I Will Drink Wine. Keep it Light. Nocturnal. Dr. Alan Grant. Your Theme Song. Save a Prayer.
- Quote of the Week: You cook, I will drink wine. – Anonymous.
Six simple words that make me smile. It is so much fun to figure out a meal and mess up the kitchen, all while enjoying your wine or favorite beverage. Cooking and grilling are never boring and at times, depending on the desired meal, particularly challenging. The challenging part is what makes it fun – concocting the correct ingredients and timing the appetizers, side dishes, and the main course.
My go-to recipe: Marinate a pork tenderloin using Dale’s, mustard, brown sugar, olive oil, garlic salt, pepper, a bit of honey, lemon or lime juice, and Worcestershire. You can use a large zip lock – place the marinating pork in the refrigerator for a minimum of three hours. Remove the pork tenderloin from the refrigerator and let it sit for an hour to return it to room temperature.
Heat your grill to 350 degrees. Place the marinated pork tenderloin on a large piece of aluminum foil and add pineapple slices and maraschino cherries. Wrap up the foil and place it on the grill. Give it ten minutes before opening up the foil and turning the pork tenderloin. Continue to grill for nine -12 minutes, and let the pork sit for ten minutes before slicing. Add the pineapple and cherries to the dish, serve with mashed potatoes and asparagus, and enjoy.
Pair the pork tenderloin with a Pinot Noir. Try the 2021 Covenant Landsman, the 2021 Sangiacomo, or 2022 La Crema. Give it a try!
- Daylight lasting into the early evening is part of summer in the United States. As the calendar moves into October, daylight steadily decreases until the first Sunday in November, when clocks are set back one hour. New legislation passed by the U.S. House would make daylight savings time permanent, eliminating the twice-yearly clock changes.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act, a measure that would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide. The bill now goes to the Senate and may face potential opposition for reasons I have no clue about. How do you feel about daylight savings time being permanent?
Things I Think on July 19, 2026
- It is time for the United States to take the postal service private. I have mentioned this in previous posts – the United States Postal Service (USPS) model is not sustainable. After losses of $9 billion (yes, $9B) in 2025, earlier this year the USPS told Congress that first-class stamps would need to cost ninety cents to ninety-five cents apiece to stop the bleeding. Question: other than receiving prescriptions via the USPS, would you be okay with receiving your mail twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays?
- I just finished watching the 1920s British Irish crime drama Pinky Blinders. Sam Neill was excellent in his role as a Chief Inspector, as well as many movies, including Jurassic Park. This talented actor passed away last week at the age of seventy-eight. RIP Sam Neill.
- Random headline: From Reuters: Volkswagen may need to cut about 50,000 extra jobs to ensure they keep up with rivals in an increasingly fierce car market, its CEO told staff in an internal memo, effectively confirming for the first time that the automaker is looking to reduce up to 100,000 positions. I always ask, and I will ask again: unless you are shutting down a massive operation within the company, how can you maintain operational efficiencies and reduce your headcount by 50,000?
- No bueno, Taco Bell. Has the CDC and FDA really figured out the source of the multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak?
- Two years ago, I posted about technology that would allow advanced air mobility using electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis. The obvious benefit is moving people quickly from a city center location to the airport…or from airport to airport depending on proximity. Orlando, Florida looks to be the first to integrate air taxis into their airport operations. In Central Florida, the goal will be to transport people to both Orlando International Airport and Tampa International Airport. This service will be welcome, especially if you have ever tried driving on I-4 between Orlando and Tampa.
- The World Cup ends later today. Though I was suspect of expanding the tournament to forty-eight countries, I did enjoy the tournament. I believe that worldwide visitors enjoyed visiting the U.S., and that their takeaway was a positive one. Today’s World Cup final between defending champion Argentina and Spain should be a great battle. Going to the game? The average ticket price is $11,000.
- Random question: Can you rank all seven continents from largest to smallest?
- Earth’s night light? Last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved a startup’s plans to launch a satellite reflecting sunlight onto the dark side of Earth. Reflect Orbital‘s first satellite will include a sixty-foot mirror that can light up a 3-mile-wide area on Earth with a full moon level of brightness for approximately 5 minutes. I am not sure how this works if the reflected light only lasts for five minutes, but I am sure the company will work through that in their confidential information memorandum (CIM) :).
The company ultimately hopes to roll out up to 50,000 satellites, potentially charging $5K per hour for those with an annual contract (and a higher rate in emergency situations).
Last week’s Question of the Week asked about a food you would eat if nutrition was not a factor. Here are a few great answers:
- Pop Tarts.
- My food would have to be a cheeseburger. Never get tired of a juicy treat.
- Any kind of cake.
- Pizza.
- Italian pastries!
- The Food I would consume everyday, ignoring all health concerns, would be a thick and properly aged 16 Ounce Ribeye Steak, seared and cooked no more than at Medium Temperature.
- Ok…no judging…Oreos morning, noon and, night! Don’t forget a cold glass of milk please.
- Ice cream on top of a brownie; add a bit of chocolate syrup.
This week’s Question of the Week: What is your theme song upon entering a room?
- Pure Talent. We all know Duran Duran from their massive introduction to the worldwide stage in the 1980’s. Some people say ‘they went too pop’ but I always enjoyed their vibe – as it was presented and sounded different from many other bands. This song is just one of many from this Birmingham, England band. From the album ‘Rio,’ here is Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Simon Le Bon, Andy Taylor, and the great drummer, Roger Taylor, with a live version of their hit song, Save a Prayer. Duran Duran is still Pure Talent.