Vacation
We see the same moon, you in your world and me in mine.
The reason I haven’t posted anything for a little while is that I’m vacationing in; California, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.
I won’t be back in the garret until Sunday September 10th. Look for some very cool posts from me right after that.
Take care everyone.
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Jack Collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
Health, Wealth, and Happiness
All happiness depends upon courage and work.
For a little while I’ve been trying to work out what is really important in Life. In as simple terms as possible, what is that we all strive for, what do we really want, what is life all about, really? So help me, I came up with; Health, Wealth, and Happiness.
I don’t think these desirable states of being are even on the standard Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. However, I believe that you can’t have good health, sufficient money to live reasonably well, and sufficient contentment to deem yourself happy, unless the criteria within Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is also being met. You know, Maslow was much smarter than just drawing pyramids, he was also a deep thinker when it came to the science of happiness.
The only happy people I know are the ones who are working well at something they consider important. ~ Abraham Maslow.
Wishing people health, wealth, and happiness used to be a very common toast in my part of the world. Perhaps these days some people may turn their noses up at the ‘wealth’ part ~ most likely those people have never know what it is to be dirt poor.
- Health. By this we really mean having Good Health, for the great majority of your time on this Earth. But, like all things, good health is a paradox. In comparison to our forefathers we are all in good health, but future generations may well look back and pity the standards of health and fitness we know today. For my personal health I like yoga and long walks.
- Wealth. Conspicuous wealth isn’t so important, but having enough money to comfortably meet the criteria of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is desirable. Money may not be able to buy you love, but money will get you a fair amount of sex. Money gives you freedom from many worries. Having a little spare cash creates opportunities. Personally, I’d rather be miserable with a few pounds in the bank than miserable and broke.
- Happiness. The great imponderable. For many of us happiness comes from being fit and healthy, and having enough money to be free from many worries. Happiness is also not having a host of negative emotions; anger, envy, fear, jealousy, lust… There are as many ways to real happiness as there are people on this planet of ours.
I found real happiness the day I stopped being a wage slave. Happiness also comes from not being pestered by idiots, such as your boss. Phone calls from telemarketing people, Google filling my screen with crap and not what I searched for, Facebook targeting me with advertisements for things I’ve long since moved on from, and people with clipboards wanting to talk with me in the street ~ all of these things seem designed to disrupt my health, wealth and happiness. I have a simple answer for those leeches~ fuck off, and please don’t keep in touch.
Perhaps there is no nirvana, perhaps having Health, Wealth, and Happiness is an oxymoron.
Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none. ~ Shakespeare.
Being at peace with myself, knowing that I’ve not been a leech or a jerk, means that I can go to bed at night feeling somewhat happy. But, like most people I’m never totally satisfied with my day’s endeavours.
On the other hand, I can easily walk a dozen miles a day, I can do yoga on the beach in the sunshine, I eat well, I have no money worries, and don’t go to bed feeling like crap. So, perhaps real Health, Wealth, and Happiness is possible after all.
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jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
yoga for men is cool
Food on Friday ~ Summery Pink Drinks
Pink isn’t just a colour, it’s an attitude.
I saw a girl driving a shocking pink car today. It could have been worse, it could have been a guy driving a shocking pink car. (It could have been the Pink Panther.) I started to wonder if anything really looked good in pink, and I came up with pink drinks for a summer’s weekend.
Well, actually you could drink these pink drinks at any time of the year, but I think they all look very summery and cooling for a stinking hot and humid day.
And yes, there are cocktails called The Pink Panther, the recipes vary, but girls should beware of all of them.
The ever elegant Heather Christo has some very ‘cool’ drinks recipes, including; spicy watermelon sangria, cherry pomegranate ginger vodka lemonade, and this really pretty in pink watermelon cucumber gin lemonade.
Wetermelon Cucumber Gin Lemonade
Tieghan Gerard from Half Baked Harvest has some really great looking ‘pink drinks’ too; frozen watermelon rosé sangria slushies, raspberry rosé tequila kombucha, and this vicious sounding jalapeno bloody mary.
Jalapeno Bloody Mary
San Diego girl Averie Sunshine has a drink that’s sort of pink in this Malibu sunset, which is made with pineapple and orange juice, coconut rum, grenadine, with some added cherries. Malibu Coconut Rum is a pretty cool spirit with lots of mixers; try it with Coca-Cola for a different tasting Cuba Libre.
Malibu Sunset
At Honestly Yum Todd has this cool and very pink watermelon, fresh herbs and sotol cocktail. Sotol is from Mexico, it’s a bit like tequila, only crazier.
Watermelon, Fresh Herbs and Sotol Cocktail
Seattle girl Heather, the Flourishing Foodie has this recipe for a rhubarb collins, and she also tells us how to make simple syrup ~ an essential ingredient for many, many long cocktails.
Rhubarb Collins
Chungah at Damn Delicious has this dead easy and very refreshing strawberry thyme prosecco ~ I love that Chungah uses limoncello in this recipe. This drink is very pink indeed.
Strawberry Thyme Prosecco
And finally for now, found in Allrecipes magazine, we have this recipe for Jewel’s watermelon margaritas created by Rainbow Jewels. How cute.
Jewel’s Watermelon Margaritas
Please always drink responsibly ~ you know it makes sense. Girls, beware apples laced with anything alcoholic, narcotic, or soporific.
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jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
guys need a cocktail recipe book
Life Is No Fairy Tale
The true beauty of a Princess is measured by her purity.
Snow White isn’t supposed to die in the opening scene.
The Handsome Prince is meant to be one of the good guys ~ he isn’t supposed to have an unseen silver dagger underneath his cloak.
Nowhere in the fairy tale does it say that the prince plunges the silver dagger into Snow White’s alabaster breast so that her crimson blood stains the purity of her dress and drips onto the green, green grass of the seven dwarfs’ garden.
The fairy tale does say that Snow White and the Handsome Prince will be linked together forever in broken dreams. There is no way the Prince will ever be able to forget that he murdered the Fairy Princess he was supposed to love.
He did love her.
He will spend the rest of his life trying to forget her.
He will die trying.
At least the Wicked Witch Bitch will live happily ever after.
There never was a poisoned apple, that was just a story put about by the Seven Dwarfs.
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
get your own silver dagger here
Stay Young ~ Eat Walnuts
A dog, a wife, and a walnut tree, they more you beat them the better they be.
It looks like a simple change to our diet, like eating a few walnuts a day, boosts our health in some amazing ways.
I’ve long thought that eating nuts was a good idea, and now some scientists at the Louisiana State University agree with me. After some experiments they say that eating a couple of ounces of walnuts a day improves your digestive health. Seems it’s all to do with prebiotics again, and that walnuts have their beneficial effects by nourishing the friendly bacteria in our gut, helping them to thrive and multiply.
These good bacteria have anti-inflammatory properties, and chronic inflammation is now thought to be central to the onset of arthritis, various cancers including prostate and breast cancer, depression, early aging, various heart / circulatory diseases, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
It’s better to get the nutrients for healthy skin from food, not supplements. Salmon, walnuts, blueberries, spinach… lots of my favorite foods happen to be amazing for skin too. ~ Gail Simmons
Scientists and nutritionists say that the health of our digestive tract is central to the health of our whole body. Walnuts act as a prebiotic, meaning that eating these nuts helps keep our digestive system healthy.
Gut health is an emerging research area, but we are seeing greater bacterial diversity may be associated with better health outcomes, whereas low diversity has been linked to conditions such as obesity and inflammatory bowel disease. ~ Professor Lauri Byerley.
Walnuts and hazelnuts are just about the oldest tree foods known to man; their importance going at least at far back as 7,000 BC. Walnuts in particular;
- Help with weight loss.
- Improve good sleep if eaten late at night~ walnuts contain lots of melatonin.
- Are good for your hair, in fact eating walnuts may help prevent hair loss.
- Are very good for your heart and circulation.
- Help to lower your bad cholesterol.
- Help to prevent type 2 diabetes.
- Makes your skin healthier.
- Can keep senile dementia at bay.
- Help to prevent various cancers, especially breast and pancreatic cancers.
- Will help you to live a longer, healthier, and less stressful life.
Personally, I firmly believe that eating almost any type of nuts and seeds is a beneficial addition to one’s diet, but walnuts may be better than most as they are the only nut that contains a lot of omega-3 fatty acid. And, as we already know, omega-3 fatty acids are good for us. Walnuts also have a lot of protein, fibre, phytochemicals, and antioxidants in them.
Walnuts are a tree nut, along with Brazils, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia, pecans, pine nuts and pistachios ~ each of these has it’s own nutritional properties, (I can’t abide macadamia nuts and I hate pecan pie).
Walnuts have the vitally important amino acid l-arginine, which give loads of benefits to people with heart diseases, or who may become prone to suffering from heart and circulatory problems.
These almost magical nuts also contain neuroprotective compounds, such as vitamin E, folate, and melatonin. Research shows that eating a half a cup of walnuts a day may stave off senile dementia.
Allegedly, walnuts also make men more sexually potent, and are good for pregnant women…..
There is one nut which is not generally thought to be quite so healthy; peanuts. These are legumes anyhow, and basically legumes are either peas or cattle food. The main reason that early farmers grew legumes is that they improve the soil, and not because they’re good to eat.
Nevertheless, there are health benefits to be found from the humble peanut; they’re full of fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals, the anti-aging molecule resveratrol, and phytosterols that help reduce bad cholesterol.
Nuts and seeds are a far better snack than the other disgusting crap many people munch on, especially late at night. So don’t snack on potato chips, crackers, popcorn, blue cheese, ice cream, doughnuts, pretzels, candy, chocolate, cookies, cake, s’mores… have some walnuts instead, or almonds, or hazelnuts, (or any nuts and seeds).
The good news is, that glass of red wine you like late at night is good for you too.
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
always buy organic walnuts
She’s So Beautiful
The prudent distrust witches promises.
so listen while I call you a fool
she walks in beauty like the night
the moon and stars her tender light
their celestial adoration her soul incites
Selene rises for her love’s wonderous light
an enchantress erotic promise darkly excites
and later she will lie that her feelings were true
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
you need herbs for witchcraft
Is This The End of the Internal Combustion Engine?
Environmentalists are killing the planet, destroying the economy, and stealing your children’s future.
A bunch of rabid environmentalists have forced the British Government to announce that all petrol and diesel cars will be banned from the year 2040. Nobody ever accused rabid environmentalists of being intelligent, or having any common sense. Banning diesel and petrol cars, (or will it be all cars that have exhaust emissions?), has staggering implications that the officials, politicians, and environmentalists haven’t properly thought through.
In Sweden, Volvo has announced that from 2019 all of its new models will be either completely battery powered or hybrid vehicles. There’s a couple of interesting points here. Firstly this move will put a whopping premium on the price of all new Volvo’s. And secondly, hybrid cars still have to have a petrol or diesel engine that will produce nasty polluting exhaust fumes.
Diesel exhausts are killing us all, allegedly.
Across Europe several major cities, (Paris, Madrid, Athens), say that diesel cars will be banned from entering their environs from 2025. The Hell-Hole that is Mexico City has followed suit ~ ha! The mayor of London, Mad Sadiq Khan, wants to ban Petrol and Diesel cars from London by 2050.
These headline grabbing moves will achieve absolutely nothing except to cost consumers and taxpayers trillions of Pounds / Euros / Dollars. Banning diesel and petrol cars in the UK will impose vast costs on drivers for little environmental benefit.
There is no conceivable way that the British electricity generating and distribution systems will ever be able to provide enough power for all those battery powered cars, (and vans and busses, and trucks?). Just where will all the extra power come from? The back of an envelope estimate is that all these electric vehicles will add an extra 30 gigawatts to UK peak demand, and that means we would need 50% more generating capacity. That’s equivalent to another half-dozen huge nuclear power plants like Hinkley Point, or another 20,000 wind turbines, (which only work some of the time). I have no idea how many acres of solar collectors it would take to generate that amount of power, but they don’t work at night, which is when most people will be charging their electric vehicles.
The British Government says it will install a fast charging point every 20 miles on major roads ~ imagine how many holes in the road and road works delays that will mean.
The British Government are also considering slashing the maximum speed on our motorways to 60 mph, and what is that supposed to achieve except more fines from speeding tickets?
This all seems a bit rich considering that the whole man-made global warming agenda has been exposed as nothing more than a massive fraud. The best estimate is that if all the trillions of dollars Obama proposed to spend on his Clean Power Plan to tackle non-existent man-made global warming was actually spent, then global temperatures would perhaps be reduced by 0.057 degrees Fahrenheit ~ one five-hundredth of a degree.
Climate change is a normal, natural, and perpetual process which occurs, and has always occurred, with sublime indifference to man’s puny input. ~ James Delingpole.
There are a few inconvenient truths that politicians and environmentalists would rather the public didn’t wake up to;
- Man-made global warming / catastrophic anthropogenic climate change doesn’t actually exist in any meaningful form ~it’s nothing but a fraud, a massive scam designed to give politicians back control over an increasingly independent populace.
- There is no such thing as completely clean power. Green Energy produces nastier and longer term environmental pollution than does burning fossil fuels. Nuclear Energy is a case in point, look at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima. Wind turbines have a massively negative impact on the environment, are bad for wildlife, and a blot on the landscape. All batteries are inherently polluting, expensive, and dangerous.
- Switching to electric-powered private transport will require at least a 50% increase in electricity generating capacity in any country that tries it.
- A vast investment in an infrastructure of new charging points to support all these new electric vehicles will be needed.
- Electric vehicles cost a hell of a lot more than an exactly equivalent bike / car / van / truck / bus powered by an internal combustion engine.
- Electric vehicles are less capable, and have a shorter life-span, (about 5 years), before major maintenance is required, (new batteries), than do ‘conventional’ cars, trucks, and busses.
- There aren’t enough qualified mechanics to maintain the huge increase in the number of electric vehicles the politicians propose.
- Disposing of all of the ‘dead’ batteries will require a huge investment in a recycling technology that, as yet, doesn’t actually exist.
- The value of used vehicles powered by petrol and diesel engines will plummet, destroying the economies of the developed world. There is a vast investment in lending to finance vehicle purchases.
- Internal combustion engines don’t have to run on either petrol or diesel fuel. Is a ban on ethanol / methanol / vegetable oil / propane / butane fuelled vehicles also proposed?
- Are politicians also proposing to ban aircraft / railway engines / ships / electricity generators powered by fossil fuels ~ otherwise what’s the point?
- If Politicians think the backlash against Hillary Clinton was an isolated aberration, they’ve got a big surprise in store after all this banning cars crap.
In my life I’ve seen some insane ideas put forward by politicians at the behest of special interest groups, but a total ban on the internal combustion engine running on fossil fuels has got to be maddest thing I’ve ever heard. But then, politicians, special interest groups, and bureaucrats have never been known for putting much thought into anything.
Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it. ~ Henry Ford
At least I have the personal benefit of being able to totally and completely ignore all this banning petrol and diesel fuelled cars crap. Not only that, because I live in a democracy I can cast my vote in ways designed to discomfort the current crop of lightweight, insane, political pygmies. (And that’s an insult to pygmies and the mentally ill.)
Meanwhile, the Lotus 7 is 60 years old this year. Now that’s a great car.
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
read about the Seven
Scenes on Sunday ~ Durham, England
Durham; half church of God, half castle against the Scot.
The City of Durham was founded in 995 AD, although I guess there were people living there for centuries before the monks arrived to ‘officially’ found Durham City. Building work on the spectacularly imposing Norman cathedral was begun in 1093 AD, but there was an earlier Anglo-Saxon cathedral on the site for about 100 years before that.
History is always written by the winners.
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jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
get a book about Durham
The first picture of the cathedral is a stock photo, the tower was covered in scaffold when I was there.
In medieval times touching the door knocker gave criminals sanctuary.
I used to drink in that pub when I was a younger man.
Jack Says Yes
Saying; ‘Yes’ often leads to interesting opportunities.
The answer ‘Yes’ isn’t always what you want to hear. Sometimes ‘Yes’ is bad news.
Always say ‘yes’ to the present moment… Surrender to what is. Say ‘yes’ to life ~ and see how life starts suddenly to start working for you rather than against you. ~ Eckhart Tolle.
Air Travel, is it Bad For Your Health? ~ Yes. Air travel is a slog, you get stressed, you get tired, you get dehydrated, you catch every germ on the aircraft, you can get deep-vein thrombosis, and you’re exposed to invisible cosmic rays.
Bread, is it Bad For You? ~ Yes. Wheat, especially modern American wheat is nothing more or less than a poison. It’s loaded with gluten, spikes your blood sugar, is full of something nasty called phytic acid, causes brain diseases, and wheat is addictive. In addition, modern American wheat is always drenched with Roundup, and that weedkiller really is a poison.
Chocolate, is it Good For You? ~ Yes, providing it’s rich dark chocolate. Cocoa has many powerful health benefits, so you need to eat a good quality chocolate loaded with cocoa. Not only that, dark chocolate tastes great, and eating it cures a broken heart.
Man-made global warming, is it a load of bullshit? ~ Yes. The whole man-made global warming agenda has been exposed as nothing more than a massive fraud. Not only that, all the trillions of dollars Obama wanted to spend to combat global warming could only have ever lowered the Earth’s temperature by 0.057 degrees Fahrenheit, (one five-hundredth of a degree).
Money, does it Make You Happy? ~ Yes, and No. Money might not make you happy, but it’s far better being rich and miserable than being a miserable street bum ~ (trust me, I’ve tried both). Having a wadge of spending money also gives you more opportunities to enjoy life. For example, in a week or so I’m flying to the USA to witness a total eclipse of the sun, I couldn’t do that if I was broke.
Nuclear Power, is it Dangerous? ~ Yes ~ Very, Very Dangerous. Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Fukushima. Numerous incidents at Windscale, including a hushed up fire in 1957. Add to that nuclear generated electricity is bloody expensive, the guaranteed price for electricity from Hinkley Point is 3 times the price of coal-fired electricity generation. (The UK Government doesn’t want people to know that.)
Politicians, are they all Backstabbing Bastards? ~ Yes. All politicians are also lying, philandering bastards. I hate politicians. But then I also hate contractors, cyclists, and top bankers.
Red Wine, is it Good For You? ~ Yes. There is solid scientific proof that one or two glasses of the falling-down-water, three or four times a week, is beneficial, especially in warding off the worst effects of type 2 diabetes. However, a good robust red wine is much better for you that a cheap white wine, and even that is far better for you than a couple of shots of tequila. Getting buzzed every night of the week means you’re an alcoholic.
Sex, is hot, energetic sex good for you? ~ Yes. Good Sex is fun, makes you feel better, cements relationships, and regular good sex improves your physical, mental, and spiritual health. Casual sex is bad, dangerous, and doesn’t make you Marilyn Monroe, it just proves that you’re easy.
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
why not have red wine delivered?
Food on Friday~ Mediterranean
Good food begins and ends with good talk.
Some say that a Mediterranean diet is good for you. And, that if you eat a mostly Mediterranean diet you’ll be healthier and live longer. All I know is that you should always have a really good extra virgin olive oil.
From Greece, tzatziki is basically a mixture of yogurt, cucumber, olive oil, garlic, and mint, and you can buy it from your local store, or you can even make your own. The Bojon Gourmet has this nice little farro and cucumber salad with feta, dill, and mint that not only would be nice with some tzatziki, but also combines its flavours. Both would go nicely with some grilled goat.
Farro and Cucumber Salad with Feta, Dill, and Mint
And now, from Heidi at foodiecrush we have this outrageous herbacious Mediterranean chickpea salad. (I had to include this just for the name of the dish.)
Outrageous Herbacious Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
From Heather Christo this week we have Mediterranean pasta with grilled swordfish, lemons and gremolata. Gremolata is also dead easy to make for yourself. (I love grilled swordfish, but some say we shouldn’t buy swordfish ~ I will go on eating it, because whatever I do won’t affect how much fish the Japanese rape from the sea.) This 25 minute dish is perfect for a barbecue with the kind of friend who doesn’t expect a burned burger in a cheap bun.
Mediterranean Pasta with Grilled Swordfish, Lemons, and Gremolata
Sardines are a quintessentially Mediterranean dish, and Petra from Food Eat Love has some super taste combinations in this dish of fresh sardines, roast baby beets with whipped avocado and feta. As you’d expect it’s the beetroot that going to take the longest to cook here.
Fresh Sardines, Roast baby Beets with Whipped Avocado and Feta
This is another Mediterranean dish I love, grilled lamb kebabs, this time from Tieghan Gerard at Half Baked Harvest. (Do you want to know my own secret ingredient for grilling Mediterranean style? 7Up ~ when the charcoal gets too hot and the meat looks like it might burn, I sprinkle 7Up over the grill.) Tieghan’s is a half-hour dish, but one should really marinade the lamb overnight.
Mediterranean Grilled Lamb Kebabs
Dana at The Minimalist Baker has the ultimate Mediterranean bowl, looks fabulous, and it’s easy, healthy, and gluten-free. However, I would definitely add a little more extra virgin olive oil.
The Ultimate Mediterranean Bowl
For hose of us who like recipe collections, Olive magazine has 19 of the best Mediterranean recipes, including this cod, cherry tomato, and green olive tray roast. Looks smashing doesn’t it.
Cod Cherry Tomato and Green Olive Tray Roast
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jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
get yourself a cookery book
