ABSILVER's World

  Here is my latest top ten list of what is on my mind these days. Advice on LinkedIn:  There are many good articles on LinkedIn that range from different approaches to marketing, improving sales, or at times management advice.  But, it always reminds me of when I started as a sales rep.  Everyone told me to read books on better sales approaches and how to sell more.  The first call I made, the CEO of a construction company had the same books recommended on his bookshelf.  How can I possibly be authentic with a client if we are both reading that same book?   Following the same advice as everyone else is following a crowd. To stand out takes following your unique road, in my opinion.  In technology sales, I spent more time understanding the technology and what I was selling.  Focused more on their business and earned multiple 100% clubs and Golden Circle awards.  If I had followed the pack, I don't think I would have done as well. Odd price promotions in grocery stores during the p

There have already been FIVE MASS SHOOTINGS in the USA since 2021!  FIVE!  28 people have died, and 9 injured.  Not from a virus that can't be seen.  Not from auto accidents on the highway, but by men who could easily buy assault weapons and walk into a store, a spa, or other places and just shoot, kill and injure others.   I must confess. I have never owned a gun.  I had touched a gun once when my Dad tried to show me how to clean his pistol, and I cringed.  So, I may not be the best person to write an objective blog on gun violence.  That said, I don't think you have to be right-wing or left-wing to see that we have a problem in this country.  We make it so easy to get any gun in this country that a man in Atlanta can buy a gun in the morning and kill 8 people before the day is out.  Many want to ask women to have a waiting period for an abortion, but those "pro-life" people don't support any restraint on gun ownership or waiting periods.  Yet, the killing keeps

  I sit here, lucky in East Texas, never lost heat or water, and we have had food. But, we are odd in Texas.  Much of the state is boiling water, wishing for power, dealing with pipes bursting and empty shelves in the grocery stores.  Those that have electricity and ordered from the wrong provider are receiving astronomically high bills ( https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/20/us/texas-storm-electric-bills.html ) rewarding these companies for the scarcity of electricity to heat homes in the middle of freezing temps and ice storms. How did we get here as a rich and growing state?  The Texas economy grew because of oil and natural gas, and yet it created its power grid that dis-incented generators to build and upgrade their plants.  Under the assumption, the market was a better manager of electricity cost and demand than the government.  I read an article on ERCOT, the manager for the Texas grid,( https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/18/texas-power-outages-ercot/ ) that most of Texas was m

The saying goes that chicken soup is the Jewish elixir that can cure the common cold, and who knows if it may help the new vaccines. (Just kidding on the last one.)  I get asked fairly often how I make chicken soup.  The recipe started years ago from a recipe on the Empire Kosher Chicken Website.  It has since evolved and been updated from experience and watching cooking shows/ To the left is my latest batch, and I will take you all through it step by step.   If you have access to kosher chickens, I would recommend them.  The koshering process, which is salting the chicken, actually adds flavor and helps the chicken meat hold up, so it is flavorful in the soup being served.  If you choose to use kosher chickens, you can skip the first step below.   This recipe is for two chickens. If you have less or more, adjust accordingly. Step 1: Brine the chicken.  For each chicken, select a pot big enough to hold the chicken and enough water to cover the chicken.  Pour in enough water and add en

As I sit here, it is continuing to rain outside, and my mood is focused on the inauguration tomorrow.  I look forward to a new president whose administration has a real plan to address the pandemic, including masks and a national roll-out of vaccinations. I am hopeful Biden and Harris will be able to restore the faith of the world in America. I also took a moment to watch Melania's farewell video and felt like I was watching a Netflix film where a sovereign's queen or spouse is looking at her future.  She does not come across as if she genuinely cares for the country, but she agrees with Trump's view of what we can do for them. We must not forget that the impact of Trump and his followers will last for years, nor should we forget as citizens and voters to assure these times will not be repeated by Trump or those that may desire to follow him. The rain continues as I remember other presidents and other times. I remember Nixon's downfall but realize his angst was as muc

I am a writer of a blog to share my thoughts, hopes, and dreams.  So, it seems I should write about yesterday and the riot that reached inside the Capitol.   I started to write about how the lies of the president, the words from Guliani, and the president's family helped incite this team of people they invited to a rally to become rioters with no respect for the Capitol and the legislators I am sure many voted for in recent weeks.  However, you can look to others on Facebook, Twitter, or watch the news channel of your choice to hear about this from the perspective that you want to hear.   News that is slanted to a particular party, philosophy, or belief has been around.  Teddy Roosevelt wrote about the number of papers and their spin on truth in New York and the country during his time, and it sounds quite similar.  The difference is that the printing press slowed them down.   Using untruths and lies to change the political climate and will of the people is also not new.  Looking b

 T op Recipes of 2020: These are some top recipes for us in 2020. Where I had pictures of my efforts, I included them. Barefoot Contessa hits from 2020 I love the Barefoot Contessa.  Her recipes work, and you just have to follow them and remember she put days, months, and years into perfecting the recipes so just follow them the first few times. Ina Garten’s Overnight Mac ‘n Cheese:   This may be the best Mac ‘n Cheese of all time for me.  You mix lightly cooked macaroni with cream and ½ the cheese and keep it in the fridge for 24 hours.  Then you take it out, mix in extra cheese and add bread crumbs, and it was cheesy and tasty. Smashed Sweet Potatoes:  This was easy, and the surprise of adding pepper made it a surprise.  All the flavors merge into what is a not too sweet dish that was great. Irish Soda Bread:   This was an easy entry into bread making.  We enjoyed it, and it was great, especially for breakfast.  To prove the “don’t mess with the Barefoot Contessa,” I tried to impro