According to Wikilender, 11.5 percent of BMW 4 Series models have reported accident damage, and another 7.0 percent were found to have damage that was either never reported to the insurance company or by a body shop doing repair work. With a total of 18.5 percent, the 4 Series is the most often damaged vehicle in America.
#2 on this list is also a BMW and the next 8 are all luxury cars. It would seem odd at first that cars built for luxury with all the latest gizmos for safety built in would be the most likely cars to be in an accident and not cars like Mustangs that are built for speed and purchased by younger drivers but if you were driv9ng on the interstate at the posted speed limit everyone would be passing you but if you were driving eight miles an hour over the posted speed limit, the cars most likely to pass you would be a BMW. Seriously.
I drive to and from Hickory on a regular basis and the cars whizzing by me are more likely an expensive car. One of my favorite sayings is "they are smart enough to earn enough money to buy one but to stupid to drive one". I make that statement about drivers of expensive cars because they are the people doing the most idiotic things on the roads. I don't know if it is because they think the costly cars will protect them from harm or if they think they are special and thereby more privileged on the roadways but drivers of expensive cars tend to be more pushy on the roadways and streets of America.
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Garden News
Excessive amounts of rain have affected the gardens with too much water causing some plants to show signs of drowning. A few years back I lost most of my tomato plants because of drowning and what few tomatoes I had tasted awful. The difference between then and now is that then I planted to tomatoes in the hard red clay and this years I planted them in a raised bed of store bought rich garden soil. The plants have a better root system plus better draining soil. , Hopefully they will have much better taste when they ripen.
Speaking of ripening, the yellow tear drop tomatoes have a couple that are now yellow. In a couple of days they should be ready for the salad bowl. They aren't the kind for that much anticipated first tomato sandwich of the year. That, it seems, is a couple weeks off.
The wild blackberries are turning red but they are plenty small this year. My domestic blackberries are smaller than normal but are still green so seem to have plenty of time to grow in size before ripening/ I picked a handful of blueberries from my bush. I suppose my the weekend most should be ripe. maybe fresh blueberry pancakes for Sunday breakfast?
Speaking of ripening, the yellow tear drop tomatoes have a couple that are now yellow. In a couple of days they should be ready for the salad bowl. They aren't the kind for that much anticipated first tomato sandwich of the year. That, it seems, is a couple weeks off.
The wild blackberries are turning red but they are plenty small this year. My domestic blackberries are smaller than normal but are still green so seem to have plenty of time to grow in size before ripening/ I picked a handful of blueberries from my bush. I suppose my the weekend most should be ripe. maybe fresh blueberry pancakes for Sunday breakfast?
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Crippled hands
I know medical news is depressing especially when it is me that I'm blogging about. My fingers are curling slowly and my hands are getting stiffer. Some times I have to use both hands to lift a glass while others I have to be careful to insure a firm grip before picking an object up. Typing is getting harder and writing clearly is all but impossible now.
On the brighter side, my Mom is out of isolation. She had pneumonia and Mercer and after release from the hospital was placed in isolation where she had a adverse reaction to the antibiotics and had to be taken off for 4 days. Yesterday she was sent back to her regular room and next week, if nothing else happens, she can go to get her hair done.
On the brighter side, my Mom is out of isolation. She had pneumonia and Mercer and after release from the hospital was placed in isolation where she had a adverse reaction to the antibiotics and had to be taken off for 4 days. Yesterday she was sent back to her regular room and next week, if nothing else happens, she can go to get her hair done.
AMD
AMD is short for age related macular degeneration. The good news is that some forms are treatable and even reversible. When I received my first shot I was really encouraged because I showed a 70% improvement and the doctor was astounded by my bodies reaction. Each subsequent shot brought improvement at an ever decreasing rate until a couple of months ago when I showed no improvement then a worsening , even with an increased dosage.
Last month the doctor tried a different drug which slowed the decline and hopefully will began again the healing process. If it doesn't there is still hope as there is a third drug and differing dosages that he can try.
I have a machine that measures the condition in my good eye which will lead to earlier detection than can be had by use of the chart alone. So far I've used the machine every day but I know that will not always be possible.
When I began my shots it was a three year program and the doctor was hopeful I would not have to take all the normal amount of shots but now it looks like I may be taking shots for up to 7 years.
The process is inconvenient but much better than being blind.
Last month the doctor tried a different drug which slowed the decline and hopefully will began again the healing process. If it doesn't there is still hope as there is a third drug and differing dosages that he can try.
I have a machine that measures the condition in my good eye which will lead to earlier detection than can be had by use of the chart alone. So far I've used the machine every day but I know that will not always be possible.
When I began my shots it was a three year program and the doctor was hopeful I would not have to take all the normal amount of shots but now it looks like I may be taking shots for up to 7 years.
The process is inconvenient but much better than being blind.
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Garden News
My garden is smaller than in years past but larger than last years. I tried tomatoes in buckets last year with mixed success. This year I made a raised garden on the north end of the house about 4 feet wide and 30 feet long. I was able to plant 22 plants in the ground, one in a bucket and one in a small section with a rose bush. along with one green pepper. All the tomato plants except one are large and healthy and I will soon be picking tomatoes. I planted that space about a month ago.
Two weeks ago I made another raised garden on the south end of the house about the same size and planted watermelon, cantaloupe, jalapeno pepper, squash and cucumbers. That side gets sun all day so I had to mulch the area to keep the soil from drying out too fast and stressing the plants. They are large enough now that they are beginning to spread. The area where the tomatoes are gets sun early and the in the late afternoon while shady before noon and in the evening. That seems to be a winning combination for the plants.
I picked some cherries for the first time this year and have apples and peaches on my trees and well as one pear on my new pear tree. I'll get grapes, blueberries, and blackberries from my plants this year too.
For color I planted wildflowers among my tomato plants and while many have grown I have had no flowers yet.
My trip to the zoo plant sell yielded me some nice additions to my yard. I picked up a purple cone flower, a black eyed Susan, a couple of Milk Weed plants (also known as butterfly weed) and a Mexican petunia. The Milk Weed plant is the only known plants( so I've been told) that attracts the famous Monarch butterfly. I picked up two plants but have three growing so I guess I'm lucky. I sure hope I picked a good spot for them. So far it seems I have.
Two weeks ago I made another raised garden on the south end of the house about the same size and planted watermelon, cantaloupe, jalapeno pepper, squash and cucumbers. That side gets sun all day so I had to mulch the area to keep the soil from drying out too fast and stressing the plants. They are large enough now that they are beginning to spread. The area where the tomatoes are gets sun early and the in the late afternoon while shady before noon and in the evening. That seems to be a winning combination for the plants.
I picked some cherries for the first time this year and have apples and peaches on my trees and well as one pear on my new pear tree. I'll get grapes, blueberries, and blackberries from my plants this year too.
For color I planted wildflowers among my tomato plants and while many have grown I have had no flowers yet.
My trip to the zoo plant sell yielded me some nice additions to my yard. I picked up a purple cone flower, a black eyed Susan, a couple of Milk Weed plants (also known as butterfly weed) and a Mexican petunia. The Milk Weed plant is the only known plants( so I've been told) that attracts the famous Monarch butterfly. I picked up two plants but have three growing so I guess I'm lucky. I sure hope I picked a good spot for them. So far it seems I have.
Pond maintenance
It has been awhile since I've cleaned my little pond. Well, actually, I've never cleaned it. I have drained the water a few times, some intentionally and some not but I've never broken it down and cleaned it until yesterday. I had not seem my fish in awhile except when the pump became clogged and the fish came to the surface gasping for air. The algae had become too thick this year for the pump to handle the problem.
in years past the small pond would run clear or almost clear even without a UV sterilizer but this year it just keep getting greener and greener. I think I lost the battle late last year and the pond was getting green when I shut it down for the winter.
I removed ninety percent of the Iris, scrubbed the scum from the sides of the liner cleaned the pump, and refilled with clean fresh water. I added a declorinator and stress coat mix to the water and put my fish back in. I began with 27 feeder goldfish and now have 27 rather large goldfish in varying colors of orange and white. I have a couple that are solid orange and one that is solid white.
I broke off a large rhizome from my water lily (from the large pond) and cut it into 5 sections. Each section is larger than the original plant. I put two section in the small pond and three in the large pond. Hopefully the lilies will spread and cover a lot of the surface area helping keep the algae at bay. Seventy percent of the surface should be covered by plants and I've neglected to do that.
In the past I've used water hyacinth and water lettuce for coverage but by the time that stuff multiplied the water had already turned green. Year before last I used UV sterilizers and that did a wonderful job but last year the sterilizers malfunctioned and with no surface cover and too many fish my ponds became too green to fast.
I'm giving a few of my goldfish to a friend, and if I can find homes for my carp, I'll put my goldfish in the big pond and stock the small pond with feeder fish. I may have some fry soon as the goldfish, in appreciation for me cleaning their home, were swimming on the surface two by two singing "I'll soon have a baby for you." Well, they were not actually singing but they were spawning.
Anyone need some fish?
in years past the small pond would run clear or almost clear even without a UV sterilizer but this year it just keep getting greener and greener. I think I lost the battle late last year and the pond was getting green when I shut it down for the winter.
I removed ninety percent of the Iris, scrubbed the scum from the sides of the liner cleaned the pump, and refilled with clean fresh water. I added a declorinator and stress coat mix to the water and put my fish back in. I began with 27 feeder goldfish and now have 27 rather large goldfish in varying colors of orange and white. I have a couple that are solid orange and one that is solid white.
I broke off a large rhizome from my water lily (from the large pond) and cut it into 5 sections. Each section is larger than the original plant. I put two section in the small pond and three in the large pond. Hopefully the lilies will spread and cover a lot of the surface area helping keep the algae at bay. Seventy percent of the surface should be covered by plants and I've neglected to do that.
In the past I've used water hyacinth and water lettuce for coverage but by the time that stuff multiplied the water had already turned green. Year before last I used UV sterilizers and that did a wonderful job but last year the sterilizers malfunctioned and with no surface cover and too many fish my ponds became too green to fast.
I'm giving a few of my goldfish to a friend, and if I can find homes for my carp, I'll put my goldfish in the big pond and stock the small pond with feeder fish. I may have some fry soon as the goldfish, in appreciation for me cleaning their home, were swimming on the surface two by two singing "I'll soon have a baby for you." Well, they were not actually singing but they were spawning.
Anyone need some fish?
Yahoo sold
Yahoo has been sold to Verizon wireless. I'm not sure if the rescent updates are related or not but I was locked out of many of my accounts and had to log back in. It has been so long since I used a password I had forgotten them so I've been down awhile.
I missed you too.
I missed you too.
Tuesday, May 09, 2017
You've been cooking potatoes wrong your whole life
How does the writer of this stupid article now how we cook our potatoes and why is the way someone else cooks them wrong? I find these articles totally offensive.
Sunday, May 07, 2017
gospel of barnabas
I was reading news articles and the comments different people make when I came across an unusual person so I clicked on their profile to learn a little more about them. I noticed that they had posted
an idea that the gospel of Barnabas was proof that Jesus Christ was not the son of God and did not raise from the dead.
Barnabas was a disciple of Jesus and became Paul's partner for a year or so. Paul was a young Pharisee at the time of the crucifixion and held the coats of the men who stoned Stephen.
The gospel of Barnabas is supposedly written by this discipline and the gospel claims that Paul was delusional, teaching falsehood about Christ.
The writer of the gospel of Barnabas claims that Jesus was a prophet but never clamed to be the son of God. Jesus never rose from the dead because he was never crucified. It was Judas Iscariot that was arrested in his place. According to the gospel of Barnabas the lineage of Jesus was Adam Abraham Ismael, Moses, and then David. If that were true then Jesus would have been just an ordinary man.
The writer of the gospel of Barnabas claims that Jesus was a prophet but never clamed to be the son of God. Jesus never rose from the dead because he was never crucified. It was Judas Iscariot that was arrested in his place. According to the gospel of Barnabas the lineage of Jesus was Adam Abraham Ismael, Moses, and then David. If that were true then Jesus would have been just an ordinary man.
Those who cite the gospel of Barnabas as proof that Jesus was not God apparently don't know history very well. Judas was at the temple while Jesus was being tried and is recorded as having attempted to give the 30 pieces of silver back. he is the credited author of the gospel of Judas which records in great detail the trial of Jesus. He cannot be both the observer and the observed.
The lineage of Jesus, as with all Jews, is traced from Abraham, never from Adam, Adam is the father of all men, Abraham is the father of the Jews. Jews trace their lineage through Isaac, not Ismael.
Jesus di claim to be the son of God and says that He and the Father are one and the same.
But the biggest error in the gospel of bananas is a reference to Mohammed who was not even born until many years after the death of Paul and Barnabas.
Just because a manuscript is old does not mean it is truthful.
FYI; Mohammed was born in the Arab trading and pilgrimage city of Mecca, in the Arabian peninsula, between 570 and 580 AD.
FYI; Mohammed was born in the Arab trading and pilgrimage city of Mecca, in the Arabian peninsula, between 570 and 580 AD.
Bullying snd Karma.
Bullying is picking on someone because of what makes different than us. Karma is that energy we give out coming back to us.
My wife has two sons, T is the oldest and he has one daughter. She was "chunky'. She was a pretty girl but her father suffers from a medical problem that causes him to think and act different than most people and he has been habitually unemployed due to poor decision making. I suppose being overweight and poor makes one an easy target for bullies.
. The other son, M also has a daughter who is skinny as a rail and her two front teeth are prominent. She is now of the age when her classmates are beginning to bully her about her lack of weight and her larger than normal teeth.
Yea, it can be depressing to be picked on but I believe that if you ignore the bully or turn their taunt into something funny then the bully will be deprived of the pleasure derived from bullying. For example if the bully says your big teeth makes you look like a rabbit just reply with something like "yes but they sure do make eating carrots easier".
Anyway the grandmother thought it might be a good idea to ask the older granddaughter for advise on how to deal with bullies. The oldest granddaughter was delighted that the younger one was being picked on "because she used to pick on me about my weight". So the skinny girl is getting picked on about her weight, or lack of it just as she used to pick on other about their weight. I call that poetic justice. I think people call that karma now.
The truth is, no one should pick on others but we have to accept the fact that it happens and we have to learn how to deal with it.
My wife has two sons, T is the oldest and he has one daughter. She was "chunky'. She was a pretty girl but her father suffers from a medical problem that causes him to think and act different than most people and he has been habitually unemployed due to poor decision making. I suppose being overweight and poor makes one an easy target for bullies.
. The other son, M also has a daughter who is skinny as a rail and her two front teeth are prominent. She is now of the age when her classmates are beginning to bully her about her lack of weight and her larger than normal teeth.
Yea, it can be depressing to be picked on but I believe that if you ignore the bully or turn their taunt into something funny then the bully will be deprived of the pleasure derived from bullying. For example if the bully says your big teeth makes you look like a rabbit just reply with something like "yes but they sure do make eating carrots easier".
Anyway the grandmother thought it might be a good idea to ask the older granddaughter for advise on how to deal with bullies. The oldest granddaughter was delighted that the younger one was being picked on "because she used to pick on me about my weight". So the skinny girl is getting picked on about her weight, or lack of it just as she used to pick on other about their weight. I call that poetic justice. I think people call that karma now.
The truth is, no one should pick on others but we have to accept the fact that it happens and we have to learn how to deal with it.
Republicans and Trump going to far
Republicans in Texas have some questioning whether anyone but Christian whites and blacks can adopt children as long as they aren't an interracial couple. If you are Jewish, Muslim, or gay you may be out of luck. I understand this is the way it once was except that if you were a certain religion then only couples of the same religion could adopt you. What your birth mother but as her religious affiliation counted as your religion.
Trump is now questioning whether funding traditional black colleges is legal. There should not be black colleges anymore than there should be white colleges. Still, we all feel more comfortable around people who are like us and as long as we don't discriminate then it is perfectly okay to fund colleges that are predominately black.
I grew up in the fifties and early sixties and while I really enjoyed the drug free environment and the Christian values that were shared by many I don't want to go back to an era when people were treated different because they were different. Our differences should be celebrated rather than serve as fuel for discrimination.
I think Trump is wrong but I still wouldn't want Hillary in the White House.
Trump is now questioning whether funding traditional black colleges is legal. There should not be black colleges anymore than there should be white colleges. Still, we all feel more comfortable around people who are like us and as long as we don't discriminate then it is perfectly okay to fund colleges that are predominately black.
I grew up in the fifties and early sixties and while I really enjoyed the drug free environment and the Christian values that were shared by many I don't want to go back to an era when people were treated different because they were different. Our differences should be celebrated rather than serve as fuel for discrimination.
I think Trump is wrong but I still wouldn't want Hillary in the White House.
Wednesday, May 03, 2017
Blue Mist BBQ
The building that once hosted Blue Mist BBQ in Randleman has also been the place of a few other failed businesses is now being used as a church, as least on Wednesday nights. I have not seen anyone there on Sundays yet. Rumor has it that the building is being used by Mexicans. I haven't heard what faith the new occupiers are but I wish them well.
illegal daycare
A couple moved in across the street from me several years ago and when I first met them they explained that they had been run out of Asheboro because of the excess traffic caused by their
daycare center. We live on a street with four houses so there really should not be much traffic but the traffic is so bad that sometimes I do not know who is in the neighborhood legitimately and who is up to no good. It is not just the daycare center but one neighbor who runs a used care lot and parts department for his loud Mustang business and also from the other resident who raises livestock and does who knows what.
I believe the illegal daycare has finally been closed but I just don't understand why the other neighbors are allowed to operate businesses that require their customers to come to their house. What is the purpose of having zoning laws if the city can't or won't enforce them.
daycare center. We live on a street with four houses so there really should not be much traffic but the traffic is so bad that sometimes I do not know who is in the neighborhood legitimately and who is up to no good. It is not just the daycare center but one neighbor who runs a used care lot and parts department for his loud Mustang business and also from the other resident who raises livestock and does who knows what.
I believe the illegal daycare has finally been closed but I just don't understand why the other neighbors are allowed to operate businesses that require their customers to come to their house. What is the purpose of having zoning laws if the city can't or won't enforce them.
Why Hillary lost
Hillary Clinton just said she accepts responsibility for her lost election but and then goes on to list a few contributing factors liked Trump lies and Russian interference and mishandling of things by the FBI. In other words she isn't accepting responsibility for anything.
I never took Trump seriously. I believed he was running for President as a stunt for his businesses to increase brand recognition and I was sure he was trying to sabotage his election chances by his behavior. ,I really did not want to vote for Donald Trump. But the Democrats gave us Hillary.
To be honest had Hillary Clinton been the nominee in 2008 I would have voted for her over McCain. McCain was an idiot. Sure he was a hero but he was not Presidential material and most folks realized that. He proved it when he decided to forgo a debate to rush back to Washington to help solve the financial crisis like a solution would not be found without him and if he was there then he could solve it in a few hours. That move really made him look foolish.
Hillary had eight years to build herself up and prove that she was the person for the job and that America got it wrong in choosing Obama over her. The election of 2016 was hers to lose. But instead of proving herself capable she only succeeded in showing America she was incompetent and was not willing to admit she could have done things better. I remember Obama wanting Bush to admit his mistakes as President and he had nothing to say, If Hillary had admitted she could have handled the situation better then she could have been seen as human and honest but she denied any wrong doing thereby showing us that she was not only not willing to admit weaknesses but willing to lie about her competence. Her attitude during the campaign was dismissive, especially towards Trump. and she showed America that she cared more about being President than she did about the truth and cared more about herself than she did anyone else.
The way she behaved was the fuel Trump needed to get elected because he was everything she was not. There have been some great men hold that office like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Dwight David Eisenh0wer, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and it was clear that
neither Hillary nor Donald could stand in that company. To me it came down to electing one that was clearly insane versus one that was just mentally unstable. I really hoped the parties would admit they made a mistake and asked for a do over to nominate viable candidates.
I really toyed with the idea of a write in candidate or the third party candidate because I could not see voting for either Trump or Hillary. I wished there was an against button instead of just a for button. My mind was not totally made up of how to vote until Miley Cyrus said she would leave the country if Trump won. No, I'm not a Trump supporter but he has proven himself to be a much better President than one would have thought. The truth is Trump did not beat Hillary; she beat herself.
I never took Trump seriously. I believed he was running for President as a stunt for his businesses to increase brand recognition and I was sure he was trying to sabotage his election chances by his behavior. ,I really did not want to vote for Donald Trump. But the Democrats gave us Hillary.
To be honest had Hillary Clinton been the nominee in 2008 I would have voted for her over McCain. McCain was an idiot. Sure he was a hero but he was not Presidential material and most folks realized that. He proved it when he decided to forgo a debate to rush back to Washington to help solve the financial crisis like a solution would not be found without him and if he was there then he could solve it in a few hours. That move really made him look foolish.
Hillary had eight years to build herself up and prove that she was the person for the job and that America got it wrong in choosing Obama over her. The election of 2016 was hers to lose. But instead of proving herself capable she only succeeded in showing America she was incompetent and was not willing to admit she could have done things better. I remember Obama wanting Bush to admit his mistakes as President and he had nothing to say, If Hillary had admitted she could have handled the situation better then she could have been seen as human and honest but she denied any wrong doing thereby showing us that she was not only not willing to admit weaknesses but willing to lie about her competence. Her attitude during the campaign was dismissive, especially towards Trump. and she showed America that she cared more about being President than she did about the truth and cared more about herself than she did anyone else.
The way she behaved was the fuel Trump needed to get elected because he was everything she was not. There have been some great men hold that office like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Dwight David Eisenh0wer, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and it was clear that
neither Hillary nor Donald could stand in that company. To me it came down to electing one that was clearly insane versus one that was just mentally unstable. I really hoped the parties would admit they made a mistake and asked for a do over to nominate viable candidates.
I really toyed with the idea of a write in candidate or the third party candidate because I could not see voting for either Trump or Hillary. I wished there was an against button instead of just a for button. My mind was not totally made up of how to vote until Miley Cyrus said she would leave the country if Trump won. No, I'm not a Trump supporter but he has proven himself to be a much better President than one would have thought. The truth is Trump did not beat Hillary; she beat herself.
Tuesday, May 02, 2017
doctor day
I have an appointment to see a doctor at 10:15 this morning. The doctor is one I saw on a regular basis before my VA disability was approved. Nothing against the VA but I believe I can get better care from her and be less expensive. I'm not happen about the 10;15 appointment as I'm a diabetic and have to fast before going. Not only am I hungry by the time the appointment is over but I run the risk of my blood sugar dropping to an unsafe level. Sometimes people making appointments just don't understand .
Some of the reasons I'm changing my care is that the VA has increase the length of time between appointments to once every seven months, has increased the doctor's patient load and decreased the amount of time he can spend with each patient. It has been a year since my cholesterol and triglycerides have been tested and I'm still two months away from my appointment. Doctors do not test from blood sugar and cholesterol levels in the same visit so it will be nine more months before my A1C will be tested again. Since I'm new to taking insulin I would hope the doctor would monitor my usage more closely than that.
I can't change the VA policy but I can see a different doctor, I know insurance companies have a lot of influence over the care that doctor's give and unfortunately I can't afford to pay for more frequent testing. But at least going to a civilian doctor will lower my prescription cost. That is a good thing but I still need to see the VA doctor for other things. My tdap shop is $73.00 from a civilian doctor and free from the VA.
Which octor I see for which problem will all depend on the costs involved. When I was younger I didn't have to concern myself with these problems. Age has a way of changing things.
Some of the reasons I'm changing my care is that the VA has increase the length of time between appointments to once every seven months, has increased the doctor's patient load and decreased the amount of time he can spend with each patient. It has been a year since my cholesterol and triglycerides have been tested and I'm still two months away from my appointment. Doctors do not test from blood sugar and cholesterol levels in the same visit so it will be nine more months before my A1C will be tested again. Since I'm new to taking insulin I would hope the doctor would monitor my usage more closely than that.
I can't change the VA policy but I can see a different doctor, I know insurance companies have a lot of influence over the care that doctor's give and unfortunately I can't afford to pay for more frequent testing. But at least going to a civilian doctor will lower my prescription cost. That is a good thing but I still need to see the VA doctor for other things. My tdap shop is $73.00 from a civilian doctor and free from the VA.
Which octor I see for which problem will all depend on the costs involved. When I was younger I didn't have to concern myself with these problems. Age has a way of changing things.
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