You'll see me do something I've never done before.

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Briggs & Stratton carburetor repair

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I'm moving on. It's time.

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Merry Christmas 2021

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The Better Way To Wrap A Present

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We're finished

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Fuyu Persimmon. The healthy fruit

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Fuyukaki!

Description/Taste

The Fuyu persimmon is a non-astringent variety that benefits from a trifecta of qualities; it lacks a core, seeds, and tannins. Fuyu persimmons have a squat and rounded shape and are capped with an indented leaf. Fuyu persimmons boast an orange pumpkin color on both their skin and flesh. When ripe, Fuyu persimmons possess layers of flavor, reminiscent of pear, dates, and brown sugar with nuances of cinnamon. Their texture varies from crisp and succulent when young, to a tender and gelatinous texture as they mature. Fruits are ready for harvest when skins are deep orange, and unlike most other persimmon types, have no astringency and are ready to eat when still firm.

Seasons/Availability

Fuyu persimmons are available from mid-fall through the winter months.

Current Facts

Fuyu persimmons, botanically known as part of Diospyros kaki, are an Asian variety of persimmon. Persimmons are divided into two types, astringent and non-astringent. Fuyu persimmons are the leading non-astringent persimmon on the market and are the most widely cultivated persimmon in the world. Their non-astringency allows for them to be eaten fresh out of hand at various times during maturation. Astringent persimmons, which require being fully ripened prior to eating, are too fragile for shipping, lowering the commercial value of the fruit within a globally distributed food culture.

Nutritional Value

Fuyu persimmons contain significant amounts of fiber and vitamin A. Additionally they contain vitamin C and trace amounts of vitamin E, K, and B-6.

Applications

Fuyu persimmons are highly versatile as they can be eaten fresh out of hand, added raw to cold dishes, or added to cooked applications like roasts, sauces, jams, and jellies. They can be sliced and used as a topping for pizza, pies, tarts, yogurt, and toast. Cooked down and pureed, Fuyu can be used to make persimmon cakes, bread, puddings, ice cream, and pie filling. Complimentary flavors include ginger, vanilla, nutmeg, cream, brown sugar, and maple. Fuyu persimmons pair well with soft, fresh cheeses such as mozzarella and mascarpone, cranberries, pomegranates, pecans, pistachios, bacon, prosciutto, figs, mild lettuces, and bitter greens. Other compatible flavors are herbs, such as basil, arugula, and mint, along with citrus, balsamic vinegar, and nut oils like hazelnut and walnut. Fuyu persimmons can be kept at room temperature, but if preferred, can be refrigerated. Do not to store persimmons near apples or other ethylene-producing fruits as they are ethylene sensitive and will ripen and spoil quickly when exposed.

Ethnic/Cultural Info

When in season the persimmon is a prized fruit in many parts of the world. In Greek, the Fuyu persimmon’s botanical name, Diospyros means “divine fruit”. In Japan, persimmons are considered to be the country’s national fruit whereas the Fuyu is also known as Fuyukaki. Nationally in the United States, the Fuyu persimmon makes up nearly eighty percent of the persimmon market.

Geography/History

Persimmons have been cultivated for over a millennium in Asian countries, where they have long been an important fruit crop. Asian-type persimmons, such as the Fuyu, were first introduced to the United States in 1856 by Commander M.C. Perry. Commander Perry brought the seeds back from an American naval fleet visit to Japan, unfortunately, none of the seeds planted upon the return made it to maturity. Soon after this first attempt, the U.S. Department of Agriculture imported seeds from a variety of different Asian persimmons, including the Fuyu, from Asia. Since that time, many different types of Fuyu have been developed for disease resistance, hardiness, and flavor, helping to make the Fuyu the most highly cultivated and commercially successful persimmon type today. China produces upwards of three million tons annually of persimmons and is the leader in worldwide production. In the United States, the Fuyu persimmon is grown predominately in California, specifically in the central San Joaquin Valley, as well as in San Diego, Riverside, and Orange County. It is doing well here in Central Texas in our experience!

What is God's will for you? CIT 51

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Reflection on events like this one, causes one to perhaps think, what if I had only 11years to live? Or how about 11 minutes? If we knew when it was happening, how would we choose to live our lives differently in those marked moments than if we would have not known the day or hour? If we knew the place we might avoid it. If we knew the method we could plan accordingly. Time, however, we can't avoid it, we can't protect from it, we can't stop it. Time. It's the one thing we cannot control. However, what we do in that time, we can. Live each day, each moment, like your life depended on it.

Born	John Winston Lennon 9 October 1940
Died	8 December 1980

Top 5 picks for Christmas

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CIT 50 Can you believe it?

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Solar power is a fraud.

Solar isn't free. It comes at a huge price.

I was recently pitched that solar power was not only better for the environment, renewable, etc., but it would cost me nothing. Both are a lie.

The initial refining turns quartz into metallurgical-grade silicon, a substance used mostly to harden steel and other metals. That happens in giant furnaces, and keeping them hot takes a lot of energy, a subject we'll return to later. Fortunately, the levels of the resulting emissions—mostly carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide—can't do much harm to the people working at silicon refineries or to the immediate environment.

The next step, however—turning metallurgical-grade silicon into a purer form called polysilicon—creates the very toxic compound silicon tetrachloride. The refinement process involves combining hydrochloric acid with metallurgical-grade silicon to turn it into what is called trichlorosilane. The trichlorosilane then reacts with added hydrogen, producing polysilicon along with liquid silicon tetrachloride—three or four tons of silicon tetrachloride for every ton of polysilicon.

You see it takes the same amount of carbon-based fuels to make the photovoltaic component as well a very toxic by-product. It's more dangerous to the environment than just burning wood to cook your food. If you make a forest of trees for the sole purpose of using it as fuel, you are better off.

Don't fall for the lie that solar is better, cleaner, and "sustainable" Panels have about a 20-year life, then you gotta do it all again. You've also spent about 20 years' worth of fuel, to create those very same panels that you will be using for 20 years but only received about 80% of energy in return for the 100% put into the devices to create them. Not very efficient nor good for the earth. And then the by-product of creating the photovoltaic components. Yikes. 

Here's one for you:

The struggle to keep photovoltaics green does not end with the production of polysilicon. Solar-cell manufacturers purify chunks of polysilicon to form bricklike ingots and then slice the ingots into wafers. Then they introduce impurities into the silicon wafers, creating the essential solar-cell architecture that produces the photovoltaic effect.

These steps all involve hazardous chemicals. For example, manufacturers rely on hydrofluoric acid to clean the wafers, remove the damage that comes from sawing, and texture the surface to better collect light. Hydrofluoric acid works great for all these things, but when it touches an unprotected person, this highly corrosive liquid can destroy tissue and decalcify bones. So handling hydrofluoric acid requires extreme care, and it must be disposed of properly.

But accidents do happen and are more likely in places that have limited experience manufacturing semiconductors or that have lax environmental regulations. In August 2011, a factory in China's Zhejiang province owned by Jinko Solar Holding Co., one of the largest photovoltaic companies in the world, spilled hydrofluoric acid into the nearby Mujiaqiao River, killing hundreds of fish. And farmers working adjacent lands, who used the contaminated water to clean their animals, accidentally killed dozens of pigs. Now, no one can eat those pigs. Burn a log and cook a pig. That's how you eat pigs, not poisoning them with hydrofluoric acid.

I could go on and on as to the "cost" to create solar panels. The bottom line is, there is no way you can create a device that comes between an originating fuel source and its end use without expending more fuel and resources than just using the original fuel source, to begin with. The laws of physics and thermal dynamics just can't be ignored. You can't create something for nothing and the more you try to create, the more energy is converted into some use other than you intend to use it for. The energy used to make the photovoltaic components could have been used for the purpose ultimately needed in the first place. 

Your best approach is to start a fire and cook your bacon on that fire. You'll cook your food, create light, and stay warm. Very efficient. You don't need the "middle management". Is it a nice utopic idea? Sure, but frankly there is no utopia on this earth. A promise for utopia is only a lie in disguise. Sound familiar? Read Genesis chapter 3. 'Nuff said.

I really need your help!

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power generator fail!

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