Bird on a Wire: Energy Conservation

Here's a tidbit of information that you'll find interesting.  Are you aware that there is a LOT of electricity that is wasted because of the aging transmission system of old power lines and cables?  Take a look up at the power lines that distribute electricity.  The vast majority are at least 40 years old and have lost efficiency due to corrosion, age, etc.  It's been said by those in authority on the matter if we invested in new transmission lines we would save an enormous amount of electricity and the polluting environmental impacts involved in creating electricity.  Yes, we would lessen our carbon footprint substantially.

Wow.  Replacing all those power lines seems like a big job.  It is, but it seems like the most obvious thing we could do to conserve energy and reduce environmental impact.  It's something so attainable and doable and not some futuristic pie in the sky far fetched fantasy that some engineering geek wrote for a graduate thesis.  It's not glamours nor attention grabbing.  Maybe that's why the obvious is being ignored. 

How about this for simplicity on replacing aged distribution systems:  Start by simply observing the power lines in the winter time and look for the power lines that have the most birds on it.  Why?  Because inefficient power lines exude escaping heat that the birds love to sit on. 

I bet you'll never look at a power line in the wintertime the same way again.  Each time you look up and see a bunch of birds on a wire you'll know that an aging, inefficient line needs to be replaced and that it's losing about 50% capacity. 

Jack Johnson

Tonight I went to a concert at Berkeley's Greek Theater to see Jack Johnson.  Here in the heart of liberalism I decided to test "diversity" by going into the men's bathroom as the line for the women's was REALLy long and I REALLY had to pee.

You know the stupidity of the bathroom wars (transgender, whatever) and everybody all parading around these days shouting, "You can Pee Next to Me" and other little sayings and slogans to all get us to a gender neutral bathroom.

So, that's what we did -- three of us gals just marched into the men's bathroom to the empty stalls.  Guess what.  The earth did not stop spinning on its axis.

As the night went on I was disappointed in the audience for Jack Johnson.  Nobody was a moovin and a groovin except for my group.  It's pretty sad when a bunch of middle aged white women from Sonoma County are the weirdo hippies at the concert and have to instigate action.  Everybody else just sat there like a stick in the mud. 

Since when did Berkeley become so uptight and white? 

Vancouver Homeless

I have been spending some time in the Canadian city of Vancouver, British Columbia.  Everybody wants to use Canada as an example of what we in the United States should be like.  We are constantly compared to Canada’s foreign relations, health care, social services, and their acceptance of cultural and social differences.

Really?

When was the last time any of you spent a little time with our neighbors to the north and dug beneath the surface?  

Here’s what I found Vancouver to be -- San Francisco’s twin sister.  Yup.  It’s shiny and glitzy and welcoming of all, on the surface that is.  Dig a little deeper and they have a problem with tweekers, homelessness, poverty, etc.  The streets outside of the immediate tourist areas are littered with feces and trash.  Panhandlers are just about everywhere as are barred-up windows and graffiti.  Canada has the same problems we do.  They are just better at hiding them and the world isn’t looking to criticize and shame Canada for anything.  

As for tolerance, that’s not really there either despite Canada’s 150^th birthday public service messages showing how happy they are with their diversity.   There is a strong undertow of prejudice and racism.  Yesterday, my man wore his Oakland Raiders shirt.  The shirt solicited instant friends at a bar we ended up at.  Our new friends were Canadian, but were of Indian and middle eastern descent and one in the group wore a turban.  It did not take long for them to start telling tales on how they are made to feel like second class citizens and were praising Americans, especially Californians, for being more accepting than the Canadians.  The guy who wore a turban, Sonny, went on to say how an American Navy Seal bought him drinks and befriended him.  Sonny was not expecting that.  He was expecting silent hostility.  Sonny had a strong sense of humor and said, “Think about that.  A f****** navy seal buying me, a f****** towel-headed, sheet-headed bastard who he’s trained to kill, and he’s buying ME drinks,” and went on to say how everybody should not take themselves so seriously and lighten up.  Political correctness has gone overboard.  Laugh more and remove the stick out of certain orifices.  

The others in the group told their tales as well and what was messed up in their country.  Their country has plenty of problems and they are not immune to issues, either.   It’s not the Utopia Michael Moore portrays.  So, world, before you throw your next rock at us saying how crappy we are and how we should be more like Canada, have a REALLY good look and then STFU.  

p.s. more Canadians immigrate to the United States than the other way around -- the ratio is approximately 2-1.  

p.p.s  I have no explanation for HeWhoShallNotBeNamed as occupying the Oval Office.  Sorry about that.  We're claiming temporary insanity as a defense. 

Freaking Out People I Work With

I don't mean to freak people out.  I just do.  I try to put on a normal face to the world, but I'm anything but.  I'm a freak.

It happened again the other night when I was having cocktails at the bar with my co-workers and spouses.  We were all more than 1/2 buzzed and I was chatting with Gag's wife.  I don't even remember how we got on the subject, but out of the sheer blue sky I randomly guessed and blurted out Gag's wife's birthday.  Her jaw dropped and wanted to know how I knew. 

I don't know how I knew.  I've been trying to figure out how it happens all my life.

She started yanking on Gag's arm and saying, "Honey, she guessed my birthday and there's no way she would know," and excitedly continued on how she has never experienced a psychic moment before. 

I could see Gag immediately slump in his chair, arms crossed, and he turned his baseball hat backwards. His energy was trying to run away, but he couldn't. He sat there in his chair. I guess Gag never told his wife on how I caught him lying on an affidavit for financing for a client who did not qualify.  How did I know?  I just did.  I had a gut feeling.  I never told Gag how I put the pieces together and busted him.  He thinks I have a legion of spies everywhere.  I don't. 

Men are scared shitless of me once they figure out they can't bullshit me.  At this point freaking people out is a quaint hobby of mine.  Back now to the bar where we were having drinks.  I put my elbow on the table, chin in my hand, and leaned forward looking deep into Gag's eyes with a smirk on my face.  It made him even more uncomfortable because I knew he was wondering what else I knew that he was trying to keep secret.  Gag visibly squirmed in his seat.  I find that women are intrigued when I have a psychic hit, and men are scared.  There's nothing to be scared of, guys.  Just don't lie to me and everything will be fine. 

McCain and the Health Care Bill

...is the irony lost on everybody????

If the top senate Republicans had their way, health care would have been cut off to the most vulnerable citizens (elderly and poor) long ago.  Just think if the republicans had their way and health care was cut off to those over the age of 70.  The republicans need McCain's vote for any hopes of passing it. 

The critical vote holder McCain is currently hospitalized and the vote is delayed due to his brain surgery.  At McCain's age of 80, this is the type of surgery republicans don't want to waste money on. 

Be careful what you wish for, republicans. 

The Drone

It's happened.  The drone has invaded the neighborhood.  It was excruciatingly hot here in Sonoma County yesterday.  After the heat of the day passed we decided to take advantage of the warm evening by having drinks and dinner in the backyard.  The sky was turning the fabulous shades of pinks, purples, organges, and blues.  It's my FAVORITE time of the day.  I love watching sunsets.

We were all looking up at the sky admiring mother nature's art....

......and then.....

.....BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....HOVER.......BUZZZZZZZZZZZ.ZZZZZZZ.....ZZZZZZZZ.ZZZZZZ

A drone was hovering at low altitude over the back yard.  Are you KIDDING ME???  I can't even be in my own yard minding my own business peacefully enjoying a sunset without annoying, unsolicited surveillance?  What an invasion of privacy and peace. 

I have some feist in me.  I went to the edge of the deck and did a double flipping of a certain hand extremity to demonstrate my displeasure.  It still hung there...midair....buzzing...

Hmmm... need something more to get the message across that I don't appreciate a giant, hovering, pesky mosquito with cameras invading my personal space.  They need to know I mean business.

I got out grandpa's rifle.  Granted, it's an antique and doesn't have any ammunition.  I don't even know if the thing can even fire anymore.  That wasn't the point.  I held the gun as if I were going to fire.  Hold it steady.....Ready, aim........

It was then the drone mosquito quickly buzzed off like a dog with his tail between his legs yelping the entire way. 

Google: Don't be Evil

Back when Google was a caring entity they had the phrase "don't be evil" written in their company by-laws.  What was once cool and hip has now turned into what they set out never to be -- evil.

Google isn't owned by Google anymore, did y'all know that?  Their parent company is Alphabet.  When the ownership changed the phrase in the original bylaws that said "don't be evil" was removed.

That little subtlety should send chills through your spine.  ... and here I am blogging on a google site.  They have us by the you-know-what.  These tech giants are NOT your friends.

It's the ATT anti-trust all over again.  Who's going to bust up the tech giants' over reaching power?  I've told you all along it's not the government you should be fearing if you think they are snooping on you.  It was a ploy by the tech giants to deflect attention off of them when people started figuring out that everything you submit online leaves a trail with eyes watching while selling your information and reading your emails.  Now that technology is entrenched in our lives they have us dependent on them.  Like it or not, the government is your only hope in protecting whatever privacy you think you have left.

...and then there's the Facebook campus....

Creepy Main Street Disneyland looking place where everybody wears a fake, frozen smile.   All cell phones are issued by the company and privacy is non-existent.  Facebook employees are owned by Facebook and everything and anything is "monitored" by them.  They are slaves with no rights.

....and then there's Amazon....

I learned in economics about predatory pricing.  Amazon is doing just that.  They are undercutting all the local competition, even if Amazon is initially taking a loss, and driving local retail out of business.  Say good-bye to retail as we know it.  Their purchase of Whole Foods is just the beginning.  Amazon's goal is to have your order delivered within two hours once you place it with drone delivery.  They are teeming up with Google to have a driver-less vehicle deliver your stuff much like a rolling vending machine that will spit out your stuff.

In a way I don't blame companies for wanting to replace their workers with machines.  They don't complain, file harassment complaints, bicker about working overtime, show up to work drunk, or worse yet not show up at all.  They don't sue for discrimination claims or file bogus workers' compensation injuries.

We did all this to ourselves.  Who are we going to blame? 

Bastille Day 2017

Exactly one year ago today I was on a boat on the River Seine having an awesome dinner with an up close and personal view of the fabulous fireworks show off the Eiffel Tower.  The entire city of Paris was on edge that day.  Eyes were everywhere.  As the fireworks show concluded and the crowd was disbursing (prime time for shit to go down) I saw a house ablaze across the river. 

It was at that exact moment I had a sinking feeling something was wrong somewhere as in terrorist stuff as my gut was talking to me.

My intuition was spot on, but my location was off.  At that moment at the other end of the country in Marseille some whack job terrorist decided to drive a truck into a crowd and kill a bunch of people. 

Who da thunk that one year later France would get the pleasure of hosting yet another terrorist on Bastille Day -- from the United States of America at that.  Granted, this terrorist dresses in a suit and a tie but the antics are just as bad if not worse. 

Enough of that.  In honor of France I'm listening to Edith Piaf radio on Pandora.  She had a messed up, tragic life and ended up dying while in the nut house.  Given what the woman went through, I'm surprised she didn't self destruct earlier.  She did take a stand against the German troops during WWII who would come and listen to her sing.  Gutsy, brash, clever little thing -- love her. 

Anyway, here are my two favorite Edith Piaf songs.  Don't ask me why as they just are.

Moon Beam for President

Ah yes, our illustrious Governor of California Jerry Brown.  Jerry has been involved in politics most of his life.  In the 1970's, when he was governor before he was governor, he was noted for being "out there" and had ideas the general population could not quite grasp.  He earned the nickname "Moon Beam." 

I distinctly recall walking about the California capitol building in Sacramento not too long ago looking at portraits of all the governors from our very beginnings to date.  All of them were traditional, stately portraits of pretty much of all old white guys all stuffed up in suits.  Think of the portraits you've seen of President Washington and such.  Formal. Stuffy.  Uptight.  White.  Stick inserted somewhere and the pain is captured in the portrait.  Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Jerry...... He's California cool.  I bet he wears Birkenstocks WITH socks:

Personally, I think Governor Brown and Bernie Sanders need to talk.....they could be quite the dynamic duo.  They may need a little balance somehow to the right to appease the conservatives one way or another, but I think they could be quite a match up.  Here's what they got going for them at this moment:  The world LOVES Jerry Brown with our California cutting edge technology for a sustainable future and climate control.  The world LOVES Bernie Sanders just because he's not an asshole and has a heart and just a shred of integrity.  Hillary?????? Who is HE?  Moon Bean and Sanders could resurrect what the Democratic party really is supposed to be about.

The Retirement

What's your retirement plan?  Do you have one?  Do you think that money will magically fall out of the sky when you turn 65?  Do you think the government or family members will take care of you?  Hoping mom and dad will die so you can inherit a chunk of change? 

I wish it could be that simple. 

Saving for retirement is something people should start in their early 20's.  Even if it's $20 bucks a week into the 401(k) plan.  What?  Working at a job with no benefits?  There are options for individual investors now that brokerage houses and banks need to act as fiduciaries on behalf of their clients.  The main thing is to START NOW.  Don't tell me you can't afford to put $20 bucks away a week.  You blow more than that between your Starbucks and your iTunes subscriptions. 

Nobody is ever sorry saving $ for retirement.  The vast majority wished they would have saved more. 

The saddest stories I hear now are from divorced friends of mine.  As if the pain of going through a divorce wasn't enough.  These women endured decades of abuse, infidelity, drug addiction/alcoholism, and god only knows what else their husbands tortured them with before they had the courage to say enough is enough and got out of the marriage.  Now they are penniless and facing huge medical bills and other unforeseen, unanticipated financial obligations.  Ex-husband is now with a woman 1/2 his age in Barbados living high on the hog while you're eating canned cat food and rummaging though couch cushions trying to find enough money to purchase your medical prescriptions. 

Think it through, ladies, before signing final divorce documents.  If not written out correctly, you could be signing up for poverty in your golden years.  If not properly thought through, that will be your reward for putting up with a drunken, cheating, abusive spouse before you got the courage to finally dump his ass.  Poverty. 

Sounds like a bum deal, doesn't it ladies?  Putting up with a cheating, lying, drunken, abusive spouse only to finally get the courage to dump him and it lands you in financial dire straits?  The rub is when you figure out that the guy you thought was Prince Charming and now dating makes your drunken, cheating, lying, abusive ex-husband seem like an angel in comparison. 

Ladies, we can't win. 

Note to all women:  Take care of yourselves financially.  Don't EVER depend on somebody else to do it for you.  Trust me. 

The Breakup

M and her boyfriend broke up about 6 months ago.  M is a VERY good friend of mine.  Personally, I was glad she broke up with him as he was nothing but a 6'6" overgrown, irresponsible, flaky, drunk infant.  He can't have a checking account, hasn't filed taxes in years, runs an illegal business for cash under the table, does not have health insurance or any other kind of insurance, and has blown through his inheritance with dumb purchases, chasing women, booze, and vacations to god only knows where.

...and that is the type of guy she's crying over.....

I told M to thank her lucky stars she had the courage to break up with him.  A future with him?  Really?  Does she want to be stuck with him only to have to spoon feed him, push him around in a wheel chair, and change his diapers when he injures himself falling down the stairs in a drunken stupor?   It's only a matter of time.  If she waited that long to dump him she would have felt the guilt of abandoning somebody in a time of need.  Breaking up with him was a preemptive strike. 

Now it's the photos on Facebook that has M all in a tizzy with the ex and a new woman.  Good.  I told M she should thank the new love interest for taking that train wreck of a man off her shoulders and relieving her.  Of course the ex-boyfriend and the girlfriend are all goo-goo-gushy on FB right now.  The relationship is new and the facade the ex-boyfriend puts on has not been exposed.  The new woman has not figured him out yet.  Give it time.  Just wait until the new girlfriend figures out that he's really flat broke despite the glitz and flash and has a SERIOUS drinking problem and lives with his married, adult daughter because he can't sign a lease because of his poor credit. 

This guy is a prize?  Really M?  You're crying over HIM?  The new woman's prize will be sleeping with this snoring drunk and passed out 300 pound 6'6" gorilla in her bed with 'erectile dysfunction' issues with no money and no real job.  Wow.  Lucky new girlfriend.  Maybe I should say it will be her surPRIZE. 

M is better off.  She just doesn't quite feel it yet.  Her head says to run, but he still has her heart.  She dodged a bullet.  M, take your newly found independence and RUN.   M, I don't care if you're crying the entire way.  RUN. 

Independence Day

"Does Independence Day always fall on July 4th," asked a dimwit. 

I can't make this stuff up, people.

I wonder if our Founding Fathers had any clue what they started back in 1776 when we officially separated ourselves from Mother England.  If they could throw themselves into the future only to see the-orange-manchild-he-who-shall-not-be-named twittering temper tantrums and insults usually reserved for children age three and younger, they probably would not have signed the Declaration of Independence with the realization that democracy only promotes unruly, crass, unethical, self-absorbed idiots. 

Hey, Founding Fathers, it was a good idea at the time to sign the Declaration of Independence.  You did the best you could with what you knew at the time and with what you had to work with.  Back then they had no idea someday relatively soon:
1.  The U.S. population would swell to unmanageable proportions with everybody holding their hand out and complaining about something.  Everybody wants to take, but nobody wants to give.  Everybody thinks they are owed something or entitled;
2.  Advancement in technology would outpace evolution.  Machines are smarter and more predictable than us at this point;
3.  The impending industrial revolution would poison and choke the planet.  I guess that makes Chief Sitting Bull pretty smart.  Too bad we didn't listen at all and continued our path of raping and pillaging Mother Earth;
4.  The idea that somebody could be simultaneously obese and yet starving;
5.  The atomic bomb could annihilate the human race with the push of a button;
6.  WE WOULD BE ALLIES WITH ENGLAND WITHIN THE NEXT 100 YEARS OR SO.

Family History

Happy Monday, y'all, y'all,

I spent time in Minnesota for a work meeting and to also visit with my family.  I got quite the dose of family history while I was there.  I had no idea my paternal grandmother's sister was a recognized, decorated Marine Corp sharp shooter during WWII.  WOW!!!!  Women serving in combat was UNHEARD of let alone to be recognized for it.  My dad has old newspaper articles about her along with her picture.  She's still living down south in Mississippi.  Tough bird.  In her youth she was the beautiful, petite blonde woman with plenty of men chasing her.  Nobody would have guessed what a BAD A@@ she was.  This is the kind of stuff movies are made of.  You GO, girl.  Great Auntie, I salute thee!!!!!

I also learned about my paternal great-grandmother (dad's paternal grandmother).  She was of British Isles descent with curly red hair.   She kept a daily diary (like myself and I never knew that) and settled many arguments through her meticulous diplomatic skills and journal of daily events.  She loved to cook and read and made pancakes every single morning. 

My great grandfather (dad's maternal grandfather) was a rural mail carrier/farmer.  He would deliver mail through horrendous conditions with his team of horses and a wagon.  At midpoint through his route he would need to stop to relieve one team of horses and get another to finish the job.  Like that wasn't enough of a job.  He did all this mail delivery on top of his duties of farming which consisted of chores BEFORE he delivered the mail and again AFTER he delivered the mail.  He did that for decades.  Again, dad showed me pictures and newspaper articles about him.  When he retired there was quite the recognition and celebrations. 

...and I whine about WHAT???  They were tough. 

Housing for Slaves and Servants: The "new" Affordable Housing

Have we really progressed as a nation in the last 200 years?  Not really.  Back in 1817 we were forming ourselves as a nation.  Two distinct area characteristics were beginning to develop -- the North and the South.

Tobacco was a big deal in the southern United States as was cotton and peanuts.  Sprawling, elegant plantations sprung up to produce these lucrative crops.  I liken the plantations of the south to the McMansions of today - unnecessary and pretentious.  The plantation owners needed manpower to work the fields, clean house, satisfy their sexual urges, exploit, etc.  Better sail over to Africa and steal them kicking and screaming up out of the jungle and bring 'em back as slaves. That's what they did. It's an ugly bit of history, but it existed until the Civil War abolished slavery with the 13th amendment of the constitution back in 1865.  

The North was no better.  The developing industrial era and budding factories used people as if they were disposable, and in despicable conditions.   The north depended on desperate boat loads of immigrants coming from Europe through Ellis Island to serve as their servant/slave base.  Entire immigrant families with young children all worked for "the company."  Pay was paltry.  There was no OSHA safety standards.  Losing fingers and limbs was all part of it.  Benefits were nil. 

IMHO, both the north and south had their slaves.  The only difference was that the north's slaves were pretty much ivory toned skinned and the south's were black.  What is different from today than yesterday is that "the company" offered housing, despite bleak and dirty, to their workers.  Southern plantation owners had the slave quarters where they lived.  Today nobody wants to house the slaves and servants despite the fact that we all use them. 

See, we are all slave/servant owners.  Today, instead of outright ownership and responsibility of a physical body, we rent our slaves and servants for a project, a day, a task, an event, etc.  Waiters, waitresses, cooks, gardeners, babysitters, caterers, auto mechanics, janitors, artists, bookkeepers, are all our collective slaves.  When we are done with the slave's labor we throw a couple bucks at them, and then turn around and walk away never giving them a second thought as to where they are actually going to live on such meek earnings. 

At least the south of old housed their slaves as did the north with their "company" housing.  How come we aren't doing the same?  Both the north and south realized their slave labor needed their help to live somewhere reasonably near.  Call them barbaric, but at least the slave owning southerners realized the importance of a healthy, accissible workforce in order for them to be productive and profitable.  So, I go back to my first paragraph when asking if we are really more advanced as a society 200 years later?