December 7th..

On December 7, 1941, a day that has lived in infamy for seventy years remains a defining milestone for the United States of America. American flags all around the world are lowered in respect and gratitude for those that lost their lives that day, and for all those afterwards that repaid the aggressors tenfold for their false presumption.    Forever all nations were put on notice, that the United State does have the fortitude and persistence, and Americans have the necessary virtues of bravery, courage and ultimately forgiveness and charity toward those defeated and suffering as a result of mankind's defense against tyranny that is imposed by others whose only objective is to conquer and enslave their neighbors.  To all of those men and women that have and are serving to ensure our freedom from those foreign and domestic who wish to destroy this country, a simple thank you isn’t enough.  May God always protect you from harm while you defend us and comfort your families that support your sacrifice for these United States of America.

Thank you, enjoy your Holidays and the coming New Year.

Be grateful .......

Be grateful your career isn’t drilling for water.  It is the only job where you start out at ground level then go down from there then when you become successful (strike water) you’re fired.  

Holidays are Upon Us

What Am I?

It’s contant like the Sun coming up in the morning and going down in the evening.  It is constant like the phases of the moon and the changing seasons.  Its rotation is inevitable and the brilliance at the end of each rotation offers security for many and with a wink every fours seconds welcomes those that brave entry and pass by it ghostly presence forever isolated from the Barbaray coast that architected its lonely stature and important mission.  As they slip through the night and charge the fog with certainty yet cautiously they witness the simple light of truth from the port or starboard sides depending on their destination.

Thank you Alcatraz lighthouse you’ve stood by and protected us for years.

It’s Not That Bad

“A large majority of the population seems to be mentally programmed to pay attention to the negative side of life and unfortunately, ignore the positive”.  Bob Proctor

Are you living someone else’s nightmare? I believe that most of us are bombarded with negative ideas that are preventing us from enjoying our creative positive side.  Sometimes I feel like a glass of pure San Francisco water that colored dye slowly drips into and eventually darkens and dirties the water (my mind) with negative stuff.  Now my thoughts are not my thoughts they are someone else’s negative ideas that have colored my thinking.   My solution was to stop reading the newspapers, stop watching CNN and stop googling the negative information filling the internet air waves. Believe me my attitude in just one day improved greatly.  I stopped filling my mind with negative stuff.  Television news feeds society fear, uncertainty and doubt that cast dark shadows and shakes our confidence.  This lack of confidence is growing and spreading under the identity of “Occupy”.   It was said by someone that if you look for the bad in everything you’ll find it, or it will find you, because it is out there searching for an idle mind.  READ and LISTEN to things positive.   Negative destroys and stagnates society while positive allows creativity and progress.

A Thanksgiving Day Thought

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  This day of gratitude is special because it is a single day of reflection on what we have rather than what we don’t.  It is the dream of every positive thinker and motivational speaker for people of the world to be thankful for friends, family and the health they have and to affirm that everything we have is the direct result of what we think.  Be grateful and don't allow negative thinking to occupy your mind.

Best Holiday Wishes to All

Rest in Peace

It was only a matter of time before the end came. After years of loyal service it was inevitable I guess but nonetheless a great loss of a supporter and personal sponsor. We lost a great friend and motivator that greeted us every morning with bitterness and energy all mixed into one formula that helped get us out the door on time to face the trials and tribulations in the world.  May you R.I.P. “Fabareware, Superfast and Fully Automatic percolator” coffee pot, we’ll miss you most on those cold foggy San Francisco sunrises.  Your replacement will never be able to fill your basket. 

My Head Hurts what about yours?

In a time of environmental turmoil, government disenchantment, high unemployment, religious upheaval, and geographic colonization, our future seems almost hopeless. Where does one focus his/her attention, commitment, and energy?   If you live in California, specifically, San Francisco the important topics are numerous and each must be considered with equal anxiety.   Most issues are surprising even to the people that make it their lifelong purpose to consider and find the worst of everything in life. 

What is on top of the mind most San Franciscans? I thought about this question for a while and I came up with a list of what may be waking us during the night with cold sweats in our silk pajamas.  The following topics flood the local and national newscasts for what feels like around the clock reinforcing all the negativity in the world.  What is important to deal with first that is the question?  What would resolve or solve these crises so we can all get back to doing whatever it is that we do after watching the morning news (negative energy while sitting/standing).  My head started hurting putting this list together.

 Japanese Nuclear Crisis

The non-working radiation detectors on the West coast

Ousting Libya’s Qaddafi regime

The National Budget approval

The States (California) budget approval

Unemployment (Job Creation)

Foreclosures 

Corporate Greed

Homeless in San Francisco

America’s Cup Race

PROP 8

Disappearing 6oz Irish coffee glasses (Should San Francisco sue Buena Vista  for hoarding all the glasses from the rest of the restaurants?)

The Iraq war

The Afghanistan war

The Libyan war

Iranian issue

North Korean issue

Iranian espionage on US soil

Another terrorist attack

Google’s takeover of Silicon Valley

The floating islands of plastic and trash in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Amazon not paying sales tax

Oil shortage

Deteriorating pipes

Southern California succession from the North

Supporting the "Occupy Wall Street" protesters

Oh boy, I sure could listen to  an hour long Jim Rohn audiobook right now

Professional protesters...Guess who pays for their right to free speech?

It is the 99.9% of hard working tax payers like you and me that earn money everyday that make occupy "Wall Street" protesting possible. Who do you think cleans up their mess. Where do "they" come from anyway?  How many are receiving unemployment paid for by the corporations and small business?  How many are on Welfare or other public subsidy that is being funded by those still working ? I am sorry but the groups of protesters in front of the Market Street Federal Reserve building or residing on the Herman Plaza just don't strike me as being credible spokespersons for the 98.9%.  What are they protesting? They are protesting against the hands that feed them.  Most don't even know what they are talking about.  All of them are followers not one leader in the bunch  from what I see and hear.  What category would I label the protesters?  This is how I would break it down.

1.00% (innovators, job creators,  wealth builders, charity contributors, etc.) (BTW I think the new current percentage is at 5%)

98.9% (unrecognized future innovators, future  job creators, future wealth builders, future millionaires, present charity contributors too, etc.)

.1% (the wanters, the takers, non-contributers, users of the system, the ungrateful few, etc.)

I love this City...it's as plane as that.

Waking up every day overlooking the San Francisco Bay is like opening my eyes onto a different world each morning, with a fascination about nature’s power to rearrange the molecules all around us so as to completely change the environment hour by hour like a high-speed movie.   San Francisco changes from a drizzling foggy morning to windy gusts that can give the most experienced sailor on the Bay a tipping scare of his/her life on a large and seemingly ocean worthy sailing yacht.

Those of us that live in the City know that the uniform is layers of clothing every day except maybe those three or four days that the weather person guesses wrong and the temperature reaches above 70 degrees.  Even then San Franciscans don’t give up their coffee. You can bet on the likelihood that the temperature will drop especially when the afternoon fog rolls in or more descriptively snakes in under that Golden Gate (the mascot of the City) and along the shoreline mysteriously swirling around Angel, Alcatraz, and Treasure Islands causing each to disappear in sequential order as though each island had priority over the fogs deathly hug. Later and just as fascinating the regressing fog releases its lock on the islands one-by-one as each reappears in reverse order. This is amazingly beautiful to me!

I am not what San Franciscans consider a native to the City but I am here now and would never think of leaving this mysterious and delightful City on the Bay set upon precarious geologic tectonic plates that continuously shift beneath our feet slowly and quietly, and those periodic and surprising jolts that scare the semi-tourist and the “want-to-be San Franciscans” (the non-believers) losening their stranglehold on the real estate and limited affordable rents and lease prices. I love the fact that Mother Nature does some natural culling of folks from the City.  I personally feel special to live here permanently and already have experience with nature’s periodic rock shuffle. 

I’e walked around most of the seven square miles that makes up the Cityscape and during my adventures I learn that the City is as diverse as the weather is variable.  No matter, I love this unique City and the people I’ve met that live here.

Pictures Sum Up a Hard Ranching Life in Texas

Roughing it at a business retreat in Texas

Sunrises are beautiful in Texas

Seriously, A real bat cave created for bats that are used for mosquito control

 

 A 12' by 24' walk-in freezer that contains everything raised or grown on the ranch...organically I might add.

Bunkhouse in the evening

Right Amongst us....Who Would Have Known

I've experienced a lot of unusual sights while walking about San Francisco but seeing a figure of such notoriety is a rare occurrence indeed.  I spotted this gentleman coming out of City Hall the other day and couldn't believe my eyes.  I heard that there has been ongoing deputes over lands in and around San Francisco, most notably Alcatraz Island in the middle of the Bay.  It didn't take me long to put two and two together and realize that he had been in San Francisco for awhile and was living incognito around the North Beach area so as not to stir up any fear in the local settlers.  The land dispute has been going for well over a 100 years and I wish him well in his quest to recover his birth rite that was taken from his people by those land grabbing Forty-Niner gold rush miners and before that the Lord toting Missionaries from Spain and Mexico.  The Missionaries have been scarring Mother Earth ever since and in the most recent past by carving the El Camino Real into the California landscape, that's right the rest of you know it as Highway 101.  Good luck partner!

Offshore Garbage Patch Floating in the World’s Oceans

There is general agreement that cleaning up the floating garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean has monumental requirements of innovation, duration, and costs.   BTW there is more than one floating garbage patch on the planet so for the sake of simplicity I will just refer to them as the “patch(s).”  There is much discussion about who should pay for the clean up which isn’t an easy discussion. The problems float in the middle of international waters so the responsibility can’t be assigned to one country, government or company. Quite honestly, this global challenge should qualify for a place on the United Nation (UN) Security Council’s agenda because an argument could be made that the “patch” not only endangers the world’s wildlife but also presents a shipping hazard for the transportation of commerce around the world and poses a security threat to one or more UN member countries. I don’t believe that the cleanup is difficult or an unsolvable problem for the twenty-first century world. However, I do believe that it is an issue that requires a leader that will take ownership of the project.

My goodness, we’ve sent men to the moon, walked on the moon then returned. We were able to accomplish these feats due to our “focus” and due to our “why”. We were determined and persistent through the wins and the loses along this journey. The world needs a new “Why” to focus on that will unite all for the common good of the planet and the “patch(s)” could be just what we need to bring us back together. All of us contributed to the creation of this environmental hazard that needs to be eliminated. 

I am really surprised that I haven’t heard Al Gore evangelizing an effort to clean this up. I suspect that a plastic raft twice the size of Texas or combined with other “patches” has got to be absorbing and retaining heat resulting in ocean warming that leads to climatic changes in the region. The cost of this venture will be staggering my friends and no single person, company, government, or country can do this alone.   Billions would be my WAG. Time? Probably five to tens years depending on our will. 

Quick Facts on Trash Vortex (Republished)

http://scienceray.com/earth-sciences/physical-geography/facts-about-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch/

http://greatpacificgarbagepatch.info/

All ideas should be considered, we must not let one group freeze us from action and from starting to clean up the mess. Examples of unproductive activities:

• Studying the problem to death only endangers more wildlife and safe ocean transportation. 
• Unfortunately releasing wildlife already trapped before starting the clean up only endangers more wildlife and safe ocean transportation.
• Until an alternative is reasonably available diesel emitting boats will be used; delaying only endangers more wildlife and safe ocean transportation.
• Politicians will spend a career debating what to do meanwhile the garbage endangers more wildlife and safe ocean transportation.
• More taxes; Oil companies and manufacturers will lobby hard against any tax; delaying funding endangers more wildlife and safe ocean transportation. 

Now lets focus on what can be done. For example:

• Continue progress toward 100% recyclable products and weaning the world off environmentally unsafe oil consumption and the manufacturing of petroleum based byproducts like plastic.
• Give philanthropist around the world the opportunity to contribute billions to something greater than themselves and that adds value to everyone on the planet.
• Enlist a major recycling company that would benefit from being part of this huge and sure to be the most significant recycling project.
• Form a project advisory team of biologist, oceanographic, infrastructure and naval engineers together with a charismatic leader to bound them together while on this quest.
• Retrofit a supertanker or old naval carrier into giant trash harvesters like the wheat and corn combines of the Midwest. 
• Ask oil companies and manufacturers to contribute to a cleanup fund  that brings value to their brands.

Ways to improve our use of the planet are occurring now and need to continue at a little quicker pace by:

• Continuing awareness campaigns about of all of the pollutions to the planet earth with increasing visibility of the environmental affects,
• Encourage better recycling strategies from the manufacturer to the consumer really executing the symbol of reuse printed on packages.

• Encourage the creation of new products that add value pre and post consumer consumption. (Edible water and soda bottles for example.)  Just as much effort and money must be invested in the new sciences and manufacturing processes.

• Stop spending all our effort on banning stuff,  people will not accept a ban when there isn’t an economically affordable replacement.

It isn’t rocket science and I believe solutions have been planned that may be more executable than mine.   I will just end today with a thought for me more than anyone else, “What can I do to facilitate an effort toward action?”

Tax The Rich? Are You Serious People?

Tax the rich?    Why would you want to tax creativity, capitalism, freedom, innovation and job creation?  We’d be shooting ourselves in the foot or more like shooting one's self in the head.   The one thing that we progressive Americans aspire to be and work hard all our lives to achieve, a minority group of dreamless Americans want to tax!!  We all want the time, the freedom and the comfortable life style derived from wealth. Come on people, rather than tax the rich, we should all follow their lead and start working to achieve the financial independence that the rich have earned and by the way, they are not getting their wealth from the lottery or a JOB (Just Over Broke). Only 3-5% of the American people have the discipline, willingness and persistence to pursue and attain wealth.  Most of us would rather watch television and blame everyone else for our plight in life.  I am always striving to be a multimillionaire so I can pay taxes like the wealthy can. Do you think I’ll care when I get taxed 28-40% on my millions while so many of you stay on welfare, social security disability insurance, Medicaid and unemployment?  Hell no, I would not care one red cent while I am still making millions created from my entrepreneurial vision, my innovation, my persistence, and my willpower to succeed.  The majority of Americans would rather whine and fight to maintain the status quo.  In your effort to fund the measly social security, unemployment, Medicare and Medicaid, go ahead vote for higher taxes on the rich.  You will not become wealthy by taxing the few opportunistic 5%.  Anyway, the fewer of you that are at the top just means that there is more wealth that I don't have to share.  I will continue to contribute to the government for all of you, all the way to the bank because “money” just keeps rolling in while the rest of you feed off the success of others that have EARNED what they’re getting taxed on.  So, I am arrogant and insensitive you think?  Maybe, but, this is true and you know it!  You know who you are…….Arrogance to me, is believing you're owed something you haven't earned!  Why should I subsidize your fear, laziness and inaction? If you don’t take the initiative to improve your own situation, why should I care?  Keep blaming the rich for your financial situation and shortages. While you continue to whine, I will take advantage of your whining by being more creativity, more innovative, more persistent, more determined and disciplined.  Excuse me but my time is up……..I've got to catch a plane to Jamaica. Call me when you’ve had enough government support. Ask yourself this question everyday you're not rich, "Would you rather be a poor or middle-class worker paying taxes on dollars traded for your time or paying taxes on the entrepreneurial generated millions from your own residual income business?" I would like to show all of you a better way. Thank you very much…..
 

Cheers to your happiness, good health and wealth.

Will the Silent Majority finally speak out in the 2012 Election?

• Health Care in shambles, is it repairable?  I don’t think the current version can be fix. What do you think?
• Three expensive conflicts in the Middle East. (All politicians are to be thanked for these opportunities.  Thank you.)
• Rising government debt threatens America’s financial stability. What should happen: Raise the debt ceiling? Default on our obligations?  The American people should foreclose on the government then take it over close some parts down sell others off to private enterprise, terminate a layer of middle-management then reorganize like a good corporation.  Oh, and give them a Cobra health care policy they have to pay themselves for 18 months.
• Pakistan turns out to have two faces (One side smiles at the US and the other side laughs all the way to their bank).  We’re saying that 800 million is being cut from a few billion.  How much are we donating to terrorism?
• Senators and House Representatives are too old and gray to remember the oath of office they took to uphold the Constitution of the United States.  Their secret oath is to their back pockets and those lobbyist that bought their loyalty.  
• We’re a welfare state now and the baby boomers want it that way, at least until their gone.  Afterwards those of us that are left holding the basket can change the entitlements however we want.  I don’t think Franklin Roosevelt had in mind how we’d abuse the welfare systems he supported and sculpted for the benefit of so many Americans of the depression era.  If the presidents of the modern era didn’t have a war to fight (Korean War, Vietnam War, Grenada conflict, Mexican Drug Wars, Desert Storm, Iraq War, 911, Afghanistan, conflict in Libya, etc.)  they wouldn't have anything to claim to their fame.  BTW. I am boomer too but don't let that stop you from commenting.
• 
  
• America has been taking a back seat to Europe since WWII.   I am not saying we should turn our heads away from our neighbors but when are we going to rebuild America?  Our infrastructure is getting to the same condition many third world countries are today.  If we don’t focus on ourselves a little we won’t be able to help anyone else.

What do you say silent majority?

Please Support My 2011 Project

My Major Goal is:

Serve 10,000 people by helping them improve their health, wealth and happiness living their lives comfortably.


My short-term objective is:

To collect 10,000 ideas from as many individuals willing to contribute on how one can serve another human being that would  improve people's health, happiness, wealth and bring comfort into their lives.

All are welcome to contribute and every suggestion/idea will be accepted, read, then measured against generally practiced values and principles cherished by the majority of human beings.  I encourage everyone to be creative by thinking out-of-the-box, it doesn't all have to be about money. I will consolidate and use any suggestion or idea that I feel will help me reach my major goal.


Categories below can be used individually or together.

Health
Happiness
Wealth
Comfort

Reply with your idea to my email address kimosabee@me.com. The comment section of this Blog will forward to my email address as well.

Thank you in advance for your contribution and I can't wait to start reading your suggestions on how to serve my follow human beings.

Riverside County Supervisor, Jeff Stone Pushing for a Two-State California

Jeff, you've been breathing too much of your own smog. Maybe your idea of splitting California into two states has some merit, maybe in your bathroom mirror. However why aren't you taking Los Angeles and the Dodgers with you? As much as I love the rivalry between our San Francisco Giants and the LA Dodgers it seems that already you are leaving the questionable parts so you don't have to deal with them. Jeff I would have thought to add more of the northern counties including Los Angeles and San Barbara instead you outline counties in the South along the Nevada and Arizona lines and including Orange County, (you must have a residence there) south to San Diego. The strange thing is that you also want to reform the welfare policy but everything you are keeping are some of the poorest and welfare dependent areas of California. You may be biting off more than you can swallow. Btw all the water you'll need comes from northern california which probably won't stay at the same low price per gallon after you secede. Be careful what you ask for Mr. Supervisor the North may agree with you. I find it hard to believe that the Latino community is backing you especially the groups that depend on the welfare monies paid for by the well-to-do counties in the North that are already taxed to high heaven. And come on Jeff, South California that name is already taken by South-ren California you'll have to do better. Have you thought about your flag? I'll bet your new statewide constituency have the colors picked already can you guess them? Get back in front of that bathroom mirror of yours and take a real hard look at yourself and ask, "Do I really want to secede?". I suggest you become part of the solution Sir and not another problem.

Hey, check this out from CNN:
California politician pushes secession plan http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/14/california.secession/index.html?iphoneemail

There's a New Brew in Town!

The Brew, The Brew...a terrible fallback to Fantasy Island, Tatto and Ricardo Montaban. Sorry it won't happen again..in this article I promise. "The Brew" is new, only a month old coffee house that has opened near Polk and Union Street north of the Leopold restaurant and it has free Wifi which is a must for me and many others that call this pleasant and warm atmosphere their coffice. The owners Mike and Angelena are pleasant and social with everyone. On my first visit Angelena and Michael made every customer feel welcome and part of the establishment immediately. It is a quiet place where you can carry on a conversation without talking over the person(s) nearest you. I enjoy the coffee and the tea selection. The teas are more unique and of higher quality with a better taste for me. Most important and what makes me come back now on my third visit are the people. I go to a coffee house to socialize not just work heads down on my iPhone, Mac or Pad and drink coffee/tea. Visiting and networking with others in person is far more gratifying then Facebook or Twitter. I stayed for hours the first time it is like a second, third, fourth, or fifth home during the day. It sure beats cleaning house.

Where's the pride in your City?

Watched a guy throw his trash out the window of the 30 Stockton MUNI. What's with that? I could't tell whether or not he was homeless. I assumed he didn't have a place because he would have taken his trash off the bus and discarded it. Does San Francisco have litter laws and fines? More questions then answers today.

Poor Pets Periodical .........Find out if your pet is slowly being poisoned.

I don't belong to any animal rights activists group not even those fur fearing PETA folks but I couldn't help feeling mortified after reading an article about the poisons in many pet foods. The article was very difficult to read and it made me sick to run down the list of ingredients put into pet foods today. There isn't any oversight of what goes into pet foods like there is for human food according to the article, however, their are rules and regulations overseeing packaging labels.  At least pets aren't having to ingest packaging labels and these may be the only things that aren't in some pet foods from what this article insinuates.  Beware that this article isn't easy to read so you'll need a strong stomach to get through the parts that describe what your pets are eating and why everyday you feed your pet unnatural food like this they are getting sicker. The article is seventeen pages long and if you want to read the details request additional information from me, and about how you can "treat" your pet(s) with healthily and safe alternatives.

Pick Up Your Feet

What is it with the walking feet shufflers?   Are we so out of shape that we can't pick up our feet walking down Market Street?  Those of you that shuffle down the sidewalk don’t appear to me that you can afford a new pair of shoes every month. It isn't just one group, every make and model has foot shufflers.  I watched, and listened, to a woman in a business outfit wearing flat shoes (which wasn’t right to start) shuffling down the sidewalk.  At first I thought maybe her shoes were too big but that wasn’t the case.  How does that scooting along the sidewalk sound go?  I should walk behind one of them and record the sound someday.

Life in Jamaica

From Polk and Beach to Hyde and Beach Street

In a bustling city like San Francisco it is difficult to stop and let’s say...smell the roses.  When I do stop and pay attention I see, hear and smell so many different things that make this city unique and loved by its local inhabitants. I want to take you on a short journey along just one of those streets today.  I'll start at the corner of Beach and Polk Street.  I am currently standing across the street from the Aquatic Park and its’ Maritime museum and on my left is the William Sonoma office and on my right is the Anna Mandara Vietnamese restaurant.  I know the General Manager there, Lam, he a really dedicated to serving his customers and is very reliable when hosting group functions and parties of any kind. I can't quite see it from where I am standing but I can smell the salt air coming off the Bay.  By now the tides are fighting over which direction, in or out, they want to go.  As they fight it out the slack line where the two opposing tides meet foams up and I can almost smell which tide is winning.  The flood tide always wins in my opinion because it has the whole Pacific Ocean behind it pushing all that water inland.   Whichever is winning it is creating a consternation of water that stirs up the smelly bottom silt.  Bicycling passed me is a couple out for a morning ride along the bay shore.  They are tourist I'm guessing because they are riding those rent-a-bikes from Adventure rides.  They look as though they are having fun from the smiles on their faces.  Looking down Beach Street again toward the Hyde Street trolley line I can see on the left what looks like an old worn out Safeway grocery cart heaping full of dirty blankets and flattened cardboard boxes.  Strapped on top are full boxes and a bucket full of other stuff of who knows what else.  Tied onto all four corners are 32 quart trash bags.  The two in the front appear to be for the crushed aluminum can inventory.  On the rear corners are the smashed plastics inventory.  As I get closer I can see a pair of worn out shoes with their tongue’s hanging out sitting under the park bench looking as tired as the cart.  Now that I am only fifteen feet away from the bench I notice movement coming from underneath another set of blankets spread over the entire length of the bench.  From beneath the coverings a pair of tired eyes pier out following my passing. It’s hard not to stare back but I know I have to be strong and not make eye contact.  From the tired look on his face he is the likely caretaker of the grocery cart including the recyclables.     I begin to step lively now to hurry passed so as not to encourage a conversation over change.  Looking even further down Beach Street now the number “19” MUNI bus sits at rest like it seems to always be when I pass this way. I rarely see it move.  I wonder sometimes if it is parked there to give the impression of mass transit like those abandon police cars you see in the suburbs causing you to tap your brakes just for moment just in case.  Budget cuts have warranted such clever tactics.  As I pass by the bus on the right-hand side of the walkway street vendors are setting up for today's business. Jewelry, photographs of points of interest, and amateur artists are waiting to duplicate in charcoal on 20lb copier paper a would-be tourist that mistakenly stops only to admire the talent.  The trolley line is already forming with tourist who for five dollars will ride up Hyde Street all the way to Jackson and maybe over to the Mason-Powell Street line and then finally ending up downtown on Market Street. I haven't ridden on the trolley myself yet and I’m not sure I ever will. I usually have a place to go when I am riding public transportation so I seldom ride for the sake of riding a piece of equipment.  The famous Buena Vista restaurant (BVR) is just across the street off my right shoulder now.  Dead ahead and sitting on the corner of Hyde and Beach Street is a Starbucks.  Decision time now, Venti Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte or a smooth Irish coffee made famous in San Francisco by the BVR.  I am a traditionalist at heart so I am going for the Irish coffee and I need a break and it is almost lunch time anyway.  When I come back let me tell you about the latte on the Coit Tower stairs that didn't make it to the top. 

No S#%&T Sherlock...Read the linked story

Al-Murisi slammed his shoulder into the cockpit door of American Airlines Flight 1561 from Chicago and yelled, "Allahu Akbar." Translated into "God Is Great".   A psychological examination of Al-Murisi was completed Monday, but court officials and his lawyer said privacy laws prohibit revealing its conclusion. However, Christopher Morales, the attorney hired Tuesday by Al-Murisi's family, said he is convinced the in-flight outburst was caused by a mental disturbance, and that Al-Murisi had no terrorist intent. 

 (I apologize in advance for the french but, "No shit Sherlock" he had a mental disturbance.")

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/05/24/BAIS1JK8LD.DTL#ixzz1NPKhSTKP

Health and Patriotism Align?

I recently read a Diet and Health book that was first published in 1918, that stated that it was unpatriotic to be fat.  Based on this statement President Obama looks to be more patriotic than many of the overweight Washington, DC politicians.

The City's homeless people are lucky

I don't mean lucky to be homeless, come on think more positive.  Recently I’ve been seeing several homeless people walk down the sidewalks of San Francisco's Financial District on Market Street and south of 6th, then suddenly they jump off the curb directly into speeding traffic.  I don’t know how the person makes it across without being hit by a bus, trolley, car or taxi, lucky I guess.  Of course this is after car and bus horns blare loudly, tires screech to an abrupt halt and much profanity is directed at the pedestrian violator.  I would imagine that if I were a passenger in the car or bus I would hear under the drivers breath,"Watch where you're walking you dumb bast.....".  After getting across safely the violator normally turns back and flips everyone the bird like they did something wrong.  One time I witnessed a homeless person beat on the hood of car. They are lucky again that the driver didn’t shoot them out of fear for his life.  The homeless have this innate sense of being owed something from society but I haven't quite figured it out what we owe.  I wonder if any of the 52% of pedestrian traffic fatalities reported for San Francisco are the homeless individuals that on a daily bases dare San Francisco drivers?   

Sons and Daughters of Bush and Powell Street

If you haven’t been to this restaurant and you like the sort of French style multiple courses tasting dinner this is number one in my book.   The ambience is relaxing for the most part however, you occasionally get someone talking as though their hearing aid was turned off.  We had someone like that behind us but the food and the service overwhelmed any negative I could bring up.  The food, OMG, the food was delightfully spectacular.  Every course was absolutely delicious and unique.  The presentation was colorful, with purpose and meaningful structure that needed sufficient adoration and interpretation before extracting the first bite.  Taking your time to let every taste bud in your month get a sampling is an understatement to say the least.  It’s not our once a week or once a month restaurant but it is acceptably priced. The service was excellent, exceptionally attentive.  Every course received a new and complete set of utensils and the chef sent out three special dishes to fill in the time between courses which was completely unexpected and unnecessary in my opinion however it did incentivize me to generously tip.   Five of five stars from me.  Visit this colorful and brief web site.

Sons and Daughters

How much is being an American worth?

Is life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness worth paying someone $7000, being humiliated lower than domestic livestock or even dying for?   If you are already an American citizen and you're not sure what it's worth you should start by asking the 531 souls that were caught being smuggled in container trucks with conditions so deplorable that the humane society and Peta people would have run any business out of town on a rail tarred and feathered for treating animals so badly.  The smugglers need to be stowed in a shipping container and transported to the middle of the Sahara desert and released.  Leave them the container for shelter we're not inhumane.

Oh boy, another planet to ravage

Recently astronomers located ten potential planets that could sustain our current way of life, God forbid.  In a pinch we could relocate to one of them if needed.  Evacuation plans are being dusted off and updated as I write.  This discovery is of particular interest to San Franciscans who are looking for additional parking spaces that are not metered.  Right now the spaces assumed to be self-park and at your own risk so curb your wheels toward a rock to prevent runaways. Only one challenge to overcome though you’ll need allot of patience because the nearest planet is 300,000 years away and did I mention that getting back to work is a real problem too because of BART's current budget woes.  Please keep the horn blowing to a minimum.  You can’t call a cab either because San Franciscans are still rejecting extra cell towers along the way that could alleviate dead spots and improve data speeds from 3g to 4g.  The taxi hailing Apps Cabulous and TaxiMagic are not updated as well.

Sorry no pictures or brochures yet.

Elevator pitches are out...Thumbs are in...Silence is golden...Really?

Will it be the next generation that inherits a debilitating disease caused by smart devices spreading across the globe?  I am going to call the new disease Smart Device Head-hang (SDH).  If you don’t believe me look around.  Oh?  You can’t!   That is my point your head is hanging over your smart devices (iPhones, PDA’s, Kindles, iPads, Droids and Androids, etc.).  The top of our spines will curve downward from the shoulder after eons of hanging our heads down looking at our smart devices.  I am guilty too for having the same posture when I should be paying attention to the real world.  I am guilty of missing the world around me while I text, email, tweet, and like on all the different social networking media and most of us have every social App including LinkedIn which we have to have right?  Come on people how important can those BTW, OMG, LOL and :-) text messages be and what about updating our status or checking in are they really helpful?  Has anyone ever come up to you and said, “Hey, I just read that you checked-in at the same place I am and I wanted to introduce myself and have dinner with you.”, yeah right?  Will the world end if you miss one call, text, tweet or email?  If the world ended would you have noticed?  What would your Facebook status include or check-in location be?  Would you have anything to “Tweet” home about?  We are all going to look up someday and realize that we have wasted so much time communicating back and forth with a computer instead of real people on the other end of the Internet and those right next to us.  Something else to think about is that in 1000 years human beings could evolve into mouth-less creatures with eight more fingers and two more thumbs to handle multiple devices and keyboards.  We hardly talk to each other using our vocal cords anymore, we let our thumbs do the talking for us and our thumbs are dumb. You should read what they type.  We are the greatest thinkers and innovators of the modern era yet we created the smallest keyboards for the shortest, thickest and biggest finger on our hand, though it’s really not called a finger.  It is far too easy and comfortable being mean to one another knowing we’re separated by clouds, space and reality.  What happened to the real art of “social engineering”?

Big Brother Update

I just received an email confirmation from Delores at the Big Brother Big Sister San Francisco headquarters.  All the paperwork has been received and a case worker has been assigned  to me.   I can expect a call to arrange a personal interview between one week, a month or a few months.   I guess Big Brothers volunteers are plentiful.   Okay I am in standby mode.

Beautiful..Near Aquatic Park and Fort Mason

A little science Trivia nonsense for some folks

I had a really serious thought on Monday while watching the shuttle Endeavour dock with the space station and it is a question I’ve pondered off and on so I finally looked it up.  Space is a vacuum, right?  No air, right?  Okay.

Question: Where does all the air go that escapes from the shuttle when they open the shuttle bay doors into open space?

It seems I wasn’t the only one on Google that thought this was an important issue to resolve.

Answer: The air molecules dissipate into ever smaller molecules barely measureable by human instruments.  The air molecules that are not close to earth become part of the solar winds and travel through space undetected and the air molecules that are close enough to the earth get drawn back and become part of the earth’s atmosphere again.  Interesting isn’t it? 

I make all disclaimers for the accuracy or inaccuracy of any I comment made.

New SF Jazz Center Ground Breaking....Finally a Home of our own

Congratulations to the SF Jazz staff  and contributors for successfully raising $46 million in donations to build a home for SF Jazz in SAn Francisco of course.   No more wondering the City looking for venues that would host you.

Great Job!

At the Corner of Fell and Franklin Street near Van Ness Blvd. Due to open in late 2012.  Home of San Francisco Jazz

Debt forgiveness........How generous we are

Mr. President, I just read where you forgave $1 billion in debt from Egypt.  Great job Mr. President and generous too.   Now lets focus on me for just a moment.  The following letter will explain further.

Dear Mr. President, 

I respectfully submit this request that you forgive taxes owed by me to any state or federal government for the next ten (10) no twenty (20) years.

Thank you Mr. President for your prompt attention to this important request.

Sincerely,

Voting Citizen

Hey Parents...Are you serious about your childrens education?

Parents, 

if you are serious about education and I assume that you are because you brought children into this world then seriously review the web site below.  It’s a free collection and consolidation of teaching videos for the beginning student to the more advanced.  This new idea for teaching that you are about to review is great for filling the gaps and strengthening areas that your child is missing at school.  I dare you to take responsibility for bringing that child into the world and ensure that they have the tools to succeed in the world today and tomorrow.   It’s FREE.  BTW if you are student you need to review this web site too.

A free world-class education for anyone anywhere.

Khan Academy

Ever Been a Big Brother to a Little Brother?

I have often thought about being a Big Brother, but I never did anything with the thought.  I have the opportunity to go sailing with 4 or 5 local Big Brother administrators this coming Sunday so I plan on asking a few questions to determine if it is something I want to do, have time to do and if I want to be associated with this organization.   I am looking forward to the sailing trip on the San Francisco Bay too.  I will update everyone after the trip on what I learned and my decision.  

Cheers to your good health and wealth!

Make Room on the Planet!

Something Nice!

I have heard the phrase that many Americans are “morbidly obese” and even though healthcare costs continue to rise, people are not changing their eating habits. Thousands of people are falling ill to diabetes, high blood pressure, and any number of related heart problems that are deceases attributed directly to being overweight. Fast food businesses continue to show huge profits, why is that? Having time on my hands to ponder worldly problems like this, I believe I have a solution for making more room on the planet. My idea is to require every person that falls into the “morbidly obese” category to lose enough weight (not original I know) and to bring their body fat index down to a medical industry recognizable and healthy level. This in turn will reduce the diameter of most humans affecting the space occupied by every person. In turn we all get a little more elbow room you might say.   There are many benefits for being a healthier, smaller, or more narrow (physically I mean) person whichever description is politically correct. Consider other problems like the short list below that can be solved too:

• Eating less means less trash and garbage in landfills (Environmentalist happier)
• Less water is used when the body is smaller/thinner (Water conservationist happier)
• Comfortable seating/standing for all on public transportation (Traveling public happier)
• Airlines can compress seating space (like they haven’t already) (Airline industry happier)
• Lower fuel costs due to lower transported weight (Shipping costs lower, car owners happier too)
• Fewer sheep have to be sheared for the garment industry (the sheep will be warmer)
• Most people will be able to fit in smart cars (Global warming alarmist happier)
• Fewer swayback horses (Animal rights advocates and PETA people happier)
• Fewer  back injuries (Everyone happier, pharmaceutical firms unhappy)
• More cops that can catch the criminals (Taxpayers happier)
• Fewer broken office chairs (Facility’s asset management happier)
• More food for the rest of us. (starving people fed)
• Etc.

The result is harmony in the World!