Right Track - Syria

The naivete of our politicians as well as the hypocrisy seems to know no bounds.  I smile as I watch the Dem talking heads try and explain how Syria is different from the last time we mounted an attack on Arabia.  Back then if you remember, they were full of rhetoric about having to build a "coalition of the willing!" Something both Bush 41 and 43 did rather well.  This time of course our staunchest ally has seen fit to reject the idea of getting involved.  The Dems also insisted on UN approval and a vote in Congress, both of which have been circumvented this time.  So our esteemed President is going to have to go it alone.  And this will mean he will own the entire shambles that will occur - paraded broken bodies of babies and old people to show what the evil Americans have done.  Before he pushes the switch I suggest he reads Uncle Remus's The Tar Baby.  It would be very instructive.  Then perhaps a short speech to the nation explaining that being a devout enthusiast for Islam he has thought hard and long about the entire situation, and has decided that it would be best for everyone to let Allah to sort it out.

Tirade - Filner

The mayor of San Diego has gotten himself into some trouble.  According to about 15 women he has made unpleasant sexual advances to them over the years.  These are mature women, but once again they have been paraded on TV by their ruthless lawyer, each on the verge of tears.  Now not wishing to decry their discomfort, which I would have thought was increased greatly by having to go on show over this, but there is definitely something wrong.  The mayor, who has attracted the added nomenclature of "Filthy" to his name of Filner, is being pressed strongly for his resignation, no doubt by his political opponents.  He also volunteered to go into a program to help him overcome his problem.  There are a a couple of thoughts here.  What type of therapy can overcome his problem in just a week - the length of his so-called treatment?  And what type of women cannot overcome such advances.  How are we teaching our young women these days.  It seems that apart from a couple of suggestions to go on dates - he's married I believe - the advances came down to a couple of kisses and a couple of caresses on the cheek.  When I was growing up and had I attempted such unwelcome behavior, I know it would have been dealt with in a way that would have reduced my stature immediately.  It could have ranged from a stinging, loud remark as to my unattractiveness to a stinging slap on the cheek.  Why are we not passing these types of techniques on to our daughters and younger sisters?  Or are we leaving it all to the law to handle for us?  Come on People!

Music Track - Highway Patrol

I happened to hear this the other day when I was at the  gym.  No, they don't play music like this there, but it came over my headset.  I think it's rather fun don't you? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_wLVCLPx0M

Humor - English Style

It's said that the Brits have a dry sense of humor, which they of course, spell humour!  This is a new advert for London's Underground, sent to me by my friend Paul over there.  Pretty funny!

Water

Water Break in the Desert

We're always being told by our betters to drink more water.  Mostly like nearly everybody I ignore them.  However I had a most unpleasant experience on our trip with such behavior.  It was about half an hour after a lunch break and I suddenly felt extremely tired.  Not a good thing astride an 800-pound two-wheeled machine.  I had Michael pull over to tell him that I absolutely had to close my eyes for fifteen minutes.  As we discussed an appropriate spot, I drank quite a lot of water before climbing back on the saddle.  Within a minute or two I felt so much better I had to stop Michael again and tell him to nix the plan.  I worked out my consumptiuon that day.  I had had two cups of coffee and maybe a small drink of water first thing,  Wow, if ever I needed to be reminded of dehydration that was it.  Drink plenty of water!!!!

Arboretum - Sunday's Column

The Arboretum's Gazebo

The Sun has done some big alterations with its on-line edition.  Sadly my regular page has disappeared and so I'm not too sure at the moment if my regular column will always appear.  Here goes with the piece last Sunday on LA's Arboretum.  Which is a wonderful place to visit.  I hope the link works http://www.sbsun.com/lifestyle/20130824/find-an-earthly-paradise-at-arcadias-arboretum  If you have the chance to visit this delightful place make the south turn off the 210 and enjoy the peace and quiet so close to the urbanity of  outer LA.

Video - Fly over America

I ran this on the blog some months ago, but frankly it's so good that it's worth looking at again.  My friend Geoffrey sent it on to me this time.  It takes about 5 minutes and is well worth the time to see this great land this way. http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=KcuDdPo0WZk

Right Track - Boxer

The other day, we had a very bad fire in Riverside County.  It burned 26 structures, killed some people and injured others, including firemen.  Our esteemed senator Barbara Boxer found it necessary to make a soap box speech about how these fires were caused by global warming.  In true liberal democrat style she didn't want to let a good tragedy go to waste to support her political agenda, which is of course, to extract more taxes from us.  It never ends.  She failed to mention however that this August is the first time in 100 years when downtown Los Angeles went 23 days without hitting 80 degrees. 

It's also on the way to being the coolest August in 111 years.



Trevor's Tirade - Terminology

I mentioned the other day that I had been refused help at the local Post Office and the reason for it.  As I explained the new postmistress had removed all the tape from the counter so that they would have not have to pay for it, I guess to be the reason.  It reminded me some years ago when another new occupant to the position arrived and wandered into our local watering hole.  She introduced herself to everyone as the new post master.  She was not unattractive and I looked her up and down and said surely she meant the new postmistress.  She assured me that was wrong.  To which I said that unless she had recently returned from an uncomfortable and expensive procedure in Sweden, she would always be a postmistress to me.  I cannot understand why people have to be so sensitive about the term mistress, with its vaguely sexual connotations, to end up calling women men.  It's a stupid as calling female dogs "little lady dogs" instead of the correct term bitches.  Try getting away with that at the Westminster Dog Show or Crufts!  Come on People!

Music Track - Two Songs Without Words

Five minutes of relaxation and contemplation as the video says here.  Mendelssohn's: "Songs Without Words" are always a wonderful experience.  Here are two of them http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLJcGX3_NaQ

Ladies in Pink

On our tour of Yellowstone, we stopped a few times to admire elk or bison, and on one stop, I noticed three ladies riding Harley Davidsons all decked out in pink.  Naturally I went over to speak to them as they were somewhat more interesting than grazing wildlife.  I told them I thought they'd overdone the pink a bit, but they said it was to raise awareness for breast cancer.  They were touring the country and came from all over.  Florida, Oregon and Iowa, I believe.  I mentioned that it wasn't just women who suffered, which they acknowledged.  These were not young women by the way!

Salt Flats

Growing up there were often reports of land speed records being broken at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.  The Brits had some adventurous men who took their cars there like the famous Bluebird and there would be pictures of them afterwards covered in dust and holding trophies.  It seemed to be an almost annual event.  So being in the vicinity of these famous flats, we made the detour just outside Wendover and took some shots.  At the time, mid July, the flats were far from dry, in fact they were covered in water.  All attempts on speed records take place in the winter and early spring, as summer rains cover the salt and that was the condition we saw them in.  Still, another part of the past that's come to life for me.

Video - Plastic into Oil

I'm grateful to my brother-in-law, Tony for this interesting Japanese video about a man who's invented a method to turn trash into oil.  I wonder if plans are afoot to make this more widely used.  http://www.youtube.com/embed/qGGabrorRS8?rel=0

Right Track - Vacations?

I see that our leaders have put themselves on vacation for up to five weeks!  Considering the state of affairs with both sides hammering the other while the rest of us wait in anticipation for some solution to our many economic problems, I wonder where else in the world such behavior would be tolerated.  Certainly not in the commercial world, where you are actually expected to do your work and then take a vacation when it's completed!  I would say that they should all be ashamed, except that shame is obviously not something that any of them feels.