Life takes us in many strange directions and wonderful discoveries. It never turns out the way we thought it would.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Jack's Africa: Zimbabwe has mere $217 in the bank | Fin24
Jack's Africa: Zimbabwe has mere $217 in the bank | Fin24: Zimbabwe has mere $217 in the bank | Fin24
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Jack's Africa: An Encounter With Wild Gorillas In Africa
Jack's Africa: An Encounter With Wild Gorillas In Africa: 1eXS0o6r-Wk&rel=0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3 (application/x-shockwave-flash Object)
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
The German Film Iron Sky
Yesterday I got an incredible nice surprise on Netflix. I found a German Science Fiction film called Iron Sky. It was made in 2012 and an independent film without big studio backing. Those of us who love science fiction are familiar with the theory that some Nazis fled at the end of World War II and set up a colony of the dark side of the moon. This movie begins in 2018 when two American astronauts land on the moon. A few minutes after leaving the lunar module, they run right into some evil looking men who are obviously in Nazi space suits. One astronaut is shot dead and the lunar module is destroyed. The other astronaut is captured alive and hauled back to the colony that is obviously a major Nazi outpost. When the astronaut's helmet is removed, the Nazis are shocked to see that he is an African American. Of course he is tortured and imprisoned. He does manage to escape and somehow makes his way back to earth. In the future world of 2018 America has a female president and she is the twin of Sarah Palin including the glasses. One thing leads to another and the moon Nazis send an invasion fleet to conquer the world. An American space cruiser is sent to engage the Nazis. Its name is "The USS George W. Bush." It is made clear that it's nuclear armed. The Sarah Palin look alike is warned that if nuclear weapons are used, innocent women and children could be killed. Her response in the film is: "I don't give a damn, nuke 'em!" Of course the American stop the Nazi invasion.
This film is full of great special effects, humor and satire. It was great fun to watch. But it also had a deeper message that Europeans often see we Americans as "trigger happy cowboys who shoot first and ask questions later." The website for the film is ironsky.net. This is a great film and I had a lot of fun watching it.
This film is full of great special effects, humor and satire. It was great fun to watch. But it also had a deeper message that Europeans often see we Americans as "trigger happy cowboys who shoot first and ask questions later." The website for the film is ironsky.net. This is a great film and I had a lot of fun watching it.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Two Beautiful Days In Pacifica
It is the middle of winter here in Pcifica. But magic has happened. We have had two beautiful days with lots of sun and not a cloud in the sky. I have done some work on taxes but I have also spent time enjoying the beauty of this magic moment and to reflect on life. I am lucky to be in this beautiful place. It's not Rio de Janeiro or Patagonia, but it's not bad either. Elena is in Argentina with friends and family. She needed this tme off on her own and I needed this time too get in touch with myself. I will enjoy it while it lasts. Some 14 years ago I had a beautiful experience one Friday afternoon in the town of Tequila, Mexico. (Yes such a town exists!!) I ended the poem with these words: "If I had to die now, at least I would die very happy."
Friday, January 25, 2013
Beware-Internet Scammers Are Getting Very Good!
Yesterday I got a very official-looking email telling me that my American Express card had been frozen due to a security issue. I was told to go to a website and give information. On one hand, I thought the email might be legitimate as I had just used the card to buy a couple of books at a book seller in South Africa who I have done business with for decades. On the other hand I as very suspicious and felt uncomfortable about the whole thing. I took the time to call American Express. There was no security hold on my account. The whole email had been a trick to try to get me to give up all the information on my American Express card so that thieves could drain it of money. My friends be alert at all time.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
A Beautiful Monday In Pacifica And A Historical Day
Yesterday was a beautiful day and it was really great to see the president and vice-president sworn in. I was fascinated at some of the body language things I detected. When President Obama and former President Clinton met they were polite but distant. I think Clinton still has grievances over the 2008 election when Hillary lost to Obama. Most fascinating was Michelle Obama's body language and reactions. She loves Joe Biden. She likes Harry Reid somewhat. She despises John Boehner. Elena got to watch the event also. I had to go to Kaiser to get my blood drawn to see how my cholesterol is doing. (I got the results later and they are good; thanks to cholesterol medicine.) I took her to the airport after 12 and she flew to Houston and then to Buenos Aires. I went to Loew's and got 15 more blocks to fix the entrance to our driveway. I installed them and enjoyed a beautiful afternoon with the dogs. Now I am alone until Luah returns on 3 February.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Friday, January 18, 2013
Five Guys Hamburgers
Today was a beautiful day. The temperature went above 62 degrees Fahrenheit. It was like a beautiful spring day right in the middle of winter. I completed my workouts. And then went and had lunch at Five Guys hamburgers in San Bruno. I had a burger and some fries I consumed over 1000 calories. No more food for me today. It was so good just to enjoy life for a while.
Another Hard Day At The Dentist
My dear friends it was back to my dentist, Dr. Choi's office for more dental work yesterday afternoon. I got a filling at my root canal site made permanent. I also got fitter for a crown on my right rear lower wisdom tooth. That one was painful. My teeth have worn out. Dr. Choi has done a wonderful job of saving them but I have suffered pain and discomfort. The positive side to all of this is that I have survived long enough for my teeth to wear out. That is truly a miracle! When my dear mother was alive, I would come to see her. She would smile at me and then bury her face in her hands. When she looked up again she would say to me: "Son it's a miracle that you're still alive."
Thursday, January 17, 2013
OurDog Copernicus Got A Big Blow To His Ego
Every morning I take her to dogs for a walk along the beach. Our male dog Copernicus has in Pleasant habit of lunging at other dogs and he doesn't like. This morning he lunch does a large and will muscle female. The dog broke her collar and attacked Copernicus. He defeated him. Fortunately there were no serious injuries. Copernicus learned a hard lesson hear about lunch again other animals. His ego was hurt badly.
A Passion For Collecting Refrigerator Magnets
One of my passions in life is collecting refrigerator magnets from all of the places that I have been in the world. I am almost complete thanks to the people at Cafe Press. Elena does not like them at all.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Our Dog Copernicus Celebrates 11 Years Of Life Tonight
Copernicus as the old saying goes: "I was born at night but not last night." Eleven years ago tonight your mother Eloisa went into labor in the area near the dining room in our old townhouse in San Jose. You were the first to be born. You came into the world blind and with no fur. You were so tiny that I could hold you in my hand. Your father was a sweet little white dog named Virgilio. Your mother arrived from Argentina pregnant with you. It was fortunate that you were born with us. Had you been born in Argentina, Patricia's husband would have taken you out and killed you because they could not afford puppies. As a puppy you were sweet. You loved to sit out on the patio and look up at the heavens. We gave you the name Copernicus after the Polish astronomer Copernicus because you were fascinated with the heavens. We thought that you would grow up to be sweet like your father. Instead you grew up to be strong and aggressive. You have escaped many times and survived in dangerous places full of coyotes, mountain lions, and very unpleasant humans. You have had "run ins" with animal control in two California counties and a couple of law enforcement agencies. The lawyer Krisana Hodges once had to defend you from a civil claim after you bit a UPS driver. You are a little man with incredible resourcefulness and street sense. We love you and thank you for eleven years of love, loyalty and devotion.
JacksMars: The Mars Rover, Sponsored By Go Daddy? What's Good...
JacksMars: The Mars Rover, Sponsored By Go Daddy? What's Good...: The Mars Rover, Sponsored By Go Daddy? What's Good For NASCAR Is Good For NASA, Lobbyist Says
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Monday, January 7, 2013
Medicare Is Not A Guarantee Of Fiinancial Security In Old Age
Elena is such a multi-talented lady. After working hard for 8 hours on her job work from the study, she cooked a gourmet chicken dinner for me and spoiled me. After I finished dinner I started to read my AARP magazine. I often do not take this magazine seriously. But something really caught my attention. According to a study by Fidelity, a married couple that retires and depends on medicare will have out of pocket medical expenses that will average $204,000 before they pass away. This does not include any costs for long term care like having a person at home to care for a disabled person or a nursing home. The AARP article went on to say that the average person on medicare will have out of pocket costs of over $4,000 per year. My dear friends my Social Security check is $1,279 per month. This comes out to be $15,348 per year. If I had to pay $4,000 out of that I would be left with $11,348 to carry me for 12 months or $945.66 per month. I would have to pay for rent, food, transportation, phone etc out of that small amount of money. In my case I have an IRA that I was wise enough to contribute to and that would give me an income of another $6,000 per year or $500 per month. I also an a veteran of military service and I have the right to use the VA for medical care. That helps my situation. A lot of people do not even have these things. As we move forward, Medicare will get cut and medical expenses will continue to rise. It's a bleak picture for many retirees. To those of you already retired I hope that you have a pension from your employer and paid for medical care that holds up. To those of you still working, save your money as you are going to need a lot more than you think to retire,
Jack's South America: Chilean Patagonia’s Peaks, Up Close - NYTimes.com
Jack's South America: Chilean Patagonia’s Peaks, Up Close - NYTimes.com: Chilean Patagonia’s Peaks, Up Close - NYTimes.com
Sunday, January 6, 2013
A root canal
Last Thursday morning I went in for dental surgery, the dreaded root canal. The staff at doctor Choi's office worked on me,all told, for two hours. They did an excellent job! I do not even have post operative pain. This is a big relief.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Friday, January 4, 2013
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Jack's Africa: Egypt’s revolution fuels digital boom - FT.com
Jack's Africa: Egypt’s revolution fuels digital boom - FT.com: Egypt’s revolution fuels digital boom - FT.com
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Jack's Africa: Africa is hooked on growth - FT.com
Jack's Africa: Africa is hooked on growth - FT.com: Africa is hooked on growth - FT.com
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