F'en Magic

Flip a switch, turn a knob, open a faucet. That's all you need to do to turn on the electricity, gas or water. How spoiled we all are to have within reach, all of our Utilities at our fingertips.

But Gas, Water and Electricity are all imported into Southern California from other parts of the State and Country. What will you do when one, two or all of them doesn't work? The lights don't go on? No water from the tap? Can't cook or heat the house? No, I'm not talking about not paying the bills. What if there's another reason? Like a natural or Man-made disaster.

The recent fires in LA County threatened electrical lines leading into Los Angeles. What if they were damaged? How do you think we get our electricity? It comes from generators from far away, and come to us from those large transmission lines you see in the Mountain passes. It isn't generated from the DWP building in Downtown. If the lines go down or are damaged, you may be out of electricity until it is repaired.

Natural Gas, like water, is pumped to us through gas lines. Mostly from out of State. What if there is an interruption? A break in the line from the main or anywhere along the line up to your home?

And what about Water? Because of past flooding, Los Angeles designed their sewer system to eliminate water from the streets and flow into the ocean. Almost none of it is saved in reservoirs, catch basins, and/or lakes. And currently there's an 8 year drought. Yes, it's all water down the drain. So, we get it from Northern California and the Colorado River, and then it's pumped to us through the water mains all throughout the City. Water has other limitations. Because it is pumped through pipes to all of the houses in a community, there is only so much that can be delivered. Anything that causes the system to lose pressure will mean little or no water for you. A break in the system? A pump shuts down? No Electricity to make the pump work?

Think about these things. How will you make do without one, two, or all of these Utilities? From a few hours to several days. Prepare for this, and you will not suffer as much if something like an Earthquake happens.

More on each later....

Stubborn or Hard Headed?

I wear a helmet when I ride my motorcycle. Why? Because it's the law? No, I value my life, and believe I am much safer with it on, then off. But when I ride my bicycle, I don't wear a helmet. Why? Because I'm traveling at a slower speed, and well, I don't have to, according to the law.

I have been on many accidents involving bicycles, and though some bicyclists have been badly injured, I have not been aware of any who have died. They may have, but I am not aware of it.

One bicyclist wearing a helmet, took her eyes off where she was headed, and rear-ended a parked car. She flew off her bike, and went through the back window of the car. Picture a car with two legs sticking out of it's rear window, and you can figure out how much she was injured. Did you imagine a bloody mess? Well, she only had a few cuts and scratches. This is a good example of how a helmet protects you. Of course we took her to the hospital so she could be checked for internal injuries, but I believe she was okay.

I have also been on two skateboarders who fell and hit their heads. Neither were wearing a helmet. One was going too fast down a hill and hit his head on the street. The other got hit by a car when she crossed a busy intersection, and her head hit the car's windshield.

Both died. The first a few days after, the last on the way to the hospital. Both were over 20 and under 30 years old. Do I think they would have survived if they wore helmets? Yes, especially the first one.

Do I think you and I should wear a helmet whenever we do anything where it's possible to hit your head on a hard surface? (Like cycling, skateboarding, rollerblading, skating, skiing, snowboarding, etc.) Yes, we should.

Don't be stubborn, because no one is really hard headed.

Addenum to Hope for the Best

In all of my "Political" blogs, I believe I have a recurring theme. I don't believe what any Politician tells me, even Obama, I wait to see what's actually done. I've heard it all in my time, and I fell for some lines before. Now I want results. That's what you should all ask for. If you're one who believes in Obama 100% and he doesn't produce, you should not vote for him again. you should think, "NEXT!"

I understand all of the feelings brought up by Obama's election to President that has been expressed. In this Country, electing a person of "color" has been long overdue. It's the first time a Caucasian male has not won. This really does "open the door" or break any perceived and/or real barriers to minorities. Even for women.

But who really "makes" these barriers? Is it really only the Caucasion males of America? For the last 4 years, we have had a African-American woman as Secretary of State, a very important position. To be honest, I really don't know how Condelleeza Rice rates as one, compared to others who held the same position. But the fact that she is in the position, and not recognized, well the silence speaks volumes. If the silence is because she is a Republican, and she has been appointed by Bush, then that is really sad.

But this Country is ailing. And it doesn't matter what your race, gender or creed is. We will all suffer, no matter who we are. We need help, we need to get back on our feet. If we as a people were as naive as we were in the early 1900's, I believe we would be in a Depression, for we would have panicked and made a run on all Banks and cashed out on all stocks by now.

I'm hoping that Obama will put together a team that is NOT of payback to friends, lobbyists, or to people in his own Party. I hope he finds the best person for all Cabinet positons, no matter what Party they belong to, and goes from there. Payback is over, we had enough of that.

And talk is over. It's time to acutally do something. And you too, don't sit back and wait for it. HELP make it happen. Stop wanting FROM your Country. Do something FOR your Country.

(See, I'm all talk.....)

Hope for the Best.

As of this writing, Senator Obama will be the next President of the United States of America.

I must say, that even though I don't believe Senator McCain would have been a better choice than Obama, I do believe McCain would have done a better job than President Bush, had McCain been elected 8 years ago.

What really concerns me about this election, is NOT that Obama has won, but the Election itself and the attitude of Obama supporters,

First, the Election. Why hasn't anyone from EITHER Party done anything to do away with Electoral Votes? It's been 8 years since the 2000 Election, what's the hold-up? YOU did not vote for the President, Electoral Votes have. I DO believe that Obama has also won the Popular Vote, so the point is moot for this Election, but when is it going to end? Don't you want YOUR vote to count? I do. I don't want another Florida debacle ever again.

Second, the Politics. McCain's record shows that he believes in Bi-Partisanship, IMO. And IMO, that is a great quality. Did McCain vote 90% of the time for President Bushes polices? Yes, and unfortunately, that's Politics. That was the only way McCain could get the Republican nomination. Here is a man who went against the Republican majority, and he even supported Immigrants rights. Then he went against his values and said, "I get it now," to his Party, meaning he knew he had to "play the game" to get nominated. This is why he lost some votes. Had he stuck to his "Maverick" ways, it would have been closer, IMO, but then he may not have even gotten the Republican nomination. Sure, it's the Republican Party's fault for not knowing what the public wants. They are just as clueless as Democrats were after President Clinton was in office 8 years.

BTW, neither Party works for you, they work for themselves. We need a valid third Party.

Third, the McCain bashing. You hate Bush, you hate Bush, not every Republican in the world. So you don't want to vote for him, that's no way to treat a Veteran who was a Prisoner of War in Vietnam. Most Liberals were Vietnam Veteran bashers when the soldiers returned from Vietnam, calling them "Baby Killers" and other things. More recently, Popular opinion swayed, and Liberals were deemed wrong to do what they did. Now it's "I support the Soldiers, but not the War." Were Liberals gnashing their teeth at this way of thinking? And now "letting it all out" in frustration, for holding it in too long? Maybe being a Veteran and a tortured prisoner is not enough reason to get your vote for the Presidency. But it should at the very least, get your respect. Not dis-respect.

Fourth, falling for the rhetoric. It is said that the Election was a dead heat until the Economy went sour. Then people blamed President Bush for all the troubles. This created an Anti-Bush and Anti-Republican attitude that ultimately caused McCain to drop in the polls, and out of the race. But when reality sets in, you will see that the Democrats had just as much to do with our souring Economy as the Republicans did. Could this have been the "October Surprise" that people were looking for? But instead of it coming from the expected Republican corner, it actually came from the Democratic side? Only History will tell. And the Economy? IMO, most of "Wall Street" will right itself, and when it recovers, it is because of the things that are being done right now, while President Bush is still in office. It may be the only good thing he did, IF it works.

Many have said that the Economy has done very well when a Democrat was President. I actually said this to a friend last June. But it is only half true, and I told him the other half that most people overlook. The Economy has done well when the President is a Democrat, AND the Congress is controlled by Republicans. It has not done well when a single Party was in charge of both. That is what's happening now. We will have a Democrat for President and a Congress that is controlled by Democrats. For our sake, I hope History doesn't repeat itself.

Fifth, the Obama worshiping. As far as Obama goes, I'm saving my applaud for the future, if and when he does something that deserves it. His record as a Senator is not enough for me, it's almost nothing. That doesn't mean I am not a supporter, or I didn't vote for him. I just don't have the fantasy of him being our savior, as a lot of his supporters do. A reporter interviewed one of his supporters, and the person was so enthused, he said, "Now we'll get our mortages paid for, and free health care......" WHAT? I don't blame Obama, I don't think he ever promised to give us free health care or pay for our mortgages. I blame people for having stars in their eyes, when they should have magnifying glasses to look through, when they choose a President.

I once talked to a friend of mine who worked for a Politician. We talked about the diversity in the LAFD. He mentioned that there could be more, and that the LAFD could use more integration. I told him that if he was in trouble and had to call 911, did he really care who was coming to save him? A male? A female? A heterosexual? A homosexual? A minority? No, you want someone qualified and capable of saving you, otherwise you die.

I heard Obama being describe in many good ways. But I really hope he is not JUST someone of Color, who's Young, of "our" Generation, or anything you make him out to be. I hope he is qualified and capable, and not just because of an image he portrays. Here's to change, and praying it's for the better.

My Birthday Week of Sushi

One of my favorite places to vacation in is Hawaii. The different Islands offer different things. This time I spent a week on Maui. And since it was my birthday week, I decided to spend most of my dinners at Sushi restaurants. Fish is very fresh in Hawaii, and it is very hard to find "bad" fish. I think that is why you'd never find an Urasawa in Hawaii. The competition gets the same fish. The differences are how they prepare the rice, and how creative they get.

Here is my recommendations for Sushi on Maui.

On the high end side:

Sansei Restaurant in Kapalua. Follow these instructions and you will not regret it. Call and ask when Chef Masa is working. Sit in front of him and ask for Omakase. Masa's special creations are unforgettable. If you dine between 5:30 PM, when they open, almost everything you order is 25% off until 6 PM. Without drinks, this will only cost about $35 to 40 per person with a 25% discount. Otherwise it could be $45 and up.

Koiso Restaurant in Kihei. This is a very small place consisting of just a Sushi bar and one 2 person table. Great quality and great tasting Sushi for about $50 per person. The bargain here is the Sashimi plate. It consists of maybe 5 kinds of different fish for $25, but you get the "scraps" of fish that are left over from making the pretty Sushi. Prices are a little higher than Sansei.

Medium price:

Kobe Restaurant in Lahaina. Kobe has 3 different "sides." One is the Teppan-yaki or "Benihana" side. Another is the regular restaurant side. And in between is Oku's Sushi Bar. Here the sushi is a tad bit larger, a little larger rice ball, and larger cut of fish. Even the simple Tuna roll had a thick cut of Maguro down the center. Tastes great, and fairly reasonable in price. Slightly lower than Sansei.

Ichiban the Restaurant in Kahului. A family owned Japanese restaurant in Kahului. The most reasonably priced Sushi that also tastes great in Maui. I usually order a combination plate with a Soft-shell crab roll. Other individual pieces are great, except for the raw shrimp, which was just okay.

Places to avoid.

Unisan in Wailuku. Better for the Korean food that they also serve, the Tempura is something to avoid. Also doubles as a Night Club, so it gets a little loud.

Sansei Restaurant in Kihei. Sushi here is hit-and-miss. Listen to me and miss it. I had the worst Soft-shell crab roll here, and the last time I ate here, the rice was not made correctly, it was a little on the mushy side.

Genki Sushi (Kahului and Lahaina) and Kozo Sushi (Wailuku) are both "Fast Food" chain Sushi restaurants found in Hawaii. Genki has the revolving counter. It's just okay at these places, though I haven't eaten here more than once. Prices are the cheapest here.

Old Legends Never Die.

There was a time when I worked for my best friend's (Ernesto) mother's boyfriend. He was a Plumber, and his name was NOT Joe. His name was Roy, and he was a Chippewa "Indian," or Native American, and always had great stories to tell us.

Some were just everyday life stories. For example, he told us about the time he got so drunk that he drove his car on the sidewalk. When the Police stopped him, he said "It's okay, I'm FBI." The Police said, "You're FBI?" He answered, "Yes, Full Blooded Indian." He was then arrested for drunk driving.

His two business partners at the time wanted to go to Las Vegas. My friend and I had never been to Las Vegas, though we did drive through it on the way to Utah once, and were invited to go. We drove two cars to Las Vegas, one with Roy and his two business partners, in the "Adult" car, and the other with me and my two friends, in the under 21 car.

We had a good time in Las Vegas, even though we got kicked out of the Casino for being under 21. We didn't know you had to be over 21 to gamble, we thought that being over 18 was good enough. My other friend Ramon had a "baby-face" and was approached by a Security guard while playing a slot machine. Ernest and I both had mustaches and looked over 21. After being told to leave the Casino, Ramon walked up to both of us at another Slot machine, and told us that he had been kicked out. Almost immediately, the same Security guard came over and checked our IDs. We all got the boot.

After our trip ended, we were driving back to Los Angeles, and Roy decided to take a detour. I had no idea where we were going, but we ended up going through Death Valley. Somewhere along the road, there was a turn-off to a dirt road that led up into the mountains. It was beginning to get dark, and all I could see was their car in front of me. There are no street lights or any other extra ambient lighting.

As we drove up this dirt road, we wondered where Roy was taking us. Was it a short cut? An old friend who lived in a cabin? We were confused, and as it got darker and darker, we were a little scared.

Finally we came to a plateau, and stopped. It was PITCH BLACK. There was no one and nothing around but us, but we were whispering as if we didn't want to wake the dead.

This is how our conversation went:
"Where are we?" "I don't know..........." "Why are we here?" "I don't know............" "Why are we whispering?" ?????

Roy got out of his car, and we joined him out in the pitch blackness. He said, "We're too late." Late for what????? He told us this story of an old Indian legend.

"A large group of Indians were here having a celebration. When food was running low, they sent Scouts to get more. When the Scouts returned with more food, the rest of the Indians were gone. Disappeared. Not a single trace of them being here, or where they went.

So, legend has it that if you return here at Dusk, and do a special Indian chant, you will be able to see and hear them celebrating in the distance. But we're too late for that."

In our opinion, we were kinda glad that we were late.............

Made in America

There are a lot of products sold in the USA, that are made in other Countries. Mostly due to the cheap labor that these other Countries provide. One good example is something made in China.

There are "Standard" items that are made that have no bearing on a person and their individual differences. CDs and DVDs are an example of this. It doesn't matter if a person is Tall or Short, Thick or Thin, have 2 or 3 arms, the design of a CD/DVD is not important.

However, when it comes to clothes, that is a different story. Clothes have to come in all different types of cuts and sizes to fit any individual. One size does not fit all. Well, maybe with the exception of a Mu-mu....

So, even though items may be "made" in China, they are not designed for the Asian body. They are provided with designs from "American" designers, cut for the "American" body.

Anyway, as an Asian man, I usually have trouble finding the right size shirts. Most of the time I'm an "Extra Large," sometimes I'm a "Large." Most of the time I need the shirt to be "Long." If I look hard enough, I will find what I need.

But then, there are other things. Some things that are just made one way. Some things that may or may not make a difference to you, but they might to me.

I went swimming at the beach, and as usual, I put on my Speedos. No, not the tight-fitting shows-every-little....... um, er, .............I mean, BIG-bump bikini trunks, I'm talking about the swimming goggles.

Whether you're in a heavily chlorinated pool, or salty sea water, Goggles are great to have while swimming. Seeing clearly is a big advantage and causes less anxiety when you swim. Out in the ocean, you don't have to worry about a shark sneaking up on you while swimming with your eyes closed, or blurry from being irritated.

So what's this got to do with the price of tea in China? Well, have you seen those goggles? All of the models have round lenses. I'm a slanty-eyed Asian. The round lens fit around my eyes and keep my eyes open in a very un-natural way. In fact, I think the whites of my eyes show.

I have no idea if I can get slanty-eyed goggles made for Asians anywhere in the USA. I wonder if they sell them at the local "Hello Kitty" shop................

Is there a cure?

I've been going to the same Doctor for my debilitating illness. Unfortunately, I've been getting worse. It's so bad now, that I'm starting to hurt, and may not recover soon. Oh, don't worry about me, I'm not dying. I'm just really sick.

But, I have to do something. And the way I see it, I have two choices. Both choices involve changing Doctors. I can pick one that's older and had more experience than my original Doctor when he started seeing me, or I can try someone brand new.

The first Doctor I'm thinking of going to, has been a Doctor for a while, and like most Human beings, is not perfect. He's saved some, and lost some. And though he could find a cure for my illness, he works for the same Medical group as my former Doctor. He might get the same recommendations on how to treat me as my original Doctor. Who knows if he will try different medications, or has the "permission"to do so. He may give me medications that keeps me going, but doesn't cure me. There is a chance that he may treat my illness differently, because he's smarter than my original Doctor. But, I don't trust the Medical group that he works for anymore.

The other Doctor is fresh out of school. He has some new ideas he wants to try, and has told me that he will treat my illness in a different way. But he's never treated anyone, much less someone with the same disease that I have. He promised to cure me, but at the same time, with untested medicine. How do I know I won't have bad side-effects, or get sicker?

The original Doctor was also new and fresh out of school. He basically had on-the-job training with me. He didn't do very well.

So, do I choose the Doctor who is smarter than the original Doctor, but works for the same medical group?

Or, do I try another new Doctor to give him on-the-job training, and hope that he can cure me?

Speaking of Toes...

Do you remember those old AT&T commercials, "Reach out, reach out and touch someone....."

It reminded you that there's always someone out there you haven't talked to in a while. Most of the time it showed family members talking to one another.

We have become an isolated society, where we can now distance ourselves from friends and family because of work or education, or just because. In the old days, travel was difficult. It took time, and a lot of effort. Now, you can hop on a plane and be halfway around the world in a few hours. Imagine trying to get 50 miles in a covered wagon.

Anyway, separated by letter writing, then by telephone, now we have come up with many new Electronic ways of keeping in touch. There's E-mail and Networking sites like Facebook.

Several years ago, a friend of mine from Elementary school, who left after the 5th grade, and I hadn't seen in 30 years, found me via E-mail. He had first moved about 20 miles away, then eventually moved to South America. I have met him 3 times in the last 5 years, when he traveled back to the US to visit friends and family, and in between business trips. Friends are friends no matter how long you are apart.

Then there's this unique way of saying "Hello."



Now how many of you out there have a leg for a friend? Yeah, that's right, I'm Special!

Evolution?

Have you ever stubbed your toe(s)? Doesn't it hurt so much, you end up hopping and limping around for a while? Of course you have. Have you ever heard of Athletes who couldn't perform because something was wrong with their toe(s)? Depending on the severity of a toe injury, it can be difficult to push off and make certain moves that an Athlete needs to do, to...... um, athlete?

I once went on a Motorcycle Police Officer who crashed, and who's only complaint was breaking his big toe. It was injured bad enough that the blood circulation in his toe was compromised. Because there is some thought that losing the big toe makes walking and standing awkward, we rushed him to the hospital.

What's this got to do with Evolution? My thought is, if Evolution was a valid theory, wouldn't our toes be stronger? Sure, I may be biased, since I believe in Creationism, but really, we wouldn't be here today if we Evolved from lesser than our current form.

Think back, and imagine with me .......... there you are, "Krok." Krok hungry. Krok go hunt for food. Krok go into jungle. WHOA! It's T-Rex! RUN! He's catching up! OW! OH SH*T! Krok stubbed toes on rock! Krok on ground writhing in pain. (I'm not too sure if early man could writhe or not, but hey, it's MY story.) That's it, *CHOMP CHOMP*, eaten in two quick bites. Krok is history, and so is the rest of Human kind.

The Human Race had no chance of surviving without stronger toes. Yet, here we are, with weak toes.

Too deep?