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Wednesday 25 October 2011

I am really getting tired of these protesters. First we have the smelly scroungy homeless people occupying the streets of San Francisco and now we have the occupy Wall Street protesters taking up the remaining good space of the area around Justin Hermann Plaza. This city city has become a garbage dump and I have no idea why tourists want to come here any longer. Sure, there are nice places but they are getting fewer and farther between.  Even Oakland has its problem with protesters who are now marching back to City Hall so for this senior citizen life in the Bay Area gets very discouraging. I have also given up trying to vote as it doesn't do any good.

One thought that's been very pleasant to me recently has been the thought of moving back to my hometown of Boston but leaving this rent-controlled apartment would be very difficult relocating to another space. Oh, what to do, what to do, what to do?

I have thought during the past year that my next visit to Thailand, currently scheduled for January 2012, would be my last.  Now the more I read about the government's inability to coordinate efforts to handle the flood conditions leaves me very discouraged that Ms. Shinawatra will be able to anything useful.  Now I read that some residents are climbing onto flood barriers to disassemble them for their own personal reasons, political or otherwise, which leaves me with a feeling of hopelessness in this matter.  The King is too old and frail now to do much and the government is in disarray so I see very little hope for that country now.  I have been there ten times since January 2003 and I guess that is enough.  Now I must return to my roots in the Boston area for awhile.  I will miss my Thai friends but as they say in France, c'est la vie.

Well, Ain't this a Fine Kettle of Fish.  After trying for years to get a friend here in San Francisco to meet me in Thailand when I am there on vacation, and his inability or refusal to do so, I am now in the position that I might have to cancel my trip there even though he has finally agreed to meet me there.  The amount of water there from the flooding seems to be an insurmountable barrier to an enjoyable vacation most anywhere.  And now I am angered at officials for not knowing what to do or when to do it..  Even the new Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra did not want to declare a State of Emergency which it clearly is and why is the country being left to defend itself.  I certainly have not heard of any other country offering aid of any type.  Looking of the positive side, that trip is not scheduled until the second week of January and things could change for the better by the.  I hope so!

I love this quote from Gov. Jerry Brown on the subject of ski helmets for children:  "While I appreciate the value of wearing a ski helmet, I am concerned about the continuing and seemingly inexorable transfer of authority from parents to the state. Not every human problem deserves a law."  I think that last sentence should be posted on very large signs within both houses of the California legislature as the nanny state continues to grow and grow and grow while doing nothing to fix the financial problems of the state.

To blog or not to blog, that is the question.   While I seem to have many opinions and complaints about many things these days, this site has languished due, in part, to laziness I guess.  In fact, I have even considered terminating this account.  Don't really want to do that so I guess I will plod along. 

Anyway, tonight was a heavy night as I watched the movie "Downfall" on DVD which is about the last days of Hitler.  Very well done but depressing.  It was nominated for some Oscars but I do not remember when or in what categories now.  Should go to IMDB.com to check on that.

Anyway, I feel rather numb after watching the movie so I am having a glass of Merlot before retiring.  Hopefully tomorrow will be a good day.  Have to go to Best Buy for a computer program and may stop in at the Civic Center for part or all of a free concert by the SF Symphony at 11:30 AM.   I apparently will not be as warm as today which was gorgeous.  There is only one thing I ask. TURN OFF THE DAMN WIND.  That has ruined many days here which otherwise would have been very nice.

Oh well, time to drift off into dreamland.   Zzzzzzzz.......

Oh no, not again

Now we have another religious nut case governor from Texas considering a run for the White House...just what we don't need. Wasn't George W. Bush enough? This country, this world is living in perilous times and too many people think they have the answers when they don't really know what they are talking about but they sure are quick to try to impose their solutions on the rest of us.

Republicans

I do not know how you could possibly think that John Boehner and his henchman would actually do the right thing but as of this moment it looks as if I will not receive any Social Security in August. Fortunately I can pull money from my regular savings for the month but if the jackasses in Congress do not solve the problems soon I will have to dig into "deep savings". Those isolationist racist pigs don't care about anything or anyone else. Why should they? They have it made while in Congress with good pay and benefits. Well, it they can say f--- you, then I will say the say thing back to them and they can all go to hell. They are so thick headed that they do not realize that a U.S. default will bring the whole worlds economy down and would they do this if Obama were white? I think not!

There are some people in this country who do not realize the gravity of this problem and some appear to be living out there in la-la land where everything is pink and rosy and where nothing ever goes wrong. Those people need to get real.

What the hell?????

Sometime between bedtime (approx. 10:30 PM Saturday) and waking up this morning (approx. 8 AM) some critter, varmint or whatever, made a mess of my computer by deleting everything inside my Libraries folder on this Windows 7 computer which has a large hard drive and lots of memory. What is even weirder is that the information has just been moved around. It would be as if someone took all the city streets you are familiar with and moved them to other locations in your city. Also, my Robo Form program is now blank as the 200+ passwords have disappeared and when I try to start entering them into the program new, I receive the error message that i needs a browser in which to save or fill forms. Well, what is the matter with this one, the one I am using right now????

At least I apparently have not lost anything especially my photos from many vacations going back a number of years but how and why did this happen?

Update as of 11-July-2011

Just as mysteriously as did those files and folders disappear from the Libraries folder then they reappeared a few days ago. This is great but I still do not know what happened to make those links disappear nor just just suddenly reappear. Strange...very strange indeed...

Election in Thailand

Editorial from The Bangkok Post

Many fear that today's election could herald a new round of violence in the country. Over the past few years, Thailand has been plagued by political unrest. In 2008, anti-Thaksin yellow shirt demonstrators blocked the entrance to parliament to prevent the administration of Somchai Wongsawat from entering to read its policy statement. The demonstration turned violent and two protesters were killed and hundreds more injured. That was followed by the immensely damaging takeover of Bangkok's two airports.

During March to May last year, the pro-Thaksin red shirts staged protests against the Abhisit administration. The rallies turned bloody and at least 92 people were killed.

The divisions remain and if the results of today's elections are not respected they could worsen as the two major parties are far apart on how the new government should be formed.

The only way to avoid further conflict is for all parties to respect the principle of the election serving as a means to end rifts.

What has occurred in recent years has caused Thailand to lose many opportunities. Since 2006, governments have wasted too much time dealing with divisiveness instead of helping the country to cope with a rapidly changing world.

Fortunately, Thailand survived the so-called "hamburger crisis" caused by turmoil in the US financial system. But there is no end in sight to the world's economic problems. The financial crisis in the European Union prevails, leaving it perilously close to collapse; the nuclear radiation risk in Japan is far from over.

Then there is the fact that Asean is to become the Asean Economic Community in 2015, but Thailand, even though a founder of the regional grouping, appears to be doing little to prepare for it.

Add to that the relentless daily killings in the three southernmost provinces and the seemingly intractable conflict over the 4.6 square kilometre area near the Preah Vihear temple with Cambodia that forced Thailand to withdraw from Unesco's World Heritage Convention.

The next government needs to pay utmost attention to these problems. So, no matter which party leads the next government, let it get on with the job.

---

Pattnapong Chantranontwong is the editor of the Bangkok Post

Pocket full of dust...

Haven't done much lately here even though there are many thoughts on my mind at times. But then too, there are times when my mind seems to be blank. Also, some events just cry out for a comment while others are ho-hum in nature and either I could care less or find the situations to be beyond help by anyone in this city or state.

Other problems are of a personal and medical nature and seem unsolvable at this time. Sometimes I feel like just saying, "Shoot me". Also, to everyone out there, DON'T GROW OLD as you are going to have a whole bunch of problems that will make life less worth living. At least that is the way it has been in my family's history.

My life has been full of diseases which have taken their toll: Alzheimer's (mother), dementia (father), lung cancer (step-father and one uncle), stomach cancer (sister), pancreatic cancer (a friend) and colon cancer (an even closer friend). Now my problems are still being evaluated.

Is life worth living? Of course religious people are going to say so, or, what's the alternative. Well, at age 73 I don't give a rats ass about the alternative if my health is not going to be good. I have had a full plate, as they say, for many years, so now it is time to let go. I am not needed here nor is there anything here that I really need.

Oh, I can just hear some people in religion crowing, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and have life eternal", or words to the effect. Damn, I could of nothing more cruel. These 73 years have been enough. Who the hell would want more? Even in perfect health, that would be cruel. There is only so much that a human being can deal with, mentally, physically, or emotionally.

As some wise person said a long long time ago, there is a time to love, a time to hate, a time to live, a time to die, etc., etc. Well, you get the picture or should anyway.

Am I depressed? Maybe, maybe not. Just tired would be more like it. Right now I just desire better health and while my friend Richard cannot be replaced, a new friend of similar intellect and compatibility would be nice. It has been a lonely life since he died in January 2010 but how does one meet and make new friends at my age? Most everyone I know, even casually, are somewhat feeble, physically or mentally or both, and let's face it, at this age we are too set in our ways anyway. Aint' nothing gonna change me or any other ol' fart out there.

It is really a helluva dilemma when I can't identify with people of my own age or with the younger generation either. There MUST be a solution to this but I sure can't think of one right now.

Well, I am tired now and need to figure out what to do with myself the rest of the day. If tomorrow comes I will have to start all over again but for now I will leave that problem alone.

Spare me, spare me

First we have to endure Sarah Palin. Now Donald Trump is spouting ridiculous claims. He says that Obama is the worst president ever. Certainly he is old enough to remember Jimmy Carter and I am sure there were terrible presidents in the 19th Century of which he probably has no knowledge. He also says we are the laughing stock of the world. HA! Only in his mind. Damn...why does we have to endure such fools as the Palins and Trumps of the world. He is a complete asshole.

SICK SICK SICK

This is a good example of everything that is wrong with this country.

(04-02) 04:08 PDT Lansing, Mich. (AP) --

Police have arrested two Michigan parents they say beat a 73-year-old school crossing guard after he tried to break up a fight between their son and another 7-year-old boy.

Lt. Noel Garcia tells the Lansing State Journal the boys were involved in an altercation at Lyons Elementary School on Wednesday. Garcia says the next morning the parents drove to the area, let out their son and told him to beat the other boy.

Garcia says the couple's 7-year-old punched the other child, knocking him to the ground. When the crossing guard intervened, Garcia says the couple attacked him.

The State Journal says the parents were arrested Friday and are expected to be arraigned Monday on charges of assault or assault and battery and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Money problems...

"America is not broke. Not by a long shot. The country is awash in wealth and cash. It's just that it’s not in your hands. It has been transferred, in the greatest heist in history, from the workers and consumers to the banks and the portfolios of the uber-rich ... The only thing that's broke is the moral compass of the rulers. And we aim to fix that compass and steer the ship ourselves from now on." – Michael Moore in Madison, Wisconsin on March 5, 2011

Bad English

Another person has failed English 101A. At CNN it was reported "that the pilot had lost control of the aircraft by unknown reasons." That should be "for unknown reasons". This should not be worth complaining about except that I see and hear far too many grammatical errors from adults these days. We seem to be raising a village of idiots.

Another war...

And once again this country gets involved in yet another war while the poor people get poorer and the not so poor get poorer because of cuts to social security and medicare and other important programs that this country can no longer afford. FDR mus be rolling over in his grave about now. At the rate this country is going there will be no more middle class left in a few years.

Seattle's Weather???

Since Seattle is one of the wettest cities in the 48, I wonder if our seemingly endless supply of storms here in San Francisco are those which normally would have hit them? Has the jet stream sagged to the south? Are they now in very dry period? This is getting to be too much. In checking the extended forecast on AccuWeather.com it appears we will be in a rainy period right through the first of April. Enough already! Please!

On the plus side, my noisy neighbor, whoever he is, was not so noisy last night. In fact, I hardly heard a thump or beep or explosion from his sound system.

On the negative side, my kitchen sink drain is falling apart and maintenance in this building usually leaves everything to be desired. So far two phone calls and one e-mail to the property management company have produced no responses of any kind. Guess I will be eating frozen dinners a lot as well as eating out until the situation is fixed.

Stormy Weather

Last night's sleep was interrupted by noise from #301 once again. I do not know what time it started but I awoke about 3:00 AM and the noises continued and even got louder as the five o'clock hour approached when they finally ended. By that time I could not get back to sleep so I have had a long day. Now it is 10:35 PM and I AGAIN heard SOME of the same sounds a few minutes ago. If this continues I will have to have a talk with my doctor and a lawyer regarding sleep deprivation and the problems it can cause. I would also like to get a restraining order on the noise maker who does not seem to know or care that this building, the Sally Stanford Memorial Motel, has paper thin walls and floors and that ALL sounds carry throughout the building every easily.

If and when I get some debts paid off and can raise my income level as a result, I would move out of here post haste. As is, I am stuck here apparently from now until something short of eternity. Grrrrrrr.......

Don't leter Congress pull the plug...

Subject: Tell Congress: Don't pull the plug on NPR and PBS!

Dear Friend,

In a budget proposal made public on Wednesday, House Republicans announced plans to zero out all funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the nonprofit responsible for funding public media including NPR, PBS, Pacifica and more.

If the Republicans are successful, it would be a tremendous blow to the entire public interest media sector.

We cannot allow Republicans to destroy public media.

I just signed a petition telling Congress to fully fund NPR and defend public service media. You should too. Click below to take action.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/dont_defund_npr/?r_by=17581-3889530-lU2QUpx&rc=paste1

Priceless comment

I love this comment in the SF Gate comments section this morning:

We can't say no to the dictators of the middle east because they have all the oil and we can't say no to the autocrats of China because we have to buy all our Walmart crap from them and we can't say no to our own plutocrats because they've sucked up all the money from the middle class. Priceless!

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/03/06/MN561I50EQ.DTL#ixzz1G1U96ubl

Don't destroy Social Security

Subject: Tell Senate Democrats: Support the Social Security Protection Act of 2011
Dear Friend,


We need to take Social Security off the table as a bargaining chip in talks about the budget deficit and federal spending.

Social Security is one of the greatest anti-poverty programs in our country's history and is wildly popular. In addition, despite fearmongering to the contrary, Social Security is currently running a surplus, is fully solvent for decades, and is prohibited by law from adding to the deficit.

In fact, the only crisis facing Social Security is caused by opponents of the program who are crying wolf about a crisis in order to justify undermining one of the most popular social programs in our history.

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has recently introduced a bill called the Social Security Protection Act of 2011. The bill would take Social Security off the chopping block by requiring a two-thirds super majority to reduce benefits, raise the retirement age or privatize the program.

I just signed a petition in support of this bill, and I hope you will too.

You can find out more information and easily take action at the link below.


http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/sspa2011/?r_by=-3889530-vkX8cQx&rc=paste1

Crazy City

I don't know whether to cry of laugh after reading this: "The annals of crime: Mission Station Capt. Greg Corrales reports that a would-be thief approached three people at 24th and Douglass streets and demanded their cell phones. But he refused one because it was "old- fashioned." "He then drew a gun and demanded all their property," the report continued. "When told by another of the victims that what he was doing was wrong, the gunman turned around and walked away."

A bend in the road

A problem for a trolley or tram, not in SF, but in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Golf Ball??

No, this is Mimas, one of Saturn's moons.

Discouraging World

What the heck is there to write about? The more I think about conditions in this city, this state, and the world, the more discouraging it gets and I just want to jump into a hole an pull it in on top of myself. What's the use? We get screwed by the government(s) and big business completes the process in their quest for more and more profits. Same goes for the big insurance companies who don't care about helping people - only what they can get for their bottom line.

"Scotty, beam me up".

Keith Olbermann

I really should watch Keith Olbermann on a regular basis. I used to watch him when at a friends house and found him to be very intelligent, informative, AND entertaining. It would also be better than watching some of the idiotic dramatic shows on TV these days.