Weather Storms Pass, Other Types Fester and Grow

The last many weeks in Northern California have been all about rains and fronts cycling in off the Pacific.

Santa Cruz has taken beatings from high winds, heavy rain and waves rolling branches and tree trunks up to and over roads, while Yosemite closed to clear fifteen-foot snow drifts from around cabins and Tahoe saw homes squirreled away down narrow, snow-walled lanes looming over vehicles making nervous exits and entries.

Yet the coast saw mostly heavy intermittent rainstorms, providing just occasional clear days with momentary peeks of sunshine quickly followed by more rain fronts repeatedly topping-up and overspilling Lexington reservoir as local standing ground recesses and holding pools all filled to their rims.

People mostly stayed indoors hereabouts, outdoor activity dwindled and when rain briefly held off a few wandered out for quick walks, bike rides and runs before winds rose again and rainfall returned. But a few still ventured out in all climes and wildlife soldiered on…

In early February, the Great Blue Herons began their mating season as usual, typically some dozen or so gathering on the two highest northside rooves above and east of the bridge crossing Santa Cruz Harbor with its winding inlet-channel filled by docked sail and motorboats. They arrive and stand for hours each day for about a week, like sentries spaced and motionless, acting their parts in some mysterious rite before the nesting part of the breeding season properly begins.

After this portion of the ritual, they fly in and out of the long, eighty-foot-high stand of Eucalyptus just a few hundred yards away directly across on the South side of the harbor inlet. And the colony of nests is repaired and built anew as a few occasional fervent photographers arrive lugging then setting up viewing cameras sporting two and three-foot long lenses to capture the nesting proceedings.

A mile away the sealions on the Santa Cruz Boardwalk Pier go about their business somewhat independent of the storms. I visit them most nights, parking towards the furthest reach of the structure, next to the welcoming, well-lit Dolphin restaurant sporting half-dozen flagpoles with their wind-ripped triangular flags, thrashing in the troubled air.

I park facing West across the half-mile to Steamers surfing point, always arriving before sunset and recently listening to more Peter May audiobooks featuring Enzo MacLeod. There are usually a few surfers enjoying the bigger breaking waves and you can watch their antics through binoculars or with just the naked eye.

And there below, are always the Sealions. As the light dwindles this time of year the waves and swells remain well below the pier cross-members on which the seals rest for endless hours following their return in herds from feeding trips further out in Monterey Bay. Eventually the waters rise enough for them to leap aboard the beams, but often hours pass with rafts and groups of them playing or drifting around, entertaining any visitors who are out-and-about, braving the weather.

There are always a few people milling around watching, leaning over the rails, talking excitedly, pointing to and photographing the antics in the heaving waters below. Young or old, their expressions are priceless. The shenanigans of the sealions usually seem new to them, so they are likely not locals, but off-season visitors, making the most of smallest respites in the storms.

Recently, there was a small boy, pulling towards the rail as his mother tried to better fix and close his heavy jacket for the weather as he called and tugged, “foocas, foocas” (phonetic Spanish for Seals). Everyone loves the Sealions with their endless calls and tumbling antics. 😊

And with this entertainment comes the gulls, wheeling and circling in groups of many tens, even through the strongest winds. Many times, they hang motionless, just feet from the windshield of the SUV, balanced and held perfectly on heavy blows, their heads casually searching about, seeking the next tidbit or feeding opportunity.

When the winds ease large stands of seagulls arrange themselves on the tarmac footing of the Pier, facing in alignment towards any blow remaining, while others sit or stand like statues atop the few vehicles parked about, braving and enjoying the season. As cars move off the attached birds reluctantly raise their wings and lift off into the breeze; some wait longer, appearing like vehicle ornaments.

And with all this, every night brings a spectacular sunset directly ahead into my chosen Westly view; each time is so very surprisingly different.

During rainstorms, the setting light pushes up into the heavy clouds, still providing an impressive show. When it is less stormy or momentarily clear the colors keep rising for a long and colorful 40+ minutes past sundown. Every night offers a unique setting with constantly changing scenes and colors ranging from the blue-black of a stormy, clouded evening to the delicate pastel blues, pinks, yellows and tangerine hues of momentary clearer skies gently brushed with thin and morphing clouds.

From the warmth of my SUV, each and every setting is both peaceful and magical. 😊

Valentines’ Day storms still offered the opportunity to head down to Phil’s (Fish Market) new restaurant location in Castroville High Street, just a few miles South of his previous long-time setting within the Moss Landing Harbor. And it was well worth the trip. The Siete De Mares and Cioppino dishes were washed down by excellent value red wine and followed by a double rainbow sighting immediately upon leaving…

As we headed back the rains and skies suddenly cleared to more fully display two complete and perfect half-circle rainbows that slowed the light traffic to gaze and rewarded us and many others who stopped for the rare photo-op.

To round off the day we stopped at Gayle’s in Capitola Village to be spoiled with their usual offerings of desert, all supported this day with the surprise of a live in-house jazz quartet gently entertaining local customers who either sat about in a relaxed leisurely manner or just occasionally, rose to dance.

The weather hereabouts has been fierce, relative to the norm. A couple of weeks back I ventured up to The (Silicon) Valley, over the hill to attend some appointments in Los Gatos. There were downed road-signs, seemingly numerous Power, traffic light and internet outages with wooden fences knocked-over, branches, even full trees spilled onto streets and cloth screens on temporary fencing loose and thrashing in the winds.

Highway 17 over the Santa Cruz mountains catches heavy rains as the many fronts push through and so it is a constant source of stoppages. The mudslides and falling trees are now less frequent than previous years, but the rains flowing across the winding road cause countless car spinouts and accidents with resulting traffic back-ups occurring many times each day.

In later March, the coastal Highway 1 near Watsonville towards Monterey was closed for around a week after massive mudslides ensued when a levee broke, over-flowed and ran amok. There were countless flat acres of fruit and vegetable crops flooded and destroyed in the area.

I heard of a locally owned motor salesroom in Watsonville that was flooded to the point all vehicles in the yard were written off. My local Auto-repair guy’s home was located near that same dealership, where a distant lake and creek brought so much flooding, he was actually fishing just yards from his fortunately elevated house. His wife caught an eight-pound carp that was swimming over the black-top street; he had good pictures of it, too. 😉

In my neighborhood, Moran Lake has been filling daily and emptying with consecutive tides flowing through the five-foot culvert passing to it from the beach, running underneath the narrow two-lane road. Each high tide reaches the culvert and pushes through to the expansion area of the Lake where countless massive logs and branches now sit exposed upon every successive tidal drainage of its waters.

The lakebed detritus is too large for the culvert so much had passed over the road in the rough storms and high tides that washed across the street during the last couple of months. Protective rails and robust cables that fenced off the Lake from pedestrians walking by have all been ripped away, and the lake’s edge lies unprotected from careless passersby.

But the short (perhaps 150 yards long) storm-thrashed Moran beach remains popular. It has lost five or six feet of sand and now displays an often-pebbled surface, spotted with massive rocks, huge tree trunks and stripped branches. The large tides roll in and the waves lap, more calmly now, but just some 10yards from the crossing East Cliff road.

The search for colored Sea Glass on Moran beach has been relentless. I see locals young and old rummaging in the pebbles for such treasure day and night, often when rain is still falling, and the tides are closing in towards the street.

There was one day a week or more ago when a weather break was forecasted and arrived on schedule, bringing kindly modest seas and clearer skies. The local rowing club out of Santa Cruz Harbor took brief advantage and put out seven, eight-man canoes sporting outriggers which stole past the lighthouse, then slipped by the main Pier while running West heading out near Steamers. They then came about, pushing quickly back towards shelter before the depth of sunset and rainclouds set in.

During lighter rainy evenings on the Pier when the waves have still attracted a few dozen surfers to Steamers, I have been seeing a fairly recent activity emerge. It is the arrival of Foil Boarders. Sometimes just one, never more than three so far.

Foil Boards are a similar length to larger skateboards, but have a small, torpedo-shaped motor sporting what looks like a six-inch propeller all mounted about two feet below the board on a robust but narrow stem. The motor runs, propeller turns, and the board rises a foot or two out of the water with the rider atop.

This is not designed for rough waters or large waves at this point. The skill is in balancing on the board, which offers riders the opportunity to move about calmer areas at what appears to be 5-15 mph. I hear that these Foil Boards cost around $1,000 each.

As quickly as a weather forecast offers respite from rain, the local Santa Cruz restauranteurs around Portola and 41st open their outdoor seating and light their attractive, flaming, propane heating-towers for guests. And the customers arrive on cue, enjoying their evening out even though the next day might again bring rain and blustery winds. And the passing cars get to admire the diners reveling, albeit briefly, in their pleasantly lighted evening surrounds.

Our local businesses are eager to enter the Springtime and hopefully early Summer Season. 😉

Along those lines, the long-standing Stagnaro’s Restaurant on the Santa Cruz Pier re-opened right at the end of March. It was shuttered to Covid concerns for almost 3 years (ouch!) and the family has finally re-entered the market in time for the warmer tourist season. This is a local treasure and landmark. It is a great feeling to finally enjoy a sense of normalcy and be able to visit a familiar haunt, once more.  😊

Over the last few days, the weather forecasts have been showing no rain or storms for ten days out. Temperatures are still modest for this time of year, but warm enough and sunshine is returning.

The signs of Sailing Season are upon us as the first (initially rainy) regattas have begun and boat owners are hauling out logs and various detritus from the waters surrounding the marinas. Shredded and beaten flags and burgees are being replaced and there is activity and chatter on the docks once more.

It seems much or all severe weather is now behind us in Monterey Bay.  😊

On a personal note, I have been following the well-trodden path of many cancer recoverers. This includes the ups-and-downs of semi-annual searches for re-occurrence. My latest tests uncovered a new, different alert, so I will spend the next several weeks tracking down that concern. Such is the lot of most recoverers… sigh.  😉

Now let us consider the News and what else has transpired Locally and about the World during these last many weeks since my last Blog posting.

I have been recording my Log of the many notable (news) events as they have occurred both long before and throughout Covid. This narrative serves as a reminder, chronicle and diary of said events, as seen being prominent from my own perspective and position.

It is necessary to recognize major events. It is prudent to review what has transpired and reflect upon the significance of these events. In some way, we are all ultimately affected by what we see and hear.

Having said that, let me offer a precise-styled update for expediency and ease of consumption…

There is no delicate way to begin this review without the mention of the obvious World ramp-up to War Footing. These events are certain and in Summary the issues are:

  1. Putin has abandoned the START agreement “to protect Russians from NATO actions“ and is building new nuclear warheads at will.
  2. WWIII discussions must be rampant within the White House, but the press is invisible on the subject… just more resultant gaslighting.
  3. China is “ramping their entire Military like 1930’s Germany;” all Air, Army and Naval Forces.
  4. China’s Navy is already on par with the US (by numbers) and will massively exceed its size within a few years.
  5. China is rapidly building Nukes, moving from holding a smaller strike deterrent arsenal to having 1st strike capability.
  6. China is hoarding food that will eventually cause shortages in the US. The US Dept. of Agriculture says China will soon have 69% of World Corn reserves, 60% of its Rice and 51% of its Wheat. Control the food, control the people.
  7. China has taken the role of World Power Broker, facilitating a deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran that puts the latter back on the World stage.
  8. China is working on removing the $ as the World Reserve Currency and the Saudis have been flirting with this possibility for a decade. This move would plunge the $ to Devaluation as was seen in 1972 Britain when the GBP lost that footing.
  9. President Xi is now (believed) offering weaponry and support to Russia which facilitates his own proxy war with the US. Xi is the most powerful figure in this relationship, now demanding (of Putin) seven Eastern Siberian cities (including Vladivostok) be renamed on maps with their Chinese names.
  10. Xi has been elected to an unprecedented 3rd term. His position is unassailable and unchallenged in the CCP. He has clearly stated to the Chinese people his job is to fulfil their long-time historically defined Global destiny of world dominance.
  11. In the recent Putin/ Xi talks announcing their Alliance these leaders openly mocked the US financial decline and lack of Global dominance, while lauding the emergence of China. A new boldness is on display.
  12. Putin has announced he will be moving his own low-yield, battlefield nuclear warheads into Belarus to assist with the war in Ukraine.
  13. A recent attack upon US forces in Syria (US has <1,000 troops remaining there) killed one US contractor and injured approx. six more; the US responded with a rocket attack on the culprit Iranian forces. This Iranian-sponsored attack was the +80th such event since Biden took office. Looks like they could not hide this one from the press and continue the gaslighting.
  14. North Korea (NK) recently claimed +800K people signed up in their military, supposedly spontaneously in reaction to regional war-games being conducted by the US and South Korea. All this complements various NK ramps in missile systems testing.
  15. The latest NK defector divulged that ALL negative actions by North Korea are directly and completely controlled by the CCP.
  16. Saudi Arabia is now featuring SNL-like mocking skits featuring a senile Biden and hopeless Harris on mainstream Government TV; not good to see from a supposedly close, conservative ally. In early April, the Saudi’s announced they would be cutting oil production shortly, along with other OPEC members in “a move towards economic independence from the US.”
  17. It is clear that at least Russia, China, North Korea, and (a fully nuclear?) Iran is in global alignment (but not within any circles in which I travel. ☹ ). And the Saudi’s intentions have become far less clear.

So, what is happening on the US front given these alarming developments? The Preparations are:

  1. As of late February, the US has pledged $115B of taxpayer money going wholly unsupervised and untracked to a known-corrupt Ukrainian Government. This is for a US Proxy War with Russia.

Ammunition, weapons and MUCH of the US Strategic Oil Reserve has been heavily depleted in this process.

  • The US has increased personnel from 30 to 100-200 in Taiwan in preparation for Chinese aggression and in response to reported Invasion plans.
  • The leading Admiral of the US Navy is confirming his current priorities are squarely focused on “climate and equity” (as China rapidly ramps their Navy). ☹
  • The Pentagon has just asked for $842B to “prep for War with China.” The argument from Head of Joint Chiefs and Sec. of Defense (those Generals Milley and Austin that thought the disorganized US bail-out from Afghanistan was just fine) is that this is “cheaper than fighting a War and should back China off.” Ah Ha… so brinkmanship is a plan?

What can one say? The preparation and activities look far more substantial in one camp than the other. And I have never heard much about people prepping for war and NOT going to war. Have you?

Putting these concerns aside, it is time to summarize other Spurious Events…

Who blew up the Nordstream2 pipeline? The US insists it is an unidentified, pro-Ukrainian group (still wholly invisible and unknown to Zelensky). Others are reporting US divers laid charges the preceding Summer.

There was a less plausible belief it was the UK and three Governments (including Germany and some Scandinavians) are still investigating the matter. Most widespread and firm belief: it was the US. The only certainty is that this was not the Russians.

Who Blew Up the Nord Stream Pipeline? Suspects and Theories.

Government corruption has been running rampant in recent years. It is a fact that a disorganized, conflicted populace is easier to manage as they are nicely distracted with diffused concerns about matters such as Race, School Teachings, LGBTQ issues, Religion, Politics, Policies, fleeting News Items, Rights, Laws, Drugs, Events, Social matters etc. etc. With such chaotic MSM bombardment nobody is looking behind the curtain.

The Politics of Division is what is sought on every front. It is a proven way to hold unchallenged power and rule.

Today we are left (in the US) facing another major election in 2024. Currently, the most prominent candidates are stated to be Biden/ Harris and recently indicted Trump.

Let us just say all candidates “have issues.” One side is horrible, the other side is terrible, and it does not matter which side you prefer, this is true. The characters of many prominent leaders about the Nation and World are NOT good, reliable or endearing right now. And these are elected officials.

We can live with the flawed nature of Man (or Woman), but when the preponderance of statements made by prominent people are willful, blatant lies and flagrant misrepresentations, you have a problem. If you cannot trust leaders, you stand on very rocky ground.

But the most upsetting twist is that the situation appears to be, inexplicably, culturally accepted and tolerated, there is no speedy, reliable backlash to right the wrongs. The pendulum of accountability swings too slowly to right a heavily listing ship. Such is the recourse and diminished hope we face today.

And examples of Incompetence abound…

When the new Administration arrived in 2020 Julie Su was tapped from CA to a senior role supporting one of the new government secretaries (of whatever). Julie had just lost CA State $42B in fraudulent Covid claims, basically because she saw no need to monitor where these funds for which she was responsible ended up, how they were solicited, by whom and from where.

So, this criminal negligence got Julie a promotion and new National level exposure. Well, Julie has just been promoted again and is now Secretary of Labor. Congrats, we are so proud. Sigh. 😊

Biden taps California's Julie Su to be next labor secretary

In closely related news the Government has just announced that a TOTAL $276B of Covid relief was lost to FRAUD in the US. Knowledgeable insiders say that both this and the $42B lost similarly in CA are massively understated.

Such news is not inspiring and frequent general mismanagement within some States has fueled new discussion of Secession and once again brought this subject to the forefront…

Eastern Oregonians want to join IDAHO as a State and that legislature is now listening and reviewing the possibilities. Crack, Fentanyl and Heroin have been legalized in Oregon State along with much more these Easterners dislike and do not want controlled from Portland. So, they wish to take their completely untapped, massive oil reserves and merge with Idaho.

Now the Blue leaning folks (in Portland) do not want this, though they have little-or-no voting presence in these Counties. Nevertheless, the prevailing laws of Oregon may ultimately still prevent the desired escape to Idaho.

There is a comparable situation in California; San Francisco, San Diego and LA may be bright blue politically, but ALL the lands in CA outside of these cities are overwhelmingly inhabited by Conservative voters. These folks have been wanting out for decades, demanding policies that reflect THEIR interests and concerns. I expect they will watch the progress in Oregon to their immediate North.

And now Texas has introduced a Bill that proposes Secession for the whole State. It seems the perception is that “the current (US) Government antics have gone too far.” Where will this all end?

Not unusually, there seem to be many Troubles all around the World…

Israel is in convulsions regarding Judicial reforms that further empower the Government.

France just cancelled a State visit by King Charles III due to Civil unrest. There is street rioting across the Nation as the Government tries to implement autocratic Pension reforms.

India is thrashing through leadership attacks by old-guard families (Gandhi on Modi) trying to neutralize each other’s futures and all while Global Warming alarmists scream about inevitable catastrophic, decade-ending Climate Target failures.

And there were Canadian Security leaks to (2) UK outlets which confirm China kept Trudeau in power (2021) by running Disinformation and Interference Programs in Canada. This is causing questions about the Chinese liking for Trudeau and indeed Joe (81Million Votes in 2020) Biden.

This brings us to the laundry list of reports about Biden’s Integrity which ARE getting to the Press…

There have been statements about clear records of money and paper trails to Biden’s coffers from sources in Ukraine, the CCP (both through Son, Hunter) and now Saudi Arabia (via his brother).

By mid-February there were strings of reports regarding Biden’s loose handling of Classified Materials found at multiple locations, thus sparking major National Security concerns. Some articles are confusing but some 4 or 5 (as many as 6, now?) locations have unearthed illegally and inappropriately exposed documentation.

Gun licensing (jailable) offences by son Hunter have been stymied for a few years and it is now reported the Secret Service has been actively involved in this suppression.

House oversight Chairman (R-KY) James Comer is on the record stating that the proven, Hunter Biden “laptop from hell” provided “enough evidence to indict (Hunter)… even three or four years ago.” There has been little progress from the US Attorney with no explicable reason.

Biden’s actions regarding TIKTOK and CCP access to data on >>100Million Americans has bipartisan officials quietly questioning his impartiality to Chinese needs.

Joe has spent 40% of his Presidency on vacation and he does not seem to routinely move his office with him on these excursions, as have several previous Presidents.

So much for the nature of Joe Biden. Now let us review some recent California Follies…

CA Leftists want to ban Police Dogs and are calling them racist. If this is because of their training or instincts is not entirely clear.

California is now checking how to provide their Black population (2,000,000 people believed eligible) with a total of $800Billion in Reparations (CA GDP is $300B). This is tough on a State where slavery never existed and many 100,000’s of residents and businesses have already fled the region and their current $200B State debt. But all too often, where goes CA there follows the Nation. Ouch.

Simultaneously, it is openly rumored San Francisco’s countless, post-Covid empty offices, major business and resident exoduses will inevitably drive them into bankruptcy, without a Federal (more Taxpayer money) bailout.

And finally in the Homelessness center that is San Francisco, one of the few local Farmers Markets is being abandoned as drug addicts overtake the streets and vendors feel unsafe.

Just 10-15 years ago San Francisco commonly ranked in the top five cities to visit in the World; often it was top three, and I recall at least one survey placing it as number one. This is a truly tragic, rapid and massive decline.  ☹

Then next is the matter of Earthquakes…

Turkey and Syria suffered a 7.8 quake on Feb 6th that resulted in >50,000 deaths with casualties exceeding 120,000. Victims were mostly in Turkey where civilian outrage is aggressively focused on flawed and unenforced Government Building Regulations as executed by contractors, many of whom have already been arrested.

Alaska if the most seismically active US State, enduring >20,000 quakes per year. They suffered the largest quake in domestic history, a 9.2 in 1964 which saw <<1k deaths in the sparsely populated South-Central region.

The World’s largest known earthquake was the 9.5 in Valdivia Chile, during 1960, which surprisingly resulted in just >6,000 deaths, fortunately much lower than would be expected.

The Loma Prieta quake in 1989 CA was a 7.2 and struck >50 miles South of San Francisco in a lowly populated area.

And then there is the matter of Climate…

In a report issued ~3/20/23, the UN notified members that all fossil fuel usage must stop immediately. This is radical stuff. Other similar warnings have been made over the last 30-40 years.

Needless to say, the preponderance of Carbon emission emanates from the combination of India and China who show little material concern for the matter. Interestingly, in climate-sensitive California as much 25% of their air pollution comes in from China.

In related news, British Columbia, CA, ORE and WA States have formed an alliance to fight climate change. At their recent gathering a blustering Gov. Gavin Newsome (CA) promised $42Million in relief funds for victims of flooding; he delivered $300K.

And then there were the Bank Failures…

The Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) collapsed first, pursuing woke policies and failing investments, that eroded their foundations. They had only a single Board member with financial experience and no Risk Management professional in place for the nine months preceding the collapse.

At the root, the Feds kept borrowing trillions and trillions (National debt claimed now at $31 Trillion), month after month to fuel spending and debt policies which not only drove up inflation, but Interest Rates; this in turn caused the Fed to raise Interest Rates eight or nine times. Increasing rates cause lots of problems for big banks.

Following the SVB collapse, Signature Bank quickly followed suit, but with government agencies and the Administration itself assuring that all investors will be made whole and with no cost to Taxpayers. 😉

A list of ten more at risk regional banks with similar practices (to SVB and Signature) was published, but as of writing no more have (visibly) collapsed. The mechanism for the (“not a”) Bailout looks to most reasonable people like simple, blatant Taxpayer funding, just by another name. ☹

The UK branch of SVB was bought locally for $1.00 by HSBC, who promptly doled out very large bonuses, I assume to ensure employee retention.

Fallout from the  January 6th (J6) Committee hearings continues…

The new (GOP) House Speaker released the much-protected video footage from the Capitol building that was held close by the Investigating Committee.

There was MUCH more footage (42,000 v the 14,000 hrs.) than advised by the Committee. And unfortunately, the content makes the Insurrection, look more like a calm guided tour for the most-part, which has caused questions regarding the voracity of Committee Members’ claims.

Currently the news is that J6 Committee members may face charges for lying, even as the legal pursuit and prosecution of (close and) actual participants is in practice, expanding.

And of course, COVID-related issues persist in the news…

As of late February, it is broadly known that Dr. Fauci (despite his Congressional denial) personally wrote checks funding Wuhan’s virus research since the Obama era and into the emergence of the pandemic, late 2019. This is fact not theory. The US, China and WHO have lied about this for years.

The REAL question becomes, was this a leak accidental or deliberate? THIS must still be understood and made known.

Effects of the pandemic linger on…

In late March, the CDC finally released data showing that in the first full year of the vaccine (2021), deaths for 1–19-year-olds in the US were up >12x from (no vaccine) 2020. This demographic normally has a particularly LOW deathrate. No explanation has been proffered.

And Socially it has been pronounced that binge-drinking in the US is a lingering affect from COVID Isolation. The problem exploded in 2021 and is particularly prevalent in young women, where they now outnumber men in this category on College Campuses.

Next is the issue of Boarder Insecurity

There are now >100K US deaths each year from Fentanyl. Mexican Cartels are shipping related goods and supplies in from China, mostly through the US Southern border. The question is being asked if Cartels should be designated Terrorist Organizations and treated as such.

More deaths occur each year in the US from Fentanyl than do so in Mexico.

As for illegal border crossings during just the current Administration the rolling monthly numbers suggest >5,000,000 in total have occurred, but missed encounters probably have the real count over 10,000,000.

Issues with Artificial Intelligence (AI) have begun coming to the fore…

Several prominent people (Elon Musk included) have called for a 6-month stay while controls for safety and management of AI Developments are established.

Some experts steeped in decades of development history are asserting that advanced AI will inevitably lead to human extinction. Seems exaggerated (hopefully!), but I have personally read detailed accounts of AI Bots turning hostile towards humans: not much sympathy there while clearly challenging its creators’ opinion and position.

And we still have the Shenanigans of the comical Clintons

As reported in the UK Daily Mail another Clinton Associate has met a questionable end. This one was found tied to a tree with a gunshot wound and an electrical cord about his neck. No gun was recovered from the scene. Death was ruled a SUICIDE. 😉

The scuttlebutt on the Clintons is that they have had +40 (some even say +80?) hard-to-explain deaths closely surrounding their time in politics. New incidents just keep popping up.

Then finally we have Harry and Meghan

Looks like the World (Talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel, Chris Rock, SouthPark, plus countless authors and pundits) are turning on them. Nevertheless, they do not go away and seem determined to shade KCIII’s Coronation and ultimately “crash the Monarchy, then take over.” Sigh.

Honestly, it is a shame that any two such (mentally troubled?) malicious characters can simply PR their way to such visible levels of constant, now-pointless malevolence. Their malice is long-passed warranted.

But the whole sad affair does have its laughable elements. Pity it just does not end.  😉

That seems to complete the round-up of Personal, Local, National and Global news!

As usual events are mostly more troubling than entertaining and the outlook for much is unclear.

It is the time to enjoy your surrounds and make the most of the outdoors. Severe weather and seasonal disruptions do not need to constantly detract from the joys of living.

Are you getting out-and-about, enjoying your surroundings? Perhaps you should make the time and brighten up all experiences available!

Ian R. Mackintosh is the author of Empower Your Inner Manager Twitter@ianrmackintosh.

Enjoying Local Surroundings and Recording Notable News Events

The last several weeks have seen a lot of activity around both my local neighborhood and the Alameda/ San Francisco areas I visit regularly.

Weather has been mild hereabouts, and the Summer tourists and weekenders have melted away as schools got back underway.

A major sign of the changes was apparent when I recently left my house, turned the corner wandering just a few yards down to the bottom of 26th Avenue to then be greeted by a Hang-Glider drifting back and forth along the cliffs some 100 yards away.

The warm on-shore, <10 knot updraft off the Monterey Bay allowed the glider to lazily move a few hundred yards back and forth some 40 feet above the cliff-face. An easy, lazy day for the pilot and an incongruous view for my solitary self, standing directly below.

Just a few weeks before and 100 yards inland from here I had a 7-foot eucalyptus branch drop +40 feet squarely onto my head as I rode in the bike lane immediately beneath a canopy of trees.

This >2lb. cutting had remained from tree-work done earlier and chose to fall directly as I passed below. What are the odds, and what good luck! Just a knot on the head, scuff on the forehead and I was not even separated from my bike.  😊

Mid October surfing contests show up on weekends for High Schools and other participant events. Temporary canopies and Audio commentary is then set up along The Hook, which stretches along Pleasure Point from the Café down to 41st Avenue. Non-participant surfers still arrive and line up slightly away from the tournament action, either down toward the O’Neill cliff house or the opposite end of The Hook from the competitions.

Capitola recently held its massive annual fireworks display, run from off the end of the old pier. The event is always spectacular, lasts 20-30 mins and is hosted this time of year by local businesses as a Thank you to Residents for their vital ongoing support.

The show is well worth the visit. The Capitola Village is packed, and the East Cliff is lined by pedestrian-only traffic with heads thrown back admiring the creative display reflecting off the Monterey Bay waters and towering into the skies above the crowds. A true spectacular, just a short walk from home.

I ride a bike year-round and normally 5 days a week. Rides usually run about 12 miles/day, with some weeks a couple of 20-milers thrown in. Weekends I save for sailing out of Alameda on the San Francisco Bay, which is just as well as there is always more road traffic around Santa Cruz on both Saturday and Sunday.

And biking hereabouts has changed, even during the week.

Since the pandemic ended, more people ride. In the last 6 months things have evolved from sightings of e-Bikes being <1-in-5 to now being 90% electric. And those bikes fly around!

E-bike safety tips for new and experienced riders - Los Angeles Times

It seems folks who seldom rode have picked up electric versions. Bikes are new and custom, sporting racks, paniers, kiddy-seats and all sorts of adders, often towing or even pushing child and animal trailers. The varieties are endless, and it is uncommon to see any two alike.

Riders seem to peddle little and travel fast. >>20 mph speeds for Electrics seems common-place and users effortlessly cross the 5-10 mile stretch from East-to-West Santa Cruz in just a few 10’s of minutes.

Electric Bike Top Speeds: How Fast Can You Go? | Juiced Bikes

I suppose increased accidents will soon inspire the introduction of consequential new regulations needed to accommodate this major trend. Strangely, cannot even recall when I last saw a new bike that was not electric and in truth this has all occurred in <12 months.  😉

As a warning: if you ride a manual bike for (say) just 10 miles hereabouts, you are going to need to avoid typically 3-5 risky (to yourself) actions by other travelers. Culprits are unobservant vehicle drivers, pedestrians and other cyclists, respectively. And the problem worsens greatly as your average speed increases. It seems speed somehow makes you far less visible to others; we develop a cloak of invisibility. 😉

By early September I had finished the planning for my 2023 trip to Alaska. It is a case of plan early or miss-out on the best Trips, Guides and Facilities for the next adventures. If you wonder what is available there, check out my last BLOG posted September 11th. In a related theme…

During late September, a friend from Alaska stopped by on his annual drive from his home in the Kenai Peninsula to his Summering setup in Arizona. It is a long drive with quick, regular business stops along the way; he is a great guest and welcome company who needed a break from massive daily driving schedules.

On his arrival I was treated with a delivery of bear-meat for my freezer, and we spent our brief available time running around touring my local area and haunts, ending up with evening drinks and music outside, seated by a firepit. There is so much to see and enjoy here, it was a treat for myself to have someone else appreciate what is offered locally.

Following this fun visit, we are now planning a joint Sailfish fishing trip to Southeast Florida next February / March.

Hopefully, we can make this recent stop-over a regular event. Maybe next year I will take the pilgrimage with him and provide some relief on the driving duties?

San Francisco Fleet Week occurred early October. This is truly a Family treat with ships to visit, the town bustling, street vendors everywhere along the waterfront and a unique and special aerial display on Saturday and Sunday.

The Airshow runs across the space between the Embarcadero Piers and Alcatraz. The viewing area is good from Fort Mason even down to the Ferry Building, but best North of Pier 39. Sights include a couple of jet display teams (the Blue Angels are a highlight), aerobatics and a host of one-off fly-bys from both major military and commercial aircraft.

Planes and flights come in from Golden Gate and Bay bridge directions, over Angel Island and even enter the performance area right overhead, from behind the City itself. The display has low, highspeed passes and endless acrobatics; a unique treat to watch and experience. Crowds can revel in the thrill of the event and enjoy a profound sense of pride. 😊

For myself, I have been fortunate to see this Show at least a half dozen times. Mostly from the water, where I usually motor a boat of half-a-dozen passengers about in a clockwise direction around the cordoned-off, low-fly area which runs several miles both East and West between Alcatraz and the Embarcadero. It is spectacular viewing for passengers, but when you are at the helm the heavy boat traffic often demands your complete attention elsewhere.  😉

If you have not seen this or similar displays, try to do so. And soon. I hear a City Supervisor in San Francisco is moving to ban the Blue Angels from their airspace. He is also extremely vocal in complaining about the attention outside press gives to such local issues. I wonder what his true agenda might really be. ☹

The area I live has many splendid features and opportunities. But much is changing. It is good to enjoy the numerous positives that remain available while we can. 😊

Let me now move on to summarize some of the more prominent News items occurring in the last weeks; specifically, those that have possible downstream ramifications of concern…

Over $3 Trillion has been wiped out in Retirement Accounts (401’s, IRA’s etc.) in 2022, alone. If you own such an account, you will currently have seen a >30% and perhaps as high as 40% drop in your accounts’ value. Most investors have now lost around 2.5 years of gains in the last year or so. This is a result of Market confidence in Government and consequential Outlook. Ouch.

Average folks are being abused by reported inflation running 8-9% (at 40-year highs) and constantly spiking gas prices. Retirees are additionally under the gun with Administration promises of Capital Gains Tax increases that will further establish the US as having the largest such Tax in the World.

With Fed Rate hikes already underway and more promised the Housing Market has come under pressure and the Dollar has grown abnormally strong, which severely hampers US Exports.

Dollar strength inevitably brings downward pressure on numerous smaller Currencies and Countries around the World which will consequentially economically decline further, with many not even being able to service their debt.

Fuel prices are exploding all over Europe because of the Ukraine proxy War. Europeans (esp. in places like Germany) cannot fire up Coal Plants fast enough before the colder months arrive. The UK is forecasting that over 70% of it’s restaurants are expected to fail this Winter because of energy costs. Hard to imagine the pain and pressure that will similarly fall on every household across Europe. ☹

10 states now have average gas prices above $5 : NPR

As always, s***t rolls downhill.

The weaponization of Government in the US continues in many forms…

A Federal judge revealed that Biden ordered the raid on ex-president Trump while denying ALL current knowledge of the event. No surprise there. Blatant lies are commonplace.

Whistleblowers have confirmed the FBI is creating a false narrative by classifying the January 6th Capital incursion as separate individual nationwide Domestic Terrorism instances, to be tried in every State possible while simultaneously moving agents off child sex abuse cases. Such priorities and caring. ☹

Pelosi is legally obliged to investigate the Administration for blatantly trying to manipulate the Saudis to delay reducing oil shipments and so momentarily aid US gas pump pricing ahead of November mid-term elections. It seems the Saudis have well-documented scruples about such action which would have produced large global economic downsides downstream.

Joe Biden has personally and publicly threatened dire consequences to the Saudi’s for outing him on this matter. Wow. He may have forgotten about the essential neutralization role the Saudis play in the Middle East, having Iran as neighbors and all.

Apparently, the Administration act of soliciting in-kind actions from Foreign Sources to aid a Partisan political goal is illegal. I am sure Speaker Nancy P will give this all the attention her party requires. Sigh. 😉

On the lighter side, the BBC is reporting Hunter Biden will be charged with Tax crimes. His personal laptop has been providing corruption insight to his activities (in Ukraine and China) for a few years already. It recently additionally turned up his Swalwell-like engagement and dalliance with a new Chinese spy. So far, no charges for Hunter for anything (while Dad holds the reins). 😉

I saw some Poll or other a couple of months back that had ~70% the US General Public agreeing that Biden is both corrupt AND had likely benefitted financially from his corruption. It was implied that voters simply DO NOT CARE this is the case. Wow.

On the local home front, San Francisco was reporting a 25% Office Vacancy rate at the end of September. Looks like Covid Impacts, Out-of-State moves and Neighborhood Toxicity (prices, crime and homelessness) are all in play.

And soon to arrive will be the November Elections. Over a dozen States are on the record with reported major voting fraud issues occurring during the 2020 elections. Yet no significant prosecution, anywhere. How odd. How can this be? Sigh. ☹

France outlawed Mail-In Voting in the 1970’s as being too readily subject to voter-fraud. They conducted their last recent election entirely with a hand-count. In recent weeks Germany announced a re-vote for ~6 million people in one District because of known Polling Machine irregularities.

German Works Council Election Procedures: Changes to Upcoming Elections in  2022 - Ogletree Deakins

The US has a storied history of serious Voter Fraud issues dating back >100 years. I have seen countless Polls overwhelmingly agreeing the US simply needs Voter ID laws to have safe(r) Election Polling.

Yet Voter ID is currently politically framed as Racist, so cannot be allowed. Go figure.

And I expect there will be rampant, approved mail-in requirements and voting misdeeds in many US States and Districts come November, regardless of the outcome. Why would anything be different? 😉

On the Global front we still have Leaders who need wars (that end well) to buoy up their numerous Domestic problems. Putin is in trouble and needs a soft landing and historically corrupt Zelenskyy is spoiling daily for bigger and better action.

Biden has his proxy war and is rattling his Sabre, threatening an imminent Nuclear Armageddon to his citizenry. Despite major depletion of US Weaponry (to Ukraine) and Strategic Oil Reserves (to China and hopefully, Domestically) he has still somewhat prepared, as his HHS has stockpiled nuclear warfare treatment Nplate drugs at $1.2k each. Sadly, for you and I these only have a shelf-life of 18 months and he only bought ~250k units. If he knows something we do not, we are in trouble. 😉

Lastly is Premier, Xi. He is right now entering a new phase of Government Control which brings him unprecedented and unchallenged powers. He is already leaning in to take territories from Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines and others; even claims in the heavens (Mars and Moon colonization) are freely mentioned. China believes this now-open New Era is where they will fulfil their promised destiny and Xi is the accepted and anointed one.

NOTE: The New Era is defined as the next 30years, which is to include the successful realization of The Chinese Dream.

And all this comes when US overseas image is at a low. The UK’s Telegraph newspaper (THE major National publication) wrote an October piece referring to Biden’s weakness, endless failures and ways as being more than simple mental decline and senility, referring to him as also being historically evil. This from (a, THE?) major overseas ally and a FRIEND. Ouch.

So, what might actual ENEMIES think, say and be prepared to DO? Historically it is always the weak and inept who become inevitable active targets and victims. ☹

Well, so much for these reflections.

In all honesty they are (just some of the) things that cannot responsibly be simply, totally ignored. These are the troubling chickens in our lives that can come home to roost. Some are much more likely, serious and immediate than others.

We live in sad and dangerous times, both Locally, Nationally and around the Globe.

But nobody should dwell incessantly on such matters. It serves no purpose if no immediate action is required or yet relevant. So, time to move on, but still sleep with one eye open…

Do you track both the small AND large issues that might impinge upon your World? Should you?

It can be miserable to follow all such issues relentlessly but keeping an eye on REAL liabilities that can enter your lives is usually wise.

As for myself, I will now change my immediate focus and prepare for a trip out East to enjoy a Wedding in North Carolina with some Family friends. 😊

Here’s to wishing you similarly pleasant distractions!

Ian R. Mackintosh is the author of Empower Your Inner Manager Twitter@ianrmackintosh.