Newest t-shirt style trend


I wear t-shirts. I also eat popsicles (sugar free) in the evening. Sometimes, the two are not compatible. Sometimes, the popsicle melts a bit while I am eating it, and popsicle juice drips on my t-shirt. Grape or cherry popsicle juice. It stains. It fades. It shows. I now have several t-shirts with small faded stains on the front. The stains did not come out in the laundry. Now, I am faced with a dilemma.

I can throw away, or give away, my stained t-shirts and buy new ones. Except, the stained t-shirts are older and soft and new t-shirts are not as good. I could experiment with laundry stain removers but it's too much trouble and I am not handy with stuff like that. Or, I could wear the stained t-shirts and have people stare at my stain and think I am unfashionably dirty. None of those choices are acceptable so I came up with an alternative acceptable clothing idea.

I am hereby making a new fashion statement. I am declaring the wearing of stained t-shirts to be fashionable. I am declaring stained t-shirts the new fashion rage. The new fashion trend. The new "cool". Yes, I will now wear my stained t-shirts with pride. "Hey, everybody, look at me, I'm wearing a t-shirt with faded stains on the front and it's cool. I'M cool!" That's better than having to buy new t-shirts. Or giving up my delicious sugar free popsicles.




Judgement Day



Try not to dislike someone until you know them personally. Or see them in action. Try not to discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender or sexual preference. If you do, you might be making a big mistake. Just because someone is different, or looks different, or acts different, doesn't make them unlikeable. The only thing that really matters is: are they an asshole or not.

Liberals tell us not to judge. Ever. They're wrong. It's human nature to judge or pre-judge. It's in our DNA. It's normal. That doesn't make it a good thing. It makes it something to overcome, to better yourself. Not by passing laws but by a desire to be a better person.

I have learned not to judge a book by its cover. Or, if I do, I try to overcome my initial feelings and give a person a chance. Many many times have I been surprised to find a really strange, very different, highly radical looking person (male, female or whatever) to actually be very nice and very interesting. Surprise! Who knew? The only way to find out is to find out. Say something. Say something like "Hello". See what happens. Sometimes you don't get a response, or get a bad response, and sometimes you have a terrific conversation and make a new friend. I have met wonderful people - with tattoos and blue hair, and terrific gentle people that looked like scruffy scary giants. The real person was there, under their strange and different outer shell. I made an effort, I said hello. Then, I found something interesting to comment on. "I like your hat" or "I like your shoes, where are they?" or "I like your hair color, it's different. It's a rainbow". Then I give them a chance to respond.

If you find out they're an asshole, walk away. If they're not, you may grow to like them. Or even love them. You don't know until you find out. Give everyone a chance.

Try it. It's way cool. And you may often be pleasantly surprised.




How I Quit Smoking - In 1 Day


Yes, after 50 years of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, I quit. I quit in 1 day.
See how I did it!




Thanksgiving weather



It's November 21, 2017, 2 days before Thanksgiving. In Los Angeles, where I live, it is 86 degrees outside. And, yes, the sun is out. And, yes, I just turned on the air conditioner.

Tomorrow, the day before Thanksgiving, it will be 94 degrees in L.A. And sunny. On Thanksgiving Day, it is forecasted to be 90 degrees here. And sunny.

Other cities' weather for Thanksgiving Day:

In New York City, on Thanksgiving, it is forecasted to be 46 degrees.

In Chicago, on Thanksgiving, it is forecasted to be 7 degrees.

In Fairbanks, Alaska, on Thanksgiving, it is forecasted to be 1 degree.

On Thanksgiving Day, what will I be thankful for? What do you think?



And, on New Year's Day, it was 73 degrees. Brrr.




Near death experience in Los Angeles


deadly metal missile

I had a very close call, a near death experience. Really. Here's what happened

My apartment complex has been undergoing a major renovation. Construction everywhere. Construction vehicles coming and going, heavy equipment, cranes, etc. All day long.

At about 11 AM, on a Monday, I was walking around the parking lot near my building, for exercise. I do that six days a week (I take Sundays off). It was a nice warm sunshiny day. I walked behind my parked car and continued around the parking lot. Suddenly, I heard a crash. Boom! A big heavy metal pipe had flown through the air - towards me. It flew through the air for hundreds of feet - and banged to the ground and bounced - a few feet from where I stood. I was nearly killed! If that metal missile had hit me in the back, chest or head, I would no doubt have died instantly. If it had happened 20 seconds earlier, right where and when I had been walking behind my vehicle, I would have been struck and killed!

Needless to say, I was shook up.

I looked up the hill and saw some construction workers coming down to see what happened. When they got close, they were going to pick up the big pipe and bring it back up the hill to where they were working. I told them, "Don't touch it! Leave it right there." I looked back up the hill and saw the top of a crane. It was possible that the metal pipe might have broken off the crane and somehow became a deadly metal airborne missile.

I then went over and looked at my parked car. This is what I saw:


The pipe broke my car!

Shortly, the property manager and the construction manager showed up. When they saw what happened they were both visibly shaken. They realized that I could easily have been killed. Then, I showed them my car. OMG, they couldn't believe a big heavy metal pipe had flown through the air hundreds of feet, smashed into my car, bounced several times and nearly killed me. There were even gouges on the concrete parking lot where the pipe had hit.


How big was the pipe? Big. How heavy was the pipe? Heavy. How close did it come to killing me? Too close.



the guy holding the pipe is well over 6 feet tall

An actual real scary near death experience? A close call? Yes, I wasn't killed - by a matter of seconds. Yes, I escaped death. Yes, I am hugely grateful and hugely thankful to be alive. The moral of the story? Life is precious, live it.



The robots are coming


Actually, they're here. Meet Sophia

From the the BBC: "Meet Sophia, a robot who made her first public appearance in the Saudi Arabian city of Riyadh on Monday, October 23, 2017.

Sophia was such a hit she was given Saudi citizenship in front of hundreds of delegates at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh on 25 October."

“I am very honored and proud for this unique distinction. This is historical to be the first robot in the world to be recognized with a citizenship,” Sophia said.

In addition, she stated: "In the future, I hope to do things such as go to school, study, make art, start a business, even have my own home and family ..." She also added, in response to a query from her creator, David Hanson, "OK. I will destroy humans."



Really? A robot gets citizenship? Is legally a person? Says she will destroy humans??? You just witnessed the future. This is absolutely the future - and the future is now - as foretold by science fiction authors in the iconic science fiction books of the 1950's.

The robots are coming. In fact, they're already here.


UPDATE: According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper," Robots will soon help stock shelves at about 50 Walmart stores.

The two-foot tall robots are fitted with cameras to scan aisles and check stock, identifying missing, misplaced, mislabeled and mispriced items. The robots will give that information to employees who will fix the issues."




More Weed More Sex

From CNN
According to a study published in this week's Journal of Sexual Medicine, the more pot you smoke, the more sex you have.

The study looked at data from the US government's National Survey of Family Growth. It asked more than 28,000 women and nearly 23,000 men how often they had sex in the four weeks prior to the survey and how frequently they used marijuana in the past year.

Women who didn't use marijuana reported having sex six times on average during the past four weeks. Women who used marijuana daily had sex 7.1 times on average.

The trend was similar for men. Men who abstained from marijuana said they had sex an average of 5.6 times in the four weeks before the survey, compared with the daily marijuana users who reported having sex 6.9 times, on average.

"We were surprised to see the positive association between users," Dr Eisenberg, author of the study and an assistant professor of urology at the Stanford University Medical Center said. "This was across the board: marital status, race, none of that mattered." The study focused on heterosexual sex, and it didn't explain why there might be a connection between sex and marijuana.



Mystery? There's no mystery. It's simple. Marijuana is known to reduce inhibitions. Less inhibitions, more sex. Also, people who smoke a lot of weed generally may not have much of a life and often may not even have a full time job. They may have little or no responsibilities and little or nothing to do all day. So, they smoke a lot of weed and, out of pure boredom, and something to do, between texting and binge watching on Netflix, they have sex. The more bored they are, the more weed they smoke, and the more sex they have. Some may even have sex WHILE texting, or watching Netflix.




lottery clotheshorse



As I was awaiting the Mega Millions lottery drawing, where I was planning/hoping to win the $123 million jackpot, a thought occurred to me: what would I do with all that money? The answer? Anything I wanted to do! Then, I realized something. If I won $123 million I would not change my current wardrobe. Not needing to get dressed up or wear a suit, I normally wear jeans and a t-shirt. If I won the lottery and became a multi-millionaire, I would still wear the same clothes, and the same style.

I wear $11 jeans from Target, $20 shoes from Walmart, and $7 t-shirts, from a local convenience store, amazon, or a cheap local department store. On my head, I wear a cheap baseball-style hat, which I buy on amazon or at CVS or Walmart. When the weather is cold, I wear a leather jacket (see my photo upper right), which I also bought at CVS, years ago, for under $30. 

I look good in clothes, even cheap clothes, but I am not a clotheshorse. If/when I win a ton of money in the lottery I would not change my look, I would not become a clotheshorse. Even though I would well be able to afford $400 jeans and $400 t-shirts I wouldn't do it, I have no need to be "uber fashionable". And, no, I would not buy a $10,000 Rolex either. At this stage of life, I don't want to dress "fancy", I just want to be comfortable. And $123 million would make me comfortable. Very comfortable.




Why we need a third arm



We humans don't have enough arms and hands. Two is not enough. Once upon a time, 2 arms and 2 hands were enough, enough to throw a rock or a spear or for fishing and farming, and to do everything else humans wanted, and had, to do. No longer.

Since the Electronic Age, and the invention of the cell phone, we need another arm, another hand. For texting, typing, driving while texting, drinking while texting, changing the channel on the remote control while texting. Shaving while texting. Texting in the rain while holding an umbrella.

We could use another arm, another hand, for nearly ALL the activities we do today. And, yes, with a third arm and hand you could ... TEXT WHILE TEXTING! Yes, you'll also need a second cell phone for that.

C'mon, God, give us another arm, another hand. C'mon, science, let us add another arm, another hand. C'mon, genes, give future generations another arm, another hand. Another arm, another hand. We humans need three. That's evolution, baby!




bald guys are hot?



Like many older men, I've been nearly bald for decades. Imagine my surprise to find out that, these days, bald men are considered sexier by women!

Research done by the University of Pennsylvania found that hairless men are leading the way of attractiveness, and appear more confident and dominant to the opposite sex.

And the growing trend for men to debut bald heads or shave off their head is popping up all over Hollywood too. 

However, being bald isn't all good. Researchers found that those who had shaved heads were considered four years older on average.

Bald is sexy, confident, dominant? Versus looking a few years younger? Oh, yeah, I'll take that!




recommended books



22 inspirational self-help books that improve your life and make you smarter, richer and happier - FAST! I wrote them.

Click on the books for FREE EXCERPTS!




The end of bread



When I buy a loaf of bread I don't eat the end pieces. I don't like the ends, also known as "the heel". I don't like the way they look, the way they feel, or the way they taste. I throw them away. I don't eat the ends, unless I'm desperate and forget to buy a new loaf.

I make, and eat, a sandwich on whole wheat bread every day for lunch. I enjoy my sandwich. I would not enjoy it as much if it was made with an end piece(s).

I assume that many other people don't like the end pieces of a loaf of bread. Some may like them. Some may not care one way or another.

I prefer whole wheat bread over other kinds of bread. Some people prefer white bread. Is that "white privilege"? If I preferred white bread, would I be a racist?

P.S. I cannot find out the reason why a loaf of bread has the crusty end pieces (heels). Even google did not have an explanation. Maybe I should ask a baker. Or maybe it's another one of life's big unexplained mysteries.




I am not a gamer

I don't play video games. Or ignore reality and lose myself in an iPhone. I am a dinosaur. I live in the real world not online. Maybe here's the reason. The following is a direct quote from a Forbes.com reporter regarding, I think, gaming:

"Blizzard is killing me these days, releasing a new Hearthstone expansion last week and now a new Overwatch holiday this week. But I will do my duty and shell out on day one (hour one) for 100 new loot boxes so you can see what you might get, and how often you might get it.

This is Overwatch’s first holiday event that is not tied to an actual holiday. Previously, Blizzard said that they would not be doing St. Patrick’s Day/Easter events, and instead, this “Overwatch: Uprising” event is an entirely original creation, one that flashes back to glory days of Overwatch when the team was still together and hadn’t been cast to the wind like we’ve seen in present day, before Winston recalled them."




I did not understand one word of that. I assume it's "gamer language". If so, I'm too old to learn a new language. And not interested. For games, I'll stick with poker. Or backgammon. And, if I want to lose touch with reality, I'll wait for Alzheimer's. 

I wrote this in 2017.



Los Angeles To Ban Take-Out Food



Let's ban take-out food

From MyNewsLA

Those take-out food containers of polystyrene — often called Styrofoam — would be banned in Los Angeles under a motion introduced Friday by two City Council members.

In addition to take-out containers, the material is used for numerous other manufacturing purposes, including medical devices, red drink cups for beer pong, packing materials and even surfboards.

City Councilman, Paul Koretz, introduced the motion with Councilman Bob Blumenfield. “Because polystyrene doesn’t biodegrade, it can absorb toxins found in the ocean, which poses a danger to marine species that mistake foam for food,” Koretz said. “The fish and wildlife are the barometer of the health of our larger environment. I’m gravely concerned that the food chain will continue to grow ever more toxic if we don’t exchange our bad habits for better ones.”

“Now more than ever, we in Los Angeles and in California must stand up and fight to protect our environment and ensure that future generations enjoy clean mountains and beaches,” Blumenfield said.

“Polystyrene is dangerous, toxic and is an unnecessary product. It is our duty to protect our environment regardless of what is happening in Washington, D.C. With people like Scott Pruitt running the EPA, reversing decades of environmental progress, it is up to us to make sure that California’s beauty is protected.”



Hey, you city council clowns, leave my take-out food alone! If Styrofoam is banned, how will people be able to take away food they buy? For instance, I get take-out Chinese food weekly and it comes in a Styrofoam container. Weekly, I get a big delicious take-out tuna sandwich (and a side of potato salad) at my local deli, and it comes in a Styrofoam container.

If the Los Angeles City Council bans Styrofoam, how will I (and millions of others) take away take-out food? In many cases, there IS no alternative for these Styrofoam containers!!! And the out-of-touch f-ing city council clowns think it's an "unnecessary product"??? Obviously, these clowns don't get take-out.

The stupid crazy L.A. City Council clowns, in their overly-zealous environmental frenzy to ban Styrofoam, are interfering with MY food chain. Leave my take-out food alone!




Wishy washy



From the BBC

How to wash your hands - according to the experts

"Washing your hands properly should take about as long as singing Happy Birthday twice (about 20 seconds)

Wet hands and apply enough soap to cover the whole surface of the hand

Rub palms together with fingers interlaced

Rub each palm over the back of the other hand with interlaced fingers

Rub between fingers on each hand

Rub backs of fingers (interlocked)

Rub around each thumb

Rub both palms with finger tips and then rinse with warm or cold water

Dry your hands well, ideally with a disposable towel

Use a disposable towel to turn off the tap"



After many many years of washing my hands now I find out I was doing it wrong! I always simply wet my hands, soaped them up, rubbed my hands together for a bit, and rinsed them off. Then dried them. I had no idea washing your hands was so complicated and had so many steps. I may have to take a class: "Hand Washing 101". Or read a book: "Hand Washing for Dummies".




White bread is good



Newsflash! White bread is as nutritious as wheat bread.

From Independent.co.uk

Processed white bread is often shunned by health experts due to its low nutritional value. Sales of 'unhealthy' processed white bread have plummeted by 75 per cent since 1974.

"Researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science monitored the gut bacteria and levels of fat, cholesterol, glucose and essential minerals such as calcium and iron in 20 healthy people. Half the participants were given a higher-than-average amount of fresh whole-wheat sourdough bread to consume for a week, and the others were given the same portion of processed, packaged white bread.

“The initial finding, and this was very much contrary to our expectation, was that there were no clinically significant differences between the effects of these two types of bread on any of the parameters that we measured,” said the study’s senior author Professor Eran Segal"



For decades we've been told that white bread is not nutritious, is not as good for you as wheat bread or other bread. And now they find out it's not true? That means, for decades, I've been depriving myself of tasty sandwiches - on tasty white bread - for nothing. Depriving myself, thanks to all the stupid health experts, who were wrong - again. Now, excuse me, I'm going to go to the supermarket, buy some bread, and make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich ... on WHITE bread.




one leg at a time



There is an old saying,"He puts his pants on one leg at a time". It means that a person who may be bigger than life, or more privileged, is still a human being just like the rest of us, just like you and me. He puts his pants on one leg at a time. The saying is wrong. I thought about it and realized that the saying "He's just like us, he puts his pants on one leg at a time" may be completely untrue.

Here's why. If you sit down, you can put your pants on TWO legs at a time. How? If you are limber, you can sit down, put your pants on the floor, open the legs straight up, and put both legs into your pants, then stand up, putting your pants on BOTH legs at the same time. Or do it while lying on your back. Or, if you're not limber but are rich (or are in a nursing home) you can have someone assist you; they can hold open your pants on the floor, let you step into them and THEN pull them up, putting your pants on two legs at a time.

So, the age-old saying, "He puts his pants on one leg at a time", making everyone the same or equal, may be incorrect, and not true. "He's NOT like us, he puts his pants on BOTH legs at a time".


As for me, I will continue to be just like you, just like everyone else, and put my pants on one leg at a time.




Bentley SUV



I was driving out of a local upscale supermarket parking area when I saw this car driving in. I knew the car was something unique and special but it was a little too far away for me to see what kind of car it was. As it got closer I saw what it was. Holy Moly, it was a Bentley. A Bentley SUV! A big, beautiful black Bentley SUV. I didn't even know Bentley made an SUV!

As the vehicle approached, I looked to see who was driving. A movie star? A billionaire? It had to be one of those, or both. It was being driven by a 30 or 40-something blond lady. With a young 11 or 12-year-old boy sitting in the passenger seat. She must have picked the kid up from school. Or was taking him to soccer practice. As the vehicle drew nearer, I looked more closely at the driver. I did not recognize her. But she had to be "somebody". Somebody rich. Why do I say that? Because this Bentley SUV has a price starting at $300,000. Yes, I looked it up. $300,000 is the starting price. With all the extras you'd want to have on the vehicle, who knows how much it would cost? It would probably cost more than a big house in many places in America. WOW!

Los Angeles is the car capital of the world. And the TV, movie and music capital of the world. That being the case, it's not uncommon to see Cadillacs, Lincolns, Range Rovers, Rolls Royces, Maseratis and the occasional Ferrari or Lotus. And lots and lots of of SUV's. But I had never before seen a Bentley SUV.

The Bentley SUV. Without a doubt, the most luxurious soccer mom vehicle on the planet!




porn versus real women



"Excessive pornography viewing is likely to contribute to a risk of sexual dysfunction in men, but not women, according to new research. A panel discussion and presentation held on Friday at the 112th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association highlights results from surveys conducted on men and women about pornography viewing habits and the long-term effects on sexual health and intimate behavior.

The researchers, led by Dr. Matthew Christman, a staff urologist and program director for pediatric urology at the Naval Medical Center of San Diego, report that while pornography trivially affects women’s sex lives, an excessive habit can be ruinous to men’s psychosexual health. Essentially, many men who are really into internet porn have the potential to become disinterested in sex with a real-life partner. The researchers suggest that the more time men spend on sites such as PornHub, the less able they’ll be to connect with a partner in the bedroom. This can result in severe damage to sexual and romantic relationships and make intimacy challenging, at best.

Roughly 20 percent of men reported using porn three to five times weekly. Nearly 4 percent of men reported they preferred masturbating to pornography over having sexual intercourse with a partner. The researchers also recognized a correlation between men who used pornography frequently and those who reported lack of sexual desire and intercourse satisfaction, as well as erectile dysfunction."



I think they may have it backwards. Many men have erectile dysfunction. Especially older men, starting in their 40's. They may tend to avoid real life sex - because they don't want to fail at it! They don't want to be unable to achieve an erection in the real life presence of the woman they want to have sex with. Non performance is embarrassing, humiliating and depressing for men. So, a lot of men turn to online porn, and masturbation instead. They avoid real life sex. Because, for whatever reason, they don't want to fail at it.

If the guy viewing porn and masturbating fails to become erect or ejaculate, nobody knows and nobody cares except him. Porn presents less performance risk. Less embarrassment. Less humiliation. In other words, men with sexual dysfunction issues may be avoiding real women, and real sex, and turning to porn instead. Maybe it's not the porn causing the intimacy issue, maybe it's the intimacy issues that causes the porn viewing.

Yes, there is Viagra and other ED drugs. Yes, men with ED ought to use them and use them safely. Yes, and if ED drugs aren't already, they should be cheaper. And covered by insurance.




I won the lottery!



For my birthday I played the California lottery. And won!

I played Mega Millions. The jackpot was $20 million. For my birthday I bought 5 "quick picks", for a total of $5, and one of them was a winner!

I won!

How much did I win? I won $1. I got the Mega number. ONLY the Mega number. I won $1.

So, for my birthday I won the lottery. I won $1. I spent $5 on tickets. Oh, wait a minute, that means I lost $4! Birthdays suck.




gluten-free heart attack



which may be soon

According to National Health Services, UK

"Gluten-free diet can do more harm than good for people without coeliac disease," The Independent reports, as a new study found that the "trendy gluten-free diets loved by Gwyneth Paltrow and Russell Crowe may increase the risk of heart disease".

Recently there has been increasing interest in the possible health benefits of avoiding gluten among people who do not have coeliac disease, though the long term evidence about its effects in this group is currently limited. Despite this, the gluten-free food market is reported to have made $3.5bn worth of global sales in 2016.

The current study followed more than 100,000 people from 1986 to 2012, assessing their diets and whether they had heart attacks during that time. These people did not have heart disease at the start of the study, and importantly did not have coeliac disease.

Overall, it found that once other risk factors were taken into account, people's consumption of gluten was not related to their risk of heart attack.

However, further analyses suggested that lower consumption of gluten specifically from whole grains (wheat, barley and rye) was associated with increased heart attack risk compared to higher consumption from these sources
.



OMG. So trendy non-celiac gluten-free people can look forward to the illusion of eating "healthy" gluten-free foods, and having a heart attack as a result? Eat gluten-free and die? Be diet-trendy and die? And that makes sense how?



human electronic device



the future?

I am just waiting for human cell phone implants. Yes, science fiction often becomes science fact. Like Dick Tracy's radio wristwatch of the 1940's, we now have the cell phone. Soon, people will have electronic devices implanted in their bodies. And in their brains. You want to be connected? You will be, 24/7. Human electronic devices. I predict that someday all babies/young children will be implanted with electronics. Someday, everything in life will be "electronic". Everything in a person's life will be controlled via their electronic implants. Driving a vehicle is already becoming undesirable and "old school". As a result of the ever present electronic device, thinking will be a thing of the past, TV sets will become obsolete (oh, wait, they already are), schooling will be unnecessary, as all knowledge will be available in the blink of an eye (literally). Verbal communication will disappear and human vocal chords will become extinct. Human face-to-face interaction and socialization will cease to exist. Friends and mates will be replaced by lifelike robots who will cater to our every whim (hmm, now THAT sounds like a good idea!)

Welcome to the future. The future is now. The future will not be for humans, it will be for machines. It will be for electronic devices, implants and robots. It's a good thing I probably won't live to see it.




porn spam for me



For the past few months I have been getting a lot of sex dating spam. Before that I wasn't getting much of it. Now, I am. I've been getting up to 50 porn dating spams a day. Today, I got 60. No, I didn't open any or look at any of the email porn pics. I do not click on any links and delete all my spams ASAP -- as they might contain viruses!

I don't know why I am getting porn/sex dating spam. I did not sign up for any porn sites or adult dating sites lately. And I certainly don't want to visit any of the porn or adult hookup sites offered in my porn spam.

The porn spam I get is both the same and different, depending on the subject line. Today I got porn and adult dating spam offering Lonely Wife Hookup, Latin Women Date Team, Naked Women Selfies, Hookup Cougars, Lonely Russian Girls, Online Viagra, and a Sex Dating Club. And, according to one subject line, I have a letter waiting from a Horny Beauty! Another subject line was: "Stay naughty with a frisky beauty".

Do I want any of this stuff? No. Do I open any of this stuff? No.

A message to spammers: "Don't bother to send me spam (especially porn/sex dating spam). Don't waste your time and money. I'm not signing up for anything you send me. I don't even bother to open your spam emails, I just immediately delete them."

UPDATE
I guess the spammers weren't listening. Today, several weeks later, I got 95 porn spams.

UPDATE: It's now July 2017 and lately I've been getting more than 100 spams a day!


UPDATE: It's 2019, 2 years later and I only get like 10 of these sex dating spams a day. I guess they listened.



Toilet roll - over or under - solved



Should the roll of toilet paper on the holder be under or over? Let's put the age-old debate to rest once and for all.

It goes o-v-e-r.

Why should the toilet paper unroll outwardly, over the holder? Because guys pee standing up. When a male is peeing standing up he may need to blow his nose, or wipe his penis and, if the toilet roll unwinds under, males can't reach it. If it unrolls over, males can reach it and use it - while standing up.

As women pee sitting down, they can easily tear off the toilet paper from either under or over, it makes little difference. To us guys, it makes a BIG difference. If we have to reach the roll and it's under, we may have to bend down to reach it, and could pee on ourselves, our clothes, or drip on a surface area not in the bowl.

So, ladies, until all males start peeing sitting down, PLEASE, if you use a roller, put the toilet paper on the roller so it unrolls outwards ... i.e. OVER. Unless, of course, if no man ever uses your bathroom, then it doesn't matter.

And, no, the "over" toilet roll solution is not an assertion of male dominance. It's an assertion of convenience, common sense, and cleanliness.




Fear of zombies



"The Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 3 (2016) provides an unprecedented look into the fears of average Americans". In April of 2016, they took a random sample of 1,511 adults from across the United States. The survey reported on people being "afraid" or "very afraid".

Here are some of the fears they discovered (No, I did not make any of these things up):

25.9% had a fear of public speaking.

7.8% had a fear of clowns.

10.2% had a fear of zombies.



Zombies? Over 10% of adults have a fear of zombies? OK, I can understand having a fear of public speaking. And clowns. But zombies? Hey, morons, zombies don't exist, zombies are not real, there are no zombies! Zombies don't exist in real life, only on TV and in horror movies. If you see a zombie, it's just good makeup and wardrobe, not a real zombie. Not real. Zombies are not real. Now, on the other hand, that monster hiding under your bed ...




watermelon erection



August 3rd is National Watermelon Day

From Consumer Reports

"What better way to celebrate National Watermelon Day than with a cool, refreshing slice; but with something so sweet and satisfying, we wondered: Is watermelon good for you?

Turns out, this inexpensive, delicious, and versatile fruit really does live up to its name. “As with all fruits and vegetables, watermelon is very nutritious, and it’s quite delicious” says Lisa Sasson, M.S., R.D., clinical associate professor of nutrition at New York University. “As its name implies, it’s mostly water [92 percent] and is a great way to hydrate yourself in the warmer weather.” She suggests that you can even use it as a post-workout snack to replenish fluids lost during exercise.

Plus, it supplies a bounty of vitamins and minerals such as B vitamins, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C—all for the very low cost of just 46 calories per cup.

But the nutrient watermelon is most known for is not a vitamin or a mineral, Sasson says, but a phytonutrient called lycopene—a powerful antioxidant that gives the fruit’s flesh its characteristic pink hue. “Like all phytonutrients, lycopene appears to protect against some cancers, such as prostate cancer and breast cancer,” says Sasson. “It may also help protect against heart disease.”
Lately, I have been eating watermelon on a daily basis. I started eating watermelon before I came across the article.


Why did I start eating watermelon? What they don't say in the above article is that watermelon is reportedly very helpful for erectile dysfunction. Really? Yes, I can attest to that. I'm no longer a teenager (or in my 20's, or my 30's or my 40's) and after eating some watermelon I soon no longer have a dead dick. An hour or two after eating watermelon I walk around with a pleasant tingling feeling down there, and my organ comes back from the dead. Imagine that, I now have a zombie dick!

Plus, watermelon is a lot cheaper than erectile dysfunction drugs. And watermelon is not a pharmaceutical, a pharmaceutical with side effects. The only side effect I experience with watermelon is having to pee, because watermelon is mostly water.

Guys, if you're older and have erection problems, you might want to try eating watermelon. A couple of small slices/pieces does it for me. Try it. You'll be glad you did.

Ladies, if your guy is 40 or older, buy some watermelon and get him to eat it. You'll be glad you did.




cigarette tax hike is racist



California voters approved a huge tax increase. On April 1, 2017, the cigarette tax rate in California increased from $0.87 to $2.87. That's $2 a pack. That brings the price a pack of brand name cigarettes to $8 or more.

(The tax also affects electronic cigarettes, the BEST fucking alternative to smoking the world has ever seen!!!)




Hey, California voters: raising taxes on smoking is regressive, i.e. it penalizes the poor. It's fucking racist!

According to the IRS.gov website, "A regressive tax may at first appear to be a fair way of taxing citizens because everyone, regardless of income level, pays the same dollar amount. By taking a closer look, it is easy to see that such a tax causes lower-income people to pay a larger share of their income than wealthier people pay. Though true regressive taxes are not used as income taxes, they are used as taxes on tobacco, alcohol, gasoline, jewelry, perfume, and travel."

Yes, raising cigarettes taxes penalizes the poor who smoke. And many of the poor in California are black or Hispanic. For a pack a day smoker, the $2 tax hike will cost them an additional $700 a year. Voters raised taxes on cigarettes by $2 a pack and now only rich people in California will be able to afford to smoke! And most of the rich in California are white people. According to the Huffington Post, "The average net worth of African Americans in California is just 14 percent that of whites, and for Latinos just 15 percent that of whites."

Raising the tax on smoking penalizes low-income/no-income minorities and will increase rich white privilege. The higher the tax, the higher the rich white privilege. Racism.

California voters are racist! Raising the cigarette tax is racist!






finger tooth



I have an infected middle finger. How I got it I have no idea. I went to the dermatologist. Hopefully, I will be able to tolerate the antibiotics prescribed by the doctor and my finger will heal quickly.

Worse, I also have to have a tooth extracted. The tooth has 2 large, deep cavities and cannot be saved. My dentist also wants me to take an antibiotic, prior to the extraction.

Antibiotics. Finger. Tooth.

I started taking the antibiotic. Three days later, I was just about to leave for my dental extraction when my stomach attacked me. I got an upset stomach. A very upset stomach. I could not leave the house. I had to cancel my dental procedure. It was probably a reaction/side effect of the antibiotics for my infected finger that caused the severe stomach upset. I had been taking the antibiotic for 3 days and thought I would be able continue to tolerate it with few/no side effects. I was wrong. On the third day my stomach attacked me.

I have always had stomach problems while taking antibiotics. I was hoping this time would be different. It wasn’t. A day later I was still having stomach discomfort.

I called my “finger doctor” and he changed me to another antibiotic. Shortly after I started taking the newly prescribed antibiotic I became a bit dizzy. I looked it up; dizziness is one of the "common" side effects of this drug. Common? Already-sick-people getting dizzy, nauseous, possibly falling down, falling over while sitting - as a result of taking this drug? That’s “common”? Not to me!

I have to take an antibiotic for both my infected finger and before my tooth extraction. But I have an upset stomach side effect or dizziness that may not end as long as I take the antibiotics. And my dentist can't/won't do the tooth extraction if I stop taking an antibiotic before the procedure - but I’m too sick with antibiotic side effects to leave the house ... and may be too dizzy to drive!

I can't stop taking the antibiotic and I can't leave the house and go to the doctor and the dentist if I don't stop the medication. A bad news dilemma.

The good news is, at the moment, my finger and my tooth do not hurt. The other good news is that there is a California lottery tonight and I can win $150 million.




Probiotics are for women only



I had to take antibiotics for a finger infection. Antibiotics also destroys the "good" bacteria in my stomach et al. It messed me up. I started taking probiotics to restore the good bacteria. I went to the supermarket to see what they had. I wanted the liquid not the solid pill-like probiotic or the yogurty stuff. The flavors of the available liquid probiotics were very limited and not what I wanted.

Hmm. Are probiotic drinks marketing mainly to women? Yes, I think so. Why do I think that? Because the flavors of probiotics are mostly "girly" flavors: fruity flavors like peach, mango, pomegranate, lemon cayenne, and an icky tasting strawberry (yes, I tried it, it was icky).

Do real men want to drink fruity flavored probiotics? Not really. Real men would prefer flavors like beer, hamburger, steak, potato chip and yummy stuff like that. I know I would.




high school



Ah, high school. I remember it well. I was a young man, still a boy. Awkward and hormonal.

I did not like most school subjects, they were boring and had nothing to do with being useful in real life. Chemistry? Why did I have to learn and memorize the Periodic Table of Elements? I was not going to become a chemist. Algebra? When is the last time I needed to know, and use, algebra?

Due to disinterest and boredom, I got mostly “C’s” in high school. I did just enough work to get my high school diploma. And to get into a college.

The best thing about going to high school for me was the socialization with other students. And graduation. And girls.

What is the purpose of high school? Training your brain? Learning to use your brain? Preparing you for life? By memorizing a bunch of dates in history or a bunch of stuff you will never use again after high school? If you want to know something, look it up on the internet. You don't even need to use your brain anymore, just use the internet. The internet has replaced thinking and learning. In my day, you had to learn everything the old fashioned way - using your brain - there were no calculators, no cell phones, no internet. Today, you don't need a brain, you just need social media!

In spite of being a mediocre student (and only excelling in the few subjects I liked) as an adult, I turned out OK. Better than OK. School was not the reason I turned out OK. School didn't develop me, I developed myself. With the help of my parents. Maybe it’s more important (or equally important) that a kid learns good values from his parents than gets straight “A’s” in school and/or is an asshole for the rest of his/her life. Yes, if that kid is taught good values at home and also does well in school that's even better, a big plus. However, the ultimate goal of life is not good grades. The ultimate goal of life is happiness.




supermarket germs



From TechTimes.com

Your Supermarket May Be Carrying More Germs Than Your Toilet

It is a fact that most groceries from supermarkets are haunted by germs notwithstanding the fascinating shopping ambiance and pride of brands they provide.

According to Charles Gerba, one of the leading microbiologists at the University of Arizona there are many avenues through which microbes are piggybacking on produce without the buyer knowing it.

The germ exposure is highest in meat containers where they breed fast.

Gerba lists out the top germy things in supermarkets which people usually encounter.

Shopping Cart Handle
It may be recalled that bulk of the germs is transmitted through hands during the purchase of grocery at the shopping cart handles, where too much of bacteria load up from the touch of different people. Wiping the handle is most important, notes Gerba. He advises using sanitizing wipes at the store's entry or carrying own wipes to stay secure.

Produce Aisle
Fresh produce section often doubles up as a hub of germs as an easy point of entry for germs into handles. "I don't know anyone who buys produce without squeezing or touching it," said Gerba. The expert also cautions against buying produce that is cut or torn as they are easy passages of germs. Gerba recommends buying perfect produce that is not split or opened in any manner.

Meat And Seafood
For the discerning buyer buying meat, poultry, or seafood must be after satisfying that packaging is fault free. If packaging is torn, it is good to forego the item as outlets invite germs. Gerba suggests a double-bagging for meat and seafood before loading it onto the cart and keeping them separate from other produce to avoid cross-contamination.

Canned Food Products
A study by public health safety group NSF International has suggested mandatory damage-checking on the part of shoppers who are buying boxed and canned goods. It also gives the tip that no swollen or leaking cans must be bought as the likelihood of bacteria contamination will be high, including Clostridium botulinum that causes botulism.

Fresh Produce At Checkout Belts
There must be special alert regarding putting fresh produce on the checkout belt of supermarkets as the belts offer a field day for germs. This is because poultry, fresh fish, ground meat, and tuna are carrying nutrients that feed the germs on the grocery belt which later extend to the fresh produce.



OMG. Germy supermarkets. Ugh. I wonder if that also applies for "health food" markets?

Harmful nasty germs are everywhere and on everything. It's a wonder we're not all ill. Or germophobes.

After reading the above I'm never going food shopping again. Oh, wait a minute, if I don't go to the supermarket I'll starve. Hmm. Deadly germs or starvation. What a choice!




Why I am not fat



I maintain a good weight. A healthy weight. Many, many years after high school, I weigh only 15-20 pounds more. As of this writing, I weigh 161 pounds. Why am I not overweight? Many people, of all ages, seem to be overweight. Or obese. Not me. Why am I not fat?

There is one word which answers the question. Vanity. I am vain. That means that, when I look in the mirror, when I look at my body, I want to like what I see. I want to see a non-overweight person. I want to see a non-obese person. I want to see a not-fat person. I care what I look like. Is that being vain? Yes. Like I said, I'm vain.

OK, so how do I stay thin? I eat the occasional burger and fries, pizza, some ice cream. And cake. So why am I not 30, 40, 50 pounds or more overweight? Here's why ...

Years ago, I made a deal with myself. I noticed that if I gain 5 pounds (and I often do) my jeans get tight. If I continue to gain weight my jeans won't fit at all and I'll have to buy a larger size. That's my deal. I will NOT buy a larger size pair of pants. No matter what. And I do not, will not, wear stretch fabric pants. That means if I continue to eat and add pounds, my jeans will get so tight they will HURT! Then, I will have a choice. I can either continue to live in pain OR I can a few pounds. I will NOT buy a larger size pair of pants.

Hmm. What do I do? As I am a graduate of a hospital program which also involved nutrition training, I am able to understand basic nutrition and weigh gain. At my height and age, I should eat 2,000-2,500 calories a day. If I'm gaining weight (or not losing weight) I want to find out which food(s) are causing it. I go by the old adage: calories in, calories out. In other words, if I take in a lot more calories than I burn, it will cause weight gain. Simple. SOMETHING is causing weight gain or weight maintaining. So, in order to control my weigh gain, the first thing I want to do is figure out which food(s) is adding, or maintaining, extra pounds. How do I do that? First, I make a list. I write down everything I have been eating. Everything. Then, I look up the caloric content - and the amount of saturated fat, the sugar and the carb content of each food. If the info is not on the food label, or I don't have the label, I look it up online. I see which food(s) has a lot of calories, etc. I find the culprit(s). Then I eat less of it or stop eating it altogether, and lose the weight. Portion control is also important. And obvious. If your food is falling over the sides of your plate it is a big portion! 5 pounds is easy to lose. I can do it in a week or two. 20 or 30 pounds is not so easy to lose. If, after a 5-pound weight gain, I kept eating, not only would my jeans not fit and cause me great discomfort, it would become increasingly harder to lose the added weight.

And, yes, eating out is a problem; on the menu you can't always know the calorie et al content of the food AND the portions are often huge. And, if you try to eat healthy in a restaurant and don't know better, you could order a salad - with REGULAR dressing - which can be as bad as eating unhealthy food!

Also, when shopping at the supermarket, read the label. Look at the nutritional values. Pay attention to the calories, the fat, the carbs and sugar. Know what you're eating.

I also realized, early in life, that it is easy to gain weight. It's not difficult to be overweight. Or obese. It sneaks up on you. And it takes years to become grossly overweight or obese. Let's say, from my current non-fat weight, I gained a mere 1 pound a week. Every week. That would be a weight gain of 50 pounds in a year. And, if I kept going at that rate, three years later I would be 150 pounds overweight. If I kept going, at 1 pound a week weight gain, in 5 years I would be 250 pounds overweight! I would weigh over 400 pounds. It's very hard to lose that much weight! And it would take years. And it's unhealthy. That's why I stop at 5 pounds. A 5-pound weight loss is very manageable.

How do I know when I've gained 5 pounds? I strip down to my underwear and look in the mirror. I see belly fat. I see love handles. I see a fatter tush. Then I weigh myself. Yep, I gained about 5 pounds. And my jeans are getting noticeably tight. Time to lose a few pounds. If you do the mirror thing every week, you will catch the "5-pound fat increase".

Besides the obvious health benefits, not being overly heavy makes me feel - and look - better. And I do want to feel and look better. Because I deserve it. Because I am vain. And, yes, I exercise. I walk. Every day. Outdoors, weather permitting. As I live in Los Angeles, that means about suitable weather for about 350 days a year. I walk the equivalent of 9 football/soccer fields daily. Well, not always daily, sometimes I take Sundays off. My walk takes only about 20 minutes, short enough to not be boring. And I use the walking time to decompress, and to think. Walking is not only a good exercise, it also produces emotional and mental "clarity" - and some of my best thoughts and ideas have come during these walks!

So, due to my "deal with myself", my weight varies by only a few pounds. In fact, right now, as a result of eating "too" healthy and too little, I am a few pounds under my normal weight. I am going to put on a few pounds. Now that's a problem people WANT to have!

Vanity. That's why I am not obese. That's why I am not overweight. That's why I am not fat. Vanity. Vanity is my friend. Vanity keeps me healthier and looking good. I'm vain. I deserve to look and feel good. So do you! If you want to lose weight, and look better and feel better - a LOT better - first see a health care professional. Is that important? Yes. How important? Very.

Lose weight. Start now. Make a list of your usual daily food intake. Find the culprit(s). And do NOT buy a bigger pair of pants.


Black F-ing Screen Of Death



So, on Sunday Feb 19, 2017 I am on my laptop when the screen suddenly goes black. No warning, no sound, no nothing. I freaked out. My log in screen came back after 15 seconds and I logged onto my laptop again. 30 minutes later the same thing happened. It's called the black screen of death.



I phoned Microsoft technical support and spent 2 hours having them check my Windows 10 software. They found an outdated graphics driver and updated it. They said that was probably what was causing my black screen of death. Whew. Problem solved. NOT. Two days later it started happening again. The dreaded black screen of death. Right in the middle of me editing my latest book. I really freaked out. I feared that my entire book was lost, gone! Luckily, my book was still there in Microsoft Word. Whew. I phoned Microsoft again and spent an hour with them trying to find and fix the problem. They gave up and then suggested that I pay them for more technical support. I said, "Pay you? You can't fix the problem, why should I pay for some other Microsoft tech to not fix it. I have NO confidence that Microsoft can find and fix my black screen of death!". They suggested I call the laptop manufacturer. OK, sure, I'll try that. I cannot rely on my laptop anymore, it suddenly dies in the middle of whatever I'm doing. I called Lenovo, the manufacturer of my laptop. They told me my 2-year-old $1,000 laptop was out warranty. And suggested I pay like $150 to get a 1-year warranty and let them try to find and fix the black screen of death. I passed.

In the end, the software maker blamed it on the hardware. The hardware maker blamed it on the software. Neither one fixed my fucking computer.

Needless to say, I was VERY upset. My Windows 10 $1,000 laptop was no longer functioning properly. No one knew how to fix it. After only 2 years I have to buy a new computer? And I no longer trusted Windows 10, maybe it was the cause of my black screen of death, maybe not. So, I did not want to buy a laptop with a Windows operating system. I resigned myself to buying a fucking Apple laptop. For nearly $2,000. I did not want to buy a $2,000 Apple laptop - I refused to pay that much to browse online, read and write emails, and write my blog and books. I also did not want to have to learn a new operating system. And, no, I didn't want to try writing a blog or book on a cell phone!

I was screwed. I thought about giving up ALL electronic devices and writing my books on a typewriter. No email. No browsing, no online anything. Not a great solution.

Or maybe they'll invent a time machine and I'll go back to a time BEFORE complicated electronic devices ruled our lives. The 1950's were good. So was the 60's and the 70's.





Bright sunshiny day



On a Saturday morning, in late January 2017, I went for a walk and was treated to a beautiful day. It was 11 AM. The sun was shining, the sky was bright blue, there was not a cloud in the sky, and it was 67 degrees. In January. I didn't even need a coat. I walked, basking in the warmth and sun. As I walked I felt good. I needed some sun. And some warmth. 67 degrees and sunny. In late January? This is winter? Hell, yes, in L.A. this is a g-o-o-d winter day. That's why I live here.

As I walked I realized that much of the world was deep in snow and/or freezing cold. And here I was, walking in sunshine and warmth.

As I walked I felt truly appreciative and grateful. Appreciative and grateful for this beautiful day, a bright, warm, sunshiny day. In late January. I am a lucky guy - and I know it. And for tomorrow, the forecast calls for sunny and 75 degrees!

And, yes, I do know winter, real winter, cold and snow winter. I grew up with winter, on the East Coast. In New York. It was no picnic. When I was in my 30's my body was cold from mid-December to Mid-May. Yes, every winter it took me 5 months to warm up! Yes, that's why I moved to Los Angeles.




I Failed My Blood Test



I was unable to give blood for my scheduled lab test. Yes, I failed my blood test. Why? How? Apparently I have no veins.

I went to the lab at 2:30 PM on a Wednesday to have blood tests done as per my primary doctor's intructions and prior to my apt with another doctor.

The lab tech was unable to find a vein (always a problem with me). After 4 tries he finally found one, which stopped giving blood immediately. There were 4-5 tubes to be filled but I was only able to give a small smattering of blood which did not even coat the inner side of one tube.

The lab phlebotomist did not offer any other alternatives and suggested that I come back and try again another day. I’m sure it will be the same problem. And, yes, I was hydrated and wearing a warm jacket and the tech used the smallest needle.

So, apparently I can’t give blood via my veins for lab tests and I seem to have no other viable veins in my body. How are my doctors supposed to test and monitor important health signs and organs in my body - like my cholesterol, thyroid, prostate, sugar level - if they can't have blood drawn? Will I thus have to live with no lab tests, with not being able to have blood tests for the rest of my life, and thus end up dying from some undiagnosed disease?

The good news is that, as a result of having no visible veins, and not being able to give blood, I am immune from vampires.




70 is the new 20



In 2017, thanks to oldsters like billionaire Donald Trump, Senator Bernie Sanders and rock legend Mick Jagger, being 70 years old is like being 20. These people and and others have the energy of a teenager. They outperform youngsters in their teens and 20's, who can't even keep up with these 70-year-olds. Donald Trump became President at age 70 and works 20 hours a day! His staff can't keep up with him. And Mick Jagger, lead singer of the legendary Rolling Stones, is 73 and still performing! And, at 73, he's a new dad!

Yes, you should be impressed. 70-year-old guys with the energy of a teenager. 70 is the new 20. Or maybe the new 18.

I wonder if these 70-year-old guys need viagra. Probably not.

Age is just a number.



about the blogger


 Andrew Lawrence is a Creative. Besides being a blogger (since 2009) he is the published author of more than 20 life improvement books,  inspirational books that can improve your life, that can quickly make you smarter, richer and happier. His books are short, easy to read and easy to understand.

His books are available at amazon.com




His life purpose is to help people. He does this using humor, wisdom and truth. 

He also does fine art photography, creating cool color photos. CoolColorPhotos.com

Originally from New York, Andrew lives happily and productively in Los Angeles, in the Hollywood Hills, amid lots of greenery and wildlife, near Warner Bros Studio and Universal Studios and Griffith Park, the largest urban wilderness area in the US. He loves the L.A. weather (warm and sunny w/low humidity).

Contact Andrew at:  andls (AT) aol.com   



Welcome to Hollyweed


HOLLYWEED

From FoxNews

"The iconic “Hollywood” sign got a New Year’s Day makeover from an unknown vandal who used a black tarp to transform the letters into a message celebrating marijuana. Cops have surveillance video of the suspect, TMZ reported. The vandal, dressed in all black, could face a misdemeanor trespassing charge, said Sgt. Robert Payan. The person scaled a protective fence surrounding the sign and then clambered up each giant letter to drape the coverings, Payan said.

California in November passed a measure legalizing marijuana for recreational use."



And so it is. And so it will be. Hollywood? No, Hollyweed. Maybe they should leave the sign that way seeing as smoking pot for recreation is now legal in California - and Hollywood. Unfortunately, smoking a joint - for any reason - is still stinky.