Matt and Colleen's blog

DEC 2011

2011-12-31T14:49:00.000-08:00

2011 MSK tenth floor holiday lunch

visiting George on Christmas...

Auntie Michiko, Colleen, and Kyoko...Christmas eve 2011

family gathers in kitchen...same venue.

Kyoko with Dominique (new edition) at Auntie Michiko's Christmas eve 2011.

OCT 2011

2011-10-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

(24 OCT 2011)

These are called "Moshi Monsters"....and they are a new set of kid characters. Colleen has a friend with two children who love these characters...but could NOT find any costumes to wear for Halloween. So Colleen and her friend made them.

The kids loved them....the smiles say it all.

(14 OCT 2011)

Time once again for that annual Sea To Summit ride.....not so bad, a 2000 foot ascent (beach below in back ground was start point).

bit of a hazy day....but really cool up top. A great ride.

(06 OCT 2011)

"CORPORATE ZOMBIES OCCUPY WALL STREET"

This is our next generation of leadership. Our fore fathers are weeping at our complete and utter audacity in our outward demands while offering NO alternatives or suggestions or efforts to fix the issues...just disruption and bitching. Very good assholes. No solutions...just bitching. Terrific.

When asked by CNN's Anderson Cooper: "We understand that you are fed up with rich people...but may I ask what exactly is your alternative or suggested plan? What exactly are you seeking as an alternative?"

Here is the reply:

"...when people have to work two or three jobs...and we college students have little or no hope for even getting a job...and corporate CEOs get huge bonuses, then something is fundamentally wrong in this country."

Anderson Cooper asks the question again:

"Yes, we understand that part, but what I am asking is what alternative your group suggests to put in place of the current system?"

Here's the reply:

"...even the most basic items to simply sustain life have sky rocketed in price over the last four years...the merchants, vendors, banks, and corporate thieves are taking advantage of the poor and middle class. We are here to say loud and clear that we have had enough.."

Anderson looks blankly at the camera and re-states:

"so, you really don't have a suggestion or alternative correct?...and you are angry about inflation of prices, is that right? "

Reply:

"...hell yes we are angry!...and we are going to create a living hell for all people until we are heard...this country has been hijacked and we will not stand for it. We are the 99%!!! "

COMMENTS:

(1) No plan. No suggested alternative. No fucking clue as to WHY prices rise due to currency devaluation + fed printing presses + fractionalized lending + trade deficits. Just bitching and pointing blame elsewhere. Wonderful.

(2) This is a great example of the entitlement mentality in its truest form. "I am being held down by the man." Yes, of course that must be the cause of all this, because, as we know, all those first generation banana boat immigrants who came over here with zero and busted their asses to create a good life, did so by under handed and illegal means I'm sure of it. Same as all those other people who own businesses right!? They must have obtained their wealth by stealing from you and I....lets loot these bastards! (absolute fucking morons)

(3) You cannot separate economics from domestic tranquility. In poor economic times, the domestic tranquility goes right out the window. Yet, NO ONE seems to want to take the time to UNDERSTAND what is going on to CAUSE price increases, inflation, currency devaluation, historical repeating cycles, and or stratification of wealth. It is simply EASIER and more mob mentality to simply point a finger and blame OTHERS rather than get off your ass and go create the results you want. No one is preventing you (or anyone) from obtaining whatever it is you truly want. Reality is you don't TRULY want it. It's easier to simply blame others.

(4) Anyone (and I mean anyone) who earns even minimum wage can thrive...in ANY market and economy...no matter if it's up or down...by simply UNDERSTANDING what is going on to cause these historical patterns. Until you ask questions and get answers yourself, you will ALWAYS be relegated to information provided by those who have ZERO vested interest in your well being....nor do they UNDERSTAND simple economics 101 laws that NO NATION can ever defy. You can choose to follow the normalcy bias ("it can't happen here...we have the highest standard of living in the world!...that's what hundreds of far more successful and time tested civilizations have said for the last 2600 years)...or....you can commit to the reality that:

(a) economics and domestic tranquility go hand in hand...liberal generalities and demands do NOT solve the problem...they just disrupt domestic tranquility...period.

(b) you must understand WHY history repeats and what fuels these patterns over and over and over again.

(c) your current high standard of living was bought with YOUR KIDS' work hours, sweat, effort, and stress (and their kids too)...and we have sheer audacity to enslave our kids (and their kids) due to OUR selfish bullshit.

(d) know the difference between CURRENCY and MONEY....currency (the dollars in your pocket) are mere claim checks except you have nothing to claim now because your checked item was SPENT years ago by people who are either dead or near dead. Last I checked they never sent any of us a thank you card.

(e) your house is LOSING value at 4% annually. (actually, everywhere I say "4%" read "8%" because people don't know how to extract TRUE inflation #'s...they blindly believe the BS #'s the govt. hands them...that's your first sign you are in trouble) Your paycheck is losing value at 4% annually. If the Dow Jones side ways for 10 years (like it has for the last 10 years)...that means it has actually LOST 40%...it's CRASHING and you don't even notice it.

(f) lastly, do NOT benchmark the value of your assets in DOLLARS....value them benchmarked against OTHER STUFF. Example: 1 median price home = 10 oz. of gold today. 50 years ago 1 median price home = 10 oz. gold. No inflation. Start stacking STUFF = STUFF and you see just how much you have LOST by using dollars.

....remember this..."CASH IS TRASH"....accept that part and you will do well.

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(05 OCT 2011)

George gets a new home....

Glenn, Kyoko, and Colleen.

Urn replaced to niche.

---------------------------------------------------------------- on another note --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In 1988 I signed on the dotted line to "defend and protect the Constitution of the United States of America, from all enemies, foreign and domestic."

Since then I had (not by choice) three classes pertaining to the Constitution (two military and one civilian college). What I found was more questions that I needed to answer...and I didn't feel it to be too important at the time. The questions lead to other historical documents, which lead to other books, which lead to news archives....etc etc. It got way too involved thus I dropped it for many years. Until 2001, when the Patriot Act emerged....and the Fed cranked up the printing presses to try and stave off recession. Since then it's been a truly remarkable journey indeed, as I became aware of repeating cycles in history....over and over and over again....by nations just like us for the last 2600 years.

None of these below charts are a surprise. They are all manifestations of one law that NO COUNTRY can evade...

THE FREE MARKETS WILL ALWAYS SEEK EQUILIBRIUM...NO MATTER WHAT MAN MADE DEVISE YOU INTERJECT OR INSERT. IN THE END, THE MARKETS WILL OBTAIN FAIR VALUES BASED ON

THE LAWS OF ECONOMICS...NOT THE WHIMS OF A POPULATION ADDICTED TO CREDIT AND ENTITLEMENTS.

I am not a Republican nor a Democrat. Both those parties front candidates that merely pander to the masses. Promise people free shit and you will get elected. This is how we elect people today...pander and promise free crap at the expense of YOUR KIDS, and your KIDS' KIDS.

I have been searching for a candidate with the following resume:

> Does not pander to crowds...says the SAME thing and doesn't change over many years.

> Committed to protect the Constitution. Like I swore to do so in 1988.

> Preferably a veteran...but not mandatory.

> Stands by his ideals and never changes his tune over the years...NOT afraid to speak UNPOPULAR.

> Has the balls to speak outwardly OUTSIDE the politically correct acceptable margins.

> Has the balls to tell people what they DON'T want to hear

> Has a plan to fix our debt issues, out of control military industrial complex, and stop the entitlement mentality.

....I don't care who you vote for....frankly it doesn't matter...but I do ask you start to think for yourself, ask questions, and at least have the balls to have an opinion that is possibly politically incorrect. Do not allow others to skew your values or principles...ever. If you believe our spending is out of control...say so. If you believe we have become a population of Microsoft, Google, beer, football, Nascar, iPhone, Oprah, reality tv, facebook, induced coma patients...then say so. Vote for a candidate that doesn't pander, has been literally unchanged for 35 years, has always sought to preserve the Constitution, and has a plan to kill the military industrial complex + get our fiscal overspent asses back on track.

http://youtu.be/9FFhSr1A1do

http://youtu.be/1gollke8hlM

http://youtu.be/sJTaw0GhY_s

This chart is not by accident. This is history repeating and playing out over and over again...like it has done hundreds of times for the last 2600 years.

So lately we see more and more uprisings across the world...and now here in the U.S. The sentiment is the same most of the time....an entitlement mentality which seeks to blame others or demand transfer of wealth from one person to another person just because THEY think that's the right thing to do....regardless of what the Constitution says.

We have been turning our backs on the Constitution with no remorse for a long time now. Finally, we are starting to see some people PUSH BACK and start to tell the left that there will be no more free lunches...and no matter what system you try to impose, you CANNOT and WILL NOT save everyone.

Here is what gets me truly enraged. I have family members who continually point at "our standard of living" as if we created it because we are geniuses compared to rest of the world. No. Wrong. We used debt. We printed money and CREATED this standard of living. Get it right.

You must have some set of balls to put YOUR KIDS in debt (and THEIR KIDS too) and then congratulate yourself for a job well done.

Someone is going to have to pay this bill. Take responsibility for once in your life. Start thinking outside the politically correct margins.

Here's an example. You go to the cleaners and submit your shirt for cleaning. In return you get a claim check. Well, the DOLLAR BILL in your pocket is a claim check...except THERE IS NO SHIRT AT THE CLEANERS ANYMORE. You have an IOU backed by NOTHING. There is no underlying VALUE to the debt we are creating. Now the world knows we are over our heads and China, Japan, UK, France, and Russia have been getting rid of treasuries since 2009 as FAST as they can. Why? Because they are not stupid. The ONLY people buying our debt now is ....US!.....via Quantitative Easing (QE as it's called). So now we are backing up our IOU's with more IOUs that have no value. Yes, that will work just fine....let's do that. Brilliant.

Yet we all walk around as if our standard of living and social entitlement programs are FREE and expected.

Bullshit. Take responsibility for your actions...and STOP spending our next generations' money. Fix it. Fix it now.

This is exactly what I was fore warning about two months ago (see earlier blog). I will say it again...this is only the beginning for a recurring series of events that have been recurring over, and over, and over (like "Ground Hog Day") since 401 BC (Greeks) to current day.

This is neither a surprise nor an unexpected chain of events in London, Egypt, Syria, and even here in the U.S. (Philadelphia, Chicago, and Milwaukee).

The underlying message is the same:

>"the man is holding us down"

>"food prices are way too expensive" (Egypt erupted over soaring food prices...NOT political unrest)

>"we demand more money, services, and handouts."

(1) THE MAN IS HOLDING US DOWN: That typically means either one of two things...."I am a minority and the man is holding me down...and [he] is also the reason I am not succeeding." .....or..... "we are losing our welfare state programs, because the rich are not paying their fair share... the rich should pay for them, not me."

> NO MORON: If any of that were even remotely true then the huge number of people who step off the boat as immigrants, and proceed to create very successful results out of sheer hard work (using your logic) could only do so by illegal and underhanded means. No one is holding anyone down, nor is anyone stupid enough to risk persecution in this hugely politically correct nation we have become. No one has the balls to fire a minority for poor performance anymore...gee I wonder why? As for the rich paying MORE than what they do now?....did you ever ask yourself WHY WE NEED TO INCREASE TAX REVENUES? (or why we need to ask the rich to pay more?) No. We don't ask. We just demand. We paint a picture of all rich people being selfish pricks that achieved wealth by underhanded, loophole, slick, or illegal means. Have you ever asked yourself how it is we acquired such a high standard of living? Do you honestly think we are all geniuses compared to the rest of the world, and we are just THAT good!? No jack ass. We used debt. We are repeating the exact same cycle that every single fiat currency debt based civilization has done since 403 BC. I come to this argument armed with a 100% accurate historical precedence. With 100% accuracy I can tell you, that the U.S. dollar WILL fail unless a drastic change is executed. It is not a sudden event. There is no nuclear wasteland after a currency dies. It is not the apocalypse. It does, however, occur every single time without fail. If you have not done so, you need to arm yourself with the facts. Do your own homework...then you tell me if every analyst out there is wrong when they say "it is not a matter of if , it's a matter of when." Do your own homework on:

a) how do we create money? (the Fed / Treasuries / Fractionalized reserves / base capital )

b) how much debt do we have? (M1, M2, M3)

c) how will we pay for this? ( http://youtu.be/tj2s6vzErqY )

d) can we sustain our current spending? (same you tube video above)

e) how much income and equity (GDP) does the U.S. produce? (same you tube video above)

....gather your stats, and you tell me if your social entitlement programs are going to cease...shortly. (I couldn't be happier), once again, the free market repeats history, and wins....every time...100% accuracy.

(2) FOOD PRICES SOARING: gee....I can't imagine why!? It must be the greedy merchants and vendors right!? Yes, lets form a mob and protest (and loot while we're at it) their greed. I cannot tell you how absolutely silly that notion is. Here again, just go back and study every single fiat currency civilization since the Greeks (403 BC) to current day...then you tell me WHY food prices soar. (hint: economics 101....remember that class!?....when the teacher was talking about printing too many currency notes?) Tell me this....lets say you are a politician today. You want to get into office. How can you get people to vote for you? Tell them you can't afford to pay for their social entitlement programs? Yeah right...no one will vote for you. No sir...you promise MORE free shit than the next guy. Yes...the votes then come pouring in. That is how you win today. So how can you pay for free shit without raising taxes!?....hmmmmm.....how about we just create money out of thin air!? Brilliant! All are happy right!? The left/welfare/dependency addicts get their free shit....and taxes stay relatively still for a while...case solved....kick the can down the road. Oh, wait....why are prices for life necessary goods going up so fast? Why are people now unable to afford rent, food, gas, retirement, health care, schooling, and utilities? Why isn't this plan working!?

> FIAT CURRENCIES ARE IOU's....nothing more. EXAMPLE: You bring your shirt to the cleaners. The clerk hands you a claim check to get your shirt back. The DOLLAR in your pocket is the claim check...except there is NO SHIRT at the cleaners folks. We don't have the shirt anymore. It was claimed YEARS AGO. If you think I am kidding...go to the above links again and get educated.

> We absolutely believe our current standard of living is due to our elite ability to thrive. Not even close. Each and every family is in such deep debt that your kids...and thiers...will pay for YOUR SPENDING. So, every time I hear someone say "we have such a high standard of living here in the U.S." I weep for the next generations who have to pay the fucking bill for OUR binge spending at THEIR expense. How very thoughtful of us.

(3) WE DEMAND MORE $, SERVICES, AND HANDOUTS: I won't even go there. We have become a nation of DEPENDENT junkies (addicts)...we can't make up our own minds, we can't remember our history as recent as 1933 when we had ZERO entitlement programs....and there were no dead bodies in a ditch, no one was consuming exploding consumer goods, kids were actually disciplined, people retired just fine, and the mortality rate was within 7% of today. For some reason now we think food, shelter, health care, and pensions are entitlements. No. They are not. They NEVER were. It's not in our constitution, laws, or rights. You must earn those things...and THAT part has faded from our family structure since 1933. We are utter dependency addicts.... and we are now unable to fend for ourselves without the Govt. Gee what a great position to be in. The entire "demand" of $, services, and handouts is playing out world wide now...and it WILL become more frequent over time. The only way to break free of this terrible dependency is to take responsibility for your own results. Until you do that, you will continue to drink the coolaid and fall prey to the "normalcy bias" and continue to walk around in your Google, Microsoft, Beer, Football, Reality TV, Oprah, iPhone induced coma while the prices of ALL THAT YOU NEED TO LIVE AND RETIRE ON escalate to the point where you WILL be underwater. It's subtle...it's insidious, but it does occur 100% of the time without fail.

Last point then I'll shut up:

If you bought your house for $100k ten years ago, and it's now worth $130k....did you make money?

(ANSWER): inflation last ten years averaged 4%. You lost $10k. Said in another way....remember years ago when gas was $1 a gallon? Well that 1$ actually meant something back then...now it doesn't. Have you at least ever asked yourself WHY stuff goes up in price so fast? Ask questions at the very least man...don't just sit there in your Google, Microsoft, Beer, Football, Reality TV, Oprah, iPhone induced coma....ask questions and get answers.

and btw...if the Govt. tell you unemployment is 9%...and you don't dig further and ask HOW they got 9%....then I beg you to dig further. What you will find will amaze you. Did you know a person is deemed RE-EMPLOYED upon expiration of unemployment income? Did you know they use HEDONISTIC values to balance their books (if you were a biz using GAAP standards...you would be thrown in jail for doing such a thing). Did you know govt. employees earn 2x that of civilians on average? There are thousands of errors and omissions in Govt. data. GO FURTHER. Real unemployment is approximately 17.8% and here is the food stamps chart (monthly)...we have over 45 million people on them....that's 15% of the population.

I am neither a Republican NOR a Democrat. Both parties have abused the currency to it's current point of no return. We need leadership with balls....that will tell the people "sorry folks....you spent the next two generation's money already...you cannot have anymore." China, France, UK, and Japan have all been getting rid of the USD (treasuries) since 2009 as fast as they can. They are not stupid. They know our debt is way too big. The only country buying Treasuries is...US....via the FED (aka quantitative easing, or QE for short). When Feds do those things...it's an emergency folks. Don't trust me...just look back over the last 2400 years. I speak with 100% accuracy...and historically every single nation has always said "it can't happen here...we have the highest standard of living in history!?"

........on a lighter note....

Garett's birthday get together (age 13, below balloons) ....his mom (Grace) is Colleen's good friend.

AUGUST 2011

2011-08-12T09:32:00.000-07:00

Ebey's Landing (1842), Whidbey Island Washington. Visited mom and dad.

Whidbey Island shoreline just North of Fort Casey (on Juan de Fuca strait)

Looking South toward Fort Casey (West shoreline).

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.........and now for something completely different, a man with a tape recorder up his nose...........

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>>>>>>>BEGIN COFFEE INDUCED RANT <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

I am not a Democrat, nor am I a Republican. I am neither. Because there are attributes of both parties I cannot support in principle. Yet, I find (in my conversations with others) that somehow we, as a self governing Republic, lost our ability to think for ourselves.

Today, the only acceptable opinion lies within a very very thin margins between the Pelosi Proletariat and the Republican Romney Review. Any view outside those thin margins and you will (undoubtedly) be labeled "radical" or "extreme."

Further, you can take nearly any argument, run it through today's "media" and skew the facts and data so as to conveniently engineer a bias left or right (aka: Political Engineering). For example, the Liberal left love to refer to "historical employment rate data"....which anyone with two left hemisphere cells remaining knows is complete garbage (unemployment benefits END so that MUST mean the individual is RE-employed, right!?). Yet, as a population, we accept what our "leadership" feeds us without question.

No. Wrong. Not me. Not in my life time. That is why I skew towards a Libertarian stance....which, in short, promotes self reliance, self sufficiency, less Government intervention, less EXCUSES for people to NOT work (or hide under union fuck off rules, or milk social programs fraudulently, or...god forbid...force people to SAVE for their OWN retirement).

Elected officials are supposed to be hired to tell you what you DON'T want to hear. They are SUPPOSED to be the parents telling their kids "no...you can't have chocolate cake until you eat all your veggies first." Yet they pander to the masses by promising FREE CRAP WE DON'T NEED....and the fat ass and free loading masses vote for the moron who promises "something for nothing." We always get the chocolate cake AND don't ever have to eat our veggies. Terrific...just what we needed.

At some point...SOMEONE is going to have to stand up and say "ummmm...excuse me, but we can't afford this free lunch mentality anymore, and, by the way, I cannot name one single Govt. entity that, minus tax subsidies, would be considered efficient, profitable, or worthy of investor capital....so why are we placing MORE fiscal and economic decisions in the hands of those who are obviously the WORST possible stewards of any asset class known to man!?"

REASON: We are being told "you cannot think for yourself...so WE are going to think FOR you." We saw this same cycle of events with the British Sterling (1967 to 1975.... kaput), the former Yugoslavia Dinar (kaput), Greek Drachma (kaput), French Franc, Spanish Peseta....and....my favorite, the Roman empires transition from a Republic, to a Democracy (the beginning of the end), to an Oligarchy, then to ruin. In ALL cases...the debt from social programs demanded Govt. to decide what was right or wrong for the masses. Here we are repeating history.

REALITY: Like an addict...it is difficult to STOP being dependent. It hurts, and it's short term pain. We are dependency addicts. For SOME reason we believe that without Govt. making decisions FOR us, that we would all be babbling idiots, dead in a ditch, consuming goods that explode our lips off our heads, and completely unable to fend for ourselves without the DIVINE guidance of our (thought control) overlords in D.C. Please people. Get a grip. For once in your life, trust yourself. If forced to live without some clown telling YOU how to invest, or save for retirement, or protect yourself, or take care of your own health, or offer your goods to the free market, or hire employees YOU believe are worthy, or (god forbid) demand performance from your employees.....believe me, you will be just fine. Yet, we are told we need someone else to think for us....and we accept it as true because we all know our elected leadership are ALWAYS right, and should never be second guessed, right? (....right?)

No.

Sorry for the rant...as we move farther and farther away from allowing ANYONE with an opinion outside the Pelosi Romney margins to even be entertained....then I can only see our fore fathers weeping at the actions we persist in.

(From the Federalist Papers: an entry by Thomas Jefferson)
Upon leaving Constitution Hall, after ratifying the newly adopted constitution....a woman stopped Ben Franklin and stated:
"What sir, have you given us!?"
Ben Franklin replied:
"...a Republic madam....if you can keep it ! "

CASE IN POINT:
The Bill of Rights....when most are asked "what is the Bill of Rights." Most (if not all) answer it to be list of 10 rights for citizens of the newly formed United States.

Wrong.

Article 1: "Congress shall not......"
Article 2: "Congress shall not......"
Article 3: "Congress shall not......"
.....all the way to Article 10 (my favorite): "anything we didn't add here...Congress shall not do that either."

The bill of rights' SOLE PURPOSE was to INSURE Congress did not stick their fingers into the lives of the citizens. They were to make such decisions ON THEIR OWN.

Consider this example: Say we had no law that says it's illegal for any biz to deny access to someone based on _____ (fill in whatever silly reason you feel fit....creed, credential, race, etc). How long do you think that biz will remain in biz if they were stupid enough to deny someone access just because of religious belief? or skin color? or credential? Not long at all. The Govt. does not need to think FOR us....believe me, the market WILL bitch slap that biz owner...the exchange of info is WAY to good for anyone to get away with such crap today. They won't survive.

FAVORITE LIBERAL (left) BLANKET STATEMENTS:
(1) REPUBLICANS HELD THE COUNTRY CAPTIVE USING TERRORIST TACTICS: Oh yes, that's perfect. God forbid ANYONE should raise their hand and say, "excuse me, but, this whole debt issue thing...it's not going away and we are in deep shit once the other nations start unpegging from the USD." Yes, they must be evil demons to suggest something so absurd. Tell me this, if your spouse went nuts with YOUR credit cards, you are telling me you would RATHER call the credit card company and raise the debt limit INSTEAD of telling your spouse to "cut the crap" !? No. Wrong.

(2)IF YOU ARE AGAINST SOCIAL PROGRAMS YOU ARE ANTI _____(insert any bleeding heart identity here): This one kills me. Yes, it's true....I wish ill fate on the elderly, poor, and all those who earn less than tier 1 tax brackets. Please. Here is another great example of anyone having an opinion outside the Pelosi Romney margins being labeled extreme or radical. No, I'm not against them at all....I do believe though that free market entities would perform FAR better than any bureaucratic entity 8 days a week (twice on Sunday). Again, if it weren't for the divine intervention of our elected overlords in D.C.....we would all be dead in a ditch, consuming exploding goods, unable to think for ourselves, and only able to stand and stare blankly into the distance until someone in Washington gives us direction and instructions. Come on people. Own YOUR results. It's NOT the responsibility of Govt. to manage YOUR retirement. It's NOT the responsibility of the Govt. to tell you WHO you can or can't hire, fire, or demand performance from. It's not the Govt' responsibility to tell you HOW and WHO to use for health decisions.

(3)CONSERVATIVES ARE PRO GUNS AND BIZ: uh...no moron. The right to bear arms has not changed since we created this Republic (we were born a Republic btw...NOT a Democracy....know the difference between the two). I do not agree all of society should walk around armed like the wild west. I DO (however) agree that Liberals and Lefts tend to stand in a circle, talk talk talk talk talk (and give each other titles and accolades) until they all devise a hypothetical world peace plan where everyone will comply with law and guns will not be needed. Wrong. Not reality. If you wipe out the ENTIRE human race, and leave only two humans on Earth...I guarantee you there WILL be war in only a few days. Liberals stand around and hypothesize all kinds of great ideals....none of which take into account that, given the opportunity, mankind WILL do evil things. It's their nature and postulating theories counter to that belief is unrealistic. I own a weapon because it is the ONLY insurance I can guarantee will be there during the :20 minutes it take for the Police to arrive. Liberals would (instead) have me stand there with my thumb up my ass armed only with foul language. Bullshit. Over my dead body will you take away my right to defend my family.

Pro biz? I suppose if you consider half the nation pays taxes...and the top 25% is carrying 90% of the tax revenue weight. Is that pro biz? ***The U.S. biz sector is the highest taxed in the world (actually #2 right now...but after Q4 we will be the highest taxed in the world). Take away that burden and you start to see a WORLD competitive biz force. But nooooooo....we can't decrease biz taxes. No sir....we have to take $ from people who WORK and EMPLOY...and give it to those who have NO ENTICEMENT to work at all. Yes, that's smart. Lets do that.

(4) REPUBLICANS ARE FOR THE RICH: This one kills me. Liberals ALWAYS use examples of biz owners that pay zero taxes...and seek to target them (rob them) to fix the debt issues. Yes, that's brilliant. When did we magically FORGET that each person you are targeting is RESPONSIBLE for the employment of (on average) 39 other people....who generate 39 times more tax revenue than any one person will ever do in a lifetime. Liberals conveniently leave that part out...they focus on the PERSON...and NOT the tax revenues THEY are responsible for CREATING by going out and taking risk and starting a biz that EMPLOYS OTHERS. Yes, lets attack them...after all they MUST be evil...they MUST have obtained their wealth by underhanded and illegal means right?

This is exactly why Thomas Jefferson KNEW Democracy (minus a responsible moral voting population) would fail. The majority just votes in idiots who promise free crap they don't need and the rest is history. Failure is imminent.

Here is a great example of why Govt. should have limited intervention in free markets: Notice the immediate and thereafter steady decline of the dollar...after YOUR GOVT. declared YOU were NOT ALLOWED to hold gold anymore. Ever ask yourself why they deemed it illegal?

...alright...enough rant....so sorry. It's just we were created as a Constitutional Republic for a reason, and I know our fore fathers did NOT fight and die just so we can throw it all the way in the name of spreading the wealth around evenly and trying to impose freebee programs using money we DON'T have.

Cut the military budget in HALF (yesterday). Open up defense contracts to open public bids using NON union candidates. Privatize most social programs, so they at least PERFORM and answer to the MARKET....stop using tax payer debt. Get the U.S. dollar fundamentals back to debt levels where foreign confidence is regained. We must ACCEPT the fact that not ALL people can be saved....there is NO perfect system that saves EVERYONE. Accept it. Health Care and Housing is NOT a right granted under ANY constitution anywhere. Yet we act like these are rights? They are NOT. It's NOT in our constitution, nor in our laws...never was. You must earn them. They are NOT entitlements.

Affirmative action is two wrongs trying to make a right. Have you ever had to explain to a white person that they were NOT hired because someone of equal qualification was hired because they were black or Hispanic or female? I did. It sucked. Is that NOT discrimination? Can you imagine what would occur if anyone launched a magazine called "Ivory"? Melt down. How about a network channel called "White Entertainment Channel"? Melt down. Yet we can't seem to find the courage to talk about it or approach it. Why? Because of that SAME thin margin I mentioned earlier....you will be labeled extreme, radical, or in this case, racist. We have failed to Govern based on principles.....principles that simply say: "You are hired based on your qualifications...and if two are equally qualified, it's the right of the employer to decide as they deem fit." (god forbid...we can't have that!...we must have the thought control in D.C. decide those things FOR US!)

Lastly, unions used to have a key purpose during the periods of Boss Tweeds, and scarce labor laws. Those days are gone. No idiot employer is dumb enough to disregard labor laws in today's litigious society. Unions perpetuate a work ethic that truly sucks. When I finished flying for the Army on active duty I showed up day one to American...and politely declined the union reps offer to join. Here's what he said:
"You might as well join anyway, because the union dues WILL be deducted from your paycheck regardless of whether you join or not."
I asked if I had a choice in the matter. Nope. No choice. Back then...it was the Teamsters, then it went to the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA). During my tenure I was told to slow down, not show up, create maintenance issues that were not true, and walk a picket line. I did none of these because I did not support the reasons behind them. I was threatened several times. This is exactly the entitlement mentality that brought down Detroit...and exactly the mentality that is causing the riots in London, Chicago, and now Philly.

These riots are only the beginning folks...the Liberal entitlement mentality WILL cause a huge number of people to revolt and lash out. You can sit there under the normalcy bias (inaction due to disbelief), stand around in Liberal circles and postulate theories on how to achieve world peace, or you can do something about it. Start with electing people who have the BALLS to tell you what you DON'T want to hear.

Lastly, I could (right now) take ALL the liquid wealth in the U.S....spread it around evenly to all people and match the end result the Liberals are striving to achieve. I guarantee you that within days or weeks, the exact same results and stratification will result over time. No matter what Govt. intervention you impose...the MARKET will win over time...guaranteed. You cannot intervene with a free capital market model and expect free capital model RESULTS. You screwed with the equation on ONE side...that WILL affect the other side of the equation.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>END COFFEE INDUCED RANT <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

JULY 2011

2011-07-20T22:13:00.000-07:00

George' birthday...

Colleen preparing George' plot ornamentation.

These are my Korean cronies. Shoon, Myang, and Shin (Peter). We did a 3000' ascent...perfect day...great view atop Carbon Canyon rim.

Every year I do the annual Big Bear Mountain ascent...just under 6000 feet on a 14 km 7% grade. Absolute killer trek. As usual, equally killer views. This is passing 3800 feet.

Here is the 5000 foot marker point. The rest of the ride was possible only due to pure inertia and an overwhelming will to "just be done with it already!"

JUNE 2011

2011-06-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

I found these the other day (buried under old moldy smelly hockey equipment)....icons of a seemingly surreal prior existence that seems so long ago and disconnected to today's reality.... Minus all the testosterone laden pathetic immature death imagery....the colors, #'s, shapes, and characters do represent a long history of unit lineage spanning back multiple generations.

"60 is the new 40".....yeah right....if that's true my gut, butt, waist, grey hairs, and face wrinkles never got THAT email message. I look back on what I was doing in my 20's and feel tired just thinking about it.

All this typing is tiresome....I need a nap. :-)

MAY 2011

2011-05-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

oh great...every time the big Japanese lady knits something...."I" have to model it.

Dave and Julia travelled to Southern California to see the Tour de California bicycle race.

Gosh...it's been 29 years since I last saw Dave. It was great to see them both.

on a different note...Colleen completed her first run race.....

Santa Monica Classic (annual beach coastal 10k/5k)

Pre race start line

Finish line

cutting off the GPS tracker

....I am proud of her.

Cancer, cancer treatment meds nausea, botched mastectomy surgery injury, migraines almost daily, botched eye surgery pain, etc etc. With every opportunity to stop working and go on disability...she refuses to act or think like a "victim." This is exactly the type citizen this country needs...and exactly what JFK was eluding to in his inaugural address to the nation.

APRIL 2011

2011-04-28T10:29:00.001-07:00

Year round rose bushes in front yard.

Highly resilient...they just keep sprouting more regardless of date or weather.

I wish the other shrubs looked as nice.

MARCH 2011

2011-03-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

George' one year anniversary service at the temple (Los Angeles)

Kody revealed to us that he is a cross dresser....he was ashamed but proudly declared he has always felt like a woman trapped in a man's body.

JAN 2011

2011-01-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

what a motley looking bunch....these are my bike club groupies...we normally target a lunch spot along each route we take.

Today we did a vertical of 1900 feet....total distance today 40 miles.

way out in the distance is down town L.A.

here's a video of the view from the top of the mountain...

01 JANUARY 2011....at Kyoko's house.

DECEMBER 2010

2010-12-11T16:05:00.000-08:00

Christmas eve party at auntie Michiko's house... Colleen made this quilt to hang up.

Aunti Michiko, Kyoko, Colleen, and Cindy

Colleen, and some homeless dude who wandered in off the street (we felt sorry for him)

Kyoko and Colleen.

needless to say...we all left with zero remaining stomach capacity.

Carbon Canyon state park mountain bike ride...Left to Right Mike, Shun, Kevin, me, and Myang.

Mike and Myang at "four corners" rest area.

Cool ride...5000' elevation...tough climbs...took 4.5 hours.

view looking East toward mountains.

pretty bike friendly trails...thank goodness for me.

NOVEMBER 2010

2010-11-27T10:01:00.000-08:00

Thanks Giving at the Yoshimuras
Dogs making sure the food "arrives" to the table o.k.
Joint effort between Kyoko and Colleen for the spread.....

OCTOBER 2010

2010-10-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

Santa Ynez Valley, California....adjacent to Chumash indian reservation and Solvang (a Danish founded and themed village North of Los Angeles)

I take advantage of the unpopulated, near zero vehicular traffic, rolling terrain for running and bike rides while here. So peaceful and quiet.

Green Hills cemetary....
We did a day trip to George Yoshimura's resting place...

His plot is near the duck pond.

Glenn and Kyoko...fed the ducks, swans, and pigeons.

After seven months...George' plaque finally arrived.

SEPTEMBER 2010

2010-09-09T19:55:00.000-07:00

so sorry for the delay in posts...I won't bore you with reasons why.

My "little brother" Brian (Catholic Big Brother program) and I checked out a place near us called "Power Surge"....which is a Wii and Xbox arcade pre-equipped with every imaginable peripheral you can think of. Wii stuff was cool and the Xbox graphics were excellent.

This is Typhoon # 8, located East of Hong Kong, moving Northwestward toward Taiwan. Dusk shot...so sunlight not so good.

Colleen, Kyoko and I went to Chumash indian reservation to chill out for a day. I love biking the local area and both Colleen and Kyoko came out ahead (which is always pretty cool to end a trip in the black).

mum sent me kid pictures.

holy crap I am goofy lookin' bozo.

made me realize just how much I owe my parents for putting up with my garbage all those years... I was (and still am) one lucky dude.

.....thanks mum for inserting some perspective back into focus. We get hyper focused on goals and forget to pull back and take a broad view sometimes.

JULY 2010

2010-07-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

This week was West L.A. obon festival....an annual Japanese festival. My favorite "Elvis Trio" was there again this year...people love them.

Kyoko enjoying the food and dancing.

Colleen and Tammy

The Kimonos are always really diversified and beautiful...half the reason people come to watch the obon dancing.

not a bad way to spend a Saturday.

This is a temple in down town L.A....that me and Kyoko attended to commemorate George' first obon since he passed on.

This is one (of four) priests that resided over the ceremony.

Kyoko misses George...so she values such ceremonies dearly.

This was probably the largest temple I have seen in the U.S. to date. Here is Kyoko before the service.

JUN 2010

2010-06-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

To break the stress levels....we hit Disney California Adventure for a day.

We saw a great stage production....and rode our favorite hang gliding ride.

George Yoshimura's birthday...so we visited and brought him some flowers.

Below picture I recently received from Fire Base Cobra...98 kms North East of Khandahar. Day-time load up for quick rope sortie in support of 2-75th Rangers (Rangers lead the way!)

Very rare to fly any daytime sorties...nearly all sorties are NVG multi ship NOE, but for some reason that day was an exception.

Daylight sorties truly suck...you take everything from foul language to IR spectrum self contained guided missle platforms. Night time no one screws with that which they can't see.

MAY 2010

2010-05-05T17:10:00.001-07:00

Final resting place for George Yoshimura....born 06 June 1930.

The ceremony minister was Matsubiashi-san....who has known George (and the Yoshimura family) for many many years. He said he remembers Colleen and Glenn as newborn infants, as if it were yesterday.

George' final rest spot is in Palos Verdes, CA...a West L.A. coastal community overlooking the Pacific ocean.

We will miss you George....and we will see you soon.

MARCH 2010

2010-03-14T09:21:00.001-07:00

GOIN' HOME.....

On a sad note...George Yoshimura passed away Saturday 13 March 2010 at 0430am.

George taught us that the simple little things in life mean more than all else when shared with family. George loved his wife, was proud of his boy, and absolutely adored his little Cinderella girl.

God speed George...we will miss you...and we will see you soon.

The following are some pictures of the family gathering post funeral in Los Angeles, CA.

FEB 2010

2010-02-23T11:24:00.001-08:00

(*CLICK ANY PICTURE TO ENLARGE)

Mike, Sue and Malcolm visited Los Angeles this month...

....so we hit the Getty museum...

(hey...who's that peeking over the wall?)

we also hit Disneyland....

"Star Tours" ride

Fantasyland (area within Disneyland)

I don't recall a Disney character with baggy shorts that dances like a ballerina?

the face sais it all....

Main Street Disneyland.

we also rented bicycles and checked out Venice Beach.

Santa Monica pier.

"I'm in command here...and I say we eat cotton candy"

Santa Monica pier amusement park.

Colleen in cruise mode.

Malcolm "helping" Mike go faster......maybe not. (poor Mike)

Venice Beach bike path.

Venice Beach skateboard park.

We also hit the 3rd street Promenade for dinner...Little Tokyo....Alvera street....and I got

an opportunity to ride with Mike along the beach to Manhattan Beach early morning.

All in all good weather and we hope Malcolm enjoyed the fun.

JAN 2010

2010-02-23T11:16:00.000-08:00

HAPPY 2010!....Colleen's mom cooked up a great new year feast. (oishi!)

Brian, Colleen, and I went to La Brea tar pits museum in Los Angeles CA.

Nice day...and pretty cool exhibits.

methane/oil deposits produce continuous bubbling in the ponds.

all in all a good exhibit.

DEC 09

2009-12-16T12:32:00.000-08:00

Kyoko and auntie Michiko at Christmas party

Kyoko

Colleen's co-workers took a few moments out of their hectic work day to celebrate the 2009 Holiday season.

Kyoko needed a break from the "24/7 George Day Care Facility" (aka home)...so we spent Saturday at her favorite Casino...Chumash in Solvang CA. (just North of Santa Barbra on the coast).

I brought my bicycle and explored the surrounding area...beautiful scenery.

A biker's heaven... (* click to enlarge)

Parents visited for two weeks....Kyoko, mom and dad at the Yoshimura home.

George is really slowing down a lot due to Alzheimer's...but his long term memory of childhood is still very much in tact (remarkably) and he has a great appetite so he's doin' o.k thus far.

parents at our house.

Colleen made this quilt for her long time friend Michele. (***click on picture to enlarge)

Dinner with parents and colleen's friends Michele and Carol........Colleen cooked tempura which turned out really well.

NOV 09

2009-11-29T17:21:00.001-08:00

Post thanks giving fun at Six Flags Magic Mountain (California) with Catholic Big Brother "little brother" Brian.

Pinnacle of "X2"...an upside down, backwards, way too fast crazy roller coaster ride.

Superman ride...zero to 80 mph in 3 seconds then straight up...very cool.

Park entrance

Tatsu free flight roller coaster....you basically fly in a prone position through this ride...also very cool.

OCT 09

2009-10-10T14:33:00.000-07:00

I took my Catholic Big Brother Volunteer program "Little Brother" (Brian) to the military base I was assigned to here in Los Angeles. It was my last assignment prior to retiring JAN 08. There was a display of aircraft, classic cars, and motorcycles...so we decided to check it out.

AH-1 Cobra

UH-60 Black Hawk

HH-65 Dauphine/Dolphin

C-17 Lifter

1931 Ford

Jesse James Hershey Chocolate bike

B-25 bomber

Brian with P-51 Mustang

AH-1 Cobra

Auntie Michiko + Colleen + Kyoko

Colleen and her mom (and typical multi-course Japanese meal).

Additionally,

Brian and I went to the March Air Force Base Aviation Museum....here are some pictures:

C 141 STAR LIFTER

B 52

SR 71 BLACK BIRD (2200 MPH)

F 15 EAGLE

B 29 STRATO FORTRESS

AH-1 Cobra

SEP 09

2009-09-11T01:34:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles doesn't have a football team...

so 70,000 people fill the void via UCLA football at the rosebowl (always sold out)....this week we played Kansas state.

The Catholic Big Brother organization enabled this trip...so me my assigned "little brother" decided to go root on the Bruins....(they won!)

Brian with "Bruin Burger" firmly crammed into his cake hole.

Tokyo to Los Angeles...over the Northern Pacific (near Aleutian islands bordering Russian airspace)...we passed a Korean Air 777-200 enroute to Los Angeles as well.
Calico ghost town (near Barstow California) train ride.

Calico was a silver mining town from 1820 through 1967...when it was bought by the Knott family (same family that founded the Knott's berry farm amusement part in California) and turned into a visitor attraction. The town was a near waste land when purchased...and had fluctuated greatly during its lifespan....having been burned down and rebuilt three times.

Colleen tried to intercept the Wells Fargo stage coach and got busted....

yarn spinner circa 1837

"...the new Sheriff in town is...................................a small Japanese girl?"

Suprising amount of visitors...even on a Thursday...and well AFTER labor day. We ran into Brazilians, Japanese, Russian, and French groups...and 10 to 12 buses at any given time.

Miss. Lucy Lane was the last living citizen of Calico...until she finally passed on during WWII.

Calico fire engine

We thought the entire visit would be lame...but the train ride, mine tour, asthetics, and over all presentation was actually quite good.

Hot day...100 degrees Farenheit...

L.A. County Fair doggies....

Colleen...milkin' it

T-Rex display at one of the County Fair venues....

oh my...quite tall!

All the displays moved and had audio as well...it was really cool from a child's perspective I'm sure.

early 1800's display

miniature town train model....my favorite part of the County Fair...has tons of really cool highly detailed places and people to review.

baseball game and moving pedestrians and cars within the miniature train model.

The entire (town) train model display approximated 80 meters (240') x 30 meters (90')...and would take a person a few hours just to review all the details worked into it.

Budweiser Clydesdales.........................huge.

AUG 09

2009-08-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

Hit Disney Land this weekend...with Michelle, Cynthia, Cynthia's brother (Lance...and his wife and two children Kyle and Kelly), as well as two Japanese exchange students known as "I" and "A" (abreviated of course). As usual tons of fun and laughs...

This is the "Small World" castle...a historical icon of Walt Disney' vision of world peace.

At the top and bottom of each hour...the castle comes alive with a precession of figurines that march in a musical display....think coo coo clock on steroids.
Inside the "Small World" castle is a display of each region and country in the world...this is Japan.

Here is Cynthia and "A" doin' the twist during the day parade.

Part of the day parade down Main street.

This is Main street...a late 1880's early 1900's depiction of anytown USA.

Cynthia in the submarine ride.

Toy Story character Buzz Lightyear....

Pirates of the Carribean character played by Johnny Depp....not the real Depp of course...

The wax figures move, talk, and the ride takes you through a journey that is quite cool...

Michelle and Colleen on the "Indiana Jones Adventure" ride....that was cool too.

Two visiting students sponsored by Cyntia..."A" and "I."

Colleen on Main street.

Dave with Marti's mom....

bike club assembles at dawn....some b.s. for :15 minutes then "game on!"

L.A. sunrise...

Dave and Marti came to L.A. for a visit...enroute to Marti's family' home in La Puente.

Dave with (now completed) Darhuma-san doll.

Colleen made her own pair of jeans...just thought it up and did it.

JULY 09

2009-07-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

13 years of firing this thing I finally made good on my promise to own one after retiring from military obligations. Before anyone gets offended or surprised...please note this is more a memoir or trophy than a weapon. I have also fired tens of thousands of rounds with these things (some in anger). I can field strip it in seconds...minus light...I know it like the back of my hand.

I do not support a world full of weapons.

I do know two things for sure:

(1)as long as there are two or more people on this earth, bad people and wars will always occur ...and no matter how much educated folks postulate, debate, and theorize about peace via legislation...reality is meanwhile jackin' cars, invading homes, robbing pedestrians, and waging wars.

(2)I can count on ADT and LAPD to a degree... but it's that 20 minute wait until they arrive that I am responsible to cover. Now I can.

...'nuf said...all I can say is academians and liberal types vehimently argue this issue...right up until they are staring down the business end of a weapon held by a drug addict who wants nothing but your money or your stuff (to pawn). Yes...the dude is harmless probably...but I am not willing to leave it up to him. You can if you want to...not me.

Way on the other end of the spectrum of subjects...is this cool "dog" shirt that Colleen just made for me.

She knows I love dogs....all sizes and breeds...so out came the material and viola! Instant shirt.

Fits nice...I plan to where it out to dinner.

This is the "guitar" shirt I also got from Colleen.

...it fits great and I get to break it in at her mom's birthday dinner tomorrow night. Hopefully Jimmy Buffet is not there...he might want it.

Colleen and Kody painted the left eye of the Daruma doll....known in Japan as "okiagari koboshi" (tumbler doll) which depicts the Bodhidarhma (father of buddhism who lived in the fifth or sixth century AD) in the seated meditation position. The belief is that you paint one eye (right one) at the start of an event....and paint the remaining eye (left one) when the intended outcome occurs. The right one was painted the day Dave told us he left Hewlit Packard (HP) and was seeking another job. We prayed he would achieve his goal quickly. The left one completed the day Dave told us he achieved his goal. I guess it worked in this case.

Go karts and baseball games is the theme this month with "little brother" Brian.

Brian proceeded to kick my ass on all of the four tracks...with little effort at all. Damn kids today...no respect I tell ya' !

I should have seen it comin' when he mumbled somethin' about "cans" and "woop ass."

Dodger game was boring...as usual....but a little drama when a previous Dodger came back to Dodger Stadium...on the visiting team...and proceeded to kill one out of the park. Talk about "in your face" and embarassing silence.

Thank god we live very close to the ocean because most houses around here do not have Air Conditioning....while inland homes do. Not bad temps this July thus far...

JUNE 09

2009-06-16T12:09:00.000-07:00

Kyoko needed a break from the 24/7 assisted living job she inherited when George' health degraded to the point where he requires close monitoring. Soooo...we took off North bound to a Danish village called "Solvang"...which is near Santa Barbra California. We ate at a landmark place called "Anderson's Pea Soup"...which has a pretty cool 1950's aura. Great food.

Kyoko couldn't resist the silly shot...

Speaking of silly...here's a silly lad who is so used to city life...that any open pasture shot is "remarkable" in his mind. Sad really.

I did a great bike ride from Solvang into (and through) the Santa Ynez valley....very cool rolling hills and open spaces with barely any signs of life at all.... a nice change of pace from Los Angeles.

I couldn't help but think of the "Dances With Wolves" theme music as I was riding along...

Colleen and I never get time alone...she works many many hours each day and barely has time to uphold her true love and hobby...crafts, sewing, quilting, knitting, beading, and apparel projects. So, we capitalized on the opportunity to take some time to go do nothing....for a bit....in Las Vegas.

We were really suprised to see how packed it was on a Sunday late late night hour....when most people are already gone to be in place for work Monday morning. It was quite crowded. Live bands, people dancing, and quite lively. With the economy being as it is right now, I was not expecting that much activity.

This area is called the "Fremont Experience"....and it displays a high overhead archway (like a tunnel of lights) light and video display each hour with a specific theme music. This month was 1960's hippie month due to the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. Pretty fun all in all.

Our neighbors, Manny and Kimiko, invited us over for a BBQ dinner...and in true Japanese style, laid out a spread that took many many days following to finish.

This sunrise (05:00am local time) during take off and climb out from Singapore to Bangkok Thailand. Typical hot humid climates cause thunderstorms all day and all night....but it is beautiful though.

MAY 09

2009-05-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

Colleen, Carolyn Pratt (Colleen's friend from work), and I went to a quilt exhibit in Northridge CA. It was very well set up and presented we thought...and Colleen was able to muster up some inspiration, such that, upon arrival home, she immediately tore into two projects...a large blanket quilt, and a quilt hand bag too.

I liked the colors in this quilt...as did I many of the quilts. We had a great time.

Took my "little brother" (Catholic Big Brother volunteer program) Brian to a Dodgers baseball game...great seats behind plate.
post game just prior to fireworks display.

APRIL 2009

2009-04-07T00:46:00.000-07:00

I was able to get my "little brother" Brian a guided tour of the 747 at LAX...he asked lots of questions so I assumed he was interested. The goal is to provide guidance on a career track or career field. The next step is to hopefully get him actively involved in Civil Air Patrol Cadet programs....a fantastic lead in track for military Academies and or military Aviator tracks.

Brian in front of engine #2 (of 4).

Colleen's childhood friend Rochele's family...husband David, kids Vincent and Olivia.

Colleen with her life long childhood friend Rochele....they live in La Jolla California...near San Diego CA. The kids are named Olivia and Vincent ages eight and eleven respectively.

Daniel, Sharon, and Colleen with newborn David...at their home in Chula Vista CA. (near San Diego).

Colleen holding "David"....a newborn which arrived recently to my good friend Daniel Ramirez..whom I have known for some years now via the military.

If you were to stand with your hands and legs extended fully...you would barely be able to fill the diameter of this engine inlet...just to give you some perspective on size.

This is a Russian freight aircraft called the Antonov...which I spotted while doing a brief stop over in Moscow.

Tokyo Japan to Chicago IL...North Pacific sunrise at 40,000 feet, Boeing 747-400

the roses are in a bloom cycle again lately...we are fortunate to have them cycling all year round

This is Singapore, near Clarke area....suprisingly organized city for a South East Asia metropolis.

Crew hotel is really nice...a 30 story brand new work of art.

The bowling shoe looking thing is a huge convention center. Wierd in a cool kind of way.

Singapore sky line...much bigger than most people think. Colleen and I went to the Puyallup Washington craft fair...which was supposed to be the nation's biggest craft fair, but all in all the logistical support was not great.

Puyallup Washington....ummmm, yeah not so busy.....just waiting for Opey and Auntie M to round the corner.

Soon after the picture Colleen was haulin' through the doors to the fairplex....but her expectations were a bit higher than the actual experience I'm afraid. Not terrible...but not great either.

MARCH 2009

2009-03-07T21:11:00.000-08:00

Got a chance to visit Mike, Sue, and Malcolm. This is the new house they just had built in Seattle. It's very well done. Malcolm is getting so big so fast. Visiting them made me realize how lucky some people are to have immediate family living close by. That is not the case for us, so we visit when we can. Along those lines there is the possibility of a formal gathering end of Summer in celebration of Mom and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary.

FEB 2009

2009-02-23T10:11:00.000-08:00

The highlight of February is, by far, my big brother Dave coming to visit us in California. Above picture is the environment he rode through to get here....I don't know how he does it.

After long hard hours of riding I couldn't let him sit down without first fulfilling the corney camera rituals.
Dave is headed out to Tucson to see cousin Linda, and her family....then onto Texas to see two aunts and two cousins as well. Busy.

You know how we all become accustomed to anything over time. This is a typical scene at 40,000 feet....above the troposphere, about midlevel tropopause, and just below the stratosphere...you can see the curvature of the earth and the beautiful transition from atmospheric blue to space black.

This video shows the same perspective of the Earth and various atmospheric levels...and some 747-400 shots too...

JANUARY 2009

2009-01-07T12:01:00.001-08:00

Colleen's mom received her long awaited Japanese kimono quilt. It takes a long long time to hand craft a quilt of this size. She was thrilled to receive a traditional Japanese hand made gift from her own daughter. Both Colleen and her mom just gravitated toward such craft skills....neither having formal training. At age 6 Colleen just decided she would start sewing...and proceded to sew doll dresses with no prompting or influence. It's in their blood I guess.

A few new designs were added which made it different from the other quilts.

each panel is different, and has it's own pattern/color theme.

It covers a queen bed...just to give some perspective.

on a completely different note....this is just a thought...click to blow up the above graph...you will see how inherently smart the "market" is regarding recessions. We are now right back to where we "should" be with regard to real estate intrinsic values. Law of homeostasis is verified here I think. Just let the market be the market in my opinion...bailouts are simply band aids and don't fix the cause of the problems. Just a thought is all.

...."We now return you to your regularly scheduled broadcast...this is only a test."

Long Beach aquarium trip ...this is Sid the seal.

shark tank

here's Brian...he's 14 and lives close by. I was fortunate enough to be paired with Brian through the Catholic Big Brother Volunteer program.
Brian scaring himself after getting up enough nerve to touch the stingray.

Long Beach marina...if you click on the picture (blow it up to full size) you can see the Queen Mary in the back ground.

coral tank....again, click to blow it up and see the colors...amazing.

DECEMBER 2008

2008-12-02T10:31:00.001-08:00

Colleen's latest project...a nine panel quilt illustrating Japanese kimonos. Take a look.... just click on any picture to get a full screen view.

all the panels are different...each one having it's own pattern and color scheme.

Note the farther away you view it...the more apparent the differences in each panel.

Colleen's aunts are receiving the only two quilts Colleen made...I kind of wish we could have kept one. Oh well.

The "Tokyo Traveling Trio" hit Los Angels this month. We decided to take them to a Lakers Basketball game because Sudo-san (far right) is an avid, trophied, and proficient guard in Japan.

Can't go to an NBA game on an empty stomach though...so we first hit California Pizza kitchen. The last thing they wanted was Japanese food....so I figured this was as far from Japanese as one can get.

Post game leaving Staple Center in down town L.A.

This is Yuda-san...he has travelled all over the world to date...and he sais the last time he saw an NBA game he was in the nose bleeds...and couldn't even see the players...so he was relieved to be sitting about 18 meters from the court this time.

I hope the trio enjoyed Los Angeles....they returned to Tokyo at least with some good memories...Disneyland, California food, NBA basketball game, and some new friends.

with ZERO prior practice and or experience...Colleen woke up and decided..."I'm going to make my own pants today." .....she wasn't kidding....in just a few hours....viola!...pants....and perfect lines too.

I know nothing about sewing...but, in watching Colleen construct this project....it did NOT look easy.

The end result was a perfect, tailor made, custom fit pair of work pants. Colleen is small...so it's very difficult to find her sizes in retail stores. She got fed up and did something about it.

NOVEMBER 2008

2008-11-10T14:11:00.000-08:00

...meanwhile, in Portland Oregon....our trusy super hero "Malcolm Man" is faithfully guarding truth, justice, and the very silly way.

From left to right are Sue, Mike, and Dave.

Dave and Mike...making sure the Turkey doesn't "try anything funny."

Sue and Malcolm...who is getting so big, so fast. We are hoping Mike, Sue and Malcolm can make it to Los Angeles at some point...because there are so many things we want to show Malcolm before he slips into "young man" phase.

There he is....my big brother Dave....showing that bird who's boss. Get em bro!

It's too bad the Murray family is scattered so far apart.

Thanks Giving 2008......here in Los Angeles. A bit different from Portland/Seattle....70 degrees and sunny...as usual. Not exactly most people's "Fall" weather.....so I capitalized and did a long bike training ride with a Pilot friend of mine. "Burn it...earn it....then eat it." Pictured from left to right is George, Kyoko, and Glenn. It's rare to get everyone together at one time....and Colleen came through with a kick ass meal. While so many people world wide have nothing...I truly felt blessed this year.

Colleen with Michelle... a long time friend of many years. Michelle is close to adding an MBA to her accomplishment list....and she is proof that there are truly exceptional people out there...who never complain and never wallow in self pity (or blame everyone else for that matter). If we could just clone Michelle....the U.S. would be a much better place to live.

Colleen attended a three day class in San Pedro California. She said it was a great learning experience and she learned a lot of new craft and sewing techniques she will be able to use in her future projects. Pictured are some of her fellow classmates during a brief lunch break on day two.

The perfect buying storm...I had to pull the trigger on a few properties I have been watching for a long time. The buy prices have declined to that which is actually less than the build costs...so I jumped in. This is the Houston Town home...three bedroom two bath two level 1500 square feet. The complex is brand new (July 2008) and it is only 2 miles from down town Houston.

Living room of the town home. I also bought a two bedroom two bath single level condo. The complex has a waiting list because mortgages are out of reach for many more people now (due to the economy and new lending standards)....no one has $40,000 cash for down payments these days... and this developer incorporates a "rent to own" clause if they choose....bypassing the cash down requirement, thus opening the door to ownership for many who would not otherwise be able to own at all. I used my IRA through a self directed custodian to buy both units all cash...no loans. Cash rents are guaranteed by the developer (who has been operating for 25 years under the same name and has not ever missed a payment to 3100 investors...totalling 77 condo coversion projects...and is BBB listed all 25 years)....no management, vacancy, marketing, legal exposure, maintenance, or tenant interaction worries.

Three total units....two in Houston and one in Phoenix. I had also looked at a San Diego unit but the HOA financials failed inspection (they claimed they were solvent but I had a CPA go through their statements and found them to be just the opposite)...."caveat emptor."

The Houston complex is right in the center of the downtown urban high density zone...surrounded by New York Stock Exchange listed retailers, and the demographic is driven by a wide variety of industries, including petroleum, health care, insurance, and finance. Two bedroom two bath condo in Houston. My long time friend (from active military years), told me about the developer's condo conversion plan in 2006....and I have been following it ever since. Recently the prices for both units got so low I couldn't pass them up.

This the Phoenix Arizona complex...a golf course community two bedroom two bath condo coversion project (just like the Houston community). All three units (Houston and Phoenix) are brand new...purchased all cash...and I plan to hold them indefinitely as a source of cash income during retirement. More or less a passive, long term, hands off, back ground assets.

This complex is also brand new (converted March 2008)...and I visited it frequently while in college in Arizona. After I learned it went "condo" I started tracking it. I loved it when it was apartments, and I know the area well.....right near down town, adjacent 18 hole golf course, major NYSE listed retailers next door, high ranking school district (family renters - owners), close to Scottsdale boundary, diversified employer demograhic, expanding population, high density area, mass transit..etc etc.

Colleen with Trixie....who strangely enough wraps her paws around Colleens' hands when carried...not sure if that's affection, fear of falling, or a combinatio thereof. Trixie is doing much better. As you already know from previous posts, Trixie comes from many years of abuse, dire conditions in a puppy mill, and mistreatment. [She] has improved dramatically to date, and is slowly showing more and more affection over time...as her trust in us develops.

Kody is now the "veteran" and "original rat pack" mutt. He is starting to show his old age now, and we notice he is slowing down on many levels.

Now you see when we call him "Joker" some times....it looks like he's either high on laughing gas or mocking you.

OCTOBER 2008

2008-10-07T17:26:00.001-07:00

Uncle Shun passed away, so many Maatsuura and Yoshimura relatives came together recently, to bid Shun farewell. George and his sister, Haru (first row, 2nd and 3rd from the right respectively) were glad to see each other after many years of not seeing each other. We will miss uncle Shun very much...he was a special man with a big heart and loving soul.
Trixie the squirrel hunter, thinking "I've got it cornered now!" Maybe no.
Two days later...still thinking she's "winning" this battle.
Garrett (center) is Colleen's friends' son...who just turned 10 years old...and had his party at a restaurant on the beach in Redondo Beach, California.

SEP 08

2008-09-14T15:22:00.000-07:00

747 Captain Paul Grimes lives a few miles from us (in Palos Verdes...real nice area right on the ocean with tall bluffs and lots of people lookin' just like Thurston Howell III) and invited us to join up on a BBQ get together. [He] is a great cook and terrific host.
One of three little ones who provided tons of comic relief. This is a 6 month daughter of one of Paul's wife's friend....who is trying to figure out "why is everyone lookin' at me!?"
Colleen and one of several guests just shootin' it.
This is Paul's twin girls...both four and born only a few minutes apart. Very very funny girls....who spent the first :30 minutes sizing us up...thence by the end of the night they were hanging all over us and riding us like a rented mules.
...enter the rented mules.

We may be older, but we know who's in command for the moment....too cool they were.

AUGUST 2008

2008-08-22T13:53:00.000-07:00

Bangkok...near Suvarnabhumi...typical eating choices include crazy loud dirty street vendors....or crazy loud dirty ally vendors.
Just outside the hotel in Amsterdam...very nice...just look both ways when near the bike lanes.
Leaving Amsterdam headed to Tokyo Japan...easier to see the city layout.

Shibuya Japan (near Shiodome)...world's busiest street intersection.
Singapore...near Clark. Great river restaurants and vendors...very new city...lots of new buildings going up.
Utapau Thailand (South of Bangkok)...lots of sharks..but excellent diving.
Bangkok near the hotel...another quiet, clean, and docile eating adventure. ;-)
Thai food doesn't use 1/10th the rice content of neighboring Asain countries for some reason. This is a typical main entree....a leaf, and a bucket full of meats.

Shibuya again...from Nike store at Miyazaki mall 2nd floor. Pretty sick. Trains are even more densely compacted with people.
Meiji shrine, Tokyo.
Aunti Michiko came over to show us a video about Okinawa.
Intermission ice cream break....mmmmmm
George sais "where's the other dog?".....(reply from Kyoko-san): "we don't have another dog!" Oh boy...this could get silly.

JULY 2008

2008-07-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

This is Colleen's friend Jacqueline Hurwitz...who lives in Hancock Park...a former coworker from Colleen's previous company.
Trixie is quickly assimilating into the new home. She is less shy, less inhibited, more communicative, and her health is now much much better. She came from a very poor environment prior to being rescued. We love her so.
Kody is also very cooperative in allowing Trixie full reign of the entire household...free to do whatever she wants with no jealous or possessive repercussions from Kody. Kody is a very generous little lad and he already treats Trixie as a best buddy.
Colleen and I rarely get to do anything formal...so we were happy to attend her law firm's 100th anniversary outing at the Beverly Hills Hotel. We had a great time and I so very much enjoy spending time with Colleen...I married a great girl.

Pictured with Colleen are her co-workers and friend Carol (center) and Bonnie (right).

a few of The Beverly Hills Hotel guest list includes (or included): John F Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Frank Sinatra, Betty Davis, Sandra Day O'Conner, Charlie Chaplin, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, Steven Spielberg, etc etc.

This fits the law firms profile because their client list reads like a Dow Index company list...or a "who's who" rag: Boeing, Paramount Pictures, Intel, Ford, Marilyn Monroe, the Doors, the Beatles, MGM Grand, Walt Disney, Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Muhamad Ali, etc etc etc.

JUNE 2008

2008-06-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

FOOD: while millions are starving elsewhere in the world...we figured we would celebrate our apathy by dining at a really cool historic site known as "Magic Castle" in Hollywood CA. The theme is true to it's name...with many short duration shows throughout the evening. There were many pretty cool "wow" effects....such as an owl at the entrance which you must politely ask permission to enter...through a hidden door disguised as a library book shelf....and another owl perched at the bar which will answer questions you ask of it while nodding it's head and gesturing. The food was good, the asthetics were terrific, and the history was pretty cool too. All in all a good time. [We] had a party of twelve...pictured above is our friend "Paul" who we find particularly cool.

FURRY FAMILY MEMBER: This is "Trixie"...the newest rescue adoption dog. She was rescued from horrible conditions and she is slowly coming out of her defensive shell and opening up to her new guardians. We miss KC terribly...but we also welcome Trixie as a means to carry on and continue fostering dogs that people treat terribly. So far so good...Trixie is pretty relaxed and is accepting her new home just fine. We approximate her to be six to seven years old, which is right around Kody's age..thus they are perfectly matched.

Here's Kody....half rabbit, half dog, and 100% cooked out. He has been very very welcoming to the new addition (Trixie) and we are very suprised at how NON-possessive and or aggressive he is toward Trixie. Kody was acting very depressed after losing KC...but now he seems better having a "buddy" to hang with. So far so good.

MAY 08

2008-05-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

FAREWELL TO OUR LITTLE GIRL....K.C.

K.C. finally decided it was time to go. We are very very sad, yet at the same time happy she is no longer suffering. She had difficulty with even remedial tasks due to the congestive heart failure symptoms (heart blows up like a balloon, wind pipe becomes obstructed due to enlarged heart, gagging for air-weezing, lungs fill with fluid, etc etc) caused by a failed ventrical valve in her left atrium chamber. [She] also had infectious bowel disease, and liver disease.

We miss her so very much. The house will never be the same without her. Her life long friend Kody, misses her the most I think. I know we all go down the same road eventually, it's just hard seeing all the reminders and missing her wagging tail, loving ways, and unconditional love.

"we love you and miss you KC...we will see you real soon."

This is Colleen's latest project. A formal gown which she made from scratch. [She] just thought it up and executed. The plan is to wear it to a formal coming up in a few months.

It's amazing how a pile of meaningless fabrics can be transformed into a beautiful gown by sheer talent.
My biggest kick is watching Colleen work at these projects....I can be sitting right next to her speaking to her...rambling on for :20 minutes....thence finally realize [she] hasn't heard a word I just said.

That's why I call her the Mad Scientist....all I see is smoke pouring out of her ears and she is completely unaware of what's happening around her. Complete focus.

This is what happens when you have many days off and time to kill.....you start building things just for the sake of building things. This bird feeder seemed like a great idea...but the birds are really wary to feed off of "big, white, new, bird eating, monster thing" just yet.

APRIL 2008

2008-04-24T23:31:00.000-07:00

By far the highlight of April was seeing the family...after many years of not being able to get ALL the Murray boys under one roof simultaneously. I wish I could experience more of these type reunions....anyway, above is Mike and Dave's new cars...not quite "twins" but certainly similar. VW GTI series is a smokin', agile little rocket...think Mini mixed with nitro.
Colleen and Dave were enlisted by Malcolm to put together his new toy....which came in a million pieces of course. Suckers.
Who let this awnry lot in here!? The restaurant reserved by Mike ("Pair" I think it was called) was very nice...with no specific region or theme holding it back, it was a menu that you just didn't know what to expect...like you would at a place that hangs a national flag or theme over it's door. Very well done.
Malcolm is getting so big so fast....my goodness. He already carries a conversation such that you can simply "talk" to the lad...rather than reason in baby talk. He will be quite an intelligent one I think. Poor Sue (my brother Mike's wife) got nailed with a wicked virus just as a boat load of people invaded her home for a re-union. Wonderful! I felt terrible for her.
Dave and Colleen completed the toy construction phase with approval from the Willy Wonka Certified Appraiser himself...who of course wanted to know about "other" toys about two hours later.

Malcolm showing Colleen how it's done in play land. It's amazing how fast kids can readily grasp ever changing themes, controls, features, and modes...whereas adults spend half an hour just searching for a FAQ file for help.
Mumsy Murray keeping watch over the roost. "A spot of tea and stiff switch is in order to rule these guttersnipes!"
Dad with Marti....whom received the Purple Heart award for braving the Murray clan family comedy hour a few times around the dinner table. Marti is (by far) one of the coolest, well grounded, level headed, personable people you could ever meet....so we are hoping we didn't scare her off too much.
A table for ten, a family I haven't seen (collectively) for years, some cheap Chinese food, some beer, and way too much time to kill.....could be trouble man.

MAR 08

2008-03-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

Easter Bike Training run...from sea level to 5000 feet...14 miles of helatious grade. Man was that hard.
4000 foot maker....lungs were really burning (being a sea level non thinned blood type)
The prize at the top of the mountain....my friend Greg lives at the peak...never before had beer tasted sooooo good.

Taste Of Tokyo (TOT) in Downtown L.A. Sunday 16 March 2008. Left to Right are....Tim, Sandy, July, me, Colleen and Kyoko. Left side of the table are Colleen's cousins whom she hasn't seen in many years.

Kyoko at home after having cooked one of her standard nine course Japanese spreads.
Auntie Michiko....whom Kody just loves BTW....
Colleen....looking normal, but (if people only knew) fighting eye and migrain pain DAILY. The girl never complains...yet never fails to uphold her responsibilities as a manager. Most would quit given the same conditions.
George and Uncle Shun contemplating what exactly it is they are looking at. Could be tomato...could be tumble weed?
....one hour later..."it still hasn't grown!....what's wrong with this plant!?....is it nap time yet?"

Colleen was picked to model a dress while attending a designer's weekend seminar. [She] tried to pretend she didn't hear her name being called in hopes of not being picked.....to no avail. Being skinny has it's downside.
The Seminar originators....some of which are well known and achieved on the "runways" and amongst designers.
Only one of several groups at the seminar. Colleen had a "blast" and learned many techniques which separate the average from the truly exceptional.

This Rusty...the newest family edition...whom followed Kyoko home today (20 MAR 08). No collar and very under fed. Estimates are 8 months old and hasn't eaten in weeks. Looks to be part Retriever, part greyhound, part shepard...basically a mutt.

Legally we had to bring Rusty to the Animal Services shelter in order for any owner to claim him. However, I have registered my name as "First Right Redemtion" in the event no one claims him by 25 March. The Shelter scanned him for a microchip...but found none...so I estimate Rusty was abandoned......people are such idiots.

JAN - FEB 08

2008-02-28T08:44:00.000-08:00

....BORING!!!....winter sucks....although, winter here in Los Angeles means 65 degrees F (18C)...and I can still run and ride my bike in a t-shirt. You got to love THAT.

This is Enrique Sanchez...one of the many Sanchez' that founded a series of restaurants in the Southwest. The one near us is called "Casa Sanchez" (how original)....but, even with the corny factor it is simply a kick ass place to hear traditional mexican music and enjoy a high end version of Mexican food. Highly recommend it.

I have no idea what behuved me to take a picture of my beer in Tokyo. Crews normally gather at the same times and places...and this is normally the resultant. For those of you whom haven't yet tried Japanese beer....it's actually not bad at all....but that, of course, is a matter of personal taste. Consider the source...I love broccoli.

This is Sakura Restaurant in Los Angeles. It's one of those places that is always crowded yet the food and atmosphere is just average....so I can't explain why it's always crowded.

This is Kathy Carrol....U.S. Women's national Champion. She looks like Navritalova and rides like a Armstrong. This was taken at the Amgen finals....I was fortunate enough to see stage 2.
This is the California Tour stage 3....Team Discovery Tim Danielson powering past Phoniak's Floyd Landis. These people amaze me how efficiently their bodies convert glycogen and fat stores into speed. I think their freaks....but I also which my VO2 Max was half of what they have.
For our anniversary I actually listened for once. Imagine that...a male, Irish, type A that actuall listens. After reading between the lines it seemed these Mikimoto pearl earrings were the way to win the Valentines, Anniversary challenge.
This is the Mikimoto necklace. This year I want us to be able to go to some formal functions...and show them off a bit....as we rarely ever get to do anything formal at all.

Soooo....I told you winter is boring. Beer, biking, and jewelry....oh my.

DECEMBER 2007

2007-12-30T16:11:00.000-08:00

DECEMBER 2007

By far the most noteworthy event was my brother Dave's motorcycle ride from Portland Oregon, through California, down into Mexico...thence return (nearly) same route.

As of this post he reports no close calls (thank god). We (Colleen and I) were lucky enough to be on his route...thus were able to see Dave headed South, as well as North bound.
Initial part of the ride was very wet (standard North West weather) and difficult.
Once he got to San Francisco area he had terrific weather thus put on lots of miles daily.
The view during rainy conditions (not great)ahhh.... the prize at the end of the ride in Mexico
BMW 1200 boxer motor designed 80 years ago...still widely aclaimed today.
It was really nice seeing Dave. Hopefully the nice weather put the hook in him to return.

Auntie Michiko and Momma Yoshimura during the Christmas party held in Torrance.

Colleen and I flew to Portland Oregon to see Dave and do some shopping. Great city. Now I can see why the real estate values have been similar to Seattle and Beachfront Los Angeles (no declines in mean value through 2007 in several areas).
George Yoshimura at Hollywood Park race track. Poor guy is getting on in the years and it's starting to show. During our visit to see the horses he stated "Is this Las Vegas?"
George, Kyoko, and Colleen and Pechanga Indian Reservation in Temecula California.
Newly weds Chris and Helen. Chris is Auntie Yoshko's son. Helen is from Shanghai China. They are both terrific people and we hope them the very best and a happy, healthy, loving life together.
Cleat (spelled correct?) and his fiance' at the Christmas party in Torrance.

Kyoko and Ryoji...who visited us while on a business trip from Japan. We took him to the 3rd street Promenade in Santa Monica and enjoyed some drinks, laughter, and Italian cuisine. Ryoji is very special to us, as he treated us like royalty when I took all the Yoshimuras to Japan a few years ago. He is testimony (and quite typical I might add) of why I would accept a Japan assignment in a heartbeat. I love the culture, and people with a passion.
Dave's new VW. My first ride it in reminded my of the centrifuge during my initial military pilot training. Only word to describe this thing is...."God Damn!"
Dave took Colleen and I too "Salty's"....a seafood buffet brunch (from which I am still stuffed).
This is the Portland Oregon light rail ("MAX")....which conveniently encircles the city and enables many inner city dwellers to "opt out" of car ownership alltogether.

Portland Oregon Burnside Bridge weekend outdoor market (held underneath the bridge, and also spills into adjoining blocks)....tons of artesians flaunting their wares....some of which are quite ingenious I thought. The above is by an artist who constructs all his items from kitchen utensils and tools.

KC holding Colleen captive in bed. One good nightmare and she will be launched into the dresser drawer.
My running route along the beach line in Marina Del Rey
ditto.
Thanks Giving 2007. The Yoshimuras came over and we hung christmas lights and ate (way too much).
The dog ate way too much too and was unable to get off the cough without assistance. We rolled [him] to bed and he slept soundly...until the next meal at which time he acts like he hasn't eaten since Thanks Giving 2006.

Happy New Year to all....next post approximately end of January 2008.

2007-12-01T02:21:00.000-08:00

November 2007

Instead of taking meds and seeing a shrink...why don't people just use this. World's best weight manager, stress reliever, anti depressant, and overall health optimizer.

My very good friend from Chiba, Japan....Norishige, his wife Ena, daughter Risa, and son Norikiro.
Shimoji-shima island, south of Okinawa Japan.
Kody...trying to get attention by whatever means possible. Sad, really.
Colleen helps young kids to learn better reading skills. She volunteered until the student graduated...in very high standing.

Chicago, Illinois...typical grey day.
HUD at sunset.
When I first became a Captain at my previous airline, my first trip was to Vegas...that's the Luxor in the background.
'nother HUD shot.

Me and Colleen went to see Barry Manilo. We figure he is old now and we should go see him before he retires soon. Great show.
We got to sit in VIP seats and drink some champaign while "Barry" performed...not but a few feet from us at times.

KC is still kicking. She has beat Infectious Bowel Disease, Cranial Adema, Kidney tumors, heart murmers, etc etc. The latest is Mitral Valve disease...and we don't think she will be around much longer....but we will make sure she is very very comfortable, loved, and given the very best treatment available. Hopefully she will stick around for a while.

One of our favorite quaint shops in Solvang, CA.

Historical Danish town near Santa Barbara called Solvang.
Halloween Decorations
Veterans Day, Washington DC, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Wendy's Birthday party.

.....I'll post again end of December or start of January. Happy Holidays everyone!

2007-10-01T13:36:00.000-07:00

SEPTEMBER 2007

Lake Tahoe at sunset....Colleen's friend (Gale) was married atop Heavenly Mountain in Tahoe.
Bride and Groom first dance.
Nice clear day during the drive back from Tahoe...altitude of 7500 feet.
My tie required two "AA" batteries.
All of the MSK misfits were confined to one table in the intrest of safety.
Tahoe sunset from 10,000 feet.
man...that tie is blinding me...turn it off.

Colleen and Gale...just prior being arrested for drunk and disorderly.
The MSK "go girl" group...just lookin' for something to break.
Colleen and Dan...who we all know REALLY loves UCLA!
Colleen, Rebecca, and some guy who can't keep his hands out of the food.This piper was born and raised in Buffalo NY. Regardless of whether he was Scottish, Irish, or even Iranian didn't matter...he was very good.

The couples' relative delivered the vows...very well done.Bride (Gale) and Dad
Chuck and Mary atop Heavenly...very cool, very nice people.
Paul Barth and his wife.

There's that loud tie guy again....now he's bothering the bag piper!

Absolutely beautiful...and the scenery wasn't bad either.

The piper plaid for two hours straight....must be a marathoner as well.

Short stop in Carson city NV on the way to Tahoe....historic section of town boasted lots of victorian homes.

Colleen and Carolyn testing the cool temps at 10,000 feet....which was actually quite warm at 45 to 50 F (10 C), suprisingly enough.
Tram up to the wedding spot was terrific. Ascent was approximately 3000 feet.
Bonnie, Carolyn, and Colleen.
Loud tie guy again with some professional model he obviously scammed into taking a picture.

The "Y's" at the L.A. County Fair in Pomona CA.
George and I checked out the horse races at the County fair...George tried to run onto the track so I had to restrain him.

My brother Mike visited for a day whilest taking care of some business in the Burbank area. I [we] hadn't seen him for many years so it was great to see him again and hear about what is happening with his family...(wife Sue and very cool son Malcolm). Mike amazes me...the guy is scary smart, very fit, and still juggles a family and demanding position at Microsoft. Go see for yourself at http://www.planetmurray.org/

Nissei Week Parade in downtown L.A. (little Tokyo)....obon dancers.
Standard kimono's are six to nine layers...and it was really hot that day.
442nd was a truly extraordinary bunch of soldiers. I first heard about them during OCS many years ago at Fort Bragg NC....during leadership lectures. The 442nd was comprised of Japanese Americans who previously imprisoned in Internment Camps with their families (after Pearl Harbor many thousands of Japanese were imprisoned as a knee jerk reaction....not smart). So after being imprisoned...they were then asked to lay down thier lives for the same country that held thier families hostage at the same time. They not only answered the call, but they were the only combat group to free the "Texans" (4th ID) who were surrounded by Germans for months unable to be freed by any other previous attempt. The 442nd lost 80% of their members in the process of "freeing" the pinned down "Texans." To this day, the 442nd story is taught to all new Officers in the Army...as an example of Selfless Service...and a beacon of commitment to this great nation. I salute them every time I see them.

Colleen, and her mom and dad awaiting the start of the parade.

Obon dancers.

Each temple in Japan sponsors one day each year when all the members carry an adorned icon for many miles to show commitment to community and the faith.

Okinawa dancers have a distinct type of dress and musical theme.

This is Huel Howser... a TV show host for a travel program that Colleen met years ago.

Final float in the parade...very big and lots of lights.

Finally...Colleen with KC and Kody. Without them I am nothing.

August 2007

2007-08-19T00:14:00.000-07:00

Last Army Aviation Sortie flown in April...I will miss my band of brothers.
Fort Irwin quick rope load up...
40 mpg....I had to get one
Enroute from Tokyo to Amsterdam over Siberia Russia....."hi Fedex...Memphis is that-a-way"

We've all had "those days" before.....not even a 7.5 would wake us up.
.....immediately after waking up. I wonder what [that] means?
Whacky Races.....man I loved that show. Not sure why I thought of it just now.
Last Army sortie, April 07...Joint Task Force (JTF) formation flight with Marine CH-53's.
I've been riding desk so long I can't even keep my interval.

Mom and Dad visit....museum - restaurant combination. Great food.

Major Tim Lawendowski in Fallujah Iraq two days prior to his death. Seen here building a swing set for the neighborhood kids (typical selfless conduct for Tim). Tim was extended three times via the stoploss program...and was only two weeks prior to departing for home. Tim and I went through Aviator school, Air Assault school, SERE school, Ranger basic tactics school, Night Vision Goggle Advanced school, and Platoon Leader Development Phase II together. I will miss Tim dearly.

To date the 160th SOAR has lost 12% of it's active members.

....on a lighter note...the civilian office. Great view and goes fast.

The Yoshimura's.
Both sets of 'rents.....Kyoko stole someone's bowling shirt, George doesn't remember if he took his meds today or not, mom is sporting the Ray Charles look, and dad is figuring out how the home HVAC system functions.
Mom and dad at the LA Dodgers baseball game....playing the METS!....guess who they rooted for?

New Mexico...supposed to be house hunting....but the ancient petroglyphs distracted us....
...as did the gondella tram up to the mountain top for dinner....at 11,500 feet.

Next post approximately end of September.....cheers!

JULY 2007

2007-07-10T01:05:00.000-07:00

Kody and KC. Kody (male) is about 8 years old. KC (female) is about 11 to 13 years old. Being abused, abondoned, and given up, we can only approximate their age. Both are terrific in their own way. Shown is the standard "food" or "walk" anticipation look.

I always knew Kody was a bit strange. He is a closet cross dresser.

Both of our dogs are rescue dogs. Both abused and given up to the pound to be put down. Pictured is Kody....a mentally handicapped dog that is untrainable, very difficult, and dumb as a bag of rocks, but very kind and loyal.

This is KC when she was sick a while back. Cancer, Inflamatory Bowel Disease, hair falling out....a real mess. A doctor suggested we put KC down but (thank God) Colleen took command, grabbed KC, took her home, ceased the six tier medication cocktail outright, fed her unadulterated pure food, flooded her with TLC, and made sure KC felt loved. Result: complete turn around in KC. Two months later she was completely void of all symptoms, regained all energy, and is now (today) bouncing around like a one year old pup. Theory: The doctors were killing her with way too many meds....and they never stopped to consider combined effects, nor natural approaches to treat the PROBLEM rather than the SYMPTOM.