The Civet Cat Eats Ripe Coffee Cherries

Somewhere along the line of time it was noted that the Civet cat ate the ripe cherries from coffee trees. They estimated that the seeds from the cherries would be ready for roasting, the natural pulping of the coffee bean having been accomplished in the cat's digestive system.

Imagine… coffee beans picked out of cat dung. Brewing coffee from the ground roasted Civet beans produced an excellent, flavorful cup.

One may purchase a one-quarter pound of roasted Civet coffee beans for $80. I cannot imagine that this type of coffee surpasses the tastes of all coffees. Arabica cherries from coffee trees growing in volcanic soil, high in the mountains would produce the best beans from a Civet cat.

Hopefully, that is what Kopi Luwak is all about.

Darwinian Evolution

Where does the blobfish fit in to the evolutionary scheme? From appearance I will suggest it is a branch backwards from homo erectus. The animal itself looks like my Great-Uncle Bill. I must mentally add the image of my uncle's straw hat. But then I see him.

Uncle Bill rarely smiled. His down-turned mouth corners made him always seem sad. Everyone who knew him never thought Bill was an unhappy person.

Where does the blobfish fit into the food chain? What are its predators? On what does the blobfish feed? If it went extinct would that upset the natural world in a disastrous way?

I have never seen a blobfish in person. Only photographs. Are they really real?

Unwanted Phone Calls

TeleZapper II

Digitone 10

Combining a couple technologies to quiet ringing phones has been a blessing in our home. 

The TeleZapper was especially affective until the automated dialers were programmed to ignore the answer tones emitted on not-in-service lines. The TeleZapper still works for some calls. (Ours is plugged into to a separate phone jack with simple landline phone attached.)

Researching call-blocking technologies brought me to the Digitone 10. Its description seemed to present a device that provided needed relief from unwanted calls.

I soon had the combined services of the two devices. I posted a review on Amazon. That was some time ago. Recently I got an e-mail from someone wanting to know if the TeleZapper and Digitone were still working OK for me.

After answering in the affirmative I mentioned how I tracked blocked numbers and how I added to or deleted numbers from the Digitone Call Block list.

I can block an entire area code and still "Invite" numbers to ring through. An "After Hours" mode recognizes a time period that is programmed to accept no calls. An exception is any number I have placed on my "VIP List."

Our Digitone resides between its own landline phone jack cable and our Panasonic cordless phone base.

Lots of choices/options for control. Well designed programming methods that should fit the needs of most users.

Healthy Shower Choice

The Shower Head / Filter Set

The Filter Cartridge

Two filtration mediums are contained in the cartridge. They mainly remove chlorine from the shower water. The health benefit comes from not inhaling chlorine vapors, nor absorbing chlorine through the skin.

A couple years ago I purchased a shower head for each of our children and for mine and my wife's showers. One of our daughters-in-law has said that she liked to brush her teeth in the shower but did not like rinsing her mouth with shower water. After installing the new shower head she loved a new-found pleasant experience in rinsing her mouth.

The filter cartridge is good for a year. The filter containment component easily detaches in order to reverse the cartridge on a monthly basis. This improves the action of the filtration medium and helps to ensure twelve months between filter replacement.

The cartridge generally costs around $45. That comes to $3.75 per month. Not bad.

Sprite is the manufacturer of the shower head and filtration system. Our local health foods store carries them.

Anyone who elects to have this system should be very happy about their choice. I only wish I had known about it years earlier.

The American Diet

A nation of bad dietary choices. That's the U.S.A. We hear about our national obesity epidemic that has especially hit children who should be active, trim, and fit. Often we get some focus on type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis and managing cholesterol and triglycerides. There are concerns about high blood pressure and excessive sodium intake. 

What about the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)? What is its role in keeping our diets healthful. Not its concern, I'd say.

Above we see a Bacon Cheddar Double-Burger. Alone it has 1,770 calories, a full day's allotment for some people. The sodium load is 2,380 milligrams, more than twice a healthy daily amount.

Of course, the sweet potato fries add calories, sodium, and fats. And the milk shake? That one has a slice of apple pie blended into it. Can we get any crazier with food preparation?

How interesting that the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) [reference] exists to educate us about topics the government is unwilling to address properly.

The CSPI is an entity not beholding to the corporations and businesses that support unhealthy living choices. Its Website offers many facets for improving our lives.

Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)

The Silent Killer

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is at the top of the list for poisoning deaths in the U.S. Like most atmospheric gases it is tasteless, odorless, and colorless. Carbon monoxide, when inhaled, binds to the hemoglobin of our red blood cells. Its affinity for hemoglobin is 200 times stronger than that for oxygen. Our circulating blood cannot sustain life when carbon monoxide has replaced the oxygen molecules that red blood cells normally carry.

We must, by new lawful mandate, have a CO Monitor/Alarm installed in our mobile home. Our son and daughter-in-law had recently got one due to adoption agency requirement. The battery operated Kidde was available to them at Sam's Club for $25. Today they had already sold out.

WalMart had a Kidde for $18. Our son's model has a digital display; thus, the higher cost. All that is necessary is monitor and alarm.

Placement of the unit is important. Close proximity to gas-fueled appliances must be avoided. Our hallway, near the heater/cooler thermostat, seemed to be a good place. It is near the two bedrooms.

Of course, the three "AA" batteries will get changed out at Daylight Saving Time cycles. The unit has a 7-year service life. Either an internal clock or electrical potential of the monitoring component functions with initial battery application. After the usage period the alarm will emit 2 beeps every thirty seconds. Nonetheless, I have made a calendar notification entry for January of 2020.

Carbon monoxide is called the silent killer because its presence in the air we breath does not cause any irritation. In fact, CO gas is tasteless, odorless, and colorless. The air we breath normally has just less than 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen. Trace gasses in our atmosphere include helium and hydrogen; albeit, light enough to be better concentrated in our upper atmosphere.

So, we now have this additional degree of protection beyond our three smoke alarms. We should have had CO monitoring over past years. From this time forward we do.

It took a new law to get my attention about the issue. Those who have yet to decide on CO monitoring can now find low prices for these devices. Perhaps I will sleep more soundly tonight. We shall see…

Mr. Coffee Won The Decision

The Rival Coffee Maker was lacking in one important area. The brewing temperature was too low. The ideal water temperature is 195°–205°F, since water is a better solvent at near-boiling [212°F] temperature. I never tested the Rival's coffee temperature.

The Rival appliance produced a coffee that was at the high end of the "warm" scale. Certainly not sufficient to bring out the full flavor of my freshly ground coffee beans.

After returning the Rival I ended up with a Mr. Coffee brand. The final brew was sufficiently hot and tasty. My second cup was nice and hot as well. This reflects the good performance of the hot plate. I readily consume my initial cup and get to the next within a short period of time.

Coffee "cooks" as it rests on the hot plate. I got to my second cup within sufficient time before the flavor had deteriorated.

The Mr. Coffee brand appears to be a good one. And the price was right: just under $20 after sales tax.

Unrivaled Value - Rival 12-Cup Coffee Maker

I could not believe the price. Just under $10 including tax at Wal-Mart. A competing and popular one-cup coffee maker system retails at around $150. The Rival 12-Cup was a steal by comparison.

Pre-use cleaning was simple. Part of the readiness process was to run two carafes of water through the device. Afterwards this coffee maker was ready to perform.

I brewed 2 cups of coffee, which took approximately four minutes. I used a specialty coffee bean that gets freshly ground at the time of brewing. The Rival performed well.

The footprint and height of the Rival are less than its predecessor. Both preparation for brewing and clean-up were easy.

This Rival replaces a Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Brew Station that had developed a leak somewhere. The kitchen counter underneath the Brew Station would always end up with a coffee puddle. Never could I locate the exact source. And the Brew Station had provided several years of service.

If you are in the market for a coffee maker, look in Wal-Mart for the Rival brand.

Public Executions Ramping Up

This artist's cartoon says it all. Public shootings by mentally disturbed individuals seem to be on the increase. Enough is enough. What motivates a person to take innocent lives?

The recent incident at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut was where the perpetrator's mother taught. She apparently collected guns; thereby, maintaining an arsenal at home from which her resident son could choose.

Yet, those intent on using assault weapons obtain them in one way or another.

It seems impossible to identify individuals who might have a tendency to act out by committing mass executions. Occasionally there are behavioral clues from a person that reveal a suspicious lack of balance. And quite often such signals are ignored.

What is the answer to this problem? Should there be a multi-faceted approach to a solution? How do we turn this situation around?

Pot Laws

Obama: Enforcing pot laws in states

that have legalized it not a top priority…

"Obama made explicit in an interview to air Friday on ABC News that prosecution of marijuana users in the two states would be placed low on his Justice Department's list of law enforcement priorities, but that certain issues must still be ironed out as more states could pass similar legislation." (Reference)

It seems sensible to not go after any state that decriminalizes marijuana by some measure. Prosecutors in some jurisdictions have said that they will not pursue criminal action for those already charged with marijuana possession for personal use.

We are entering an era where governments will stop wasting money attempting to turn marijuana users into criminals.

Flight Without Fright

Above is Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. At least a rendering of the 787 for X-Plane Flight Simulator. [Click on the image to enlarge the screenshot photo.] Below is the instrument panel in the pilot's cabin. You may enlarge its screenshot as well.

Operating the 787 is a dream. Learning to smoothly land this 'heavy metal aircraft' has been a fun challenge. Avoiding short runways is important.

Go to X-Plane Addict.

Tight Is Right

After several months of routine re-tightening of our toilet seats I decided to Google the issue in hopes of finding a fix. I saw a Yukon brand of kit online, said to be available at Lowes. The kit I got was different because Yukon was no longer carried there.

In researching this I learned that many seat bolts do not fit snuggly through the opening for them on the toilet. One side of each washer is contoured to fill the tiny gap between the bolt and the opening.

Tonight I applied the washers on our two toilets and the nuts seated firmly against the washers. As I tightened they seemed more secure than they had at prior times. I imagine that I have solved the problem.

I ask myself, "why did I not research the problem after the first loosening?" Perhaps I thought they had not been tightened down securely enough each time. Hopefully the hassle is over.

So, a similar problem with your toilet seat/s can be solved for under $5. The kit contains three sets of washers (for 3 seats).

GE Foods Shorten Life

…Cause Tumors, Says First-Ever Long-Term Study

Messing with Nature brings serious consequences.

Monsanto is an evil, immoral, and unethical company. Its wrongful practices are known by many, especially America's farmers.

"Eating genetically engineered (GE) corn has been strongly linked to serious health effects--including mammary tumors and kidney and liver damage… ," according to the study.

Improving crop yields is a great idea; yet, should not occur at the expense of human health.

Marijuana Decriminalization

Colorado, Washington, and Oregon will have ballot initiatives in November for decriminalization of of marijuana. This measure will allow recreational use of pot, not just medicinal application. The feds have remained silent on these state-level issues.

The federal government lists marijuana as a Class-1 substance, which is that for heroine as well. There is no comparison between the two as for the addictive attribute of each.

The two opposing camps on this issue give rather strong arguments; although, those who want marijuana to remain illegal also give fallacious slippery slope claims.

Personally, I see no reason not to change the law on this. Too bad that the feds will not do the reasonable thing on this. Both federal excise and state sales taxes on legally marketed marijuana would provide a large boost to the financial coffers at both levels.

Portugal has no criminal statutes for any drugs, including heroine. That country has the lowest incidence of drug addiction per capita among countries where statistics exist for drug use.

I feel it is time for decriminalization of marijuana at all levels.

Chick is Chic

LA Parking Meters

…the new meters will generate more than $280,000 per year…

Parking meters generate revenue far beyond the cost of parking enforcement. Meter Maids cannot command very high salaries.
There are fines attached to illegal parking in Los Angeles. Here are a few:

Obstructing handicap spot or misusing disabled parking placard: $363

Parking in a bus zone: $293

Red zone parking: $93

Street sweeping violation: $73

Overnight parking fine: $68

Parking on a bridge or in a tunnel: $68

Expired meter: $63

I would never wish to be found in violation. Costs are way too high.What are your parking experiences in your home town?

'Pay Up or Die': Thousands of Australians Receive Death Threat Text Message

Where is the society going? At every turn we see the workings of evil people who have no respect for others. In fact, they obviously lack any self-respect.


Resources available to investigate disturbing activities throughout the world have to be stretched exceedingly thin.  We live in sadly evil times.


Resource story.

Logitech Flight Controls

Technical Details

• Authentic design inspired by military and commercial planes and helicopters
• Force Feedback Joystick
• Dual throttle lets you precisely control multi-engine aircraft using the split lever
• Rudder pedals with toe brakes
• Interactive, programmable throttle-base buttons

I have gone off the deep end. However, with this set I will have realistic control of aircraft provided by X-Plane's simulator application. I could have settled for a joystick that provides rudder control by twisting the stick. The rudder pedals (with toe brakes) provides realism.

The remaining element in the equation is flight simulator software. X-Plane was chosen because it provides simulation software for simulators that the big guys use. X-Plane is highly rated, and from personal experience has tech support on a par with that of Apple Corporation.

X-Plane 10.0 is the latest version of the simulator app. 

An aircraft's control panel view allows important flight settings to be made. Raising the landing gear after take-off and lowering it for landing is one example for having the cockpit view.

The view can be rotated to getting behind the plane and seeing where it is going. The attitude (climbing, descending, banking right or left) can be controlled while in this view. I am awaiting the arrival of the X-Plane app and the controls.

In meantime, view a YouTube presentation. Here is another one.

Enjoy!

Chick-fil-A's Gay Marriage Stance Causing A Social Storm

There are likely as many supporters on Facebook of this eatery as there are bashers.


One supporter noted, "People who are bashing Chick-Fil-A for their Christian stances need to find more important things to complain about." (News venues might find more important issues to report on as well.)


As for me, Chick-Fil-A's financial support of California's Proposition 8 ended my customer relationship with them. And that is the best policy: quietly vote with your feet. Many people did that back then, and apparently this latest issue has prompted many to claim they will no longer support Chick-Fil-A.


Besides, I did not find Chick-Fil-A's offerings as tasty as such from other chicken specialty shops in my area. That is a better reason to support the others.


Read the news article.

Mr. Rogers Remix