Today Is ...

August 31, 2024, at home

Today Is ...

August 30, 2024, at home

My favorite beach is Robert Moses State Park, Fields 4 and 5, on the southern coast of Long Island, New York. I grew up several miles from this beach. When I lived there, I loved it during the summertime, but I preferred walking on its shoreline in the coldness of wintertime. I live in southeastern Florida, and no beach can even compare to the greatness of Field 4 and 5. (great memories)

August 30, 2024, at home

I prefer my marshmallows slightly burned.

Worst Concert Seats

August 30, 2024, at home

R.E.M. ("Out of Time" tour, early 1990s): Madison Square Garden in New York City, last row, directly behind the band, so we only saw the band members' backs through a ceiling-to-floor fish net. However, we were only a few feet from the hot dog stand. My friends and I had a terrific time listening to the band ... and eating hot dogs.

Today Is ...

August 29, 2024, at home

Fake Wedding Ring

August 29, 2024, at home

When I was single, I wore a fake wedding ring for a while to get women to be friendly toward me. I did it twice: once living in New Jersey and working in New York City; and once in Florida.

Question

August 29, 2024, at home

(The study of relationships between men and women has been a hobby of mine for decades. I have been a Men's Rights Activist since the early 1990s, when I was in my early 30s.)

QUESTION:

Women in the United States and other western countries (Canada, The U.K., Australia) use "The Rules of Sixes" when judging men. He must be at least six feet tall; he must earn at least a six-figure salary; he must have six-pack abs; and he must have at least six inches down below. Also, Western women have become overconfident to the point of arrogance, overly masculine, and so-called "independent," where they "don't need no man." They would rather encounter a bear in the woods than a man. That is basically why men in Western countries are traveling to Eastern countries (China, Japan, The Philippines) to find feminine wives. These men are called "Passport Bros." What do you think of this concept?

Thirty Three & 1/3

August 29, 2024, at home

Trivia: George Harrison's studio album "Thirty Three & 1/3" was recorded from May 24, 1976, to September 13, 1976, and released on November 19, 1976. We know that 33 1/3 is the rotation of an LP vinyl record album, but how old was George when he first started recording this album? (Hint: The answer is in front of your eyes.)

Yesterday's Dinner

August 28, 2024, at home

As per my request, my wonderful wife made one of my favorite Italian dishes: Linguine Puttanesca. The ingredients are linguine (any other pasta can be used) with a Puttanesca sauce: olive oil, garlic, anchovies, crushed red pepper flakes, diced tomatoes, kalamata olives, pickled capers, and fresh parsley. 

Puttanesca translates as "in the style of the whore." The name derives from the Italian word "puttana" which means "whore." Puttana in turn arises from the Latin word "putida" which means stinking.

As you can tell by the ingredients, it is quite stinky, which is why I love it. Many thanks go to my wonderful wife for enduring her creation for me.

One website further explains: "One tale tells how this dish was invented in the brothels of Naples so the smells wafting from the kitchen would entice potential ... errr, clients. Another story claims this pasta was a quick and simple dish ladies of the Neapolitan night could throw together in a hurry in amongst their busy schedules."

Part of my Italian family (maternal) lives in Sturno, Italy, which is fairly close to Naples, Italy. I visited family members on their farm in Sturno in July 1970 with my parents when I was nine years old.

Read Comics In Public Day

August 28, 2024, at home

Today is International Read Comics in Public Day !!!

My favorite comic book character is Jughead Jones, but I didn't start reading his comic books until the mid-1990s, when I was in my mid-30s. At that time, I was working in New York City as a reporter, writer, editor, and researcher for an international weekly magazine on the financial and technical aspects of the chemical industry.

My brain was immersed in complex information every day, so I decided that I needed something simplistic to read during my non-working hours. I remembered that I liked Jughead in the newspaper comics in the 1960s and 1970s, and the TV cartoon series in 1968, when I was seven years old, so I started picking up the Jughead Jones Digests every month at the supermarket to take my mind off of chemicals.

I am a huge fan of Jughead Jones, mainly because we are very much alike: He's lazy, awkward, clumsy, and a free spirit, plus he likes to eat, especially hamburgers, and is not popular with the ladies.

I still have those digests from the 1990s.

Today Is ...

August 28, 2024, at home

I prefer red wine to white wine. I like Italian red wines, especially a nice fruity Chianti, and Austrian (not Australian) dry white wines.

Hint: If you need to stay awake for partying, drink white wine. If you want to relax and fall asleep/pass out, drink red wine.

August 28, 2024, at home

I like cherry turnovers. I am sure that I would love them with chocolate ice cream.

August 28, 2024, at home

I do have one (pre-knotted) bow tie: dark purple with a paisley pattern.

Today Is ...

August 27, 2024, at home

My paternal grandmother used to make peach pie when I was a kid in the 1960s and 1970s. She never used a top crust. She would boil the pits in unflavored powdered gelatin, water, and a little red food coloring. She would pour the hot liquid over the freshly sliced peaches in the pie before baking. The pie would have this, well, pinkish-white, gelatinous substance on top. I liked it. These days, we know that peach pits contain small amounts of amygdalin, a chemical that can break down into the poisonous chemical cyanide when digested, so I will NOT recommend boiling the pits.

August 27, 2024, at home

I don't think I have ever eaten this.

Today Is ...

August 26, 2024, at home

Cherry Popsicles are OK. I prefer the Fudgsicle (chocolate). The "s" is silent, so it is pronounced "fudge-ih-kell." I also like those Creamsicles (orange cream).

Today Is ...

August 25, 2024, at home

I am not all that fond of banana splits.

August 25, 2024, at home

Whiskey Sours are OK.

Dutch Grand Prix

August 25, 2024, at home

I am watching live coverage of the fifteenth race of the 2024 Formula 1 racing season. The Dutch Grand Prix is being broadcast on Sky Sports F1 (on a feed to ESPN). The race started at 3 p.m. local time (9 a.m. Eastern Time in the United States).

Below is a diagram of the Circuit Zandvoort in the dunes north of Zandvoort, the Netherlands, near the North Sea coast line and 35 km (22 mi) west of Amsterdam. Each circuit (track) around the world has a different configuration, therefore a different dynamic, regarding turns and elevation fluctuations.

This season's 24-race schedule is as follows: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Japan, China, Miami, Italy, Monaco, Canada, Spain, Austria, Great Britain, Hungary, Belgium, The Netherlands, Italy (different circuit), Azerbaijan, Singapore, Austin, Mexico, Brazil, Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi.

The first two races this season (in Bahrain and in Saudi Arabia) were held on Saturdays due to the Islamic observance of Ramadan. All other races will be held on Sundays, as usual, except for the Las Vegas Grand Prix which will also be held on Saturday.

Before each race, there are two days of practice/qualifying. The races run every week or every other week from March into December.

In Formula 1 racing, there are 20 (male) drivers, with one driver from the United States. There are 10 teams (with two drivers on each team), so not only do drivers compete against their rivals, but they also compete against their teammates. There are two championships: one for the drivers and one for the constructor teams.

This season, as with last season, there are three races in the United States. In fairly recent years, there were no drivers from the United States and no races in the United States.

Formula 1 racing is the only sport that I actively follow. I have been a fan for decades. I watched my first F1 race decades ago on television at the home of one of my many Austrian cousins while on vacation in Austria.

Don't Eat/Use It

August 24, 2024, at home

I hate when people say to not eat or use products when you can't pronounce the ingredients. From 1992 to 1996, I wrote about chemicals for an international magazine. I CAN pronounce these ingredients. Does that mean I should be using these products? Hmm.

Chair Up The Stairs

August 24, 2024, at home

My paternal grandmother had one of these long ago. I was allowed to ride it only once when I was very young. I think it was in the late 1960s or early 1970s because she passed in 1977, when I was 16 years old.

Peggy Kirk Bell

August 24, 2024, at home

"It doesn’t take a great athlete to be able to play golf. Conversely, great athletes aren’t always good golfers. That’s the beauty of the game."

- Peggy Kirk Bell, from "The Gift of Golf: My Life with A Wonderful Game"

I had the privilege of teaching golf to adults and children, side-by-side with the late great hall-of-famer and LPGA champion Peggy Kirk Bell, during the summer of 1981 (age 20) at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina. PGA touring pro Pat McGowan, husband of Bell's daughter Bonnie (R.I.P.), also taught there at that time. That summer, I played a round of golf with him, just the two of us. I shot an 82. He shot a course record 64. He was like a machine.

I also have the distinction of throwing up on Peggy Kirk Bell. Yeah, I threw up on a hall-of-fame golfer. I was a young teenager, attending a Golfari (golf instruction/camp) in the 1970s. I became ill, so she decided to feed me soup while I lie in bed. Soon, I told her that I couldn't eat any more of the soup. She said, "Just one more spoonful." I ate it, and then lost it. She loved all of the kids who attended the Golfaris. I was there for them every summer from 1972 to 1981.

Today Is ...

August 24, 2024, at home

My paternal grandmother used to make peach pie when I was a kid in the 1960s and 1970s. She never used a top crust. She would boil the pits in unflavored powdered gelatin, water, and a little red food coloring. She would pour the hot liquid over the freshly sliced peaches in the pie before baking. The pie would have this, well, pinkish-white, gelatinous substance on top. I liked it. These days, we know that peach pits contain small amounts of amygdalin, a chemical that can break down into the poisonous chemical cyanide when digested, so I will NOT recommend boiling the pits.

August 24, 2024, at home

I do occasionally like waffles, but I do prefer pancakes.

August 24, 2024, at home

When my dad (1934-1997) retired in the mid-1990s, he moved to Maryland from Long Island, New York.

Morning Coffee

August 24, 2024, at home

I am enjoying a warm cup of coffee in bed this morning, as usual. (I am still recovering from recent surgeries and other medical issues, but I am slowly getting stronger.)

(new Facebook profile photo and main blog photo)

New YouTube Video

August 23, 2024, at home

I created and uploaded the following video onto my YouTube channel.

Heart & Lungs: Update (Aug. 23, 2024)

Medical Update: condition of my heart and lungs following a very recent hospital visit with Congestive Heart Failure and Restrictive Lung Disease (Parts One and Part Two)

https://youtu.be/8VoK-McsXIo?si=XG8whzbKuUHPBlgB

New Facebook Photo

August 23, 2024, at home

New Facebook Profile Photo

Today Is ...

August 23, 2024, at home

I found my inner nerd (and outer nerd) as a kid in the 1960s, playing with my chemistry set. Hey, my favorite job (1992 to 1996) was researching and writing articles for an international weekly magazine on the financial and technical aspects of the chemical industry based in New York City.

August 23, 2024, at home

My dear cousin Scott introduced me to the Cuban sandwich, as well as Cuban coffee (Café con Leche), when I visited him and his brother Burt while on spring break in Miami in February 1982. They were attending the University of Miami. I was attending Villanova University near Philadelphia. Two friends from 'Nova and I drove my car (two-seater Ford EXP, four-speed) 24 straight hours to spend a week in Florida. It was a hatchback, so we alternated who slept in the "trunk." I dropped them off in Fort Lauderdale, and then I continued onto Miami.

(Although I am not Hispanic, I do like Cuban food.)

August 23, 2024, at home

I absolutely dislike sponge cake and pound cake, well, all cake unless there is more frosting than cake.

Me & The Bear

August 23, 2024, at home

I was without female companionship from age 20 to age 40, and not by choice. I then met my future wife. I wed for the first and only time 22 days before my 45th birthday in February 2006. We are still together.

August 23, 2024, at home

I was without female companionship from age 20 to age 40, and not by choice. I then met my future wife. I wed for the first and only time 22 days before my 45th birthday in February 2006. We are still together.

Women & Butterflies

August 23, 2024, at home

Men look at women in the way that some people look at butterflies. He thinks for a few seconds, "OH, that's pretty" and then he immediately thinks, "What do I want for lunch?"

Today Is ...

August 21, 2024, at home

I do love spumoni, because it tastes good and (probably) because of my Italian upbringing. Spumoni typically has small pieces of cherries and almonds,  and usually has flavors of ice cream to match the Italian flag in color: pistachio (green), vanilla (white), and strawberry (red). I prefer the chocolate version. I don't like strawberry anything, but I can tolerate it if it's mixed with something.

August 21, 2024, at home

I am one of these.

August 21, 2024, at home

I never heard of it.

Yesterday Was ...

August 20, 2024, at home

I prefer radio to television. I particularly love the old radio shows from the 1930s and 1940s, especially the Kraft Music Hall, which aired from 1933 to 1949. I have 10 shows on five CDs of "KMH" hosted by Bing Crosby that were broadcast to the troops during World War II. I also like The Bob Hope Show from around that time; I have many of those shows on many CDs.

August 20, 2024, at home

I definitely remember eating a piece of pecan pie with a chocolate ganache on top, but it was long ago.

August 20, 2024, at home

Trivia: Only female mosquitoes suck your blood.

August 20, 2024, at home

They have definitely helped me over the past few years.

Whistles & Catcalls

August 20, 2024, at home

I actually have FIVE responses to this picture:

I once was driving, and I spotted the back of this beautiful woman with long flowing blonde hair. She was walking on the side of the road, so I lowered the window of my car to let out a catcall at her. As I passed her, I quickly changed my mind. I noticed his beard.

I like the 1970s version of the TV game show "What's My Line?" On one hand, the two male panelists (stars) stand to greet the contestants, while the two female panelists (also stars) remain seated. This shows male respect. However, when a beautiful female contestant appears, you can hear the whistles and cat calls from the men in the audience, which I love.

Many women say it's just men objectifying women. In actuality, the women are initially objectifying themselves.

We need this to make a serious comeback.

great instrumental song written by Paul McCartney (title: Cat Call)

https://youtu.be/JyJ3_PiOWG0?si=5DIOWJ5xzU5pMsBg

Today Is ...

August 19, 2024, at home

I love Carvel's chocolate soft-serve ice cream in a bowl with chocolate jimmies (sprinkles). I never liked ice cream cones.

August 19, 2024, at home

I prefer mashed potatoes, especially with a little crumbled blue cheese mixed in. I like french fries in the traditional way: dipped in mayonnaise. I sometimes use tartar sauce.

Today Is ...

August 18, 2024, at home

I like ice cream cake, specifically Carvel. I'm not sure about ice cream pie.

August 18, 2024, at home

I like Italian reds and Austrian (not Australian) whites.

August 18, 2024, at home

I love looking through mail order catalogs, especially food catalogs, but I typically never buy anything.

August 18, 2024, at home

I really don't like fajitas. I need some kind of sauce on Mexican food, preferably mole.