It seems like only yesterday… such a cute little guy, all smiles and giggles… I called him “Slick” and helped him learn to walk in front of our 4-plex apartment near Mather AFB where I was stationed… He was our first born… Yet today, somehow, he turns 45… with a beautiful family of his own! Is that possible?

Time passes far too quickly. I yearn to turn back the clock, to hold on to those precious early years… but then I would have to wait too long to know the fine man he has become… Happy birthday, Son!

But not this year. And not because I wisely and purposely planned it that way.

Sure, I’ve always been pretty organized, at least when it comes to finances. I kept meticulous records in envelopes and on ledger sheets until the advent of financial software, and in Quicken since. With just a few mouse clicks, I could tell where every nickel had gone, when, and why.

As a result, planning for and paying our income taxes was usually a relatively painless experience. And by design, we always owed Uncle Sam around a hundred dollars, about the same for the good State of California. Occasionally, we’d accidentally get a small refund.

But something changed during the last few years and we’ve owed more than anticipated - way more - and I think I know why. It’s because I’ve become lax. I haven’t kept up with the necessary planning, analysis and adjustments. Maybe the so-called “marriage tax,” had some effect, I don’t know. Anyway, it’s become an unpleasant annual surprise, one I’ve deliberately avoided facing until the very last minute.

This tax season was no exception. I gathered my tax related receipts, printed out the relevant reports and delivered them to our accountant on April 14, expecting we would once again owe taxes. After a mild grimace (he’s become accustomed to my late arrivals), he promised to call me the following day with an estimate of just how much.

But, quite unexpectedly, we’ll be receiving a small check from the State and, even more surprisingly, a fairly decent Federal refund as well! Shazaam! And just when we desperately need to replace our refrigerator and aging computer! A pleasant surprise for a change. Couldn’t happen at a better time!

I suppose if there’s a lesson to be learned from all this, it’s that I need to regain my former state of financial order, recalculate our future withholding so as to owe just a few shekels each year, and deal with the unavoidable future paperwork much earlier. It always feels better when we’ve planned well and know exactly what to expect.

So that’s my commitment. Ask me next April how well we did.

All right, I’m no supporter of PETA, but I ran across these ads and wondered if its current campaign featuring assorted actors and A-listers declaring their vegetarianism (and support for PETA) actually moves anyone to become a vegetarian.

PETA doesn’t particularly care about our health. They advocate vegetarianism in order to protect animals. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, mind you.

So does anyone really get behind PETA or become a vegetarian because they like seeing Alicia Silverstone or Sophie Monk naked? I mean, I’m a red blooded American male who enjoys seeing naked women as much as the next guy, but I’ve never felt an urge to buy a Caterpillar tractor because a naked actress posed for their calendar…

Mike sent this. Somebody’s bound to be offended…

It’s interesting to note that the head-to-head polls (which, of course, we know are meaningless except to ignorant folks who want to be told how to vote) appear as uncertain of a national election winner as the rest of us. Except, that is, for CBS News/NY Times which is pushing either democrat (no surprise there) as a winner over McCain. Real Clear Politics has a chart and more information.

Your responses to Friday’s post were appreciated and eye-opening. I think it’s safe to conclude that Dawn and I are not now and probably won’t be embracing “veganism”. We’re simply trying to adopt a more healthy diet, one based in part on the conclusions drawn by Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II in their book, The China Study. Ours was a misuse of the term; what I think we meant to say (we haven’t finished reading the book) was “vegetarianism” or some variation thereof. And since reading your comments, it would appear that our present stage of dietary evolution would best be categorized as “pescevegetarianism” or “semi-vegetarianism” because, while we’re otherwise conforming to a vegetarian diet, we’re also eating fish.

But that, too, may change. I read over the weekend that “95 percent of pesticide residue in our diet comes from meat, fish and dairy products (according to EPA estimates). Fish, in particular, contain carcinogens (PCBs, DDT) and heavy metals (mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium) that cannot be removed through cooking or freezing.” We haven’t yet found support for that assertion in Dr. Campbell’s book but, as I said, we haven’t finished reading it. So, at least for the time being, fish and seafood in general are still on the menu. I’ll keep you posted.

And thanks, Angel, for the Michael Cain cartoon; it hit the proverbial nail on the head!

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Since reading my March 6 post (Am I Becoming a Vegan?), several of you have asked how our attempt to convert from carnivorism to veganism, skipping altogether the transitional step of vegetarianism, is progressing. Well, after getting off to a somewhat rocky start, both Dawn and I are still on program. Of course, we’ve been subjected to some mild heckling and a generous amount of good natured ribbing from family and friends. My son, Rick, for example, called last night from San Diego to describe how great the steaks he had on the grill looked, smelled and were definitely going to taste. Yet we’re undeterred. In fact, we’ve both commented that, now that our bodies are becoming better adjusted to certain foods (no, we haven’t revisited brown rice), we’re feeling great!

However, our conversion hasn’t been without its share of obstacles. Aside from some pretty impressive grumbling from our digestive tracts, learning to be a vegan entails frequent trips to the grocery store with long lists of unusual ingredients neither we nor many store employees have heard of. Searching for unfamiliar items and reading labels to assure they contain no animal products takes far longer than we’re used to.

On one recent shopping outing to our local Nugget Market, I was armed with a lengthy list of twenty-five or so necessary ingredients for recipes Dawn wanted to try. After scouring aisles for nearly forty-five minutes with only marginal success, I ran into Store Director Randy Wehman who offered to help. After perusing the list and scratching his head (I couldn’t even tell him what recipes the ingredients were for!), he recruited two more employees, one a vegan, and between them found most of the things on my list. That’s customer service with a capital “C” and yet another reason we love this store!

So we’ve persevered. And we have to admit, almost all the meals we’ve prepared so far have been delicious! Of course, I’ve admittedly avoided revisiting the dreaded brown rice since nearly exploding after eating it the first time. But I know I can’t avoid it indefinitely; my appointment with the evil stuff is looming. And there have been a few other unpronounceable things I suspected of causing digestive problems since we began our quest, but I can’t say with certainty which parts of the meals were actually the culprits. So trial and error have become additional necessary adjustments along the road to veganism. I’ll keep you posted as we continue the journey.

By the way, I’ll be preparing “Popeye Pasta” for dinner this evening. Wish me luck!

In his March 27 article for AP, Tom Raum notes that while there’s little enthusiasm for government bailouts in general, voters are increasingly demanding immediate government relief as the economy ebbs. And Democratic presidential candidates, quick to recognize potential votes, are fanning the flames with promises of government aid for homeowners facing foreclosure. Clinton wants a $30 billion fund to assist those at risk of foreclosure, while Obama’s “plan” includes $10 billion to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.

I’m afraid I have to agree with Senator McCain: “It’s not the duty of government to bail out and reward those who act irresponsibly, whether they are big banks or small borrowers.”

Sure, the Fed orchestrated a bailout, if that’s you want to call it, for Bear Stearns. It reasoned that allowing a major investment bank to fail could so adversely affect the nation’s economy that helping shore it up, even with some detrimental economic effects of its own, would be the lesser of two evils. But now homeowners facing foreclosure want a slice of bailout pie as well, and both Clinton and Obama want government (read “taxpayers”) to serve them one. But is that such a good idea?

Not as I see it. I’m a believer in the philosophy that if you make a mess, you’re responsible for cleaning it up. And in this case, we taxpayers didn’t make the mess. So who did?

Click to read more ...

If you’re like me, your in-box is blessed with regular malware and phishing emails aimed at disrupting your blissful computer life or fleecing you of your hard earned money. Most of you recognize and delete them without much thought. But a few of you take the bait and that’s what keeps the perpetrators in business. Here’s an example I received this morning:

CNN, San Clemente, CA - Major Problems have been occured at San Clemente Nucklear Power Station - 20-year old circuit breaker fails to close, creating a 4,000-volt arc and fire. Possible radiation leaks on 100miles area. Evacuation process has been started - View current video-clip.

Clicking on the “link” usually results in the unintentional download of malware - a virus, worm, trojan or, in some cases, a carefully installed robot that secretly inducts your computer into an army of other computers controlled by the perpetrator. In some cases, perpetrators gain unfettered access to your hard drive, even monitor your every keystroke, and then steal your identity. It’s no wonder experts advise you not to “take the bait”, even if it appears to be from a friend.

More often than not, the bait email is riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, so it’s immediately suspect.

”Advance Fee” schemes are a little different. We’ve all received one variant or another, but new and creative ploys still regularly grace our in-boxes. Here’s a simple one I received last week:

Dearest One,

I am writting this letter with due respect and heartful of tears since we
have not known or met ourselves previously I am asking for your assistance
after I have gone through a profile that speaks good of you. I want to find out if it’s possible
for you to deal with individual as to investment. I came across your profile and I
feel it’s highly reputable that is why I pick an? interest getting across to you in respect of
investment at my disposal. I will be so glad if you can allow me and lead me to the
right channel towards your assistance to my situation now. I would like to use this opportunity
to introduce myself to you.
I am Sandra James 22Years Old Lady from (cote d ivore) ,the only daughter
of Late Micheal James , My father is now late he was a well known cocoa
and gold merchant business man in my country( cote d ivore) ,he was poisoned
by his co-business partner a year ago. The main reason why I am contacting you now
is to seek your assistance in the area of my future investment and also for a help hand over some huge amount of money in my possession. This fund ( US5.6 Million dollars) is deposited
in a bank in my country in (cote d’ivoire) a years ago by my father he made me the sole
beneficiary.I am now asking you to stand on my behalf,to stand as my partner and
in time of the claim and investment as well. I have made up my mind to offer you 13%of the
total money while the remaining will go into a productive investment. Pls attach your
direct and full information as you reply to me.
Thanks and remain bless.

Best Regards
Sandra James

Doesn’t her “heartful of tears” just tug at your , uh, heartstrings? Mine too! So much so that I think I’ll respond by telling her I’ll be be more than happy to help launder her money if she’ll just tell me how much I need to send her to get things rolling. Why? Just to pull her chain like she’s trying to yank mine. I’ll keep you posted.

Proving that photographers will do just about anything (and, apparently, assume any position) to “get the shot,” here’s one taken by Dawn during our long weekend with friends in Stinson Beach. On the left is our friend, Rob, grabbing some shots of a beautiful sunset. In order to steady his camera, he assumed this, uh, “unusual” stance and Dawn couldn’t resist capturing it for posterity.

As she sometimes does, Dawn gave me some sage advise this morning in the form of a newspaper clipping she’d found in the Sacramento Bee. Given the hectic week I’ve had, it seemed particularly relevant, so much so that I feel compelled to share it with my readers in the hope that it sets the tone for the beautiful spring weekend ahead. I plan to follow “Dolly’s” advise to the letter.

“The world is a fascinating place. Stay alert or you might miss something important. If someone says or does something you don’t like, don’t keep it bottled up. Express yourself. Me personally, I spit on them, but you should find whatever works best for you.”

Have a wonderful weekend! If you’re in Sacramento’s Midtown area tonight, drop by the Torch Club. Our friends, Larry Gromer and the Rupert Duncan Band, will be playing. Drop over and say “Hi”; I’ll be the handsome guy in the Hawaiian shirt next to the really cute blonde.

This should come as no surprise to cat owners, but the rest of you may be interested to learn that owning a cat is apparently good for your health. A new study finds that non-cat owners are 30-40 percent more likely to die of cardiovascular disease or a heart attack than those with a feline friend.

The findings emerged from an analysis of data on nearly 4,500 men and women, ages 30 to 75, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study. All were free of cardiovascular disease when they entered the study in the 1970s.

Compared with cat owners, people who never had a pet cat were 40% more likely to die of a heart attack over the 20-year study period. They were also 30% more likely to die of any cardiovascular disease, including stroke, heart failure, and chronic heart disease.

How about dogs? The study found no similar beneficial link. More

This story in yesterday’s paper made me smile. For 27 years, people have been walking past a display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, not paying any attention to the fact that it refers to Precambrian as an “era” when it’s actually a dimensionless unit of time (as we all know, right?) Anyway, 11-year-old Kenton Stufflebeam of Allegan, Michigan, noticed the glaring error during his vacation to Washington and alerted museum officials. The museum responded with a letter of gratitude to Kenton (although they misspelled his name and city - sigh) and promised to fix the problem.

It seems Kenton knew the period was misnamed because his fifth-grade teacher, John Chapman, had nearly made the same mistake in a classroom earth-science lesson before catching himself. “I knew Mr. Chapman wouldn’t tell all these students bad information,” he told reporters covering the story… Full story

I ran across this reprint of a 1943 article published in Mass Transportation Magazine that gave me a chuckle. Times have certainly changed; we like to think for the better. The eleven tips in this article prove the point.

I especially like, “Older women who have never contacted the public…are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy,” and “…’husky’ girls - those who are a little on the heavy side - are more even tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.” The latter reminds me of advise from my grandfather: “Marry a fat girl. They’re less likely to run around on you,” and “Marry a girl with small hands…” But that’s another story.

Before you’re too critical of the managers and supervisors of 1943, remember that it was war time and the majority of male factory workers had enlisted or been drafted and were stationed away from home. To keep the factories running, women were hired to fill the jobs formerly performed by men. Managers and supervisors of the day had little, if any, experience supervising and training inexperienced female workers, so articles like this one attempted to help guide their dealings with their new workforce. It was new and awkward for everyone, workers and management alike, and a testament to our determination to support the war effort that we were able to pull it off!

Click on the thumbnail image of the article and give it a read. For those of you old enough to remember WWII, it’ll be a walk down memory lane. For those of you too young to remember, it’s a piece of history that shows just how far we’ve come.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention that, along with April Fools’ Day, yesterday marked the 32nd anniversary of Apple, Inc. In its 80th Anniversary issue, Time Magazine revisits a 2003 story titled, “80 Days that Changed the World” that includes a piece about how Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak ushered in the personal computer with the founding of Apple on April 1, 1976:

They were two guys named Steve, so Steve Jobs was called Steve and Steve Wozniak went by Woz. At 25, Wozniak was the technical brains. Jobs, 21, was the dreamer with a knack for getting others to dream along with him. They had gone to the same high school, and in the hazy years after graduation - both were college dropouts - a shared interest in electronics brought them together. Jobs didn’t yet have his own place, so when their formal partnership began, the decision was made in a bedroom at his parents’ ranch house in Los Altos, Calif.

Most computers in 1976 were room-size machines with Defense Department size price tags, but Wozniak had been tinkering with a new design, and his computer was different. It wasn’t much to look at—just a bunch of chips screwed to a piece of plywood—but it was small, cheap and easy to use, and Jobs had noticed the stir it caused when they took it to a local computer club. “He said, ‘We’ll make it for 20 bucks, sell it for 40 bucks!’” Wozniak remembers. “I kind of didn’t think we’d do it.” Jobs came up with the name, inspired by an orchard in Oregon where he had worked with some friends: Apple Computer. “When we started the little partnership, it was just like, Oh, this will be fun,” Wozniak says. “We won’t make any money, but it’ll be fun.”

They didn’t go out and celebrate that day. Woz wouldn’t even quit his day job designing chips for calculators at Hewlett-Packard until months later, after Jobs had sold his Volkswagen bus for seed money. Nobody, not even Jobs, saw what was coming next: that Apple would create the look and feel of every desktop in the world and start our love affair with the personal computer.

I didn’t become an Apple fan (I prefer “user” or “evangelist”) until the introduction of the horribly overpriced ($10,000) Lisa, the first personal computer to feature a visual desktop (GUI) and a mouse. And when Apple later introduced the Macintosh, well, I was hooked. Happy birthday, Apple!