list, do not check with a loved one to see if it is funny. If you do, at best, you’ll be disappointed with the response. At worst, you’ll get a reminder about how beautiful it would be if you had a real job. (You can’t expect everyone to like your stuff, Ellery. Keep looking; maybe you’ll find one person who does.)

7 If you are making a top ten things not-to-do list, do not stare at people who will eventually end up on the list. If you do, at best, one may ask you, “Are you looking at me?” At worst, you might be taken for a stalker and have to explain yourself. (As you can see, the police have no interest in your list-making career, Elson. They just want you to come quietly.)

6 If you are making a top ten things not-to-do list, do not make the subject so obscure no one will get it. If you do, at best, your readership may drop. At worst, you will be explaining your meaning for the next ten years. (So why do you suppose nobody got the Top Ten things not to do in a Barnyard, Emery? I thought it was fascinating.)

5 If you are making a top ten things not-to-do list, do not make a list so familiar that everyone will think you did these things. If you do, at best, you’ll look like a fool. At worst, the FBI opens a file about you, and you get this strange feeling you are being followed. (Don’t look now, Emilin, but there is a black SUV at the end of your block.)

4 If you are making a top ten things not-to-do list, do not think the subjects will come to you if you drink more. If you do, at best, you can run one you published before. At worst, you will actually hit publish without waiting until the morning after to proofread the work. ( You know those seven words George Carlin said can’t be used on the radio? Well, Emrys, you used each one in your post. They aren’t allowed there either.)

3 If you are making a top ten things not-to-do list, do not think you have to be practical. If you do, at best, your work will be as dry as unbuttered rye toast. At worst, you’ll get mail from folks more practical than you telling you how your list is impractical. ( just shows to go ya, Endymion. You can’t please all the people all the time. Gotta stick with fiction.)

2 If you are making a top ten things not-to-do list, do not stop until you have ten things. If you do, at best, you’ll look like you had a bad night. At worst, folks will be looking for the tenth item and will assume you are holding out on them. (Okay, so it is not such a big deal, Enrico, but some of your regulars are talking about a boycott. Who advertises ten and then publishes only nine? Crazy people, that’s who.)

1. If you are making a top ten things not-to-do list, do not think you will be discovered someday. If you do, at best, you’ll still work in the dark. At worst, you will create a false expectation that your lists are the key to fame. (It looks like another day has passed without that million seller, Ericson. Maybe you need to make another list.)

Views of the Neighborhood – Deer and Other Stuff

July 28, 2024July 27, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 79 Comments

The first is one of the sculptures in Lakeway fully operational with water.

Dad and lad with sister.

The mailbox topper is in the foreground with a sightline to another sculpture in the background.

The family enjoying carrot treats.

Our old friend, the Armadillo, with flag.

Dad is babysitting.

Cow and pig Talavera.

Dad and lad in another venue.

Dachshund on a mail tower.

That is the tour. Now, it’s time to relax and enjoy the food and entertainment. I hope you have a super week.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt- Itch

July 27, 2024July 26, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 56 Comments

The coffee machine saluted me smartly as I walked into the kitchen. This highly unusual event made me think there was trouble afoot—maybe a better phrase would be trouble brewing. A shaking finger brought the brewing process to life. The aroma of the Columbian beans being pulverized into a powder made my nose itch and caused every salivary gland to empty faster than a bilge pump on the Titanic.

At last, the brew is ready, and one sip sends me to the clock. The setting is July 26, 1924. The destination is Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The duration is one hour. When the plunger is pulled, we watch Argentine pilot Pedro Zanni and mechanic Felipe Beltrame begin attempting to fly around the world, departing Amsterdam in a Fokker C-IV biplane named Ciudad de Buenos Aires.

With stops planned in Baghdad and Hanoi, Hong Kong, Fuzhou, and Shanghai, we now know that it was necessary to change planes after the first one was destroyed. The two would get as far as Tokyo before abandoning the trip on October 11 upon discovering that a British and American team had completed the first aerial circumnavigation on September 28.

Oh well. The champagne was warm and flat and lucky for us, the alarm dropped us onto our comfortable couch. Linda Hill texted the prompt for today, which reads.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “ends with ‘itch.’” Find a word that ends with “itch” or use the word “itch.” Enjoy!

Visit Linda’s post to see what other bloggers did with the prompt. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2024/07/26/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-27-2024/

“So those guys gave up, huh?”

“They sure did.”

“I’ll bet they were itching to win.”

“After destroying one plane, I’m sure they were.”

“I’m glad you gave the result of the rest of the story.”

“We covered the American trip a few posts ago, so I thought everyone would enjoy knowing what happened to these two.”

“Not to switch gears, but I think my lips are cracking.”

“From the lack of bottle moisture, I imagine.”

“I also have an eye twitch.”

“Sounds like we ought to get to the pub. Uber?”

“He is already here. Look over there.”

“We are going to the pub in a food truck?”

“Hey, how easy will it be to have a snack or two with the VooDoo Rangers?”

“I know, but doesn’t the guy need to keep his truck open for customers?”

“Well, I told him we would cover him for an hour of revenue.”

“We? I love how you use the royal we when you pitch an idea.”

“It will be fun.”

“They said.”

“Oh, come on.”

“Fine, let’s go.”

“Atta boy. Wait until you taste his burger. It is bitchin’.”

“Gratuitous use of the prompt.”

“You think?”

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

July 26, 2024July 25, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 61 Comments

Today, good news comes from the Good News Network.

City Experiments with Reusable Cups at Starbucks, Taco Bell, and 30 Other Restaurants–with Return Bins all over town

By Andy Corbley – July 25, 2024

A consortium of small firms is creating a renewable revolution within the boundaries of a small city in Northern California. The city will be the testbed for a use-and-return concept for fast food drinks.

Around 50 billion disposable drink cups are used every year in the US, but in the city of Petaluma, we will see if Americans have the discipline to reduce this footprint.

The city has around 60,000 people and will participate in the Reuseable Cup Project. The aim is to furnish 30 local restaurants, from Starbucks to Taco Bell, with identical, durable plastic drink cups. Customers and diners can use these cups and then either leave them on the table or deposit them in a network of dropoff bins around the city.

NextGen Consortium, led by the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners investment firm, asked the city government for help identifying partner restaurants. A firm called Muuse will provide professional cleaning and distribution services to redeliver the cleaned cups back to the locations.

“What they’ve told us they like about Petaluma is that there’s already a spirit of sustainability in Petaluma and [an] interest in trying to reduce the amount of waste that we’re creating collectively as a city,” Patrick Carter, assistant of the city manager who oversees the program, said in a phone call with FOX Business.

“They liked the combination of kind of a denser downtown, more businesses together that are serving these drinks, these beverages, but with a smaller population.”

Located between Santa Rosa and San Francisco, Petaluma’s residents will not be charged a penny more for their drinks and are only asked to drop them off in one of the networks of bins when they are finished. A map showing the locations of the bins can be found on the project website.

Along with reducing cup waste, it should also reduce the number of throwaway hot drink sleeves since the cups themselves are more durable and less conductive to heat.

A three-month trial starting on August 5 and running into November will provide NextGen with the data it needs to understand whether such a program can be used in larger cities.

The good news in this article is that the government, community, and individuals are all working together to eliminate waste. Today’s JohnKu talks about cooperation. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Projects done alone,

Require increased energy . . .

Better to have help.