NC DMV

I recently got a renewal notice and dutifully sent my check to them via the postal system. It came back noting that it had been rejected because I had not included a $1.00 handling fee for renewals made by mail. The alternative was to go online and pay with a credit card.

I'm bemused that in this economy where they lament the huge credit card debt the state is pushing us to add to it. Yeah a buck isn't much but the point is the thinking behind it. Instead of encouraging cash they want us to add to our debt load for their convenience...and most people that pay with credit card are carrying a balance so that $1.00 ends up costing more.

I've also wondered how much it costs the state to reject my renewal for that extra buck. Think I'll do it again. My passive aggressive attack against big government! I bet its got Raleigh scared.

Oh, maybe this buck goes for Bill's salary. Maybe I might reconsider.

Drambuie has Sailed Away

I've sold Drambuie and it has figuratively sailed away. Actually, it was put on a truck to western New York where it was off loaded, mast restepped and sailed across Lake Ontario to a new home in Toronto Canada.

The new owner plans to continue outfitting her for cruising and in a couple years set out for the Bahamas and points south. The new owner has strong cruising experience and I am glad Drambuie (under a new name) will be doing what she is so well designed to do.

PLEASE do not say the happiest two days in a boat owners life are when he buys a boat and when he sells the boat. True for some, maybe many, but insulting to me! Have I already said that?

Part of this process is accepting that some dreams will never be realized. A process that marks our process of aging. As I grow older I'll have to accept other limits, other freedoms gone. It ain't fun doing that.

Henry Ford and iTunes

End of July I made a side trip to visit my brother George who lives near Detroit. From Detroit I went on to New York to attend the 50th reunion of my high school class.

George and his wife. Carolyn, took Hazel and I to the Henry Ford Museum. Naturally a substantial part of the museum was devoted to the auto industry. I almost just wrote "its rise and fall" because within the exhibits and the placards were the seeds of present day Detroit's decline.

Henry Ford was not the first to try mass production of the automobile, but he was the first to standardize. His motto to give them black resonated through the entire process and was instrumental in the early success of Ford. Cars became affordable and more reliable. General Motors recognized that the consumer wanted more then black and marketed a range of models that gave the car buyer a choice. A choice coupled with mass production. By 1920 GM had wrested major market share from Ford.

I found it ironic that GM, the company that championed giving the customer a product they wanted, is now in market and financial trouble because they lost sight of that truism. They, like many companies, tried to drive the market to what they wanted to produce (and provides the most profit) so that sooner or later its nemesis, in the most original meaning of the term (nemesis: the spirit of divine retribution against those who succumb to hubris - hubris: to indicate overweening pride, self-confidence, superciliousness, or arrogance, often resulting in fatal retribution) initiated its downfall. GM got greedy. Not everyone wanted SUV's and the potential for that market failing was shown during the oil shortage of the 1970s. Sure they had a good run for awhile but in the hundred years or so of their existence, a short run. The seeds of decline were evident as far back as late 60's. There were many that wanted a small economical car that had decent reliability. VW came first and then the Japanese. Each whittling away at that market. The Japanese have continued to recognize its importance, the importance of giving the consumer a choice.

Last Thursday's issue of the Wall Street Journal has an article about iTunes and how it is making some artists (and label executives) unhappy. iTunes simply gave the consumer want they wanted, the ability to buy singles instead of CD's often containing one or two good songs and the rest a rehash or bundle of garbage music. Hooray for iTunes. I am a fan and a loyal customer because Apple recognized and gave me what I wanted. The RIAA is still seething and some labels (e.g. Atlantic records) have pulled some music from iTunes in an effort to pressure Apple - in effect rollback the clock.

The poor label executives, managers and artists are upset that iTunes, with few exceptions, requires that songs be made available separately. I can accept that in a some cases the artist may want to keep their music as one piece of work. Mozart, if he were alive today, may have felt that way. But I strongly doubt LL Cool and 50 Cent are of that persuasion. Yeah, I know some poor groups like The Eagles are realizing a few million $ less than in the past. Never the less, I suspect they are still well compensated.

The industry is twisting in the wind. A long deserved position. Apple sells 90% of the digital downloads and that has some like Kid Rock's manager crying iTunes is a "part of the death knell of the music business." They stupidly try to stuff the genie back in the bottle (like Atlantic Records). Goliath iTunes has them by the short hairs though and efforts thus far have failed. I'll bet they are even trying to lobby congress for some sort of antitrust action to squelch Apple.

Apple has a mindset, however, that will likely be its undoing. It likes to dictate the terms even when doing so may not be in their long term best interest. I've always thought that Apple could have been Microsoft if instead of trying to bundle their software into a pricey computer system had sold their operating system to run on pc's.

For now I enjoy the specter of squirming Music Labels. My hope though is that the competent artists, not at the top of the charts, are realizing decent income (not buckets of money) from their music.

So for now, Toyota and Apple are up, Ford, GM and RIAA are down. Works for me. Funny how providing the product that consumers want seems to lead to success.

Puppy Mills

Its been awhile since I last posted and I have several blogs I want to write but much has been happening and there has been little time. My hopes are that soon I can write more but this came across my email tray and I had to take the time to write.

I used to think those cute dogs in cages in chain pet stores were well treated and came from good reputable dog breeders. That is not necessarily, in fact, often not the case. Puppy mills are the suppliers and in addition to promulgating poor strains that are prone to disease and physical problems, the conditions can be horrendous. I will never buy from a pet store again.

This news item in the Parkersburg, VA News and Sentinel tells of one such puppy mill. Please take the time to read the entire article.

Maya's Birthday

We got a granddaughter and sugar high.

Koko is Gone

It was only a few hours ago when I wrote my last blog about Koko. Nothing sudden really happened - we just took a hard look at how she was behaving and realized it wasn't going to get better.

She was finding it hard to breathe or be comfortable - tending to stand instead of lying to rest or sleep. Last night she panted all night long. Perhaps to an outsider without the emotional ties it would have been obvious but that final decision is not easily made.

Goodbye baby.

Koko Update

Koko is doing better then when I lat wrote but is still not the perky dog that has been with us so many years. The good news is she is not in the intense pain and discomfort.

Last week, since she was doing better, we took a chance and left her with some people when we went to Raleigh for Maya's birthday. It was sort of a test to see how well she would do. When we picked her up Sunday she was okay but over the last two day we can tell she doesn't move as freely and believe she is uncomfortable.

For a week or so after her last "episode" I was begining to think she might fully recover. She has had previous back problems which cleared under "bed rest" and she regained her normal buoyancy. However, it is now a matter of time I am sure.

During our weekend trip Koko got to play with another dog she likes, Peanut. Peanut is a friendly little terrier that seems to enjoy Koko's visits so we were glad Koko could have that pleasure.

Browsing Music

I was browsing music and followed a link to Amazon.com for a group called "Quiet Village." I liked some of the music but not enough to buy the album for $14 or $11 from used and new. Out of curiosity opened iTunes and checked there, cost is $10. Of course iTunes limits my use of the music. This is info you can't live without.

One advantage of checking the two sites is that Amazon's music sampler allows you a little longer sound bite to judge whether you like the music.

And...check out Noisetrade.

Koko's Last Days?

Yesterday Koko seemed to be in intense pain, her back hunched as she walked - slow and gingerly. Hazel gave her some meds we had at home and that handled the pain and Koke was moving normally. She has had events like this in the past and after a few days she improved.

This morning, however, she was in pain again. More meds and this time, a visit to the vet. He gave us more medications for her and she is pretty dopey right now. He also told us that when she couldn't stand up, it was time to put her to sleep. We have seen her have moments when she had to struggle a little to stand, much like older large dogs do.

What is especially ominous is the vets comment. It was similar in tone to that given when he gave Brue only days to live. Brue had to be put down only two days later. He has seen this play out numerous times. Maybe I am fooling myself to think she has time yet but I'm also not so sure she will improve this time.

It is hard to contemplate putting her down. She is alert, not experiencing dog dementia (that we know) and has become more trusting and close to us as she has aged. Yet I remind myself of our neighbor that died of cancer. The intense pain he experienced in his last weeks and days. I hope to never experience that pain and suffering - I hope I have the option of physician assisted suicide should it come to that.

Living our final moments in agony is not living, it is torture and I'll not torture Koko.

Now, Koko says to me to not be too hasty to put her down. She plans to recover (she has before) and outlive me. She just might.

I Like Cats

Yes, I really like cats but they have their place. I stole this from another blogger.

Contrarian Party

I think we should form a new political party called the Contrarian Party. Contrarian because until politicians get it right, we adopt as our platform the motion to always vote incumbents out of office. Our own representatives wouldn't stay in office either but that wouldn't matter.

In private enterprise, companies seek to remove individuals that do not perform, that do not do what they say will. So why in the world do people continue to vote incumbents into office?

I recall at the last election Democrats entered office with fanfare - announcing they were going to do something about earmarks. If that means increasing them, perhaps they were right. Washington is unable to enact balanced legislation, work through differences and accomplish anything. The Bush administration had a majority in congress yet has a dismal record. The Democrats have done nothing better.

How about spending and the budget? Vote 'em out until they start balancing the budget and curbing spending. Our tax system is simply a blank check. Raise taxes whenever we spend too much...or print more money. Either way, we lose.

You might argue that some would vote for an incumbent because they vote your views. You may, for example, favor remaining in Iraq and think you should vote for the "pro-remaining-in-Iraq" incumbent. Well how about the rest of the mess. Has the fundamental climate changed for the good? Hell no!

When politicians realize they will only keep power and stay in office by actually being good stewards, working together, being responsible and honest. Our Contraian Party will disband. In the meantime I won't have to debate as to who might do a better job or holds views like mine, I just vote them out.

McCain or Obama? Neither! They are incumbents. Instead, how about Ralph Nader, or if you don't like him, write in Alfred E. Neuman? Yeah sounds a little chaotic but is that any worse? It would be very interesting indeed if the political establishment were suddenly confronted with a serious threat such as this - they would huddle in their back rooms and say "we had better give these folks something to calm them down."

"Later we can return to 'normal'."

Friends

I don't recall where I found this so cannot attribute to the source but just acknowledge it is not original with me.

"Friendships are like a flower garden in the backyard. We tend to care for it but find it easy to put off to another day."

I think about the wonderful friends I have had over the years and how special they were. Yet, like the quote, it is so easy to put off nurturing that friendship to another day. Usually it happens when we move to a new city or state and distance inevitably attenuates our connection.

We plant new flowers in our friendship garden which bloom nicely but the flowers of friends past weakly bloom or wilt. Perhaps that is at it should be but never the less, I am nostalgic for for the beauty that once was.

Maya Gets Her Nails Done

Maya is drying her newly polished fingernails.

Speaker System

Someday I dream of getting a good speaker system. To that end I have been browsing online reviews and articles encompassing a staggering array of speakers and home theater systems. Except for a few like Polk and Bose, the names are unfamiliar so I find myself quickly wading through reviews and sometimes rejecting because the name doesn't "sound" right (get it?).

My first criteria is cost so it is usually necessary to scan several pages of review to get the bottom line. Speaker systems can typically range from only a couple hundred up to $15,000 to $20,000. As I was scanning a review I encountered this paragraph by the reviewer: "In simple language that even I can understand: The crossover-processor corrects, in the digital domain, the time delay inherent in the horizontal stacking of the point-source array, while using four linear-phase digital filters combined with the appropriate time-aligning delay filters to carefully limit the response of each transducer's operating range." Ahhhh, okayyy, seems pretty clear to me!

Further in the review I discovered the complete system cost around $250,000. I don't like the sound of that system.

Internet Weather

I was thinking this morning about how marvelous the internet is. How we can summon incredibly diverse information with only a few computer clicks.

The reason for my rumination on the internet is I had wanted to paint our front door. However, clouds loomed above us, moving on a familiar storm track. Since rain on fresh paint might not be a good thing, I decided to check the weather radar on the internet.

The radar showed that the storms were moving off shore and very shortly be gone. Great! I wanted to get that prime coat on the door today and if I didn't have the internet would have looked at the sky and decided that I had best delay the work.

Of course I got everything set up and just started to paint when thunder rolled across the area and it commenced to rain. Man, is the internet great or what?

Need a Name

Trying to think of a name for my new country. You see, I'm going to secede from the United Sates and become an independent dictatorship. As a dictator I will not reveal how many citizens live in my country, where we exist, or what deodorant we use.

What I am going to do is announce to the world that I have a nuclear armaments program underway. It will be so secret that the US intelligence services will never find it but not wanting to be found ignorant, will say they have some evidence it may be so.

I will then contact the pres and say I'm a nice dictator and if the US were to maybe pony up a few hundred million dollars (Euros would be better) I will only use my program for peaceful purposes.

Otherwise I might use my weapons against Rhode Island and Berkeley. Have already tested one and learned a little ammonia in water fired from a plastic revolver shaped receptacle works nicely in getting the feral cat off my porch. Got to use scientific terminology here to impress everyone.

Thanks AJ for the tip.

Dream Tickets

There is all this noise about a dream ticket - Obama and Clinton. Well folks, isn't it time to think outside of the box. There are other dream tickets out there! For example, how about Obama and Ron Paul? Or, McCain and Clinton? Obama and Sean Hannity? Its time for this nation to throw off the yoke of conventionalism and plow new furrows in the mud of politics! Surely, you can think of some wonderful dream tickets?

Blogs

When I just want to zone out, take a time out from my routine I browse blogs. I've mentioned this before. It only happens late in the evening or in the middle of the night. I do it because it gives me connection. Each blogger shares a piece of themselves, a piece of their soul.

Sometimes I'm amazed at the creativity, or sometimes it is simply sharing something they enjoy such as recipes. OK, I don't cook and do not study the recipes like I know some do, analyzing the ingredients and wondering how it would come out. I know some can even look at the recipe and say that's too much salt or vermouth. Not me so I move on but I understand.

All this reminds me of my humanity, of our connection as humans, and tells me that there are extremes but the vast majority - masses if you insist, are living life in love, happiness, anger, sadness, loneliness, frustration, joy, and more often in quiet desperation (the term is so accurate but I dislike it because it's negative). but living our lives the only way we know how. Shakespeare said:

"All the worlds a stage,
and all the men and women players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,"

That is each of us, here. Our blogs show a minuscule part of our stage, but all actors only show a small part. We go onto the stage, do our act, and return to our dressing room and our life. The best actors understand their part and relate to their audience. They live their part and if they do well, the audience gets it

Drambuie is Listed

Drambuie is listed on the internet. One of the major websites for yachts is Yacht World where you can see the listing.

The broker said she was the nicest IP 37' he had ever seen so that sounded good. I haven't gone through all the posted pictures (already seen the boat) but he clearly wants to show the boat off. Sometimes you only see one or two photos which may indicate the boat is in poor condition and they can't show much, preferring to get a buyer to look at it in person so they can try to sell them.

There is already someone interested in seeing the boat and I have mixed emotions. Now that it is on the market it would be nice to make a quick sale but I had sort of expected Drambuie to be around for awhile. This isn't easy.

Drambuie is Moving On, I hope

Yesterday I met with our yacht broker to officially list Drambuie for sail. It isn't the best time of year to list. Some folks are hesitant to do anything with the hurricane season. Further, our location is off the beaten track so will not have as many visitors. I could have moved it to a more popular location but by keeping it here can continue to use it and insure that it stays in good condition.

On a positive note, those who are seriously looking for an Island Packet will come. When I bought I traveled over the eastern seaboard in my search. This means people who do come are likely to be serious buyers. And, they are on a schedule and with an agenda that will not be influenced highly by time of year.

It will take months to sell in this market. The good news is the boat is in great shape, in fact, our broker said it is the best condition IP 37 he had ever seen.

The boat listing should be up in a day or two and I'll put the link in my blog.

PLEASE, do not anyone say that boat owners happiest days ware hen they buy the boat and again when they sell the boat! This has been a hard decision and I am not happy to be listing the boat and cannot be happy to see it sold. True, if this becomes a multi--year listing my relief will grow but I'm not happy selling my dream and the means that could see it realized. Being a sailor I might deck the person that says it.

Guess I better practice some people skills.

On Being Retired 1

I had thought at one time about writing a separate blog relating my experiences on becoming a retiree. I imagined a blog with advertising that was read by thousands and then, perhaps setting up a video site and making serious money.

When I was approaching retirement age I went online to find what others had written about their experience. There was plenty of information on saving for retirement but little about the actual experience of being retired or even about investing after retirement although there was some. Don't worry about the investing stuff if you are not comfortable handling your money, there are plenty of people out there that are.

I was trying to get into the mental set and visualize what it would be like. True, I wouldn't have to get up early to go to work and deal with those issues but what is retirement really like? Well if you really want to know, Send me $50 (worth every penny) for my new book "On Being Retired." Not sure when it will be published yet because one thing I've learned is that I'd like to continue earning money but don't want to commit my time and effort to it.

One basic thing I will share. Whatever you were before retirement, you will be after retirement. I was a "things to do" list maker, organized, and always felt I had to be battling to reduce the size of the list. I tired to live without the list but wasn't comfortable trying to remember what I had to get done, even if I could put it off for days or weeks. So now I make lists.

I also worried that I would be bored and not have much to occupy myself. Perhaps someone that was totally immersed in their work would struggle with that, I have had no problem. For me, it is sometimes an issue of wanting less to do.

I have other topics I can discuss about retiring and maybe will if I am so moved. I am retired though so I'll get to it when I get to it. Meanwhile, don't forget to send me your money.

I Voted

Seems like everyone I have spoken to about how we voted the other day thinks I cancelled their vote. That is power! I can now cancel every one's vote which must mean mine is the only one that counts.

That makes me tremble with the awesome responsibility.

I mention this so if you are thinking of voting again you need not bother, mine cancels yours so you shouldn't bother even taking the time to go to the polls.

Memory Trick

I have a simple little trick I've used over the years to help recall some one's name. It has been surprisingly effective. It works when I know I know the name and it's on the tip of my tongue.

When that happens I slowly go through the alphabet thinking of each letters sound. For example, "A" could be Ann or Arron or Aronquil, note how they have a similar sound.

It has saved my butt a bunch of times, just the other day I was trying to remember my wife's name and used this trick. Sure enough, Harriet's name jumped into my mind.

Crime Spree

I had no idea how serious the crime is in this area. I felt living in the Bible belt, in a semi-rural area we would be relatively safe. Such does not seem to be the case.

The weekly newspaper State Port Pilot publishes the "Sheriff's Report." It lists the officer reports for the previous week. One report really caught my eye. It seems some unscrupulous dastardly thief stole two cans of roach spray from a business. Value of the goods was placed at $5.25. Another business in the same block reports two packs of cigars stolen, valued at $600.

I'm not a cigar smoker but am a little surprised at the value of those two packs of cigars.

Always thought I'd make a good police detective with my superior analytical skills. Thinking about these thefts led me to a shrewed surmise that it was probably Bubba planning to go fishing. Roach spray for the bugs and cigars to relax while waiting for a bite.

Zeus

Given the children murdered by pit bulls in the Bay Area and the increasingly stringent laws related to their ownership, a news item about such an attack near Wilmington caught my eye.

It seems that a part pit bull part something dog had just bitten a third person since 2004. After the second attack, the dog was declared dangerous and got a tattoo. I wasn't certain whether this was rite of passage into the ranks of dangerous dogs or what the designation meant. Perhaps he had arrived at a new exalted level of dogdom. The dog received that status when its second victim complained.

Now the dog, Zeus, has bitten again. The dog is being released to its owner and if its third victim complains, a panel will review the circumstances and it dog may face further restrictions. That's it?

I am not a fan at all of these dangerous breeds. Their owner's always say how loving the animal is but that loving animal has a deserved reputation of violent attacks. Why own one? I admit that if I were living in a very dangerous neighborhood I might think about having one but that is seldom the case.

I really think people that own these dogs have psychological issues that go beyond their desire for protection. Anger? Perhaps. Meanwhile, Zeus has another notch on his collar and it may only a matter of time before his next attack seriously injures or kills a child.

Zeus lives in a mobile home park in a nearby suburb to Wilmington - I don't see it as being a dangerous environment.

Tests

Hazel is teaching at the local community college, Perhaps I should ask her this:

"If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?"

Obama's Special Interest

Hillary and Obama are advertising heavily here in North Carolina. Nice to know we are important. NC didn't push their primary up to January 1st and now it has paid off.

Anyway, noted that Obama is announcing in his ad that he "doesn't take money from oil companies." I guess he counts on us being ignorant that it is ILLEGAL for him to take money from oil companies and those of us that know it, won't feel insulted stupid claim. He doesn't say anything about taking money from oil executives though, and that is legal.

Barack Obama and The National Anthem

Last September Barack Obama was photographed during the National Anthem. He did not have his hand over his heart as he was supposed to. Today I received this email which had been copied to a multitude of people:

HELLO PEOPLE IT IS TIME TO WAKE UP BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE

Maybe someone needs to tell OBAMA his actions are not acceptable and if he does not want to accept the AMERICAN way he should not be running for President of the UNITED STATES!!!!!!! If you LOVE your
Country and want to keep it FREE then send this to everyone in your
address book.

The following, all by itself, should sink Barack Obama's candidacy. He has said, 'As I've said about the flag pin, I don't want to be perceived as taking sides.' If he were to be President of the United States , exactly whose side would he represent?

From LtCol. Pete Ginn, USAF (Ret.).....


Hot on the heels of his explanation for why he no longer wears a flag pin, presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama was forced to explain why he doesn't follow protocol when the National Anthem is played.

According to the United States Code, Title 36, Chapter 10, Sec. 171, 'During rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform are expected to stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart.'

'As I've said about the flag pin, I don't want to be perceived as taking sides,' Obama said. 'There are a lot of people in the world to whom the American flag is a symbol of oppression. And the anthem itself conveys a war-like message. You know, the bombs bursting in air and all. It should be swapped for something less parochial and less bellicose. I like the song 'I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing.' If that were our anthem, then I might salute it.'

'I don't think my church is actually particularly controversial.' - Barack Obama.

.........................................
Comment:
If someone had told me 64 years ago, as I was roaring down the runway in the
most beautiful airplane in the world, that I would see our country subjected to
one of the most disgusting Presidential elections imaginable, I would have told
them they were crazy as hell....
What in the world have we come to?

Ed Evans
MGySgt., USMC (Ret.) & Pastor


The internet provides a means of communication unparalleled in our history. With it, however, comes new responsibilities. One is to fairly evaluate and confirm the accuracy of the information before dessiminating it to thousands. Therefore go to snopes and see what they say.

I am not a Obama fan but it behooves me to validate the information I am given in order to make as fair and considered judgement I can. Blindly accepting scandulous rumor does an immense disservice to Obama, to myself and to our country.

Oh and by the way, I haven't always placed my hand over my heart during the National Anthem. Have you? If you didn't, does that mean you don't value the sacrifice of our service people or honor our country. C'mon, be reasonable.

You're Getting Old When...

People call you at 9 pm and ask if they woke you?

Who Loves You Most?

Put your dog and your wife in the trunk of the car. Leave them there for an hour and then let them out and see who is happiest to see you.

On Being A Manager

I recall the struggle I went through when faced with the dismissal of an employee. I'd worry that they wouldn't find another job, their ego would suffer, their family would suffer, etc. And, to be honest, how do to it gently so they wouldn't be hurt. Thus I tended to delay the inevitable at a cost to others.

As the years passed I came to have a different perspective. First was the evaluation. If the employee was sincerely trying and was simply, for some reason, unable to perform the job, I still sought to terminate them with compassion and gently as I could. If, on the other hand, they were showing me that they were deliberately undermining the company and employees through their behavior and actions - the end would come swiftly and with little gentleness. We are each responsible for our actions and behavior as adults.

The primary factor that I kept to the forefront of my mind was the other employees. Was I being fair to them to continue the employment of someone that couldn't or wouldn't do their job? I needed to respect those who showed maturity, integrity and effort.

Perhaps the person I was dismissing was trying to do their best, had a family to support, etc., these were never easy but I reminded myself the folks remaining had families and had their own life problems. A company is not a counseling center (normally) or there to support people beyond that which could reasonably be done and still achieve its profit making goals. A company not making a profit is not serving the needs of anyone.

What struck me was how relieved everyone else was when I did terminate the person. Either it was relief at having a dysfunctional personality out of their midst or relief that they no longer had to watch a train wreck in progress.

Therefore my mantra was, who am I supporting and respecting. Are they doing what must be done? It was never just me and the other person, it was the entire group.

Imponderable

Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

A Great Website

Once in awhile I rearn of a website that belongs in the top 100 of my much most enjoyed. Its content is unique and of great value. Consider these:



Check it out.

Robotics

The science of robotics has coming a long way. When you consider the technical issues involved, advances displayed by this video are incredible. Check this out.


And, of course, others seek to compete and further the science. When that happens, new problems arise. I felt a pang of sympathy for the inventor of this robot.

George

My brother George came to visit for a couple days. He and wife Carolyn were on their way to Florida where they will visit our sister. The siblings in my family don't get together often but we love each other and I can honestly say we have never had conflict among ourselves.

Perhaps that is because we were born several years apart but I don't think that is the reason. I believe it is more that we are a product of our parents rearing, they found that right balance that permitted us to live our separate lives without jealousy or envy. In some ways people may not see us as a tight loving family, we have moved hundreds of miles apart, only see each other every few years, speak on the phone every few months. We have gone our separate ways but still carry a place in our heart not sullied with bad memories, anger or envy.

We love each other and it is always good when we meet.

Pickles Cartoon

Brian Crane authors a comic called "Pickles." Today's strip resonated with me as it explored the definition of "geezer." Two older gentlemen are talking and one says "geezerhood is not defined by age. Its determined by behavior."

His litmus test for geezerhood is the longest distance you've ever driven with your turn signal on. His companion replies, "28 miles." He then asks "how fast were you going?" Answer, "40 miles in the fast lane."

Nailed it! And geezer should definitely not be gender specific

Please don't ask me those questions, I'm busy driving and the turn signal is annoying me with that constant clicking.

Back fom San Franciso

As I write this Hazel and I are on the way back from San Francisco after spending a week visiting friends and family. Considering weather and the recent flight cancellations by Delta our trip has gone smoothly.

This trip was a little more rushed since Hazel had to be back to teach so we didn’t get to see everyone or do everything we would have liked. Maybe next time, the third time will be the charm and we will get to see DeYoung Museum.

I never fly now without thinking about 9/11 and about security – hard not to do as you walk and those around you walk barefoot or in stocking feet pass often brusque and serious looking TSA employees. And, listening to the PA caution us to report any unattended or “suspicious” looking bags I decided to do just that. I’m not really sure what a “suspicious” looking bag is like – does it have shifty eyes or loops and wire attached to red sticks?

Hazel and I arrived at our SFO gate and as we went to sit down I noticed an unattended bag! Mmmmm this could be serious, does no one take our safety seriously. I decided to watch it and see if someone returned. Since I had to go to the counter in a futile effort to get Hazel and I seated together I waited until that was done and still no bag owner.

I asked a woman sitting a couple seats away if it was her bag or did she know who it belonged to? No but she though it might be someone standing in the line at the counter. I went over and asked everyone if the bag was theirs’ – again, No. I looked around to see how to report this unattended bag. It didn’t seem to be productive to stand in line at the airline counter again and better yet, TSA was just around the corned.

So I went around the corner and saw a man in TSA uniform. Ahhhh, this will take care of that unattended bag. I told him about the bag at gate C40. He told me it probably belonged to someone that had just stepped away and they would return in 5 minutes or so. Now he was friendly and even smiled. Okay. Someone did return…after we had been there 20 minutes. God I feel safe when I fly. No terrorist are going to penetrate our security!

I’ll have to tell my other TSA story sometime.

Well we got on the plane and I encountered another story. Our flight was going to continue on from Atlanta to Russia, was overbooked, and big, meaning slow to load. Finally got aboard and sat in my comfy middle seat next to a young woman that appeared to be sleeping. She was slouched down in a diagonal posture that had her leaning into my seat area. This meant I had to jostle with her for seat space. She didn’t seem to understand that she was crowding me and the only way to give her room was to lean into the person on my other side.

I could have politely asked her to shift back into her space but she had shifted a little so I knew she was awake and certainly aware of our close proximity. Instead I commenced to read my newspaper, moving as needed to turn pages and change sections. Suddenly she said “Will you stop moving, I’m trying to sleep!” I hadn’t expected that and not wanting to be at lost for words said “I don’t give a damn!” I continued to say, “I can’t give you more space, I am the size I am and these seats are small.” She was lucky I am not a big man.

She didn’t say anything more nor did she slug me. In fact in a short while she shifted so we both had room and the remainder of the trip was flown in “relative” comfort. Aren’t all things relative? About that close proximity to a young woman? After all, I am a grumpy old man that reports unattended luggage - what do you expect?

Glenn Beck's Asteroid

Today's New York times had an article by Glenn Beck that I have provided a portion here:

" NEW YORK (CNN) -- Let's say a giant asteroid was headed toward Earth right now and experts say it has a good chance of ending civilization as we know it. Let's also say that we've known about this asteroid for years but even as it gets closer and closer our leaders do nothing.

"Don't worry," they tell us, "The next administration will figure something out."

With the future of our country at stake, would Americans really sit back and tolerate that kind of inaction? Of course not -- we'd be sharpening our pitchforks and demanding answers.

Well there may not be a space asteroid heading toward us, but there is an economic one -- and the threat to our future is just as severe.

You might think that I'm talking about the recession (sorry: potential recession) or credit crisis, but I'm thinking bigger. Much, much bigger.

Let me give you three numbers that will put this economic asteroid into perspective: $200 billion, $14.1 trillion, and $53 trillion.

# $200 billion is the approximate total amount of write-downs announced so far as a result of the current credit crisis.

# $14.1 trillion is the size of the entire U.S. economy

# And $53 trillion is (drum roll please) the approximate size of this country's bill for the Social Security and Medicare promises we've made.

While no one will ever mistake me for Alan Greenspan, it seems to me that the third number is quite a bit larger than the other two. It also seems very few people care.

According to the latest Social Security and Medicare Trustees report (and I use that term loosely since it has the word "trust" in it) released earlier this week, the economic asteroid will first make impact in the year 2019 when the Medicaid trust fund becomes insolvent.

Only an immediate 122 percent increase in Medicare taxes and a 26 percent increase in Social Security taxes can prevent (or more likely, delay) its impact.

Realizing that Americans have become pretty much numb to these kinds of ridiculous sounding proposals, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson tried to up the ante this week. "Without change," he said, "Rising costs will drive government spending to unprecedented levels, consume nearly all projected federal revenues, and threaten America's future prosperity."

Now, I know we're all worried about important sounding things that none of us understand, like CDO's, SIV's, and Credit Default Swaps, but did you hear what our Treasury Secretary just said?

"Rising costs will ... consume nearly all projected federal revenues ..."

Translation: Every single tax dollar that is sent to Washington will be used to pay for just these two programs.

That means no money is left for anything else. Nothing. No Department of Defense or Homeland Security, no Department of Energy, no Department of Justice, no Environmental Protection Agency, no Internal Revenue Service. Actually, knowing our government, they'd probably keep the IRS going somehow.

Of course, none of this is exactly breaking news. Our leaders have known about this rapidly approaching asteroid for years now and they've done nothing but debate it. At the same time, I'm a realist. I understand that this stuff is "the third rail of politics," but our leaders' negligence on this issue is damn near criminal. No, correction, it is criminal.

Americans aren't afraid of the truth. In fact, we crave the truth only slightly more than we crave a leader who will actually give it to us. But part of the problem with this issue is that numbers followed by 12 zeroes aren't very relatable to the average American. Instead, try this on for size.

A million seconds is 12 days. A billion seconds is 32 years. A trillion seconds is 32,000 years. And 53 trillion seconds? 1.7 million years.

In an article that will appear in an upcoming issue of my magazine, Fusion, former Comptroller General of the United States David Walker tries a different tactic. He writes that our unfunded promises translate into "an IOU of around $455,000 per American household."

Wow. Does the size of our debt hit home now?"


What further astounds me is that Washington wants to provide Universal Health Care - how in hell will they fund that?

It is laudable that our politicians want to extend this benefit (aren't they altruistic). This reminds me of the American household that has maxed its credit cards, borrowed against all the equity in their home, has debt payments way beyond their means, and then buys a luxury SUV. When do they pay the piper?

Its About the Oil?

I have heard and still hear the refrain that the Iraq war was really about the oil. Well why not? Why shouldn't it be?

Oil exploration has uncovered the existence of huge oil fields in Iraq which rival the Saudis'. Imagine Saddam Hussein remaining in power with the control and economic clout this much oil represents, especially when oil has risen in demand by the Chinese. A dictator that admired and copied Hitler. A dictator that through past action had proven himself a serious threat to world stability. A dictator that wanted to drop nuclear bombs on Israel.

Now its popular to to retract your vote for invasion (Hillary) or to have voted against it (Obama) but if they had there way, I wonder how precarious this world would be today. We are a country which has to consider its self-interest. To withdraw now without influence can have devastating consequences.

I dislike the way we handled the aftermath of the invasion, we screwed up big time! But it is not the time to compound it.

Spam Messages

I was checking my email spam folder in case an errant message had landed there.

I was tempted to open one due to its subject line. "Hillary Wants to get Laid"

Decided my conjecture about the contents would be better then the reality so I deleted it unread.

Exploring Blogs

Occasionally I like to browse other blogs to see what people have created. I especially like the creative blogs that contain art or photography. When the mood strikes I simply click on the "Next Blog" at the top of my blog and see where it leads me.

Generally most blogs seem to fall into a few categories. Among them are the "grand baby" blogs posted to show the new baby to grandparents, friends and relatives. N one have babies as cute as Maya and Tyler. And, there some that like to talk about entertainment mediums such as movies, TV, actors/actresses, etc., there are hobbies, political discussions, or organization oriented such as "Save the Cockroaches." A few are entrepreneurial and the blogger is trying to sell something...tonight is was a quilter - I like them too because they usually create the product with there own hands and some are very clever. Viva capitalism.

Over the year or two I've done this I've noted a continuing shift to more of an international flavor (at least on Blogspot). Tonight, to develop a statistic I counted the number of blogs that were in English as opposed to some other language (e.g. Senegalese.) Drum Roll...the results are 5 English, 15 Other language.

My God, they are over running this country. Everybody knows we own the Internet.

Insurance

Last year we went to a Cinco de Mayo celebration at our neighbors home. The hot topic of conversation was how every one's home insurance had jumped. I recall one homeowner had a 35% increase. I wasn't sure at the time what my increase had been but knew it was pretty reasonable. Well the insurance police found me this year and yup, I had a serious jump. My homeowners policy rose 50% over last year. Good thing I didn't have any claims and there were no hurricanes, floods, fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, ice storms, boll weevil infestations, burning bushes, parting seas, or mudslides. I guess the odds are that we will have another hurricane because after all, the last two years have been mild.

Also renewed my boat insurance. Now, that stayed about the same...except the policy is written with so many restrictions and clauses (e.g. if the moon is in the first phase when sunspot activity declines but Uranus burps)...well you know...huge weasel room. I strongly suspect that insurance companies now hire ex-politicians.

Oh, and since my yacht is getting older, I had to have it hauled and surveyed with resultant things like - replace fire extinguishers, flares, new battery $300) for the EPIRB (even though the old one is fine) etc. etc. Cost for the survey and changes were more then the policy. Trouble is, if I shopped around, the other companies would want it surveyed too - and last time I got quotes, they were a third higher. The devil you know.

Anyway, with costs like that I will henceforth call Drambuie a yacht! And my home is a mansion! Psst, don't tell the IRS.

On the Radio

Definition: Transistor - A priest that wears nun's clothing.

New Cell Phones - Maybe

In mid-January I canceled Hazel's and my cell phone account with Verizon. this was recommended to us by a Verizon rep since we wanted to have cell phones with local area codes. Went to Costco and had a rep handle it there. We opened a new account with new numbers and new phones - they are nice.

I assumed that our old numbers would be discontinued and I'd receive no further billing - that is what the Costco rep told me would happen. Wrong. Since Verizon was automatically debiting my checking account, I received their usual notice that they were going to take more money in a few days - the full amount. Oh oh. So on 2/18 I called Verizon and spoke with two different customer reps and it was presumably handled, my old account was now canceled. I was impressed how quickly and smoothly it was handled, I guess the Costco rep just didn't do it right so all is well. NO.

Checked this morning and discovered they were still going to debit my checking account for my old numbers - and in the full amount. Called the contact number listed on Verizon's website - it says they will take calls 6am to 11 pm Monday thru Sunday. This is Saturday around 7:30 am so no problem. Wrong, get a message about their hours of availability and then dumped back to automated voicemail menus. Apparently that is west coast time and they don't realize they have service in the east.

Waited until after 9 am and this time got a contact. Explained my situation and the rep told me I would just be billed for 4 days of the current cycle up to the day I contacted their customer service on 2/18. I said that was not acceptable since I had expected my account to be canceled in January and not as of 2/18 when I called Verizon. So, writing this while on hold, the Verizon contact is talking to his supervisor.

Well, the supervisor tells the charge will continue to go through in its full amount but next month I am supposed to get a credit. The only problem is the credit only starts from 2/18 (when I called about the problem) to the end of the billing cycle - March 12th.

Thus I am still going to be charged for 5 days of service on numbers which were supposed to have been canceled.

Here Comes Hillary

When Hillary Clinton has a weak showing in Ohio and Texas she will press to have the Florida and Michigan delegates seated. Even though the states defied Democratic party rules. This, to me, is but a small reflection of the type of person she is. And it won't end there. Expect her to stage a serious floor fight at the convention to win the nomination, doing anything within her power. Integrity, honesty, truth...what's that? I wish the Democrats had found a better woman.

This time I had some optimism that I could be for a candidate instead of against one I viewed as the poorest candidate. However, as this race goes on I find my thinking shifting again to the lesser of evils mode.

It would be nice if we could select some of the best qualities from the various candidates and meld them into a superhero. If so, what would you take from each? Either as a personal quality or as a position on an issue?

Mmmmmmmmm....which one likes dogs the most I wonder? Do any of them golf? Any like popcorn? What do they think about legalizing U-turns on I5 or I95 (you know, population control)?

By the way, traveling in New Jersey...watch your speed. A very serious push is on by the state - 5 mph over the limit may net you a ticket. Troopers are expected to issue a ticket every 10-20 minutes. They have added 30 brand new cruisers. Push is on for the next 30 days from 2/11 to around 3/11/08. The state expects to generate 9 million dollars with a million of that going toward trooper overtime.

Berkeley Non Grata

The recent declaration of the Berkeley City Council about military recruiters and particularly marines has earned my contempt. The Council stated that "If recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome intruders;" and goes on to applaud residents and organizations that "volunteer to impede, passively or actively, by nonviolent means, the work of any military recruiting office located in the City of Berkeley."

It will color my actions and influence my future visits to that city in such a way to avoid, when possible, support to any business or organization that is resident in that city. No doubt there are many that disagree with the Council but it is incumbent upon them to make their voices heard and rescind the Council's action.

It was attitudes such as this that enabled the shameful treatment of Vietnam veterans. There are many today, myself included, that are embarrassed that we did not speak up then. I do now. May Berkeley go to Hell!

Relationship With God

A 75-year-old man goes in for his annual physical.

All of his tests come back with normal results. The doctor asks, "Bill, everything looks great. How are you doing mentally and emotionally? Are you at peace with God?"

Bill replies, "God and I are tight. He knows I have poor eyesight. God's fixed it so when I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom 'poof' the light goes on!. When I'm done 'poof' the light goes off."

"Wow, that's incredible," the doctor says.

A little later in the day the doctor calls Bill's wife. "Ethel," he says, "Bill is doing fine! But I had to call you because I'm in awe of his relationship with God. Is it true that he gets up during the night and 'poof' the light goes on in the bathroom and when he's done 'poof' the light goes off?"

"Oh my goodness!" Ethel exclaims. "...he's peeing in the refrigerator again!"

Please Mr. President, NO!

I just finished reading a February 6, 2008 Op-Ed piece in the Washington Post by Robert J. Samuelson. Mr. Samuelson reflects the consensus of many economists that presidents have usually had serious negative consequences when they attempt to influence the economy.

I recall Nixon's wage and price freeze which screwed me out of a raise. It worked long enough to get him elected during a short term economic boom which subsequently led to 12 percent inflation (1974) when the controls were removed.

In 1933 Franklin Roosevelt imposed New Deal policies designed to end the depression. They had little impact, World War II ended the depression.

Kennedy and Johnson followed expansionary policies to reduce unemployment. They ultimately led to high inflation.

Ronald Reagan's tax cuts and spending restraints are thought by some to have reduced inflation (thanks Nixon) from 13 to 4 percent. The real hero was the Federal Reserve which, giving credit deserved, Reagan supported.

Clinton was one of the most successful presidents in matters of economics. He left things alone and didn't try to manipulate the economy.

So, when the public clamors for presidents and congress to improve the economy, watch out.

Kitchen Fire

I'd heard that you could use baking soda to extinguish a kitchen fire. This seems better if conditions permit.

A public service announcement.

Dream Office

Another step closer to my dream office. As you can see here, I have a new installation.



Now, I need to add a refrigerator for my beer and I will be content.

Eye Contacts

Hazel was going to order a new set of contacts and the online company required a current prescription be provided. Another intrusion of government at the behest of special interest. Presumably fashion contacts were being ordered that could potentially cause eye damage.

What happened to a warning sheet with the order? Another alibi was that most eye injury come from using contacts at night. How does a prescription prevent that?

While I am ranting...do you really think those signs that say "Drive Carefully" make a difference? They cost taxpayer money, is it wisely spent? Got onto this while thinking about all the stupid warnings we are given - and ignore. How about those radio ads which, at the end, a voice rattles off some gibberish - yea for government. Think I will become a Libertarian. I may not fully agree with their view but at least they are going in the right direction. I feel surrounded by government, rules and laws.

Free Credit Report - Not

You are eligible to receive a free credit report per law. Today I decided to check credit report via TansUnion. I discovered you have to give them credit card info and that you are automatically enrolled in one of there offerings - that after 30 days will charge your card. You have to CALL customer service to cancel your membership. Be sure to read the Terms and Conditions on their site or it won't be free!

San Francisco Bound

We are planning to go to San Francisco on March 20th and return home on the 28th. Not sure which underpass we will sleep under while there. Kinda nervous about it because they tend to collapse during earthquakes and tanker truck explosions. Anyway, thats our plans.

We will probably stay with friends and relatives, I understand that Jax has extended an invitation although not sure I want to stay with a dog that runs away from cats. Unless it's one of those that escaped from the zoo.

New Cell Phones

Yesterday Hazel and I bought new cell phones. The purchase was prompted by bluetooth technology, we wanted to use the phones in our car which also has hands free link via bluetooth,

It's nice to have new phones and they seem to reflect some improvements but we have always used cell phones as phones, not as cameras, toasters, web browsers, etc. We are retiring our Motorola StarTacs. The StarTacs have been good phones and, although something of an anachronism, have become a small source of pride for me. I once went into a Verizon store and the salesman referred to my phone as an antique. My chest swelled at pride that I finally owned an antique, and that was several years ago!

And, I have had several people come up to me and ask "is that a StarTac?" "Yes" I reply. They then say something like "I wish I still had mine, it was one of the best phones I ever had." Hearing that encouraged me to stay the course. I bought the phones in the late 90's if memory serves me - it usually doesn't but I don't remember when it has failed me.

We will be contacting friends and family with our new number but if somehow we haven't relayed that information to you by the end of the month please call our old cell phone number. It won't work by then but that may mean we don't want you to have the new number...or maybe I forgot.

Well science marches on...or is marketing?

Lawsuits

I received an email today which had an attachment listing the "Stella Awards" for the year. The Stella Awards are named after the infamous lawsuit in which Stella Liebeck was awarded $2.9 million dollars in damages against McDonald's Corporation. Her claim was that the coffee was brewed too hot and scalded her when she spilled it in her lap.

The Stella Awards are real but this particular email contained bogus examples and as is usual will circulate on the Internet for years to come. There are real cases that you can find on The Stella Awards website but the unfortunate thing is this seriously distorts reality. The Stella Awards are seeking to exploit these judicial awards and make money. They have a stake in distorting the truth.

Our judicial system has major imperfections and yet provides one of the fairest and thoughtful approach to jurisprudence in the world. Instead of being titillated by the bogus and the extreme, lets keep our perspective. This article says it well.

Hyphenated Names

I read in the Wall Street Journal that hyphenated names are falling out of favor. This was a disappointment to me because I had looked forward to some interesting permutations.

For example, when the offspring of a hyphen grew up and married, and adopted a hyphen in their name, the government would have to start redesigning all their forms to accommodate the larger surnames. And the names themselves could get interesting, especially after several generations. Doe-Smith-Kosolavsky-Ivanovich-etcetera

Then think about the bride that wanted to make a statement, looking for a mate that had a surname that helped her express her feelings. Maybe her last name is "Im-Lotta" and she wanted to add "crap." No telling where that would end. (Anybody know someone whose name is "Inna"?

Revealed

A little known side of George Washington.

Can our Sons Peel a Banana?

I was sitting in my office at the computer and Hazel called out do you want a banana? I replied yes and she brought me one, partly peeled. She laughed and said once a mother, always a mother.

That raises deep concern about our grown sons. They are men now but I have to wonder if they learned how to peel their own bananas? Are mothers the reason men are viewed by women as often inept in their personal lives?

Aki and Pam, do you have to peel bananas for your husbands? Laura, is Chris similarly afflicted?

New Orleans Again...and Again

I'm back from New Orleans and trying to compile my impressions and information into some type of reasonably coherent and accurate portrayal of the city today. It is impossible to fully communicate something like this but on the other hand, I hope I haven't done a disservice.

I believe this time I have seen the city as it is likely to be for many years to come. Last April, stores had banners proclaiming their return to business - "Now Open," "Back in Business,"...but not all. Now, the signs are gone, it is business as usual. Those that were going to reopen have, and still there are empty storefronts. Some services such as dry cleaners are scarce or non-existent in areas.

This seems to reflect the state of the city over all. Figures vary but somewhere around 25-35% of residents have not returned, and are not likely to. The gap of their departure will no doubt be slowly filled over the years but it will take time. This means there will be occupied homes in blocks next to large groups of abandoned homes. The city has made gestures toward leveling abandoned homes but I have to wonder if they will follow through on the scale needed other then to allow developers to take over targeted neighborhoods.

The political corruption, special interest, and sheer ineptness seriously impede return to normalcy. There have been 186,000 applications for Road Home Funds. These funds are designed to assist homeowners in rebuilding, relocating - or still trying to decide. Only 20,000 have received assistance. Many were rejected to do paperwork filing problems - yes, assistance was available but people didn't know that they didn't know how to complete the applications. Maybe the new governor of Lousiana can improve things - many are hopeful.

Recent demographics, based on school enrollment, show that the largest number of residents to leave the city are those in the mid 30's to mid 40's. Older residents have returned and New Orleans is becoming an "in" place for young adults. Perhaps they will provide the necessary impetus to transform the city but there are serious blocks to purchasing a home there. First is the general state of the home buying industry and second is the very high insurance rates. This in the face of significant infra structure problems.

The problems are enormous, even without the corruption and self-interest. Crime is serious. Even though we stayed in a "good" neighborhood, we were cautioned not to walk alone. Often, gas stations close at 6 PM due to risk of robbery. Homes being newly built are scavenged for tools and copper. Air conditioning units are not being installed until the owner is occupying the home because thieves steal the motors for the copper wire - seriously damaging the system in the process. Never the less, we didn't really feel at risk.

So why did I go to rebuild and why do I plan to go again? Some reasons are difficult to express here. It is easy to say why build when there is the risk of another hurricane destroying the city? I think the best answer I can give is because it is their home. New Orleans has a very rich historical heritage that provides its citizens a unusual sense of community, a unique culture and savoir faire. Some residents trace back their New Orleans roots for generations and centuries.

I mentioned that many of the remaining citizens are older. Those were the folks we were helping during our trip. They had lived their entire lives in New Orleans. If they left, they would never be able to afford a home. With the help of Road Home Funds and the generosity of The New Orleans Episcopal Diocese, they could rebuild what they have, often I suspect a little better then before the hurricane.

We were rushing to complete one home so the couple could move out of their FEMA trailer before he died from stage four cancer, his wife would at least have a home. The other home belonged to a retired school teacher struggling with depression. She had lost a home 26 years ago due to flooding, this home was sitting on higher ground but still had a foot of water inside. Enough to require demolition and rebuild. New Orleans has been and still is there home.

The Episcopal program under which we worked is not associated with any government programs. The folks I described above received money from the church for the electrical/plumbing work on the understanding they would repay those funds once they received Road Home money. Last spring, when the diocese prepared their budget, they didn't anticipate having to pay for the electrical and plumbing (at least temporarily) and only allocated money toward the work volunteers do such as, drywall, flooring, hanging doors, windows, painting, etc. This budget was $6000 per house. Thus the funds were depleted faster then planned and fewer homes are being rebuilt right now. Some people have received their Road Home money and have repaid the Diocese, one owner felt so grateful that he wanted to pay much more then had been spent and had to be dissuaded (these are NOT wealthy people.)

One fear the Diocese has is that they will not get volunteers because people think they do not have the skills needed to rebuild. We met some very fine young adults (interns) - recently graduated from college that have volunteered months of time out of their careers. They came not knowing how to tile or any of the other skills, but quickly learned and can quickly train others. I saw a volunteer working that used a cane to get around and a woman in her 80's keeping the job site clean and organized. The volunteers were able to use them and I was surprised at how much they could contribute.

So why did I go and why will I return? Because these are simply people in need and I can help. It really has nothing to do with politics, New Orleans, or anything else.

New Orleans Again

We arrived earlier this afternoon for another work week in New Orleans. Early impression is that the city continues to return to normal...sort of. So far I haven't seen the multitude of "We Are Open" signs as seen in April. That's a good sign, business has progressed from announcing they are back in operation to the routine assumption that people now know they are back.

We met briefly with the rector here at Carrolton House. She told us that crime is serious, even in this "better" part of town, we need to avoid walking alone and should avoid leaving our cell phones, laptops, etc., in plain view in our rooms. Even though we are in a church facility, there is no guarantee of security. That is as I expected.

The other rather shocking news is that the churches are meeting this coming week to discuss the homeless problem. Rents have tripled and, most residents rented their accommodations. That has resulted in a large contingent of working homeless that simply cannot afford a place to live. Further, only recently did a homeless shelter open downtown, men only. There is no place for women or children.

To end on a good note, the weather is gorgeous, lows at night in the upper 50's or low 60's, highs in the mid to upper 70's in the daytime. A good time to come.

Today's Fire Call

I am a member of the local fire department as a volunteer fire police. Most times we assist emergency vehicles in reaching the scene - sometimes the ambulance personnel or outside fire responders, for example, do not know there way around St. James. The devlopment is confusing, so we post ourselves strategically to accelerate their reaching the scene. We also exercise traffic control around the scene.

I had a call today and sped in my car, red light flashing, to the scene and set up for traffic control. A contractor was hurt, probable back injury, on the second story of a house under construction. Since I was first on scene I had set up at the intersection to the short cul-de-sac where the house was located. The call was not a routine EMS emergency. The fire department was also called because they needed to get the person off the second story, no stairs had been built yet.

Soft ground and other issues ment the first two trucks, including our ladder truck, couldn't reach far enough for safe removal. A nearby town was called for their specialized equipment - whatever it was - and they couldn't do it. Another town responded but didn't have what was needed so we ended up calling a nearby facility that had an even bigger ladder rig. That did the job.

Now we had about 10 or more emergency vehicles spread around so a fire captain called me over to assist in moving one of the BRT's (that's fire department officialese for a fire truck and it means "big red truck"). He directed me to jump in the cab and to my surprise the siren started to wail. Now you have to understand that we seldom use sirens in the development as they can confuse and disrupt as much as help (check out insurance company stats). So I had to wonder where our BRT was headed that needed a siren. Turns out it was me! you know what? They have these buttons on the floor of the truck and all you have to do is step on one to sound the siren. Whoops.

Well we got the truck moved without further incident (the routine is to always have someone outside directing the driver when they back up). That was my particular job in the BRT.

The call took over two hours (usually around 25 minutes for medical) and no further problems, in fact I guess the way I handled the rest of the traffic was good because the fire captain sought me out after the call and complimented me. He probably did it though because it gave them a chance to laugh about the siren. Another day in the life of a fire policeman.

My blog

I haven't posted much lately and have wondered whether it is because I have grown tired of blogging or some other reason. Perhaps it is because I have drifted from its purpose. I started writing because it has become sort of a personal journal and like those I've written before, I am the audience and the contents are written for me.

I became stalled when I felt I needed to blog about Tyler and Maya's visit last month. Not that I mind writing about them but the process is a bit more onerous then simply throwing some words onto the screen. A blog about grand children should always contain pictures. My pictures, however, require substantial editing because I shoot in raw format. Blogspot gags if I attempt to load a 40 MB file so it has to be reduced in Photoshop, re sized, etc. The process takes time and then, of course I want to post the better photos. So I procrastinate and also postpone any other blogs until I get the pictures finished.

I know how much I enjoy seeing Maya's and Tyler's pictures so feel I need to do the same...but don't.

So I get blog constipation. Nothing comes out. I guess that is better then diarrhea of the mouth. Still.

I think I have to remember that I write this for my pleasure, if you like to read it, fine. If not, fine too. And most likely somewhere along the way I'll get those pictures posted. I hope the kids won't mind my posting their baby pictures when they are 13 or 14 years old.

Our Servicemen

Here is a moving video which I hope you will watch.

Recently US Marine Colonel Simcock foolishly asked for 6000 emails to share with his troops in Iraq. See this for details.

I say he is foolish because I believe he will be inundated with emails far far beyond the 6000. As word spreads across the Internet I suspect he may have to do something to turn off the tap on an over burdened Internet - and due to the "timeless" nature of the Internet, they will continue for years to come. Never the less, I'll feel better by sending an email.

And there is this web site that also provides a means of support.

I also want to extend my thanks to Stephanie Coyote. Without patriotic Americans like her we would have no reality checks. It is easy to get complacent until we are reminded that there are people in this country that not only oppose our being in Iraq but literally hate our servicemen. Stephanie is a fringe element thank God. As such she does us a service. Lets keep her fringe.

This is an interesting interview with the San Francisco Capt. Greg Corrales. Many people tend to condemn the entire city for attitudes such as the Coyotes.. I think Capt. Corrales says it well in his interview I've provided above. It will be interesting to see if Gavin Newsom reappoints her to the film commission. It is also amusing to see her cowardice when asked why she banned Marines from a Marine commercial.

Shorten the Campaigns

I think presidential campaigns - particularly for the party nomination have become far too long. They no longer provide a fair vetting process but merely a test of how politically cunning each candidate can be.

Financing a campaign of such longevity requires enormous amounts of money which means fund raising. And, in that process, the potential for corruption (okay, serious corruption) grows. Does the ability to secure massive campaign funds necessarily equate to leadership ability or something else?

I think the idea of "democratically" elected office holders should be changed to those elected that know someone and/or are will ling to compromise their ethics.

Now we find ourselves looking (hoping?) for a candidate to somehow self-destruct, savoring their downfall and welcoming another decision made for us lest we have to continue to think and evaluate. It also makes for great news and raw meat for the braying media hounds to render into pieces of destroyed hope and perhaps career.

Maya Returns

Miss Maya is coming today. She was here to visit us toward the end of August and despite a nagging conscience, I didn't get around to posting any photos from that visit. I guess I could blame Maya for my failure to post more on my blog. After all I shoot my photos in camera raw which are huge 30-40 MB files. Raw images give me a lot control over the finished result but also require me to get them to manageable file sizes to post on blogspot. Therefore I put it off and it is Maya's fault.

Oh you don't buy that. You say that's a cop out and really reprehensible blaming a beautiful, lovable, sweet child like Maya? Okay, I'll concede you are right.

And now that I have started on this I have to admit I enjoy looking at the pictures. Well, since she is coming today, and tomorrow, her friend Tyler will arrive, I expect to have even more pictures so will put off posting more right now. Another cop out.

Tyler coming? Yup and he is bringing his parents Pam and Josh.

Politicians and Military

Democratic Senator Jim Webb has introduced a proposal that would require troops to spend as much time at home as their most recent deployment. The idea is to force a reduction of troop levels in Iraq.

When I started my business career I was given sage advice by the VP of operations in the company I worked. He said "don't cover up a problem, fix it!" It was clear he lived by that standard and was one of the best managers I worked with during my career.

Webb's proposal is a problem cover up and may have serious unintended consequences. I dislike politicians getting that involved with the military operations and more importantly, it is inspired by an immediate situation as a way to achieve an objective without regard to long run consequences. A problem cover up.

Perhaps politician are used to obtaining their goals through such manipulation so think little of it. After all, they routinely achieve ends through compromise and working the system. Never the less, it is wrong. Both from the immediate perspective of being required to force troop withdrawals through such means and wrong from the aspect of an administration that is so adamant that the back door approach must be used. Sure would be nice if the politicians truly worked together for the best interest of the country.

Politics as usual.

Hybrid

Hazel and I have discussed getting a hybrid. We have considered the various qualities and characteristics we would prefer. We do not plan to do anything soon as we do not want to be tied down to the attendant obligations. And, there is a bewildering assortment out there. Labradoodles, labrahounds, dorgi, dorkie (have met a few of them), eskifon, bagle hound, be-apso, wauzer, puggles, whoodles, and more. Its tempting to get one for its name alone. Check out dogbreedinfo. There are some purebred dogs which I dislike and really put off by the idea of a mix of two such as the jack-rat-terrier. Just not my type.

What totally confuses us is this thing called mileage. What does mpg have to do with dogs? Isn't an Escape a cross between an American Eskimo and Chesapeake Bay Retriever?

Anniversary

On August 20th Hazel and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary by going to Charleston for a couple days, touring the city and eating well.






The bridge shown in these photos spans the north fork of the Charleston harbor to the pennisula holding downtown Charleston, something like San Francisco.

I believe the bridge is similar to the one being built to replace the eastern end of the San Francisco bay bridge. It is beautiful and a pleasure to drive.

Charleston has done a wonderful job of preserving and restoring its many historic buildings and this has done much, along with many fine restaurants, to insure a thriving tourist business. We took a carriage tour of the downtown and only as I write this do I realize that the last time we took a horse drawn carriage tour was on our honeymoon in Nassau, Bahamas. Seems especially appropriate and the trip, although short, was like a second honeymoon. It was hot, just like it was in the Bahamas but the heat didn't really dampen our pleasure.

I have wondered many times about the good fortune we had in meeting and making our life together. Of course there were difficult times but at no time did we seriously struggle to keep our marriage together, it has always been a central core of our lives. God has blessed us.

St. James Has no streets

I realized this morning that St. James has no streets. Kinda reminiscent of the days of yore when villages had little more then a cart path with hogs lying in the mud. Makes me nostalgic.

St. James does, however, have lanes, ways, drives, courts, circles and even boulevards. I guess streets are too pedestrian. Actually there aren't many walks so that makes sense too.

I think I'll check with the POA and see if I can raise some hogs.

Power of 10

Last night, on the TV show Power of 10, the contestant was asked "What percentage of Americans believe Andrew Lloyd Weber wrote Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM?"

The answer: 28%

Lets hear it for public education! Yeaaaaaa

2008 Roll Royce

Hazel and I are thinking about buying a new car because our newest one (1999) has rather high mileage and although fine for local travel, it is getting a little problematic on longer distances. Thus I have been reading Consumer Reports, JD Powers, Kelly Blue Book and Edmunds to mention a few. As usual too much information so it will take awhile to process it all, make a decision, look at our bank account and start over.

Yesterday I checked out the 2008 Rolls Royce Phantom and was impressed by the engine. It has a 6.75 liter, 450 hp, 12 cylinder engine to move the 20 ft. 3000 lb land yacht. I was also impressed by the retractable hood ornament. On the negative side, there doesn't seem to be a place to plug in my Ipod. Still, at $374,000 I think I'll keep it on the short list to worry the competition.

NC DOT

Now that I live in North Carolina I tend to shake my head at the seeming ineptitude and snails progress of the NC DOT. However, I was amused to read this in today's San Jose Mercury News. It is a newspaper article written by Gary Richards under the pseudonym Mr. Roadshow. Dealing with bay area traffic issues, this particular article was written along the lines of trivia questions.

Q In 1985, Caltrans predicted that Highway 85 could be built in how many years?

A 18 or 19

Q How many years did it take to complete Highway 85, once local officials took control of the 18 1/2-mile freeway project from Caltrans?

A 10

Carolina Winter

I've lived through very cold winters in western New York and in Chicago and current conditions here in Southport remind of those times. Temperatures run in the mid 90's with the humidity in the high 80's which means a heat index of about 110 degrees. So, I dash from the house to the car, limit my activities outdoors to the essential, and the windows fog up with condensation. Sure seems to be much the same although gasoline doesn't turn to mush and pumps faster then in Chicago.

Still, give me a choice and I'll take Carolina winter. It is much shorter, comes in the summer, and I don't have to bundle up in heavy coat, hat and gloves.

Golfing Rant

I think I've mentioned that I get the Wall Street Journal. I don't get it for the financial information. I scan the financial headlines and if the news is bleak I quickly move on to other articles and wait a day for better news.

What I enjoy is such things as the article on belly dancing. Seems expectant mothers are taking up belly dancing to help them in child birth. Belly dancing was not always a night club act. Actually it was developed to help in the child labor process (no, not making them work, that would be the article on whips and chains).

The last Saturday-Sunday issue had an article in the sports section about "The Worst People to Play With." There was of course the non-stop talker, the coach and others. What really resonated was John Paul Newport's (the author) number 1 most annoying golfer. The guy who never seems to be quite ready. He hasn't prepared for his shot or is busy talking. Mr. Newport goes on to compare this guy to the little old lady at the grocery store. This is what resonated with me! I'll call her Nellie.

Nellie waits until the groceries are checked and bagged and only then does she start to fish in her pocketbook for her checkbook and pen. She is the person that also likes to chat with the clerk and pause in her check writing to dwell on a point of conversation. And, it is then that she remembers she has a coupon for $0.10 off the can of cat food she bought. The thing that gets me is the checker remains pleasant and cheerful through all this...this is the south folks.

Nellie really doesn't have to be old or, gasp, female. There is the Nellie at the ATM that waits to...yadda yadda...or sits at the stop light and seems to want the stop light to nicely say "you may go" before she inches forward. Or, Nellie is standing in line in McDonalds and...well you can imagine.

My god! This world would be so much better off if everyone was a yankee type A person like me!

Republican Debate

Mitt Rommey thinks answering questions posed by UTube snowmen undignified although he claims he hadn't watched it. I find it hard to believe that he wouldn't watch the Democratic debate to assess the type to questions and answers given by potential contenders. He has said has a scheduling conflict and cannot attend the September 17th debate. Rudy Giuliani seems to have a scheduling conflict too. CNN says it may reschedule.

The UTube type questions scare the candidates. I admit there were a couple in the democratic debate which I considered inappropriate. For example, asking them to criticise something about the person to their left. Never the less, I like to see politicians put on the spot and liked the flavor of the debate.

I found the Democratic debate earlier this year interesting, the Republican boring and closed. I was surprised by the difference in tenor There is little doubt that a Democrat will be elected - the Republicans can't get it together. Will it be Hillary? I think she gained major ground in the last debate.