2008

So long 2008. Not everyone will agree, but I thought you were a good year.

Now it's time for New Year's resolutions. I only have one: I am going to work hard to CARE less. 2008 taught me a big lesson. The more you care about something, the more potential it has to cause problems, cost you money, and create pain. Roger and I used to discuss this when we worked at "Dolt Seafood". We called it "letting go of the rope".

Sometimes you CARE so much about something that you will push, pull, and argue to make sure it happens. This often leads to frustration and conflict. Emotionally, it becomes a tug-of-war. You versus others. By dropping the rope, you end the tug-of-war and set yourself free. You can only do this by Caring less about the issue on which you have become focused.

My focus in 2009 is going to be on my health. I need to eat better and exercise more. I'm 61 and I need to live at least to get Jack into College. If you do the math, that means I need to live to be 76 years old. I don't want these next 15 years to be existence. Jack is really active and I need to be able to be active with him. Diet and exercise are key.

I am also going to focus on people who care about me. I'm going to stop chasing customers, friends, and family who are too busy or too self centered to participate. This isn't judgemental. Maybe, they are happier or better off without my involvement. Good luck to them in 2009.

Finally, I am going to work really hard to make myself happy. This does not mean I am NOT happy now. Over the last 40 years I have spent too much time trying to make my boss, my wife, my friends, and my children happy. About half the time it worked. Almost nobody ever appreciated my effort. In 2009, I am focused on me. I'm in an "at risk" age group and life is too short to worry about things I can't fix. Happy New Year.

NEW YEARS DAY

All is quiet on New Year's Day.
A world in white gets underway.
I want to be with you, be with you night and day.
Nothing changes on New Year's Day.
On New Year's Day.
I... will be with you again.
I... will be with you again.

Under a blood-red sky
A crowd has gathered in black and white
Arms entwined, the chosen few
The newspaper says, says
Say it's true, it's true...
And we can break through
Though torn in two
We can be one.

So, what does it mean? The song has been written about many times. Officially, U2 says it is about the Polish "Solidarity" movement. The song was written prior to the New Years Day repeal of Marshal Law in Poland. This was the beginning of the fall of Soviet Communism. How could this song be have been written about an event in the future? Maybe it wasn't written about that event at all.

On New Years Day, 1969, a small group of Irish students, calling themselves the People's Democracy, began a March from Belfast to Derry. The March was modeled after Martin Luther King's Selma, Alabama March. It was designed to "confront" the Northern Irish Protestants and bring attention to the plight of Catholics in Northern Ireland. The march took four days. Along the route, Northern Irish Loyalist [Protestants] repeatedly attacked the Catholic student Marchers. On January 4 at the Burntollet Bridge 200 Loyalist attacked the Marchers with clubs, tire irons, and knives as the Northern Irish Police watched and stood by.

This New Years Day march began the all out WAR between the IRA, [Irish Republican Army] and the Ulster Loyalist. This was officially brought to an end with the Belfast Agreement of April 10, 1998.

The Band U2 is Irish. Ireland has been fighting for Independence from England since 1613, when the English Reformation brought Protestants to live in all Catholic Ireland. Ireland declared it's Independence from England with the Easter uprising of 1916. On Sunday, November 21, 1920, a group of English Auxiliaries [The "Black & Tans"] killed 14 unarmed civilians at Dublin's Croke Park. This day became known as "BLOODY SUNDAY". The financial support for the IRA War of Independence came from Irish Americans. The cover of the U2 album released with New Years Day in the UK is shown above. The cover of the album released in America is shown below. Note the word WAR in big letters.

Ask your self: Is U2 singing about Poland? Or, are they singing in support of the 400 year WAR with England to free Ireland of English rule? How can the songs Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Years Day be anything but the tribute to Irish Independence?

I think the band, U2, began as an Irish Band but wanted to expand their "Saleability" to UK and American buyers. To enable this they took their release of the WAR Album and repositioned it for European release with the song New Years Day supposedly about Polish Independence. This was done to increase sales in Europe and to prevent a UK band on the album. Regardless the lyrics and the titles seem clear.

Around the Holidays, people would ask my Mom if she would like some wine. She would always say, " I like that Irish Whine......why don't the British go home?"

I will be with you again. I..... will be with YOU again. Happy New Year.

JUST A WEE TASTE

This time of year always brings out the Whiskey. My mother and her mother would put whiskey in their coffee to "chase away the chill". As a kid, maybe 10 or 11 years old, I would sit with my mom and watch the snow fall out the window. She would give me, "a wee sip' of her whiskey to help fight off cold and flu.

So what is this whiskey? It is the Celtic water of life. The aqua vitae as the Romans called it, when they first came to the Celtic islands. In Gaelic it is called, "uisce beatha" and the English took the term uisce and made it whisky. Foklore says that it was invented / discovered by the Celts in Wales around 356 AD. The first written record was made in Ireland in 1405.

There are different kinds of Whisky. Scotch being the best known. There are Canadian whiskys and American whiskys. There is even a Japanese whisky that is a good copy of Scotch. Regardless, the one true Whiskey is Irish. Irish Whiskey is distilled three time in a column still and aged in wooden cask that once held sherry. The best of these are the "pure pot still whiskey." They are made of 100% barley and distilled in a copper stills.

When the original term Whisky was formed, to give an English name to the product then known as Usice or Uisge, all Whisky was called by the same name. Around 1870 the Scots were making a poor quality product and flooding the market with cheap watered down whisky. Irish distillers switched to calling their product Whiskey by adding the "E". Soon Americans did the same.

Today there are three major Irish Distillers, Midleton, Cooley, and Bushmills. But only Cooley is Irish owned. Bushmills, as me mum would say, is in the NORTH....and it's Protestant Whiskey. No REAL Irishman would drink it. Jameson, the Whiskey I grew up with, is produced by Midleton and owned by Pernod-Ricard.

Now I'll be havn a wee taste. And, a merry christmas to you all.

Home for the Holidays, St Louis style

Meredith and Colleen won't be with me this Christmas. Pam, Jack and I are going to Scottsdale to stay at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa. [See Blog below] Pam has her Spa appointment set for Friday afternoon. Meredith and Colleen went with their mother, Julie, back to visit relatives in St Louis.

The Girls planned to leave on Sunday morning. Yesterday. They were to fly from Orange County to Phoenix and then on to St Louis. They were flying Southwest and that usually means things will go well. The flight from John Wayne was late and they got to Phoenix late. I got several text messages from them about the stress of nearly missing the transfer flight. Mere worked her "magic" and befriended a Southwest employee who got them on the plane as they closed the door.

They arrived in St Louis late Sunday night. The Temperature was 9 degrees. Colleen agreed to take Pam's "serious" winter coat. Good idea for this trip. The Monday temp is supposed to be a high of 18 degrees. Tuesday and Wednesday will be slightly warmer with snow and freezing rain. That's a real St Louis Christmas memory. 28 degrees and raining ice. Ah.....good times.

But the real Star of the trip, at least in my view, is that Julie booked them a suite at the Ameristar Casino in St Charles. Now that says Happy Holidays. The Ameristar Casino is a floating barge on the Missouri River at the I-70 bridge to St Charles, Missouri. It's about 15 years old...but "recently remodeled". It is also about 12 miles away from the main reason they went to St Louis, Lloyd & Ann Terry.

Lloyd & Ann are my ex-in laws and two of the nicest people on earth. They are Meredith and Colleen's Grandparents. I can say that Lloyd & Ann are the BEST grandparents any kid could ever want. The girls spent many Saturday afternoons at "Grandmas" going to Walgreens and eating lunch on TV trays. They love their grandparents and I'm sure Lloyd and Ann feel the same way. I only wish they were staying with them and NOT at the Ameristar, 12 miles away.

I'm writing this to capture the essence of a St Louis Christmas Holiday for years to come. Meredith and Colleen can add comments to this Blog and keep us all up todate on the "good times". Give Lloyd and Ann a hug for me! Merry Christmas.

Kalifornia Dreamn of a White Christmas

Yesterday was really cool. Like about 42 degrees at our house in Irvine. The 50 year storm I told you was coming, came to Los Angeles. Pouring rain is always enough to scare half of Southern California off the roads. With it came snow in the mountains around LA. If you drive into LA you know the only way to get here is to drive over a pass through the mountains into the LA basin. The I-5 was closed. So was the I-15 from Las Vegas. Trucks were stranded on the roads.

The Port of LA is big on importing products from Asia. 95% of the stuff that arrives by ship is loaded on to a truck to be sent out to Amerika. Likewise much of the food and other stuff consumed in Los Angeles is brought into LA on trucks. All those trucks came to a halt yesterday when the Snow closed the Freeways.

Me...I loved the old fashioned pre Christmas winter show storm I grew up with in Minnesota and St Louis. Happy Holidays.....are you dreamn of a white Christmas?

KIERLAND RESORT

It is almost time. Next week we are driving to Scottsdale to spend four days at the Westin Kierland Resort. Here is a link: http://www.kierlandresort.com/golf_spa/index.php

We have been going to the Westin Kierland for the past four years. It is the perfect winter "getaway" Resort. The hotel is on the Kierland Golf Course and it is stunning. Next door is Kierland Commons with all the shopping and Dining you would ever want.

You can start your day with a good Breakfast and then head to the pool. Spend a few hours reading or go to the Spa. Then take a Nap and get ready for Dinner. The next day....do it again.

It seems like only YESTERDAY

It is that time of year. My Birthday is next Monday. I will be 61 years old. I still feel like I did when I was 15. I think your body ages but your self image reaches a high water mark and then you stay there inside your head for the rest of your life.

I've learned a lot over the last 60 plus years. All kinds of things have changed. There was no Internet or even computers when I was a kid. No cell phones. All this stuff has grown up with me through the 1950s, 60s, 70s and on.

People haven't really changed much. OK, maybe the people have changed but human nature has stayed about the same. As a teenager I was always disappointed on my Birthday. My expectations were always higher then the reality. Last year was about the worst. I was turning 60 and wanted my daughters to come visit. They passed. It still upsets me. Maybe this year will be different?

When you get to be this old you have to look ahead. How many more Birthdays do I have? My parents lived to be 80. They were not very good at staying healthy. I'm thinking I can live to be 85. That would be 2032. Jack would be 27 years old then. That sounds like a good goal. To live to be 85. I'll update this every year to see how close I come.

WINTER

Winter is coming to Los Angeles. The day time high for Saturday and Sunday is supposed to be in the 50s. Nights may get down to the high 30s. Local weather people are saying this is a "50 year storm" coming to Southern California. Brrr, this is not the Southern California we know and love. Advisories are out to bring in pets and sensitive plants. We may have....FROST.

WINTER SOLSTICE

It's the most wonderful time of the year. I copied this photo of Santa vrs Jesus from Cody's Blog. I had to laugh. Nice work Cody. I'm proud of you.

You can call it by many names. The Chinese call it, Dongzhi and it was originally an end-of-harvest festival. Today, it is observed as a family reunion over the long night, when pink and white tangyuan are eaten in sweet broth to symbolise family unity and prosperity. We call it Christmas after the christian holiday that was substituted to replace the pagan Solstice Festival. Our Celtic ancestors drug dead trees into the cave to set on fire to bring back the light of the fading sun. What ever you call it you need to know the truth....it is WINTER SOLSTICE.

This Holiday began 10,000 years ago when people understood that the sun was getting weaker each day. Fear of the cold winter and starvation made them perform rituals designed to bring back the sun and make the plants grow. It was not uncommon for people to starve through the winter waiting for Spring to return.

As time has progressed and we have become smarter. We understand the seasons and don't fear Winter Solstice the way they did so long ago. Still, we celebrate. Some in that Wal-Mart fake kind of way and others in a more traditional way. All of us understand it will be ok....Spring is coming out of the dark winter. Happy Solstice to all.

The WERNER AA10

Our new Home is a Condo. It's perfect but we don't have a basement. Growing up we ALWAYS had a basement. It was the place to store important junk that we used only once in a great while. Camping stuff, Christmas ornaments, my Dad's sawed off shot gun. That kind of stuff.

Our Condo has an attic. We were told when we bought the place, "Do not store things in the attic". The furnace/air conditioner are up there and there is supposedly ...NO SPACE.

Turns out there is quite a lot of space. Over 100 sq feet on a platform of 3/4 inch plywood. It's room for a service man to work around the furnace if needed. We took 20 sq feet and used it for storage. The only problem, how do you get into the attic.

Wandering around Lowes I found the Werner AA10. Wow it was too good to be true. A real telescoping ladder that will fit an opening 22" X 22". We bought it and set it up over two evenings. I did much of the work. Pam and Jack helped by asking questions and staying out of the way of falling tools. It works really well.

You get a pole to reach up and pull down the ladder sections. Sweet. Easy to work and strong, like Bull.

MORE....."Better late then never..."

OJ gets 15 years in Nevada prison. What? Does this seem fair to you?

Ya, I know he killed his wife and got away with it.....old news. The legal system was wrong then too. But 15 years for what? Telling another guy to hold a gun on another cheeseball scum bag.

What happens in Vegas...Stays in Nevada State prison. Guess the Goldman's are happy.

PROP 8 THE MUSICAL

If you haven't seen this you must go look.
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c0cf508ff8


Hollywood has joined the fight....late. The vote is over and NOW, they make fun of Prop 8. Where were you lazy fucks during the debate?

A week before the vote, we called the "NO on 8" Office to get a No on 8 sign for our home. They were out, but we were told....we are getting more printed. Pam and I went to Staples and made our own signs.

I am convinced this No on 8 campaign was lost because so many people just did not vote. The thinking was....Obama will win Kalifornia...so I don't really need to go vote. What happened is: every Black person in Kalifornia vote for Obama and 73 % of them voted YES on 8. They were told by the Black Ministers that..."Queers getting married is against God's law." No place does it say that...check the 10 Commandments, Bible, etc. And, Black people being discriminated against is soooo... wrong but it is OK with Blacks to discriminate against Gays. Brother, I'm so pissed off about this....fuck!

Now....a month after the VOTE was lost, the Hollywood actors, [25% of which are Gay] decide to make fun of Prop 8 and create this Musical........better Late then never I guess.

AUTO BAIL OUT...one more time.

No, NO, no no no. Do not give GM or Chrysler any money......NO! How can BMW and Toyota grow profitably while GM loses money? Mercedes Benz attempted to make Chrysler profitable and failed. The Germans failed to make it work.............DUH. It is a loser. Do not give them more money.

Regardless of what is said, I will not buy a GM or Chrysler automobile in the future. I think the companies are poorly managed and the Auto Workers are lazy poorly educated idiots who do not care about quality.

I thought about this today on my way to work. I did not see a single GM car on the road. I thought what would it take for me to buy a GM automobile? It would mean that BMW stopped making cars. That Volkswagen had gone out of business. That Honda and Ford had folded. Then and only then, would I consider a GM car.

In 2007 BMW made 1,541,503 vehicles. GM produced 9,349,818. Yet, BMW made money and GM is looking for a Government bail out. Don't do it. GM can not manage the money they make now.

Support vehicle brands that produce quality cars and trucks. Let the losers close.

MY OFFICE

The Office I work in sucks. I'm not talking about my job. My job is OK and the Company is OK too. I'm talking about the Building and Office in which I work. It is just plain awful.

My current office is at 16700 Valley View Ave in La Mirada, California. We moved here 18 months ago and it has been terrible. Our Company had a wonderful office located about three miles from my home. Everyone in our Office complained about the location because it was too far to drive....except for me. We looked for a new office to rent that was cheaper and centrally located. We got both. Now the office is 25 miles from my home. It is cheaper but that isn't a good thing.

Our Old Office was in a brand new Office Building up in the hills over looking Orange County. We had a fitness center, and kitchen, and cable TV. Parking was never a problem and there was a Deli in the next building. Sweet ! Our new office is in a 25 year old building in a warehouse district. We have a room we call the kitchen. It has a sink with no hot water. On cool days it is cold in the office. We complained yesterday after a week of working in our coats and they checked. It was 55 degrees in the office. The Men's Rest Room is frequently closed for repair. A month ago, it flooded water down the hall. There is no food or vending equipment in the building.

In short the Office and the Building sucks. This morning I came to work and the doors would not open....even though I have a pass key. The ground floor of our Office Building has a "Medical Office". This is really a drug testing center. The people who wander around the building are....what you might expect at a drug testing center.

The issue here is NOT the Building. The problem is the Office Management Company. They are OPTIMA Asset Management. You can go to their web site to read the Blah blah blah. http://www.optimaasset.com/ The short version is they do as little as possible and only respond to a problem after you complain twice in writing. They want all complaints sent to them by email. The person who answers the email quit and now we don't get answers.

12/7/1941.."a date which will live in infamy "

December 7, 1941, was my parent's generation, 9/11. As a kid I remember them retelling stories of where they were when they heard the news that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor. News traveled more slowly in 1941 and most of the urgent news was on the radio. They would say, "We interrupt our regular programing with this urgent News report...The Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii." WOW, the impact was as powerful as the morning I sat and watched the second plane crash into the World Trade Center.

We should all know why the Japanese attacked. The Japanese had grown into an industrial country. In the process, they need more and more resources to maintain their production economy. A faction in the Japanese government believed the only way to secure these resources was through invasion. The Japanese began by invading Manchuria and then China. Later they invaded French Indo-China [Vietnam]. The English and French interest in Asia were not being watched as War developed in Europe. The United States cut off oil sales to Japan in an effort to stop the military expansion in Asia. This led to the plan to bomb Pearl Harbor and destroy the US Fleet.

As a result of the bombing, the US declared War on Japan and later Germany. The Bombing of Pearl Harbor brought America into World War II. It is important that we remember this event, why it happened, and how America responded. There is a lesson in this pain. More importantly, we need to remember each year for those who fought to defend our country.

The PRESS

It looks like the traditional Newspaper is near death. Nobody seems to care. I grew up reading the newspaper. The Stars & Stripes, the Post Dispatch, the Rocky Mountain News, USA Today, and the LA Times.

Nearly every day one of these PRINT MEDIA [ the new word for newspapers] is cutting staff and closing offices. Small town newspapers are nearly gone. Big city papers are close behind.

The people we call the news people, The PRESS, got their name from the Printing of newspaper. Soon they will have to change the name to the BLOG or the WEB. The PRESS will be long gone.

If you are not buying a newspaper, you won't miss a thing. It has been over 400 years since the invention of movable type that newspapers have been printed. Are they doomed? Will the Internet kill the newspaper?

A HARD RAIN

"Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley,
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall."
Dylan 1963

There sure is a lot of Doom on TV, the Internet, and in the paper. Yes, I am one of the last 12 people on Earth who reads a Newspaper. Soon, they will be gone too. But enough of my crusade about the newspapers. Back to Doom, things don't look good.

I Blogged earlier about the EOTWAWKI, the end of the world as we know it. As I read more each day I'm convinced of two possible situations:

A] Things are bad and the world will be forced into a global depression.

B] The Financial Sector of the Western economy is a mess, but things will be the same.

Over the recent Thanksgiving Holiday we did a little shopping and went out to dinner. Things looked busy to me. I did not see any negative economic impact. There seems to be a disconnect between the NEWS and the Life I am leading. Maybe things are not as bad as the News people say?

Yesterday I read that we have been in a recession for almost a year. They say the recession started in December of 2007. Again, I know the news has been bad, but things have NOT been bad for a year. We bought a new home in October of 2007 and that was about the end of the new home boom. Not many new homes being built. I do see apartments being built, so there seems to be some construction work around us. Still, things just don't look so bad.

Read Peggy Noonan's article about this at: http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html

So, the economy may just be OK, or it is slowly sliding into a deep depression that we may struggle with for a decade or more. The best advice is to be careful what you spend and if you have a job, quietly look for a second one. The old Boy Scout motto is still the best. BE PREPARED.

THANKSGIVING 2008

I just want to say, thanks. I am the luckiest guy on earth. I have had a wonderful life and my future looks even better.

I was lucky to have Bill and Mary Helen for my parents. I never appreciated them enough when they were alive. As I have gotten older I understand the sacrifices they made and how much they cared about me. I knows it's late, but thanks Mom and Dad. You were great and you made me what I am today.

I have also been lucky to have Greg Manning for my friend. Greg and I sat next to each other in Physics at Austin High School. We became friends and room mates in College. Greg was best man at three of my weddings. After 40 years, Greg is the person I have known the longest and he has always been there when I needed him. Thanks Greg, I am really sorry I missed the plane back in 1970.

I have been lucky to have great children. None of them went "wrong" and got into serious trouble. They were all smart, if a little hard headed. They have made me proud to be their father. Jennifer, Kate, Meredith, Colleen, and Jack are all wonderful in their own way and I am thankful for knowing them.

I am lucky to have met Pam Olroyd. We met by accident at the Onion in Urbana, Illinois. She had a broken toe and I was sitting in on her job interview. Bob "Splanet" never understood us. We knew within the first five minutes that we hit it off. From Gin Blossoms to the TPS report, Pam understands me and appreciates me like no other person I have known. I'm proud she is my wife and I love her more each day. Thanks Pam for being....perfect.

My life has been wonderful and I do not take it for granted. I am really thankful. Thankful for the tree house my Dad helped me build in Omaha. Thankful that my Mom made me punch Pat Bowler when he chased me home after school. Thankful that Dad taught me to drive on the Autobahn and Mom taught me to drink Irish Whiskey. Thankful that Pam hasn't complained about the price of Gold. It's all been great and I am really thankful.

LA AUTO SHOW UPDATE

So we went to the Auto Show. we got there just after the doors opened on Saturday. It was CASH ONLY....brother.

We walked it and it was cool. The lay out was much bigger with less cars and more walking around area. I took some photos:

HEAD LIGHTS

STEERING WHEELS

HOODS

SEATS

TIRES and WHEELS

And the Lady who could not read the sign in English....Keep off of Display. We saw Ahrnold, Der Govenator in the Porsche Display. Er sprach mit dem Porsche represenatives, auf Deutsch.

The LOS ANGELES Auto Show

It's that time again. Time to go downtown and walk around to look at new cars. Dad used to take me to the Auto Dealers back when I was a kid. They would have grand openings to show the new cars. This happened in October each year and they served coffee and cookies. Dad and I would go look at the new cars and stand around with the guys.

Later, as Dad and I got older, we would go to the Bel-Clair fairgrounds back in Belleville to see the new cars. It wasn't much of an auto show...kind of small. Regardless, Dad liked to walk around and look at the cars and it always reminded me of those early years when we went to the dealers.

Dad is gone. He never got to see the LA Auto Show. I'm taking Jack and Pam this year. I want to start a new tradition with Jack going to see the new cars and standing around with the guys. The LA Auto Show runs 11/21 thru 11/30 at the LA Convention Center. Kids under 12 are free, but they will have years of memories.

PRIDE

There are moments in a father's life that really make it all worth while. Nobody understands this but the parents, who have worked so hard to help make their children's lives a success. I never understood my Mom when she talked about these moments in my life with her. Sorry, Mom...now I get it.

As I write this, tears roll down my face thinking of the day Colleen passed her drivers test. She tried and failed but came back and did it. I was so proud of her. I was proud of Meredith the night she ran on the stage to help Colleen sing her song in the Christmas Play. I was proud of Jennifer when she graduated college, in spite of a family history of problems. Last night I nearly burst into tears when Jack went "potty" on his own. He has worked really hard to be a "big boy" and to stop wearing diapers. He was soooo proud of himself and I am so proud of him. If my Mom was alive, she would agree. It is these little things that make being a parent wonderful.

In the name of GOoD

Caution...I am writing about atheism. If you believe Bill Maher you can continue to read. If you believe in the invisible man in the sky.....do your self a favor and skip this post.

Billboards have been popping up all over the country. They say, "don't believe in god....you are not alone." Talk radio and the Internet are buzzing about the New Atheist attack on Amerikan values. Many secular humanist, free thinkers, and hard line atheist are smiling. Finally, EQUAL TIME. Yes....

For all of my life I have had to sit through prayers and other forms of worship at public gatherings. I have seen enough nativity scenes and crosses to make me puke. Now a new billboard campaign is creating a panic. The Christian Right want these billboards taken down. Apparently, they worry that their followers might read these signs and jump ship. The truth is, the signs are there to just say, "it's OK to not believe".

Non-Religious persons are not trying to convert anyone. All we are saying is it is OK to believe and it is also OK to NOT believe. A recent USA Today/Gallup Poll found that 53% of Amerikans say an atheist is "disqualified" from being elected President. The same poll said 43% believed a gay person would be disqualified. It is currently acceptable to discriminate against a person because they are NOT believers. Further polling data shows that roughly 15% of Amerikans consider themselves to be atheist or freethinkers.

It is time to talk openly about non-belief. Like gays coming out of the closet, those who consider themselves to be atheist, freethinkers, humanist, or at whatever need to speak out in the name of GOoD.....with the extra O. Proposition 8 passed becuase the religious voted together.

Don't yell FIRE......

I was reminded of Jim Morrison...."Try to set the night on fire". The sky glowed red at night as all around Los Angeles, the mountains burned. It was nearly as bad as the Portolla fire of October 22, 2008. Then the fire burned down off the mountains and within blocks of our home. The air was too thick with smoke to breathe. All of greater Los Angeles area was covered with a dense brown cloud of smoke.

Most of America and the world do not understand these fires. They begin with the Santa Anna winds. This is when the wind switches from blowing west to east. Normal wind flow in Southern California is off the ocean and on to the land. This makes the area cool most of time. But, sometimes when High Pressure is over the Arizona and Nevada desert, the winds reverse and blow off the desert back west to Los Angeles. These winds are forced through narrow canyons where they increase due to the "venturi effect". This is like holding you thumb over the end of a garden hose. The same pressure forces the water, or air, out through a smaller opening at a faster rate. Winds increase to 70 mph and the humidity drops.

The humidity this past weekend was 6%. The temperature was in the 90s and the wind was blowing at gust of 50 mph. Fires erupted from any spark and fanned by winds spread out over thousands of acres. Embers from the fires blow in the wind and land on homes. New fires begin and embers from those blow further and start new fires. Like a burning swarm it spreads over miles within minutes jumping over fire trucks and across freeways into subdivisions.

I called my friend Logan Saturday. He owns a home in Carbon Canyon in Brea. All I got was a fast busy signal. I watched TV coverage as they said the entire area was on fire. Today I spoke with Logan. He said the phone went out when the heat got so hot that the telephone poles burned. He spent Saturday night on the roof of his home running sprinklers to soak himself and his house.

The evidence suggests that these fires have been happening for a thousand years. Warm dry wind and lightening created fires long before man moved to the Region. Now that California is nearly 38 million people, the potential for fire and fire damage is much greater. We need to face the fact that the Fire Season is here to stay. There is a huge opportunity for companies to develop new and better fire fighting equipment.

BOND AS BOURNE

Yes. It was great.

I know there have been bad reviews for the new Bond movie. Regardless, it was just plain great. Yes it is NOT the same old cheese we used to see in a James Bond Movie. Thank god these new Bond Movies are darker and much more interesting. I think we all owe it to Robert Ludlum and the Bourne Books. Those were dark, and the movie versions were very much as dark as the books. Now Bond has returned to his original "thug" past. Bond is not a fancy pants gadget guy. He is a tough, no frills, assault oriented blunt force that gets results.

Anyone crying about these new films can watch "24" to get their feeling back.

THE US AUTO INDUSTRY

It is a sad day for the US Auto industry. You did not have to be too smart to see it coming. Do you drive a Chevy or a Ford? Do you know anyone who does? Well, there you go. The US Auto industry has been dieing a slow death for 40 years. Is it a surprise that they are in "trouble" now?

As a kid my folks owned Fords. When we lived in Germany, my mom wanted a Mercedes to bring back to America. My Dad, bought a new 1963 Chevy. He ordered it and had it shipped to Germany from Detroit. It was cool to have a brand new American car driving on the Autobahn. The German cars were small and slow. We brought that Chevy back to Minnesota and it became my first car. It had a 283 cubic inch V-8 and a Three speed standard shirt. It was fast and fun to drive.

My first new car was a Volkswagen Bus. I bought it in 1971. It was a white pop top Camper Van. It was slow but very cool. VW Micro Buses were the cool cars for hippies and college kids. We camped in it and drove it all over the Midwest. My next car was a VW Convertible. It too was cool. During this period, in the early 70s, Ford, Chrysler and GM did not offer anything nearly as cool as the VWs. They had big station wagons, Impalas, Ford 500s, Dodge Chargers....but no Micro Buses or Bug convertibles.

The US Auto industry laughed at the German and Japanese cars being sold as small and slow. Then on October 15, 1973....just 35 years ago, OPEC decided to stop shipping oil to the United States because of our support for Israel. An oil and gasoline shortage began. There were long lines to get gas and stations with no gas to sell. Prices doubled. Suddenly, Volkswagens and Toyotas didn't look so stupid. Experts began to predict that the world would run out of gas by the year 2000, just 27 years away. Millions of Americans traded in their Fords and Chevy's for Datsun, Volkswagens, and Toyotas. The US auto industry was put on notice. Make better small fuel efficient cars, OR, lose the market.

What began as an "ipod event," the buying of "cool" import cars. Soon became a shift in consumer preference and the beginning of the end of the US Auto industry. Import car makers saw this trend and jumped on it with new and better cars. They not only got better mileage they had better warranties and more equipment. Import cars had FM radios and tape decks at no extra charge. They had four speed floor shifts and bucket seats were standard. The Hondas, Volkswagens, Datsuns and Toyotas were better cars at cheaper cost. Everybody knew this by 1980. Still the US Auto industry turned out crap for cars. The Vega, the Pinto, the Maverick, the Omni. None of these copy cat domestic cars even came close to the quality or performance of the imports.

People who bought these first imports moved up with these brands to the cars we have today. The Bug became the Rabbit and then the Jetta. The Civic, became the Accord and then the Acura. The Corolla became the Camry and then the Lexus. American Motors, the home of the Pacer, folded. Chrysler got a federal loan and made the K-Car. It was a flop. Little by little the US Auto makers gave away their market to the imports by not building quality smaller cars.

Today, I drive BMWs. They aren't cheap but they are small well made high performance cars. They come with a great warranty and good dealer network. My last American car was a Ford Mustang in 1985. It was fast but rattled and was load at speeds over 40. Our BMW 325 Convertible is faster, better made and quieter.

The US Auto industry needs to be allowed to fail. They had 30 years to fix the situation and they didn't do enough. They were out designed, out produced, and out marketed by the imports. To give the US Auto industry a "bail out" is like giving them a reward for fucking up. It's a mistake. Let them fail, reorganize and hope that one good car company survives to produce the better American cars of the future. Think about this: Germany a country the size of Texas, makes Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche. Japan, a country the size of California, makes Honda, Toyota, and Nissan. All of these bards are built in the US today.

Weekend Update

Loverboy said it best....Everybody's workin for the Weekend. Last weekend was just great. Jack, "CC", [The Camp Counselor] and I went to the movies. Jack has been watching the commercials for Madagascar 2 and kept saying, "daddy is going to take me to see the movie."

This was Jack's first real movie at a Theatre. I was concerned it would be too crowded or too load. We went to Irvine Spectrum. It was showing in IMAX but I thought it might just be too much for him. We got there early and bought popcorn. Jack went Potty and we were ready. When it started there were way too many previews and Jack looked like he was losing interest. Finally, it started and Jack laid down on Pam's lap to watch.

The movie was OK. Jack seemed to like it. I was happy the event went well with no problems.

The rest of the weekend was just about perfect. It was cool and fall like. Temp in the low 60s and sunny...of course. We went to the car wash and then to MacDonald's. Jack finally got up the nerve to climb into the "Hamster Cage" play area. He went up and disappeared into a red tube. I was sure this would end badly, but it didn't. He came out all smiles after playing with the big kids.

We all went home and took a good nap. Wow, what a great weekend.

Queers have rights too....

Pam makes a really good point today when she points out the failure of the "NO on 8" campaign. Go to: http://pamelamayberight.blogspot.com/

It was always an uphill battle. But, to underestimate the Power of the Catholic and Mormon churches was just plain stupid. These people have faced hard times and won, over and over and over. They plan well and communicate well among themselves.

The "NO on 8" campaign came to a gun fight with a knife. They were out organized, out spent, and out smarted.

Now they are fighting a legal battle. They may win. Protest is good but do you really think Drag Queens will sway voters? Re-think this. Look at the Black movement and take emotion and "flaming" out of the decision. At it's heart, this is an equality issue. Look at Flavor Flav above and Barrack Obama....who was elected President? I'm jus sayn...

The Obama Effect

Obamamania....everyone is just a little nicer, prices are a little lower, people are spending just a little more. It's a new day, in a new way....everything's coming up roses.

People seem happy. Glad to be alive. Proud of themselves and our country. How long will this last? Maybe forever? Lets all work together to try to keep this going. This is one little thing you can do for your country and your self. We will call it the Obama Effect.

Try to be just a little nicer, say hello and good morning to people you don't know. Hold the door for someone. Don't complain all day. Tell people you meet that you like they way they look. Spread the smiles for miles.

Back in 1968 we used to flash the "Peace Sign." Two fingers in a V that says..."Be Cool, take it easy, dig it"

If people say, "what's up with you....tell them, Hey it's the Obama Effect." Everythings coming up roses for me and my gal.

Time to try a Third Way

Now that the election is over, I want to be clear about the distinction between CONSERVATIVES and REPUBLICANS. They are not the same, and never has the difference been more clear.

A Conservative, according to William F. Buckley, is not to be confused with a conservative like George Bush. Buckley liked to use the capitol C to denote "real" or true ideological Conservatives. In his view, and my own, the current Republican Party has abandoned the core principals of the Conservative movement. In there place, the NeoConservatives substituted christian dogma and a social conservative agenda. This shift to the social right and away from basic Conservative policy led to over spending, financial collapse, and mismanagement of government.

Real Conservatives do not legislate morality. They are not interested in Gay marriage or Drug law. For a real Conservative, Federal Government has a very limited role: national defense, a court and legal system, monetary controls, and foreign policy. Nearly all other matters can and should be controlled by cities and states. It is not a Federal issue to control who marries whom or the sale and use of drugs or alcohol. It is estimated that we spend 45 million dollars a year on the "War on Drugs." Even so, anyone who wants to get high, can and does get high. This money would be better spent on education at the state and local level.

Now is the time for true Conservatives to speak out and change the Republican Party or merge with the Libertarian Party leaving the religious right behind. Keep in mind, John McCain received 56 million votes. There are more then a few Conservatives out there ready to support a political party based on cost affective limited Federal Government with a balanced budget.

For all of the emotion in the election of Barrack Obama, one truth remains. The Democratic Party has a long record of supporting Federal Government as the "solution" to all of America's challenges. Big government is expensive and it does not work well. Federal programs, regardless of the best intentions, are rarely successful and always over priced. The Democrats, like the Republicans they replace, do not have the long term solution to our challenges.

It is time to consider a "third way." The Libertarian Party is America's third largest political party, founded in 1971 as an alternative to the two main political parties. Their vision is for a world in which all individuals can freely exercise their natural rights over their own lives, liberty and property by building a political party that elects Libertarians to public office, and moving public policy in a libertarian direction. Go to: http://www.lp.org/

Boooo

It's Halloween. I'm going trick er treating with Jack the Pirate and the Camp Counselor. They carved their pumpkins and tested them last night. It rained today, just a little, so Fall is in the air. Jack dressed up for Pre-school in his Pirate costume. I told him to say "Arh" or "shiver me timbers". He didn't get it. He kept asking why? Ha ha ha

Meredith was supposed to come home. Her blog says she is too busy with school. I haven't heard back from Colleen.

iRock Omama

Looks like I was dead wrong. It does not happen often but it has happened before. I could not imagine Amerika electing a inexperienced Black Liberal as President.

I think I went wrong when I expected McCain to run an independent campaign. He moved Right when he was just fine in the Center. I think he was chasing the Christian Right Wing vote. Too bad for John. Regardless, I think this is good for our country. The Proposition 8 fight here in Kalifornia has me convinced that we do not need 4 more years of the "Moral Majority" or what ever the Crazy Christian Right calls themselves today. These people are not Conservatives. They are narrow minded uptight haters of anyone who does not agree with them. Real Conservatives want less government and don't care about government involvement in social issues. Marry whomever. Stop fighting the Drug War, it's a waste of time and money.

I'm certain iRock will be our next President. He has done a good job of NOT making mistakes and he seems like the favorite in Europe. I'm still not sure he is UP to the job but I am convinced that we can not have more Republicanism as we have seen it. So, having a smart Black guy, doing on the job training, can't be worse then what we have been through with George.

The thing that did it...pushed me over the edge....was the iRock speech in the rain on Tuesday, 10-28-08, in Chester, PA. The photo above is from that speech. McCain had canceled his appearance due to really bad weather. Some suggested Sara might get those expensive clothes wet. So iRock put on his jeans and said, "let's do it" He stood there, in the pouring rain, with 9,000 supporters and gave his speech. Rain soaked. Water running off his face. He was saying...I'm in this with you....100%. The jeans were a nice touch.

Bond, James Bond

I grew up reading Ian Fleming. I read all his James Bond books before I was 16. At the time I lived in Germany. My father worked for the US Air Force Security Service. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Air_Force_Security_Service They were the raw data collectors of random electronic messages. Dad never explained his job or what he and his staff did in those buildings surrounded by machine guns, guard dogs, and barbed wire. I knew Dad wasn't a spy. This was during the cold war, in the 1960s and the spy business was a big part of the US Military. Reading Ian Fleming and living with Dad in Germany, shaped me as a person.

In 1962 the first James Bond movie came out, Dr. NO. It put into pictures the books I had read and added to my development. Dad never went to see the movie. He laughed at spy and war movies, like he did at military parades. He always saw it like there were two kinds of soldiers, those who were in parades or movies, and those who were killers. He was a killer.

Regardless of my respect for my father, I loved the James Bond books and later the movies. I think I have seen every one at least three times. On November 14, 2008 the new Bond movie opens in America. I think Daniel Craig has done the best job of all the actors who have played the Bond role. He is confident and not so.....polished. Bond, in the books, was more like Dad then like Roger Moore.

Pam, get a sitter. We are going to the mooo-veys November 15.

In a FIX

I was driving to work on the "5". It is really Interstate Highway 5 but in Kalifornia we just say "the 5".

Traffic was stupid as usual. The left lane was full of women putting on makeup driving 60 mph in their Mercedes. The number 2 lane was full of pick up trucks with guys eating while they drive 55. Just another dumb shit day on the way to work. I was flying along in the right lane at 80...the slow lane where nobody drives. I came up behind a truck and prepared to change lanes when a flat piece of metal, about the size of a pizza box, flew up and hit the front of the car. BAM. The metal piece bounced up and hit the hood and then slammed into the windshield. It flipped over the roof and landed behind me on the road.

When I got to work I looked at the damage. Part of the grill was gone and there was a long scratch across the hood and a dent. I called my Insurance Agent and reported the incident. State Farm has been my Insurance company for years. They have great service and never complained about me having my car stolen or when I totaled the motorcycle. They suggested I take my car to FIX - Auto for an estimate.

I thought this was a joke. FIX - Auto? What a dumb name. I googled them and found they were a big company. http://www.fixauto.com/en/usa/index.html They have network dealers in the US, Canada, and Europe. I went to the Fix - Auto in Irvine.

Fix - Auto in Irvine is next to a cement company near the District. When I got there the "receptionist" said fill out the form. I did a half ass job of entering the basics but I had a bad feeling. A lady was waiting to pick up her car and the guy was saying how sorry he was that it was late being done....by a week. I waited. Kyle Wilson came out and introduced himself. We went to look at the car. Kyle asked how I was doing and I told him I wasn't sure. He asked why? I told him I wasn't sure about having my car worked on by FIX - Auto. He told me they were a big company and they had dealers in France. I said, "So, what?"

Kyle took his time and after 20 minutes he told me to leave the car and they would finish the estimate and email me a copy. I rode home with Pam and Jack. I did not feel good about leaving the car. Later I checked email for the estimate....NOTHING.

The next day I waited until about 10:30 to call. Kyle said he still was not finished with the estimate but would send it via email. I waited and kept checking email....Nothing. By this time my original doubt had turned into concern about these guys. I really could not see how they could paint anything with the cement dust in the air. Moreover, I had not seen any other BMWs or German cars in their shop or on the lot. By 2:00 PM I sent an email to the Manager of FIX -Auto. I needed an estimate or my car at 5:00 PM.

Again, nothing happened. At 4:00 I called the Manager. He had not read my email. Like most idiots in America, he only reads the jokes and stories about Britney Spears sent to him. I told him I needed my estimate. He said they were taking the car apart now. WHAT? Taking the car apart. Why? He said they had to check for hidden damage. I said, "BULLSHIT, that car better be ready at 5:00 when I get there."

The car was ready when I got there. It was covered with cement dust but other wise OK. My guess is they have too much business and they stall people to keep them from going to another shop. Regardless, they are idiots and they should not paint barns with all the cement dust in the air. My advise.....don't go to FIX, unless you want to be in a FIX.

Can I buy you a drink?

The legal drinking age in the United States should be 19 years old. I am asking you to support local, state, and federal changes to the current law.

“The legal age for alcohol in the USA is 21 years old. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 required all states to raise their minimum purchase and public possession of alcohol age to 21. States that did not comply faced a reduction in highway funds under the Federal Highway Aid Act. The U.S. Department of Transportation has determined that all states are in compliance with this act. The national law specifically prohibits purchase and public possession of alcoholic beverages." This law is little more then extortion in the threat of with holding funds unless the state and local communities agree to a One-size fits all age limit.

The current legal drinking age in Europe is 16 in Restaurants and 18 overall. In Latin America the legal drinking age is 18. Only Japan and Iceland have higher legal drinking ages, at 20, and the United States is almost alone with a legal drinking age of 21. No other country on earth has a higher legal drinking age then the United States.

• Only Muslim countries and the United States have the legal drinking age of 21.
  
• The 26Th Amendment to the US Constitution established the legal voting age at 18.


• The current legal enlistment age to join the US Military is 17 years old.

Does anyone find these facts to be nearly impossible to believe? Only Muslim countries, where alcohol is basically banned, have the 21 year old legal drinking age. Canada is 19 and Mexico is 18. You can join the Army at 17 and carry a machine gun, but you can not drink.

High School students should not be drinking and sharing alcohol with peers. This leads to the traffic deaths that brought about the national law. But, once you graduate from High School you are expected to become an adult. You either work or attend college with older co-workers and peers. This leads to alcohol related issues. Responsible 19 and 20 year olds are forced into situations where they either break the law or opt out of social situations because of absurd drinking laws.

We need a responsbile law if we expect responsible citizens to follow the law. The current 21 year old age limit is stupid.