Here is a little boring background for the following outlook.
Bear with me... :)
I began working in the hospital setting in 1976 when healthcare was gradually working toward utilizing the Diagnosis Related Group system (DRG) for billing purposes, which consisted of using the diagnosis codes for pricing; codes previously had primarily been utilized for indices (research).
This was when the Federal Government started to take control of the way Medicare dollars were spent, forcing the beginning of the practice of "cookbook" medicine; i.e., physicians had rules on what treatment they should render for certain diagnoses.
This was finally implemented around 1984.
Gradually insurance companies started utilizing similar plans for their payments.
In the late 80s and 90s insurance companies got on the band wagon and negotiated and made deals with hospitals, Doctors, Home Health Practices, etc. for each DRG, according to the amount the insurance company was willing to pay, and they each had their own rules about what treatments, etc. would be reimbursed for in each diagnosis -- this is when we started seeing HMOs and PPOs.
I retired in the late 90s and am on Medicare and supplemental Health Insurance; I have noticed that very subtly the insurance companies started opening (taking over/buying out) diagnostic centers, hospitals, physician's groups until they now have the whole ball of wax--seems like we have the fox not only in the hen house, but raising the chickens.
Medicare patients are given so many CT scans, Ultra Sounds, xrays, they cannot even keep tract of them..and these procedures do not come cheap..
Granted, I feel this probably is a good thing for the patient, however, I believe that there are a lot of unnecessary procedures done and that the insurance companies are loading up off Medicare....
Not to mention prescriptions for expensive drugs -- that, I know is not a good thing -- don't get me started on this...
Utilizing extensive endocrine studies (i.e., lab tests for blood, urine, etc..) initially, would probably cut down tremendously on the $ spent; as well as determining more specific and accurate diagnoses.
How did this happen??? Who, in their right mind, would allow the insurance companies, not only to make the rules, but to take over the facilities that were formerly the watchdog between Federal $ and the greedy insurance companies?
I have not read one word, or heard one thing in the media about this....????
The following article alludes to the beginning portion of my experience.
http://www.naturalnews.com/033881_health_care_profits.html
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
PARTISANSHIP
Our 2 party democracy has become so divided by partisanship and hate that it is worthless.
The politicians are so strangled by a few rigid ideological nonsensical issues that they will not proceed on anything, good or bad; they are only intent upon going against the other party, placing our Nation at a standstill. Those of us in the middle be damned.
Hard core (right/left) stubbornness on issues is causing hate/fear within each party.
Financial geniuses have figured out how to suck every extra penny out of the honest, hard working middle class.
Irresponsible, low life have figured out how to play the system to suck every penny out of the aid programs, paid for by the honest, hardworking middle class.
This collapse of our nation has come about via politicians being wined, dined (paid off) by lobbyists, big business, unions, powerful associations/organizations, and favoring their own financial ventures...
We all know this has to STOP.... but what are we willing to do other than complain??
Below are 3 actions available to all; in my opinion they can be utilized as nonpartisan and/or by either the RIGHT or the LEFT.
We "middle of the road" tax payers must get involved in available actions like these, rather than wasting our time gossiping and complaining.
I have found the following websites that allow THE PEOPLE something "akin to a vote" on issues prior to political action.
If you really want to make a difference, please look at each one of them in a NONPARTISAN way, as each may seem to be RIGHT or LEFT… don't let that keep you from using a tool that will work for us all.
http://www.getmoneyout.com/
http://www.americanselect.org/
www.networkamerica.org
http://www.meetup.com/about/
Action we can take:
1. Vote to "get the money out"
2. Take part in "americans elect"
3. Participate in Precinct Meetings
4. Start a MeetUp group
(I outlined steps to take, from the item copied below, to attend and/or run for office, i.e. Precinct meetings)
1. Call County Board of Elections
a. Request Precinct you reside in
b. Obtain meeting time and place of next Precinct meeting for your
residence
2. Attend meetings
3. Obtain petition to run for Precinct Executive
a. Collect signatures needed
b. Meet deadlines
4. Inform/educate others to do the same in their Precinct
*********************************************************************************
COPIED FROM:
Network America
10-Minute Lesson On How We Choose Leaders
The 10-minute lesson, only takes a few minutes to read! The goal -- very achievable -- is to get hundreds of thousands of people to read it and act on it!
This is the ten minute lesson that can be learned by hundreds of thousands of people in a few months in all corners of the country. Print it out and pass it out to your friends who do not have access to the internet. Anyone can go to a library and type in www.networkamerica.org to see more complete information. While rules vary from place to place, the general picture is about the same everywhere.
Part I: The System by which We Choose Leaders
Our country is set up to elect leaders by the vote. Leaders set policy and pass laws. Leaders also direct the police departments and the armed forces. Therefore it is essential that we have good candidates and an honest vote count. If we don't have both, then we are in deep trouble.
After reading this ten minute lesson, you can go to The Greatest Cover-up of All: VoteFraud in America for a primer on how the Ruling Elite have now made it, in effect, a crime for citizen to exercise checks and balances over local elections. These elections are now potentially easy to rig in secret in 99% of the nation's 3100+ counties (the lone exceptions being about 70% of the counties in New Hampshire, and a few other very small counties here and there).
Both how votes are counted and who is groomed and nominated for office are determined by the same process: the precinct system which elect the local party county organizations.
There are 50 states in the United States of America. These 50 states are divided into 3100+ counties. Each of these 3100+ counties are divided into precincts. A precinct is usually about five or six streets around your house. There are usually between 200 and 500 voters in an average precinct. There are about 300,000 precincts in the United States of America. In each precinct is one voting place at election time. All the registered voters in your neighborhood precinct vote at this same place.
Here's the "secret" -- which is basically kept from the general public. Every two years, usually around March to May, there is a precinct leader elected in YOUR neighborhood precinct for each party recognized in your state as an official party. (Unfortunately, in most states that means only the Democratic and Republican Parties, thanks to the extremely unjust rules which the Dems and Repubs have put in place -- making it almost impossible for third parties to qualify for any extended period of time.)
Why is the elected Precinct leader elected for your party in your neighborhood important? For this reason: the elected Precinct Leaders for your party proceed -- a few weeks after they are elected in the primary election (such as in May, 2006 in Ohio) -- to meet at the county organizational meeting for your party. At this party organizational meeting, the elected precinct leaders for each neighborhood -- elect the county Party leaders.
Why Are the Party Leaders in your county important? Because county Party Leaders have decisive influence over HOW the votes are counted in your county. County Party Leaders also usually have decisive influence over who gets the party's endorsement for office -- AND the candidate who wins the party endorsement almost always wins the primary.
NOTE: Almost always, the Democrat or Republican who wins the spring primary -- wins the election in November --- and therefore goes to the state house or Washington D.C. and makes the laws and other government policy.
At a little later time, County Party leaders for your party also get together and elect the State Party leaders for your state, who in turn get together somewhere and elect the national party leaders for your party. The national Party leaders then, among other things, set the rules for the presidential primaries in their party.
When you realize all this, you realize why the essay in our archives about the Precinct Executive is entitled The Most Powerful Office in the Land.
Part II: How to Run for Precinct Executive
It is extremely easy to run for Precinct for most people. For instance, in Hamilton County (Cincinnati), Ohio we need only 5 valid signatures from registered voters who a) live in our precinct, b) are registered in the party in which we are running, i.e., the signatures of 5 registered Republicans in my precinct qualify me to run for precinct. In Ohio it is also valid to get voters who are not registered to either party to sign your petition when you are running for precinct.
Then on primary election day (again, usually held in March, April, May, or June of even numbered years) the precinct election is held, and is usually the last. No one makes much noise about it, and it is usually the last spot on the ballot. (This precinct system is there, but it hardly ever mentioned in the newsmedia or anywhere else. Until a friend of mine explained this system to me in 1986, I had never noticed the precinct election in my precinct, and I was deeply involved in political activity.)
Furthermore, one third of the precinct positions are vacant at any given time. So, in one third of the precincts, if you qualify for ballot position, you virtually win automatically provided you go and vote for yourself.
If there is a contest, then often the final vote tally looks like a football score, or even a baseball score: 20 to 9, or 9 to 5, or 48 to 37, 3 to 1, and so forth. It is relatively easy to win and become a precinct leader.
It's extremely easy for most people to make an impact in the precinct system. It would take about 20 to 40 hours per year in the even years (2006, 2008, etc.) for each person who decides to get involved, run for precinct executive in their neighborhood, and attend their party's county organizational meeting in their county.
Part III: The All-Important County Party Organizational Meeting
As stated above, at present, the Republican and Democratic party organizational meeting in your county is a virtual secret. Most people reading this have probably never been to one, have probably never heard where one was held, nor have heard anything about their local party county meeting on the electronic media or in the newspapers.
It is essential that hundreds of thousand of citizens descend upon their next county party organizational meeting, which at this point will be from March to June in 2008 for most counties. Whether you are elected or not, you can attend the county organizational meeting of one, both, or all parties in your county. Pick your county Democratic party meeting, or pick your county Republican meeting, or both.
County party leaders in both the Democratic and Republican parties need to see hundreds of determined local citizens who show up and make it known that an informed body of citizens are on to the way the system works and are determined to change it.
Each person must decide whether they will operate low-key, and to some extent keep the current party leadership guessing, - or whether to lead the way for others in your county by firmly making it known to all what you believe and why you believe it. In my judgement, we need at least a committee of responsible, outspoken leaders in each county. Whether or not you are elected to precinct executive, whether or not you even run for precinct executive - go to one or more of the party organizational meetings in your county.
The first step is to get onto the field of battle -- the precinct system. After enough everyday citizens are comfortable being on the playing field, then it will become natural to elect the leaders for your party in your county, and this in turn will empower the everyday citizen to determine the direction of the nation once again.
Part IV: Call Your County Board of Elections, Find out what Precinct you live in, and get the petition to run for precinct executive. Collect the signatures needed, be sure to turn it in by the deadline, and inform your friends and acquaintances how they can do the same.
They were so strong in their beliefs that there came a time when it hardly mattered what exactly those beliefs were; they all fused into a single stubbornness. (Louise Erdrich)
(the logo above is from the site of Tina Crumpacker Owner at TMC Productions)
The politicians are so strangled by a few rigid ideological nonsensical issues that they will not proceed on anything, good or bad; they are only intent upon going against the other party, placing our Nation at a standstill. Those of us in the middle be damned.
Hard core (right/left) stubbornness on issues is causing hate/fear within each party.
Financial geniuses have figured out how to suck every extra penny out of the honest, hard working middle class.
Irresponsible, low life have figured out how to play the system to suck every penny out of the aid programs, paid for by the honest, hardworking middle class.
This collapse of our nation has come about via politicians being wined, dined (paid off) by lobbyists, big business, unions, powerful associations/organizations, and favoring their own financial ventures...
We all know this has to STOP.... but what are we willing to do other than complain??
Below are 3 actions available to all; in my opinion they can be utilized as nonpartisan and/or by either the RIGHT or the LEFT.
We "middle of the road" tax payers must get involved in available actions like these, rather than wasting our time gossiping and complaining.
I have found the following websites that allow THE PEOPLE something "akin to a vote" on issues prior to political action.
If you really want to make a difference, please look at each one of them in a NONPARTISAN way, as each may seem to be RIGHT or LEFT… don't let that keep you from using a tool that will work for us all.
http://www.getmoneyout.com/
http://www.americanselect.org/
www.networkamerica.org
http://www.meetup.com/about/
Action we can take:
1. Vote to "get the money out"
2. Take part in "americans elect"
3. Participate in Precinct Meetings
4. Start a MeetUp group
(I outlined steps to take, from the item copied below, to attend and/or run for office, i.e. Precinct meetings)
1. Call County Board of Elections
a. Request Precinct you reside in
b. Obtain meeting time and place of next Precinct meeting for your
residence
2. Attend meetings
3. Obtain petition to run for Precinct Executive
a. Collect signatures needed
b. Meet deadlines
4. Inform/educate others to do the same in their Precinct
*********************************************************************************
COPIED FROM:
Network America
10-Minute Lesson On How We Choose Leaders
The 10-minute lesson, only takes a few minutes to read! The goal -- very achievable -- is to get hundreds of thousands of people to read it and act on it!
This is the ten minute lesson that can be learned by hundreds of thousands of people in a few months in all corners of the country. Print it out and pass it out to your friends who do not have access to the internet. Anyone can go to a library and type in www.networkamerica.org to see more complete information. While rules vary from place to place, the general picture is about the same everywhere.
Part I: The System by which We Choose Leaders
Our country is set up to elect leaders by the vote. Leaders set policy and pass laws. Leaders also direct the police departments and the armed forces. Therefore it is essential that we have good candidates and an honest vote count. If we don't have both, then we are in deep trouble.
After reading this ten minute lesson, you can go to The Greatest Cover-up of All: VoteFraud in America for a primer on how the Ruling Elite have now made it, in effect, a crime for citizen to exercise checks and balances over local elections. These elections are now potentially easy to rig in secret in 99% of the nation's 3100+ counties (the lone exceptions being about 70% of the counties in New Hampshire, and a few other very small counties here and there).
Both how votes are counted and who is groomed and nominated for office are determined by the same process: the precinct system which elect the local party county organizations.
There are 50 states in the United States of America. These 50 states are divided into 3100+ counties. Each of these 3100+ counties are divided into precincts. A precinct is usually about five or six streets around your house. There are usually between 200 and 500 voters in an average precinct. There are about 300,000 precincts in the United States of America. In each precinct is one voting place at election time. All the registered voters in your neighborhood precinct vote at this same place.
Here's the "secret" -- which is basically kept from the general public. Every two years, usually around March to May, there is a precinct leader elected in YOUR neighborhood precinct for each party recognized in your state as an official party. (Unfortunately, in most states that means only the Democratic and Republican Parties, thanks to the extremely unjust rules which the Dems and Repubs have put in place -- making it almost impossible for third parties to qualify for any extended period of time.)
Why is the elected Precinct leader elected for your party in your neighborhood important? For this reason: the elected Precinct Leaders for your party proceed -- a few weeks after they are elected in the primary election (such as in May, 2006 in Ohio) -- to meet at the county organizational meeting for your party. At this party organizational meeting, the elected precinct leaders for each neighborhood -- elect the county Party leaders.
Why Are the Party Leaders in your county important? Because county Party Leaders have decisive influence over HOW the votes are counted in your county. County Party Leaders also usually have decisive influence over who gets the party's endorsement for office -- AND the candidate who wins the party endorsement almost always wins the primary.
NOTE: Almost always, the Democrat or Republican who wins the spring primary -- wins the election in November --- and therefore goes to the state house or Washington D.C. and makes the laws and other government policy.
At a little later time, County Party leaders for your party also get together and elect the State Party leaders for your state, who in turn get together somewhere and elect the national party leaders for your party. The national Party leaders then, among other things, set the rules for the presidential primaries in their party.
When you realize all this, you realize why the essay in our archives about the Precinct Executive is entitled The Most Powerful Office in the Land.
Part II: How to Run for Precinct Executive
It is extremely easy to run for Precinct for most people. For instance, in Hamilton County (Cincinnati), Ohio we need only 5 valid signatures from registered voters who a) live in our precinct, b) are registered in the party in which we are running, i.e., the signatures of 5 registered Republicans in my precinct qualify me to run for precinct. In Ohio it is also valid to get voters who are not registered to either party to sign your petition when you are running for precinct.
Then on primary election day (again, usually held in March, April, May, or June of even numbered years) the precinct election is held, and is usually the last. No one makes much noise about it, and it is usually the last spot on the ballot. (This precinct system is there, but it hardly ever mentioned in the newsmedia or anywhere else. Until a friend of mine explained this system to me in 1986, I had never noticed the precinct election in my precinct, and I was deeply involved in political activity.)
Furthermore, one third of the precinct positions are vacant at any given time. So, in one third of the precincts, if you qualify for ballot position, you virtually win automatically provided you go and vote for yourself.
If there is a contest, then often the final vote tally looks like a football score, or even a baseball score: 20 to 9, or 9 to 5, or 48 to 37, 3 to 1, and so forth. It is relatively easy to win and become a precinct leader.
It's extremely easy for most people to make an impact in the precinct system. It would take about 20 to 40 hours per year in the even years (2006, 2008, etc.) for each person who decides to get involved, run for precinct executive in their neighborhood, and attend their party's county organizational meeting in their county.
Part III: The All-Important County Party Organizational Meeting
As stated above, at present, the Republican and Democratic party organizational meeting in your county is a virtual secret. Most people reading this have probably never been to one, have probably never heard where one was held, nor have heard anything about their local party county meeting on the electronic media or in the newspapers.
It is essential that hundreds of thousand of citizens descend upon their next county party organizational meeting, which at this point will be from March to June in 2008 for most counties. Whether you are elected or not, you can attend the county organizational meeting of one, both, or all parties in your county. Pick your county Democratic party meeting, or pick your county Republican meeting, or both.
County party leaders in both the Democratic and Republican parties need to see hundreds of determined local citizens who show up and make it known that an informed body of citizens are on to the way the system works and are determined to change it.
Each person must decide whether they will operate low-key, and to some extent keep the current party leadership guessing, - or whether to lead the way for others in your county by firmly making it known to all what you believe and why you believe it. In my judgement, we need at least a committee of responsible, outspoken leaders in each county. Whether or not you are elected to precinct executive, whether or not you even run for precinct executive - go to one or more of the party organizational meetings in your county.
The first step is to get onto the field of battle -- the precinct system. After enough everyday citizens are comfortable being on the playing field, then it will become natural to elect the leaders for your party in your county, and this in turn will empower the everyday citizen to determine the direction of the nation once again.
Part IV: Call Your County Board of Elections, Find out what Precinct you live in, and get the petition to run for precinct executive. Collect the signatures needed, be sure to turn it in by the deadline, and inform your friends and acquaintances how they can do the same.
They were so strong in their beliefs that there came a time when it hardly mattered what exactly those beliefs were; they all fused into a single stubbornness. (Louise Erdrich)
(the logo above is from the site of Tina Crumpacker Owner at TMC Productions)
Sunday, October 16, 2011
SURRENDER
In the spiritual sense, it is my opinion that to surrender does not mean we must be submissive to anyone or anything...
I believe surrender means that we must make a commitment and take action to discover, then acknowledge, our own truth... face our own truth... accept our own truth... and take responsibility for it... it is that simple...
After we have surrendered to our own truth, and have dug down to the roots and beginnings of that truth, -- what a wonderful, embraceable place (peace) we will find.
I believe surrender means that we must make a commitment and take action to discover, then acknowledge, our own truth... face our own truth... accept our own truth... and take responsibility for it... it is that simple...
After we have surrendered to our own truth, and have dug down to the roots and beginnings of that truth, -- what a wonderful, embraceable place (peace) we will find.
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE
(please know, this is not in reference to your job, contracted assignments, etc.)
We all have helped others in one way or another and when the person we helped has success in whatever the help pertained to, we wonder why the person we helped does not give us credit in some way--publicly, amongst family, friends, whatever...
The help we give is usually only one drop of sand in the progress of that other person, even though we believe it to be more.
The other person has paid attention to our help, as well as to their own soul... what they do with the help we offer has nothing to do with us... It has only to do with the other person's soul, and how they choose to use the information, $, assistance, information, whatever.
In turn, that is how an offer to assist should be given... only to assist that other person in reaching their goal.
Giving or doing (for someone), with the express motivation being that of an expectation for admiration, praise, gratitude, and/or reciprocation in return -- most times results in disappointment for the one giving...
When giving comes from the soul without question... The credit received will be peace within the soul...
Having said that... when there is anything that you have created, know from experience, etc., that is your own; and others, by crossing (what should be) your boundaries, leech off this... it is up to you to protect it... if you have not set boundaries... DO! For yourself and the others...
It is so easy to be drawn into a conversation and before you know it, you have shared your most creative thoughts... given them away free for the other person to do with whatever they decide to do with them...
This will drain your soul dry... if you allow it....
We all have helped others in one way or another and when the person we helped has success in whatever the help pertained to, we wonder why the person we helped does not give us credit in some way--publicly, amongst family, friends, whatever...
The help we give is usually only one drop of sand in the progress of that other person, even though we believe it to be more.
The other person has paid attention to our help, as well as to their own soul... what they do with the help we offer has nothing to do with us... It has only to do with the other person's soul, and how they choose to use the information, $, assistance, information, whatever.
In turn, that is how an offer to assist should be given... only to assist that other person in reaching their goal.
Giving or doing (for someone), with the express motivation being that of an expectation for admiration, praise, gratitude, and/or reciprocation in return -- most times results in disappointment for the one giving...
When giving comes from the soul without question... The credit received will be peace within the soul...
Having said that... when there is anything that you have created, know from experience, etc., that is your own; and others, by crossing (what should be) your boundaries, leech off this... it is up to you to protect it... if you have not set boundaries... DO! For yourself and the others...
It is so easy to be drawn into a conversation and before you know it, you have shared your most creative thoughts... given them away free for the other person to do with whatever they decide to do with them...
This will drain your soul dry... if you allow it....
Monday, October 10, 2011
APOLOGIES
Apologizing -- Apologies -- There is just something about the use of the word "apologize" that I have a problem with... apologies are made without any thought or regard to what they actually mean... and used, for the most part, only to please others...
When everyone involved knows that an apology is only a pretense in most cases, with no sincerity, actual regret, or change of feelings by the person making the statement... for the most part, an apology is meaningless -- just because it has been so misused.
If a person regrets the entire incident happened, but couldn't or wouldn't change their part in the incident, that is something else entirely... it is not something to "apologize" for, even though they may regret that the incident happened.
Most kids are taught from the time they learn to talk, to say "I'm sorry", when, of course, they are NOT sorry at all, but they say they are, because their parent forces them to. Then it goes on to become an automatic response to keep peace, when someone else is offended by, or doesn't like what they have said or done.
When everyone involved knows that an apology is only a pretense in most cases, with no sincerity, actual regret, or change of feelings by the person making the statement... for the most part, an apology is meaningless -- just because it has been so misused.
If a person regrets the entire incident happened, but couldn't or wouldn't change their part in the incident, that is something else entirely... it is not something to "apologize" for, even though they may regret that the incident happened.
Most kids are taught from the time they learn to talk, to say "I'm sorry", when, of course, they are NOT sorry at all, but they say they are, because their parent forces them to. Then it goes on to become an automatic response to keep peace, when someone else is offended by, or doesn't like what they have said or done.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
PLAYLISTS
I have always enjoyed listening to music, however until about 5 years ago, I only listened to the artists singing, etc.. and never gave much thought to the whole scenario of putting it all together.
I was not one to purchase records, tapes, CDs; mostly due to the fact that I am a spend thrift and would not pay the amount for the whole album, when I only wanted one or two songs out of the whole thing.
I always thought, there must be a way to buy just the songs I want... and "voila", the internet... I was anxious to get started, however I approached that just like most things I do, ---painstakingly.
I had been putting a list together for several years,-- of the songs I remembered and wanted to listen to again.
When I started my search for the songs, I realized that there were many renderings of the same song by different artists, bands, etc.., and found myself trying to make a choice to buy one song only... DUH!
Finally, I started sorting and listening to all my wish lists and found that my favorites were so beautiful, no matter who performed them, that I consequently purchased numerous arrangements of the same title... and I enjoy every one of them. They are individually so distinct and independent, although still consonant.
Some songs, you never tire of; they are ageless.
I also did not give any attention to whom the song was written by, who played the instruments, the definitive sounds of each instrument, nor did I care about the arranging and conducting. I listened to the music as a unit, identifying it only by the vocalist or instrumentalist.
One of my all time favorites is "Spanish Harlem", co-written by Phil Spector...
I had only known about Phil Spector as a funny looking "dweeb" who was convicted of murder... Little did I know what a musical genius he is; If he can write and produce such beautiful music, I guess he isn't all bad.... I was pretty shocked when I read about him, I have to admit...
Love my music...
I was not one to purchase records, tapes, CDs; mostly due to the fact that I am a spend thrift and would not pay the amount for the whole album, when I only wanted one or two songs out of the whole thing.
I always thought, there must be a way to buy just the songs I want... and "voila", the internet... I was anxious to get started, however I approached that just like most things I do, ---painstakingly.
I had been putting a list together for several years,-- of the songs I remembered and wanted to listen to again.
When I started my search for the songs, I realized that there were many renderings of the same song by different artists, bands, etc.., and found myself trying to make a choice to buy one song only... DUH!
Finally, I started sorting and listening to all my wish lists and found that my favorites were so beautiful, no matter who performed them, that I consequently purchased numerous arrangements of the same title... and I enjoy every one of them. They are individually so distinct and independent, although still consonant.
Some songs, you never tire of; they are ageless.
I also did not give any attention to whom the song was written by, who played the instruments, the definitive sounds of each instrument, nor did I care about the arranging and conducting. I listened to the music as a unit, identifying it only by the vocalist or instrumentalist.
One of my all time favorites is "Spanish Harlem", co-written by Phil Spector...
I had only known about Phil Spector as a funny looking "dweeb" who was convicted of murder... Little did I know what a musical genius he is; If he can write and produce such beautiful music, I guess he isn't all bad.... I was pretty shocked when I read about him, I have to admit...
Love my music...
Saturday, September 17, 2011
DIETS
How many diets have we each gone on???
I am not an overweight person and I have been on at least 5.
I have found that when I try these, they are so unattractive that there is no way I could stay on them for any length of time, not to mention the toll they most likely take on my body.
The most beneficial practices I have found are the following:
1. Portion control (I use a small saucer for meals)
2. Avoid sugar
3. Eat foods I am accustomed to (in moderation)
4. Eat very small amounts many times a day (healthy snacks)
5. Eat before I get hungry (healthy snacks)
6. Eat ONLY enough so I am NOT hungry
7. Don't allow myself to ever get hungry
8. Don't ever allow myself to feel full
I am not an overweight person and I have been on at least 5.
I have found that when I try these, they are so unattractive that there is no way I could stay on them for any length of time, not to mention the toll they most likely take on my body.
The most beneficial practices I have found are the following:
1. Portion control (I use a small saucer for meals)
2. Avoid sugar
3. Eat foods I am accustomed to (in moderation)
4. Eat very small amounts many times a day (healthy snacks)
5. Eat before I get hungry (healthy snacks)
6. Eat ONLY enough so I am NOT hungry
7. Don't allow myself to ever get hungry
8. Don't ever allow myself to feel full
BEGINNING A DIET
This is the only plan that has had a favorable, lasting effect when it comes to losing pounds and keeping them off.
This is how I must begin and continue throughout a diet, if I'm going to be successful
1. Set my mind to stick to it until the weight is off (I don't start just prior to Holidays, vacations, or having company)
2. Prepare enough food for at least a week in advance, even if I have to freeze some of it (have plenty small containers available - 1 cup and less)
When I finally make up my mind to go on a diet, the most important thing after setting my mind to it, is preparation... I find that when I launch into (whatever diet)... if I don't have enough of every food I plan to eat for at least a week, I fail... AND.. even while I am just maintaining, I must continuously keep food made up ahead, because if I get hungry, it is too late... the food MUST be ready at any time during the day or evening... no prepping no waiting... or else I'll be eating more of something easy than I had planned, and I am referring to more calories.
3. Weigh and Measure
Also, I must be diligent when it comes to measuring and weighing foods that I prepare and eat; and not just guessing and approximating...
I have a good kitchen scale (a must) that weighs Lb/Oz Kg/gr, has the "tare" feature, as well as liquid oz... the brand is Escali... I purchased it on line (not intended to be an ad for Escali)
This is how I do it --- when I do it right:
• When I cook meat, I weigh it after it is cooked and after removing fat, bone, etc.; I weigh each serving -- it is difficult to measure meat into a cup, etc..
• When I cook mixtures, i.e. stir-fry, soup, casserole, etc., I prepare all the food for the dish I am going to make... as follows:
• Weigh each ingredient - documenting the # of calories per gram (multiply gms x calories of each ingredient or go to:http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/)
• Add up (sums of calories for each ingredient found in previous procedure) all ingredients together to figure how many calories in the whole batch i.e.:
Onions 487 gr = 195
Yellow Squash 599 gr = 96
Zucinni Squash 676 gr = 108
1/3 C Olive Oil = 72
4 TBSP Smart Balance = 189
Total Calories = 660
• Then I cook up the dish
• After it is cooked I measure the whole batch out by the cup (document # of cups; this batch was 8)
• Divide the total number of calories for the whole batch by the number of cups in whole batch (or you could weigh it; I prefer to measure at this point)
660 calories divided by 8 cups = 82.5
The above procedure assists in determining how many calories per measurement (pint, cup, TBSP, etc.)
Calories per cup in this recipe = 82.5
The quota for calories I have allowed myself for the day, divided by the number of times I feel I must eat (every 2 hours), will determine how much of each item I can eat ... maybe only 1/4 cup of whatever... maybe 1/4 cup of the ingredient with 1/2 cup water added (soup)... etc...
4. I keep a log including calories, protein, carbs, fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugar, fiber of each thing I eat daily... this is very helpful in seeing where I need to make changes
After much trial and error, observation, etc... it is my opinion that I must eat at least some of the foods that I am accustomed to; otherwise I start craving my comfort foods, i.e. potatoes, bread, roast pork, rice, cereal, dairy, eggs, etc.. so I just use the above procedure and stick to the above outline... it works.
5. Weigh and document my weight weekly, trying to do it about the same time each week give or take a day/hour... (I also invested in a good quality digital scale) I keep a pen and paper next to my scale... I document the date and weight each time I weigh... then I adjust my calories either up or down which ever way I need to go. I also transfer these numbers to my daily calorie log for future reference.
I will publish other Posts with recipes, tips, etc..
RESOURSES:
http://www.nutrition.com.sg/he/herda-adt.asp
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/
note pads x 3
spiral note book x 3 (or database program)
scale: Escali (or one comparable)
Amazon.com
New
No tax + Free shipping
$43.50
Overstock.com
New
No tax + Shipping: $2.95
$43.50
Kohl's
New
Tax: $3.00 + Shipping: $6.95
$59.94
This is how I must begin and continue throughout a diet, if I'm going to be successful
1. Set my mind to stick to it until the weight is off (I don't start just prior to Holidays, vacations, or having company)
2. Prepare enough food for at least a week in advance, even if I have to freeze some of it (have plenty small containers available - 1 cup and less)
When I finally make up my mind to go on a diet, the most important thing after setting my mind to it, is preparation... I find that when I launch into (whatever diet)... if I don't have enough of every food I plan to eat for at least a week, I fail... AND.. even while I am just maintaining, I must continuously keep food made up ahead, because if I get hungry, it is too late... the food MUST be ready at any time during the day or evening... no prepping no waiting... or else I'll be eating more of something easy than I had planned, and I am referring to more calories.
3. Weigh and Measure
Also, I must be diligent when it comes to measuring and weighing foods that I prepare and eat; and not just guessing and approximating...
I have a good kitchen scale (a must) that weighs Lb/Oz Kg/gr, has the "tare" feature, as well as liquid oz... the brand is Escali... I purchased it on line (not intended to be an ad for Escali)
This is how I do it --- when I do it right:
• When I cook meat, I weigh it after it is cooked and after removing fat, bone, etc.; I weigh each serving -- it is difficult to measure meat into a cup, etc..
• When I cook mixtures, i.e. stir-fry, soup, casserole, etc., I prepare all the food for the dish I am going to make... as follows:
- Find the tare of vessel used for ingredients
• Weigh each ingredient - documenting the # of calories per gram (multiply gms x calories of each ingredient or go to:http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/)
• Add up (sums of calories for each ingredient found in previous procedure) all ingredients together to figure how many calories in the whole batch i.e.:
Onions 487 gr = 195
Yellow Squash 599 gr = 96
Zucinni Squash 676 gr = 108
1/3 C Olive Oil = 72
4 TBSP Smart Balance = 189
Total Calories = 660
• Then I cook up the dish
• After it is cooked I measure the whole batch out by the cup (document # of cups; this batch was 8)
• Divide the total number of calories for the whole batch by the number of cups in whole batch (or you could weigh it; I prefer to measure at this point)
660 calories divided by 8 cups = 82.5
The above procedure assists in determining how many calories per measurement (pint, cup, TBSP, etc.)
Calories per cup in this recipe = 82.5
The quota for calories I have allowed myself for the day, divided by the number of times I feel I must eat (every 2 hours), will determine how much of each item I can eat ... maybe only 1/4 cup of whatever... maybe 1/4 cup of the ingredient with 1/2 cup water added (soup)... etc...
4. I keep a log including calories, protein, carbs, fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugar, fiber of each thing I eat daily... this is very helpful in seeing where I need to make changes
After much trial and error, observation, etc... it is my opinion that I must eat at least some of the foods that I am accustomed to; otherwise I start craving my comfort foods, i.e. potatoes, bread, roast pork, rice, cereal, dairy, eggs, etc.. so I just use the above procedure and stick to the above outline... it works.
5. Weigh and document my weight weekly, trying to do it about the same time each week give or take a day/hour... (I also invested in a good quality digital scale) I keep a pen and paper next to my scale... I document the date and weight each time I weigh... then I adjust my calories either up or down which ever way I need to go. I also transfer these numbers to my daily calorie log for future reference.
I will publish other Posts with recipes, tips, etc..
RESOURSES:
http://www.nutrition.com.sg/he/herda-adt.asp
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/
note pads x 3
spiral note book x 3 (or database program)
scale: Escali (or one comparable)
Amazon.com
New
No tax + Free shipping
$43.50
Overstock.com
New
No tax + Shipping: $2.95
$43.50
Kohl's
New
Tax: $3.00 + Shipping: $6.95
$59.94
Friday, September 16, 2011
INNER PEACE
Please know, this is NOT about discrediting anyone's beliefs, religion, past, etc.. This is strictly my opinion, formed from observation and experience.
I am a very open minded person, however opinionated, to a degree.
I believe that all people are searching for the same thing ...i.e., finding: ones self, soul, heart, God, peace... whatever.
We all go about finding "IT" (I call it inner peace) in different ways, depending upon our experience, nationality, country, exposure, culture, religion, family, etc..
It is a mystery to me, why this simple peace is placed into such complicated, tight little boxes, containing illogical rules, superstitions, myths, etc., derived from our ancestor's opinions.
What a difference it would make if all the boxes were removed... nothing else would have to change... people could continue to believe whatever gives them peace.
Whatever experience gives an individual peace is right for them... peace comes to each person in it's own unique way.
Using my own experience and knowledge this is how I MAINTAIN my own peace (how I FOUND it, is another long, long story):
I DO (at least am aware and try to)
1. Face my own TRUTH as an individual
2. Take total RESPONSIBILITY for my actions, feelings, past, choices, etc..
3. Take ACTION..i.e., do what my gut knows is the right thing, right now, in all instances
I DON'T
1. EXPECT anyone or anything to make me happy
2. ASSUME someone else will take care of my responsibilities
3. BLAME others for how I feel or for what has happened to me in the past
I have NOT studied theology, ancient history, psychology, or much of anything else for that matter... :) however, the most famous quotes down through the ages, from many different authors have the same meaning as what I have come to realize, is the only way to maintain my inner peace...
QUOTES:
• It is a great thing to know our vices (Cicero)
• The truth which makes men free is for the most part, the truth which men prefer not to hear (Herbert Agar)
• Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom (Aristotle)
• To thine own self be true (Shakespeare)
• So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead (Bible/James 2:17)
• Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry on as if nothing ever happened. (Sir Winston Churchill)
• Do not run from the truth. There be naught so hard to live with as a lie. (Kathryn L. Nelson)
• Know them by their deeds (Ye shall know them by their fruits..Bible)
• Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't. (Mark Twain)
• Where is there dignity unless there is honesty (Cicero)
• Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie (Shakespeare)
• To each his own (Cicero)
• Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Bible/Philippians 2:12b)
• Call a spade a spade (Menander)
• The buck stops here (Harry Truman)
• Excuses are like assholes everybody has one (?)
• There ain't no such thing as a free lunch (unknown)
• It takes courage to grow up and be who you really are. (E.E. Cummings)
• Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibiles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be. (Shel Silverstein)
• It is our choices, Harry that show us who we truly are, far more than our abilities (JK Rowling)
• If you aspire to the highest place it is no disgrace to stop at the second or even the third place. (Cicero)
• We must not say that every mistake is a foolish one (Cicero)
• I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief. (Gerry Spence)
• To be or not to be (Shakespeare)
• Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. (Albert Einstein)
• We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are (Anais Nin)
• Alas, the fearful unbelief is unbelief in yourself (Carlyle)
• Nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so (Shakespeare)
• In so far as the mind is stronger than the body, so are the ills contracted by the mind more severe than those contracted by the body. (Cicero)
• The patient must minister to himself (Shakespeare)
• The fault, dear Brutus, is not in the stars (Shakespeare)
• Infirm of Purpose (Shakespeare)
• Credulity is a man's weakness but a child's strength (Lamb)
• A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug (Patricia Neal)
• People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be (Abe Lincoln)
• When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. (Helen Keller)
• You don't have a soul, you are a soul. You have a body (C.S. Lewis)
• Nothing is so firmly believed as what we least know (Montaigne)
• They were so strong in their beliefs that there came a time when it hardly mattered what exactly those beliefs were; they all fused into a single stubbornness. (Louise Erdrich)
I am a very open minded person, however opinionated, to a degree.
I believe that all people are searching for the same thing ...i.e., finding: ones self, soul, heart, God, peace... whatever.
We all go about finding "IT" (I call it inner peace) in different ways, depending upon our experience, nationality, country, exposure, culture, religion, family, etc..
It is a mystery to me, why this simple peace is placed into such complicated, tight little boxes, containing illogical rules, superstitions, myths, etc., derived from our ancestor's opinions.
What a difference it would make if all the boxes were removed... nothing else would have to change... people could continue to believe whatever gives them peace.
Whatever experience gives an individual peace is right for them... peace comes to each person in it's own unique way.
Using my own experience and knowledge this is how I MAINTAIN my own peace (how I FOUND it, is another long, long story):
I DO (at least am aware and try to)
1. Face my own TRUTH as an individual
2. Take total RESPONSIBILITY for my actions, feelings, past, choices, etc..
3. Take ACTION..i.e., do what my gut knows is the right thing, right now, in all instances
I DON'T
1. EXPECT anyone or anything to make me happy
2. ASSUME someone else will take care of my responsibilities
3. BLAME others for how I feel or for what has happened to me in the past
I have NOT studied theology, ancient history, psychology, or much of anything else for that matter... :) however, the most famous quotes down through the ages, from many different authors have the same meaning as what I have come to realize, is the only way to maintain my inner peace...
QUOTES:
• It is a great thing to know our vices (Cicero)
• The truth which makes men free is for the most part, the truth which men prefer not to hear (Herbert Agar)
• Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom (Aristotle)
• To thine own self be true (Shakespeare)
• So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead (Bible/James 2:17)
• Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry on as if nothing ever happened. (Sir Winston Churchill)
• Do not run from the truth. There be naught so hard to live with as a lie. (Kathryn L. Nelson)
• Know them by their deeds (Ye shall know them by their fruits..Bible)
• Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't. (Mark Twain)
• Where is there dignity unless there is honesty (Cicero)
• Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie (Shakespeare)
• To each his own (Cicero)
• Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Bible/Philippians 2:12b)
• Call a spade a spade (Menander)
• The buck stops here (Harry Truman)
• Excuses are like assholes everybody has one (?)
• There ain't no such thing as a free lunch (unknown)
• It takes courage to grow up and be who you really are. (E.E. Cummings)
• Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibiles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be. (Shel Silverstein)
• It is our choices, Harry that show us who we truly are, far more than our abilities (JK Rowling)
• If you aspire to the highest place it is no disgrace to stop at the second or even the third place. (Cicero)
• We must not say that every mistake is a foolish one (Cicero)
• I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief. (Gerry Spence)
• To be or not to be (Shakespeare)
• Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. (Albert Einstein)
• We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are (Anais Nin)
• Alas, the fearful unbelief is unbelief in yourself (Carlyle)
• Nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so (Shakespeare)
• In so far as the mind is stronger than the body, so are the ills contracted by the mind more severe than those contracted by the body. (Cicero)
• The patient must minister to himself (Shakespeare)
• The fault, dear Brutus, is not in the stars (Shakespeare)
• Infirm of Purpose (Shakespeare)
• Credulity is a man's weakness but a child's strength (Lamb)
• A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug (Patricia Neal)
• People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be (Abe Lincoln)
• When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. (Helen Keller)
• You don't have a soul, you are a soul. You have a body (C.S. Lewis)
• Nothing is so firmly believed as what we least know (Montaigne)
• They were so strong in their beliefs that there came a time when it hardly mattered what exactly those beliefs were; they all fused into a single stubbornness. (Louise Erdrich)
CANNING PICKLES
I recently moved to a new home and have been gradually getting a little landscaping, etc. done...
I wasn't ready to put in a full fledged garden, however I wanted some beans, radishes, cucumbers and tomatoes.... so I decided to plant them along the fence... I had just recently had the fence put in, so the grass had not completely invaded the dirt up to the fence and I thought this would be a good place to plant... so prepared a little strip and planted 2 hills of cucumbers, about 8 beans, and then I decided to put my tomatoes and radishes in a huge pot... (rather than dig out grass) I thought I would never find enough dirt to fill that darn thing.... big job for me... So, got all that done and things started popping right away.... cucumbers up, beans up, radishes up, tomatoes blooming.... this was in June in Florida.... everything looked good for a couple weeks and then everything except one cucumber plant did a melt down... too hot.... and I think I had some bugs working on the beans... Having said that... my one hill of cucumbers just went gangbusters and produced way more cucumbers than I could eat, so I decided to make bread and butter pickles, and take pictures of the process to share with you all. They were so pretty I could not resist....
I have done a lot of canning in my day... and I learned that you do not have to have everything perfect.... i.e. In the past somewhere along the way I discovered after running out of canning jars when I still had more peach butter or something, can't remember, to can.... that the jars you buy other things in... the ones that have the lids with the rubber on the inside... will reseal...soooo, ..
INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING PICKLES
See 2 recipes below for comparison... be creative...
1. Go online and find a recipe that suits you (that you have or can get ingredients for) I used the first recipe below, with variations, but have used others... all about the same... Please know, I am a creative cook... so I usually wind up mixing and matching recipes using spices I have on hand... you may use sliced onions or not ( I didn't this time)... this is a matter of choice... they make wonderful bread and butter pickles... even if your recipe doesn't call for them... just add extra brine to make up for the volume.
2. Sterilize jars - I just put a little clorox in the dishwasher and leave the heat cycle turned on... you can also put them in your oven and heat them up to (225) for 15 minutes to assure they are sterilized... this is also a handy place to store them out of the way while you have your counter tops busy with the rest of it...
3. Have all your ingredients available, i.e. vinegar (plenty), sugar, spices
Have a large cooking pot ready...size depending on how many cucumbers you have.... you can make several batches if you have a lot of cucumbers
4. Gather cucumbers
3. Clean cucumbers
4. Weigh cucumbers
5. Slice cucumbers - thick
6. Salt cucumbers slices
7. Cool cucumber slices in refrigerator a couple hours (I put mine in a colander with a bowl under to catch moisture)
8. TAKE A NAP!!
9. Make brine
10. Heat brine to boiling
11. Rinse cucumber slices thoroughly (while brine is heating)
12. Put cucumbers in hot brine following recipe (or not, depending upon which recipe you choose).. I tried just packing one jar and pouring hot brine over and storing in refrigerator... the one in the picture... pickles were very crisp and delicious
13. Pack jars with cucumber slices and brine to cover
14. Wipe tops of jars clean with damp paper towel
15. Put lids tightly on jars
16. Place on counter top to cool... I leave space between for faster cooling... you will hear the lids "pop" as they seal... If you have some that don't seal... keep them in the refrigerator... and use them up first. You can see the jar on the left that I packed the cucumbers in cold and poured hot brine over... I was surprised when it sealed just like the ones I heated in the brine
This first recipe below is the recipe I used; however the only spices I used were mustard seeds, celery seeds, and tumeric and I only used cucumbers, no onions... I included the second recipe, for you to compare.
Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe 1 (copied from Simply Recipes)
Start with the freshest pickling cucumbers you can find; your pickles are only going to be as good as the produce you start with. The fresher the cucumbers are, the crispier your pickles will be.
INGREDIENTS:
• 2 1/2 lbs pickling cucumbers (fresh from the market)
• 1 pound white or yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup pickling salt (can use Kosher salt as a substitute, regular table salt has additives in it that will turn the pickles dark and muddy the color of the pickle juice)
• 1 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 Tbsp mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3/4 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 6 allspice berries plus a pinch of ground allspice
• 6 whole cloves plus a pinch of ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
If you are planning to store pickles outside of refrigerator, you will need the following canning equipment:
• 5 pint-sized canning jars, clean, unused lids, metal screw bands for the lids (see Canning jars and lids)
• 1 16-qt canning pot with rack Jar lifters or tongs
METHOD:
1. Carefully rinse the cucumbers, scrubbing away any dirt that may have stuck to the ribs. Slice off 1/8-inch from the ends and discard. Slice the cucumbers in 1/4-inch thick slices, place in a large bowl. Add the sliced onions and pickling salt. Stir in so that the salt is well distributed among the cucumber slices. Cover with a clean tea towel (thin towel, not terry cloth). Cover with a couple of inches of ice. Put in the refrigerator and let chill for 4 hours. Discard ice. Rinse the cucumber and onion slices thoroughly, drain. Rinse and drain again.
2. If you are planning to store your pickles outside of the refrigerator for any length of time, you will need to sterilize your jars before canning, and heat the filled jars in a hot water bath after canning. If you are planning to eat the pickles right away and store them the whole time in the refrigerator, you can skip the water bath step. It's still a good idea to sterilize the jars first, you can do that by running them through the dishwasher, or placing them in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes. To sterilize the jars for canning, place empty jars on a metal rack in a large, 16-qt canning pot. (Jars must rest on a rack in the pot, not on the bottom of the pot). Fill with warm water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to warm to keep the jars hot and ready for canning. Remove with tongs or jar lifters one by one as you can the cucumbers. Sterilize the lids by bringing a pot of water to a boil and pouring water over a bowl containing the lids.
3. In a 4 qt or 6 qt pot, place the vinegar, sugar, and all of the spices. Bring to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the sliced cucumbers and onions. Bring to a boil again. As soon as the sugar vinegar solution begins boiling again, use a slotted spoon to start packing the hot jars with the cucumbers. First pack a jar to an inch from the rim with the vegetables. Then pour hot vinegar sugar syrup over the vegetables to a half inch from the rim. Wipe the rim clean with a paper towel. Place a sterilized lid on the jar. Secure with a metal screw band.
4. If you are planning to store pickles outside of refrigerator, process the filled jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Return filled jars to the same canning pot with its already hot water. Water level needs to be at least one inch above the top of the cans. Bring to a boil and let boil hard for 15 minutes, or 20 minutes for altitiudes of 1001 to 6,000 feet. Over 6,000 feet, boil for 25 minutes. Remove jars from pot. Let cool down to room temperature. Jars should make a popping sound as their lids seal. If a lid doesn't properly seal, do not store the jar outside of the refrigerator.
Makes about 5 pint jars.
Bread and Butter Pickles 2 (Recipe adapted from Recipe Girl)
INGREDIENTS:
• 5 1/2 cups (about 1 1/2 pounds) thinly sliced pickling cucumbers
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
METHOD:
1. Combine cucumbers and salt in a large, shallow bowl; cover and chill 11/2 hours. Move cucumbers into a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Drain well, and return cucumbers to bowl. Add onion to the bowl and toss with the cucumbers.
2. Combine the granulated sugar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds and ground turmeric in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over cucumber mixture; let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
Yield: About 4 cups of pickles
I wasn't ready to put in a full fledged garden, however I wanted some beans, radishes, cucumbers and tomatoes.... so I decided to plant them along the fence... I had just recently had the fence put in, so the grass had not completely invaded the dirt up to the fence and I thought this would be a good place to plant... so prepared a little strip and planted 2 hills of cucumbers, about 8 beans, and then I decided to put my tomatoes and radishes in a huge pot... (rather than dig out grass) I thought I would never find enough dirt to fill that darn thing.... big job for me... So, got all that done and things started popping right away.... cucumbers up, beans up, radishes up, tomatoes blooming.... this was in June in Florida.... everything looked good for a couple weeks and then everything except one cucumber plant did a melt down... too hot.... and I think I had some bugs working on the beans... Having said that... my one hill of cucumbers just went gangbusters and produced way more cucumbers than I could eat, so I decided to make bread and butter pickles, and take pictures of the process to share with you all. They were so pretty I could not resist....
I have done a lot of canning in my day... and I learned that you do not have to have everything perfect.... i.e. In the past somewhere along the way I discovered after running out of canning jars when I still had more peach butter or something, can't remember, to can.... that the jars you buy other things in... the ones that have the lids with the rubber on the inside... will reseal...soooo, ..
Here are my designer jars
INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING PICKLES
See 2 recipes below for comparison... be creative...
1. Go online and find a recipe that suits you (that you have or can get ingredients for) I used the first recipe below, with variations, but have used others... all about the same... Please know, I am a creative cook... so I usually wind up mixing and matching recipes using spices I have on hand... you may use sliced onions or not ( I didn't this time)... this is a matter of choice... they make wonderful bread and butter pickles... even if your recipe doesn't call for them... just add extra brine to make up for the volume.
2. Sterilize jars - I just put a little clorox in the dishwasher and leave the heat cycle turned on... you can also put them in your oven and heat them up to (225) for 15 minutes to assure they are sterilized... this is also a handy place to store them out of the way while you have your counter tops busy with the rest of it...
3. Have all your ingredients available, i.e. vinegar (plenty), sugar, spices
Have a large cooking pot ready...size depending on how many cucumbers you have.... you can make several batches if you have a lot of cucumbers
4. Weigh cucumbers
8. TAKE A NAP!!
9. Make brine
11. Rinse cucumber slices thoroughly (while brine is heating)
12. Put cucumbers in hot brine following recipe (or not, depending upon which recipe you choose).. I tried just packing one jar and pouring hot brine over and storing in refrigerator... the one in the picture... pickles were very crisp and delicious
14. Wipe tops of jars clean with damp paper towel
15. Put lids tightly on jars
This first recipe below is the recipe I used; however the only spices I used were mustard seeds, celery seeds, and tumeric and I only used cucumbers, no onions... I included the second recipe, for you to compare.
Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe 1 (copied from Simply Recipes)
Start with the freshest pickling cucumbers you can find; your pickles are only going to be as good as the produce you start with. The fresher the cucumbers are, the crispier your pickles will be.
INGREDIENTS:
• 2 1/2 lbs pickling cucumbers (fresh from the market)
• 1 pound white or yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup pickling salt (can use Kosher salt as a substitute, regular table salt has additives in it that will turn the pickles dark and muddy the color of the pickle juice)
• 1 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 Tbsp mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3/4 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 6 allspice berries plus a pinch of ground allspice
• 6 whole cloves plus a pinch of ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
If you are planning to store pickles outside of refrigerator, you will need the following canning equipment:
• 5 pint-sized canning jars, clean, unused lids, metal screw bands for the lids (see Canning jars and lids)
• 1 16-qt canning pot with rack Jar lifters or tongs
METHOD:
1. Carefully rinse the cucumbers, scrubbing away any dirt that may have stuck to the ribs. Slice off 1/8-inch from the ends and discard. Slice the cucumbers in 1/4-inch thick slices, place in a large bowl. Add the sliced onions and pickling salt. Stir in so that the salt is well distributed among the cucumber slices. Cover with a clean tea towel (thin towel, not terry cloth). Cover with a couple of inches of ice. Put in the refrigerator and let chill for 4 hours. Discard ice. Rinse the cucumber and onion slices thoroughly, drain. Rinse and drain again.
2. If you are planning to store your pickles outside of the refrigerator for any length of time, you will need to sterilize your jars before canning, and heat the filled jars in a hot water bath after canning. If you are planning to eat the pickles right away and store them the whole time in the refrigerator, you can skip the water bath step. It's still a good idea to sterilize the jars first, you can do that by running them through the dishwasher, or placing them in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes. To sterilize the jars for canning, place empty jars on a metal rack in a large, 16-qt canning pot. (Jars must rest on a rack in the pot, not on the bottom of the pot). Fill with warm water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to warm to keep the jars hot and ready for canning. Remove with tongs or jar lifters one by one as you can the cucumbers. Sterilize the lids by bringing a pot of water to a boil and pouring water over a bowl containing the lids.
3. In a 4 qt or 6 qt pot, place the vinegar, sugar, and all of the spices. Bring to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the sliced cucumbers and onions. Bring to a boil again. As soon as the sugar vinegar solution begins boiling again, use a slotted spoon to start packing the hot jars with the cucumbers. First pack a jar to an inch from the rim with the vegetables. Then pour hot vinegar sugar syrup over the vegetables to a half inch from the rim. Wipe the rim clean with a paper towel. Place a sterilized lid on the jar. Secure with a metal screw band.
4. If you are planning to store pickles outside of refrigerator, process the filled jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Return filled jars to the same canning pot with its already hot water. Water level needs to be at least one inch above the top of the cans. Bring to a boil and let boil hard for 15 minutes, or 20 minutes for altitiudes of 1001 to 6,000 feet. Over 6,000 feet, boil for 25 minutes. Remove jars from pot. Let cool down to room temperature. Jars should make a popping sound as their lids seal. If a lid doesn't properly seal, do not store the jar outside of the refrigerator.
Makes about 5 pint jars.
Bread and Butter Pickles 2 (Recipe adapted from Recipe Girl)
INGREDIENTS:
• 5 1/2 cups (about 1 1/2 pounds) thinly sliced pickling cucumbers
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
METHOD:
1. Combine cucumbers and salt in a large, shallow bowl; cover and chill 11/2 hours. Move cucumbers into a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Drain well, and return cucumbers to bowl. Add onion to the bowl and toss with the cucumbers.
2. Combine the granulated sugar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds and ground turmeric in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over cucumber mixture; let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
Yield: About 4 cups of pickles
Sunday, September 11, 2011
LEARNING
For many years it has been my opinion, after my school experience and that of my children, that from the very earliest age, children should be allowed to learn what they are interested in, at their own pace and have everything imaginable available to them...
The evolution of virtual education is very inspiring to me; it is the beginning of a solution to a totally dysfunctional system.
This would bring to an end, the brain washing of, and forcing of other people's opinions onto our school children.
Kids who are bullied, dyslexic, shy, discriminated against, extremely creative, disabled, etc. could take classes online from home and be liberated from the torture of attending class.
School buildings in existence could continue be used for children who want/need structure for learning. The existing buildings could also be used as community centers, to provide social outlet to all children who do not attend school, for learning social skills; that, too, to the extent which each child personally desires... whatever type social activities kids are interested in could be provided, i.e. roller skating, bowling, football, basketball, card playing, chess, etc... whatever they are interested in.
And now I will rant.....
When kids start to school their personality starts to change, sometimes for the better, sometimes not.. I chalked it up to "growing up"...
Not all kids are cut out for academics required in schools today... however all normal children have creative interests that are, more often than not, squelched during their school years.
...I hated school... from beginning to end... always got good grades, socially accepted, etc., but hated every minute of it... it felt like a prison to me.
My daughter loved school, got good grades, never brought a book home, was a social butterfly, cheerleader, star volleyball player, etc.etc... when she graduated, she attended two different colleges but never envisaged a career she wanted to pursue... even though she has excelled in every job she has ever had... a profession that would be her choice still eludes her.
When my son was little he was so creative and intent on learning that he taught himself to read watching Sesame Street, and was drawing with totally perfect perspective when he first picked up a crayon...
THEN he started school... did well; the schools at that time were in the bilingual mode and he was speaking Spanish like a little Hispanic kid... the school disbanded the Spanish lessons after about a year...
He continued to get excellent grades and was always very social and popular...
I went to visit my son's class as Room Mother (early 70's, second or third grade) and the teacher told me that they had him putting model airplanes together, because he was so far ahead of the other kids... and I was so dumb and blind in those days (whole other segment) that I just smiled and agreed like all good "Stepford Wives" and went along like everything was coming up daisies...
Well, in middle school he did a shut down, his grades plummeted... started getting in trouble, not going to school, etc., etc...
In spite of it all, he graduated from college, turned out fine (another segment) and went on to be very successful... however his story of success is one out of a million others that end negatively...
I find the following articles very interesting:
http://www.babygooroo.com/index.php/2009/05/03/oh-yeah-school-about-that%E2%80%A6/
http://www.khanacademy.org/
The evolution of virtual education is very inspiring to me; it is the beginning of a solution to a totally dysfunctional system.
This would bring to an end, the brain washing of, and forcing of other people's opinions onto our school children.
Kids who are bullied, dyslexic, shy, discriminated against, extremely creative, disabled, etc. could take classes online from home and be liberated from the torture of attending class.
School buildings in existence could continue be used for children who want/need structure for learning. The existing buildings could also be used as community centers, to provide social outlet to all children who do not attend school, for learning social skills; that, too, to the extent which each child personally desires... whatever type social activities kids are interested in could be provided, i.e. roller skating, bowling, football, basketball, card playing, chess, etc... whatever they are interested in.
And now I will rant.....
When kids start to school their personality starts to change, sometimes for the better, sometimes not.. I chalked it up to "growing up"...
Not all kids are cut out for academics required in schools today... however all normal children have creative interests that are, more often than not, squelched during their school years.
...I hated school... from beginning to end... always got good grades, socially accepted, etc., but hated every minute of it... it felt like a prison to me.
My daughter loved school, got good grades, never brought a book home, was a social butterfly, cheerleader, star volleyball player, etc.etc... when she graduated, she attended two different colleges but never envisaged a career she wanted to pursue... even though she has excelled in every job she has ever had... a profession that would be her choice still eludes her.
When my son was little he was so creative and intent on learning that he taught himself to read watching Sesame Street, and was drawing with totally perfect perspective when he first picked up a crayon...
THEN he started school... did well; the schools at that time were in the bilingual mode and he was speaking Spanish like a little Hispanic kid... the school disbanded the Spanish lessons after about a year...
He continued to get excellent grades and was always very social and popular...
I went to visit my son's class as Room Mother (early 70's, second or third grade) and the teacher told me that they had him putting model airplanes together, because he was so far ahead of the other kids... and I was so dumb and blind in those days (whole other segment) that I just smiled and agreed like all good "Stepford Wives" and went along like everything was coming up daisies...
Well, in middle school he did a shut down, his grades plummeted... started getting in trouble, not going to school, etc., etc...
In spite of it all, he graduated from college, turned out fine (another segment) and went on to be very successful... however his story of success is one out of a million others that end negatively...
I find the following articles very interesting:
http://www.babygooroo.com/index.php/2009/05/03/oh-yeah-school-about-that%E2%80%A6/
http://www.khanacademy.org/
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
BSers and BROWN-NOSERS
It has always amazed me, how unperceptive, and possibly naive CEOs and bosses in general are, on the subject of interpreting people... they seem totally misled when it comes to understanding people's souls, intent, facade, BS in general.
When a person has a powerful presence, bosses seem to overlook everything else... I cannot understand why that is... I have observed this time and again.
The amount of weight put on presence, body language, etc.. is very misleading... you cannot "cookbook" soul types...
In my experience whenever a stocky, broad shouldered, big faced, self assured person was in the midst, they were the one bosses assumed knew what they were talking about... and this usually, was not the case..
More often than not, these "Of Presence", or sometimes "Charismatic" persons are full of BS, have a great "Gift of Gab" and are obsequious (brown-nosers)... all of which sways those in power, and is very difficult to compete with if you are an honest hardworking person.
In my experience these people are elbowing their way through life and have no conscience about who they step on in the process.
Ethics, principles, scruples, morals and the truth mean nothing to them.
I have, and continue to see bosses who overlook incredible employees for these deadbeats... they usually don't last long, but leave a large swath in their passing.
When a person has a powerful presence, bosses seem to overlook everything else... I cannot understand why that is... I have observed this time and again.
The amount of weight put on presence, body language, etc.. is very misleading... you cannot "cookbook" soul types...
In my experience whenever a stocky, broad shouldered, big faced, self assured person was in the midst, they were the one bosses assumed knew what they were talking about... and this usually, was not the case..
More often than not, these "Of Presence", or sometimes "Charismatic" persons are full of BS, have a great "Gift of Gab" and are obsequious (brown-nosers)... all of which sways those in power, and is very difficult to compete with if you are an honest hardworking person.
In my experience these people are elbowing their way through life and have no conscience about who they step on in the process.
Ethics, principles, scruples, morals and the truth mean nothing to them.
I have, and continue to see bosses who overlook incredible employees for these deadbeats... they usually don't last long, but leave a large swath in their passing.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
eReaders
After I was initiated into the use of the internet, I spent money on used books like a drunken sailor... from every place....
I am an avid reader and have spent many $ on books, have 2 huge bookcases full, have donated numerous books to different places (including a bunch I took to a used book store to use for credit... the book store closed and I never got my credit, so I have to include that as a donation)... have several boxes stored....
About 3 years ago, I decided to be more frugal, after tallying up $ I spent on books over a years time, and obtained a library card for our County Libraries. This worked out really well for me because they had a home service that I could use... I would check the books out online and they would be delivered via the USPS to my mailbox...
I utilized this service for about a year, until I started seeing all the hype about bedbugs being on the increase... didn't want to have any part of that... and thought that library books might be a very likely transmitter of bedbug (eggs)....
I also noticed that the cost of the postage on one batch of books was $6.00, (don't know if that included the return as well) which went against my grain of course, having the government spend more to send it to me than it would cost for me to buy it on the internet......
So... I started researching eBook readers.
I inquired at the local County Library and our library was in the process of upgrading their system to handle eBooks, but were not yet ready... so I researched the availability of free eBooks... found that the Philadelphia Library has a service... and obtained a library card from them... www.freelibrary.org
At this time eBook readers were just getting off the ground... most of them were proprietary, in that if you buy their product, you can only download THEIR eBooks and they were fairly expensive...
The only reader I found that was reasonable, nonproprietary, and was equipped to download ePub (free) eBooks was the Nook by Barnes and Noble for about $150.00....so I purchased one...
I have been very pleased with it... after learning how to download, etc..
It doesn't have many bells and whistles and honestly, I haven't even tried to use it for anything other than for reading my books... and it is perfect for that..
I will eventually get an iPad, however they are not up to the speed I expect them to attain... so maybe the next version that comes out, I'll buy one... or not...
Happy reading!
I am an avid reader and have spent many $ on books, have 2 huge bookcases full, have donated numerous books to different places (including a bunch I took to a used book store to use for credit... the book store closed and I never got my credit, so I have to include that as a donation)... have several boxes stored....
About 3 years ago, I decided to be more frugal, after tallying up $ I spent on books over a years time, and obtained a library card for our County Libraries. This worked out really well for me because they had a home service that I could use... I would check the books out online and they would be delivered via the USPS to my mailbox...
I utilized this service for about a year, until I started seeing all the hype about bedbugs being on the increase... didn't want to have any part of that... and thought that library books might be a very likely transmitter of bedbug (eggs)....
I also noticed that the cost of the postage on one batch of books was $6.00, (don't know if that included the return as well) which went against my grain of course, having the government spend more to send it to me than it would cost for me to buy it on the internet......
So... I started researching eBook readers.
I inquired at the local County Library and our library was in the process of upgrading their system to handle eBooks, but were not yet ready... so I researched the availability of free eBooks... found that the Philadelphia Library has a service... and obtained a library card from them... www.freelibrary.org
At this time eBook readers were just getting off the ground... most of them were proprietary, in that if you buy their product, you can only download THEIR eBooks and they were fairly expensive...
The only reader I found that was reasonable, nonproprietary, and was equipped to download ePub (free) eBooks was the Nook by Barnes and Noble for about $150.00....so I purchased one...
I have been very pleased with it... after learning how to download, etc..
It doesn't have many bells and whistles and honestly, I haven't even tried to use it for anything other than for reading my books... and it is perfect for that..
I will eventually get an iPad, however they are not up to the speed I expect them to attain... so maybe the next version that comes out, I'll buy one... or not...
Happy reading!
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