Living in a digital age, shaming others on Youtube

Image via CrunchBase

Axia eyeplate is a very thin (6 mm) digital camera (0.3 megapixels CMOS). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We truly have come a long way technology wise. Twenty-five years ago, we didn’t have cell phone with cameras, or posted anything on the net to places like YouTube, or Facebook. This can be a good thing, and a bad thing. It allows us access to important events that happen on scene like a crime in progress, or something new breaking. But, when a father post his daughter’s picture along with a sign on her neck just because she went potty in the shower, he is shaming her. This is not what this technology is supposed to be for. But as long as people watch the Kardashians, and other junk on TV, and nobody hollers, a person can post what they want, I suppose. But come on  people, use your head. Post stuff that is truly important to you, or fun. But, don’t to it at the expense of hurting others. That’s just too cruel!

Goodbye Andy Williams

Get Together with Andy Williams (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hi. I was at a loss when I heard about the passing of Andy Willliams on Tuesday, Sept 25th. As a kid who grew up in the 60’s, I was privileged to listen to his music on my mom’s radio in the house. My favorite song by him that brings back memories to me is “Can’t get used to losing you.” He had a strong, clear, sweet voice and it showed in his music. I saw an interview on  Youtube that he did and he said the nice thing about music is after a person passes, we still can hear their work. He was talking about Nat King Cole, but sadly it now applies to him. I never got a chance to go to Branson and see him live, but thanks to the internet, we can all listen to his music. So long Andy, peace be with you, even though your gone, we can still hear your great music, and thank you for that. You were truly a talent with a great voice and even though you got tired of performing, you still did it up till the end. He was 84 years and died from bladder cancer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=hUeaqHHq2II click on this youtube link to see him sing Can’t get used to losing you, live in Branson. He did everything live and didn’t have to lip sync like so many untalented singers today.

 

Space Shuttle Endeavour passes over me

English: The Space Shuttle Endeavour atop its modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft lifts off from Edwards Air Force Base on the first leg of its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center just after sunrise on Dec. 10, 2008. Français : La navette spatiale américaine Endeavour sur un avion de transport Boeing 747 décolle de la base Edwards de l’US Air Force pour la première étape de son convoyage de retour pour le centre spacial Kennedy, juste après le lever du soleil le 10 décembre 2008. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Well, today was a special day. The space shuttle Endeavour passed over my area en route to Los Angeles. No, while I didn’t get a chance to spot it outside,( I had my camera and I was ready!) I had to watch it on TV. Man, was it exciting for a space fan like me! There were people as far away as Norway that flocked to L.A. just to watch it. I would have joined them, but I had an appointment. I hope that you were able to watch on your local news programs even it was a re-broadcast. I will miss the launches. I will miss the landings. The one thing that I won’t miss is the loud sonic double boom as it passed overhead. You see, Edwards air force base is not that far from me, and its backup landing spot. I remember one night about 2 o’clock in the morning, and the loud boom woke me up from a sound sleep! For people like myself who live in an active earthquake region, we didn’t know what it was! Not to mention all the car alarms it used to set off. I hope that I can paint a picture here of what it was like for those of you that have never seen, or heard it up close. The only other recent time I can remember a huge aircraft passing overhead is when President Reagan died. The plane that carried his body from Simi Valley to Washington flew over my house, and man was that a sight! So, when the orbiter gets settled in at its new home at the California Science Center, I hope to go there and take pictures. Oh, don’t worry, I plan to share them with you. This will probably be after the first of the year, when all the large crowds disappear. If they ever do. Anyway, it was a good day to be an American, and to share a piece of history. I only wonder what’s next for NASA? Good thing I have and watch the NASA channel. Have you ever watched a space shuttle launch or landing? Or, were you one of the many people who live in L.A. and were able to see it? Please leave me a comment and share the details! For those of you that missed it, or your area doesn’t receive L.A. news, a good place to find great videos of the landing is on Youtube. I found some people who did a good job of recording it! Check it out!

Update on baseball player Brandon McCarthy

I thought I’d update you on Brandon since I first wrote about him on Sept 7th. If you remember, he is the Oakland A’s baseball pitcher that threw a pitch, and Erik Aybar of the Los Angeles Angels hit it back to him, and unfortunately, it hit him in the head!! Talk about a pitcher’s worst nightmare. I guess he would be able to answer my post about your biggest fear, hands down, poor guy. He’s out of the hospital, and recently visited his ball team, showing off his scar.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/14/brandon-mccarthy-visits-the-as-shows-off-his-scar/

400 trees to be cut down to make room for Endeavour

The L.A. City council has ordered that 400 trees will be cut down to make way for the space shuttle Endeavour. The orbiter, which has logged over 123 million miles, will go from L.A.X. to the California Science center. The trees will be sacrificed in so that the wings will fit during the 12 mile ride. I love the space shuttle and I am a big space nut, but don’t you think they could have found a different route or way to do this without killing and removing the trees? I am on the side of the trees. NASA says it will be too much trouble to remove the wings. Do you think this will be worth all the trouble to get Endeavour where it has to go?  I guess  nobody has the power to stop the removal of the trees. I can’t believe this is going to happen despite all the people against it. What do you think? I’d love to hear your comments?

Trees

Regis found a job! Like he really needed one

Well, it looks like the only man on the planet who doesn’t need a job, was hired by Rachel Ray’s folks. Yes, Regis Philbin, that all around 81-year-old funny man actually landed a part-time gig with Rachel Ray. Let me stop here and say I have always liked Regis. I remember him when he was just starting out in Hollywood. He was on a local Los Angeles tv channel with the host of the show being Joey Bishop, another all around great and entertaining guy. They were great to watch as I grew up.  But if there was every a guy who didn’t need a job financially, it is Regis. While I didn’t mean for this blog to be one of conspiracy theorists, you have to ask:  What was the  problem with, “Live with Regis & Kelly?” Some people said he was leaving because he was unhappy, but Regis said no, that wasn’t the reason. Hum. Makes me wonder.  What makes a man who is worth millions want to go and get a part-time gig? Truly, he didn’t need the job, or the money. Is Regis silently sending a message back to his former co-workers? If they had listened to him, and made changes, would he have stayed? Or perhaps, like a divorce, things had gotten far past that point, and it was un-repairable. Personally, I don’t believe in divorce. I think things can always be talked out and repaired, but maybe that’s the optimist in me. Both parties have to be happy, and agree with one another. Or maybe Regis like may folks his age, was so used to getting up and going to work, that he just missed the  routine, and wanted to feel needed? The only person who  know  is Regis, and he’s not saying anything, well at least for now.

 

Regis lands a new job

Abandoning my child (blog)

English: Mother and child. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I abandoned my child! Well, friends had warned me. They told me about how people start a blog, only to move on to something else, and forget all about it. Guilty as charged! That’s me.  I don’t know how I came across it this afternoon. I forgot all about it. (from another blog site, not important)

Reminds me of the time when I was sitting in my car waiting for my wife at Target.  I was in the parking lot during a bright sunny day. Suddenly, I heard the voice of 2 women talking. They were laughing and having a good time. I wasn’t interested in what they were talking about. I watched as the mother (driver) put her child’s car carrier with the child in it, on top of her car, right next to me. She opened the door for her passenger friend. They both got in the car, and the mother reached for her keys, and then started up the car.Surely she won’t forget her child on top of the car I thought.

To my horror, she did! She put the car in reverse, and looking back, she slowly started to back out of the parking space. My first reaction was to honk my horn. She turned to look at me, and I pointed to the top of her car, and shouted, ‘ Lady, your child is on top of the car!’

She yelled, ‘ My baby, my baby!’ Stopping the car, the panicked woman quickly opened her door, and reached for her child.

‘Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!, she replied. All I could do was to shake my head from side to side as I returned to reading my book.

I couldn’t believe what I saw. A woman was so engrossed in her conversation, that she actually forgot what she was doing.

As they left, I smiled thinking that the child would never know that I probably saved it’s life that day. Talk about cell phones and being distracted. I wonder if Mom had been alone, and on her phone, if  she would have done the same thing? I would hope that the incident so many years ago would have taught her a valuable lesson that day. Pay attention to what you are doing. Always!  I can’t say much as I had abandoned my child (blog) too!

http://www.snopes.com/autos/mishaps/babyroof.asp

Check out the above link. Apparently this happens quite a bit!

Please tell me that this hasn’t happened to you, or somebody you know.

To Facebook or not Facebook poll

Image via CrunchBase

Facebook logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Okay faithful readers. I need your advice. I am considering joining Facebook. I have heard many good things about it, and some not so great. I would appreciate any comments you have on whether you joined, and what prompted you to join. OR, if you don’t plan to join, I would like to hear your reasons for not joining. Thank you for helping me to make my decision.

Hot!

Los Angeles View 2011 (Photo credit: █ Slices of Light █▀ ▀ ▀)

 

Getty fire

Well my friends, it is almost 10:30a.m., and looking outside, I can already tell that it is going to be another hot day, here in Ventura.  I can feel the warmth  of the sun. The temperature gauge already reads 90  degrees for my area! Don’t know exactly how hot it will be today because my temperature gauge has already exceeded what  www.weather.com has predicted for my area! Interesting. Yesterday, I was watching the Los Angeles news at 4p.m., and they were covering a brush fire (which usually happens during hot weather) off the San Diego Freeway near the world-famous Getty museum. I could not find any information this morning about the fire being out, but I hope that they got it under control. It was interesting to watch the giant airplanes go to the ocean and scoop up water. Then, they would drop it over the fire. They did this several times. Well, nothing on the radar for today. Going to continue writing my book.  You have a  cool day!

Update 1:23p.m. I just checked and apparently the L.A. Fire Department was able to put out the fire. Yea! Congrats to them on a wonderful

job! Considering all the dangers involved, theirs is not an easy task. I salute them. The Getty museum is open, and the public is allowed inside. I have never taken the tour, but I hear from friends that it is awesome. Perhaps one day I can do that, and report back to you.

Women are wonderful!

Childbirth (Photo credit: popularpatty)

Today, I ‘d thought I’d write about something that has been on my mind for a long time. I have always admired the way that a woman can carry a child for nine months, and then  go through all the intense pain of childbirth. I admire any woman who can do that! I know I couldn’t! My wife did it 3 times for the births of both my daughters, and then my son. I believe that’s why my wife took out first daughter’s death so hard. I don’t believe that she is done grieving. I don’t know that feeling of having something growing inside of you. To feel each movement of the child. I remember, our second daughter, would love to play inside of her when it was our time for bed. Eleven o’clock would roll around, and we were both tired,  but out little “scooter” (the name that  I would eventually nickname her) was up and ready to play. Many times my wife would tell her to “quit it,” as she would do somersaults and cartwheels inside her belly for hours! While I’m at it, another thing is that  today, and back then, the doctor can usually tell you the sex of the child before birth. We said no all 3 times. We sort of liked the surprise that God gave us each time. That’s a whole nother story that I may share with you sometime, faithful reader. Well, here is my salute to women everywhere. God bless you !