Ricky Van Shelton

                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4PBpesX6oo

Do you remember this country music singer? He was active in his career from 1986 to 2006. He was born in Danville, Virginia. That is 84 miles from Roanoke, Virginia which is where I grew up. 

 

He has 4 platinum records and more than twenty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. He sang Gospel music at his church as an adolescent. When he was a teenager, however, Shelton discovered country music. He soon started singing in his brother's band, singing Country music, and performed at any local gathering he could.   

 

He married Bettye Witt in 1986 and then shocked the country music world when he announced his retirement in 2006. These days, according to his website, "Ricky spends time flying his airplane, working on his 150-acre farm, gardening, repairing his collection of classic cars and antiquing."

 

Shelton wasn't just a country singer. When he wasn't crooning country songs, he wrote a hit series of children's books too. Tales From a Duck Named Quacker and Quacker Meets Mrs. Moo were both successes in their own right. 

 

 

 

 

 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

A Just Society  

https://victorygirlsblog.com/aocs-a-just-society-legislation-is-socialism-wrapped-in-a-glittery-bow/ 

A Just Society Creates a Place to Prosper: Put onerous regulations on landlords, set rent controls in place for all (see California’s new rent control idiocy), cap rental increases, and renters who face eviction get legal counsel.
A Just Society Is Merciful: Doesn’t matter what the crime was, any criminal released can’t be denied any federal funds.
A Just Society Uplifts Our Workers: will create a “worker-friendly” score sheet for federal contractors and give PREFERENCE to worker-friendly contractors who score high.
A Just Society Guarantees the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of All: work conditions, unions, food, clothing, along with mental and physical health would fall under the jurisdiction of the United Nations.
A Just Society Embraces Our Immigrants: The federal government will have to give aid and assistance to ANY immigrant no matter his or her status.

   

Look again at the synopsis above. Do you see what I see? Socialism all wrapped up in a glittery bow.

 

Quote from AOC:

“These stark inequalities are being used by those in power to amplify fear and anger in our communities and further divide us. We must act boldly and swiftly to reverse the corrosive effects extreme inequality and poverty are having on our society.
A Just Society aims to ensure that we are on a path towards shared prosperity for all. A just society provides a living wage, safe working conditions, and healthcare. A just society acknowledges the value of immigrants to our communities. A just society guarantees safe, comfortable, and affordable housing. By strengthening our social and economic foundations, we are preparing ourselves to embark on the journey to save our planet by rebuilding our economy and cultivate a just society.

It is true many things need to be changed and improved. I for one want to thank her for pointing out the obvious. However, having the government step in and control every aspect of your life leads to tyranny and eventually everything gets chaotic and much worse. Prosperity, innovation, and employment comes from the private sector.

 

She seems to be showing her 29-year-old age. As such she is just like the millennials group that she belongs to. Most DO NOT UNDERSTAND what has happened to every society that has tried the communist way of government and due to the way they were educated? they simply are lemmings (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lemmings). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       While in Panama

I felt a lump on the left side of my throat three months ago and went to the Ear/Nose/Throat (ENT) doctor. After having a long tube put through my nose down to my throat and a CT scan AND two biopsies of the lump and my tongue it was determined that I have cancer. I was then sent to another hospital and another doctor. He and an associate confirmed the diagnoses and then sent their findings to a committee to decide how they were going to best treat cancer.

Now I have to see seven other doctors for various tests before they will start the radiotherapy! Part of the reason for this is because I have a bad heart. Nothing happens quickly here in Costa Rica. If the radiotherapy does not render the results needed then I will be changed to chemo. Either way, they will put a tube thru my belly into my stomach and that is how I will receive my nourishment for the duration of the treatments.  

I have a friend in North Carolina whose son had the same type of cancer. He recently completed his treatment and it was successful. But as most already know treatment has side effects. 

 

Currently other than the tumor, my problem is eating. My tongue hurts from the piece clipped out for the biopsy. In addition, the side of my mouth is sore along with my throat. Soft food, soup, and pudding are the delicacies I get to enjoy. Oh yeah, I get to drink various fruit juices to chase down the 7 pills I take each day.  

 

My mother had three different types of cancer and beat two of them. The last one got into her thyroid glands and spread throughout her body and took her life.

 

Some are devastated when they are diagnosed. Some simply give up. Others begin feeling sorry for themselves and place a burden on their family and friends. Woe is me. I am not any of these. I understand that this is simply a part of my life and I need to view it as I have viewed all of my life. Stand strong and push ahead!

 

I plan to give updates as my condition allows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

                                        

This is a follow up on the post from yesterday. http://pithyprattles.blogspot.com/2019/

 

What would your children, the ones that were allowed to protest last Friday by the schools, if you took these things away and explained that it is time to put your sacrifice where your feet and mouth is? Most electricity is generated by a source using fossil fuels. All cars are fueled by gas, again derived from fossil fuel. Factories that make new clothes and shoes and backpacks and makeup etc., use the end results of fossil fuels. 

Ask them if they have learned this from school. Have the teachers explained that their lifestyle is dependant on the very things that they are protesting about? Now, when they look at you with a blank stare tell them that they can google your statement. No wait, they can't use the computer. Can't call your friends to pick their brains because they have no cell phone.

 

Offer the only alternative. They and their peers can hold a meeting lighted by candles and do some soul searching while eating a bowl of gruel that's cooked in a pot that is warmed over the fire that is built with logs.  

 

Be prepared to receive the CPS people that will be charging you with child abuse. 

 

  GET USED TO YOUR NEW LIFE

 

 

 

                                                      Greta Thunberg

She came across the pond to give us a speech on climate change. On the 20th of this month, children were given a pass to skip school and protest on this issue.                   https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/09/kids-march-climate-action/   

Here is some background info on Greta: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greta_Thunberg

 

Should a child that has as many obvious problems be spending time skipping school where she could be learning things that will help her develop into a young adult and then go onto college and get the education that could help her get the knowledge needed to actually help in correcting this climate change dilemma.  

 

Is this a real problem? I'm not a scientist so I'm not in a position to render a properly informed opinion. But I do know that programming a child to memic the views of the parent and roust support from their peer group(s) is not a good thing.   

 

Watch this video: Sky News host Chris Kenny has described it as “disturbing” that the UN allowed “hysterical teenager” Greta Thunberg to speak at its Climate Change Summit in New York. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDXKTXuM2TY    

 

Finally, I find it interesting, amusing? that the adults that are crying about climate change fly around in private jets and do other things that they espouse is the very things that are contributing to the problem. At least Greta had the courage to sail for days from her home country to the US to avoid contributing to carbon. Now here is a lesson that the adults SHOULD memic. But I'm not holding my breath and if you want to see the next hour you should not either. 

When the dust bowl from 1930 to 1936 occurred I don't think there were people running around yelling, the sky is falling, the sky is falling!                                         

But today it's ok to use kids?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                       https://news.co.cr/drug-cartels-spike-murder-rate-in-costa-rica/80364/

 

I have posted on this blog many times about the beauty and positive differences that are part of Costa Rica. The waterfalls and rain forests and beaches and culture. Now let me tell you about a dark side that is here and growing just like in the United States and many other countries. ILLEGAL DRUGS and the DEATHFUL PATH that they leave. 

   

The killings and maiming and torture is out of control. The cartels and small time dealers are more than ready to take a life or lives to protect their precious cargo. Men women and children are considered collateral damage. Not long ago there was a raid on a house here where millions of dollars worth of cocaine were seized. And offshore various drugs seized by the US and Costa Rica Coast Guard. The smugglers were in a homemade submarine!! No deaths occurred, thank God, but several were arrested. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Watching the news on a local station here each night we are seeing more and more. 

 

So even when you live in a place that some would call paradise you have to be leary and alert at all times. There are places and areas to avoid. so if you find yourself visiting just remember. Don't be lulled by the beauty and differences, Costa Rica has warts too.    

 

 

 

 

 

Bah Humbug

What! National Pepperoni Pizza Day!! As a **reluctant member of the PC police, I vehemently object to this.                                                                                       

[** They kidnapped my family and will make them walk the plank if I don't cooperate].  

How can you declare a day that makes the other pizzas feel substandard? The shame of doing such an inhuman act! By golly, all pizzas are equal and should be treated the same. This day should be changed to National Dough Day or National Great Toppings Day. This would be the Politically Correct thing to do. If this is not done by the end of the day we call on all of our fellow protest groups to join us in creating mass protests. Including but not limited to window smashing, car overturning, and any other heinous acts that they think of. Remember we protesters need to stay together and oppose everyone that does not toe the line and agree with us without question!!    

 

Don't get me started about Trump Derangement Syndrome. I could write a book about why the people that have this should be exaulted and revired. 

 

                            Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh

 

Talk about lousy reporting lets talk about the New York Times. One might say they just made a mistake. However, they seem to be doing it more lately and the obvious thing is it leans left the majority of the time. But given their history, this is as surprising as finding hamburgers at McDonald's. 

There are certain members of congress that want the honorable SC Judge Kavanaugh impeached. Their stated reason is that his nomination was pushed through and he was not properly vetted and that he misbehaved in college by sexually abusing women. After the FBI investigated the accusations and found them baseless he was confirmed 50-48. But because of suffering **Trump derangement syndrome, it has spilled over to Justice Kavanaugh.    

        **https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_derangement_syndrome

 

 

All four women that the Grey Lady reported on about his exposing himself during a party have since said that they don't remember this and that no party ever existed. So with egg on their face, again, the NYT had to apologize for false reporting:

https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/09/the-new-york-times-anti-kavanaugh-bombshell-is-actually-a-dud/

What a shambles congress, certain members, and some of the press is in. Too bad they can't get through their Trump Derangement Syndrome and do the job(s) they are supposed to do. but then you have to scratch your head and wonder if they even know what that is or how to 

                                                                                         effectively do them.   

 President Trump has said that Justice Kavanaugh should consider suing for slander.

I agree, do you?

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a very nice hotel that we will visit again very soon. It has a great location near downtown Puntarenas. Across the street is a beach on the Gulf of Nicoya. The beach is well maintained and groomed daily. They put up chairs and umbrellas that you can rent for a small amount of colons. The water is warm and inviting.

 

A short walk from the motel is Parque Marino del Pacífico. 

                                 https://www.parquemarino.org/acuario/ 

We did not visit it the last time we were there but it is on our agenda this time.

 

The hotel has a nice pool that is located inside. Since I now have to walk with a cane our room will be on the ground floor so access will be easy. They offer a free breakfast, and lunch and dinner for a fee. The dining area is attractive and kept clean and orderly. The staff is very friendly and attentive. Unfortunately they don't speak much English but since my wife is from Costa Rica she is my translator. The rooms are fairly modern and spacious compared to many we have stayed in before.

 

The one real drawback is the weather. It is ALWAYS hot and humid. Tank tops and shorts at all times!! We are in the rainy season so you can safely bank on getting a shower in the early afternoon and around dusk. That is the right times to belly up to the bar and enjoy a cervasa (beer) or the hi ball of your choice.        

 

Puntarenas is a nice town on the pacific ocean. The boardwalk is loaded with restaurants and various vendors of local crafts. Small cruise ships dock there with tourists from around the world. Overall it is a great get-away from the challenges of everyday life. 

 

In closing I say the expression used here a lot. Pura Vida (loosely it means good life) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          Can I afford to get sick or hurt?

What will happen to me when I need medical help? Does my insurance cover the procedures and care that I will need? What about if I don't have insurance? The link below tells of some horror stories. It is a long read so grab some coffee:

https://www.roanoke.com/business/virginia-health-system-sues-thousands-of-patients-seizing-paychecks-and/article_6f4f418c-a6f3-5aec-b2ad-d65fe00ed90a.html 

Having spent time as a CSR for Aetna I learned a lot about the business and heard many stories first hand from people, or members as we were told to refer to them, about their inability to pay for their medical bills even after they had been greatly reduced by the companies negotiated rates.  

 

Because of the company's large size, they paid negotiated rates as much as 80% less for a given procedure. But there are some catches and loopholes that members were unaware of or unable to meet. One example was referrals. If they were told by their Primary Care Physician, PCP, that they needed to see a specialist they needed a referral before they could go to the specialist, depending on the policy they had. No referral no coverage. The member then had to pay the full price for the procedure. Sometimes the company would allow a referral to be sent in later if there was a short amount of time-lapse from the claim submittal to the complaint of the member.  

 

There were some procedures that need pre-approval from a board of doctors that were on the payroll of the company. If this was not done then again the cost was up to the member at the regular rate. They would receive a bill from the doctor in the thousands of dollars and I assure you they were NOT happy campers! 

 

Then there were those that had a lapsed policy and said they were unaware that the insurance was no longer in effect at the time of the procedure. When asked if they had not noticed that the monthly premiums were not being taken from their checks the answer was always No. Nothing we could do except refer them to their employer.

 

When the Affordable Care Act(Obamacare) took effect and they elected to switch to that and they lost their doctor some would call and complain but the company had nothing to do with that so some threatened to sue! I told them good luck. You have to sue the government and they had more clout and money than God.

 

My heart goes out to all that have problems with medical bills. As some of the stories in the link at the start of this blog, they can cause major problems. Do you want to eat and pay the mortgage/rent or pay the medical bill that is in arrears and stay out of court/bankruptcy? Hell of a dilemma, HUH!!

 STAY HEALTHY 

 EASIER SAID THAN DONE

       

 

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Gallo Pinto-Costa Rica Style 

Living in Costa Rica means you must make adjustments especially in your menu. One key is in breakfast. Gallo Pinto is a big one. Wherever you go this dish is omnipresent. It is served with eggs or french toast or sausage or ham and/or a special cheese that is made here or all of the above and anything else you can think of. Even McDonald's serve it!

 

                                                       Recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons light-tasting oil (vegetable, mild olive, canola)

1 red bell pepper , chopped

1 small yellow onion , chopped

2 cloves garlic , minced

2 cups cooked black beans , in 3/4 cup reserved cooking liquid*

1/4 cup Salsa Lizano ****(Salsa Lizano is essential to this dish. It's available in some Latin markets or the international isle at the larger grocery stores.

3 cups cooked rice , preferably, day-old and refrigerated

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sauté chopped bell pepper and onions until peppers are soft and onions are translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
• Add black beans, reserved cooking liquid, and Salsa Lizano, stirring to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened and little bit of the liquid is evaporated. Gently stir in cooked rice and cook until heated through and most of the liquid is absorbed, but not dry, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in chopped cilantro. Season to taste with additional Salsa Lizano (we added about a tablespoon extra).
  Total time for prep and cook is 30 minutes.

 

It is a mild dish with a lot of flavor and very filling for the stomach. I toss on a little Tabasco sauce to spice it up along with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper. They make a bread here that goes well with it but toast will work in a pinch.

 

They eat a hardy breakfast and a huge lunch here and very little, if any, at dinner. Although I have noticed that Chinese or pizza is their choice of food if they do eat dinner. And no, I don't believe that cat is used as the meat in the Chinese food. My stepfather would not eat Chinese due to this belief. 

 

One of my son-in-laws insists on having beans and rice (food staples here) at ever meal. 

 

So there you have it. If you visit Costa Rica you have a heads up on the breakfast favorites. The coffee is fantastic and don't worry, the water is safe to drink. I do it every day.

   

 

 

 

 

    

There are many people in a leadership role that have no clue in what it truly means and are unwilling or unable to measure up to the responsibility that it requires to be a truly successful one. They get placed in the position without experience and immediately allow the title/position to go to their head therefore failing from right out of the gate. This is where I feel so bad for their subordinates.  

There are 21 ways to be an effective leader; https://www.inc.com/lolly-daskal/21-ways-to-be-a-better-leader.html . For the sake of brevity I will expand on just a few.

 

Manage your emotions. Your emotions give you energy. If they're low, your energy is low; if they're running high, you feel positive and optimistic. To be at your best as a leader, manage your emotions--when you do, you manage your energy too. This a hard one and takes practice, practice and a lot more practice.

 

Become a great communicator. Discipline yourself to understand what's happening around you by observing and listening. A great leader is always a skilled communicator--not only as speaker but as a listener, someone who stays focused and tuned in to the nuance of a conversation. This is extremely important and probably the hardest to do for most to do. After all you are the boss, right? WRONG! You are the leader and the ones that you should be depending on have ideas and opinions that if you effectively listen you'll benefit most of the time and the subordinate will feel good about themselves and respect you more. You are on your way to building an ally and a strong team member.  

Be part of the team. There's an acronym that says "team" stands for Together Everyone Achieves More, and great leadership comes from those who see themselves as part of a team, who are willing to roll up their sleeves and do what it takes to support, help, guide and mentor. I have seen too many leaders fail because their subordinates saw their leader unwilling to roll up their sleeves and pitch in to help when there was clear need for them to help get 'er done. They lost respect and the people resented them for their lack of help in the hard times. 

 

Be quick to praise. Praise people often and openly. Let others know when the work is well done, a job is completed with excellence and the results are great. But when it comes to feedback that's focused on development and growth, do it privately. It's likely to feel like a negative assessment, and no wants to feel they're being berated in public. Remember how good you feel when your boss, superior, leader praises you? When you get a little extra spring in your step and/or warm and fuzzy feeling. So does those that you are leading. So splash on the praise when appropriate and watch the pride you helped generate! But remember, NEVER discuss improvements or negative things with the subordinate in front of anyone else.   

 

***Get out of your office. Come in early to get your work done while things are peaceful. Then, when everyone else arrives, get out of your office and connect with people. It's an efficient way to balance the demands of a leadership role, and people feel good about their team when they can see a leader not only working hard but also being available and accessible. It's a win-win. THIS IS A MUST DO!! When I was in management we called it MBWA.(management by walking around). Another benefit is after a while the people get comfortable and will tell and alert you to things they otherwise would not have done. 

 

Hold people accountable. One of the biggest derailments of leadership happens when people aren't held accountable. If responsibility and accountability are important to you, don't let those who are slacking get away with it. You gain respect by sticking to your principles, and your team stays highly functional. It can't get better than that. This is self-explanatory but I add this...... don't play favorites! ALL should be held accountable at all times. NO EXCEPTIONS!!!

 

There is a link provided at the beginning of this blog. I encourage you to read the other ways to be a better leader. Leading is like everything in life. Don't ever think you know it all and always strive to improve.

 

Remember, if the team fails it's time for a new leader.........................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

You have seen the commercials:  We got a client $500,000, We got a client $750,000 for a foot injury etc. etc. What they aren't telling you is the percentage  that THEY took from the settlement. On average that would be 30-50%. And any other fees that they can conjure up.

 

 

The fact that you are the injured one or suffered the atrocity is of little concern. After all they have the fancy office to maintain and/or their beach house needs new furniture due to the salt air exposer. Least we forget the bonuses that have to be paid to the paralegals. And someone has to pay for those commercials to lead more lambs to the troughs of big money!

 

 

You gotta love the ones that tell you to ask their competitors how many times they go to court to settle. Isn't that what lawyers do? Aren't you paying them to fight for the maximum? Of course they want to settle out of court. Less time and resources on their part. And they can get in an extra round of golf. 

 

Lawyers are a necessary evil in this sue the bastards mentality of today. But use caution when dealing with them. Make sure you get the terms in writing. This will probably require that you get another lawyer to read and explain the legal jargon of the terms from the first lawyer. Talk about a you wash my back and I'll wash yours carousel.