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Just one more reason not to...

Chai and Art

I must be getting better. My cough isn't painful any more and I'm feeling a little more fit. Of course, that may be because I was out in the park this morning and getting in my daily walk. Always good for whatever ails you!

But, when I drove up to the parking lot at One Mile, I noticed that there were plenty of parking spaces. What was going on? I parked near the turn-around end and I noticed an odd car parked in the handicapped space. We were the only two cars at that end. Lonely... There didn't seem to be anyone in the car, but just as I got ready to leave, a head popped up. Had they been sleeping in the car? There were no handicapped plates on the car... I was getting suspicious. What were they doing there?

But I took off anyway... and then worried about it. Would my car be OK? Would I find the window broken and the car ransacked when I returned? Why was I doing this? Worrying about nothing. And then I started thinking; isn't this what 'old' people do? Worry without cause? Must stop!

And of course everything was fine when I returned. Should I have been disappointed?

OK, time for my reward; a cup of chai. So I'm headed down the highway to Cafe Mondo and I suddenly remember a little piece in the Tom Gascoyne editorial (Chico Beat) that mentioned a new place to get coffee; the old railroad car at the Chico Art Center. I make a couple of turns and headed back. Sure enough, there it is and I'm certainly willing to give it a try. OK. Not bad at all, though railroad cars are really not all that spacious and the seating is somewhat limited. But they have some seating outside on the platform and they have reading material. All good. And as I was sitting... and reading, I noticed the artwork. Some great acrylic and spray work on hardboard. The same sort of stuff I had been talking to Zach about. I'll have to take some photos next time I'm there.

More Tea!

Coffee or tea? Well, the coffee is brewing so I have to have at least one cup when it’s done; just to make certain that it’s OK. Then I can switch to my PG Tips tea, my favorite!

As far as blogs go; I seem to be stuck in history. I’ve been posting to my Working! blog more often these days and will probably do so again today. Have I reached the point of Current News Saturation and can absorb no more without the danger of exploding? Could be.

Two-Year Prison Terms

for Online Poker Players

Yeah! Use a computer...go to jail!

$$$

And since I’m feeling less than healthy and somewhat pessimistic, I guess it’s time to look at the financial pages in the news. Oh, scary! The dollar has slipped to new lows and that raises the price of oil… and hotel rooms. Yes, hotel rates have climbed in cities like New York, where they attract foreign visitors. These visitors are coming to visit because it’s now a bargain. Well, you wanted to stay home anyway, didn’t you?

The best part of this financial ‘depth charge’ is the fact that it is sinking so many Republican ships in the elections. A fate they richly deserve. But… the Democrats are no better these days. This political party that was once aligned with the working class has defected to the moneyed class. So where does a caring voter go? I’m still leaning towards Richardson as his intelligence is readily apparent and that alone makes him the better candidate.

Ouch!

Hack! Now I’ve done it. I am coming down with some sort of upper respiratory problem; the cough that really hurts kind. But, where did it come from? And who else might now have it? I guess I had better go pick some mandarins from the tree out front and try overdosing on them.

I’ll still go out and do my workout in the park this morning. The exercise might even help with the cough. Get me breathing deep! But, do I really want to breathe deeply in the park? It’s been somewhat toxic lately, with dog droppings, spit, and even horse manure. Dog owners seem to have forgotten all about using the free baggies to pick up after their dogs and runners/bikers spit everywhere. In some enlightened societies, spitters go to jail. A law I would support. For the horses? It’s going to take more than a baggie!

Now, to compound my troubles, I seem to have Active Desktop activated on my computer and I can’t remember how to turn it off! It just uses up memory and I don’t need that. Back in the day… I knew all of this stuff.

Righting Reagan’s Wrongs?

- New York Times

I'm always fascinated by the fact that truth usually wins out in the long run and it's wonderful to be able to see it happening in my lifetime. Next, I would love to see some sailors chipping his name off of that aircraft carrier.

Take A Seat

I’m back from a good day in the park and feeling fine. And since I had a fairly long walk, 5.16 miles, I had plenty of time to think. I thought about the fact that it was Veterans Day today and that yesterday, during church services, the pastor asked those who were veterans to, please, stand up. For an instant or two, I thought about remaining in my seat. But, since it was the first time I had ever been asked to do such a thing, I stood… yada, yada, yada. All very nice words. But what does that mean, to be a veteran? I didn’t join the Navy to become one. Being a veteran was the furthest thing from my mind when I joined up. I was like 99% of my fellow recruits, 19 years old and bored. You know what? The next time that’s asked, I’m staying seated.

More thoughts: I went to Bidwell Perk for a cup of tea and the newspaper and it turned out to be a most unsatisfactory event. First, the person who took my order wasn’t friendly at all. The person who delivered my cup was. Which only made the first persons attitude seem more irritating. Does that make sense? Anyway, since I didn’t feel all that welcome, I decided to sit outside and read the paper. But…wait! There was only the Chico ER for sale. No real newspapers at all. But I needed to read something, so I spent my 50 cents reluctantly and was rewarded with three (3), full page chiropractors’ ads and about 10 pages of local fluff. I think the Planet Chico is about to join the Planet Orland in a galaxy far, far away!

Silly

Monday and I’m already cranky. What’s with these people? In general, I’m talking about the ones that are taking whatever they happen to see and/or read on the internet and believing it! Doesn’t anyone do basic research anymore? Specifically, it’s the photograph of Senator Obama, shown with other candidates and he is apparently the only one that doesn’t have his hand over his heart in what is supposedly a salute to the flag. Supposedly is right. According to ‘second opinions’ he is listening to the playing of the national anthem. Makes sense, as the flag happens to be behind everyone and if you were saluting you would probably face the flag. But that’s just the simple answer to the photo. What I don’t understand is why anyone would believe that a serious candidate would refuse to salute the flag, and in front of a huge crowd of people. And… after all this time of campaigning, this is the first time it’s been noted that the candidate doesn’t salute flags? Please! Sigh. I guess the Swift boating has begun again and the gullible are lining up to believe whatever is fed to them.

Oh, I did see another photo that was remarkable. Laura Bush and her husband, saluting the flag. Laura has her hand perfectly in place while hubby has his hand firmly planted on his stomach. I have no idea as to what that means and I don’t care! Attaching any importance to saluting flags is silly. Besides, we know that he has no heart, so where was he supposed to put his hand? (No. Don’t go there!)

Thanks,

but No Thanks

Funny, we were sailing in the bay only a few weeks ago, on an old Liberty ship. We sailed under the Bay bridge and out to the Golden Gate. And then we returned... sailing back under the Bay Bridge once more. And like all ships in the bay, there was a pilot doing the navigating. The ships captain can only watch.

Now I will admit that I don't know how tricky it is to sail under the Bay Bridge...but I do know that the bridge remained in one place and didn't really get in our way or jump about. It seemed to be firmly in place. Now I know that trees and telephones poles have a tendency to jump out in front of drivers, but bridges?

OK, enough... now what's with the government response? Fish and Game wants loyalty oaths? Not on your life!

One Big Union

We’re experiencing the Screen Writers Guild strike. OK, we’re really not. We don’t watch TV and so the strike means very little to us on a day to day basis. But, I am glad to see a strike, any strike at all. We’ve been living through a time where unions have been retreating steadily. That’s not healthy.

And because the right wingnuts have been so successful at demonizing the word ‘union’, it’s going to be a long haul for the unions of today to get back into being a force to be reckoned with. But, knowing ‘management’ as I do; their abuses will bring more and more workers into the tent of Labor.

I was a member of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America for 25+ years. That membership ensured that I had a pension. And how is that wrong? I received wages that allowed us to live the middle class life; owning our home, raising 3 children and able to afford health insurance. And how is that wrong?

Truth is; unions are not inheritantly evil. They were created to fight evil. But the unions weren’t perfect. There were abuses of power and criminal activity among union leaders. Very much like the kind of abuses we see among the powerful in management today. Perhaps the problem isn’t unions or management? Perhaps it’s simply power corrupting those who wield it. And it’s also caused by union members who don’t care about anything else except the weekly check and the guaranteed raises.

I was one of those members. I went to a few meetings at first, but found them to be incredibly boring and soon stopped going altogether. The same thing happens with stockholders. Very few attend the meetings and they don’t really care what the CEO is doing as long as their dividends look good.

Obviously there has to be a middle ground. But the worker will never see it unless he joins a union.

New Posts

Some new posts up on Working!... Short Laps... and Good Eats.

Fate

Here I am, same place and same time, but without much inspiration. Sometimes the daily news just runs together; didn’t I read that story yesterday? Or was it last Thursday? It’s far too much the same. I suppose if there is an upside to the bitterness of political campaigns, it’s the fact that no matter which side wins, we’ll have a new name and face in the news. Change is good!

I have been reading an interesting book this past week; Adopted Son, by David Clary. It’s the story of the relationship between George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette. It’s always good to read a book about Washington that’s free of the ‘cherry tree’ nonsense and reveals George to have been a real person. As a young officer he was actually incompetent at times. Whining and sniping at his superiors.

The book also revealed a fact that had escaped me; the Revolutionary War attracted attention all across the European continent and general officers from many nations sailed to America, looking for a fight. The majority was French and their resumes numbered in the hundreds. Since France was at peace at the time, what was a professional soldier to do but to search out a war for their talents? Duportail, Von Steuben, Pulaski, etc. All were from the continent and fated to be part of American history.

A Modest Proposal

for Waterboarding Judge Michael Mukasey -

"Waterboarding, it's been claimed, has a rare capacity to clarify the mind, and it's fairly certain that were he to be waterboarded, Judge Mukasey could and would come up with an opinion on the practice, an opinion that has, thus far, eluded him,..."

Oops! Too late. He has been sworn in as AG. Now we'll never know. Or, will we?

Votes Flipped

in Ohio Race that Used E-voting Machines

Ohio? That's just north of Florida as I remember it.

Jasper's

Nursery & Orchards - LocalHarvest

Interesting. I was reading Michelle's blog about LocalHarvest and decided to check our own area. Jasper's is about 1/2 mile away. I stopped there once, about 2 years ago, and bought two olive trees from them.

I guess I will check them out again... I'm always intrigued when I see anyone on the Planet Orland that is computer literate.

Which is it?

Lots of reading and not much writing going on this morning. I got hooked early and began reading blogs before the news. Not that there is much difference between the two. It’s not as if the news media presents only the raw facts for you to read without any personal bias. A news story is simply a well edited blog posting. Meaning that they used a spell checker and a bit of good grammar. Every news media corporation has an agenda. Count on it.

It’s the political bloggers that could use a little spell checking. No matter what side of the political spectrum they rant from, most of these bloggers never look back at what they have written. ‘Errors be damned! I have a story to get out...” and those who comment on those blogs are much the same. All, so filled with a righteous fervor that they can’t bother with spelling anytng rite. Or corectly.

I like to think that I’m in a classier group of bloggers. Yes, I make spelling and grammar errors, but I feel bad about it when I discover it. Sometimes I see the mistakes a week later and go back to fix them, although they certainly have been read by all who might normally read them. Classier or neurotic?

PC

A good trip. We left early enough so that we could arrive at IKEA in time for the 9:30 ‘breakfast’ of a muffin and coffee in their cafeteria. It’s really a pleasant place to eat and cheap as well. Even cheaper now that the coffee is free! 2 cups of dark roasted Swedish coffee and 2 muffins was about $2.75.

At 10, we were allowed to enter the store and begin our quest. We’ve got this store figured out now and we use the discrete ‘crossovers’ to quickly move from section to section without following the arrows on the floor that guide the shopper from beginning to end. And of course we found some bargains. I could spend most of my IKEA time in their kitchen supply area and be happy.

Then it was time to checkout; Oh, oh! No check stands were open. None. All checkouts were the self operated style. You scan it, you bag it…you do it all. Well, we could make a point here and walk away from our shopping cart, or we could grit our teeth and just do it. We did. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. But that doesn’t mean I liked it. It took much longer and I got to experience some of that frustration I’ve seen in the store among the cashiers when the package won’t scan. And we ended up with a receipt that must have been 3 feet long. Every item must be scanned; no multipliers can be used.

My dislike of D-I-Y check out is more complex than I thought. I usually tell myself that I dislike it because it removes available work for a cashier. Someone loses a job and I’m a Friend of Labor! But I’m also an advocate of RFID shopping which would do the same thing; except the experience would be much better. No scanning, no stopping at the check stand at all, just pick up your receipt at the door as you exit. I guess I’m not the idealist that I wish I were.

And what did we buy? Kvartals, of course. We plan on getting rid of the vertical blinds in the family room and we didn’t want heavy looking drapes or frilly curtains in there. But… before I’m allowed to put them up, I’ve been tasked with painting the family room.

After picking up some supplies for the Plant Barn, we headed up I-80 to Auburn and a stop at In-N-Out for lunch. Then it was time for a frustrating drive down highway 49… following trucks that were traveling about 10 mph on the twisting road. But we got to Garden Valley and had a good time visiting with Zach, Michelle and Colum. Our great-grandson is close to 1 year old now and getting ready to walk in the next few months. Of course he is a brilliant baby, just like all of our grandchildren… notice how he has convinced his father to pick him up and carry him around.

On an entirely different note; it appears that the Republicans worst nightmares are about to come true. The economy is sinking along with their hopes of being reelected. And it’s about time; 7 years with this clown and his followers is more than enough. Although I’m sure that there will be a contingent of right wingnuts that will insist that it’s all Bill Clinton’s fault and all that we need to revive the economy is another big tax cut. Or maybe we should start World War IV? World War III isn’t going so well, so maybe we should just move on. Or; maybe it’s China’s fault. We all love to dump on China these days… while shopping at Wal*Mart. It makes sense to me, just blame Bill and China; it requires no thought and it’s politically correct. Among Republicans.

Politics in the Zeros

The seemingly bad as a possible good?

Yes! Optimism. We could change the world with it...and we should.

ps... I've had the 'privilege' of going to the landfill in two counties last week. You should do it as well. It's scary to see what we're throwing away. Every day.

Susanville, Lassen County, CA

When In Doubt

So many headlines! So little time! We’re off to Ikea and then to a wholesaler of nursery items to pick up a load for the Plant Barn this morning. We’re also hoping to get over to Garden Valley for a quick visit. And the thought just struck me; who came up with that name, ‘Garden Valley’? It sounds like it came from a modern developer’s bag of names, but I have a feeling, since it’s located in the Mother lode country, it’s probably a much older name and comes with a lot of history attached to it.

I was definitely amused by the Pat Robertson/Rudy Giuliani love affair. And the fact that the news media made such a big deal of it. Let’s see… a politician endorsed another politician. Yep. Sounds like ‘news’ to me.

Yes, the Right Wing Christians With A Great Big Capitol C (RWCWAGBCC) are now perplexed. They can’t vote for Romney as he’s a Mormon (Or can they?) But Giuliani is Satan personified. Worse than that, he’s from New York. What to do? Pat was no help. Perhaps they should try prayer.

US military

worried about Pakistan nuclear weapons Reuters

Now? Now they're worried? I have been worried for years. And worried about Israel and worried about India. France. And the USA.

Nuclear weapons are not deterrents at all; they are the ultimate weapons of terror. You can't wage peace when you own one.

How Could You?

Southwest Airlines has caved. The so-called, 'classless' airline now discriminates. They have a new Business class and they get automatic 'A' boarding passes. And now members of the Rapid Rewards club also get 'A' passes with 16 roundtrips in a year. Which leaves the rest of us, where? In the back of the plane and in the middle seat!

Well, I really do like driving...

Senator

Questioning Ministries on Spending - New York Times

Speaking of religion and money...as I was a few posts ago.

FBI hunted terrorists

by checking felafel sales in San Francisco - Boing Boing

OK, maybe it doesn't work for the FBI and Iranians, but how about Immigration? Shouldn't we be checking tortilla and beans sales?

Changing Aging

Oldest Laureate

A great story...I especially liked her comment, "But one of the great advantages of being a writer is that you can't care what other people think of you. We're as free as anyone can be in this society."

Amen, Sister! (but, am I?)

I currently have two of her books on my reading table.

The Importance

of Being Dennis Kucinich Chico Beat

A good article and a valid question. Is bush mentally ill? After all, with 1 out of 4 Americans suffering from mental illness, there's definitely a chance that he is one them. Annually, we get to read a detailed report on the status of his physical health; so why not a report on his mental health?

Just listening to him drone on while reading the speeches prepared for him, makes you wonder? Is he all there? And he has no human qualities in his voice; qualities like 'empathy'. Dennis may be on to something here...

Wondering

It’s another fine morning and my mind is wandering and that’s always a good thing. Wouldn’t you hate to wake up without a sense of adventure? That today is a whole new ball game? OK, maybe it’s just me, but I love to see what has happened in the world overnight and dream of what might be.

(Some people say that I’m a pessimist. I prefer to say that I’m an optimistic realist. I am always looking for change; a change for the better. Pessimists don’t do that.)

Here are some quotations that my wandering mind found in its travels.

Sometimes the appropriate response to reality is to go insane. - Philip K. Dick

In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.
- Robert Frost

The petty economies of the rich are just as amazing as the silly extravagances of the poor. - William Feather

When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not. - Mark Twain

Tradition is what you resort to when you don't have the time or the money to do it right. - Kurt Herbert Alder

I particularly like what Robert Frost said. Every politician should be reminded of this fact. Heck, we should all try to remember it! And the Mark Twain quote is appropriate at any age.

This week’s edition of the Economist has a special article on religion, entitled the new wars of religion. Lots of interesting articles and surprising facts. One of the larger megachurches (Pentecostal) has 830,000 members and it grows by 3,000 members a month. During a service, and there are 7 of them; 12,000 people are in attendance, while another 20,000 view the service via television in other buildings around the perimeter of the main church. The choir (one of 12) is backed by an orchestra (3 of those). 38,000 children are in Sunday school. During that period between services, when there are 60,000 comers and goers, special white jacketed ‘traffic directors’ manage the crowd. And the service is instantly translated into English, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, French, Indonesian, Malay and Arabic. Translated from what language? Korean. This church is located in Seoul. The Yoido Full Gospel Church.

“…a young opera singer performs while the money is collected—by the sackful in gold and scarlet bags—and piled up in front of the pulpit.” You have to wonder about the budget for something like this. Or is that just some pessimistic thought creeping in?

Think or Thwim

Seven Trends I’ve Noticed Lately

Consider this!

I got a kick out of the bushidiot graph.

Trust?

I began the day with a reading of the ‘abbreviated news’ and then moved on to the blogs. Time Goes By had something different, a posting on the dangers of a bill now in committee in the Senate. (Read about it here) What I see as dangerous about the bill is the liberal use of ‘weasel words’ throughout. Such as, “…individuals should not be targeted based solely on race, ethnicity, or religion.” Should not? What’s wrong with using the words, ‘shall not’? Simple. Shall not means no. Absolutely no. Should not can mean anything you like. And that’s the way they want it. Flexible. And that should scare you to death! Do you really trust your leaders enough to give them unlimited 'flexibility'? These are the same people that have a less than 30% approval rating from the voters.

Too Much Information!

We were watching television at Bill’s house over the weekend. Laurae and I talked about that odd experience on our way home; agreeing that there really isn’t any need to hook up our TV again. If that’s all there is on television, our television can remain the designated ‘Netflix’ viewing machine forever.

What did it for me was a series of shows on the Discovery Channel, all about how things are made. You were shown the steps in how a product was manufactured, all in less than 10 minutes. It takes less than 10 minutes to make a fishing pole; the same for a roll of aluminum foil. Or a hockey mask. All very simplistic. And…very much the way that history is presented on the History Channel. Little bites of history. We have become a nation that doesn’t want too much information. 10 minutes (8 is even better!) will do fine; thank you. And there’s enough time between segments to insert a commercial or two.

I remember that during the time we were in high school, reading the illustrated classic comic books became the preferred way to gain some knowledge of the classics in literature. Why read the whole book when you could simply browse through a classic in 30 minutes? And see the pretty pictures at the same time! That’s the reason that the ‘hotel newspaper’, USA Today is a success. No story takes more than a minute or two to read.

I suppose one could argue that the internet works the same way. We Stumble upon a site and quickly move on. We Google and get a Wiki to answer our question. YouTube and Flickr provide us with the images we desire and all in 10 minutes or less. If we see a blog post that looks lengthy, we move on, promising to come back when we have time.

A few days ago, I mentioned that I had met someone who told me that they didn’t have time to read. And I thought it was odd at the time, but now I’m not so sure. It may be the norm.

American Creation:

Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic:

I was listening to NPR today and heard a great interview with Joseph Ellis. (Founding Brothers) Sure, he was peddling his new book, but he is worth listening to any day. It worked; I'm buying it.

Fair is Fair

Fascinating news. It appears that the ‘average’ citizen of Pakistan is quite angry with the US. So what’s new about that? It’s because they know that we have supported Musharraf and he is only in power because of our money. Without us, they think they might have a chance at democracy. They might have a point.

But democracies are dangerous. Our founding fathers didn’t want any part of such a scheme and that’s why we live in a republic and not a democracy.

And more news. Apparently a top fund raiser for Fred Thompson has a criminal past. Convicted and sentenced, 20+ years ago. But we have a unique system of justice in this country. You see, he is still a criminal and will be one forever. It makes no difference as to how many years served or pardons given, even complete exoneration won’t make it go away in our society. Heck, just go to jail as a ‘suspect’ and you can expect to be known for your criminal past for a decade or more; that’s only if you are proven innocent in court. Found guilty? That’s forever!

Disclaimer (required): I am not a fan of Fred Thompson. I am not now nor have I ever been in jail. But… I’m guilty of being in favor of fairness. So, lock me up.

CN&R

From the Edge > Cops > 11.01.07

Mr. Porter writes well. And he attracts a lot of flak because of it. One does not write negatively and convincingly about 'cops' without being noticed in this town. And so I'm looking forward to seeing what the good citizens of Chico have to say in the "Letters to the Editor'...

"As sworn enforcers of the law, cops are always supporters of the way things are, no matter what that means, no matter what some mix of politicians has agreed on enough to pass into law. Cops resist change; that's their job, never mind what the change is—"

mental_floss

Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix

Hey! I have an idea...let's see the next 'Survivor' filmed here! We're talkin about reality...

Condi chides diplomats

on Iraq -

"Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reminded diplomats yesterday of their duty to serve amid a revolt among some who don’t want to go to Iraq. Separately, Rice and Ambassador Ryan Crocker said foreign service officers are obligated by their oath to work at any diplomatic mission worldwide. “People need to serve where they are needed,” Rice said aboard a plane headed to Turkey. Crocker said diplomats who put their personal safety over the nation’s interest are “in the wrong line of business.”

Then there is this... "Rice was guarded by more than 2,000 police in Ankara’s streets. Protesters held a small demonstration nearby and one in Istanbul."

Stability at Any Cost?

I’ve begun this entry half a dozen times in the last hour. Putting the cat in the adjoining chair so that I can type. And each time, Boo jumps back in my lap, demanding my attention. OK. I give. I will manage somehow.

From the news… “U.S. Is Likely to Continue Aid to Pakistan

By DAVID E. SANGER and DAVID ROHDE

The Bush administration signaled that it would likely continue aid to Pakistan’s military, despite the detention of rights activists and government opponents.”

"They would rather have a stable Pakistan — albeit with some restrictive norms — than have more democracy prone to fall in the hands of extremists."
TARIQ AZIM KHAN, Pakistan’s minister of state for information, describing American officials’ reaction to Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s suspending of the Constitution.

Duh! I believe that’s exactly what I said would happen, yesterday. And ‘restrictive norms’ are words that dictator’s use to describe the taking of liberty. Beware of restrictions!

Redomestication

Impulse Buying

If you haven't bookmarked Michelle's site...here's an opportunity.

"Wists is a social shopping / bookmarking site. I don’t use the social aspect, as finding more stuff to covet after is hardly my goal. What I do use is the pictorial bookmarks."

I like that idea. Most social networks aren't for me. But a visual wish-list? That sounds like something I will use.

So Predictable

The time and the temperature. All very important today. (I must be getting old, but aren’t we all?) I forced myself to stay in bed this morning for an extra hour, but it’s still dark and still cold.

If I were king; a thought I often entertain, Daylight Savings time would be a year-round affair. No starting and stopping. I might even declare a Double Daylight Savings Time for my kingdom. My subjects would adore me for my wisdom. ‘All hail King Steven!’

But, when it comes to world affairs, I wouldn’t like to be in charge. I can’t be that devious. I could probably handle the little lies with the usual amount of remorse afterwards. Mea Culpa! So sorry. Please forgive me… But the whoppers that our current world leaders tell! How could you ever say you were sorry for the atrocities committed? They can’t and that’s why they don’t.

Predictable. General Musharraf is betting that the US will continue to fund his dictatorship and I think he has a safe bet. The State Department is making all of the usual noises to indicate their ‘deep’ disappointment, but in the end, the checks will continue to arrive in Islamabad. The US almost always loves a dictatorship because of their stability. Democracies are simply too volatile to depend upon.

I wrote the above based on yesterday’s news. I better take a look at today’s and see if anything changed…

All are good

• Why is it that our memory is good enough to retain the least triviality that happens to us, and yet not good enough to recollect how often we have told it to the same person? - Francois de La Rochefoucauld
• A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized. - Fred Allen
• All marriages are mixed marriages. - Chantal Saperstein
• I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. - Will Rogers
• 
  Research is the process of going up alleys to see if they are blind. - Marston Bates
• 
  Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago. - Bernard Berenson And we always like to elect leaders who are 'consistent'...which makes us consistent.

An early rant

It feels a little more like winter, up here in Lassen County; 27℉ and falling at 5 in the morning. I haven’t checked the temperature inside, but I do have my jacket on over my pajamas. And I’m eagerly waiting for the coffee pot to stop its racket and deliver me a cup of coffee. Ah! Good…

OK, so I’m a pajama wearing blogger; what of it?

And what’s on my mind? I suppose it’s the constant haranguing by politicians of all stripes on the subject of taxes. One; I’m for taxes. I love them. I think that a fair and equitable tax system is the perfect solution for funding the government services we need and use. It’s the deciding of what is fair and equitable that makes it such a problem. That and the inefficiencies of a government that takes your tax dollar, and mine, and then spends it foolishly. ‘Oops! Sorry about that, but I’m afraid we need some more.’ That’s the thing that gets me upset about taxes. Not that we are taxed, but that our money is wasted.

Oh, sure…as if I could do any better. Well, I think I could. And I understand that what I see as waste, some might see as necessity. I think we can make allowances for that; find a middle ground and still find plenty of waste. For instance, the billions of dollars lost in Iraq. The billions that never quite make it to front-page headline status. Isn’t it strange that we can’t quite trace the responsibility for that money? It’s all very vague.

In the meantime, the politicians harp about tax cuts and tax increases as if they were the solution to our fiscal problems. Is it because the politicians already know that waste is a subject that no one in their ranks wants to address? That waste is built into the system and feeds the politically connected? It’s so much easier to divert the attention of the masses by accusing the ‘other side’ of raising taxes. There simply is no political will to change the system. Why?

Isn’t it odd that the only group that has a lower opinion rating in the polls than the president; the legislators, never seem worried about that fact? Why? And you want to belong to a political party? Don’t you feel a little bit, ‘dirty’?

OK. I feel better now. Nothing has changed but I have ranted a little bit and that’s always good. And I haven’t even looked at the headlines this morning! There may be more…

It has always been so...

"We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office." - Aesop

Random

Random photos from my day in the park; Bidwell Park

First...one that surprised me. I didn't realize that I had taken it. I like it. The redwood grove
unique
This house (opposite One Mile) has been under construction for 2 years...
Remodeling the pool at One Mile...
New posts up at Working and Good Eats

How Grand!

...Cat on my lap. Ack! This makes it very difficult to type, but I persist and she soon grows tired of the ‘Clack. Clack’ of the keyboard and wanders off to the guest bedroom for a snooze. But, like me, she’s a creature of habit and she will return tomorrow morning and we will go through the same routine.

And I’m trying to become habitual in my exercise routines. I got in a good 3+ miles yesterday, even with a ‘gimpy’ leg. When I left the house, my intention was to walk slowly through the park, favoring my leg. I was going to take pictures and simply enjoy the fall scenery. But… since my leg felt pretty good, I was soon into walking fast. I didn’t get into a full racewalking gait, simply walking very fast and stopping for photos every now and then.

This weekend in Chico features the running of the 33^rd annual Almond Bowl 5 and 10K. And I won’t be there. My official excuse is that I’m going to be in Susanville over the weekend, visiting son and grandchildren… but the truth is that I’m not really ready for it. Next year. Besides, I have plenty of t-shirts!

I don’t remember what linked me to the National Blog Posting Month website, but there I was and so I joined. A post per day for a month seems easy enough. I can do that in my sleep and some would say that I do.

As usual, I began my day with Time Goes By and found this…

“I don’t want to do anything that will change what I am physically becoming. I’m too curious to see how my face and body will age to do that. And if one gets caught up in the cultural and media imperative to behave in a younger manner than one feels, then the inner experience of getting old will be lost in the attempt to be something you are not.”

Amen to that. I, surprisingly, found myself becoming more curious than alarmed when I began to notice the effects of aging on my body. I had always wondered how old men with wrinkled faces shaved; now I know, and it’s really quite easy.

Sure, not all of the effects of aging are as benign as wrinkles and gray hair. But most are simply minor irritants in a grand experience.

Memories

Amazing. Another month has gone. October is history. And just saying the word, November, brings up images of dark and wet skies with warm fires. But, the forecast calls for another week of sunny skies.

I looked around the usual news sources this morning and read a few blogs, but I didn’t find much to excite me. So I guess I will spend some more time writing for my Working blog. Memories are always good.

And later this morning, I will take advantage of the nice weather and go out for a training walk. A slow and careful one. My right leg is feeling better, but it’s not fully healed.

Disneyland

Small World boats getting bigger to accomodate heavier riders -

Sad. And scary! Imagine being stuck in A Small World while they struggle to refloat the boat ahead of you. That could permanently damage your psyche!

More on mail

A good take on how to deal with unwanted mail...

B&E

Hit and run… Road TT and Road 39. Horse versus vehicle. Ouch! Yes, I’m listening to the scanner again as I look for material to fictionalize. And still amazed at the amount of activity at this early hour. Hit and run. Domestic violence at 5 in the morning? Fights. Car thefts. Breaking and entering. Yes. It happens. I guess I always thought that criminals stayed up late and then slept in till noon. Silly me!

And now this… “Subject fell from ladder, Orland fire responding.” It’s dark outside! What was he doing on a ladder? Let me think. Breaking and entering? Nah! That’s too obvious.

Late breaking news... now there are four (4) horses on the road at 39 and U.

You've Got Mail!

Somewhat as expected, I didn’t get an instant reply from Lowe’s when I sent them an e-mail of complaint. 24 hours passed. Exactly. And the note I received stated that the Chico store had been notified of the complaint and that they would reply… within 24 hours. I can hardly wait!

And speaking of e-mail. I think it’s time for me to start switching all mail over to my Gmail account. The obvious reason is that Outlook is a terrible memory hog. Second, when this hard drive fails, I don’t want to have to go through the Import hassle of repopulating my folders with the archived mail file and then spend days deleting most of it. And switching to Gmail will allow me to change ISP’s without a serious debate with myself. And last will be the fact that I can then access my mail from any computer.

I know you should be able to access any POP 3 account from Gmail, Yahoo mail or Hotmail; I’ve done it before, many times, but not with Hughes.net. I get an error every time.

And which ISP would I switch to? Satellite (Hughes) is still my only option. But someday there will be a real choice and I want to be able to switch in a hurry. I don’t want to worry about mail accounts.

Pass the ibuprofen!

Darn! I’m not sure what happened but my right leg is out of action. My training walk went well yesterday; all was normal and I did the 4+ miles at a sub 14 minute/mile pace. A good cardio workout. Afterwards, I stopped for a cup of chai at Bellachino’s and sat down to read…outside on the patio. And that may have been my undoing. It was chilly and my knee seemed to stiffen up because of that. When I got up to leave I noticed a slight limp and then it got worse as the day went on. By bedtime, it was downright painful.

It felt pretty good when I woke up and I made it into the kitchen as smoothly as ever, but now it’s bothering me again. So rest is good for it. And as much as I would like to say, ‘Tough it out, Steve!’ and then go for a fast 5K training walk, I really shouldn’t. I’ll take the day off. And lots of ibuprofen.

And I won’t be bored. There are plenty of things to do. Gary and I worked at the Seniors Thrift store yesterday afternoon, finishing up the storage shelving and moving boxes. Our plan was to spend this afternoon cleaning out the last of our temporary work area and converting it to sales. We also put a new roof on the building; paid to have it done. And one of my chores requires me to climb up and see how well they did before we cut the roofers a check. I think I’ll pass on that for today. Level ground is what I need for a day or two.

Why?

From an interview with Dr. William Thomas on Time Goes By…

“We human beings live a long time after our reproductive peak. This is no accident. Our species took the necessity of aging and, from that, refined the virtues of elderhood. Elders are an integral, biologically determined element of the human cultural fabric and it is time they understood this role and begin to play their part.”

That caught my eye and my attention. So many species are programmed to reproduce and die, but we aren’t. There is a reason. We’re not just here to use up space and oxygen. The problem for so many of us is that we don’t know why we’re here. We need to find out why… and not let old age simply happen to us.

Where's fall?

It looks like summer has returned. Good. We have to go to Susanville this weekend; I’m picking up the camper and returning it to the Planet Orland for the winter and so that summery forecast is nice to see. Going over Morgan Summit in the snow is not my favorite thing to do.

A quick browsing of the e-mail this morning gave me this… "I don’t think anything will change until Americans revolt and get it into their heads that they need to be informed voters instead of just listening to the paid political ads."DEBORAH PRYCE, a United States representative from Ohio who is retiring.

And I was reminded of the conversation I had with a friend, yesterday, and she told me, in all seriousness, “Oh, no. I don’t read. I don’t have time for that. I would never get anything done if I read.” And what percentage of the population does she represent? Sorry, Ms Pryce, it won’t happen in your lifetime.

And this; another invention idea to be given away, absolutely free! Except for the usual 10% of all profits from it. Cash, check or money order. No credit cards. So here it is… many electronic devices use flash memory, but what is needed is a device that will allow the user to easily access and edit the programs on those devices. For instance, a device that uses Bluetooth wireless technology (Or EMR) to access your cell phones flash memory and allows you to import numbers and names using a real keyboard. It would allow you to import ring tones from your own library of tunes. And it would work on all cell phones. Manufacturers could block access to the operating systems so that you wouldn’t accidentally ruin your phone by overwriting some critical code. And it wouldn’t be limited to cell phones; we’re surrounded by devices using flash memory. And electro magnetic radiation should allow us access to them without the use of wires and adaptors.

Complaints

I have a problem with Lowe’s. The local store just made it onto my personal ‘Don’t Shop’ list. Last Saturday, I had stopped at Bellachino’s and after I finished my medium chai, it was time to go to Lowe’s for some supplies for the Plant Barn; redwood for 3 new plant tables. I picked through the lumber until I had what I thought were the best of the lot, maybe $130 dollars worth of lumber, and I proceeded to the checkout where I had to wait. And wait. And wait some more. One clerk; on the phone and making sure he wasn’t making eye contact with any of the four people in line. About 20 feet away, at the Commercial Sales desk, another clerk yawned and also looked elsewhere. I took this for about ten minutes before I abandoned my cart in the middle of the aisle and left the store.

Now what? I had made a statement…sort of. But I still need the wood and must look elsewhere for it. The Chico Home Depot? I stopped shopping there because of the same type of incident. It looks like I will have to drive to Red Bluff and go to the Home Depot store there.

Speaking of ‘big box stores’, have you noticed that it’s almost impossible to find a Complaint Department on their websites? There is no reason to complain to the clerks in the store; the complaint will never reach the ears of anyone who might make a difference.

OK. I’m wrong. I found the Lowe’s complaint department and have sent them my grousing via e-mail. Wish me luck.

New posts on Short Laps, Good Eats and Working…