Tag Archives: San Francisco

Passing Into Winter, Enjoying Local Life and Watching Global Madness Expand

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In the last month or so the weather in my home territory of Northern CA has seen temperatures drift from their daily mid-60’s to the lower 50’s with nights falling into the 30’s but still normally holding above freezing. This is typical Winter hereabouts.

Nights see occasional rains, sometimes heavy and persisting as much as an hour, which leaves the following days displaying steaming wood fences, rooves and roads as dampness burns off.

Steam rising from a frosty fence and garden shed in the early morning sun Stock Photo - Alamy

With this has come spectacular sunsets. Indeed, I have spent many recent fading afternoons on the Santa Cruz Pier, seated behind the steering wheel, parked facing West with beer in-hand watching the sun drop over the horizon behind the famous Steamers’ surfing waters. The gulls swirl above and the post-feeding sealions rollick in the chilly waters below, waiting for the tide to make the lower Pier joists accessible in height so they can launch themselves aboard and finally rest.

Surfing Santa Cruz in Style — Sigma Adventures

The many juveniles and fewer mature sealions return at speed each evening, leaping from the water in multiple inbound groups of 5-10, approaching their final nightly resting spots on beams and planks beneath the Pier as the seawater rises.

As temperatures drop the Dolphin Restaurant at pier’s end bustles with diners seated behind glass windows, intermingling with flaming propane heating towers. And outside, occasional groups wander about, peering through the few, through-pier viewing spots and over rails to photograph and enjoy the antics of resident sealions.

One November evening we were joined here by a rare bird only normally seen far South in Baja or much further West in Hawaii. Excited local press and media caused a stir about the sighting that later attracted interested folks from around the region wanting to see the distinctive young (with still just pinkish feet and legs), Red-footed Booby.

When I first found it fearlessly perched on a rail, it seemed almost open to being handled and posed implacably for close-up mobile-phone camera shots by occasional puzzled passers-by who wondered what it might be. It clearly was not a gull and indeed would aggressively shoo-off other such birds that approached.

It was identified and announced a few days later in local press outlets. There remains the mystery of how it had ever arrived.

Mid November (by The Hook of Pleasure Point along East Cliff Drive) provided a one-night show of rare abundance. Some 1500 Pelicans settled 100-200 yds off the cliffs, strewn over a quarter mile, with a couple of teams of some two-dozen sealions (up from the Santa Cruz Pier, 1-2 miles West) thrashing back and forwards through the same area, just aside of a flotilla of surfers working their usual spots. A shoal of small fry had surfaced and induced a feeding frenzy for diving birds and speeding sealions, alike.

As for myself, these colder days have found me binge-watching multiple TV series and enjoying audiobooks while travelling or just sitting watching the spectacular array of recent local sunsets.

Amazon Prime Video (with included Acorn and Britbox Apps) offers many options for Detective Stories and Intrigues; recently I have burned through multiple series of Red Election, No Offence and Annika (on Masterpiece). All worth watching.  😊

As for Audios, my recent indulgencies include two more detective series featuring DCI Logan by J.D. Kirk and Cormoran Strike by Rob Galbraithe (aka J.K. Rowling).

In late November I made another night boating run around the San Francisco Bay, taking friends along the Embarcadero waterfront, enjoying the crisp evening and many early displays of City Christmas lights on buildings and the Bay Bridge itself. What a great, bracing outing wrapped up with drinks and appetizers after a safe return to the dock.

On the health front I have been paying the price for being outdoorsy in California with my latest six-monthly visit to my now-regular Dermatologist.

When I met this fellow a couple of years ago, he greeted me with, “Ahh, fair hair and blue eyes. We have been waiting for you.”

It appears these Northern European qualities mean you do not belong in the California (or any generally fiercer US) Summer sun between Noon and 4.00pm, ever. And at all other times you best be bathed in high-end, zinc-based sunblock; even then, the odds you will have a Dermatologist in your later life remain extremely high.

It seems my lifestyle of Sailing and Fishing are incompatible with my genes. But we do what we must and manage the consequences. These are: Almost annual chemical facial skin scrubs and 6-monthly, freeze-offs of any precancerous, suspicious specks. These are uncomfortable and essential treatments. ☹

And be warned…  no-one is immune to these specific, immutable laws of outdoor living.  😉

Thanksgiving was a different experience this year. Most friends and family were off in their different directions and with my having extensive personal European travel plans (England, Sweden, Finland and Estonia) through Christmas and the coming New Year, a more solitary celebration was in order for my wife and self. And it was a wonderful day…

The early morning temperature rose from high 50’s to 63F by Noon, so we got in a 17-mile bike ride before an early-evening dinner. It was the usual East Cliff run down to Capitola, back West along Portola Drive, around the Santa Cruz harbor and up passed Aldo’s; but then we added-in an additional run up to and around the estuary, along the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and on the Pier. Surprisingly, a few Fairground rides were operating on the Boardwalk, enticing happy squeals of delight from both young and old as we rode by.

THE BEST Santa Cruz Bike Tours (with Photos) - Tripadvisor

We next stopped for beers at the Crow’s Nest Café on the return route through the Santa Cruz Harbor and enjoyed those seated outside under umbrellas, behind the Café El Palomar Restaurant, watching a few festive groups of locals play (including Brazilian-Style, no hands) beach volleyball.

Happily, the weather remained sunny, cloudless the entire day and it felt like temperatures were in the 70’s.  😊

And the traditional, early evening dinner that followed at home was as special and welcome as ever.  😊

Sadly, I lost a good friend recently after his two-year battle with Cancer and will attend his funeral service in England mid-December. He was a good person; just wish tears could wash away the grief.

The 2022 Men’s World Cup has begun with its massive Global coverage and fanaticism. Local Qatari officials angered Sponsors (esp. Budweiser) when they reneged on commitments and in the days before opening games enforced a no-alcohol-consumption rule in Stadiums.  But life went on…

The US team made it out of the Group Stage competition but lost in the Round Of Sixteen and is already returned home. American Pundits and fans alike focused on the real successes the team did enjoy during their participation and run.  😊

In 2026 the World Cup is billed as a primarily US event and perhaps the historically frequent host team successes will play out for them.  😉

On December 3rd, the Annual Lighted Boat Parade was held in Santa Cruz Harbor. It is always a picturesque and happy event. Even after the parade, many docked boats carry their lighted decorations into the Christmas period; there usually remain several dozen decked-out vessels on each side of the bridge which crosses the harbor by the Yacht Club…

Each year we wander down to the harbor to enjoy these displays. This year was a chilly, wet night but as is usual it was brightened by sparkling decorated vessels scattered throughout the Harbor. The Crow’s Nest (CN) and Johnny’s restaurants were packed-out with festive customers following the Saturday Night parade. So instead, we sat away, sheltered from wind and rain sprinkles behind the (CN) Café, drinking beers, listening to Christmas music, gazing over the twinkling vessels, and surrounding decorated buildings.

The Harbor is well worth a night visit this time of year.  😊

On another sad note…

There is still a drive-thru’ food bank operating 1-2 miles from my home, at a Community Center near 17th Avenue on Portola Drive. I believe it has been there many months now, as inflation continues to run rampant and the economy withers. Each Wednesday, cars line-up around the parking lot and one-by-one gratefully seize large boxes of food stuffs and deposit them in their trunks.

It is fortunate that this service is there. It is SAD that it needs be.

And now on to the broader scope of (some) contemporary issues that affect the Nation and World alike and so warrant being recorded…

Let us begin with the elephant in the room. I like to travel, so early 2021 Covid shots and a December 2021 booster were an inevitable and easy choice for myself. I thought little of the ramifications and was not too concerned about what appeared (and was cast) as fear-mongering unproven conspiracy theories about risk tied to these vaccinations.

I was wrong and apparently foolish. There are now extensive proven and well-documented medical facts published by leading experts across the World (> one dozen Countries now have related data published) detailing the now FACTUAL, codified risks and liabilities. If you do NOT believe this and continue vaxxing and boosting yourself, you too are making a major mistake. The supported and proven facts and publications are plentiful and are ignored at your own peril…

Prominent and sough-after Oncology expert Dr Angus Dalgleish (Prof of oncology St George’s University of London) has written that Covid vaccine programs are no longer necessary especially because of known links to myocarditis, heart attacks and strokes now being well accepted. He predicted these risks in his June 2020 QRBD article. Problematic incidents especially follow Boosters, and the pattern is being seen and reported in Germany, Australia and the USA.

The USA (especially prone to NOT reporting such problems and actively still promoting Vax programs) recently published the 2021 data on the incidence of Cancers in the Military, which only began vaccinations that same year. Cancer incidence increased from 3x-8x depending on Cancer-type, relative to 2020 occurrences. This is simply not coincidence.

Medical reports (accepted by Government bodies and appropriately peer-reviewed) in prominent journals about the World have now published data showing proven Vax ties to Heart Disease, Strokes, Blood Clots, Cancers, Comas, Brain Damage, Stillbirths, Infant Deaths and more. The published (in UK Science Magazine) belief is that the result of Boosting vaccinations inherently and inevitably depletes the auto-immune system, and it is well-known Vaxed people contract Covid, anyway.

It is repeatedly stated that longer-term vaccination impacts on human DNA and immune systems have not even begun to be understood.

As a result of many folks now finding and reading these proven and accepted medical reports there has been an inevitable explosion of patients requiring blood transfusions demanding non-vax blood. Unsurprisingly, this demand is proving hard to support. ☹

Pfizer and Moderna are now just starting long-term studies to figure out of there is a link between Covid shots and Heart damage. Finally.

This fulfils my duty of at least reporting items those needing vaccination should at least now research and consider.

Next, the UK is banning Puberty Blockers for under-18’s. Pursue yourself if interested.

As regard to a couple of individual characters…

In a recent Poll it was found that 60% of Americans want Hunter Biden investigated by the incoming GOP. This includes only 30% of Democrats.

The release by Twitter of so much information regarding FBI-supported suppression of the Hunter Laptop-story in 2020 has caused quiet apologies from several media sources, who now are acknowledging an inevitability of an investigation (and the corresponding implication of associated corruption in Joe Biden). We will see if The Big Guy is ever held to account.

A pair of Trump’s minions have been Indicted for distorting Company records to feather their own nests. The push to neutralize Trump himself will continue into next year since his 2024 Presidential run has already been announced.

From acquisition to termination: Everything that's happened post Elon Musk's Twitter deal | Technology News,The Indian Express

Inevitably, the continued release by Elon Musk at Twitter of information proving biased censorship of Conservatives (esp. the Hunter Biden Laptop Story) has brought him death threats of which he confesses to being disturbed and concerned. By default, he is upsetting both Dems and the FBI participants with these actions. And by association this may bring him into the historically efficient world of deadly Clinton Retribution.

As I write, Poland has reversed course and is now accepting the offer of a Patriot Air Defense System from Germany. If you recall, a couple of Ukrainian-fired missiles recently mistakenly landed in Poland which were maliciously, deliberately and erroneously claimed by AP to be of Russian origin.

Interestingly, in April this year I met a young Polish Hotel worker during my stay in Edinburgh. She told me that even before the Russian invasion, her relatives in Poland who live within 100-200 miles of the Ukrainian border, had already defined personal evacuation plans if any warring spilled over.

Can you spell escalation?

Another corruption and fraud scandal has exploded on the international stage. The largest scheme ever inflicted upon Investors. Namely, the collapse of the giant Cryptocurrency outfit, FTX…

What are the troubling facts and background? Consider this:

  • The major Investor in FTX is the Ukrainian Government, who was known as outrageously corrupt until the day of the Russian invasion.
  • The US has poured untracked money (>$91B as of Nov. 2022) into Ukraine in 2022 at a spending rate of 3X the cost of the Afghanistan war. $10B’s have gone in unknown directions.
  • Ukraine poured money into FTX.
  • The FTX CEO is/ was the second largest Dem Megadonor behind Soros over recent times.
  • The Financial Oversight (by an actual Congressional Committee) of FTX was required and was obviously little or none. FTX Donations spilled into Dem coffers. Maxine Waters (on this Committee) is the multi-time winner of the “most corrupt congressperson” award and (again) personally received funds.
  • Generals Austin and Milley (Sec. of Def. and Joint Chief of Staff, resp.) are now pushing immediately for more unregulated $10B’s from US Taxpayers into Ukraine.
  • NY Prosecutors were looking into dubious practices of FTX months before the collapse and belief is that NY long-since possessed proof of same.
  • It is believed that Military assistance funds to Ukraine were used to invest in FTX.
  • Getting fat: Politicians and Military contractors.
  • Getting shafted, citizens of: Ukraine, US (Taxpayers), Russia and power-starved Europe.
  • Seriously depleted:  Arsenals in US and across Europe.

This FTX collapse of Cryptocurrency is the largest loss in the history of the WORLD.

It seems this would need some serious investigation and review. Apparently, nobody wants this to occur, and the foot-dragging has begun. There are clearly a lot of dirty fingers in this pot!  😉

On the (US and Local, CA) Domestic front…

Gavin Newsome is pushing and will close on a Reparations Package that will bring each Black person in CA (who can demonstrate kin to a slave ancestor) a $233K /per head payout. This will generate an INITIAL cost to CA taxpayers of $970B in a State where there never was any slavery NOR were most of its inhabitants even IN the State until after slavery ended AND they also likely have no connection in their families TO slavery.

California Gov. Newsom Signs Bill Opening Door To Slavery Reparations – Deadline

It is a tough sell to residents, but as its CA it will likely happen.  It is believed that similar laws will be passed shortly thereafter in Oregon and Washington and (possibly) NY. Some say Biden will push for equivalence at the Federal level and make it an issue for (votes in) the 2024 elections. Likely Newsome will be carrying that flag anyway and use it to drive his own personal Presidential bid.

Gavin N. has always found new emerging trends, grabbed them by the scruff and got out in front, claiming them as his own; this is his modus operandum. Unfortunately, there is no known cause he has championed where he hasn’t worsened or destroyed the original situation… a hard reality for the wannabee President and any supporters he garners.

Now in closing let me comically mention Meghan Markle. Apparently, she took the UK and (strangely) the Argentinian Citizenship tests concurrently BEFORE she and Harry bailed on The Firm. These tests are not too challenging, defined for inclusion and to bring a simple level of awareness and familiarity with the Country to new Citizens. Meghan failed both tests. Sigh. This is moronic.  😉

That really concludes my round-up of personal activities and observations. I trust this provided an easy read, useful synopsis of recent events and an interesting diversion?

Hope you are having fulfilling experiences and finding ways to enjoy YOUR life and times.

Recommend you look for such opportunities! They are all around.

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

Enjoying Local Surroundings and Recording Notable News Events

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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.

Warm Weeks During Summer Months

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There have been a few weekends since my last BLOG published mid-June.

A lot has happened around the World, much of it miserable, so I have actively tried to focus my energies and personal time on happier events.

Let me share (in no particular order) some snapshots of experiences and sights enjoyed over this recent month or so…

I have been binge-watching evening TV for many weeks now, having found a treasure trove of Seasons from a comedic Panel-Game; it is called, Would I Lie To You and can be found on Prime TV (in Britbox area) and YouTube.

The series really found its feet in Season Three and has since run though Season 15.  It is a GREAT watch and really lends itself to binging. The show will put a smile on anyone’s face; ad-libs and rants will draw tears of laughter. If you need or just want to laugh, this is for you. 😊

A local Market (Los Pericos) off Portola in Santa Cruz has become my go to haunt for a Numero Uno Breakfast Burrito. I always show up late in the day and beg for my eggy breakfast-menu treat which they have so far routinely obliged. The significant downside is that my diet only permits one or two of these a week. 😉

I have upped my daily (weekday) bike rides over the last month and am averaging >20 miles a day. No idea why I did this, but here we are. As I get a picturesque ride from my house along East Cliff Drive down into Capitola (CA) village, back along Portola and into the Santa Cruz harbor, then up to and around the estuary, back along the Santa Cruz Boardwalk onto the Pier, there is much to see and enjoy.

And the season for Holidaymakers attending the seafront beaches, rides and Fair is in full bloom.

There is also plenty of other entertainment along the way…

A couple of dozen nests are producing noisy young in the towering eucalyptus trees alongside the upper Santa Cruz Harbor, just 100 yards beyond the trafficked bridge that cuts over the inlet. There are giant squawking Great Blue Herons, large Great white Egrets and even a few Cormorants resident in the massive nests planted in the highest boughs.

Great Blue Heron

The recent warmer Summer days have produced higher rolling swells that come crashing down onto the beaches hereabouts, extending from the fully filled Moran (overflow) Lake right along to the Boardwalk frontages; all this noise, despite the lack of significant winds driving events.

And local residents can open their windows to allow the boom of waves to carry their crashes indoors throughout the day with sound levels gently moderated by constantly changing tides.

The large man-made stone breakwater that protects the Santa Cruz Harbor and carries its sturdy white lighthouse has seen early evening swells staging occasional 40’ high spray being thrown up in quick progressions over 200 yards of its length, while concurrent 4–5-foot waves break into the boating entrance.

A few nights ago, several of the half-a-dozen young Holidaymakers cheekily braving one onslaught were summarily knocked down by the spray’s force and then quickly scrambled away towards the protection of the land.

During this same time, I looked out NW to Steamers surfing runs a mile or so across the Bay and could see massive swells surging down the cliffs in crested waves with the most intrepid local surfers aboard. Quite a display of power and human determination.

As I write the local Luckys grocery store on 41st has employees back in masks with several workers out on their 2nd and/or 3rd doses of COVID. There is nobody very sick it seems, but company protocols keep them home, often personally doubting any VAX efficacy.

Like many others, I expect a surge of notices for COVID masking requirements to arrive by October in time to secure Mail-In Voting for the November Mid-Term Elections. Sigh. ☹

I watched the July 4th celebrations from the cockpit of a boat docked in Alameda, looking across to Oakland, barely 1 mile South of Jack London square. There was a (I assume legal) firework display some +4 miles away at the Oakland Coliseum; quite impressive and obviously well-orchestrated.

There were many other unauthorized (and illegal in CA) firework displays in play from a mile or so North, mostly near to and along the shoreline of Oakland right down to the Stadium show. I counted > 15 distinct active venues colorfully lighting up the evening skies.

Perhaps most impressive and prolific was a setup directly across the estuary some 400 yards away from me, almost opposite Marina Village docks. It began around 9.30pm and was still firing off at 1.30 am the next day. The venue lay in a construction site and was left to run unabated for many hours.

Marina Village Docks

Two weeks later I was taking out a sailboat and ran into a female Mallard leading her brood of 10 very tiny, fluffy chicks across the estuary directly towards that very same sterile site. They were formed up in a precise, determined column. So, I halted the boat to let them pass. That was a long paddle for such small, flightless ducklings; I still wonder what attracted them across the way?

Every weekend I go sailing on the San Francisco Bay, out of Alameda. This causes me to regularly pass by the Oakland docks. In later July, the obvious routine back-ups of container deliveries stranded on the waterfront suddenly and dramatically worsened. Now there are acres and acres of 5 and 6 high stacked containers languishing unattended.

Blatant supply-chain issues that have run all this last year have radically deteriorated even further. The issue is the Government imposed Contractor benefits requirements that have spilled beyond upsetting Lyft and Uber drivers to now directly impacting the legal operation of Truckers, >90% of which in CA are subject to the very same restrictions. And we thought it could not get worse. Sigh.

Fortunately, when the docks are passed, sailing begins then the views and experiences on the Bay are as pleasant, distracting and fulfilling as ever. The fogs still roll in through the Golden gate, wind blows down the slot over Alcatraz and the Hills South of the City are washed over by low cloud approaching from the ocean as later afternoon arrives. And in the Summer, skies overhead often remain generally cloudless, with the offshore views of the City allowing it to appear as untroubled as in previous years.

I made another recent ferry trip with a group of friends from Alameda to the Ferry building on the San Francisco Embarcadero. The crowds are somewhat returned, and ferry schedules are similar to pre-COVID times.

The outing remains the same once the Ferry is docked and passengers disembarked. A quick wander through the weekend Outdoor Market stalls by the Terminals, a visit to the (most still remain and are now open for business) indoor stores, meandering through the unmasked crowds. Then along the front up to Pier 39.

The numerous Taxis and bicycle-powered rickshaws are back. People are generally quite mellow in the Summer warmth, milling along the waterfront where clusters of Vendors are set up with carts offering bacon-wrapped hot-dogs or even some surprisingly available alcoholic mixed drinks. It is relaxed.

Some half-dozen well-known restaurants are closed and gone, victims of COVID closures and lost business. A few other stores have closed too, remaining shuttered here and there, but the atmosphere remains lively, and the Wharf area appears largely separate from the plague of Homelessness and Crime centered in the Downtown Center of the City.

The usual walking journey continues passed the Boudin Bakery through the busier parts of Fisherman’s Wharf and up to the Buena Vista on Ghirardelli Square for Irish Coffees and the inevitable light-hearted banter with the bartenders mass-producing their tasty whisky-based hot drinks.

It is a great outing. A low-cost Ferry Trip adventure from Alameda, no parking fees nor hassle with San Francisco’s City traffic and social woes.

Finally, the journey ended with a hurried Uber ride required to make the Ferry Departure times and enjoy the speedy powered catamaran ride back to the Island and waiting (Freely) parked cars. It is a great day out.  😊

And now, back in Santa Cruz the Summer party evenings are well underway. The Harbor features a roped-off-beach musical event each Thursday, hosted by the Crow’s Nest restaurant, and Capitola Village presents a band every Wednesday at their beach-front Bandstand. Both are very friendly civilized events with eating, drinking and dancing activity enjoyed by locals and visiting holidaymakers alike.

As for myself I just got my second, Cancer All-Clear confirmation, following surgery just last September. The check-up regimen includes alternating 6-monthly scans of lower abdomen and then chest, looking for signs of return. This basic routine protocol is similar for many, should they remain fortunate.

If you are lucky then your concerns of recurrence only return as the next tests are done and only escalate as you await the results, several days later. Good outcomes feature a few happy days, hopefully followed by a quickly fading memory of liabilities as the next six months roll by, despite the very real ever-presence of a Damoclesian sword.

Half the people reading this will have cancer in at least one form; likely ALL will have it intrude upon their lives in some way, visited upon loved-ones, colleagues, acquaintances or some such. For all of you I wish the best outcomes and unburdened awareness. 😊

Returning to another stellar and happy fact (providing your finances are US-based) …

By mid-July, the Euro was on a par with the US Dollar for the first time in 20 years. I.e., 1 EU ~ 1 USD. Great if you want to travel in Europe. It is even worth buying Euros proactively if you have some European travel planned in the not-too-distant future. However, not so good coming the other way, of course. 😉

For myself, I have a trip planned to Alaska from the start of August. I visited there a couple of times more than 10 years ago, but this will now be my third consecutive year on a primarily fishing trip.

I first went fishing to Alaska as soon as COVID permitted, two years ago. But this time the whole immediate family will go together. It should be fun.  😊

If you ever get the chance to visit, go!  I hear the Alaskan cruises are great, but ocean travelers tell me they always wished they had been land-based for the duration; this is my recommendation, too.  For myself, although having previously visited the spectacular Denali region, I have kept my more recent fishing, travelling and day-trip adventures South of Anchorage around the Kenai River and Peninsula.

Well, that completes my review of primarily Happy Stuff. 😉

At this point I normally review the last month or so’s list of World, US, Local News, Events and bona-fide Warnings. Indeed, I am sitting with a pile of diligently compiled and trustworthy clippings and notes by my side, as I write. These latest records are particularly miserable. BUT DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH as I intend to PASS on the review, this time. 😊

I am sure most people feel much the same way as I do about current events. Like many, I am tired from the inundation of blatant, self-serving lies, corrupt and insane actions, regardless of their origins.

And with that, I close the book on the last several weeks of disappointing News and Events.  😊

As for my closing message…

Do you ever truly get a break from the incoming storm of miserable News?

Does your family ever enjoy the opportunity to celebrate each other and tune-out negative surroundings?

With Summer Holidays upon us, it is a good time to do just that. So, make time for a true break from the misery and dial-in some positives. Now is as good a time as any to savor life and enjoy your blessings.  So, make it happen.

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

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