Saturday, June 27

The Certain Demise Of America as We Knew It


According to this article, 80% of parents aren't monitoring their kids' Internet surfing, even though they have the software to do it. The negative moral and social implications are incalculable, in spite of 'if-it-feels-good-do-it' naysayers.

Wake up, America!

Wednesday, June 24

On The Beach


Many of the San Luis Obispo Skinner guests lived in Templeton or the San Joaquin Valley. Hot summer road trips to the big city on the other side of Cuesta Grade were rewarded with fresh air and cool marine breezes. And no trip was complete without a jalopy jaunt to the beach. Avila, Morro Bay, Cuyucos --- it didn't matter where. Just bring a camera and a coat!

Sunday, June 21

Templeton Quilt Show

Well, what was more exciting --- a 4.4 earthquake 15 miles west of Paso Robles, or a quilt fair in Templeton on Saturday? I'll pick the Quilt Show.

Handmade quilts were found hanging along Main Street from various businesses, homes, fences and porches to reflect the down home feel of this enduringly sleepy city, where my great-grandparents raised a houseful of rowdy kids (south of the park).

Templeton will someday (barring the 2nd Advent) have enough money to restore Main Street to its primal glory, add a huge tourist attraction like a railroad museum and secure the blessings of liberty to its posterity.

My sister, Ginnie, is a quilter. She is the artist in the family, having inherited the gift from a forgotten ancestor or two or three. These are her pictures of the event. She didn't say if she'd entered one of hers to show off, but I don't blame her if she didn't --- too much direct sunlight isn't good for a quilt.

Today is Father's Day. Be sure to show your love in some big or small way. And fathers: Get over the guilt thing, ask for forgiveness and enjoy the rest of your life.

Saturday, June 20

Leak Freak


An overdue fix took life's center stage today as we made an all-out assault on the drain leak behind the kitchen sink. After two trips to Lowe's, two to Home Depot and one to OSH (for some replacement 10-3 Romex that had been destroyed), this one hour job turned into a 6 hour fiasco.

But all is well now --- until the next event is tackled.

Saturday, June 13

Flag Day 2009

June 14th is Flag Day in America. This once highly celebrated event has disintegrated and disappeared over the years, thanks to an anti-U.S.A. culture that began in the 60's. That crowd is now running the country. Or should we say ruining the country?

This photo I took yesterday at the University of the Pacific campus portrays a colorless sky behind a still vibrant red, white and blue. The sun dog halo represents the 60's religion --- the Church of Situation Ethics, where the doctrine of chameleonification is practiced faithfully.

Pray the color of Old Glory doesn't fade along with the sky.

Friday, June 12

Drooling in the Corner


"Just because you're an old guy, you don't have to sit around drooling in the corner," says George H.W. Bush, our former president and all around good guy who just celebrated his 85th birthday with another jump out of an airplane.

"Bush's first parachute jump came when his plane was shot down over the Pacific in 1944 during World War II. He bailed out at 1,500 feet after a bombing mission over ChiChi Jima. His two crewmates didn't make it.

"In 1997, Bush fulfilled a wartime promise he made to himself that someday he'd jump from a plane for fun by hopping out over Yuma, Ariz., and he jumped again on his 75th birthday at his library in Texas." AP story

Happy Birthday, Mr. President. You're a real inspiration to all of us droolers!

Thursday, June 4

The Paso Robles Leader - 1898

One of the wonders of the Internet is that of treasure hunting --- finding those little unexpected items that just popped up on your screen after a little browsing.

This Paso Robles Leader newspaper from 1898 caught my eye while looking at eBay offerings. I thought it would be fun to read the local gossip from 111 years ago. My biggest surprise was seeing the dearth of news about the old homestead. There was the obligatory "who is visiting from Fresno" and "Mrs. So-and-So visits the beach for a week" fare, but the only important story I read was a short blurb about the big drought of that year, which was buried way down on the page.




The quality of the printing (or lack thereof) and the fact that my copy had never been cut in half after the sheet was printed, leads me to believe this was a make-ready sheet. It is an 8-page piece, but all in one big sheet. Much of it was difficult to read because of poor impression, wrinkled paper and lack of ink in certain areas.

The multitude of ads were a treat to peruse. The philosophical blocks on both sides of the banner prove the independent spirit of the publisher, H.G. Wright.



99% of the names mentioned eluded my memory. D.D. Blackburn and C.S. Smith are two that I recognized. But, hey, my history doesn't go back that far.

The moral of the story: Who will remember the least thing about you 111 years from now?

Wednesday, June 3

Most Secure Job Areas

Are you still working, or has the EASY MONEY RECESSION (what got us into this mess) rewarded you with an unemployment check? Thankfully, many of us still are holding on, but too many industries/companies are dead or dying.

Here's a Wall Street Journal look at how U.S. cities rank in the jobless rates.

Get ready to move to Iowa or Texas!