New Year's Trip to Monterey

December 31, 2004 to January 1, 2005

With Alice Leung, Miriam Erlichman and David Erlichman, visited Monterey, CA and Cannery Row.  Original link/backup link.

Every Thought Counts

Every Thought Counts
She's got a lovely holiday poo-poo purse story that will warm your heart and remind you the joy of Xmas. ;)

Flat Earth Fun

Believe it or not, there are still people on this planet that believe the world is flat, or at least not a sphere. It isn’t just the individuals in the Flat Earth Society (founded in 1993). There are fundamentalists in various religions teaching this myth as fact as well. One religion teaches the world is on the back of a turtle. Under that turtle is another turtle. Under that turtle is another turtle, etc forever. 

There are modern people that choose to interpret those statements in their ancient texts as literal fact. They turn off their critical sense and refuse to understand that the ancient texts simply provide metaphors for unknowable facts in ancient times. In effect, it’s easier for these modern people to believe in infinitely huge turtles walking on each other’s backs, rather than believe the world is a sphere in space. 

 Western Culture has understood that the Earth is a sphere for a very long time. The idea that people in Columbus’ time, during the Renaissance, believed in a flat Earth is actually a modern myth perpetuated by American ignorance of other cultures (i.e., our arrogance). I’ll call this the Columbus Myth. Ancient Greeks knew the world was a sphere by the Fourth Century B.C.E (over three hundred years before Christ was born). In that time, Aristotle reasoned that the world must be a sphere because the Earth’s shadow on the Moon during lunar eclipses was always round. 

By the time that Columbus set sail on his first voyage to the Americas, Westerners already had known, for about 2000 years, that the Earth was a sphere. Unfortunately, The Columbus Myth spawned the recent rebirth of the belief that the Earth is flat. The some Columbus Myth believers reasoned that if ancient people knew the world was flat as recent as 1500’s, then it must be so. They then further reasoned that modern observations of a spherical Earth are skewed by some global conspiracy to hide the fact that the Earth is flat. Of course, this is all just myth compounded upon myth. 

 Links of note: 

Flat Earth Society - They have a Great Springfield theory (from watching too many episodes of the Simpsons, I think). 

Another Flat Earth Society - I love their complete ignorance of how a little thing called gravity works in their "Why a Flat Earth" section. These guys take the Columbus Myth to heart! 

Flat Earth Bible - Here the author shows various statements in the Bible that show the flat-earth mentality of it's many writers. The Qu'ron makes similar statements as well.

Social Security bullony

There are people in this country that are convinced that the Stock Markets are invincible. So, the grand plan is to have everyone invest in them as if Social Security is a gigantic IRA. So what if you have a freedom to choose which stocks you want? You still are stuck investing in the Stock Markets. Investing in the Stock Markets is not diversification of your finances. It's extremely homogeneous. There's an old rule, whenever everyone is doing the same thang, no one can get a head. It's worse with the Stock Markets. The assumption here is that not only anyone can make money in the Stock Markets, but everyone can! Well in the real world, most people lose in the Stock Markets, pros and amateurs alike. This is where we want to push future retirees to throw their money?
Additionally, with the ever increasing numbers of Babyboomers retiring, more money is going to be pulled out of the Stock Markets than put in. It's the same problem that faces Social Security right now, just in a different venue. The only way to support the retirement system is if the contributions grew exponentially. In other words, putting everyone on a retirement program based on the Stock Markets is a bit like a huge Pyramid Scheme. It is unsustainable after are very short time. It's almost like there's a bunch of people running around the country right now trying to sell America on their Pyramid Scheme so they can make their money and get out, leaving everyone else to hold the bag.
I can't offer an alternative right now, other than to say, less risk is better. The current system is unsustainable too, but its demise will impact the economy much less than the decline of the Stock Markets.
Check out this article for better information on the problem.
I do have some ideas that might help individuals. Diversify! There are other forms of invents besides the Stock Markets.

Travel back in time with me

It's truly a wonder that Western Civilization made it out of the 1950's at all. I found this article copied from Housekeeping Monthly dated "13 May 1955". Notice the interesting spelling choices, typos, dangling prepositions, and run-on sentences. Not a big deal. It's just funny. It's like some guy (who happened to be a writer at Housekeeping Monthly) was angry at his wife one morning and wrote this on his way to work. It is a amazing just how ignorant of a place we've come from. Granted, it's nice to treat your spouse good whether husband or wife, but this article...well, it speaks for itself. Just when you think it gets bad as it could, just keep reading. It gets worse with almost every paragraph.

The good wife's guide (Housekeeping Monthly, 13 May 1955)

Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready, on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favourite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.

Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you’ll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be freshlooking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary peopl[e.]

Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives.

Gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper etc and then run a dustcloth over the tables.

Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children’s hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair and, if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part. Minimise all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.

Be happy to see him.

Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.

Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first – remember, his topics of conversation are more important then yours.

Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner, or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.

Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquillity where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

Don’t greet him with complaints and problems.

Don’t complain if he’s late home for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day.

Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.

Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.

Don’t ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.

A good wife always knows her place.

Classic Cars rule

The rule I've heard a few times before is that a car is a classic when it reaches quarter century old. However, there are other factors involved too. Some cars are just destined to the junkyard regardless.
The 50's, 60's and early 70's have a lot of collectible vehicles. There's too many to even list right now, so I won't try. Personally, I don't see very many compelling vehicles from the middle to late 70's until the early 90's. There are some (like the old Z or the Mustang), but not many. Commonly, cars from the 80's just plan suck in styling and performance. The boxy cars of the early 80's are ugly for being boxes on wheels. The aerodynamic cars of the late 80's are ugly for being wings-with-bubbles on wheels. I don't think there are many collectors trying to score a 1989 Ford Taurus.
I was at the recent car expo in San Francisco. I found there are many compelling vehicles. I think the middle 1990's to now (and hopefully for years to come) is going to be an era with many collectible cars. Vehicles popular in the Tuner market almost already have a collectible status, like the previous Honda Civic. In addition, there are loads of new, interesting models or resculpts, like the Dodge Viper, any BMW, certain Subarus, the previous and new Mustang, etc which will likely stand the test of time.
It has inspired me to hold on to my car and keep it in great all-original condition for the next 20 or so years.