It’s that time of year again. The annual dive trip to Mexico! Most of the guys are driving down to San Carlos this time. Personally, I think it’s crazy to spend 16 hours driving across the featureless desert when America West offers daily (though spotty) service to nearby Guaymas. And right out of John Wayne, too! No getting up at… Read more →
Category: Other
A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
I’m not even sure what to say about this, except it seems clear now why the Rams moved out of Los Angeles. It wasn’t the crumbling Colesium, the antics of owner Georgia Frontiere, or a lack of support from the community. It was the Ghost of Needlepoints Past: I kid because I love. God bless Grier for being mature enough… Read more →
Can America Compete?
The July 25th edition of Fortune magazine features a pretty good analysis of the emerging challenges America faces from the likes of India and China. And, frankly, from our own affluence. The article is particularly noteworthy because globalization is making it harder to seperate the wheat from the chaff when attempting to define causes and solutions. It’s not an “us… Read more →
No Inflation?
Talking heads in the financial sector seem quite fond of crowing about how well the economy is doing. One metric they never fail to point to is the Consumer Price Index, a primary indicator of inflation. It invariably shows that we’ve got the perfect amount: approximately 3% per year. Does that make sense to you? Now keep in mind I’m… Read more →
Beans on Toast
They say that those who are ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it. All I could think of when listening to the news this morning was that whoever’s behind this has quite obviously never cracked open a textbook. Think about it. The IRA had no success in forcing England’s hand even after two solid decades of this sort of… Read more →
Back Off!
The demented senior citizens who live next to me have a license plate frame on their car which, with six simple words, conveys everything that’s wrong with the world today. It says: “BACK OFF! Our granddaughter’s a lawyer.” With all due respect to attorneys I admire, I’ve spent the last ten years wanting to take that frame off their car… Read more →
Don’t Go Changin’
No, not that kind of change. I’m talking about coins. Loose change, the kind you find in your pocket. You know, the stuff that ends up under the sofa cushions? That mass of flat metal objects that clunks around in your pants as you walk down the street? The very same stuff that once short circuited a 9-volt battery in… Read more →
Smooch
Alcohol impairs judgement. Since when?? Lesley and I found this and several other humorous trash cans at the Dana Point Harbor today. (Did I just use the phrase “humorous trash cans”? That’s a first.) Read more →
Harmonia Baroque
Harmonia Baroque Players is a professional early music ensemble based here in Orange County. While I’ve been running their web site on a volunteer basis for a number of years, the look & feel has always made me cringe, especially because their quality of their music (listen) is not represented accurately by the pathetic FrontPage design. So I took matters… Read more →
This Verdict Was Made For Walking
I’d be the last person to defend Michael Jackson (or his music). But he went free because those who testified against him had serious credibility problems that the prosecutor couldn’t overcome. Jackson has plenty of credibility issues of his own, which is more than enough to convict him at the office watercooler. But in American courtrooms, the onus is on… Read more →