YOU'RE FIRED

Oh great, last year when I mailed some New Year's cards for a friend who was vacationing in Singapore, some of his friends thought he returned early just to mail the cards. Ha! No it was just me trying to help out but this year I forgot. Don gave me the cards in mid-December and I placed them with the rest of my Christmas bags only to be forgotten. December 26th came and went and on Dec. 30th at 3:30 PM, thirty minutes AFTER the post office closed I remembered the cards and probably only because I received a late Christmas card from a friend in Boston. When I placed it with the rest of the cards I had received I spotted Don's bag of New Years cards. YIKES! This time his friends will wonder why the cards were late.

Troubling news out of Bangkok today as a number of explosions on New Years Eve, possibly the work of anti-coup people (P.M. Thaksin supporters) killed two and injured a number of others. These occurred in areas of the city that I am familiar with. I will have to monitor this situation closely as I leave next week for Thailand although Bangkok is the final stop of a three city visit. Hopefully things will have settled down by then and that these New Years incidents were only intended to create mass chaos. Heck, the celebrants at World Central Plaza where I go frequently did not seem to be too concerned and did not want to leave when the police told them to do so for their own safety, so could things be as bad as some people might think? The King and the interim P.M. have a touchy situation on their hands anyway. If I have to skip Bangkok and extend my stay in Pattaya or Chiang Mai I am not going to be too upset.

Ride (and listen) in Peace

I totally agree with the sentiments expressed by the following letter to the editor from Moraga:
-----

"I believe it is time for BART to consider cell-phone-free zones in their trains whereby cell-phone users be limited to certain cars on the train (maybe the first and last cars) and the rest of the passengers can ride in peace and quiet.

Nothing is more annoying than being subjected to others' inane and insipid personal phone conversations. It is the worst kind of sound pollution."

-----

And while we are at it, how about having all theatres from the Opera House on down block cell phone signals since so many clods can't seem to remember or don't care to turn off their cell phones during performances. It also seems that walking on the sidewalk can be somewhat difficult as cell phone users and iPod users get so wrapped up in their toys that they block the sidewalk and act like they are the only ones there. #%&*#$%@&$#

EARTHQUAKE WARNING?

OK, I know we have a lot of small earthquakes in this state however when two within three days occur on the Hayward fault, the one overdue for a very destructive quake, it might be time to worry and get prepared if we are not already prepared for "the big one". Is it coincidence that these two quakes both occurred in the same location on the Hayward fault and were of the same magnitude? Did they relieve pressure on the Hayward fault or did they just make it possible for more movement to occur soon and movement which might result in a quake stronger than 3.2? While I am used to small quakes in this region I found it difficult to get to sleep last night thinking that the big one could be right around the corner. In fact, I will be checking my earthquake survival kit this weekend. Actually, I don't have one so I need to get some things together very soon.

Here is some more information from the USGS regarding earthquakes in California during the past week. Please note the two at the top of the list in Berkeley.

UPDATE: Now there was a third quake at 9:21 AM today in the same location with a magnitude of 3.5 and then a micro-quake in the same area at 2:23 PM with a magnitude of 1.6.

Record temperatures

In checking record temperatures for December, I find that I would have enjoyed it in San Francisco on 12/12/58 when the temperature reached 74 degrees. However, 12/09/72 would have been a different matter with a low temperature that day of 24 degrees. Brrrrrrr....... The most interesting high temperature was the 105 degrees recorded on 7/17/88. Fortunately I did not realize how hot it was as I sat in the sun for several hours at Stern Grove that afternoon. I knew it was hot but not THAT hot. Only did I learn of the record temperature upon returing to the car and turning on the radio. It was at that point that I almost fainted. Ha!

Holiday time and it is chilly in San Francico

They say that the temperatures are below normal. Well, regardless, I desire to be in a warmer climate and will be in about three weeks. In the meantime there are several events on my agenda. The first will be a gift exchange with my favorite bartender tomorrow afternoon. Then the owner of the bar hosts a pre-Christmas dinner on Friday from 4 to 10 PM. On Christmas Day I will be with former roommates in Oakland who apparently will have some extra added guests visiting from Malaysia. At least that is what the rumor is. Then it is on to New Years Eve Countdown to 2007 hosted by Tita Aida. A week after that I am outa here on my way back to Thailand for another three weeks. After that I MIGHT be returning to my former employer for extra work during the Tax busy season. I have to check in with them immediately upon my return home as my tentative start date would be the first Monday following my return. First, though, I have to overcome the cold or bronchial condition which laid me up all weekend and made me feel like hell. I feel much better now but my nasal passages are still rather congested. I wish I could sneeze more often as that seems to shake everything loose and make it easier to blow my nose afterwards.

Such a fool...

What is the matter with George W. Bush anyway? Is he God's failure? Did God not give him any brains or is his incompetence the result of being an alcoholic earlier in his life? Tonight he says on the news that he will not do anything that will lead to defeat in Iraq. Well duh, hello, where the hell does he think we are now? We are already defeated there. In order for this country to win we would need to understand the culture of that country and Bush no more understands that than he does how to build a space ship. Can we really tolerate another two years of this idiot?

Rabble Rowsers

Oh here we go again. More local leftist fools who think that impeaching President Bush is the most important thing for Congress to do. Worse yet, they think that Rep. Nancy Pelosi and soon-to-be Speaker of the House should be recalled if she does not start the proceedings. What a laugh! Bush has only two more years in office and cannot run for a third time so get over it you nit wits. There are far more important things for Congress to do and should impeachment proceedings be under way, nothing else would get accomplished during that period. As for recalling Nancy Pelosi is she does not follow the "will of the people", I ask WHAT people. Yeah, there was a meaningless opinion survey on a recent San Francisco ballot but that was really all it was as city elections are not part of the impeachment process. Nancy is right to steer the middle ground and try to work with both parties. These people to do not live in the real world.

Gloomy Day in the Bay Area

It was not only the skies that have been cloudy all day, but our hopeless and hapless football teams both lost again. As for the 49ers, send them to Santa Clara or wherever Dr. York wants as they are not doing this city any good. As for Al Davis, send the Raiders back to L.A. and at the same time send Mr. Davis to the LaBrea Tar Pits for permanent disposal. It is his monstrous mess at the Coliseum that will probably mean that Oakland loses the A's, the only winning time the area has at the moment.

This seems to be an area of losers these days. Due to the virulent anti-war group, not only will the Navy not commission a new ship here but the Missouri will not be be brought here as a museum piece.

Then we no longer stand a chance of getting the Summer Olympics due to the less than dynamic duo of York and Newsom and their many fumbles all over the field.

Then of course we have the on-going problem of bums and vagrants wandering our streets all over town, littering and trashing the sidewalks and cars parked in the areas. The smell of feces and urine permeates many doorways. Even the obnoxious odor of hot tar and its foul smelling creosote is starting to smell good these days when compared to the human waste here. The open sewers above ground are getting to be too much. Why do tourists even bother to come here anymore anyway? It really is discouraging as San Francisco has the dirtiest streets of any city in the U.S. or other countries that I have visited. Oh, sure, I know there are worse places although I have not been in them, but for a major American city to be so shabby in appearance is inexcusable. Even the condition of street and highway paving is the pits. Oh enough, this could drive a man to drinking and in fact, it already has. (burp)

Quiet before the storm

It was a dark and stormy night...well, not exactly, as it is still daytime as I write this but it will be a dark story night as a significant storm is apparently headed this way. There is even the possibility of a thunderstorm in all of this. Well, tonight I will be thousands of miles away in Spain via the San Francisco Opera's production of Carmen at the War Memorial Opera House. At the moment, however it seems eerily quiet in my apartment building. I probably shouldn't jinx myself but I am wondering where my noisy neighbors are at the moment. Ha! One good thing about these storms, our temperatures have moderated considerably from a few weeks ago when it actually felt like winter was coming on.

My Christmas shopping is almost complete except for adding some small items to two "care packages" I am creating for friends. I should be able to complete those things during the next two days I hope as one gift will be delivered on the 21st and the other sometime just before the weekend of the 23rd/24th. I know there is a fair amount of time left but I do not like leaving things to the last minute especially when I am subject to change the contents of a gift.

I still have not solved the sound problems with this computer since my upgrade to Windows XP. Even Arlen Specter at PC World Magazine apparently can't come up with an answer. Oh, I have sound, in some things but most of my Windows system sounds such as mail notify for example, do not work. Nor can I view a website with an imbedded news story and hear the sound from the news clip. The video is fine however. Also, if people send me e-greeting cards, the graphics work but the sound that is supposed to accompany the cards does not play. I have uninstalled and re-instaled the sound card drivers several times but nothing has helped. This is an annoying little problem which is driving me up the wall. It is also driving me to drink. (BURP!) Oh, excuse me. Gotta run now... See ya...

Schmidt a Dodger???

Oh say it isn't so! We lost a youthful and very good pitcher and then carry the burden of an aging Barry Bonds for another year? What is the matter with the Giants management? Will this come back to haunt the Giants when these two teams play each other in 2007? On the good side, Rich Aurelia is returning to the team.

Brilliant Idea

Say, here is an excellent low tech solution to a dangerous problem in Iraq.

Odors in Bus Stops

What is it with some people in government and big business who want to do silly things and ignore the important things. I speak here of the idea of adding the odor of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies to various bus stops in San Francisco. How about just getting rid of the smell of urine and feces left behind by the city's many bums??? That would go a long way towards making the city a better place to live.

Bush & Co.

Although Mark Morford's column in this morning's SF Chronicle was about the Abstinence/Sex Education program as administered by the Department of Health and Human Services, I really liked his description of the Bush administration which applies to everything it has done: "The Bush government is all about restriction, contraction, containment, self-righteousness and pain." The only thing I wonder now is how much more pain can this country suffer before it falls apart completely.

Update

Since my previous post about the so-called "black Friday", I am informed it is called that because merchants operate in the black on that day instead of operating in the red. OK, I can accept that. What would be depressing for me is to get caught out amongst the frantic shoppers who operate like there is not tomorrow. This is gross commercialism run amok. Not only is that is depressing but it puts me in a black mood also.

Black Friday?

How did that name originate when referring to the first official day of the Christmas shopping season. For those who just arrived on this planet, it really refers to the stock market crash and great depression which began in 1929. I don't think you could call today a depressing day unless it was the fact that people got up too early to go shopping and that there were too many of them.

Now, about a quality of life issue here in San Francisco. This is a platform that Gavin Newsom ran on when seeking the post of mayor but a lot of things in this area have gone undone. One of the most persistently bothersome things to me is the proflireration of dirty, empty, and vandalized news racks by the dozens on many streets. Many of them block access to the sidewalk from parked cars yet when I discussed with a friend the possibility of removing many of them, I was told that to do so would be infringing on "freedom of the press" rights. Well that is b.s.! How can the removal of unused news racks prevent anyone from publishing something euphamistically called a newspaper?

I do not propose the total ban of many of these worthless garbage cans which is what most have become but I do think the city should hold the owners and publishers of whatever publication liable. There should be a "use it of lose it" law. That is, the owner or publisher must maintain the rack in a neat and orderly condition and keep it stocked with whatever publication they are producing. To not do so would result in a fine and or removal and disposition of the unused and dirty racks cluttering up our sidewalks. Now, is that difficult? I think not! As it stands now these unsightly racks are a big part of much of the visual polution that resides in this city.

As for another major problem, the one of dirty sidewalks, why can't business owners or building owners sweep off their sidewalk each day and collect the garbage left there during the day and night? Doesn't anyone take any pride in their city? No, I don't expect things to as spic and span as Singapore but neither do I expect so many areas to look like a slum in progress. Again a simple law is all that is needed. Keep the sidewalk in front of your business or building clean or else the city will do it for you but bill you for the expenses. Many of these sidewalks need not only sweeping but steam cleaning and disinfecting. There are just too many black as well as brown spots and smudges out there. I wonder what I am tracking into the apartment at times. The streets and sidewalks of San Francisco have got to be the dirtiest I have encountered anywhere in this country, Europe, and Southeast Asia. I am not saying that they don't exist somewhere but a modern American city should be able to do better. What is the problem here? City government or lack thereof? Homeless people? Possibly and if so that bring me to another problem which I won't go into at the moment.

The Good, the bad, and the ugly

The Good: Rudolph Giuliani is considering running for president in 2008.
The Bad: Maris Arnold of Berkeley thinks it is still a good idea to impeach President Bush (Chronicle , Letters 11/14/06). Never mind that that would bring normal congressional activity to a halt or that Dick Cheney would become president should Bush be convicted. That would be going from the frying pan to the fire. Yuck! Of course, it might also make Nancy Pelosi Vice-President. Now THAT would be interesting.
The Ugly: Extremist Christian Evangelicals who believe that backing Israel is doing god's work. Read the story by clicking here. If there is to be a WWIII, it will probably be because of Muslim and Christian extremists.

Computer problems

Computers...you gotta love 'em or hate 'em. Well, not really but after upgrading my five your old Dell Dimension 8200 from Windows 2000 Professional to XP Professional, I am about ready to pull my hair out or go mad or both. The transition worked fine except for one thing. Sounds do not work as they should. The sound card is OK because log-on and log-off sounds play, my music files play, videos people send me which are played via the Windows Media Player have sound, BUT, if I view a media website and there is a news story imbedded there, the sound will not play even though I can view the video. Also, mail notification sounds and some other system sounds do not play. E-cards sent to me will not have any sound either even though it is supposed to be there. Oh, by the way, those computer system sounds that won't play when they should, can be played manually if I open the Media folder and click on them. So what in the world is going on here Mr. Gates??? Anybody??? And to make matters worse my old sound card and its drivers are no longer support by Santa Cruz Turtle Beach. I just wish I could remember what I did earlier this week that had everything working as it should for a few hours.

Ah, Sweet Victory of Life...we've found you.

The sleeping giant of the U.S.A. has finally stirred from its long sleep and being fed up with the three headless horseman running roughshod over everything and everyone, has moved to reign in the excesses of that team and take a new direction. Hopefully the new congress will be able to work with the opposition (Republicans) and restore dignity to what was once a great country respected around the world. The war in Iraq, however, could still undo Democratic gains if they don't play their cards right. The most pleasing thing to me however in this election is that now one of our own, Nancy Pelosi, is about to become the Speaker of the House, the first woman to do so and the first Italian-American. Being a "liberal San Franciscan", this is the worst nightmare of conservative Republicans come true. Now will the Republicans be able to work with Democrats to do what is right for the country?

Halloween in the Castro

I have a suggestion for our esteemed (yuck) Board of Stuporvisors: cancel the Halloween Party (?) in the Castro, announce to all that there will be no celebration in 2007, establish an 8 PM curfew for the area and all non-residents will not be allowed in the area. Also, all SF residents on the street in the Castro after 8 PM that night must carry a pass, obtained for a nominal fee and issued by local businesses hosting "private" parties for people in costume. Those not in costume would be required to pay an additional (penalty) fee at the door. I think those regulations should take care of the looky-loos and gang problem.

To Be a Republican...

This was sent to me yesterday by a friend but the original source is unknown. It is very relevant however to today's situation.

To be a Republican:

You need to believe:

1. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.

2. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy
made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, and a bad guy
when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.

3. Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with
China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

4. The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest
national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq .

5. A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but
multi-national drug corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind
without regulation.

6. The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches,
while slashing veterans' benefit and combat pay.

7. If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

8. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then
demand their cooperation and money.

9. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health
care to all Americans is socialism. HMO's and insurance companies have the best
interests of the public at heart.

10. Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but
creationism should be taught in schools.

11. A president lying about an extramarital affair is a impeachable offense, but
a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid
defense policy.

12. Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution,
which includes banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.

13. The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George
Bush's driving record is none of our business.

14. Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a
conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your
recovery.

15. Supporting "Executive Privilege" for every Republican ever born, who will be
born or who might be born (in perpetuity.)

16. What Bill Clinton did in the 1960's is of vital national interest, but what
Bush did in the '80's is irrelevant.

17. Support for hunters who shoot their friends and blame them for wearing
orange vests similar to those worn by the quail.

If you don't send it to at least 10 other people, we're likely to be st uck with
more Republicans in '06's and '08's.

Friends don't let friends vote Republican!

Pocketfull of notes (and dust)

When are city officials and gay community leaders going to get their act together and put an end of the rowdy Halloween celebrations in the Castro? Some act as if the world would come to an end if these annual events were terminated. Well, it is not but the big problem now, after so many years of them, is how to prevent outsiders from even going there even if there is no event. Somehow I think security could even be more of a nightmare under such circumstances. Oh well, just raise the drawbridges and enact Martial Law for the night. Oh, that is right, our bridges are not draw bridges. Oh well, an 8 PM curfew might work. HA! And as it turns out there were outsiders in the Castro this year in the form of some gangs from other parts of the city. How do you keep them out?

I haven't been to the Castro at Halloween in years and personally I don't like large crowds and barely tolerate the Gay Pride Celebrations at the end of June but at least the parade and Civic Center events are held in the daytime which leads me to wonder if part of the problem at Halloween is that it is at "nighttime". Why do people go bonkers after dark anyway? Well, it seems like some do but it is really the outsiders who are the problem. The teenagers and those in their early twenties, who are not gay, and who come just to drink and bash gay people. You would have to profile everyone who enters the area to stop them and that may not be possible. SO END IT ALL I SAY. Enough of these rowdy, dangerous events which results in injuries and property damage and much extra expense to various city departments.

I personally prefer small events in places where I know people. They are the fun events and we don't get the riff-raff of outsiders and other trouble makers in those places.

Now the other big problem of the day is the election coming up next week with its host of deceiving ballot propositions and less-than-truthful politicians. How does one vote without making things worse than they already are? Since it is corporate America that really runs things how can we expect arguments for and against various ballot measures to be truthful and helpful? My rule of thumb is this: Unless there is a compelling reason to vote for something, I will vote NO. 1A and 1B will get my yes vote but can't think of any others at the moment. Most ballot measures are so poorly written that they do more damage than good and then some get overturned by the courts or people don't like the results and re-introduce the same or similar measures year after year until they get the result that THEY desire. Another thing I do not do as sign petitions to put propositions on the ballot as I certainly do not have the time to read and analyze such propositions in my supermarket's parking lot.

Another problem facing us is John Kerry. Since he is not running for anything why is he spouting off on National TV especially in front of a live audience where there is no chance of squelching some words that he did not intend to utter. At this point he probably has only helped the Republicans but I hope voters have enough sense to overlook his gaffe.

One final note...a number of years ago when I first became aware of Rev. Al Sharpton, he had said or done something which irritated me but as I have become more familiar with him and his philosophy over the years I have no trouble referring to him as the "Reverend" All Sharpton whereas I cannot call Jerry Foulwell or Pat Robertson by such titles.

Gotta run now and get ready for a busy day...lunch with former co-workers, a haircut in mid-afternoon, and then a private happy hour ("cheap wine night") as a friend's place.

My favorite ice cream shop in Paris. 

I have now been at home since Saturday evening and am beginning to catch up with everything in the way of mail, shopping, laundry, etc. Now if I could just get this apartment straightened up a bit so it is presentable but that is an on-going project vacation or no vacation. Yuck! My photo files are now much bigger as a result of this latest journey and it will take me awhile to get things sorted out there so that I can post some new photos at my photo website.
Since one of my strong interests is trains (mainline and urban transit) I spent considerable time at various railway stations in Paris and also took photos of trains in Rouen, Chartres, and Dijon as well as historical places in those cities. Today I must get busy and return to a normal schedule and get back into my gym routine before I do anything else. I also need to cut back on my food intake as my weight (around the middle anyway) has been creeping up once again and I fear I have undone much of what I accomplished at the gym last year.

Winding down

After nearly two weeks in the Paris region my vacation is winding down. Friday, the 20th, will be my last day here. It has been a great time but I am tired, tired of walking that is and my back is aching at times. I will need another vacation when I get home. Ha! Anyway, day trips via train to Rouen, Dijon, Chartres, and Versailles added to the activities. Almost booked a day trip to London via Eurostar today when I was in Gare du Nord but I disovered that the weekday RT fare is considerably higher than the weekend. Darn, why didn't I investigate that last weekend? It is about a two hour journey each direction so by leaving on the first train of the morning from Paris, I could have had a full day in Central London. Oh well, the next time I will know if I should ever return this way.

The opera at the Bastille on Wednesday was excellent. Catherine Nagelstad sang a superb Salome in one of the most thrilling operatic performances I have ever heard.

Also heard a very nice organ recital at Eglise de Madeleine on Sunday and a very nice program of Mozart's music at Notre Dame on Tuesday evening. Then this morning I encountered a bonus of sorts. I happened to wander into St. Germain des Prix church and found someone practicing on that organ so I got to hear that organ for the first time.

Well, that will about do it form here. I will have a ton of photos to sort through when I get home and hope to be able to post some to my other website at www.irving2004.net. I have taken so many that I even had to buy a fourth memory card today to keep myself going.

Notes from afar

Here I am on day five of my vacation in Paris with five more to go. Activities have included a concert of music of Mozart, Vivaldi and Schubert at Iglese de Madeleine, Mass at Notre Dame and two days trips out of town via train. The first was a return to Rouen northwest of Paris via standard Co-rail equipped train. This was my second time to that city. The second journey was via TGV to Dijon, southeast of Paris and that was my first visit to that city. This afternoon I will attend an organ recital at Iglese de Madeleine and Tuesday night I will return to Notre Dame for another concert of music of Mozart and then go to the Opera Bastille on Wednesday night for Strauss' "Salome" with Catherine Naglestad and Chris Merritt in the leading roles.

Except for returning to the Eiffel Tower and to Versailles I have done everything I wanted to do on this trip. The Eiffel Tower is doable any day but Versailles will have to wait until at least Tuesday as they are closed on Mondays.

Westfield (again)

Westfield Construction Site 

Please note here that the dome (wrapped in white plastic) rests on stilts as it awaits contruction of the new Westfield Center around it. In this early photo the old Emporium Office spaces facing Market Street had not yet been removed. A later photo would have shown simply the rear of the Market Street facade.

Emporium - NOT

Why is it I keep hearing people refer to the newly expanded Westfield Mall as a remodeled Emporium. It is not. Sure, the front facade on Market Stret was retained as was the dome but everything else is brand new and I have at least one picture in my files to prove that and show you what the site looked like during early stages of construction when there was no there, there.

Interior of Westfield Shopping Mall 

There are days and then there are days...

Why, with all of this news about pedophiles and child molesters do I suddenly hear the old song "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" as sung by Maurice Chevalier when he was of advanced years? Hopefully my mind is tying together things which are unrelated here but still...

As for Rep. Tom Foley, what an idiot!?!?!?!?!? What did he think he was doing? As a gay man I must condemn his actions just as much as anyone else. When you are in the public trust in Congress this is unconsciosnable that this would be done by anyone. My biggest regret however, is that this person's actions might give the extreme right and other unstable types, excuses for attacking gay people in general and Tom Foley is NOT representative of Gay America however I doubt that Jerry Foulwell and others will be convinced otherwise.

This is enough to drive a man to drinking and that is what I did tonight as I said good-bye to some friends at my local watering hole. Good-bye because I will soon be leaving for Paris for ten days. I have not been there since September 2001 and really look forward to this journey.

I am still marveling over the newly expanded Westfield SF Shopping Center and returned today to buy some things at Bristol Farms Grocery. Their deli counters (yes plural) are to die for. At least they provide me with an additional reason to go downtown and pig out. Ha!

Guess I will go out again later tonight as I want check in with Kiyo. I said good-bye to Savio earlier tonight but still need to see a few other people before my departure.

Hopefully the world will not fall apart during the next two weeks, nor the next five months either, so I can complete my scheduled vacation journeys.

Open for Business

Interior of Westfield Centre in San Francisco. 

This was the long awaited grand opening on Thursday Sept 28th of the expanded shopping mall. It is a very impressive place and I will return but right now I want to wait until the crowds thin out a bit. It was packed on Thursday by the lunch hour. My favorite parts are the food court and the Bristol Farms grocery on the lower level. They are have also done a beautiful job of attaching the old Emporium dome onto the new building as well as cleaning it up. In some ways it reminds me of the fairly new Siam Paragon Mall in Bangkok which I like very much as well.

Either this building has ptoltergeists or the ghost of Sally Stanford is now hauting it. (This lot is where one of her houses used to exist.) My new neighbor upstairs is fairly quiet but there are time when I think he is not home that I will still hear noises I cannot identify especially around four o'clock in the morning. Those sometimes wake me up but I never hear anything aother than what sounds like tapping noises or some light object being moved around. It is definitely not footstep and believe me, I know when his girl friend is there. Should I beware of things that go bump in the night???

Coup in Thailand

I am saddened by the recent turn of events in Thailand and hope that the situation will quickly resolve itself. What worries me most is that should it drag on or turn ugly and violent that the U.S. Government would use it as an excuse to intervene in the internal affairs of the country and that would only make matters worse. I sent an e-mail to a friend in Bangkok yesterday and received a quick reply. My friend said he is fine and that it is quiet there. In a country that depends so much on tourists it would be a shame if this were to drag on and kill the goose that laid the golden egg. Thailand has made so much progress in recent years and has developed very nicely. I and many others would be highly distressed if everything came unraveled all because of one renegade politician (Thaksin).

Here is the latest from the Bangkok Post.

More news.

Sorry?

So the pope is sorry for the "reaction" to his remarks but apparently not sorry for having made them. There is a difference there folks. Is this the same old German Rotweiller that we have all come to hate over the years? Is he trying to re-instigate the crusades of which the Catholic Church is so guilty of. If extremist Muslims have conducted crusades in the past, we must not forget the sins of commission and omission by the church in Rome either.

Pocket full of notes, but mostly lint

After enjoying the opening of the opera season last weekend I must wait an extra week before hearing the second production. Actually, Un Ballo in Maschera was the opening night opera but I was not there that night. BTW, the review for it were not as good as for Die Fledermaus. My viewing of Tristan und Isolde has been delayed until the 22nd of October because I will be in Paris on the 14th. However, while there I will get to see Salome with Catherine Nagelstad and Chris Merritt at the Paris Opera (Bastille Opera House).

A good friend of mine indicates that I make a mean Cosmopolitan (Cosmo for short) which is dry and not too fou-fou. The ladies might like something sweeter but he doesn't so we will have one of our periodic private Happy Hours at my place. We also have "cheap" Happy Hours which consist of some inexpensive (but usually good) red wine the from Bargain Bank store on Polk Street or from Trader Joe's.

My recent physical exam turned out well especially with my low cholesterol reading. Only one area of potential concern with a recent partial blackout so an Ultrasound has been ordered to check the carotid arteries. Hopefully they are not constricted, that the brief partial blackout was due to dehydration but one question remains in my mind. If one becomes dehydrated, does one suddenly get an intense headache on both sides of the head which lasts longer than the blackout sensation.

I am really looking forward to the opening of Bloomingdale's and the expanded Westfield San Francisco Shopping Center. That willl happen on Thursday, the 28th of September.

Well, I must get my ears lowered so I am outa here for now.

Die Fledermaus

The 06/07 opera season at SFO got off to a good start last night with "Die Fledermaus". The women excelled in this cast with Adele sung
by Jennifer Welch-Babidge and Rosalinde sung by Christine Goerke in her SFO debut. Both women must return ASAP. Christine Goerke has a big powerful but fluid voice which ably handled the florid passages in the Strauss score but she also sings heavier roles such as Chrysothemis, Elizabeth (Tannhauser), the title role in "Ariadne auf Naxos" and Senta in "The Flying Dutchman". She seemed to be the
audience favorite if my applause meter was correct. Jennifer Welch-Babidge was bright and perky as Adele. One of her roles is Olympia in "Tales of Hoffman" and she even borrowed from that last night as she "ran out of energy" in one aria and started slumping over but revived moments later although no one wound her up as Olympia would have been. Her other roles include Marzelline (Fidelio), Norina (Don Pasquale), and Violetta (La Traviata).

On the male side I believe that counter-tenor Gerald Thompson (a Merola graduate and now an Adler Fellow) was outstanding as Prince Orlofsky. This was the first time I had ever heard a counter-tenor in that role. Baritone Wolfgang Brendel, not heard here in a number of years, still has beauty to his voice that has not been marred by the years in opera. Unfortunately the role of Eisenstein does not permit long sustained lines so one cannot hear him at his best. He sure was athletic in the jail scene as his jumped on or over chairs and shimmied up pole and did other acrobatic stuff. Speaking of the jail scene, we have the speaking role of Frosch which was deftly handled by Jason Graae making his SFO debut. He waltzed his way into the act with a broom, sweeping the floor at times and carressing it at other times finally ending that bit with a reference to Broomhilda. Other jokes included a reference to the fact that the jail looked better when Martha Stewart was there but this jail was complete with is own orchestra but they were in the pit. He then walked over to
the edge of stage, made a few remarks about that which elicted groans and mumbles from the members of the orchestra. He did reveal however, why they were in the pit. It was due to so much "sax and violins" (ugh, more groans). He also remarked opera being in so many languages and even in English it was difficult to understand, at which point he walked to the edge of the stage to look up at the Super Title screen to see what he was saying.

The one gag that got the most laughs was Prince Orlofsky's entrance. As the Russian prince entered his first lines were sung in Russian with Super Titles projected in the Cyrillic alphabet. By the way, Prince Orlofky's entrance also involved two Borzois dogs which he had on a double leash but quickly handed off to someone else.
A couple of negative notes on this performance. The tenor Vale Rideout, making his SFO debut, was less than desirable. I did not like his voice at all. His is a graduate of Merola and appears to have run into vocal problems since then. He was unacceptable as Alfred and unless he improves will be unacceptable to my ears in any other role. Also early in the first act there were a few moments when it seemed
like Donald Runnicles could not keep the orchestra and singers together.

It was a fun filled evening and a nice way to begin the new season. It is a sad commentary on contemporary life however when pre-curtain announcements must be made before every act regarding pagers and cell phones. The first one however was a funny one. That one was made by General Director David Gockley who referred to the revenge of the Bat which would be nothing compared to the revenge that your seat mate would deal out should your cell phone ring during the performance.

OK, I am still here but not sure why or where or whatever. I've been preparing for a vacation journey to Paris as well as other locales and I have been doing a lot of reading. Also, a friend in Vallejo had rotator cuff surgery recently so I have been commuting up there to help him get to the doctor's office and with shopping, etc. The one thing I have learned from this is how restfull and easy it is to take the Baylink Ferry from the Ferry Building in San Francisco to the ferry terminal in Vallejo. Then my friend's house is an easy commuute on a Vallejo Transit bus from there. That ride is about a ten minute ride. The ride on the ferry is approximately 55 minutes in duration so I get more reading done there as long as there are not a log of rug rats around. I ran into that situation last Saturday when the lower deck of the Bay Bridge was closed and the ferries were running at capacity. I was the last one on the 10 AM ferry from Vallejo. I should have waited for the 10:20 AM ferry which would have been less crowded and probably would have had less kids as it was not going on to Fisherman's Wharf.

My reading recently has been mostly non-fiction. At the moment I am into the last few pages of Dark Ages America by Morris Berman. Next up will be American Theocracy by Kevin Phillips. Politics in America has really been frustrating in recent years and these books only confirm my worst nightmares. I can only say that I am glad that I not 20 something now. The future is bleak indeed.

Do we really need this?

Oh, great what will they think of next? Now electronic gadgets are invading the bathroom.

Bad guys

Here is a good example of what is wrong with this country. In my childhood days, this would have never happened like this but if the assailants were THAT belligerant, then they would have simply had a knock down drag out fight with the person trying to intervene, but come back and kill him? FOR WHAT? What the friggin' hell did that prove except how stupid and ruthless they were. There are just too many such incidents these days. Recent shootings in San Francisco have happened in the 5th and Mission garage and at Fort Funston. It seems like there are less and less safe places in this crime ridden city.

Strange story

Ok, so John Karr has an accident in which JonBenet Ramsey dies. If so, why does he wait ten years to reveal himself in this? This has got to be one of the strangest stories in recent years. If he was known to the family, why did it take this long to reveal anything, by anyone? Did Mr. Karr suddenly have a fit of guilty conscience? He certainly didn't seem to have a guilty conscience or feel any remorse ten years ago. What is different now? Or, as some people suspect, perhaps the whole story is a lie perpetrated by someone who might have known the family but who was and is mentally unbalanced who is now simply seeking some attention. As as why the heck did he have to run to Thailand? Why not Mexico, or the Netherlands, or some lonely South Pacific Island? I despise people like this who take their problems out of the U.S. and foist them upon the good people of other countries.

Password change???

What is the world is going on here at blogger.com? I have had this account for over a year with the same log-on but all of a sudden my Robo Form program which remembers log-ons and passwords wants to apply my Google account log-on and password to this account. Why is that happening? If I try to "correct" that then I end up with a Blogger log-on and password being applied to my Google account. What are these folks up to anyway? :-(

Bigger, more powerful, less costly, etc.

I think many of us are familiar with how much prices have come down with computers over the years and how much more you get for your money. I am wondering, however, how many have thought about the advances in digital cameras? As I was inventorying some equipment tonight I noted that my first digital camera, an Olympus D-400-Z with a whopping 1.2 megapixels cost me $619.95 in May of 1999 but my Panasonic DMC-FZ7 with 6 megapixels cost me $399.95 in March 2006. My workhorse, the Canon G6 with 7.1 megapixels cost $529.95 in June 2005, still less than the first generation Olympus. The cost of memory cards of whatever type keeps coming down and the storage capabilties keeps increasing. This leaves me wondering how small they can build things while increasing the quality and the storage capabilities. While the unit prices keep coming down, photography still remains an expensive hobby for people like me especially since so much of it involves a lot of travel. What I really need is the transporter from the Enterprise ("Beam me up Scotty.") to save time and money. (Oh, how I hate those 13+ hours to Southeast Asia.)

Don't believe it

What you see is not always what actually took place as we learn from this news story.

Can it be done?

This is an interesting concept, a non-hijackable airplane. It is too bad that it has come to that but they may be onto something there.

As for the DVD format wars, I, for one, will not invest in either format until one of them has died. This is a repeat of the Betamax/VHS format war all over again. Thank god the FCC in the fifties had the sense to choose one system for color TV over several competing systems so we did not have to deal with that issue. This issue, unfortunately, can't be regulated by the FCC so I am wondering how long it will take to sort this all out.

Words to surf by...

TEN COMMANDMENTS OF THE INTERNET

1. Thou shalt not buy merchandise found in pop-up ads or spam.
2. Thou shalt not post thy email address, phone number, address or social security number to the internet, nor shalt thou post anyone else's.
3. Thou shalt not forget to update thy Windows every second Tuesday.
4. Thou shalt not connect to the internet without installing an antivirus, nor shalt thou begin a scan without checking for updates.
5. Thou shalt not connect to the internet without installing a firewall.
6. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's credit card number, nor his bank routing number, nor his social security number.
7. Thou shalt not enter thy credit card number without seeing the tiny padlock icon on thy status bar.
8. Thou shalt not reply to the email from the Nigerian banker.
9. Thou shalt not forward chain letters to thy friends and family.
10. Thou shalt not use "password" as thy password, nor thy birthday, nor thy children's names.

And remember, if you want to make sure that your computer is running fast, stable, and secure, go to PC Pitstop to scan your computer.

Happy Wanderer?

Could global warming have something to do with this unusual sighting in the Hudson River?

Opening Soon

Thursday September 28th is apparently the date for the grand opening of the expanded Westfield San Francisco Shopping Center which includes the new Bloomingdale's store. That should be quite a place. The original shopping centre at 5th & Market has been doing very well since it opened and is very busy most times so that bodes well for the expanded version. My only question is about the inclusion of the cineplex in the project. We already have 16 screens at the Metreon one-half block away. Why add more when there are not more and different movies to display there? It doesn't make any sense to me.

Foreign words

If you thought Freedom Fries was bad, how about elastic loaves? It seems like Iranian President Ahmadinejad has a bigger problem with words from a country he doesn't like than Bush does.

Big Problem

In order to better understand the enormity of what we are faced with in the Middle East and around the world, everyone should read this excellent article which appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle this morning.
-----
This morning's Chronicle Two Cents column asks the question: Who has the most to lose in the Mideast? All the answers are good but this is my favorite:

"Humanity. As a species, if we can't even learn to accept the existence of our neighbors, we will never be able to confront global challenges like environment issues or disease that can destroy us all. Tribalism has no place in the global community."

Hollow and Empty

This is to be expected from that airhead Bush but nevertheless,we can wonder what other underhanded, under the table, dirty tricks this idiot has planned for what used to be a great country. This is certainly no longer the America I grew up with. He has sold the country down the tubes to the highest bidder. I wonder what company it is? Anyway, if you are not white and rich, you are going to have a devil of a time in the future with the way he has gutted everything of worth in U.S. Government.

-------------------------------------

A quarter century of conservative rule has broken the US economy for working families. Beginning with Ronald Reagan, we were assured that government was the problem not the solution and that deregulation and massive tax cuts for the rich would unleash the market's productive forces and create prosperity for everyone. But real economic prosperity does not come from unbridled competition unchecked by fairness and a decent regard for the common good. It is not measured in return on investment or the number of new billionaires. Real economic prosperity comes from the full employment of the workforce and a fair sharing of the gains of productivity and economic growth. It requires new rules for a new economy and a new commitment to creating good jobs that can make America competitive again.
(straighttalk.ourfuture.org)

Medicare

As I look at the deductibles and co-pays on some recent medical and dental bills, I am reminded of what our government did to our healthcare system with Medicare Part D. I am wondering if we will ever get any honest politicians who will serve the people who elected them and not the corporations of the world whose CEOs have it all and don't care about anyone else.

Ban it and make it popular

Just as Rome has not learned about reverse psychology, the Ministry of Culture in Iran has not yet learned that banning a book will make it even more popular than had it not been banned. Now they are banning The DaVinci Code and it is selling like hot cakes.

King's Health Improving

I see that the health of the King of Thailand is improving following spinal surgery. This is good new indeed as the stability of that beautiful country is dependent upon it at this time. Also I was happy to see a tribute to him on CNN news recently which I never expected to see in this country.

More information about His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) of Thailand can be found here at this Wikipedia page.

Brother, can you spare some air?

The controversy over the free public transit on spare the air days here in the Bay Area continues. This year the program of no fares on such days has been all day but it seems to me that when the program started it was for the morning rush hour only. And that makes more sense. With transit being free all days at such times we have hundreds, no thousands, sightseeing at great financial expense to the various transit agencies plus inconveniencing the regular commuters who are having great difficulty even getting on their train or their boat. Golden Gate Ferries to Sausalito saw a 512% increase in ridership on those days. I am sure that 500% of them were looky-loos, just out for a fun day in the sun at everyone elses expense. BART trains were crammed full also making it even more difficult for regular riders to get on. The only thing missing last week were the guards with white gloves pushing people into the cars as they do in Tokyo.

Now we have idiots like Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty who proposes free transit all year round. Well that is certainly one way to kill it entirely. There is no such thing as a free ride and if he thinks that the various govermental agencies can pick up the tab, a tab that BART already has trouble dealing with, then he is in need of some reality therapy. Another day dreamer is San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano who is calling for a study of that possibility. This is not done anywhere in the country nor the world for that matter. Some limited downtown shuttles are in place in various cities but those are paid for by the merchants along the routes in conjunction with the municipality that they operate in.

Oh, and then we have the other pie-in-the-sky day dreamers who want to tear down Hetch Hetchy and restore the valley to what it once was. I have yet to hear any solid plans as for where we would then obtain the water that most of us in the Bay Area drink. And who is to say that the valley could be restored to its natural state anyway? With it under water for so long that would be a monumental task in itself. That would cost millions in addition to the billions needed just for draining the reservoir and and then tearing down the dam. Such madness!

Do not pass Go, do not Graduate

Whoever wrote this headline:

Gateses pledge $287 million for AIDS vaccine

needs to take English 101A all over again.

Gateses?? How about "Gates family" or just "Gates'". That writer obviously did not know how to handle possessive cases for nouns ending in 's'.

Christian Fascists

We really don't need groups like this trying to shove their religions down our throats and re-impose an unholy Roman Inquisition on us once again. They say there is a cultural war going on and in that they are correct but it is they who are creating that war. One member of the group says that they are trying to protect the things this country was founded upon. Ha! Do they really know what that is? Do they really think that things stay the same forever? Do they still drive Model T Fords? Oh, no, where do they put up their horses at night? Such pure unadulterated ignorance is difficult to imagine but then fundamentalists have never been noted for being at the top intellectually. They bury their collective heads in the sand and hide behind the word FAITH to justify what they do.

Outdoor dining in San Francisco?

Once again the issue of sidewalk tables for San Francisco restaurants has been raised by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi. For years Herb Caen pontificated on the subject bemoaning the fact that San Francisco, as the Paris of the West, did not have outdoor cafes and restaurants as they do in Paris. He, the world traveler that he was, should have known better. This city has a totally different climate to begin with and I for one, don't want to sit outside, freeze my buns off, have my food get cold, and have a smelly vagrant panhandle me or some crazy screaming at me while I am trying to eat. There is also the problem of the gale force winds which would blow the menu and some food items from here to kingdom come. Then there is the larger problem of noise and dirt. Paris is a clean city and much quieter. In fact, the last time I was there I had occasion to sit at a table on the narrow end of a triangular shaped lot where passing city buses came within six feet of me. The buses there are quiet and the drivers do not act like they are at a race track so the situation was not marred by the traffic at this busy intersection. This is not possible in San Francisco where I would end up with Muni in my gazpacho. We also have a problem with far too many pigeons plus we have the problem of sea gulls. Then there is the fact that many of the so-called outdoor restaurants in Paris aren't really outdoors anyway. They just feature glass enlosed sections which protrude out from the main building so that one gets the feeling of being on the sidewalk. In some cases you might be at sidewalk level but are still separated from pedestrian traffic by this glass overhead and wall. Also, sidewalk dining there is more apt to be present at a corner bistro than at a full service restaurant. The other issue which many people overlook is that the sidwalks in Paris which feature these arrangements are, on average, much wider than Ssn Francisco sidewalks. The only sidewalks in this city that come close to duplicating Paris in width are on Market Street between the Ferry Building and Van Ness which are possibly the worst places in the world for outdoor dining.

If the city wants to relax some of its regulations in this regards, lots of luck, but you won't find me trying to get a seat at an outdoor table. Even the incredibly crowded Champ Elysees in Paris is far more conducive to outdoor dining than most streets in San Francisco.

Is hope still alive?

I see that the House of Representatives has rejected an anti-gay amenedment on same sex marriage. Also, the Senate has approved a bill supporting stem cell research. There yet may be hope to beat back the Bush and his minions on these matters. But no matter, I want to leave the country anyway. This is the pits no matter how you look at it. It stinks from one end to the the other and there is little hope that it will be getting any better during the next thirty years which is the most I can expect out of this old frail body of mine anyway.

The war in the Middle East also has the ability to knock everyone on their collective asses as what we have sown for the past sixty years or so is about to come home and destroy us. I just hope I can complete my next two vacations to France and to Thailand before the bottom falls out of this. In fact, if I should get stuck in one country or the other, well, oh poor me. What would I ever do??? heh heh heh

Bush is such an airhead. I have never seen such a dimwit in my lifetime. This has nothing to do with disagreeing with his policies at all. He is just so damn stupid! No ifs, ands, or butts. He is a embarrassment to this country and to the world!

So who are the major parties going to nominate for the 2008 elections? I hate to think. I hear rumors that Gov. Romney (R-Massachusetts) (Mussolini II) is considering running with John McCain (he should know better) as his running mate. Then we have Hillary Clinton, a popular Democrat who is probably too conservative for her own good. Oh god, it is so damn hopeless. How do we get this country back to the middle of the road and beat back these damn Christian fundamentalists who want to resurrect the Roman Inquisition to meet their own agenda. To hell with them all.

The madness continues...

First Bush wants foreign companies to manage our ports. Now he is selling off bridges and roads in the U.S. to foreign companies. What next? Will he be selling the White House to foreign investors? Oh, wait a minute. He can't do that as it is already owned by U.S. investors and lobbyists. Well, maybe the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building? What a complete blithering idiot this Bush is! Where was he when God handed out brains? Oh, that is right. He thought God said trains and we all know that Bush does not like trains as exhibited by his continual efforts to dismanatle Amtrak. And now he is blocking peace efforts in the Middle East at a very critical juncture in the continuing conflicts there. Even at the G8 in Moscow he is blocking Russia's admission to the World Trade Organization. I have never seen such a fool in my life and he should be impeached immediately but since big business owns the government lock, stock and barrel, that is not about to happen.

Ugh, I need another gin & tonic!

Quiet day

It was a quiet day as I waited for the St. Vincent de Paul Society Thrift Store truck to stop by for some donations. As expected, they would not take the metal typing stand. They did take the wooden bed frame that I retired recently as well as a CD tower plus one hard shell suitcase that I threw in at the last moment plus a laptop computer case which I had acquired second hand but never used for that purpose. Now what to do with typing stand? I know that typwriters are not something that we see much of these days but this is a sturdy metal table with a drop extension leaf and large sturdy retractable wheels. It could make someone a nice utility table in a garage or workshop. I just wish I knew how to get it out of my hair. Salvation Army would not take it either. Anyway, while waiting for them to arrive I got a lot of reading done and I spent some time planning the further re-organization of this apartment.

Problems, problems...

Oh, great, Caltrans is building a new eastern span of the Bay Bridge because the old one was subject to damage from earthquakes. Now we learn that the new span is being built with inferior concreate. Will it withstand the big one?

Then on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley Cody's Bookstore is closing. There is one still on Fourth Street which I have never been in and there is a big new store on Stockton Street in San Francisco where Planet Hollywood used to be. It is big, bright, and shiny with tons of books but few customers when compared to Borders which is only two blocks away. Will this store be able to survive? A Clean Well Lighted Place for Books closed recently so I wondering about the viability of any physical bookstore these days. The Virgin store next to Cody's get a fair amount of customers but then stores like that play to the lowest common demoninator, not intellect, as do book stores. Maybe when the new Bloomingdales and expanded SF Shopping Center open in a few months, foot traffic will increase enough so that additional people will find their way to Cody's on Stockton Street. I hope they survive as it is a good alternative to the sometimes overcrowded Borders on Powell Street.

DANGER...DANGER

If you are thinking to upgrading to Roxio Easy Media Creator 8, DON'T!. It is the biggest pile of garbage I have ever encountered anyway at anytime. I am not a computer newbie and while not an expert IT person, I know enough to realise that this over bloated pile of shit is not worth the $100 if costs. It is not even worth $1. When a program consistently crashes your computer and makes it impossible to shut down the computer or does not even look like the beautiful interfaces depicted in their ads or on their boxes of shitware in CompUSA, then you KNOW that something is seriously wrong.

I just hope now that I can return this disk and get my money back. Then I will seriously consider Nero or some other program.

From day to day...

I guess there is a lot going on but then again, there may not be. This crazy world we live in just seems to be getting crazier all the time and no one seems to know how to fix the problems we have. Now our illustrious governator, wants to send some prison inmates out of state because there is not room for them here. Well, it may relieve overcrowding here but it certainly does not address the issue of why people end up in prison in the first place. The reasons are many of course and will not be the subject of this blog as it would go on forever if I undertook that task but the out of sight - out of mind approach does not work and this country must look at why we have such a huge prison population compared to other countries.

And once again we have an article in the Chronicle about the fact that BART ridership to the airport has not lived up to expectations. Sorry guys but I could have told you ahead of time that it wouldn't. I have experience with other transit systems to airports and even in Paris where the trains go to many places and are very convenient, most people deplaning at Charles de Gaule Airport still opt for taxis. Door-to-door transportation either via taxi or shuttle van was, is, and always will be the preferred method of transportation especialy when lugging around one or more large suitcases. I have witnessed this in Paris, Atlanta, Boston, New York, and San Francisco. The problem in Paris is just the opposite of here in San Francisco however. The BART line to the airport has few riders so even one large suitcase (if not taken during rush hour) is not a problem but the RER "B" line in Paris is so heavily used at all times that once your train is two or three stops away from the aiport, anything bigger than a lap top computer becomes a problem. (BART should be so lucky.) I really would like to know what they based their ridership projections on. It certainly could not have been based on anything in the real world. I am glad they built it but the alternate plan of the Sky Train extending to and from the Milbrae BART station would have been a preferred and less costly way of doing things. Now we have BART officials trying to blame lack of riders on the dot-com bust (I thought we were out of the woods there.), 9/11 (Can we still blame that for anything?) and SARS (Oh really - how many thousands died here from that?). Anyway, back to the Sky Train for a moment. It goes to all terminals not just the international terminal which is the only one BART goes to so if a passenger is going to have to transfer to another mode of transport, what would have been wrong with doing it at Milbrae? This was certainly not a case of "If you build it, they will come."

Now I see that Senator Hilary Clinton has a problem. How to handle the same-sex marriage issue as she contemplates running for either re-election or running for president. That could very well be the most difficult issue of the campaign even in liberal New York. Personally I have a problem with the term marriage as it opens up a whole hornets nest of legal issues especially if the partners "divorce". Why not stick with the term union and find other ways to deal with community property, health care, and adoption issues?

And here in liberal San Francisco the wackos at City Hall have taken the smoking issue out onto the streets by passing a law forbiding smoking around bus stops. Oh, come on now, how the hell are you supposed to inforce that one? For example, as I was walking down Van Ness Avenue the other day and passed a bus stop at Geary, one or more people were smoking. Yes, I smelled the smoke as I would from any other smoker walking down the street but what was I to do? Quickly get on my cell phone and report a crime being committed at the bus stop?????? Come on folks, get real!

Oh enough already. Let me go somewhere else where people seem to have their heads screwed on correctly, but where? That is the $64,000 Question!

Overnight Delivery???

Oh, great, as of 6:40 AM today, my package, plus one other, showed up in the lobby area of my building. I wonder where it was between 10:40 AM (the official delivery time) and this morning. It sure wasn't in the "lobby" as of late yesterday afternoon. Does that mean that UPS found the package on a truck somewhere and snuck in late last night with it or did some inattentive tenant take it thinking it was his or hers only to discover late yesterday that is wasn't. Grrr...

Oh, and one other thing. Why do I feel like singing "Ding dong, the witch is dead"? In this case however you would have to change that to "Ding dong, the warlock is dead" in reference to Ken Lay. Da poor ting...

Undoubtedly Poor Service

UPS = Undoubtedly Poor Service

These yahoos have failed big time during the past two weeks. About two weeks ago they couldn't find the building that I live in or the apartment. They said the apartment number was missing from the package but why is that when my copy of the order and billing invoice had the information correct? If it was in fact missing, why couldn't the driver simply come up to the building intercom, find my name and apartment number, and ring me. Well, I guess that was far too complicated for these bozos. When they finally did deliver the 70 pound package, instead of calling me from the intercom ahead of time, a simple task I would think, they haul this heavy package up the steep 20 stairs or so of this building to the security gate and take off. They did not even have the courtesy to let me know the package was there. Then I really had a problem becuase I do not have a hand truck and my small luggage carrier cannot handle the weight. So I started pushing and got it to the first of five short stairs leading up to the elevator landing at the back of thd first floor only to pull a muscle. That has bothered me for two weeks now. Fortunately a neighbor saw my problem and came over to help me lift it just enough to that I could slide it the remaining distance to and into the elevator.

Now today another package was out for delivery and I have been waiting all day for it. Upon checkinig with the UPS website, the information shown is that it was delivered at 10:24 AM today. NOT SO. There is no package here. Where the hell did they put it? Since they did not ring this apartment again I can only assume that they left it outside the security gate again and this being a small package, that someone stole it. As I write this someone in customer service is supposed to be checking as to where it was delivered. They better find it otherwise they owe me $111.30. Also, I am tempted to file a formal complaint with UPS regarding their lack of service as well as file a complaint with the California Public Utilities Commission. This is ridiculous. This is WORSE than ridiculous actually.

I will never ever use UPS again even if it means using the slightly slower United State Postal Service where possible or FedEx for heavier items. I have wasted more damn time waiting for their non-deliveries and on the B.S. the past two weeks that I am now livid to say the least.

Happy Independence Day

Happy Fourth of July

There are a number of good letters to the editor of the SF Chronicle this morning but I especially liked the first one by Riley B. Vandyke of San Francisco. He said it all.

So what are you going to do on the 4th? As for me, well, I will be spending some time at the SF Museum of Modern Art and then around 2 in the afternoon at a barbecue with some friends. That is about it.

There is yet hope for this country...

When I read news stories like this one I am encouraged to believe that there are some sensible people out there who might yet make a difference. There is no sense to our being in Iraq and creating more terrorists in the process. We often complain here about photo ops from the president but why don't people complain about the photo ops that some citizens of Iraq indulge in, aided and abbetted by certain members of the U.S. press, when Iraqi's proclaim that they want democracy and they want Americans here. Such photos ops ring false and only serve to brainwash some gullible Americans into thinking we are wanted and should be there. If we could have captured Saddam Hussein within the first month following the invasion and then left, it would have been an entirely different situation but we have destroyed the country in an effort to "save" it.

Noise vs. Silence

I do not understand some people these days who cannot tolerate peace and quiet. That is, silence, to be more specific. My new upstairs neighbor is one such case. He or she comes homes each night about 7:30 PM, opens the patio door and then BLAM, on goes the stereo with some sort of garbage with a primitive beat that reverberates though the floor to my apartment. I will give him or her credit however for not playing it too loud, at least not as loud as when they moved in. But really, what is wrong with silence anyway? Are people that insecure that they must clutter up their lives with noise or sounds of any type? I for one, like to read, and I can't do it if the ambient noise level is too loud. I can't even stand the music I like because it distracts me from what I am reading and I end up listening to it instead of reading my book. Some people have to have the TV on whether or not they are watching it. Then there are the stores, especially some clothing stores, that must have music playing and frequently it is rather loud. Do they think that it attracts customers. I am repelled by it, not attracted by it, so I guess it is a generational thing.
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Addendum: I now write this an hour later as the other person who frequents the apartment has arrived and has been banging around. The music was on loudly but now has stopped. Hopefully that is it for tonight. [knock on wood]

The Bush Rides Again

I am glad to see that Arlen Specter, a Republican, is questioning the practices of this tyrant we now have in the White House. Bush is a danger to this government and to this country and at least there is one person in congress who recognizes this. My hats off to Senator Specter. Thank you.

Gay Pride Celebration on mall at the Civic Center in San Francisco. It was a sunny but windy day in which thousands turned out for the parade, entertainment, and food. 

War on Terror

The U.S. will never win the war against terrorism as long as it continues to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and especially with acts like this one. This is a losing battle and will remain so until the U.S. has a complete change of heart regarding the relationship between countries and peoples. Muslim extremists do not hate us for who we are but for what we do. When are the Bushies going to learn that????????

Stop the War

Excellent letter in a local newspaper this morning which reads as follows:
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"The recent kidnapping and barbaric killing of two U.S. soldiers in Iraq should be a wake-up call to Americans who consider Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's death to be a turning point and good news for the Bush administration ("Killing of 2 missing GIs possibly a show of force by insurgents, analysts say,'' June 21).

There will be no turning point, but rather an endless cycle of violence and bloodshed until U.S. soldiers return home and Iraqis learn to reconcile their extreme elements with their moderate elements and carry on as their own society.

The question is not whether we can win the war on terrorism if we stay -- we cannot. The question is: When will we bring our military home or put it to serve a worthwhile cause? Soldiers will die at alarmingly high rates until the Bush administration decides to do so. Until then, every day means more American and Iraqi blood on President Bush's hands. The recent killings should serve as a reminder."
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Unfotunately those running the U.S. Government are too stubborn to admit their mistakes and the futility of trying to shove Democracy down the throats of the unwilling. We need a change in government here and some soul searching by all politicians.

Not much of anything

Tried something different today. I went to the gym early in the morning arriving just before 9 AM. I do not know why I had gotten into the habit of going right after lunch but now I think I will stick with this schedule. The other routine broke up the day but this method clears the rest of the day for other activities. Also, the gym is a little quieter at 9 AM than it is at 1 PM. In addition I found that I had no less energy at that earlier hour so I think this will work for me now. I am still on a three days a week routine (MWF) with a cardio only combined with steam room/Jacuzzi on either Saturday or Sunday as the mood moves me.

So it has been a quiet day at home today since returning home. Some shopping at Cala Foods and now I have been researching some things for my next trip to Paris. This includes a "cheat sheet" database for easy referencing of my Metro/RER destinations from my hotel or other nearby points. I will return to some places visited previously but will also take the train to some new destinations such as Dijon and closer to Paris, the Chateau de Chantilly and the Chateau de Vincennes. Unfortunately my hotel is now going to cost me more than expected as the Euro was equal to about $1.10 U.S. when I booked my hotel but it is now $1.26 to the Euro. Ouch!

The Passage

Today I learned from an article in the Examiner that the large metal sculptures pictured below (posted on the 19th) are entitled "The Passage" and are a creation of Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito. It was unveilved at the Pier 14 dedication ceremony on the Embarcadero on Friday June 16th. I sure could not locate that information on the sculptures or their base or anywhere nearby. I wonder why. Did they want to remain anonymous?

Living in the Ghetto, continued

You don't think this has become a ghetto? Well, read on. The increasing violence, the increase of vagrants on the sidewalks, the increase of rowdy types, all point towards a neighborhood in decline. It is only a matter of time before it reaches all the way up the hill to the top of Nob Hill.

What the heck are these statues?? They are temporary I am sure as the pedastal is wooden so I am sure they can be moved very easily. The only problem is that there is no sign to identify the name of the statues or the name of their creator. At the present time they can be found near Pier 14 just south of the Ferry Building in San Francisco. 

Attn: Gavin

Your "care not cash" program seems to have some problems. I agree with the concept but more and more I see homeless people littering my neighborhood especially on Polk Street, sometimes two per block. That program, if it is to continue, needs some adjustments somewhere. Of course, having the police citing squatters might also be a starting point. Too often these people think they can get away with anything and often they do. Let's clean up the city and give those people a one-way bus ticket out of town.

San Francisco Skyline

Another view of San Francisco Skyline from Pier 14 

View of San Francisco Skyline from new Pier 14. This is a breakwater/fishing pier which opened recently but is not quite finished yet. That is, facilities for fishermen are not installed yet although various connections are in evidence. On a nice day, such as today however, it is very nice for just walking out onto the Bay and getting a better look at things. 

Living in the ghetto, part 2

I don't know who is going to be the bigger long range problem but the new neighbor upstairs does not seem to sleep and in the process he or she is keeping me awake. I went out to a local watering hole about 10:30 PM last night and the music was thumping away as usual. When I returned home at 1:30 AM it was still thumping away although the volume seemed to be slightly less. When I woke up around 4:30 AM to use the bathroom, guess what, more thumping bass. This has got to cease! I am being pestered by a very active mosquito that needs swatting (of some sort).

Living in the ghetto

What the hell is the matter with this building? Doesn't the property management company care about who they let in here? I am now surrounded by loud idiots, one in the apartment next door and the newest one in the apartment directly above me. Both are thirty something going on 16. Then there are other loud mouth people visiting these people and others in the building. This situation is rapidly becoming intolerable but I can't afford to move just now. Certainly my rent would go up dramatically if I did and I certainly cannot afford first/last months rent and/or security deposit right now. I think that if Don, the manager of many years were still alive, this situation would have never developed or at least would not be allowed to continue. Idiot number one next door plays very loud music (if you can call it that) and our common wall vibrates considerably at times as he seems to have the speakers right up against the wall and are in no way isolated from the floor or the wall. One good thing can be said for him. He knows it off after 10 PM. The same cannot be said for idiot number two who moved in upstairs recently. His thumping bass sounds reverberate on my floor and disturb my sleep until midnight or after sometimes. If their leases are written the same way as mine, they are in clear violation of the paragraph concerning noise. Oh how I wish I were the manager or owner. I would evict both immediately but I am not so what do I do? What can I do other than move which I cannot afford? Don't these people care about their neighbors? Are they so self centered that no one else matters? Can't they turn down the volume some? Can't they use headphones sometimes? Can't they use common sense? I will answer that one. No, they can't use common sense because they don't have any. Their parents obviously failed them and now the world is burdened with two more useless people.

Life moves on...

After working nearly two months on a temporary assignment (contract work for my former employer through an employment agency), the job is about to come to an end. This Friday will be my last day. They have asked to me stay on or even consider further part time work later in the year. This I am not ready to do at this time. Technically I can clear my calendar enough so that two days per week would be possible but then after I told them that I could do that I was also asked to return in January for the next tax season on a full time basis through April 15th. That did it! I said NO at that point so further part time work will not happen anytime soon. It is nice to be wanted I guess and I am glad that they have enough confidence in me to ask me to stay on but I am retired and desirous of returning to those things I like to do. My weekly schedule in retirement is a full once and these past two months have been difficult as everything at home has suffered. I just hope the weather improves by the time the weekend and/or Monday rolls around. The past few days have been less than desirable here in the city.

Now will there be another period of readjustment? This past weekend, which I had off after working two consecutive weeks without a day off, was a lost weekend as I had not planned on it so I did not know what to do with myself. Well, I am already making plans for Saturday. I have to return to the gym. Have only been there once or twice since taking on this assigment and I have gained three pounds in the process of not doing that plus eating some of the wrong foods in too great a quantity.

The opera season is now complete but the final three productions of the season were three of the best all year. They were Madama Butterfly, Maid of Orleans (Joan of Arc), and Marriage of Figaro. All three had very good casts. And now my final symphony of the current season comes up Friday which will feature Verdi's Requiem which I have not heard live in a number of years. There will be some other events before September however. The "Three Divas" concert will be on the 22nd of June and the Merola Grand Finale concert will be on the 19th of August. Somewhere in there I have also scheduled a Giants game. My only one so far for the current season.

Ah, 'tis ten o'clock and nearly time to retire for the night. Just hope the person upstairs doesn't decide to throw another late night party. Last night was too much with loud music which lasted nearly to midnight. Grrr...

Marriage Laws

Regarding laws regulating marriage, we must remember this:

"America needs tougher laws to enforce the sanctity of marriage. Those eligible to vote for new laws protecting marriage should have the following qualifications: Never abused their spouse, never divorced, never committed adultery, never lusted in their hearts, never had sex prior to marriage, never hired a prostitute, never viewed pornography."

And by the way, Orin Hatch, you ARE a bigot!

Such idiocy

China pulls the film "The DaVinci Code" from theatres after allowing its showing there. This for undisclosed reasons in a country that is not friendly towards Christianity in any form. On this side of the ocean the Bush wants a constitutional amendment to protect marriage and family values.

"Where are the family values when 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce? Where are the family values when a large proportion of women and children are being abused by their spouses? Where are the family values when a significant proportion of married people live in poverty? Where are family values when a large portion of U.S. citizens don't have health care?"

Where will this idiocy end?

Be Kind to your Web Footed Friends...

...for a duck may be somebody's mother...or an alien.

Who knows?

Well, I guess there might be some news here. It is not easy these days however with the corruption in Washington and elsewhere plus a whole bunch of crap going on in this city and state. It is enough to drive me back to Thailand on the next flight. Yes, I know that no country is perfect but after nearly 68 years in this country, almost anything would be a welcome relief to this BS. I really miss "Pin" and "A" in Bangkok and Chiang Mai and would like to see them again ASAP. Not sure what I will do for next trip to that beautiful country as I first must deal with a journey to France in October. I cashed in my remaining mileage on United for a free ticket and can hardly wait for October to arrive as I have not been there since September 2001.

And now the Republicans, having failed at most everything else, are raising the issue of a constitutional ammendment once again to ban same sex marriages. When will these bastards leave well enough alone? Why can't they deal with the real problems facing this country? They are such a bunch of idiots! In addition to the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfelt trio, you have Bill Frist trying to push this constitutional amendment to ban same same sex marriage and to make matter even scarier, he has been mentioned as a possible GOP candidate for president in 2008. Oh, my god, when does the next flight leave for Thailand or Vietnam or Cambodia, or wherever?

Anyway, a flight to another state or country might be easier later this year as I suddenly find myself working overtime for the next three weeks. I will be very tired by the time is it over but I will be several hundred dollars richer as a result. This may actually help me with my next vacation in Thailand which is just what I wanted to do in January. I was blindsided by this at work today but from now until June 16th I will be working ten hour weekdays plus four or five hours each Saturday and Sunday through the 16th of June. I will certainly need a vacation by the time this is over.

So that is the latest, such as it is, from my little corner of the world in this City by the Bay.

Listen up George...

Words of wisdom from former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Also I plan to buy her book. Should make for some very interesting reading.

Good Christians

I see that the good Christians of this world are at it again. Is this another fine example of loving your neighbor? I wonder how Charlton Heston and the other goons at the NRA feel about incidents like this one?

Favorite letter

This is my favorite letter to the editor of a local newspaper this morning:
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"Thank goodness that Mayor Gavin Newsom vetoed the six-month Saturday shutdown. I was so completely disgusted with this latest idiocy by the Supes. We wait forever, finally get an international-class museum that's the new Crown Jewel of San Francisco, and those dummies want to close off access to it for both days on the weekend. More and more, Newsom appears to be the only one in city government who's not a complete lunatic."
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Our Board of Supervisors has proven time and time again that they don't care what the voters say. In this case we have voted twice against the closing of some roads in Golden Gate Park on Saturdays but still the board wants to ignore that and do their own thing. What idiots!

Hypocrite?

Is it me or did I miss something in the religious history of the world but now the pope calls on Christians to respect Muslims but it was not THAT many years ago that the Catholic Church was guilty of crusades against Muslims. The Catholic Church did not respect Muslims at that time so how can it expect Muslims to respect it now? Sure, people of good will on both sides will but the extremists won't, not matter what.

Big Brother

I guess George Orwell must be turning in his grave now as Big Brother collects data on our phone calls. What the f---- difference does it make who I call or how many times? Yes, there are patterns as I call friends on a regular basis. So does that make me or them terrorists? This BS in Washington has got to stop and now. What next? Will they check to see what household cleaning products I buy at the supermarket? This cancer in Washington has got to be cut out but unfortunately we are stuck with Big Brother, big dumb and stupid brother, until January 2009. In the meantime I am afraid that he can and will do a lot more damage than has already been done. I can only hope that the voters will send a very loud message this fall and vote out all the facists now in our government.

Immigrant's Rights continued

From another letter in this morning's newspaper with which I agree:
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"I just don't get it. People come to the United States illegally, then demand equal rights? How can they be in a position to demand anything? If you want to be an American, assimilate into our culture, go about it legally and stop demanding special treatment. Play by the rules. While you're at it, make an effort to learn our language."
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No, I am not for increasing any penalties on illegals but this country needs to enforce laws already on the books as well as figure out a humane way to handle the millions of people here already. One important thing here however: STOP DEMANDING RIGHTS YOU DON'T HAVE AS NON-CITIZENS. I certainly can't go to France or Thailand or wherever and demand or request services granted to citizens of those countries. Why the hell should people coming here illegally demand and expect things from this government if they aren't going to follow the rules?

Immigrants Rights...

Here is one letter I found in the newspaper this morning which I agree with totally.
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"The demonstrations Monday only proves one thing: Demonstrating is not the answer to immigration policies. Seeing individuals carrying Mexican flags and disrupting businesses is an insult to the hard-working Americans, who are in the United States legally, paying taxes and contributing to the welfare of this country.

What makes any of the demonstrators think that disrupting other hard-working Americans will gain support? While I support the need for clear and fair immigration policies in the United States, there is a clear need for illegal immigrants, prior to getting citizenship, to learn English, pay a fair fine for being in this country illegally and pay their share of taxes. They also should learn to be respectful of this country and not deface and abuse the communities in which they illegally are living in."
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And a portion of another letter reads:

"Today, we have illegal immigrants not respecting our laws or our country, demanding rights of citizenship without being citizens."
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These people should realize that they would not, could not, get away with this in any other country. Other countries would track them down and deport them very quickly. Even I, as a tourist in Thailand legally for the 30 days permitted, would be tracked down and deported if I did nothing wrong other than overstay my permitted time in the country.

So come on folks, do what is right and by all means learn the English language so you can sing the Star Spangled Banner in English and become a citizen through diligence and hard work and please, follow the rules.

April Showers?

Winter just can't quite seem to let go here in Northern California as dark gray skies have returned with isolated showers and some thunderstorms predicted. This is enough to drive a person to drinking. Hmm...is that why I had a glass of wine about 10 o'clock last night? And now northern Australia is being hit by its second major cyclone in two months. This one is a monster as was the previous one. What the heck is going on here? No, don't ask The Bush as he won't have an answer for that one.

I do wish someone had the answer regarding immigration into this country. The illegal crossings from Mexico have gone on far too long but The Bush was correct in stating that you can't just deport 11 million people all at once but what is to be done to correct the situation. Will building a Berlin type wall correct the problem? I don't think so. How about enforcement of the laws already on the books? That might be a start.

Immigrants Rights?

When are some people going to learn that LEGAL immigrants have rights but ILLEGAL immigrants don't. It's that simple. Break the law, get deported or go to jail. On the other hand you can work through the system and be supported by U.S. Agencies to become a legal citizens and everything that entails. What is so difficult about this concept for some people? I am not, however, for increasing penalties on those already here illegally. That won't accomplish anything.