Category Archives: Personal

My DIY Laundry Detergent

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The DIY laundry detergent that I’m sharing today has been my go-to for about five years now. It’s easy to make, and it doesn’t irritate my skin as some other detergents do, like Tide. Oh, and did I mention that it makes nearly a year’s worth of laundry detergent for around $24 in supplies? I’ve made adjustments to the recipe over the years due to supply chain issues and haven’t noticed any issues. I have noted some changes below.

So here it is:

3 (5 oz) bars Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar [or Zote Laundry Bar]
1 (65 oz) box Mule Team Borax
1 (55 oz) box Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
2 (16oz) box Great Value Baking Soda
2 (16oz) LA’s Totally Awesome Power Oxygen Cleaner
2 (21 oz) bottles Purex Crystals Fragrance Booster

Step 1 – Make Powdered Detergent

First, you’ll break down the bars of Fels-Naptha into fine pellets of laundry soap. The pieces need to be small enough that they will dissolve readily in your washing machine. I like to do this by using a cheese grater, then blending them in my food processor along with a few scoops of Washing Soda. (The Washing Soda keeps the laundry soap pieces from sticking to each other too much.)

Step 2 – Mix The Ingredients

Next, you’ll combine all the detergent ingredients. In my experience, the easiest way to do this is to use a couple of trash bags!

If you live in a humid area, like I do, make sure to choose an airtight container so that your detergent stays dry.

How Much Detergent Should I Use?
For a standard wash load, use 2 tablespoons of homemade laundry detergent.
For large or heavily soiled loads, use 2 1/2 tablespoons.
For small loads, use 1 1/2 tablespoons.
This detergent works perfectly in any washing machine, including high-efficiency machines! (Bonus HE Tip: Skip the dispenser and toss the detergent right into the washer!)

Notes:
Washing soda has a higher PH than regular baking soda. So if you want to make more eco-friendly laundry detergent, you can increase the washing soda and eliminate the borax.

Original recipe called for 2 (55oz) boxs of OxiClean, however, due to the pandemic and supply chain issues I no longer can justify the cost. I use 2 (16oz) cans of Dollar Tree’s Oxygen cleaner and notice no difference at all. It turns out that using a third of the original oxygen cleaner doesn’t white wash my cloths as much. Dollar Tree for the win!

Adding Purex Crystal is an easy way to give homemade laundry detergent a fresh and lasting scent. If you prefer to avoid fragrances, feel free to leave the crystals out! The detergent will work just fine without them.

Approx Cost Breakdown: (Walmart / Dollar Tree 6-27-22)

$3.27 – 3 (5 oz) bars Purex Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar
$5.47 – 1 (76 oz) box Borax
$4.17 – 1 (55 oz) box Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
$0.72 – 1 (16oz) box Great Value Baking Soda
$2.00 – 2 (16oz) LA’s Totally Awesome Power Oxygen Cleaner – Dollar Tree
$7.94 – 2 (15.5 oz) bottles Purex Crystals Fragrance Booster

TOTAL: $23.57 [225oz – 90 loads]

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John Galt’s Speech from Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”

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For twelve years, you have been asking: Who is John Galt? This is John Galt speaking. I am the man who loves his life. I am the man who does not sacrifice his love or his values. I am the man who has deprived you of victims and thus has destroyed your world, and if you wish to know why you are perishing—you who dread knowledge—I am the man who will now tell you.” The chief engineer was the only one able to move; he ran to a television set and struggled frantically with its dials. But the screen remained empty; the speaker had not chosen to be seen. Only his voice filled the airways of the country—of the world, thought the chief engineer—sounding as if he were speaking here, in this room, not to a group, but to one man; it was not the tone of addressing a meeting, but the tone of addressing a mind.

    “You have heard it said that this is an age of moral crisis. You have said it yourself, half in fear, half in hope that the words had no meaning. You have cried that man’s sins are destroying the world and you have cursed human nature for its unwillingness to practice the virtues you demanded. Since virtue, to you, consists of sacrifice, you have demanded more sacrifices at every successive disaster. In the name of a return to morality, you have sacrificed all those evils which you held as the cause of your plight. You have sacrificed justice to mercy. You have sacrificed independence to unity. You have sacrificed reason to faith. You have sacrificed wealth to need. You have sacrificed self-esteem to self-denial. You have sacrificed happiness to duty.

    “You have destroyed all that which you held to be evil and achieved all that which you held to be good. Why, then, do you shrink in horror from the sight of the world around you? That world is not the product of your sins, it is the product and the image of your virtues. It is your moral ideal brought into reality in its full and final perfection. You have fought for it, you have dreamed of it, and you have wished it, and I—I am the man who has granted you your wish.

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“Rescued by Ruby” star put down after illness.

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A Rhode Island dog whose inspiring story of going from shelter dog to lifesaving police K-9 became the subject of a recent Netflix movie has been euthanized.

State Police said Sunday K-9 Ruby was put down Friday following a “sudden, acute, and untreatable illness.” She was 11 years old.

Col. Darnell Weaver, superintendent of the state police, expressed gratitude for K-9 Ruby’s years of service.

“K-9 Ruby dedicated her life to serve the citizens of Rhode Island and make a positive impact on every person she ever interacted with,” he said in a statement. “She became a symbol of hope for all shelter dogs, showing the world what a shelter dog can do when just given love and the chance to shine.”

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Generation X Milestones: Growing up in the 80’s

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1976
Apr 1 – Apple Computer founded in Los Altos, California, U.S.

1979
Mar 16 – The China Syndrome, Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas
Mar 28 – 3 Mile Island accident
Jul 12 – Disco Demolition Night, Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois

1980
Feb 22 – The Miracle on Ice, Lake Placid Olympic Center,New York
Apr 27 – Ted Turner announces the creation of CNN, the first 24-hour cable news network.
Apr 28 – The U.S. makes attempt to rescue American hostages held in Iran since Nov 1979.
May 01 – Rubiks Cube released
May 18 – In Washington State, Mt. St. Helens erupts, killing more than 50 people.
May 21 – “The Empire Strikes Back,” premieres in movie theaters.
May 22 – The Pac-Man video game is released in Japan, followed by its U.S. release in October.
Jun 1 – CNN launches
Nov 21 – A record 350 million people worldwide watch “Dallas” to find out who shot J.R. Ewing.
Nov 04 – Ronald Reagan wins the presidential campaign
Oct 30 – Sherman Oaks Mega Mall Opens, Los Angeles
Dec 8 – Singer John Lennon is assassinated in front of his New York City apartment.

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Restaurant Review – Rusty’s Seafood and Oyster Bar – Port Canaveral

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Rusty’s Seafood & Oyster Bar is located in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Happy hour EVERY DAY from 3 to 6 PM and early bird items served from 11 AM to 6 PM every day!! Rusty’s also has LIVE entertainment every night as well as during the days on weekends. Founded in 1993, Rusty’s Seafood & Oyster Bar is a fresh seafood restaurant with a full liquor bar, featuring an oyster bar for live shucking inside and a large deck and tiki bar for outside seating. Rusty’s offers steamed clams and mussels, raw or steamed oysters by the dozen and half-dozen as well as fresh baked oysters Bernard. .

Rusty’s is about an hour away from Orlando to the east.
Established in 1992. The Fischer family arrived in Port Canaveral in the 1940’s where they opened a seafood distribution plant, the “Fischhouse.” From there they began the offshore fishing fleet of the Miss Cape Canaveral, and thus began the term “From our fishing fleet, to you!” Bernard Fischer, the uncle of Rusty Fischer and the great uncle of son, Rhett Fischer, opened Bernard’s Surf in 1948, where they served celebrities, chocolate covered ants and astronauts. Rusty, while running The Surf, then opened Rusty’s Seafood and Oyster bar in the Port in 1992, and now his son Rhett Fischer runs the business and their 60 employee’s.

My wife and I had planned to go out to Rusty’s several times over the last several months, however, food adventures on the coast can be a challenge when we have other things going on, particularly during Covid. We literally had nothing going on this particular weekend so we decided to head out for some early shopping then out to the coast for yet another food adventure.

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Trevor Bauer will not face criminal charges following sexual assault allegation

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After a five-month review of the Pasadena police investigation into allegations of sexual assault against him, Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer will not face criminal charges, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office announced Tuesday.

That the district attorney decided criminal charges were not warranted does not mean Bauer has been cleared to rejoin the Dodgers. Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred retains the right to suspend Bauer.

Manfred is widely expected to do so, but not soon. MLB issued a statement moments after the district attorney decision: “MLB’s investigation is ongoing, and we will comment further at the appropriate time.”

Bauer had two sexual encounters with a San Diego woman last year at his Pasadena home. The district attorney opted not to file assault charges in the first encounter in April and domestic violence charges in the second encounter in May, determining there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Bauer committed a crime.

The district attorney’s office made the decision after reviewing electronic messages between Bauer and his accuser, the Pasadena police investigation and a transcript of the civil restraining order proceedings in August, according to two people with detailed knowledge of the review.

The declination of charges by the district attorney’s office included the following: “After a thorough review of all the available evidence including the civil restraining order proceedings, witness statements and the physical evidence — the People are unable to prove the relevant charges beyond a reasonable doubt. Those charges were assault by means likely to cause great bodily harm, sodomy of a sleeping person and domestic violence.”

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Jimmy’s John’s Tuna Sub, yes this did happen.

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Ordered two subs from Jimmy Johns last night at Red Bug and Tuskawilla in Winter Springs. Here is the response I sent to Corp after they contacted me…..

My online order was placed at 5:17pm. Because this location is usually so fast, I got in the car and drove up and picked up my sandwiches straight away.

As usual, my order was sitting on the table near the front door, I waved at the employees and said thank you. I was greeted with a very freindly thank you back and I left. I did notice that there were 3 or 4 guys standing around and nothing was really going on, i.e. not very busy at all.

Once home, I discovered our names were not written on each sandwich (as usual), so I tore open each only to find that my wife’s Tuna sandwich had no meat.

I called the store and spoke to an employee that gave me an ugly answer – something along ther lines of “thats not how it works”, upon getting upset he decided to pass me over to the manager who I later discovered was Ethan.

I described the situation to Ethan in a very hostile tone and most certainly with a few curse words and he proceeded to tell me that he would “make it up to me next time”. I explained that the solution given was unacceptable and wanted to speak to his boss and asked for his name. Ethan then proceeded to explain to me that it was against company policy to give out his boss’s name.

Very angry now, I explained that everybody is accountable and that the cover up is always worse than the crime. He hung up on me at this point. With my anger at such I high level, I decided to not go to the store and speak to Ethan because I most certainly would be sitting in jail right now.

A Few facts and some concerns:

1) I have all conversations with Ethan recorded. His disdain for customers and his indifference for my dilemma comes through with his tone from almost the very beginning.

2) I wanted my problem solved last night, not in a blizzard of complaint forms the next day.

3) I am involved in the restaurant industry on a daily basis. I understand the struggles with staffing. The ability for a team member to simply show up for work qualifies a person for management these days.

4) I think at a minimum your manager Ethan must understand that basic respect and a little customer service goes a long way when solving a problem. Telling an angry customer who just spent $32 on two sandwich’s that “we will make it up next time” is not and never will be an acceptable solution.

5) Young people today that work in the restaurant business seem to have developed a condition of apathy when it comes to job performance.

6) Don’t tell me that you are going to make it up to me. That time was last night when my sick wife needed some food. The fact is, I had a terrible meal, my wife ate fridge leftovers and Jimmy John’s is in posession of my hard earned $32.

7) I don’t want any gift cards, because I am sure you will understand that I will never put an order in at any Jimmy John’s location ever again. There is so much competition in my area, I have several choices for subs just on that one corner alone.

Feel free to call me at 407-***-**** or email me at either mike@mikelilley.net. I have posted pictures on my website and on twitter of the sandwich that I am speaking about. It is clear that the sandwich was assembled with great care and wrapped well. Leaving the meat out is curious, how does such a thing happen. It was ordered as a Tuna Sub, not a cheese sandwich.

My complaint, in the end, you have my money and your manager Ethan continues to have disdain for the customer and an unpararelled apathy for his job duties.

Links:

My facebook account is locked down at the moment.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/centralfloridarestaurantreview/?multi_permalinks=1004253563776208&notif_id=1642677357014904&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic&ref=notif

When I have the time I will post and update on every social media platform I can think of. I curious if your manager will change his mind about his reaction.