HETTY

Tag: Self

  • I’m already writing for free!

    What job would you do for free?

    It’s true. I’m trying to monetize my WordPress blog, which I started in October 2025. I planned on relying on donations for my writing, which mostly focuses on poverty relief. How much have I made so far for the articles I posted? Zero!

    I’ll admit that I used AI generated content for some of the articles I posted. I just wrote the prompts, edited the generated content as needed, and copy and pasted the articles to my blog space. But some articles I wrote myself.

    I’m in fact losing some money from paying for Blaze advertising at times, paying for the WordPress domain, and then paid for the AI writing app. I also at times spend money to make certain recipes or go to events, and then write about them later.

    I also admit that I have the financial means to support myself now so I can write about different subjects. But my experience so far with blog writing has been discouraging, if I focus more on earning a living from writing.

    I recently read a social media post about someone else who tried and failed to make money online. It can be very hard, almost impossible if someone can’t invest massively in advertising or a lucrative service and/or product.

    Anyways, as far as jobs I would do for free that exist in real life, that are worth the stress and investment of time and effort? Not many. Maybe a club DJ, an astronaut, or a male porn star. The fringe benefits have to be worth it. Which of those 3 are more likely to happen in my lifetime though?

  • I Learned Better Outside of School.

    I Learned Better Outside of School.

    Who was your most influential teacher? Why?

    I struggle to recall the names of any of my prior teachers, and I had many of course. I went to public school, and I can only remember Ms. Lloyd-Jones, my kindergarten teacher. I think I only remember her name because it was hyphenated.

    I admit that I was barely above average as a student, but I learned better outside of school. And I have an unconventional education. Years of public school, a military apprenticeship mostly learning cooking, an associate’s degree in Computer Information Systems (not financially lucrative yet), and I dropped out of getting a bachelor’s degree in Technical Writing, but I only had a year left in getting one.

    I remember Jean-Claude, the French Chef who had a gentle way of teaching military cooks to improve on cooking methods. He was a mentor and supervisor, but I didn’t know him well. He had advice that I still remember.

    But I would say Leonardo (Da Vinci) was my best overall teacher, even though he lived centuries ago. He was more than an artist, from what I read of him. He worked in different fields, and for some reason I find him fascinating. Mainly for his designs of flying machines, anatomy drawing, and mechanical devices. I saw how gears, ropes, frames, and pulleys worked together for a certain purpose.

    I think I’m a dreamer like he was, and it’s only in recent years I’ve been dabbling in different fields like video generation, robotics, AI generated projects, music, experimenting with food recipes, painting, and writing. My blog counts.

    The most influential Leonardo quote I remember? “It’s not enough to know. We must also do.”

    I was able to visit the Leonardo Da Vinci Science and Technology Museum in Milan earlier this month, and I mostly went to take photos and absorb info so I can be inspired to make my own inventions and designs. Yes, I have some ideas I want to work on. Let’s see if I can succeed.

  • There’s 2 Versions of Compliments

    What was the best compliment you’ve received?

    There’s 2 versions of compliments I’ve gotten. One is a “clean” version, and then there is a more inappropriate compliment. But both were from women I knew.

    The “clean” version of a compliment I’ve received, that I actually took to heart, is a female coworker called me creative. I was in the Air Force then working at a fitness center, and I have more of an Arty/Nerdy vibe. I believe the young woman was of a junior rank and is Hispanic. She was hanging out at the fitness center cuz her boyfriend at the time worked there, and we were chatting about different things, and she called me more of a creative type without me mentioning that I’m like that. I talk about music, movies, video games, TV shows, pop culture in general often, and I’m a fan of comedy. So I appreciated the compliment.

    I’ve been called a good person before, but I never think I’m good enough. And I am flawed and a constant work in progress (I can’t always help others, as an example.)

    The more inappropriate version of a compliment I’ve gotten was from an ex girlfriend, near fiance. You can probably see where this is going, so maybe some of you more sensitive readers should stop reading by now.

    ———-NSFW and/or NSFL——-

    For those who really want to know, and have their curiosity sated, she said that she had the best sex she ever had with me. And sometimes she would call me handsome and good looking , even though I don’t think I am. And although we broke up, I still think about her, and wish that things went differently than they did.

    I’m thinking about her again. Maybe in time I’ll write about my ex more in detail, cuz it was the most complicated relationship I ever had by far.

  • Carry the Bear Spray Around Me

    Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?

    The bear comes easy as an answer, and I guess I’m more like a black bear than a brown or polar bear, or any of the other species. Let me explain the ways:

    I’m fairly big and hairy, with dark fur. I can eat a lot, and I gained some weight for the winter. I’ll try to lose it in coming months. I tend to be less active and sleep more during the winters, almost like a state of torpor hibernation.

    I’m fairly docile and sometimes even timid, except when I’m not. I will flee threats in most cases, but I will fight back if cornered or to protect the ones I care about.

    What else? I tend to be picky about what I eat, but I like tasty high fat, sugary, and salty foods. I can eat a whole lot of berries. I’m not much of a runner, but I can sprint at times.

    I lived in (man) caves, and often alone (not always).

    So I’m somewhat cuddly and somewhat deadly. LOOK OUT!🐻

  • The Night Door

    What is the last thing you learned?

    I’m currently staying in a hotel in another country, and it seems at night the front entrance is locked for security reasons. My first night here, I was trying to go outside to vape at 10pm, but the door can’t open. There is an button near it, so I press it. The door is still locked; I can’t open it still.

    There’s a woman at reception, telling me something in a language I can’t hear or understand much of. I wear hearing aids due to moderate to severe hearing loss, but I didn’t have them in cuz I just wanted to vape outside and I take the hearing aids out when they get uncomfortable after awhile, or I turn in for the night.

    After some time of me being puzzled, the woman walks to the front door, presses the button and opens the door at the same time. Oh, thank you! I say in the language I have limited knowledge of.

    I learned at least one thing, technically 3. One thing is that I learned how to open that hotel entrance door by pressing that electronic button and opening the door at the same time, that specific method. The other thing is that I should wear my hearing aids any time I expect to be around any other people, cuz I never know when I’m gonna have to hear or speak to other people, and the last thing is I need to learn more of that language I took 2 high school courses and having a basic proficiency in decades ago.

    I’m vague about where I am cuz of the interesting times we live in.

  • Tropical Heat🥵

    What is the biggest challenge you will face in the next six months?

    I’m currently in a country with a Mediterranean climate, even though it’s technically winter here. Not too hot, not too cold. It rarely snows here, although a jacket and knit cap may be required during the night time. I dealt with frigid temperatures before, so it’s comfortable enough here.

    However, next month I’m traveling to a country with a tropical climate, and it’s hot and humid almost all year. Near unbearable heat, similar to Miami weather.

    I’ve endured extreme heat and cold before, but that climate is something else.

    I’ve been to the country before last year, and I tried everything to stay cool without access to more expensive air conditioning. Drinking ice water and cold drinks, wearing shorts and t-shirts, swimming and showering several times a day, having a fan close by blowing wind on me, staying in shade, and minimizing my activity outside. Having a frozen water bottle cool me down. Very little relief, still sweating like crazy.

    It got to the point where I was suffering heat stress and developing health issues. So after 3 weeks, I finally gave in and stayed in lodging with regular air conditioning. Finally, some real relief, and my health improved.

    I plan to stay in this country for 6 months, at least! Possibly longer. I don’t like extreme hot or frigid weather, but between the two, I’ll chose the hotter weather. At least I don’t have to deal with the snow and gloom.

    I don’t know how the local people tolerate the climate, but they adapted well enough that they can wear long shirts and pants outside. And here I am from a Midwestern climate, sweating buckets minutes after being outside in shorts and a t-shirt.

    And it could get even hotter in coming years! Yes, a challenge I’ll try to meet. I still like being in the country though, I just complain about the climate. I’ll manage somehow.

  • The Curse of being Atypical.

    What bores you?

    So, what bores me? It’s more like what doesn’t bore me. I have been more selective of how I spend my free time.

    Formal education bores me. I went to school for several years, including a technical college and university. Going to lectures, listening to 2 or 3 professors or teaching assistants per day lecture for hours at a time, sometimes reading about subjects that can be tedious. It often took an innovative or charismatic teacher for me to pay attention in class, or I took a course that I have familiarity and interest in.

    Sports bore me. While some people find athletic teams and individuals fascinating, I often don’t. It’s more like I count how many sport injuries can happen during a game or match.

    Many television shows and oftentimes movies can bore me. Television comedies seem to be my go-to, but it has to be very funny for me to keep sustained interest.

    While I used to like movies, I think I saw so many over decades that I can predict plot twists and movie tropes. I maybe see one or 2 movies a year now, and they tend to be the blockbuster type of film. I was bored seeing the second Avatar movie, it was so long.

    I read everyday, but I find books boring now. I don’t think I have the attention span to read novels, but I will read the occasional non-fiction book. I may not finish though, but I will read up on summaries and profound quotes after. And certain articles are Too Long; Didn’t Read, so I’ll skip to the last 2 paragraphs.

    I tended to job hop after 18 months-2 years in most cases, cuz I would grow bored with the routine over time. I would get excited at first once I got a job, I would then learn the routines, and over time have contempt over the routine. And often the pay wasn’t good enough for me to tolerate the stress and boredom and stay longer.

    What else? Some music genres can be uninteresting for me, like Country music, Folk, Jazz. While I was a fan of the early days of Rap and HipHop, it seems like even the modern artists these days are going through the motions.

    I partly left the US cuz I found my newer residence boring. When shopping and eating are the main pastimes there, I was ready to move after 5 years. Nice weather though.

    Maybe it’s me. I lived too long, had my fill of experiences, and became burnt out and world weary. It’s harder to find interesting things about living on Earth. I will probably dabble more in virtual reality in the near future, if I can afford it. Longing for the Holo-Deck, or Death. Whichever comes first….

  • A Cuppa Coffee for a Neurodiverse Mind

    What is your favorite drink?

    I have a cup of coffee near me now. Instant coffee and heated mineral water, a little milk, and I currently don’t add sugar, or add a little sweetener. I probably drink way too much coffee. When I brew coffee, I can easily drink a pot or more a day.

    I do like other drinks, like Soda (Pop), fruit juices, alcoholic beverages, tea at times. Milk I only drink if I can get a gallon jug of it, otherwise I use it for cereal or for cooking. But since I have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I limit consuming the other drinks.

    Coffee is relatively affordable, healthy, and a comfort to drink. It’s possible that I self medicate and stimulate with coffee due to my autism and possible ADHD, but it probably does contribute to whatever sleep and anxiety problems I have.

    My parents and grandparents were coffee drinkers, and I’m currently in a country with several cafes. I tend to make my own brews though to save money. I don’t mind Espresso, but my go to coffee is brewed American style. I feel like I get my money’s worth, even though it’s just extra water.

    Coffee has been repeatedly proven to have several antioxidants and can offer resistance against several diseases and increase lifespan. And perhaps the coffee grounds can be used as a bio-char to add to strengthen concrete. So there’s probably a good reason why I drink so much coffee.

  • Blue Dockers Hiking Boots

    Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you.

    I’m not picky when it comes to shoes, which seems to be a problem for my brothers. As long as they are affordable and they fit me, I’ll wear them. However, the best pair of shoes I ever owned were dark blue, black, and gray Dockers Hiking boots.

    I didn’t buy the high rise shoes myself, but rather they were a Christmas gift from my youngest brother some years ago. He most of all would complain about me buying cheaper lower quality shoes that I tended to wear longer than the time they should have been replaced.

    I liked the stylish almost futuristic design, they were snug and comfortable, and looked good with various articles of clothes. They kept my feet warm and dry, especially while walking in several inches of snow during the winter. The soles had good grip on ice and other slippery surfaces.

    While I wish that I can say that I traveled far and wide in different countries while wearing those shoes, but in most cases I wore the boots around my hometown. I wore them when I went to bars and clubs, wore them outside during the winter and walked in puddles and grassy areas, and when I visited family and friends. I’m sure I wore them at work when I was allowed to.

    I kept the higher quality boots for over 2 years, probably closer to 3 years, but I eventually replaced the hiking boots cuz they were worn out and uncomfortable to my feet. And I’m sure that I went back to the affordable lower quality shoes. Hey, old habits die hard.

  • ShowTime Pizza!

    ShowTime Pizza!

    Share one of the best gifts you’ve ever received.

    I went to ShowTime Pizza Place as a kid, likely after getting on my parents’ case begging to go. I remember being told no more than once, they can’t afford it. Understandable now, I didn’t understand at 8 years old. 50$ was a bigger chunk of change then.

    ShowTime Pizza was a family friendly Pizzeria with a gimmick. It had a video game arcade with many of the most popular cabinet video games at the time- Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, Joust, Defender, Burger Time, Sinistar and so on. Maybe some more obscure games that I don’t remember playing.

    It also had a dining hall with a stage featuring singing and talking Animatronic Animal Characters, like Billy Bob Brockali, Looney Bird, Rolfe DeWolfe, and various other animal characters. These animatronic characters, along with the Chuck E Cheese Animatronics, were the inspiration for the antagonistic robots in Five Nights at Freddies “horror” movies and video games.

    No, I never thought the animatronics were creepy. I thought of the furry characters as robots, which I continue to be fascinated by.

    Anyways, my parents gave in, and I was able to go to ShowBiz Pizza Place for my 9th birthday. I remember the Pepperoni pizza and pitchers of Pepsi were tasty enough for a grade school kid. I remember being proud that I could eat 4 slices of pizza then.

    I loved the video games, of course, and tried and failed to play the Legendary laser disk game Dragon’s Lair. I loved the Don Bluth animation, and that game ate up many of the tokens my parents gave me. I couldnt go far with that game though.

    But what I remember the most about that pizza party at ShowBiz Pizza, was during the birthday meal, “The Rock-afire Explosion” band “talked and sang” to me directly to wish me a happy birthday. And I remember being touched by the nice gesture and being near tears that my parents cared enough about me to arrange the birthday shout-out with the Pizzeria staff.

    So, yes, I enjoyed my time at ShowBiz Pizza, and I understand that it later merged With Chuck E. Cheese Pizza. One of those nostalgic fond memories, and it also contributed to my interests in robots, video games, comedy, and good food.

  • The Observer

    If there were a biography about you, what would the title be?

    I had to think about this prompt question for awhile, but The Observer is probably the best title for a biography I could come up with. Maybe if I’m ever worthy of someone writing my biography, the author can think of a better one. But it’s a safe yet honest title.

    I’m not famous or infamous (yet), and as much as I’d like to be remarkable somehow, I’m likely unremarkable in every way. I have a certain skill set that’s probably outdated in the 21st century, but what I do best no matter what is observe.

    I’m an introvert, although I sometimes wish that I wasn’t. I can be quiet, and passive to a fault. And I’m alone most of the time, although I do attempt to be social. However, I observe people and see mostly mundane behavior, although there were moments where I saw violent or unusual behavior from a distance.

    I observe animals, wild or domesticated, doing their own things, I observe the daily life of cities and towns, cars passing, people walking, sometimes with pets, children, or companions. I detect stimuli through whatever functional senses I have left. I see debris and garbage around, and I’ll pick it up and dump it if I’m in the mood. And I observe whatever scenery I’m around when I’m outside. I’ll observe nature do its thing, but I have been in various environments and climates. Deserts, temperate forests, mountainous regions, larger cities, beaches, tropical areas, and green fields.

    Oh, I’ve been on the outskirts of historical events or situations at times, but not as any of the main “actors”. Again, just observing the good, bad, and neutral among people, places and things.

    Sometimes I’ll write about it or photo/video record it. So far, it hasn’t led to anything special or lucrative. And based on prior evidence, I doubt that it lead to anything special in the future. I could be wrong though. Here’s hoping!

  • I Outlived My Father

    What were your parents doing at your age?

    Unfortunately, my father died at 48, when I was 11. I so far outlived my father by 4 years, although I have many of the same vices he had that likely contributed to his early death by cancer. Smoking, drinking, probably not having the healthiest diet, although I made changes here and there. I’m eating oatmeal and flax seeds more often!

    As for my mother, she was working as a property manager at a senior residential apartment until her own death of cancer. It was work, talking to the senior residents at the property, talking to family and friends, watching TV shows, cooking and baking her favorite recipes, listening to her favorite song playlists on the internet, smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee. The bright spot of her later years was family.

    My mother remarried twice after my dad died, and her second marriage was ending around that time. It was amicable; she and her husband at that time were working different shifts, and weren’t spending much time with each other. And they did have different backgrounds, and probably didn’t have much in common otherwise.

    The second oldest brother got married, and had 2 sons, and my mother was thrilled to have babies in her life again. She would spend time with my nephews, and of course baby sat at times. Being around little kids was a joy, and she would beam in many of the family photos taken during that time.

    I’m trying to value what time I have left on this rock, not sure how much time I have left. But I have changed since my mother died. ~H

  • Oh, the dream!

    What would you do if you won the lottery?

    Understand, I don’t play the lottery or gamble all that much. I know that the odds of winning a good sum of money from the lottery are really bad, and I maybe gamble once or twice a year at a casino, and it’s been small amounts that I can part with.

    I know that I can get out of control with gambling, but I think over time, I’m out 200$ between my lifetime winnings and losses. The most I ever won was over 400$ in Las Vegas, and I bowed out and paid bills soon after.

    However, if I did win a jackpot or even 100,000$, I would pay off any debt, give gifts to my family and friends. Maybe 2000$-$5000 each, depending on the winning amount. I would donate to some charities and the underdog political party of my choice, and then buy a ticket to The Netherlands or a Caribbean region country, get an investment visa, and try to live a comfortable and peaceful middle class lifestyle for the rest of my life. Invest and save a sum if I have any money left over. Of course, pay any necessary taxes.

    Of course I’d buy stuff, and I have my eye on some pricy items. No house or car though.

    Oh, and if I ever did ever win the big jackpot, I’m choosing the installment pay option. I don’t want to get too stupid with a large amount of money.

    And the dream bubble popped! Back to a humble existence. ~H

  • 17 Bertrand Russell Quotes

    17 Bertrand Russell Quotes

    Here are some of the best and most thought-provoking quotes by the philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell:

    1. “The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.”

    2. “To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead.”

    3. “The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.”

    4. “Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.”

    5. “War does not determine who is right — only who is left.”

    6. “The secret of happiness is this: let your interests be as wide as possible, and let your reactions to the things and persons that interest you be as far as possible friendly rather than hostile.”

    7. “Science is what you know, philosophy is what you don’t know.”

    9. “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.”

    10. “The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.”

    11. “Men are born ignorant, not stupid; they are made stupid by education.”

    12. “The secret to happiness is to face the fact that the world is horrible.”

    13. “No one gossips about other people’s secret virtues.”

    14. “The only thing that will redeem mankind is cooperation.”

    15. “To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.”

    16. “Religion is something left over from the infancy of our intelligence, it will fade away as we adopt reason and science as our guidelines.”

    17. “One is often told that it is a very wrong thing to attack religion, because religion makes men virtuous. So I am told; I have not noticed it.”

  • Nope, not for me

    What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?

    There’s that famous quote from Woody Allen, which I will paraphrase, “You can live to be 100, if you give up all of the things that make you want to live to be 100.” That aligns with my own philosophy.

    I would argue that longevity is causing more problems than it solves, although there are some exceptions with some individuals. Like there’s some centenarian individuals still working, still in decent health, still active, and have a good mindset. They seem to be uncommon among the elderly though. There’s various ailments associated with advanced age, including dementia and cancer.

    I smoke, drink, eat the less healthy food at times, and don’t exercise as much as I should. And I’m coping with serious existential problems, along with millions of others. I’m already world weary. I’ll probably make it to my 70s or possibly 80s, and I’m fine with that. Any longer, I may become more reckless with my health, like eat Fugu Sushi or dance badly in traffic.

  • Please Donate

    Please Donate

    I have listed the money transfer apps that I used before, but it appears that WordPress/JetPack greyed out my transfer app IDs. Here they are again, hopefully not greyed out on this page:

    CASHAPP-$KyleAnderson1973
    PAYPAL-@kyleanderson124
    VENMO-@Kyle-Anderson-508

    I “made” the HETTY blog website because I originally had the idea of writing a cookbook that focused on affordable meal recipes. I was gonna write it in a funny style, cuz I can be funny at times. Humor is one of my coping mechanisms. (It’s true!)

    However, there’s so many cookbooks out there, and I know how hard it can be to find a publisher who will take a chance on a fledging writer. I know there’s also a lot of competition between websites, but websites have lower overhead. I decided to also expand the scope of helping to relief poverty, cuz eating cheaper foods only helps so much. I write about housing, clothing, shelter, money saving life hacks, and affordable hobbies also.

    I’m relatively better off than some people in this world, because I live off a disability and veterans pension. That may change, because of the world-wide shift in politics and worldview. COVID changed everything, for better or worse. So there’s the possibility that I may have to work again. And based on my skillset, my labor value is more limited than others.

    In my working life, I mostly got paid for working food service and retail, although I did study Journalism, Technical Writing, Basic Human Services, and Computer Information Systems over the years. I’m handicapped by social anxiety, depression, and lack of personal transportation.

    I have a history of donating, volunteering, and helping people out with money over the years, despite my limited means. I would hope that others can be at least as generous and helpful as I have over the years. Donating a dollar or a quarter can make a difference over time.

    I don’t expect to get rich from making content for this blog (Although that sure would be sweet!), but I’m hoping to generate an income so I can help myself and others. I plan on writing about different topics over time, such as about future technology. Fusion technology, for example, promises great benefits to humanity. If that technology can ever be improved, other technology can possibly offshoot from it, like a true “Cornucopia machine” or even teleportation of larger objects.

    Anyways, enough of my spiel. Any donations to my money transfer apps would be appreciated. I hope that others find this information found in this blog website helpful. Thank you.