Should The Postal System Be Privatized?

Most of us have complaints about the postal system, especially after a trip to the post office.  Lines are often long, workers are often less than friendly, and shipping packages is getting more expensive all the time.  Would privatizing the post office improve any of this?  I think it's unlikely that much would change, except that prices would go up and delivery time, which is great, would stay the same.

We recently moved to Ocean Hills in Oceanside, and for the first time, have the same postman every day.  He rang my bell when we first moved in to introduce himself, and to let me know that he was there to help in any way he could.  He gave me instructions for what  to do when we're on vacation, too.  I was pleasantly surprised.  This is a far cry from our last neighborhood, where the mail often didn't arrive until after dark (seriously) and I never saw the same postman twice.

Why is the post office in such debt?  Very simply, much of it has to do with laws that Congress has passed demanding that the post office pre pay health benefits for 75 years.  How that happened I do not know, but this is the biggest reason for the post office's deficit.

I'm not saying that the postal service does the best possible job, they don't.  There is lots of governmental waste, but I'm not sure that's reason enough to scrap an agency that employees over 600,000 workers, many of them veterans.  Privatizing the system would only allow another large corporation to make all the money, and it's questionable whether they would do a better job.  What we need to do is get rid of laws that require prepayment of health benefits that are outrageous.  Just my opinion.

Spaghetti Casserole

I get tired of eating the same of dinners week in and week out.  I was trying to come up with a new twist on using up chicken and veggies the other night.  What I made was quite delicious, so I thought I would share it with you.  I made enough for about six people, so I froze half of it and will eat it in a few weeks.  This recipe can be varied in so many ways.

                                                                  Spaghetti Casserole

2 ounces whole wheat pasta (I used spaghetti)
1/2 pound cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup parmesean cheese, grated
1 tsp. olive oil
cauliflower and broccoli florets , cooked
1 can cooked tomatoes, drained
2 chicken breasts, cut in pieces, and cooked

Cook pasta, drain, add 1 tsp. olive oil, and set aside.  Spray a casserole dish with non stick spray, and add all the ingredients to the casserole, but reserve half of the cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top.  Mix well, top with the cheese, then bake for 30 minutes in 350 degree oven, or until bubbly.  You can alter this recipe by using jack cheese instead of cheddar and by using various veggies.  I used broccoli and cauliflower because that's what I had on hand.  You could use mushrooms, green beans, onions, green chiles, just about anything.  I stretched it out by adding extra veggies, but you can just use a small amount of vegetables and load up on the chicken, if that's what you like.  It's a good, hearty dinner for a cold winter night.  Serve with a nice salad for a complete meal.

Great Peruvian Food In LA

I was in LA in December to spend some time with our new grandson Calvin, and his parents, David and Tracy.  What a wonderful time we had!  Calvin is so precious, and I enjoy watching David and Tracy discover what parenthood is all about.  I did some baby sitting and gave the kids a chance to go shopping, exercise, whatever they wanted to do.  I want to go back and do it all again very soon.
I was with David, Tracy and Calvin during the day, but at night I spent time with my mom, something I always look forward to.  We planned to go out for a nice dinner, then come home and watch a little TV together.  Nothing special, but our time together, no matter what we do, is special to me.  At first I wanted to go to Fig and Olive on Melrose Place for dinner.  Having just been to the Newport Beach location for lunch a few days earlier, I was anxious to try the dinner menu.  I was so impressed with the restaurant when we went for lunch, I couldn't wait to go again.  It was not to be, however, as they were closed for a private party.  Instead, we tried Picca, a Peruvian restaurant on Pico near Robertson, and I'm so happy we did.  The food was amazing, and I'll try to tell you a little about the place now.

We arrived around 7pm which apparently is much too early, as it wasn't until 8-8:30 that crowds started arriving.  We didn't mind, as there were a few occupied tables and we got great service from our waiter, who had to explain the whole menu to us.  I won't attempt to do that here, but I will tell you, that the tastes and flavors are unique, not spicy, but just really good.  The menu is in Spanish, so our waiter was busy explaining.  Everything on the menu is a small plate, so we picked 5 dishes that we thought sounded interesting.  Our first dish was charred eggplant with sunchoke chips (delicious) and ponzu.  Next, we ordered beef tartare, with soy, avocado relish, wonton chips, on a bed of mashed potatoes.  We loved the next dish, a pumpkin and quinoa stew, fried egg, parmesean and roasted tomatoes.  The black cod on a skewer, with miso and crispy sweet potatoes was fantastic.  Our final dish was baby back ribs on a bed of coleslaw.  There are so many other fabulous dishes, too many for me to explain here.  Go to piccaperu.com to see the entire menu.  This is a great restaurant to go to with a group, as everything is shared.  You can try lots of flavors and still not eat too much.  The crowd was mostly couples in their 40's, and us.  If you're in LA, this is a place you may want to try, as we have nothing like it here in San Diego.  Even Qero which I dearly love, is quite different.  Be adventurous in your eating.  You may discover some new flavors that you really love.  I did.  The pumpkin stew was amazing.  The woman sitting next to us said she's been coming to Picca for several years, and she always gets the pumpkin stew.  It was wonderful, as was the entire meal.

(Pictures show the beef tartare, and the eggplant dish)

A Morning At The Symphony

On a cold and rainy morning in May, I had the privilege of attending a rehearsal of the San Diego Symphony.  My friend Barbara is a patron of the symphony, and arranged for a group of us to attend.  What a treat.  We sat up close and not only heard great music, but got to actually see the musicians and conductor up close and personal.  There were two large school groups in attendance, in addition to about 100 others, so there was a nice audience.  It was fun to see all the musicians in jeans and tee shirts rather than their normal formal attire.  I'm not a regular at the symphony, so I thoroughly enjoyed this.  I especially enjoyed seeing and listening to the guest violinist, 26 year old Ray Chen.

Ray Chen is a 26 year old Taiwanese-Australian violinish.  He was the first prize winner in the 2008 International Yehudi Menuhin Violin Competition and the 2009 Queen Elizabeth Music Competition and now records on the Sony Masterworks label.  He began playing violin at the age of four, studying the Suzuki Method, while in Queensland, Australia.  He was invited to play solo with the Queensland Philharmonic at the age of eight.  He also performed at the opening celebration concert of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.  He has too many other awards to enumerate here, but in 2006 he came to the U.S. and studied with some of the finest American teachers.  In 20100 Chen was signed by Sony Classical.  Additionally, he was invited to perform at the annual Nobel Prize Concert in 2012.  At the  rehearsal I attended, he was so gracious to the audience.  He spent about 15 minutes talking to the audience.  What a treat for the school kids.  Maybe he will inspire one of them to greatness.  In addition, he's not hard on the eyes.  He is movie star handsome.

Conductor Jahja Ling was just as much of a treat to see.  He is a world class conductor, who will be stepping down as musical director of the San Diego Symphony next year.  Mr. Ling holds one of the longest continuous relationships with one of the world's greatest orchestras, The Cleveland Orchestra.  He has had a relationship with them, in various capacities, for 30 years.  What I appreciate is his strong commitment to working with young musicians.  He has conducted the orchestras of the Julliard School, the Curtis Institute and the Aspen Music Festival.  Over his years with San Diego musicians, he has brought the San Diego Symphony to a tier 1 level.  He was also most gracious with the audience on the morning we heard the rehearsal.  He chatted with both school groups and any other adults that wanted to talk.  Truly a great morning.  Thank you, Barbara, for arranging this special trip for our group.

Who Is The Next Great Visionary?

Steve Jobs was considered one of the great visionaries of our time.  Read his book and you will get some insight into how he thought and how he got things done.  His death was a great loss, but we have a young visionary who is already changing the world in profound ways.  I'm talking about Elon Musk, the 42 year old overseer of  Tesla Motors, Space X and Solar City.  His vision is to change this world and beyond.  When he walked into the offices of Netscape Communications' headquarters in 1995 and try to get a job and they weren't interested, they didn't know what they were missing.  Musk went back to writing code and generating patents.  Those patents- for delivering maps, directions and phone directory information on the Internet- formed the basis of a company Zip2, that Musk launched with his younger brother Kimbal.  He was on his way.

Elon is constantly pushing people beyond what they think they can do, because people can usually do more than they realize.  When the company's at stake, everyone has to work as hard as possible.  Steve Westly, longtime venture capitalist and former California politician who served on Tesla's board, says Musk is a special entrepreneur.  "He's brilliant, driving, he 's resourceful, he's striving and he doesn't take no for an answer.  He's got the ability to disrupt multiple industries at the same time."

Tesla's goal is to speed the transition to electric cars, cut oil use and fight global warming.  The popularity of the Model S, which has become the status symbol of choice in California, has already forced other luxury automakers to follow with their own plug'in cars.  SolarCity, which offers homeowners solar power for no money down, threatens the business model of traditional electric utilities.  Since Jobs' death, Musk has become the country's Disrupter-in-Chief.  He has a change-the-world mentality.  Also like Jobs, Musk doesn't accept excuses or hal-baked answers.  His relentless questioning is one of the reasons Tesla and SpaceX survived.

Elon Musk made some bold and brave financial descision during the recession, when it looked like he might lose both Tesla and SpaceX.  Failure would have wiped him out.  He made a decision, to double down and try to save both entities, rather than letting one go and saving the other.  Both companies made, it could easily have gone the other way.

Tesla is developing its next car, the Model X crossover, due this year, and will build a $5 billion factory to produce lithium-ion batteries.  The first manned flight of  a Space X spacecraft may come this year too.  Solar City is growing at breakneck speed too.  they are testing energy storage devices for homes and business-using batteries from Tesla.  There remains the challenge of settling Mars, a  goal big enough to occupy anyone for a lifetime, but those who know Musk feel he will find other ideas to pursue.  He is a visionary with ideas that will change the world.

Scripps Encinitas: State of the Art ER

Several months ago I attended a lecture put on by Scripps Encinitas.  They were inviting donors and community to hear about what's new in medicine.  The topic of the evening was Dr. Erik Topol, and digitized medicine.  It was fascinating to find out that the IPhone will be the key player in the "new" medicine, and that many applications are already being used.  I met Lindsay Peterson at this event.  She works in fundraising and community outreach, so I asked her about conducting a tour for my Newcomers group.  She was happy to oblige.  Thanks Lindsay, for putting together such an interesting and informative tour.

Scripps is a non profit hospital, and just celebrated its 50th birthday.  We were lucky enough to tour the new Leichtag Critical Care Unit, part of the ER at Scripps Encinitas.  Our guide was Dr. Lovell, past chairman of the ER, and an ER doctor for 30 years.  He was personable and informative, answered all our questions, and then some.  He told us that ER services are growing at 3% per year.  I don't know why that is, but what it means is that ER facilities are busting at the seams, even the new ones.  One of the goals at Scripps Encinitas is to have no ER patient wait more than 30 minutes for treatment.  It's a lofty goal.  We noticed no patients in the waiting room.  They have three triage rooms, and patients are admitted at the front desk, then taken to a triage room as soon as possible.  One thing was noticeable-QUIET.  The waiting rooms, halls, in fact everything, is very quiet, even when they're busy.  Doctors do not wear pagers, and very rarely do you hear any announcements over the PA.  Each doctor and nurse has a monitor, which is a method of silent communication, thus reducing noise.

I asked about the use of IPhone technology (Dr. Topol) at Scripps, since Dr. Topol is on staff at Scripps.  Dr. Lovell told us they are using the IPhone for certain situations, and they are giving faster and better care.  Another new development, is the use of a "hospitalist."  This is a relatively new position.  It's a doctor who handles care for groups of patients.  The main doctor oversees treatment, and the hospitalist manages the care of many patients.  The purpose is to eliminate was and save time and money.

Finally, Dr. Lovell spoke about Scripps Encinitas nationally acclaimed rehabilitation center.  Their brain trauma center is second to none, and was used early in the Iraq war for recovering soldiers.  Even though the construction on the new ER has just been completed, they are already full.  Their expansion will add two more operating rooms.  When more expansion takes place is unknown right now.  Just know that you have a state of the ER in your own backyard, and if you ever need it, they're there to serve you.  Let's hope you don't need them!

Voting Rights Act: What's Happened To It?

When the Voting Rights Act was enacted in the 1960's, most Americans saw it as a good thing.  Previous disenfranchised citizens were now able to vote.  After all, with American citizenship comes the right to vote.  Right?  Not necessarily.  In recent years many states have been enacting sweeping voting restrictions aimed at NOT allowing certain citizens to vote.  Although they don't come out and say it, these restrictions are aimed at making it near impossible for some groups to vote:  African Americans, (especially poor ones), Hispanics, the elderly, and the very young  find it difficult to vote with new voting restrictions.  The reason for these restrictions is not fraud, as proponents of restrictive voting bills often say, but suppression of the vote by millions of Americans that may not vote the way they want.  Voter fraud is so minimal, at less that .01%, to say that's the reason for voter ID, is insulting.  The goal is to get as many white men and women, mostly middle age or older to vote, and keep people of color, the very young, the very old, and the poor from voting.  In other words, the Voting Rights Act does not exist as it was originally intended.

Bryan McGowan, a disabled Afghanistan and Iraq vet came home to vote in North Carolina.  He arrived for early voting as he had done many times in the past, only to be turned away.  North  Carolina eliminated same-day registration as part of the sweeping voting restrictions enacted by the Republican legislature in 2013.  Sadly, his story is not atypical.  Voters in fourteen states faced new voting restriction at the polls for the first time in 50 years.  Voters also arrived at the wrong polling location due to changes in venue of which they were not notified.  They cast provisional ballots, but most likely few were counted.

Nationally, 2014 turnout was the lowest since 1940.  In states where voting restrictions were enacted, the electorate was older, whiter and more conservative than in the past 20 years.  Texas was another state with very restrictive voter laws.  The voter ID law prevented 600,00 registered voters from voting.  They did not have the money or transportation to get the ID card and could not vote.  2014 was a grim election for voting rights.  The Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act with its decision, and it has become easier to buy an election and harder to vote in one.

So, what direction is our democracy going?  Are we trying to include as many citizens in the voting process as possible, or are we trying to exclude groups that do not favor our point of view?  You know the answer.  This is not the democratic way to hold elections.  Ok, I'll say it.  This is racist.  I don't care how they try to sell it to the public, we all know what it is.

Casa del Qero, My New Favorite Restaurant

On a recent Saturday night Ron and I were cruising around in his convertible, looking for a place to eat.  We had heard that a casual dining restaurant, Casa del Qero, had just opened, so we decided to check it out.  It's the newest restaurant from Monica Szeepesy, chef and owner of both  the original and the new Qero.  I loved it instantly!  It's location is a bit off the beaten place.  It's a destination.  Located at 815 Birmingham Dr in Cardiff, right behind the Chevron Station, you have to know where you're going to find it.  Once you get there, you'll be glad you did.  As soon as you walk in, you feel like you're in a country farmhouse.  There's a great energy in the room, and you feel like you belong there.

The restaurant was full, so we took a seat at the bar, talked to the bartender Michael, and watched the chef at work.  It was such an enjoyable evening.  We began with glasses of sangria.  We almost ordered a pitcher for the two of us ($25), and would have drank the whole thing, but we stuck to one glass each.  Delicious.  I ordered the lomo saltado, a Peruvian classic, made of sautéed flank steak, onions, tomatoes and French fries.  It was served with a side of quinoa.  I ate every bit of it.  Ron ordered the aji de gallina, hand torn bits of chicken in a roasted walnut and creamy golden sauce, topped with aji Amarillo sauce.  Again, the flavors were so delicious, Ron was practically licking the plate.  Other items on the menu include ceviche, one of their signature dishes.  Each day it is made from a different fresh fish, lime juice and spices, and it is really great.  Anticuchos means "on a skewer", and they offer beef hearts, papas and choclo, among other skewered meats.  Calamari is on the menu, as is papa rellena.  The latter is a mixture of mashed potatoes, wrapped around a filling of ground beef, raisins and spices.

Everything is so delicious and flavorful that you leave there already planning a return dinner.  We did not have dessert on this particular night, but they do serve the most delicious tres leches (three milks) cake I have ever eaten.  It's the same one they serve at Qero in Encinitas, and it is moist and mouth watering.  I'm hungry just thinking about it.

Casa del Qero is closed on Monday.  I would strongly suggest reservations.  It's a great place to go with a group of 4-8 people.  If they've never eaten Peruvian food before, you will be introducing them to some of the best Peruvian food around, and they too, will become frequent guests at Casa del Qero.

Why Did You Watch The Mayweather-Pacquiao Fight?

I didn't watch the fight for so many reasons.  None of them have anything to do with not liking boxing, which I don't.  I didn't watch the fight because of the ethics and character, and lack of morality of the fighters involved.  Recently atheletes have been in the news much too often for their misbehavior.  Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson are the two that come immediately to mind.   They were not only reprimanded by their teams and the public, but they were punished financially.  If and when they do play again, they will be watched carefully, and if they do anything like what they did recently, they will probably be barred from the game.  Not so with Floyd Mayweather.

Floyd Mayweather is a serial abuser.  He has had seven assaults against five women that resulted in arrest.  In addition, the police have been called to his house a total of 21 times for domestic battery.  In plea agreements with prosecutors, Mayweather got a suspended six -month jail sentence, a $3,000 fine, 48 hours of community service and two days of house arrest for allegedly stiking the mother of one of his children in the face with a car door and punching her several times in the face.  In another Las Vegas nightclub incident, he was found guilty on two counts of domestic battery and given a suspended six month prison sentence.  Questioned by CNN reporter Rachel Nichols last year about his abusive behavior, Mayweather showed little remorse.  He noted that there were "no pictures."  What I find astonishing is that the public overlooks his violent behavior outside the ring.

Like Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao grew up in poverty.  They both have a similar story in that respect.  They can both be admired for reaching the pinnacle of their sport after enduring a childhood of poverty.  Pacuiao even became a politician.  In many ways, his influence is more far reaching than Mayweather's, even though he lost the fight.  His ideas on women and marriage are not in line with mine he does have a right to think the way he does.  He has fought in the Philippine parliament against legislation that would mandate  sex education, subsidize contraception, and expand family planning.  He believes in no birth control and is against gay marriage.  Again, he has a right to his ideas, but I don't have to watch him fight contribute to his income.  The fact of the matter is that he owes $75 million in taxes, between the IRS and the Philippine tax authorities.  So this fight he just lost paid off his debts and then some.

The question for me is "Why do Americans overlook the violent behavior of Floyd Mayweather, yet come down hard on other athletes?  I strongly believe that athletes and actors, and others in the public eye, have a great responsibility to their public.  Young boys and girls are watching them, watching their example.  They want to be like them.  Do we want our young boys thinking that Mayweather's behavior is OK?  I don't, and for that reason I didn't watch the fight.  I don't want to put money in the pocket of a serial abuser.  That's my rant for today.

What Happens In Vegas Stays In Vegas

That is, unless I decide to write about it in a blog!  I just returned from three wonderful days with three wonderful friends in Vegas.  I had not visited Sin City in about 15 years.  I'm not much of a gambler, and frankly, I did not know about all the wonderful activities outside of visiting the Strip.  Debbie, who recently moved there, showed us the ropes.  She's an outdoor girl, and our first stop was Red Rock Canyon.  It was  a cool, windy afternoon in late April, perfect for an afternoon hike.  Judy, Christie, Jan, Debbie and I headed for Ice Box Canyon.  Along the way we saw climbers bouldering (makes me so nervous) and many hikers like ourselves, out for an afternoon of exercise and beauty.  We thoroughly enjoyed the hike, but unfortunately, did not see any wild burros or horses.  Jan and Debbie had seen them just the day before, but we weren't so lucky.

The next day was devoted to hotel hopping on the strip.  We hit many of the best hotels, including Bellagio, Caesars, Cosmopolitan, Aria, and Wynn.  What a feast for the eyes.  We enjoyed the Chilule glass in the Bellagio, and more Chilule at a store next to the Aria.  His art is just for looking, as the smallest piece starts at $5,000.  People watching was also fun on this Saturday.  Every size, shape and nationality was in evidence.  Many men and women were dressed to the nines, and others looked sloppy and out of place.  I guess if you've got money to spend it doesn't matter what you look like.

Our trip to Hoover Dam and Lake Mead was fabulous.  I had never been there, and was in awe of this architectural feat built over 80 years ago.  Most interesting to me was to see where the water level used to be in the dam, and where it is now.  It's about 50% lower than it originally was.

As we often do when we get together, we talked and we talked and we talked.  We were so busy talking that we never turned the TV on.  What we talked about I cannot tell you.  What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.  I will say we tried to get tickets for the hit show in Vegas "Puppetter of the Penis."  There were billboards for the show for 30 miles before arriving in Vegas.  They were all sold out for the night we wanted to go, so we'll just have to imagine what we missed.

We also had time to visit a friend who recently moved to Las Vegas.  She lives in a beautiful high rise condo, with gorgeous nighttime views of the Strip.  We went across the street from her condo to a local gambling casino and hotel, for a little blackjack and dinner.  We enjoyed a wonderful Italian dinner (I should say Christie and I had a wonderful dinner, Deb's meal was not good) and then home to pack and collapse into bed.  A great time was had by all, and since what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas I really can't tell you about dancing in the elevator or some of the more colorful characters we met and hung out with.  One final thing that really got me is this.  When I sat down at the blackjack table, a nice young Vietnamese man greets me with a friendly smile, and says "Hi Grandma."  I was so upset by this, but came to found out that it's a cultural thing.  They call everyone Grandma, Grandpa, sis, pop, brother.  Whew.  He told me he meant it in a loving way.  Vegas is always fun, and full of surprises, especially when you go there with four fun loving friends.

 

Just Thought You Should Know: Hate Groups and Antigovernment Groups Are On The Rise

Hate groups have been present in this country for decades, but a recent report released by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) show an 813% rise in the number of such groups since 2008, with increasing numbers each year.  Hate groups are most prevalent in California, with 84 total, and Texas with sixty-two.

The  SPLC counted over 1,000 hate groups in the U.S. in 2012.  By the SPLC's standards, hate groups, "have beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics,"  and their activities can include "criminal acts, marches, rallies, speeches, meetings, leafleting or publishing."

The rise in hate groups has been fueled by the election of President Obama, the poor economy and more recently, the gun control debate in the wake of the Connecticut school massacre, according to the annual report of the SPLC, which tracks American hate.  "The anger, angst, frustration and fear surrounding the economy have very much poured fuel on the fire,"  said Mark Potok, a senior fellow at the  SPLC.

The increase in hate groups prompted the SPLC to write a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, warning of the potential for domestic terrorism and urging the creation of a task force to assess whether there are enough federal resources devoted to the threat.

Hate groups are now transitioning from racist hatred to hatred focused on the government and its reprensentatives.  The patriot and militia groups are some of the fastest growing groups, and their goals and rhetoric must be understood in order to implement successful strategies to counter their behavior if they should become violent.

Corporate media has paid little attention to this story.  Both the New York Times and MSNCB covered the report on the day the SPLC issued it, but other than that, establishment media have done little to shed light on this subject.  To me this is a frightening situation, and I just thought you should know.