UNEXPECTED -- BASSEY & BOND -- ALLERGIES

 Republic -- "If you can keep it."  [Democracy]

     Accountability for Jan. 6 insurrection

U.S. Select House Committee on Jan. 6th Hearings

Thursday, October 13, 2022 -- 1:00pm ET (10am PT)

QUESTION:  Why has our ex-President DJT kept classified government documents and continues to do so as the Department of Justice reports believing he is still doing?

The James Bond movie series celebrates 60 years anniversary 2022.

"Dame Shirley closes the 2011 Classic Awards Show (May 12, 2011) by paying tribute to John Barry.  ... Goldfinger was co-written by John Barry, Leslie Bricussee, Don Black and Anthony Newley.  Bassey is the UKs most successful female recording artist of all time, with 140 Million records sold worldwide!"  (Read more at this YouTube site HERE.)

Shirley Bassey -- GOLDFINGER (2011 Live)

Unexpected events keep intruding into my life including some thought to be previously resolved.

Once again would you believe I was subjected to having to contact my phone company's customer service number?  That's the number I described in my previous post.  The call reaches a recorded message explaining how unusually busy they are, so they offer a call back service when an agent is available.  That sounds customer oriented.  Surprise!  No agent is available.  

Instead I hear the same recorded message, we're busy, so sorry, we'll be with you soon, but no callback offer this time.  I had to hold a whole hour before a live agent answered.  This process is a real joke and an insult to the customer.  They could at least not call back until there is an agent available.  

I don't understand what sort of cockamamie system this phone company has -- it certainly isn't geared to caring about their customers and reflects poorly on them.

Another inconvenience two weeks ago when I went out to my car only to discover what I thought must be a dead battery which the emergency service person later confirmed.  He simply jumped the battery, and I was soon able to drive away.  

My car isn't driven as much as in the past, and not necessarily every day as I told him.  This accounts for why I encountered this older battery dead again this past week.  The different service company replaced the old battery with a new one.  There was still a one month guarantee on the old battery so the new one was free. 

Why didn't the first guy replace my battery, especially since he said it was over five years old?  I hadn't checked but I told him  I thought it was newer than that.  The new service man reported the old battery had been installed in 2019.   Maybe the first guy wasn't good at math.

Also, several weeks ago I started experiencing itchy, eventually hot red inflamed swollen areas on various finger and arm areas of my body.  These were not rashes or even like hives which can indicate an allergic reaction.  Conferring virtually with family I learned one of them had at one time experienced much the same symptoms that were diagnosed as angioedema.  

Reading some reliable medical internet sites I am inclined to believe this is what I have caused by an allergy.  A fruit is named which I rarely have eaten until recently when I ate three over a one-week period.  I immediately stopped eating that fruit and my symptoms went away.  

I had several more of the fruits on hand but thought I couldn't be quite sure that fruit was the culprit.   I decided to eat one earlier this past week to see what happened.  A few days after I ate that kiwi the symptoms appeared again.  I'm more convinced now that the kiwis are the cause of my apparent allergic reaction which I'm still experiencing as I write this.  Nothing else has recently been new in my life or my diet.

Light-skinned people (I'm a redhead) can be susceptible to some medical issues so perhaps this is one for me.  My body could never tolerate highly seasoned foods such as with some raw onions and hot peppers until I was in my mid-twenties.  Even now I still best take some care.  

I've eaten strawberries in great quantities much of my life though I know they can cause allergies for some people.  Given that I am a confessed strawberry addict I'm grateful to be able to safely indulge that berry addiction without any problem.

Allergies can be really troublesome, even life threatening for people.  I recall the last commercial flight I took some years ago eating a nut mix I had brought from home in a small plastic bag.  The stewardess came to me to ask that I put them away since there was a passenger with a peanut allergy.  She then went on to say, "That's why we didn't distribute any peanuts."  It almost seemed as though she thought I should have known.  

Certainly, I was more than willing to put away my nuts which weren't peanuts and wouldn't have gotten them out to eat had I known the situation.  They hadn't announced they weren't distributing peanuts, but then I didn't know they typically did as not all airlines did.  I glanced around and saw a young girl wearing a mask (this was before Covid) in the seat behind the ones across the aisle from me.

I recall a family friend contemporary of my mother.  She was allergic to some foods, citrus, also monosodium glutamate.  The family ceased eating at restaurants as in those years MSG was used much more prevalently than in more recent years.  She was a marvelous cook even of foods she could not eat but never used MSG in what she prepared.

She lived to 103 years of age.  When she was in her 80s or 90s she began to be able to eat some of the foods, such as citrus, she had not been able to tolerate before.  Our bodies are certainly functionally complex and change in numerous ways over time.  

People can develop allergies to all sorts of foods and other substances.  You likely know this from your own experience or what you know of others.  

FIRST DATE -- DISTRESS -- QUIRKY HUMOR

 Republic -- "If you can keep it."  [Democracy]

      Accountability for Jan. 6 insurrection.

U.S. Select House Committee on Jan. 6th Hearings

(A final Sept. Hearing canceled due to Hurricane Ian -- Reschedule TBA)

QUESTION:  Does Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' wife's persistence in stating our ex-President's lie the 2020 election was stolen from him present questionable issues about her husband's impartiality, need to recuse himself from some Court case considerations? 

Here in sunny Southern California our temperature has dropped by a few degrees with the extreme heat past.  Fall may actually arrive soon though only the calendar says it's here now.  We still lack sufficient rain with no end to our drought in sight.

Florida and other U.S. east coast states have shared in Puerto Rico's Hurricane Ian's disaster-producing weather -- floods, high winds, tornados, destruction, death.   I guess we will be challenged by events such as this, maybe even worse in the years to come due to changes in our earth's climate.  This sort of weather causing disasters prevalent in other parts of the world is no less serious.

West Coast gas exploitation continues here in California.  No more of those one cent, two cents or nickel a gallon raises overnight.  This past week they just socked it to us -- fifteen cents plus not just one night, but fifteen more cents the next night, too.  The third night the raise eased a bit to ten cents, then seven plus cents the next night.  

"Sock It To Me" -- Judy Carne 

Clip from the US TV series "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" (1960s - '70s)

Our Governor has arranged our less expensive winter gas mixture be sold earlier than usual by another week which is expected to result in a twenty-five cents per gallon cost reduction.  He also requests a special windfall tax on oil companies who have made huge profits on gas sales with oil costs expected to decrease.  We could use a little gas pricing stability.  

Humor is where we find it, often with quirky matters triggering my funny bone.  I've always derived lots of laughs from reading posted signs as we drove about locally wherever we lived across this country, also with advertisements in newspapers, brochures.  Not everyone has shared my sometimes-weird sense of humor.

I recall my youth and first date, a blind date at that.  I had reluctantly agreed to this setup by a girl who was only a casual acquaintance, but she had been persistent wearing down my resistance to the idea.  He arrived at my house in a pickup truck in a time when such vehicles were strictly utilitarian on farms -- before becoming culturally popular everywhere in the U.S., including cities.  

My blind date may have felt as I did, nervous, lacking in self-confidence, awkward, uncomfortable -- each of us focused on ourselves and how we were feeling inadequate.  I was shy, especially in 1:1 situations unlike with the boys I grew up with where we lived previously.  I don't recall what verbal efforts were made by either of us to become acquainted.  I just recall the long silence driving into town as he said nothing.

I started reading some funny signs aloud I spotted along the highway into town as he said nothing.  He did not react, say anything, or laugh, even chuckle -- apparently, he did not share my sense of humor.  Or maybe, I wasn't supposed to be the entertainer, but he wasn't entertaining.  I don't recall anything more about that evening, but I don't think it got better for either of us wherever we went or whatever we did -- maybe we went to a movie.  Fortunately, in the years to come my self-confidence improved as my relationships developed, but I don't recall ever going on a blind date again.  

My sources for humor continue to emerge in everyday life, not as many when you live alone, in just about every situation, even some that are quite serious.  Sometimes I laugh so hard I end up crying, and occasionally I've laughed to keep from crying.  Some of my laughter is prompted by matters some people might think weird.  The digital world and the internet have certainly contributed to some laughable events as some of you have probably found, too.

I recently fired off one of my occasional brief instant messages, this time to my daughter -- an observation about a current news report about which I felt compelled to comment.  My daughter responded, "Not in this Pili A1 world would either of those states be ideal".  Reading her observation, I thought, oh dear, some more new terminology younger generations are using, and I don't have the slightest idea what "Pili A1" means.  So, revealing my ignorance of current lingo as I used to know in the days of yore, I asked her, "What does Pili A1 mean?"

I learned later she was puzzled when she read my query, so busily began a Google terminology search for the meaning of "Pili A1" since she didn't know the meaning either.  She came up with nothing specific that made sense.  Then she happened to re-read our previous messages exchange and found "Pili A1" in her's to me.   She could only laugh, she said, as she thought she had typed "political", but Google's automatic word correction had produced "Pili A1".

Google's system often does some curious word creations in messages I've sent confusing or totally altering my message's meaning.   When I read how she had searched Google I started laughing, too.  Now, every time I think about the whole comedy of assumptions and misperceptions we each had made, I start laughing out loud to myself.   Maybe I'm finally cracking up.

CANNABIS & OLD FOLKS -- FALL -- NEWFOUNDLAND

 REPUBLIC -- "If you can keep it."  [Democracy]

        Accountability for Jan. 6 insurrection

U.S. Select House Committee on Jan. 6th Hearings continue in the fall.

QUESTION:  Are there "echoes" we can observe in recent years and now of what preceded the Holocaust as shown in the new PBS Ken Burn's three program series with that title? 

SEPTEMBER SONG -- Ray Conniff's arrangement.

     Harry James Orchestra's triumphant tour of Japan in 1964.

Fall, my favorite season has arrived along with a week or so of cooler temperatures but summer is sneaking back this week to give us high 90' s to 100+ F (37+ C) here in Southern California, U.S.  I'm not complaining as I read about hurricane Fiona tearing through Newfoundland where WiseWebWoman ("Other Side of Sixty" Blog HERE) whose last writing featured photos of her beautiful St. John's city.   I await to read news from her after the storm hoping her city is spared.  Meanwhile, click on this PBS 9/24 report.

My Fiberoptic internet installation updated from my previous blogpost about our community finally receiving this speedier connection -- I have now been able to see how much faster it is when downloading, then installing Apple tech data.  This task was completed in only a few minutes compared to up to an hour or more required previously.  

Cannabis use is a topic that has periodically come to the forefront in our city ever since ..... "California became the first state to allow medicinal cannabis use when voters passed the Compassionate Use Act in 1996.  Today, cannabis is legal in California for both medicinal and adult (recreational) use."  Laws and regulations HERE

Our residents like some other cities have resisted allowing such businesses selling Cannabis.  Now our City Council voted to place a measure on our November ballot seeking to establish a tax on businesses that sell, deliver, test, distribute, manufacture, process, and cultivate cannabis in our city.  It sets gross receipts tax rates for the sale of cannabis and hemp sales in the city.  There would need to be many further actions including some involving the public before any businesses could setup here.

Subsequently, following an educational presentation to our city council, a business existing in a nearby community established by a retired nurse and her daughter, who is also a nurse working in hospice offered that information to the public.   The nurse daughter has taken specialized training studying cannabis so provided in-person and virtually, an educational session on the substance.  They also sell cannabis and counsel purchasers on its use.  I chose to take the virtual session though at the one on site they shared some actual items for individual examination.

They presented filmed testimonials of a few cannabis users for various medical problems, discussed side effects including noting with use short term memory problems could occur which I wouldn't welcome.

It is not my intention to influence anyone to use or not use cannabis.  I've not used cannabis, but I do support controlled research especially for medicinal use which finally began some years ago.   I do think seeking the latest information on cannabis would be most appropriate before using the product, including consultation with a knowledgeable person such as this nurse appears to be.

The use of cannabis continues to be federally illegal.   The Center of Disease Control (CDC) position on cannabis you may read HERE.  Various reliable medical internet sites also provide detailed information.  

Meanwhile, I've found the anecdotal reports of those who have used the various cannabis products being legally sold now to be of interest.

Cannabis use for medicinal purposes was a discussion topic on Ronni Bennett's "Time Goes By" blog.  "Marijuana and Old Folks" she wrote about 1/31/2020 describing her views with many of her readers sharing their own perspective and experiences. You may read that blog post HERE.   (Note:  A direct link does not work I discovered after publishing this post.  You must scroll down to Categories on that  right side bar home page, click on Health,  next you scroll down that last page of blog post title listings for the blog title above.)

The use of cannabis continues to be controversial with some unresolved concerns.  I would consult with my doctor regarding use in case there could be conflicts with other medications.   Attitudes have obviously softened allowing selective use medicinally and recreationally in some locales.  Check for what is legal where you live if you are interested in cannabis. 

RECORDED MESSAGES FRUSTRATE

 Republic -- "If you can keep it."  [Democracy]

        Accountability for January 6th Insurrection

U.S. Select House Committee on Jan. 6th Hearings continue in the fall.

QUESTION:  Are more of the American people beginning to realize the threat to turn our form of government into an autocracy by using fear and intimidation of possible  violence by those inciting a civil war?

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms died at age 96 years, 8 September 2022, Balmoral Castle Scotland.  She reigned 70 years.

                

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS

Dull moments seldom appear in my household.  I always have something to either demand my attention or I am attracted to engaging in numerous other activities that give me pleasure.

Wonders never change -- last week I was writing of our unusual excessively hot humid temperatures.   Now, thanks to that rare Hurricane Kay coming up our Pacific Coast from Mexico our heat wave ended.   Kay became a lesser tropical storm after colliding with a high-pressure system from the north resulting in our experiencing very welcome but unusual cooler temperatures.  Never mind, we're promised some hotter weather again before our summer ends.

The dreaded mud slides in previously burned forest fire areas have brought devastation but not to my community.   I shudder when I view TV news reports here and around the world of those driven from their homes or worse, thanks to the vagaries of climate change.

Long-promised and even longer awaited conversion to fiber-optic internet service has finally come to our neighborhood and more specifically my home.  Even my landline phone service transmission is now changed to the internet with an 8-hour backup battery should my electricity ever cease.  

The scenario wasn't that efficient leading up to the installation of this fiber-optic change but that only took several hours for the technician to accomplish one afternoon this past week.  Granted for that final actual change I didn't have to do anything, but somehow, I always seem to feel almost as tired as if I had done the labor.  I don't recall feeling that way when I was younger so wonder if that is just me, or is it an aging thing?   Oh, and another thing, why does everything always happen at once instead of occurring on different days?

The previous week I was busy getting exhausted as the young men working in my garage replaced by hot water heater.  In the midst of all this came my phone company agent to discuss my ordering installation of their fiber-optic system for internet and phone.   He had no printed material to leave with me to review and consider later.   We took a photo of his working rate form and particulars with my iPhone for my convenience.  

I phoned the agent the first of the week, discussed further installation matters and placed my order.  He immediately connected us with a third party to initiate the change portion taking place by phone which took about a half hour.  

As luck would have it, at the end of that process there was a glitz resulting in my having to call their customer service number.   I was apprehensive since I had gone through that process a week or so earlier which became one of those recorded message nightmares.  The message was:  "We're working quickly to answer your call, but it is taking a little bit longer than normal and someone will be with you soon."  

That time they eventually said there would be a 45-minute delay.  I could hold or they would call me when the customer service agent was available.  I optioned the call-back which came after 45 minutes but I still had to hold again.  No offer for a call-back as before.  Totally exasperated after another 45 minutes passed just as I was about to hang up a real live person answered.  What kind of weird system was that?

This time I wasn't offered the call-back option, had to hold 45 minutes again, became exasperated again and was ready to disconnect just as a service representative answered.  Turns out there was no need for me to call them but I had no way of knowing that then.  

My on-site installation occurred several days later as scheduled -- new line to my house and all the changes inside accomplished by the technician in a few hours.  

My landline phone now goes through the internet, has an 8-hour backup battery if the electric power shuts down.  I can't see that the internet speed on my computer is any faster than what I had, but I'll see.

Isn't progress wonderful!

DOCUMENTS WHERE? -- RELIEF -- UNWANTED LEAK

 Republic -- "If you can keep it."  [Democracy]

     Accountability for Jan. 6th insurrection.

U.S. Select House Committee on Jan. 6th Hearings continue in the fall.

U.S. Dept. of Justice and FBI deserve respect for doing their jobs.

QUESTION:  Were any of those classified documents missing from empty folders found at Mar-a-Largo and other security information in boxes like those confiscated by government authorities transported by the ex-President to his Bedminster, N.J. residence as theorized by ex-FBI agent and seen in Daily Mail, U.K. video in Washington Post article questioned in Newsweek HERE?

Note:  "Trump and the Mar-a-Largo documents: A timeline -- Washington Post HERE.

9/11 A date embedded in our memories as are those whose lives ended that day.   

SO-CAL

Updating Southern California weather effects where I live should any who might want to know what climate changes on this planet may bring to some in the future.  Refer to my previous post describing the situation.

Given our extreme heat wave, we managed to avoid any rolling blackouts with our power grid withstanding day-after-day heavy demands.  Residents voluntarily cut back further on power usage including during our flex alert prime time usage expanded by one hour on each end of the five hour block for a total of seven hours (3 - 10 p.m.)

Hurricane Kay formed in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico's coast moving north toward our Los Angeles area fortunately only becoming a tropical storm breaking heat and rain records.  A California hurricane is a tropical cyclone with usually only the remnants affecting us though they are rare.  The last hurricane was 25 years ago.

Periodic rain bursts from Hurricane Kay came to various locales across the Southland, finally even a couple very light rains to my own neighborhood.  Some beach communities built up sand dunes along the shore to contend with high surf and possible flooding.  People living inland in areas where forest fires had burned away soil-holding vegetation filled sandbags for placement against possible excess water causing damaging mud slides to homes and businesses.

East of where I live one forest fire only 5% minimally controlled day-after-day kept spreading causing several occasions of thousands being told to evacuate their homes.  Two people died in their car apparently trying to escape the flames.  Finally,  though only a small amount, enough rain came to curtail the fire's expansion which is now 50% contained.

I was delighted to see dampened pavement on my driveway one morning and a bit more the next day.   This light rain almost invisible to the eye was hardly sufficient to impact our drought but was enough to give vegetation a brief refresher.  

Let It Rain -- Diana Krall en live sur RTL

Equally, or maybe even more importantly, our temperatures have cooled down now.  In fact, our temperatures are in the 80's, a bit below our previous years usual numbers.  In a few more days our humidity will lessen to the drier level we usually have that is more comfortable, especially if the heat increases as is expected.  

My week brought me water in a way I did not welcome with the discovery of a leak when a patch of water which hadn't dried up in the heat I observed coming from underneath my garage door.  The week before I had noticed water but couldn't detect an active specific leak though I had my suspicions as to the source.  Now, with this obvious water it was time for the plumber.

A new hot water heater was the order of the day as I expected.  The plumber thought my heater was probably about fifteen years old -- quite a long life well beyond the usually expected ten years or less longevity.  I vaguely recalled reading these heaters operated best if drained periodically but realized I had never done that.  Maybe it would have lasted even longer if I had.

I could recall only that my husband had taken care of the last purchase sometime before his 2006 death.  I didn't have the old purchase receipt to make a cost comparison with the quote I was given for a new hot water heater.  I was really surprised to learn how expensive installation of a new one would be.

I did check the internet verifying what they said was the cost of the unit, the quality of the brand as the highest rated one, so I decided not to delay installation in order to get other price quotes.  Additional copper piping and connections were needed since the old ones were long since beyond being workable.  

They said they could install the new hot water heater for me right then, that Friday afternoon, so perhaps it was best not to delay.  The two young men (most service workers are young to me any more) worked steadily and hard for several hours and labor isn't cheap.  Hopefully, there are no more appliances or other items needing replacement anytime soon.

I expect others of you living in individual residences have had to go through the hot water heater experience but I'd never had to give much thought to one -- we just always had hot water wherever we lived, but then my husband probably always looked after this essential I just took for granted.  

HOT TIME -- KEEPING COOL AGING -- HEAT OFFICER

 Republic -- "If you can keep it."  [Democracy]

      Accountability for Jan. 6th insurrection.

U.S. Select House Committee on Jan. 6th Hearing continues in the fall.

U.S. Dept. of Justice and FBI deserving of respect for doing their jobs.

QUESTION:  What has happened to the documents missing from the empty file folders marked 'classified' found mixed into personal belongings of the ex-President -- items he allegedly illegally took to his Florida country club resort home -- documents he kept there even after all such records owned by our government his attorneys falsely reported had been returned as required?  

"TOO DARN HOT" from the musical film 'Kiss Me Kate' / 1953                                                Ann Miller dancing and singing Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter                                      Starring: Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, Keenan Wynn,                            Bobby Van, Tommy Rall, James Whitmore, Bob Fosse, Ron Randell 

HOT TIME IN THE OLD TOWN ... many days and nights!

HOT is a term describing the climate in many places around the world including my own here in Southern California, U.S.   People are flocking to our SoCal beaches to stay cool.   Monsoonal thunderstorms with lightning erratically roll through some communities (not mine) dropping short bursts of rain.  Bears seek humans' swimming pools in which to cool themselves.   

100+ degrees Fahrenheit (38+ Celsius) our thermometers have been recording beginning last week, continuing into this current week only to get hotter in some SoCal communities -- think 105 - 115 F (43 - 53 C). 

Earlier in the season, we received in our mail forms to submit encouraging those who can and want to participate in our utility power company's 'flex alert' program for which they give $$$ credits.   

We're now on 'flex alert'.  We're asked to eliminate using electric appliances like our ovens, clothes and dishwashers, turn off other devices, to not charge electric autos, between 4-9 p.m.   This is also the time period during which we are asked to conserve water due to our drought I've described here previously.  

Additionally, for several consecutive days we are being advised we could experience 'rolling blackouts'.  This usually means our power could periodically be cut off for an hour, then turned back on, during days and nights.  

Provision excluding such power outages can be arranged by individuals whose medical conditions require they must have electricity for their life-sustaining equipment.  

Our several years drought has aggravated our parched vegetation due to such extremely hot weather in areas here and in northern California creating even greater susceptibility to fire.  Our rationed water is also required to combat these fires.  The flames have destroyed acres of countryside along with some resident's homes, causing thousands to evacuate, injuring some and threatening, even taking the lives of people as well as other life.

The future our world is predicted to face includes increasing extreme temperature changes which we are just beginning to experience.  In simple terms, in each succeeding year to come, our summer days and nights are likely only going to get hotter.

Perhaps being aware of what others experience now may help inform some to think in terms of their own communities -- what they may be able or want to do in anticipation, if or when they have a similar situation.

Los Angeles has taken the actions so far by only two other cities, Miami and Phoenix -- appointing a Chief Heat Officer, Marta Segura, to "oversee the City's response to extreme heat events" described in a city press release.  She was previously director of climate emergency mobilization.

The L.A. city plan will include a warning system, interagency emergency response plans, also long-term strategies to reduce exposure.  Smithsonian magazine describes "Heat is the leading weather-related killer in the U.S."

"Americans who are over the age of 65, Black Americans, children, patients with cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses and economically disadvantaged populations are more vulnerable to heat and face a higher risk of death, on top of the disparities in mortality reporting" reported by the Environmentally Protection Agency (EPA).

"The idea of Chief Heat Officers isn't exclusive to the US.  Since Miami announced its position, Athens, Greece, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Monterey in Mexico, and the Santiago metropolitan region in Chile have all hired in similar positions."

The world in which we live now and will in the future is projected to be quite different from the one into which I was born more than three quarters of a century ago.  I think the expectation some seem to have that we can recapture life in the world as we once knew is not at all likely.

Resistance to the changes coming only makes the accommodation more difficult.  The complications of too much water, flooding, presents massive threats some in the world have already been experiencing  from which we need to be learning, then taking preparatory action now. 

Flooding washed out a major connecting freeway (I-10) between L.A.andPhoenix recently, so we are not immune to too much water in some drought areas also vulnerable to the effects of excessive heat.  Adaptation to our evolving new world now is our challenge.

Our energy source to power cooling, heating, and lighting our homes, our transportation vehicles, and systems to operate all our devices on which we increasingly depend in most other facets of our lives are central to our existence.  

Not all of us are able to incorporate all of the necessary changes into our daily lives but we might best do what we can.  Also, I'm no longer a candidate for taking on extra employment to augment costs of some recommended special projects as I might once have done when younger.  That situation becomes a fact of life for most at some stage in life.

Meanwhile, I'm keeping cool with air conditioning, doing all I can do in the way of conservation of electric and water usage as necessary.  There is more I know would help in overall conservation beyond these immediate special needs I would like to be able to adopt.  Some adaptive actions I would take but I'm no longer physically able to perform some of the required tasks that could mitigate upkeep.  In other desired actions the cost is prohibitive, considering given the unknowns of what my personal future needs may be I expect is true for others, too.

I wonder .....

..... if others reading here view the future as I've considered it to be?

..... if other readers here  have or will be doing all they think could or needs to be done to adapt to this future that is confronting us now?

..... if special action is being taken in your community to prepare and adapt to changing weather and/or environmental conditions where you live -- locally or in your state?

CAR CULTURE -- TAKEOVERS -- SPEED

 Republic -- "If you can keep it." [Democracy]

     Accountability for Jan. 6 insurrection

U.S. Select House Committee on Jan. 6th Hearings continue in the fall.

U.S. Dept. of Justice and FBI deserving of respect for doing their jobs.

QUESTION:  What possible justifiable reason could explain why an ex-President would take highly classified, even top-secret documents to his home when his term in office ended -- then keep them though instructed to return them, subsequently his lawyers even lying he had returned them all?

TAKEOVERS

Events in Los Angeles have caused me to think about automobiles, speed, and the attraction they hold for a segment of our population.  Some  communities in California have been besieged with what are called 'street takeovers' angering residents where they occur and creating other more serious problems.  These illegal affairs can occur at any time of day or night.  

Imagine being awakened by auto engine roaring sounds, some vehicles without mufflers, in the middle of the night with the various car induced odors of exhaust smoke and burning rubber permeating your home.

Groups of people gather about various streets to view these show-off drivers circling at high speed, 'burning rubber', doing 'donuts' which leaves their tire marks on the street.  Tires squealing, exhaust smoke fuming, braked cars skidding about, sometimes into the onlooking crowd, occasionally injuring some, a few even dying.  These cars and drivers are sometimes arrested though frequently they have dispersed before law enforcement can arrive at the scene.  

Recently, the $588 million Sixth Street Viaduct, the largest bridge project, 3,500 foot long, in the history of Los Angeles became the city's newest attraction.  Locals enthusiastically were walking, skating, biking there on opening day since it was closed to automobile traffic on that occasion.  

Los Angeles Newest Attraction: 6th Street Bridge -- Yellow Production:  The 6th Street Bridge connects Boyle Heights to the Los Angeles Arts District with some amazing views of the downtown Los Angeles skyline along the way."

Subsequently, those street takeovers began happening on the bridge necessitating law enforcement and city officials to devise ways to end them.  Initially the bridge was shut down for a period of time.  Later, they installed some round speedbumps but they ceased to be a deterrent.  The final solution is yet to be announced though the takeovers seem to have lulled for now.  Some have suggested a divider in the middle of the street should have been installed as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco has, since no takeover problems on that bridge.

6th STREET BRIDGE SHUT DOWN BY LAPD /NBCLA

Some people have suggested these auto street takeovers are a consequence of people imitating a "Fast and Furious" movie that premiered in 2001, continuing through the years with subsequent features.  Last week scenes for the franchise's 10th installment, "Fast X" was shot.  This Variety article link features a photo of the street scene created by these cars and describes the complaints numerous residents in that area have.  Note:  the film shoot was completed as planned.

Here's another takeover blocking traffic on the new bridge not involving cars.

.

Time will tell in the future when and how these street takeover problems are resolved.

But then, there are also people climbing on the arches, taxpayer costs for removing graffiti.

CAR CULTURE

Early in the 1970's when we moved to Southern California I became aware of the car culture and what they call lowriders.  I must confess to not seeing the utility of converting these autos into being able to perform acrobatics, much less investing so much money into those cars.  Probably there are lots of other non-car hobbies people have that may not seem to make sense either.  Whatever gives a person pleasure, I guess.  Given there's a demand for these lowriders, apparently money can be made with them.  I must admit the plush-looking interiors and fancy colorful exterior paint is quite fancy and even attractive on some.

Lowriders TAKE OVER Whittier Blvd!  Los Angeles, California

I was never interested in most car activities, like auto races that attract many people, or events where vehicles deliberately crash into one another.  My cousin, now deceased, was disappointed when we were young and I declined to go to hot rod racing events with him.  

Recent years, a lifelong friend, also deceased now, had told me her sons are into mud bogging with big trucks -- definitely not appealing to me.  They have even created their own site on which to indulge in their pastime.  When the boys were little, I remember her three young sons playing with Tonka trucks in a dirt and sand pile in their back yard.  I think it's interesting they graduated to the real big trucks and started a successful gardening business when they became adults that prospers today.  

Speed in vehicles doesn't give me a thrill as some say they feel.  I do recall purchasing my second car, a used Plymouth, when I was in my mid-twenties, taking it out on a country road one day.  I don't know what prompted me to do this but I pressed the 'pedal to the metal' driving over this roller coaster paved country road going over 100 mph, then the car stalled.

I was out of gas -- the only time I've had a car ever run out of gas in all my presently continuing driving years.  I had just passed a farmhouse, so could easily walk back where I  encountered a very pleasant accommodating farmer who gave me enough gas to power my car back to town.  I'm surprised he was so nice because he must have seen me flying by his house and probably wouldn't have thought too highly of anyone traveling that two-lane road at such a rate of speed.  

'Running out of gas' in quite a different way is an expression with which I readily identify the older I become, but we won't get into that right now.

I might add, I've never been automobile obsessed as I perceive some to be, much less attracted to speed.  Also, I don't like noise, so I've always disliked the revving roaring motor sounds of all kinds of cars and motorcycles.  I guess the sound signifies power to some but it's just plain noise to me.

What will the future bring if we get rid of the combustion engine?   Our California Air Resources Board approved new regulations requiring 35% of new cars sold in our state to be electric vehicles by 2026 -- 100% by 2035.  Our California Governor Gavin Newson announced this week he plans to eliminate sales of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. I've heard news reports that as a safety measure for pedestrians that auto manufacturers are designing ways give electric cars sound because they run quite silently.  

Whadda yew think about all this car business I've brought up in this latest epistle I've written?

NINA'S STORY -- AGEISM UTTERANCE

Republic -- "If you can keep it" [Democracy]

           Accountability for Jan. 6 insurrection

U.S. Select House Committee on January 6th Hearings will continue in the fall.

U.S. Dept. of Justice and F.B.I. deserving of respect for doing their jobs.

Stars / Feelings  (Medley / Live at Montreux, 1976)

NINA SIMONE 

"Stars lives come and go ... they all have a story."  Perhaps this is Nina's story, too, as she also refers to Billie Holiday and Janis Joplin.  This talented artist left our world in 2003 at age 70 years.   In her mid-twenties she aspired to being a classical concert pianist.  

Composer Janis Ian commented on YouTube: "I wrote the song [Stars] when I was 21, and already a 9 year veteran of the music industry.  Nina's version is brilliant.  She re-writes it some here and there, and I've never known whether the ad libbed sections at the end were because she forgot, was overwhelmed, or what - but brilliant nonetheless.  One of the most underrated arrangers and pianists ever, too." 

REGRETTABLE  UTTERANCE 

The heat must be getting to me.  I'm lacking enthusiasm of thought to focus on writing here.  There are so many issues hanging fire, so to speak, all of which are on my mind from the local to the national level as well as what's occurring around the world.  I'm sure you are as aware of them as I am, so I'll not bring up the matters.  I'm trying to patiently wait for many of them to move forward toward some resolution.  Frankly, it doesn't look like that will occur anytime soon.

Also, I need to focus attention on some personal things here that require more of my time which I'll be doing in the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, I've resumed some occasional pleasure reading but nothing of any consequence for my reviewing here.  They're autobiographies of a couple of now deceased women, each a decade or so older than me.  One woman had a career in D.C. legitimate news journalism to which I had paid some attention.  The other out of NYC focused on show biz gossip and facts to which I've never paid much attention.  I  like to think about what I was doing when some events they note were occurring in their life.

I was glancing through some notes I've written from time to time for possible blog topic elaboration in the future, but I'm presently not motivated to further develop them.  What I'm relating now reminds me of how our perspective in life evolves with experience over the years.  

I guess I could say in this instance I would be generous to myself by saying I simply mis-spoke.  This is a regretted utterance I've never forgotten from the moment I heard the words coming out of my mouth.

I was a teen describing to a life-long year-older dear friend when she asked, the names of several Florida cities on the Gulf she might want to visit.  They had been included on my high school senior class trip itinerary after we departed New Orleans, heading to the Atlantic east coast.  After one Gulf city I mentioned, I hastily added, "Oh, you don't want to go there!  There's nothing but a bunch of old people."

I instantly realized, as her mother listened, that her grandmother who I knew and loved had moved to Florida.  I thought of my own dearly loved grandmother and felt chagrined at my utterance stimulating heart-sick feelings I've never forgotten.  Now that I'm one of those "old people" I can't believe I was so insensitive as to say those words.  After all, if we're fortunate enough to avoid the alternative, we all become "old".

JUSTICE -- INJUSTICE -- IT'S JUST BUSINESS

 Republic -- "If you can keep it."  -- (Democracy)

Accountability for Jan. 6 insurrection.

U. S. Select House Committee Hearings will continue in the fall.

QUESTION:  Why were all those files reported by the Ex-President's lawyer as having been returned to U.S. government still in Mar-a-largo, possibly placing  our nation's security at risk?

"Cheats and Liars" (Official Music Video)

by Elles Bailey 

"Bristol-based, multi-award-winning, genre-crossing' Elles Bailey's ... video "Cheats and Liars' written with Ashton Tucker from her album "Shinng in the Half Light", released earlier in 2022.

LIFE'S INJUSTICES

Some readers here may recall my writing a few years ago about my frustration with a neighbor's backyard leaning wall subjecting a corner of my attached wall to increasing pressures causing the concrete blocks to destructively pull apart.  A licensed arborist informally noted years of rampant uncontrolled growth and underground roots on the opposite side of the neighbor's wall was causing the escalating leaning on that wall that was pulling the corner of my wall out of alignment and away from the rest of my wall.  Obviously, the situation would only worsen if some action was not taken by my neighbor with the property owners on the other side of his wall to correct the problem.

Thinking my neighbor would be pleased I had discovered this problem so early, I invited him into my backyard to see what was happening.  I thought he could act to contact those tall hedge owners who would want to correct the problem before his wall collapsed and would be much more expensive to repair.  My wall was their victim, too, so the neighbor and those other property owners would be responsible for any damage expenses, wouldn't they?  Duh!  Logic and what is just does not always apply.

I was given the impression the neighbor would pursue the issue and get back to me, expecting we would act together.  His wall kept leaning.  The corner of my wall cement blocks continued to be pulled further and further apart from one another threatening the integrity of my entire back wall.  The neighbor actually never really acknowledged what his eyes and mine, plus scientific measurements with photos taken over time showed.  

City officials even became involved to examine the issues in a neutral manner exclusive of any monetary matters in which they don't become involved when I finally contacted them with my concerns. They did point out problems to my neighbor.  Concluding much later that the neighbor seemed to be taking no action, I consulted further with our city officials to receive authorization to disconnect his wall from mine.  By this time the damage to my wall had reached a degree I had to hire reconstruction which was not inexpensive (10K).

Had I realized the neighbor would persist in inaction, apparent denial of the obvious, and was doing nothing meaningful to rectify the problem, I would have disconnected my wall from his sooner.  We had talked periodically, and he observed in person what was occurring to my wall, plus I emailed him photos and data believing he was addressing the issue with the owners on the other side of his wall.

Finally, I was surprised to be told by city officials they had asked and the neighbor said he would provide me some financial reimbursement for my expense.   I allowed time to pass. expecting to hear from my neighbor.  When last he came to my home, and we talked, he mentioned having some vision problems which were altering his immediate activity.   When discussion of my wall reconstruction costs came up, I told him the total I paid.   I did not press him on reimbursement when he said nothing, since he was dealing with those medical vision issues. 

I expected I would hear from him following some resolution there and he considered the information I had given him.  Time passed, so hearing nothing further from him I emailed a brief query asking about his intentions.  I eventually received an even briefer two or three word unsigned response to the effect the problem was mine.

I reluctantly considered legal action, but such a small case was not of interest to attorneys or cost effective for me to press them.   I was experiencing some medical issues of my own affecting my mobility at the time so small claims court had to be ruled out.  I am confident I would have won given my accumulated documentation. 

Serving the lawsuit was going to be seriously problematic since the neighbor no longer lived in the home or even in our city.  There is no assurance in small claims court a judgment will be collectable if the person chooses not to pay, even though the last I knew the owner was employed in what is typically a high paying profession.

Subsequently, the neighbor's house was sold.  New owners are in the construction business I recently learned.  They independently replaced their back wall which finally fully collapsed when unusually severe winds blew through our city last year causing much damage.  They are not pursuing costs from those property owners on the other side of their wall.  

The tall hedges have finally been cut down, though I've wondered if root growth or possible expanding above ground growth into the area behind my reconstructed corner wall section could possibly be a problem in the distant future.  I did send a letter to the property owners on the other side of my neighbor's wall alerting them to my concern.  I wanted to have that information on record.   There is no recompense for my wall expense from the new neighbor owners, of course, which I didn't ask for and wouldn't expect.  

A wall section separating our properties has a weakened section the new owner plans to replace but I declined to contribute to the cost of doing so.  The problem previously given a band-aid was caused by growth on that neighbor's property since there have never been any plants on my side of the wall.  The previous owner of his property had been cautioned by city officials that his plants were of concern as causing that wall problem.  I became aware he had all those plants dug up which occurred just prior to his selling the property.  This news appeared to be not previously known to the new owner which I think helped him understand my perspective.  I hope to hear no more about wall issues.

Some individuals, companies, businesses, disregard what is right and fair if there is no way to enforce what is even legally and morally just.  They justify doing so by saying, "It's just business", with no conscience or sense of guilt much less empathy or compassion for the abused party.

I've known life is not always fair, that there are people who really don't care about others or seem to have any moral compass.  I always feel such disappointment, anger, sometimes sadness, not to mention regret  -- especially, when I think about what I anticipated doing with the money I had to pay to repair my wall, to say the least -- when I encounter such individuals.  Justice does not always prevail.  

No doubt some of you may have similar stories of injustices you've experienced.

ONE-UPMANSHIP -- QUESTION -- GRAMMAR GLITCH

Republic -- "If you can keep it".  (Democracy)                                                        Accountability for Jan. 6 insurrection.                                                                        U.S. Select House Committee on January 6th Hearings will continue in the fall.

QUESTION:  Will legislators get their priorities straight to concentrate primarily on doing their jobs legislating and lessen one-upmanship in political game playing?

Ella Fitzgerald -- Accentuate The Positive {The Harold Arlen Songbook}

GRAMMAR GLITCH

"Sticky words" -- I've done it again!   I see after publication in my previous post a "their" that should have been a "there", not just once but twice!   Here are the offending words I wrote:

"Perhaps we might ask are their there writers producing entertaining older people's stories?  Are their there screen writers creating stories for films?"

Oh, woe is me if the grammar monitors noted as the Blogger automatic language didn't catch my mistake.  I hastily added those sentences in my last re-reading when the hour was late, tired, and did not conduct further editing.  I do know the difference for use of their/there but for some reason when I hastily type, my brain is not selective with those words as it should be.  Mostly I'm thinking of what I want to say, I guess.

Strangely, this word glitch seems to occur primarily with these two words, their/there, as I'm not aware of other such homophones that my brain ignores when I type (words that sound the same when spoken but are spelled differently, have different meanings, to which could be added "they're").  Possibly my brain's automatic editing mechanism is short-circuited on these words for some reason.  If you ever notice my writing other such incorrect words, let me know as I'm curious.

This isn''t the first time I've become aware of this word mistake.  Years ago a blogger whose writing I respected wrote a post about word errors some bloggers made.  She specifically mentioned their/there as an example.  She expressed concern about the difference mattering for correct usage.  

I had to laugh, immediately responding in a comment that I knew I was guilty of mixing their/there.  I stated I knew the difference in usage, didn't know why that error occurred and probably needed to take greater care editing.  Yet it continues as I've noted periodically in my writing and now this.  I long ago alerted my brain to be more careful when I was typing those words.  Clearly, my brain function has been unresponsive to my chastising on each occasion.  Now I'm wondering what other errors I may be making that I haven't taken the time to identify.

Maybe if I was writing an article for renumeration my brain would give writing those words greater significance.  But then, I might also have the luxury of others editing my compositions for such errors before publishing.  

Blog writing for me has been a bit more casual than some writing I've done I must admit.  It's not that I don't care.  I do try to avoid feeling pressured about any aspect of blog writing and publishing.  Sometimes I do just sorta throw a piece together at the last minute so am hurried.  I tend to think of my blog writing as primarily an entertaining pastime that surprisingly to me others read.

I will confess that over the years when I engage in personal correspondence with friends/family who know me well, beginning with using old-fashioned pen and paper, then using a typewriter, now in emails/texts they and I sometimes misspell words.  We may not want to take the time to check the spelling, may use them incorrectly when we can't think of the exact word we want.  We may not punctuate correctly on occasion, too, for a variety of reasons.  Perchance our lives have been hectic, we're exhausted, our time is limited, we're having interruptions, or more.  If any rules have changed we may not have kept up.   

We don't judge or concern ourselves with each other's errors, sometimes apologizing or laughing about them, since we know the other is not illiterate.  Keeping in touch with legible content is the priority and our relationship is all that matters.  If anything is unclear, we question but don't condemn.  I guess this falls under, we know the basic writing rules, or most of them, but allow ourselves to break some of them on occasion.

Perhaps I tend to think of you, my blogger buddies, in somewhat the same way as those friends -- that you will overlook some of my shortcomings when you read here as I do reading some of your blog posts.

My apologies if my sometimes-lax writing offends some or discourages reading here.  I do recognize and respect the value of more careful writing.  I am sometimes irritated by books I read with writing errors since I expect more from them.  I tend to judge businesses poorly but laugh at some of them if their advertisements violate the writing rules.  I've read some deliberately make such errors just to attract the attention protesters/protestors give them.  

I wonder if others of you have become aware of experiencing writing errors you persistently but unintentionally make though you know better, or may allow to occur with less thorough editing?