Day: March 6, 2022

E.M.’ Sunday Ramble Prompt — Digging Deep

Fandango29 Comments

It’s time once again for E.M. Kingston’s The Sunday Ramble. Her prompt is based upon a certain topic about which she asks five questions. We are invited to ramble on about that topic however we wish. Today’s topic is “Let’s Dig A Bit Deeper.”

When there is so much negativity in the world, as there has been as of late, what do you do to cleanse your soul away from all of the negative stigma?

I stop watching, reading, or listening to as much of the “breaking news” as I used to and try to focus on other things, like writing flash fiction posts for my blog or going for long rides on my ebike.

Do you think it is possible to break the divide in humanity with the war happening in Ukraine? (Meaning: Do you think the war will bring the people in the world back together in unity?) It’s kind of a double-ended question.

No and no. The world is so fractured as it is and I just read an article in this morning’s paper (so yeah, I confess, I can’t go cold turkey when it comes to reading the newspaper) about how Russia is flooding social media sites in the U.S. and Europe with bogus claims about its invasion of Ukraine. And, sadly, people are buying into the lies. Social media has become the main source of information for many people, which makes it fertile ground for bad actors seeking to spread misinformation and to sow discord.

I know we are all from different places and countries, but we are all human. What are three things that need to change for you to feel safe in the current state of humanity?

1. Embrace our differences.

2. Accept that climate change is a global problem that needs to be proactively addressed before it’s to late.

3. Live by “Whatever floats your boat.”

For me, time has stood still since the attacks in the Ukraine. The news has been on in my room non-stop, and I try to watch it as much as possible. Have you been watching the news? If so, write the first thought that comes to mind. If you haven’t been watching the news (or do not watch it ever), how do you keep up with what is happening around the globe?

I still watch/read some news, but I’ve cut back significantly on the amount of news I watch because it’s just too depressing, frustrating, and angering. The first thing that comes to mind for me is that we’re all fucked.

Do you have someone to talk to when things get hard in your life? If not, would you like someone to talk to when things get hard? We all need someone, and I just want to make sure you are all okay or managing.

Yes. My wife.

The Bad Seed

Fandango2 Comments

He seemed to be a really wholesome kid. You know, the clean-cut, all-American type. Sure, when he was a teenager he got busted on occasion for vandalism, but what teenager hasn’t, you know what I’m saying?

I dont exactly know what happened that caused him to turn into such a churl. Maybe it was the father who abandoned him or his alcoholic mother who shaped him. Or perhaps it was the time he spent in juvy that exacerbated his wayward journey into adulthood. Coulda been he was just born that way, like a bad seed. It’s just a shame that he grew up to be a shady character who was capable of committing such heinous acts of domestic violence.

Written for these daily prompts: Ragtag Daily Prompt (wholesome), Word of the Day Challenge (occasion), My Vivid (vandalism), Your Daily Word Prompt (churl), E.M.’s Random Word Prompt exacerbate), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (shady), and The Daily Spur (domestic). Photo credit: istockphotos.com.

Booyah!

Fandango26 Comments

This was the headline that came flashed on the newsfeed on my iPhone this morning. Seems that the national average price for gas has topped $4 a gallon as gas costs continue to soar in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Don’t hate me, but seeing that headline made me smile. Why? Because last August I bought an electric car and, as a result. I haven’t set foot in a gas station ever since.

Photo credit: Frederick J. Brown via Getty Images

And what made me smile even more was this photo above of a gas station in Los Angeles. Ouch!

I live in Northern California, and California is the only state with an average cost per gallon over $5. In fact, the price of gas for regular gas is averaging a whopping $5.28 per gallon in the Golden State, by far the highest in the nation. Selfishly, as the owner of an electric car, this dubious distinction for my home state doesn’t faze me at all.

And at the risk of sounding like I’m gloating, I just finished doing my federal income taxes for 2021 and instead of having to write a check to Uncle Sam for north of $900, because of the federal tax credit of $7,500 for the purchase of an environmentally friendly electric vehicle, Uncle Sam will be sending me a check in the amount of $6,600. Booyah!

So yeah, I’m very happy with my decision to purchase an electric car last summer.

Who Won The Week — 03/06/22

Fandango22 Comments

The idea behind Who Won the Week is to give you the opportunity to select who (or what) you think “won” this past week. Your selection can be anyone or anything — politicians, celebrities, athletes, authors, bloggers, your friends or family members, books, movies, TV shows, businesses, organizations, whatever.

If you want to participate, write your own post designating who you think won the week and why you think they deserve your nod. Then link back to this post and tag you post with FWWTW.

Photo credit: Bear League

This week’s Who Won the Week Winner is Hank the Tank, pictured above. Hank is a 500-pound black bear accused of breaking into more than two dozen South Lake Tahoe, California homes. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife blamed the rather rotund black bear for 33 instances of extensive property damage, forced break-ins of at least 28 homes, and more than 150 reports of conflict.

Hank has ballooned up to some 500 pounds on his diet of pilfered human food, and easily crashes through doors and windows. He “was taking the rap” for all of the incidents, but new DNA evidence examined by the state wildlife department shows that Hank isn’t the only suspect after all. At least three bears — two female and one male, believed to be Hank — were likely responsible for the incidents over the past seven months.

Interestingly, residents who’ve encountered the massive beast say he doesn’t growl or menace them. “He just sits there and eats,” said Ann Bryant of the Bear League. State wildlife authorities are trying to capture Hank and his two fellow invaders, and release them into a more “suitable environment.”

What about you? Who (or what) do you think won the week?

And lest you think I’ve gone totally apolitical…

Weekend Quickie — March ‘22

Fandango10 Comments

Rory is at it again with his Weekend Quickie questions. Let’s see what he’s asking this time.

How important is it really to know how to wash your hair?

I have no hair on the top of my head, but I still shampoo my head every time I take a shower. As to other parts of my body, I wash my face (including my mustache and beard daily. And, since I don’t do any manscaping and I’m a relatively hairy guy, I wash my ample body hair with each shower. As to how important it is to know how to wash your hair, I don’t know that it’s any more or less important than to know how to wash any other parts of your body.

What are five things everyone should know?

  • How to balance your checkbook
  • How to make a good cup of coffee
  • How to read
  • How to drive
  • How to wash your hair

Who taught you how to make your bed, and do you make it or get up and get on with your day returning later to a crumpled heap of bed linen?

I taught myself, although I learned how to make hospital corners in the army. I make my bed every day shortly after I get up.

Do you eat right or wrong, as in is your diet balanced or not?

Thanks to my wife, I eat mostly healthy meals and have a relatively balanced diet. Were if not for her, I’d probably be dead by now.

In your opinion – How dangerous is naked bungee jumping really on a scale of one to ten?

Eleven. Being naked or clothed doesn’t make bungee jumping any more or less dangerous.

Do you think it is safer to walk on a bed of red hot coals barefoot or in your socks and would you do it sober?

I wouldn’t do it sober, drunk, stoned, on a bet, or on a dare. So it’s a moot question.

Does size matter?

In most things, yes.

When was the last time you actively participated in some heavy mosh pit action?

Never.

What is the hottest spice you have ever wittingly consumed on your food?

I’m not big on eating hot, spicy foods, so whenever I end up eating something with really hot spices, it’s never wittingly.

How do you think you think compared to others, and is there truly a huge difference?

I think I think critically and I think far too many people don’t anymore. Is there a huge difference? Well, look around. There seems to be an over abundance of non-thinkers lately.

Bonus Question: What was l going to ask you here?

You were going to ask “What was I going to ask you here?”