Twits on Tweeter...

Twits on Tweeter...  Or something like that.  On the advice of a friend, I'm going to start posting some of the very short topics on Twitter instead of on my blog.  It will be an interesting experiment at the least, and who knows – maybe it will actually be useful!  My Twitter handle is @SlightlyLoony1...

In the womb...

In the womb...  A dolphin, and more at the link...

Take a ride in the back seat of an RAF Typhoon...

Take a ride in the back seat of an RAF Typhoon...  You'll definitely want to go full screen for this one!

Through fire and water...

Through fire and water...  The Prime Minister of Canada (Stephen Harper) isn't well known to most Americans, which is a shame – because he would be a great role model for many of our politicians.  Here's the conclusion of the speech he gave to the Israeli Knesset yesterday:

Ladies and gentlemen, let me conclude with this thought. I believe the story of Israel is a great example to the world. It is a story, essentially, of a people whose response to suffering has been to move beyond resentment and build a most extraordinary society. A vibrant democracy, a freedom-loving country with an independent and rights-affirming judiciary. An innovative, world-leading "start-up" nation.

You have taken the collective memory of death and persecution to build an optimistic, forward-looking society, one that so values life you will sometimes release a thousand criminals and terrorists to save one of your own.

In the democratic family of nations, Israel represents values which our government takes as articles of faith and principles to drive our national life.
And therefore through fire and water, Canada will stand with you.

Do read the whole thing – it's an excellent speech, full of truths that That One doesn't seem to understand...

No lobsters?

No lobsters?  That settles it: I'm not moving to Cuba.  Well, Cuba wasn't on my list of possible destinations anyway...

Michael Totten (one of my favorite independent journalists) visited Cuba, and is writing articles based on his travels there.  Here's an excerpt from his latest post:

Castro’s checkpoints are there to ensure nobody has too much or the wrong kind of food.

Police officers pull over cars and search the trunk for meat, lobsters, and shrimp. They also search passenger bags on city busses in Havana. Dissident blogger Yoani Sanchez wrote about it sarcastically in her book, Havana Real. “Buses are stopped in the middle of the street and bags inspected to see if we are carrying some cheese, a lobster, or some dangerous shrimp hidden among our personal belongings.”

If they find a side of beef in the trunk, so I’m told, you’ll go to prison for five years if you tell the police where you got it and ten years if you don’t.

No one is allowed to have lobsters in Cuba. You can’t buy them in stores, and they sure as hell aren’t available on anyone’s ration card. They’re strictly reserved for tourist restaurants owned by the state. Kids will sometimes pull them out of the ocean and sell them on the black market, but I was warned in no uncertain terms not to buy one. I stayed in hotels and couldn’t cook my own food anyway. And what was I supposed to do, stash a live lobster in my backpack?

What happens to JamulBlog...

What happens to JamulBlog ... when we escape from California?  Several people have asked me about this – JamulBlog is, after all, named for the place where we live. 

The answer is that I will stop posting to JamulBlog, but will keep it in place.  My new posts will go on a new blog that I am currently constructing.  I'm moving to a new blogging host (Ghost) – much more flexible than my old host (Blogger).  It will take me a while, at least a few weeks, to get that new blog configured – and for me to learn how to use it.  The new blog's name will not be specific to where we live, so I'll likely be switching over to it before we actually leave California...

Ramblings of a retired mind...

Ramblings of a retired mind...  Via my lovely bride:

I was thinking about how a status symbol of today is those cell phones that everyone has clipped onto their belt or purse. I can't afford one. So, I'm wearing my garage door opener.

I also made a cover for my hearing aid and now I have what they Call blue teeth, I think.

You know, I spent a fortune on deodorant before I realized that people didn't like me anyway.

I thought about making a fitness movie for folks my age, and call it 'Pumping Rust'.

I've gotten that dreaded furniture disease. That's when your chest is falling into your drawers!

When people see a cat's litter box, they always say, 'Oh, have you got a cat?' Just once I want to say, 'No, it's for company!'

Employment application blanks always ask who is to be notified in case of an emergency. I think you should write, 'A Good Doctor'!

I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older. Then, it dawned on me. They were cramming for their finals.

A penny saved is a government oversight.

The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat have gotten to be really good friends.

The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.

He who hesitates is probably right.

Did you ever notice: The Roman Numerals for forty (40) are XL.

If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame.

The sole purpose of a child's middle name is so he can tell when he's really in trouble..

Did you ever notice: When you put the 2 words 'The' and 'IRS' together it spells 'Theirs...'

Aging: Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.

Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know 'why' I look this way. I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved.

When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to your youth, think of Algebra.

One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young. Ah, being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.