Just Observing

Just Observing

Have just spent awhile clicking on the "next blog" up in the right hand corner of this blog. Have no idea how many I clicked through. It left me wondering just what the bloggers wanted the most...some wild site design or to be read. One after another, the blog was so complexly designed, and unreadable. In some cases, the type was very tiny. Others had dark lettering on dark background or light on light. Many, of course, were in another language, which is neat...if the language is one the readers know. Invariably, if the background color was pink, it designated a female, as if the blogger had been brainwashed at birth that girls wear pink and boys wear blue. The males seem to prefer green, for whatever reason. In any case, over-elaborate design obliterates the writing. Be good if the bloggers would consider this, cause so many complain about the lack of comments they get. If it's difficult to read, nobody is gonna read it. Just that simple. Something to think about.

Just Observing

Just Observing

Oh...little sis had surgery Tues aft, I've just found out from her nurse at the hospital in Rockford. And, was discharged this afternoon and is home! The docs and nurses at that hospital did a terrific job. All went perfectly. I thanked them profusely. Sis has been ordered not to go out and party tonight, the nurse told me. Also mentioned that she was stubborn. Hell, I knew that.

Just Observing

Just Observing

I'll be damned! The post I've just posted is completely underlined again! How does it do that? Sheesh!

Just Observing

Just Observing<

Happy New Year's Eve! In several hours that is, for us. Had guests, man and wife, both psychotherapists, both writers, on the hotel patio for breakfast this morning. J has been working with the woman on her 2nd novel through 3-6 rewrites till now. A couple very minor things for the writer to touch up and it's ready to head to the agent.

Before they arrived, J warned A and I that both knew Bush, liked him very much and had voted for him both times. Would you guess they're from Texas? So Bush was not mentioned, and we enjoyed each other's company a lot. Had politics entered in, there'd have been war, but that's no way to begin 2005.

The blasted road that runs between Friars Rd and Hotel Circle, down in Fashion Valley, fell into the San Diego river this morning. The river runs under it, but they'd put the big pipes it ran through in many years ago, and when a city truck loaded with concrete barriers drove over that part, that was all she wrote. The road fell into the river. Wonderful.

Of course the river has flooded with these rains. And it's started to rain again. Got that Holiday Bowl football game between the Texas and California teams over with yesterday, between rains. All to the good. Wasn't good that the Texas team won, but our guests were just delighted, naturally. Nice people who refrained from gloating.

Was most pleased that there's an article in the NYTimes this day on our Chargers football team. :) The Chargers please me no end. So they play tomorrow with Doug Floutie as QB. He's J's favorite QB. Hope they win. Believe they're playing the Giants.

I find it passing strange that whenever one of our major league teams wants a new stadium, the teams suddenly start winning like crazy, and next thing you know, the city is committing millions to the deal.

Hate to see Qualcom go. My brother, uncle and cousin all worked construction on that stadium, but it's developed all kinds of problems over the years. I doubt patching will keep it going for much longer. Still....the damned city is flat broke. They're talking about giving the Chargers a large chunk of land next to the stadium to build condos etc on to cover new stadium costs.

Bush has now committed $350 million to the tsunami-hit countries. Had to be shamed into it. Sending Colin Powell and his brother, Jeb Bush, current Gov of Florida, over to look at the situation. The Abe Lincoln carrier, plus its battle group, is either on the way or there. Putting up a small, temporary military base over there too, to expedite getting help in for those poor folks. Heaven knows they need all the help they can get.

Damn! What miserable weather! Still raining. Staying home tonight. Had 252 vehicle accidents during the last big rain a few days ago. Ran the freeways enough yesterday. Usually prefer the surface streets. More relaxing and a hell of a lot more interesting sights along the way. Just cruise along. But yesterday...had to make a fast run to the Conv Ctr downtown before breakfast on the patio. Hate that. So hit the freeway both there and back to the hotel. Quick trip. J got to the hotel before I did. A rare thing.

Back to the morning papers. See you in 2005.

Just Observing

Just Observing

Minute by minute, we're sneaking up on New Year's Eve. Do wonder what 2005 will be holding in store. No question but that we will find out. Happy New Year, everyone!

Just Observing

Just Observing

Wonder if Blogger is going to now require loging in every time I want to post? Guess I'll find out.

We're almost upon New Year's Eve 2005 now. Man, this year has been a combination of a blur of speed and agonizing slowdowns. Roller Coaster ride doesn't even cut it. More like being sucked into a black hole in space.

Had a pro Astronomer cousin, now dead, who said it was the height of arrogance to think we were the only beings in the universe. Perhaps a set of those beings will get aggravated enough with the situations we get ourselves into that they'll come visit and wipe us all out, now that we're taking war into space.

You think not? Take a look at http://defensetech.org where the news of such weapons resides. Incredible, what we're doing.

Had an email from the one and only intel guy I trust...and lemme tell you, he's incredible at what he does. We've been talking about the terrorist situation, and some of what he says is:

"My main fear (aside from
terrorists and a WMD) is the future. We are
institutionalising a 'war on terror', and with that
comes a permanent derrogation of civil liberties - as
well as the tempting abuse of the surveillance
capabilities for political ends.

Washington is the city where the only sin is losing.
Amoral people still in college today will inherit a
system where personal communication is transparent.
This is disturbing. This administration has not had time to
fully digest what's going on or what's possible. Not
so for the future politicos. When they get in power,
the Big Brother machine will be in full swing.

I wanted, and still want, a strategy that the
anti-terror warriors won't like. Why do I say that?
I want amateurs fighting this war. Amateurs who don't
want to be career terror experts. Amateurs who want
to get it over with instead of milking it for a
lifetime.

My solution (simple minded perhaps) was to take an
Army General and put him in charge of a
counter-terror task force comprised of members of DoJ,
DoD and a few others. Agencies would give up
hand-picked people for the task force; therefore
they'd be unhappy. The people themselves would be
gratified to serve their country, but would be out of
the loop of their chosen career path. I want everyone
to be pissed off and eager to get this shit over with.

But now we have a Homeland Security Department with
over four hundred SES positions, and a growing FBI.
The bureaucrats are tickled pink. No one will
consciously prolong this war, but I predict no one's
going to win it, either....

We will not win by employing a strategy similar to
that of the drug war. Sometimes decisive action is
necessary. Pity we don't really have it yet. I'm
hoping we won't see the catastrophe that will bring my
idea into reality."

All I have to say about that analyzation is that it makes damned good sense to me. My Dad always told me to "never argue with a real expert." I think twice about doing that. It would be nice if Bush would even listen to one.

I now have to get on google and try to find out more about a fabric designer named Zandra Rhodes, so that's a wrap for tonight.

Just Observing

Just Observing

Good grief! Have just discovered that no matter which blog I post on, the post comes to this one! Amazing! Now I really am outta here!

observer

observer

Man, this is too much! Now this blog has suddenly become functional. I haven't been able to get on here or make comments on other blogs for five days because I forgot my password and Blogger, for whatever reason, couldn't seem to email it to me. So set up a new blog ( http://aggravated.blogspot.com ) tonight, and this one jumps up and running! It's enough to send anybody into a state of shock and trauma.

That's it. I'm gonna read awhile and then hit the sack. Damn!

Just Observing

Just Observing

My God! The wind has just come up something fierce. Been stormy on and off all day. Supposed to rain and storm even worse tomorrow...and of course tomorrow is when the Int'l Auto Show begins at the Conv Ctr. Hotels are full, but bet nobody is sitting at the sidewalk cafes down in the Gaslamp Quarter. They'd freeze their tales off from that wind, even though there are heaters. San Diego is NOT supposed to have this kind of weather. We'll be in a state of total disgrace with every tourist in town. Gawd! This is not good.

Just Observing

Aggravated is not the word for what I am. Had to create a new blog. After five days of trying to retrieve my forgotten password, with zero results, here I finally am again. Formerly my URL was http:migf.blogspot.com ...the "Observer" blog. Have no idea what happened, but that's the way it is. Ain't life grand?