Website owner: James Miller
On eating out at restaurants
Occasionally on my daily walk I will stop at a Taco Bell and have their Cheesy Bean & Rice Burrito and a “senior drink” for my lunch. I don’t like carbonated beverages but they have a noncarbonated lemonade drink that I like. At this particular Taco Bell the drink is free for seniors and the Cheesy Bean & Rice Burrito is $1.00 so the total cost for both is only $1.00. I like the burrito and the drink, it is a good meal, it is a really great deal, and I enjoy the meal twice as much just because it is such a good deal.
Several years ago one of my wife’s customers gave her an Outback gift card for Christmas and today an occasion arose where it seemed like it would be convenient to eat out. I suggested going to Outback and using that gift card. So we went. I ordered BBQ Ribs and my wife ordered grilled chicken. The dinners included one side dish and bread. My wife and I both chose Caesar salads for the side dish. The dinners were very good. My wife and I swapped, giving each other half of the other’s dish. The bread was great, the Caesar salads excellent, and the BBQ Ribs very good. We both enjoyed the meal. It was more than we would normally eat and we asked for a box and brought half of the BBQ Ribs and chicken home with us. The total cost of the meal, including a 15% tip: around $45.00. That is $22.50 each. Now I can tell you this: Without that gift card I would never pay $22.50 for a meal! I was induced to do it because of the gift card. The way my mind works is this: I enjoyed the Outback meal more than the burrito and drink but the difference in the amount of enjoyment was not worth the $21.50 difference in price. Both meals satisfied my hunger and the only difference was the difference in enjoyment.
It is my impression that the majority of Americans eat out a lot. And there are very few that buy some meal that costs them only $1.00. A great many of them eat at restaurants like Outback where they pay $15.00 - $20.00 or more for a meal. And those who eat at fast food chains usually spend at least $5.00 - $6.00 for a meal. Americans spend a whole lot of money eating out. Why do so many people eat out? Well, they enjoy doing it. It is a pleasurable experience. It is something to do. It gives them a break from all their TV watching. But I suspect the main reason they eat out so much is laziness. They are too lazy to fix dinners at home. Fixing dinner at home is too much work so they eat out. It costs money but they have the money and what is money for anyway, except to spend?
I am the one who has always fixed our meals. I don’t object to doing it. There are advantages to being the one who fixes the meals. If you fix the meals you have control over the diet. If you live by a healthy diet you will be much healthier and live longer. I have been constantly tweaking our diet for 50 years, cutting out this, cutting out that, reducing this, reducing that. We eat no beef, occasionally ham, some chicken, turkey and tuna, but most of our meals are vegetarian. We always omit the salt, try to keep sodium at a minimum. And we never eat deserts. It has been years since I have had any cake or pie. I don’t think sugar and sweets are good for you. If you eat out at restaurants a lot you are not eating healthy. You are probably eating too much and you are probably gaining weight.
Eat to live, and not live to eat.
To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals.
Dine with little, sup with less:
Do better still; sleep supperless.
No wonder Tom grows fat, th' unwieldy sinner,
Makes his whole life but one continual dinner.
Eat few suppers and you'll need few medicines.
Many dishes, many diseases.
I saw few die of hunger; of eating --- 100,000.
He that would travel much should eat little.
May 2017
Jesus Christ and His Teachings
Way of enlightenment, wisdom, and understanding
America, a corrupt, depraved, shameless country
On integrity and the lack of it
The test of a person's Christianity is what he is
Ninety five percent of the problems that most people have come from personal foolishness
Liberalism, socialism and the modern welfare state
The desire to harm, a motivation for conduct
On Self-sufficient Country Living, Homesteading
Topically Arranged Proverbs, Precepts, Quotations. Common Sayings. Poor Richard's Almanac.
Theory on the Formation of Character
People are like radio tuners --- they pick out and listen to one wavelength and ignore the rest
Cause of Character Traits --- According to Aristotle
We are what we eat --- living under the discipline of a diet
Avoiding problems and trouble in life
Role of habit in formation of character
Personal attributes of the true Christian
What determines a person's character?
Love of God and love of virtue are closely united
Intellectual disparities among people and the power in good habits
Tools of Satan. Tactics and Tricks used by the Devil.
The Natural Way -- The Unnatural Way
Wisdom, Reason and Virtue are closely related
Knowledge is one thing, wisdom is another
My views on Christianity in America
The most important thing in life is understanding
We are all examples --- for good or for bad
Television --- spiritual poison
The Prime Mover that decides "What We Are"
Where do our outlooks, attitudes and values come from?
Sin is serious business. The punishment for it is real. Hell is real.
Self-imposed discipline and regimentation
Achieving happiness in life --- a matter of the right strategies
Self-control, self-restraint, self-discipline basic to so much in life