Safely at Home in Tallahassee

We left San Diego at 1 pm - and got home in Florida at midnight. Nancy rode first class - don't ask - and I rode coach - three rows behind her.

It was fun using the GPS all the way across the country. I was able to see Phoenix - Albuquerque - Amarillo - Oklahoma City - Little Rock - The Mississippi - Memphis - Nashville - Chattanooga. From Atlanta to Tallahassee - we flew over Americus - Albany - Thomasville - Cairo.

We landed at 160 mph.

It was a fun 8 days in California - but it is nice to be back in Florida.

Nancy lost 3 hours of her birthday due to changing time zones.

Last Sunset in California

It has been fun sharing the last 8 days in California with you. From the joys of the 4th of July fireworks over the USS Reagan - to the hopelessness of getting my laptop stolen - to the soul searching at the Nixon Museum - I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Last night we experienced a beautiful sunset. While shooting pictures of the surfers during twilight - it reminded me of one of Keith's posters called "Endless Summer." In the movie "Endless Summer" a couple of young men travel around the world looking for the perfect wave. Retirement has been an "Endless Summer" for us.

....And today - July 12th - is Nancy's birthday. She can be reached at - nancyeverhart@mac.com

Our Visit to Nixon's Birthplace - Boyhood Home - Museum - and Grave

Today Nancy and I enjoyed a visit to the Nixon Library. Richard Nixon was born in Yorba Linda, California. His dad built their home from a mail order kit. It was a cottage with about 800 square feet including a small 10 x 12 loft room where the 4 Nixon boys slept in 2 double beds.

Nixon's dad attempted to grow oranges and lemons on 20 acres of land. After a few years - they moved out selling the farm.

Nixon later went to Whittier College where he became class president and student body president. He had been offered a scholarship to Harvard - but could not afford to go there. After Whittier he accepted a scholarship to Duke Law School.

After Duke - Nixon returned to Yorba Linda and worked with a law firm. He later ran for Congress from California - and built a reputation "chasing communists." Eisenhower selected him to balance his presidential ticket - and he became Vice President of the United States.

In 1960 - he lost the presidential bid to John Kennedy by .1% of the vote - some say the election was stolen from him. Two year later - he ran for Governor of California - and lost. Many folks thought his career was over.

But just as Phoenix rose from the ashes - in 1968 Nixon ran for president and he won. In 1972 - he was elected by the biggest landslide - winning in every state but Massachusetts.

In 1974 - under the threat of impeachment - he was the first president to resign.

He lived on for 20 years - dying in 1994,

He will be remembered for opening up relationships with "red" China and ending the Vietnam War.

The Museum is a wonderful place to visit. It is done in a folksy motif - emphasizing his accomplishments. It does devote a whole room to the Watergate Scandal that forced his resignation.

Baby Boomers can't help but relive their formative years as they visit the exhibits. Richard Nixon is a tragic hero. I do not think he approved or was even aware of the Watergate Break-in. He had the 1972 election locked up early and did not need any "secrets" from Watergate. Unfortunately - he did take part in a coverup - and his political enemies were able to reverse his landslide victory in 1972 - with his resignation in 1974.

Nancy and I drove to Washington in January of 1973 - to see Nixon's swearing in for his second term. We slept in the car that bitter cold January night. We were guests of Congressman Gus Yatron - meeting with him and warming up in his office before the ceremony. We will never forget the look on Nixon's face as they played "Hail to the Chief" for him. It was a different time then - after the ceremony we were leaning on the presidential limo - waiting for the President to come out of the Capitol after lunch for his parade to the White House. I re-call running my hands along the side looking for "bullet" dents from when Kennedy was shot at in the same limosine.

More Nixon Museum Pictures

Nancy's Cousin "Mauled" by Bear

Some of you may remember Nancy's cousin Dale Titus. He is a former teacher and football coach at Tamaqua. His son - Dale - is stationed with the Navy in Alaska. These pictures are of the son and his bear.

According to Nancy's brother Jack - When we were in Wildwood Aunt Ethel told us that Dale was out in the woods somewhere around his house and was attacked by a bear. Forunately he always carries a pistol with him and he drew it in time to shoot the bear before it killed him. He said in the remote area of Alaska where he lives you don't go outside without a weapon. He was very lucky.

A Beautiful Monday at the Reagan Museum and Downtown Los Angeles

Last night we stayed near Thousand Oaks - near where Ronald Reagan lived. They have built a spectacular library and museum on a mountain overlooking Simi Library. They also have the old "Air Force One" in a airy indoor display.

After the museum - we drove the freeway to center city Los Angeles. In downtown - we visited the City Hall of "Dragnet" fame. Nancy also had to explore the Los Angeles Public Library. We visited the central market for lunch.

At 5:00 PM we decided to join the infamous LA Rush Hour Traffic. We set the GPS for our hotel in Yorba Linda - and just followed the arrows on the screen. It was about 30 miles to our hotel in traffic that was bumper to bumper - 5 lanes across going each way. It was stop and go most of the way. It took us a little over an hour to cover the 30 miles.

Tomorrow morning we will visit the Nixon library and birthplace - then head south to our hotel in La Jolla for our last night in California.

The pictures are - Harry with Ronnie at the museum - Air Force One (707 version) - Los Angeles City Hall - Los Angeles Library - and Nancy in the main hall of the LA Library.

"You Have the Right to Remain Silent" - Why is Harry at the Police Station?

You may recall that last year when Nancy and I went to Asia - we bought a used "beater" Mac Ibook for the trip for $300. We figured if anything happened to it - it would be no big deal. Boy I wish we were that smart this year.

Last week I got a brand new Apple Macintosh Mac Book Laptop. It was really neat. So neat - I brought it along on the California trip. On Thursday disaster struck. Somebody swiped it.

When we woke up in the morning - the internet in our hotel was not working. So I decided to take my laptop with me to the convention center to get "online." I then carried it around all day. At 6:00 pm - Nancy and I went to a sidewalk cafe to have supper before the 7 pm show at the convention.

Usually when we sit down to eat - I keep the laptop right in front of my face. But this time - I don't know why - I put it resting on my foot under the table. What a big mistake. As they said in the movie - "it was gone in 60 seconds." Wait - it gets better.

After the original discovery - and panic - we gave the eating place my name and phone number - just in case someone finds it. Fat chance.

At 9:30 pm - we were back at the hotel and my cell phone rang. It was a girl that said she had my laptop. She wanted a "ransom" to return it - I am not kidding - $300. A little voice in my head said, "If you vant to see the Lindbergh Baby ever again - you vill pay the money." That would have been a bargain. So I tried to arrange a "rendez-vous." She called me 4 times from 4 different pay phones. What compounds the problem was that we were on different sides of the city and I did not have a car.

We contacted the police - and arranged a "drop" in our hotel lobby. I am not kidding. I was the "pigeon" holding the bag in the lobby - and the cops were stationed behind the check-in desk. Then I got another call - saying she wanted to make the exchange at the Middletown trolley station.

Now the police called in 2 plain clothes officers. Nancy and I piled into the car and off we went to the trolley station to set up the "sting." When we got there it was almost midnight - and Harry the "sacrificial lamb" was left on the train platform alone while one officer was far down the tracks - and the other officer was in the car with Nancy.

Every episode of Dragnet - Adam 12 - Highway Patrol - Mod Squad - and Car 54 - were spinning through my head. As each train came to the platform - I expected Popeye Doyle to pop out of the train and start shooting.

I wish I had a better ending - but after an hour or two - we ended the "stakeout" and went back to the hotel and went to bed. The girl never showed up - never called again. So my brand new computer is gone forever.

Probably that girl is reading this story using my laptop to read my blog - only in America.

Nancy Shopping For Drugs in Mexico

An example of some of the drug prices in Mexico. Keith uses Claritin for hay fever. At home it costs about $1.00 a pill. In Mexico - it was $10.00 for 100 - same dosage.

Just Returned from Santa Barbara and Solvang

We are staying in a Hyatt in Thousand Oaks. It is right along Highway 101. You may remember that road from the song "he wore a black leather jacket with an eagle on the black...... and who was the terror of Highway 101."

Today we drove north on Highway 101 to Santa Barbara and Solvang. Highway 101 is not an interstate highway but it usually has 4 or 5 lanes in each direction. About 40 miles west is Santa Barbara - an upscale beach town with a pretty shopping area. Another 40 miles north is Solvang. Solvang is a town settled by Danish people in 1910. The entire town is full of Danish bakeries - restaurants - windmills - and Danish people. One of my favorites was a museum with 85 vintage motorcycles - all of them completely restored.

Solvang was featured in a recent film called "Sideways." There are about 50 wineries in the area - and lots of people go there for the "free samples." Solvang was one of the few highlights of the film.

In Santa Barbara - a groups of veterans have set up "Arlington West." It is a replica graveyard with crosses for each troop that has been killed in Iraq. Along the edge are also some signs showing famous George Bush actions and quotes on those dates. 2500 crosses make a riveting impression on one's mind. All of them killed in Bush's war to make his buddies rich. Shame on us for letting this happen. "Bring 'em on." Rant over - back to the trip.

Saturday Drive from San Diego to Hollywood and Beverly Hills

We ate at Mel's Drive-In across the street from Hollywood High School. Harry James found his star on the Walk of Fame. Nancy "shopped" on Rodeo Drive. Nancy has been watching Ruth Warrick on "All My Children" for 40 years. All the way up the San Diego Freeway - the median was full of these red and white flowers.

Friday was Tijuana Mexico

Here are a couple of pictures of the border - we ate in the rooftop restaurant next to that school bus - posed for the silly donkey picture - and Nancy loved shopping for shoes in a local shop.


Click pictures to enlarge

More Pictures From San Diego

Pictures -
1 - Note the perfect sky over Petco Field in downtown San Diego. The Padres are playing the Phillies on the east coast right now.
2 - The Wyatt Earp Museum in the Gaslight District highlights Earp's 20 years in San Diego.
3 - The USS Ronald Reagan passed in review by the front of our hotel.
4 - Nancy waits for the shuttle to the Convention Center - our room is on the 10th floor.
5 - Note the sailors on the deck of the Reagan - 3000 troops are on the ship.

FSU Woman Tennis Player Wins National Championship in her First Week on Campus

FSU Women's Tennis Newcomer MacFarlane Nabs USTA Junior National Singles Title

Incoming freshmen Lauren MacFarlane wins 18 and under singles draw at USTA National Opens at Scott Speicher Tennis Center.

July 5, 2006

Tallahassee, Fla. - Before donning a Garnet and Gold tennis uniform, incoming freshman Lauren MacFarlane won six matches and a singles championship on her future home court.

MacFarlane playing in the event hosted by the Tallahassee Tennis Association, dominated the courts winning the singles title and advancing to the finals of the doubles draw at the USTA National Opens in the 18 and under category from July 1-5, 2006 at the Scott Speicher Tennis Center.

Who Lives in Brookhaven Pennsylvania?

I really like that people read my web page. It is flattering and very fulfilling to think that I have something to say that is important enough that people will drop by again and again and read my silliness.

I have a program that allows me to "see" where people are that read my web page. You can do the same thing by clicking on the number counter at the bottom of my web page. It shows a map where the readers are located. Without fail - there is someone in Brookhaven, PA - that checks my page daily.

So - imagine what thoughts go through my mind when I check every day to see that the "Brookhaven Observer" keeps checking in or out. It would be nice to know who it is - or maybe it wouldn't be. :-)

This is What I Believe About Global Warming

This may be gruesome - but it is what I believe about global warming and the energy crisis.

Global Warming's Real Inconvenient Truth

By Robert J. Samuelson
Wednesday, July 5, 2006

"Global warming may or may not be the great environmental crisis of the next century, but -- regardless of whether it is or isn't -- we won't do much about it. We will (I am sure) argue ferociously over it and may even, as a nation, make some fairly solemn-sounding commitments to avoid it. But the more dramatic and meaningful these commitments seem, the less likely they are to be observed. Little will be done. . . . Global warming promises to become a gushing source of national hypocrisy.''

Well, so it has. In three decades of columns, I've never quoted myself at length, but here it's necessary. Al Gore calls global warming an "inconvenient truth," as if merely recognizing it could put us on a path to a solution. That's an illusion. The real truth is that we don't know enough to relieve global warming, and -- barring major technological breakthroughs -- we can't do much about it. This was obvious nine years ago; it's still obvious. Let me explain.

From 2003 to 2050, the world's population is projected to grow from 6.4 billion people to 9.1 billion, a 42 percent increase. If energy use per person and technology remain the same, total energy use and greenhouse gas emissions (mainly, carbon dioxide) will be 42 percent higher in 2050. But that's too low, because societies that grow richer use more energy. Unless we condemn the world's poor to their present poverty -- and freeze everyone else's living standards -- we need economic growth. With modest growth, energy use and greenhouse emissions more than double by 2050.

Just keeping annual greenhouse gas emissions constant means that the world must somehow offset these huge increases. There are two ways: Improve energy efficiency, or shift to energy sources with lower (or no) greenhouse emissions. Intuitively, you sense this is tough. China, for example, builds about one coal-fired power plant a week. Now a new report from the International Energy Agency in Paris shows all the difficulties (the population, economic growth and energy projections cited above come from the report).

The IEA report assumes that existing technologies are rapidly improved and deployed. Vehicle fuel efficiency increases by 40 percent. In electricity generation, the share for coal (the fuel with the most greenhouse gases) shrinks from about 40 percent to about 25 percent -- and much carbon dioxide is captured before going into the atmosphere. Little is captured today. Nuclear energy increases. So do "renewables" (wind, solar, biomass, geothermal); their share of global electricity output rises from 2 percent now to about 15 percent.

Some of these changes seem heroic. They would require tough government regulation, continued technological gains and public acceptance of higher fuel prices. Never mind. Having postulated a crash energy diet, the IEA simulates five scenarios with differing rates of technological change. In each, greenhouse emissions in 2050 are higher than today. The increases vary from 6 percent to 27 percent.

Since 1800 there's been modest global warming. I'm unqualified to judge between those scientists (the majority) who blame man-made greenhouse gases and those (a small minority) who finger natural variations in the global weather system. But if the majority are correct, the IEA report indicates we're now powerless. We can't end annual greenhouse emissions, and once in the atmosphere, the gases seem to linger for decades. So concentration levels rise. They're the villains; they presumably trap the world's heat. They're already about 36 percent higher than in 1800. Even with its program, the IEA says another 45 percent rise may be unavoidable. How much warming this might create is uncertain; so are the consequences.

I draw two conclusions -- one political, one practical.

No government will adopt the draconian restrictions on economic growth and personal freedom (limits on electricity usage, driving and travel) that might curb global warming. Still, politicians want to show they're "doing something." The result is grandstanding. Consider the Kyoto Protocol. It allowed countries that joined to castigate those that didn't. But it hasn't reduced carbon dioxide emissions (up about 25 percent since 1990), and many signatories didn't adopt tough enough policies to hit their 2008-2012 targets. By some estimates, Europe may overshoot by 15 percent and Japan by 25 percent.

Ambitious U.S. politicians also practice this self-serving hypocrisy. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has a global warming program. Gore counts 221 cities that have "ratified" Kyoto. Some pledge to curb their greenhouse emissions. None of these programs will reduce global warming. They're public relations exercises and -- if they impose costs -- are undesirable. (Note: on national security grounds, I favor taxing oil, but the global warming effect would be trivial.) The practical conclusion is that if global warming is a potential calamity, the only salvation is new technology. I once received an e-mail from an engineer. Thorium, he said. I had never heard of thorium. It is, he argued, a nuclear fuel that is more plentiful and safer than uranium without waste disposal problems. It's an exit from the global warming trap. After reading many articles, I gave up trying to decide whether he is correct. But his larger point is correct: Only an aggressive research and development program might find ways of breaking our dependence on fossil fuels or dealing with it. Perhaps some system could purge the atmosphere of surplus greenhouse gases?

The trouble with the global warming debate is that it has become a moral crusade when it's really an engineering problem. The inconvenient truth is that if we don't solve the engineering problem, we're helpless.

© 2006 The Washington Post Company

San Diego on the 4th of July

Pictures -
1 - This is the view of downtown and the harbor from our hotel room balcony.
2 - At 9 pm local time they had a big display of fireworks over the harbor. It was midnight in Tallahassee - but Nancy kept me up to see the action. Again from our balcony.
3 - The Ultimate RV - I like to joke that the definition of camping in America is a guy with a $100,000 motor home pulling a $50,000 SUV looking for a free place to park. This guy with the boat with a million dollar helicopter on the deck wins the title as "The Ultimate American RV."

Arrived Safely in San Diego

We left Tallahasse at 6:30 am - after a brief stop in Atlanta - we flew 4 hours to San Diego. Weather was nice most of the way - and I was able to see the sights coming across the US. I also used my Garmin C320 GPS to keep track of our location.

The plane cruised at 36,000 feet and 540 mph - you could still pick out cities - highways - rivers - lakes - etc.

We are staying at the Sheraton Hotel Marina - right on the bay. It is about 2 miles up the coast from downtown - but they run a free bus to the convention center from our hotel - every 10 minutes.

The weather is perfect - about 75 - breezy - sunny. The humidity is low so you are not sweating a lot. There are lots of small boats in the harbor waiting for the fireworks. I would have some pictures but I left the camera in the hotel room this afternoon. More tomorrow.

At 9 pm tonight they have a big fireworks display in the harbor. Our balcony overlooks the harbor and should give us a good view. We are jet lagged a bit - so it will be midnight eastern time - I hope I can stay awake.

Nancy registered for the NECC convention. She will be there for 3 days - and I will scout out the town. We were here in 2003 for the ALA convention.

San Diego gets around 10 inches of rain a year - compared to about 40 back in Tamaqua. The average temperature only fluctuates about 10 degrees throughout the year - mild winters and summers.

"California Dreaming" - Tomorrow We Fly to San Diego for an 8 Day Vacation

We are busy packing for the big trip west. We will fly from Tallahassee to Atlanta to San Diego. The weather is supposed to be in the 70s all week out there.

Nancy will attend a Computers in Education convention and then we will get a rental car and tour around for 5 days - just picking up hotel bargains on the internet as we go. It should be a fun and romantic "honeymoon." Some folks say - where do you go for vacation if you live in Florida. I guess we go to LA LA Land.

Nancy and I just celebrated our 35th anniversary. Also - Nancy's birthday is on July 12th. Two good reasons for a vacation.

First Internet Adventure - Nancy got online and got a free upgrade to First Class for the trip to California - for herself - not me. Something about a medallion member.