Reuters
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The Federal Reserve’s decision on Wednesday to hold rates steady and pencil in fewer rate hikes reflects a central bank feeling its way through tremendous uncertainty.
“The Fed is driving on a cliff road on a foggy night, it makes sense to go slow,” said Kim Schoenholtz, an economists professor at NYU Stern School of Business.
Zachary Karabell, head of global strategy at Envestnet, agreed.
“I think the Fed should be uncertain,” given that all the models the central bank used to rely on have been breaking down over the past seven years.
The global environment feathers very low inflation, low long-term interest rates and there’s not a lot monetary policy can do to move the needle of demand, Karabell said.
“The world is too fluid. It is a little crazy out there,” is how former St. Louis Fed President William Poole put it before the U.S. central bank meeting.
After two days of talks, Fed officials held rates steady for the second straight meeting due to “global economic and financial developments in recent months.” They penciled in only two rate hike this year, down from four in December.
See: Fed leaves interest rates unchanged, sees only two hikes in 2016
Karabell took issue with Yellen’s statement during the press conference that U.S. monetary policy is “somehow constrained” by the fact that other major global central banks, such as the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan, are adopting easier policy measures.
Fed officials know that if they tighten rate policy, money will flow into the U.S. and rates will drop.
It’s a more significant factor but Yellen “would take a lot of heat” if she mention it because the global interest-rate environment is not part of the Fed’s mandate from Congress, he said.
Schoenholtz said the so-called “dot-plot” was the most interesting part of the Fed’s post-meeting communication despite Yellen’s attempt to downplay its significance.
“There was not a lot of news in the statement but there was more content in the dot plot,” he said.
The Fed revised down the path of rates and also lowered the so-called neutral funds rate, or the level of interest rates where the economy could grow without engendering inflation.
“The dot plot is useful, the Fed shouldn’t scrap it,” he said.
He endorsed a recent paper by leading economists and a former Fed governor to improve the dot plot by tying the dots to a specific economic forecast.
Wednesday March 16, 2016:
Another Gasoline Crash UP
The stock market gained almost 75 pts today but Oil gave back .84 to 36.34 and gasoline, well when it is going down they wait a while but if it hiccups up they quickly raise the gas price...at least it appears that way to me.
Someone (Charter{my ISP} I think) has my website, this one, cortezcate.com, blocked. I am going to find out for sure who has it blocked and then see what/why I hope.
Just now got the program back up and it is bed time. If able I will add content later today but likely not until Thursday (I sure hope by then).
I need to bitch some more about the oil/gasoline crisis. Oil was down a bit today so look for another raise in gasoline at the pump, in California, as they have us hooked and we just keep paying. Somewhere around $34.00 bucks a barrel Gas was at its recent (several years) low in Santa Maria because I paid $1.95 and just over 12 days later it is up $.75 at that same pump(s) $2.70.
Monday March 14, 2016:
More on the Jekyll Island Book
This book is quite large and covers a lot of history. The author makes compelling arguments and comparisons of current and historical events. I have not read the text but have it as an audio-book and I have listened to it at least three times and it is a 24 hour recording. If you are interested it is on Audible. It is my belief that one should view everything with guarded skepticism. I have been around long enough (really) to have learned something you may or may not know, "everyone lies". Hey I just said above that I believed you should view everything with some skepticism, if I believe that everyone lies, and I would bet a whole bunch on it, then of course you must understand that I too can, could and have lied. Enough of that, I am only making a point that we can never believe everything we read hear or even see and we are charged with doing our own due diligence in all matters.
Oh, as to my editing of the website I have made a little progress but it may be a bit difficult to see. It is a work in progress and I will continue I hope. Most at fault are my drop-down menus above. I am slow at relearning about how to code some of these things and I just hope I am able to eventually prevail. Probably I am the only person that really gives a hoot.
My friend who keeps track of the rain for our area tells me that we are nearing the 23 inch mark and I think he says that is since October 2015 working on six months and the 23 inch number is what we believe is the expected "average" rainfall for our area specifically Arroyo Grande, California. Please don't quote me or take as gospel the 23 inch number as I am pulling it from my memory and that is stored in a very crowed traffic area and could be totally wrong.
Sunday March 13, 2016:
Daylight Saving Time Again
Time changed at 0200 this morning (Spring Forward). I usually miss it or forget but someone reminded me last night and I got it in here; just in case someone needs to know.
Duh! I just realized that the menus above are not working properly and I apologize and I will try to get it repaired soon.
I will post more about it soon but I recently listened to an audio-book, "The Creature From Jekyll Island" by G. Edward Griffin.
Publisher's Summary
This classic expose of the Fed has become one of the best-selling books in its category of all time. Where does money come from? Where does it go? Who makes it? The money magician's secrets are unveiled. Here is a close look at their mirrors and smoke machines, the pulleys, cogs, and wheels that create the grand illusion called money. A boring subject? Just wait. You'll be hooked in five minutes. It reads like a detective story - which it really is, but it's all true.
This book is about the most blatant scam of history. It's all here: the cause of wars, boom-bust cycles, inflation, depression, prosperity. Your world view will definitely change. Putting it quite simply, this may be the most important book on world affairs you will ever read.
The 5th Edition includes a no-holds barred analysis of bank bailouts under the Bush and Obama Administrations that are shown to be nothing less than legalized plunder of the American people. Many other updates have been added, including a revision to the list of those who attended the historic meeting at Jekyll Island, where the Federal Reserve was created. ©1994 G. Edward Griffin (P)2013 Audiobooks.com
Saturday March 12, 2016:
Hey, how about those gas prices?
Here, Central Coast of California, prices are probably higher than in most of the areas of the U.S. But just this last week at the place I use that usually has the lowest price, Foods Co. in Santa Maria, Ca. the price jumped about 25% in one lousy week! I bought gas there about a week ago for $1.95 gallon and today it was an unmerciful $2.49. Well, we foolish Americans have let them have their way with us and seemingly they think they can continue and so far they have/are. Come on America, we have to do something about this crap. Oh, too, how do you like congress feeding us this crap that there was no inflation in 2015 thus no cost of living increase for Social Security; and Obama did nothing about it! Hey, how much of this hidden taxation (inflation) without representation are we going to take. I haven't looked it up but I would bet a bunch that Congress got a raise somehow.
Friday March 11, 2016:
Updates in Progress
We are working on major updates and anticipate several days of continued discord.
At the same time we are experiencing negative results from our upgrade (??) to Window 10. Anyone willing to share experience and solutions to Windows 10 (messing with files) problems we would appreciate a heads up at cortezcate@gmail.com.
Thursday March 10, 2016:
Happy 19th Birthday to Grandson Kevin Candela
Hi Kev, hope you have a really happy birthday and I look forward to seeing you soon. It seems like yesterday (pic) now you are ending the teens. Good Luck Always, granpa. Oh, if you get a chance send me a current picture...thanks.
Wednesday March 9, 2016:
Repeat Yesterday's "International Women's Day"
Tuesday March 8, 2016:
International Women's Day
Praise and support to our women throughout the World. Women will prevail but they appreciate and can use our support as they respond to their unique challenges; personal, political and particularly health and well being.
I would like to share a response received from Ashley Knowles (info at end of document) as follows. We will continue and try to increase our support of all women's causes here with our resources. cortez cate
Hello,
I came across this page of your site http://www.cortezcate.com/Archives/2010/March/March-2010.html and noticed that you are linking tohttp://www.empowher.com/condition/cancer and other women's health resources. With yesterday being International Women's Day I felt compelled to reach out and thank you for these efforts – this is a mission I have been deeply involved in as well. If I may have just a moment of your time, I wanted to talk to you about an under served segment among women – and also suggest an addition to your page.
Women are confronted with unique challenges regarding mental health, addiction and stigmas that often act as a barrier to receiving the treatment and help they need.
While there are many unique addiction and mental health resources available for women, none of them are comprehensive and specifically tailored to addiction among women. After research across the resources available on the web, the AAC team noticed the absence of a centralized resource designed to help understand the basics of mental health, alcohol use and addiction within this demographic and offer guidance on navigating support systems. They decided to fill this gap of knowledge.
The result is this page:
http://sunrisehouse.com/addiction-demographics/women/
This page summarizes available governmental, organizational and other resources and makes them easily accessible to those searching for assistance. It includes dozens of the latest studies and external resources for women seeking information and assistance. We hope that the quality of this page and the importance of the subject matter merits inclusion on your page alongside the other resources you have provided – or elsewhere on your website.
Thank you so much for your time. If you have the chance, please let me know what we need to do to have this page included as a resource. If you are not responsible for modifications to this page, apologies for the miscommunication, and I would greatly appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction.
Thank you,
Ashley Knowles
outreach@advocatesforhealth.org
Friday March 4, 2016:
Repairs going very slow!
I think I made a mistake by going ahead and downloading Win 10. I am not at all convinced the O.S. is much ahead of the miserable (my opinion) Win 8. I am going to give it a fair try but I am not impressed yet.
On top of the computer crash I am also having some vehicle difficulties.
Thursday March 3, 2016:
My big crash finally sees some repair!
As that is not enough here all of a sudden we have had a February 29 (heard that this is a "double" leap year) and this year is passing in super record time. I just can't help griping about the time it seems although I have said several times that I would quit bitching about it.
Now I have to relearn a bunch of stuff I should know really well. Then I must remember I was not the best disciplined of students and missed a few days/classes that I could really use now, too I went to school in Brea and a few of us use that (jokingly, because it was a really good school, and good teachers, super good as a matter of fact will be my statement) as an excuse for being so retarded.
I know what happened (almost) to the machine and my website and hopefully I can get to the real bottom of it before it happens again. Problem is that I just have to much to do and I am too slow.
So I am going onward right now and will get a better explanation up sometime this week will be my goal.
Monday January 19, 2016:
Walmart New Openings!
Like I said before (or should have said) I personally don't know or have a clue to anything about Walmart. My statement that the economy was not good is still something I believe but these store closings probably do not support that thought as I initially believed they may. Because, Walmart said that it's still sticking to its plan announced last year to open 50 to 60 super-centers, 85 to 95 Neighborhood Markets and 7 to 10 Sam's Clubs in the U.S. during the fiscal year that begins Feb. 1. Outside the U.S., Walmart plans to open 200 to 240 stores; now according to my math (remember I went to school in Brea) there will be a net increase in the number of Walmart stores to anywhere from 73 to 136 STORES. However the new stores NEW square footage will be much larger than the 73-136 number suggests. Still, Walmart, shares have suffered a good bit during the year and following the announcements. The larger impact is of course how Walmart manages the employee situation. More on that later.
So in view of all this I have been reading the comments of folks around the states and it is at the very least interesting. Many comments are a little far out but who knows, some may be correct in their assessments. Personally I would not trust any big corporation to do the right thing. I think they all have only one objective, profit. I do not say that is necessarily wrong but it is wrong if they try to project a false image while maintaining that corporate culture. Smart folks can produce really good arguments to support their positions and the basis of fact often is totally absent. If not totally absent the clever ones find a way to twist facts to support their ideals...NO, ideals is not the correct word, I think selective positions is a better way of putting it. Like did Johnnie Cochran really believe O.J. was innocent?
Saturday January 16, 2016:
Walmart to close 269 stores!
Neither am I an economist but this does not look like a good sign to me. Also, in case you did not know, the Dow was down over 500 points at one time Friday and closed under 16,000.
Follow this link (end of paragraph) to see if your store is among the ones closing but you would likely already know I suppose because I know they are closing one in Oakland, Ca on January 17 and according to my calendar that be Sunday. I think most of the others are closing on January 28, 2016 but think about it they have a lot of inventory to relocate and they aren't wasting any time thinking about it. Look here for the map.
Friday January 15, 2016:
Seven Traits of Successful People
Wanna be successful? Check it out.
There is no royal road to learning or so I have heard.
Yesterdays link to Historical Events is still available.
Thursday January 14, 2016:
Today In History.
What Happened This Day In History Take a look, pretty interesting list of events; of course that is true of every day.
Now it is nearly the middle of the first month.
I am not finding content that I like and therefore I will continue searching.
Monday January 11, 2016:
Just like that
>>>2016
is for sure here and I have been away from this site not doing a very good job.Hopefully I am going to start to step things up here and maybe get something going.
Saturday December 12, 2015:
December 12 is the 346th day of the year
(347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. For us that are mathematically challenged there remains only 19 days and then 2016 is off and running....(:
Friday December 11, 2015:
Tis The Season
Well, the banks and retailers pray that it is the season for you to empty your wallet or max your card in their store.
I read on the interned that the average American will spend $700 on holiday gifts and such this year. That is in the neighborhood of $465 billion according to the National Retail Federation estimates. So too they say that if all that money was spent entirely on US made products it would create 4.6 million jobs. (I assume they mean 'new jobs'). Too, they say, that if each of us spent just $64 on American made goods, in the season, that little effort 'could' create some 200,000 new jobs. Or so "THEY" say. I attended school that was not real heavy on teaching math, or perhaps more accurately said, "I is pretty poor at math", but don' 64 go into 700 about 11 times? Is 11 times 200,000 equal to 4.6 million? See there is so much I don't understand about finance and such>>> perhaps this is how banks make so much money after all it is only numbers. (:
Sunday November 29, 2015:
How Did Christmas Start?
*The explanation given below is not verified and should not be used for citing articles nor strongly relied on.
Christmas or "Christ's Mass," the celebration of Jesus Christ's birth, began in European and Middle Eastern Christendom in the 3rd Century. These early celebrations, feasts, or "Masses" were not standardized or widely held. It is thought that the early Christians did not widely celebrate the birth of Jesus. This is most likely true since the primary focus was on His life, crucifixion, and particularly His resurrection (Easter). There certainly were some early celebrations. Early writings including a "feast calendar" written in 243AD indicate that there were some celebrations in the third century and perhaps in the second century. Christmas celebrations did not gain widespread prominence however until the Middle Ages or starting from around 400AD.
These celebrations began and occurred in the areas where Christianity started and spread, the areas around the Mediterranean, including the Middle East, North Africa, southern Europe.
Christmas day, December 25, is not necessarily the actual date of Christ's birth. The true date may not be known because we lack enough information to pinpoint it precisely. (Beware that there are many who claim to have calculated the actual date and are most likely no more accurate than December 25.) Other dates including December 25 were used for this feast.
December 25 was settled on by the early church for reasons that are not absolutely clear (but there are some logical reasons for that date).
The Most Successful Christmas Albums Ever
Thursday November 26, 2015: Thanksgiving Day
What is the history of Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving Day can be traced back to the 1621 celebration at the Plymouth Plantation, where the religious refugees from England known popularly as the Pilgrims invited the local Native Americans to a harvest feast after a particularly successful growing season. The previous year's harvests had failed and in the winter of 1620 half of the pilgrims had starved to death.
The First Thanksgiving 1621, oil on canvas by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (1899) Luckily for the rest, members of the local Wampanoag tribe taught the Pilgrims how to grow corn, beans and squash (the Three Sisters); catch fish, and collect seafood. There are only two contemporary accounts of the 1621 Thanksgiving, but it's clear that Turkey was not on the menu. The three-day feast included goose, lobster, cod and deer.
So why do Americans eat Turkey on Thanksgiving Day?
American servicemen chow down to a turkey dinner in 1918
Pilgrim Edward Winslow wrote a letter about that now-famous meal in 1621 which mentioned a turkey hunt before the dinner.
Another theory says the choice of turkey was inspired by Queen Elizabeth I who was eating dinner when she heard that Spanish ships had sunk on their way to attack England.
Queenie was so thrilled with the news she ordered another goose be served. Some claim early US settlers roasted turkeys as they were inspired by her actions.
Others say that as wild turkeys are native to North America, they were a natural choice for early settlers.
Who set the date of Thanksgiving Day?
'The National Thanksgiving Proclamation' was the first formal proclamation of Thanksgiving in America. The first President of the United States George Washington made this proclamation on October 3, 1789.
Then in 1846, author Sarah Josepha Hale waged a one-woman campaign for Thanksgiving to be recognised as a truly national holiday.
Abraham Lincoln and Sarah Josepha Hale conspired to fix Thankgiving Day across the US
In the US the day had previously been celebrated only in New England and was largely unknown in the American South. All the other states scheduled their own Thanksgiving holidays at different times, some as early as October and others as late as January.
Hale's advocacy for the national holiday lasted 17 years and four presidencies before the letter she wrote to Lincoln was successful. In 1863 at the height of the Civil War he supported legislation which established a national holiday of Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November.
Lincoln perhaps wanted the date to tie in with the anchoring of the Mayflower at Cape Cod, which occurred on November 21, 1620. Although we now use the Gregorian calendar. In 1621 the date would have been November 11 to the Pilgrims who used the Julian calendar.
So Hale finally got her wish. She is perhaps now better known, though, for writing the nursery rhyme 'Mary Had a Little Lamb'.
Franksgiving
In 1939, President Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving up a week to try and give a boost to retailers before Christmas during the Great Depression.
President Franklin D Roosevelt and wife Eleanor celebrate Thanksgiving Day 1935
Several states followed FDR’s lead but 16 states refused move the holiday shift, leaving the country with rival Thanksgivings. FDR changed his mind after coming under pressure from Congress and in 1941, the a resolution was passeed returning the holiday to the fourth Thursday of November.
Atlantic City mayor Thomas D. Taggart later described the Thanksgiving holiday from 1939–1941 as "Franksgiving".
There are still two Thanksgivings
Canadians mark Turkey Day, too, in fact it was the first country to do so. Canada celebrates a separate Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October.
It was first celebrated by the arctic explorer Martin Frobisher in 1578 - more than 40 years before the Pilgrim fathers arrived in the New World.
Football!
Like soccer on Boxing Day in the UK, football (the American version) plays a major role in Thanksgiving.
The University of Detroit Stadium hosted the first Thanksgiving Day football game in 1934, pitting the Detroit Lions against the Chicago Bears.
Go Dallas: A pair of pilgrims cheer on the Cowboys on Tanksgiving Day
The game was the brainchild of G.A. Richards, the first owner of the Detroit Lions. He was keen to promote the new franchise in a baseball-mad city, so he approached NBC to get them to broadcast the game across their national radio network. They agreed and the game became the first ever network broadcast event.
The game was such a hit it became a tradition in the US and football is now an integral part of the day.
The annual Macy's parade
Another Thanksgiving tradition is the Macy's parade in New York City - an annual pageant of floats, cheerleaders, marching bands and gigantic balloons.
A giant Spiderman balloon in the 2014 Macys parade Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
The parade dates back to the 1920s when many of the immigrant workers at Macy's department store were keen to celebrate the American holiday with the sort of festival their parents had thrown in Europe.
It originally started from 145th Street in Harlem and ended at Herald Square, making a 6-mile (9.7 km) route.
The newest route was introduced with the 2012 parade. This change eliminated Times Square and rerouted the parade down Sixth Avenue, a move that was protested by the Times Square BID, Broadway theatre owners and other groups.
The 2015 Thanksgiving Day Parade route
New York City officials preview the parade route and try to move as many potential obstacles out of the way, including traffic signals.
Let's talk turkey
When European settlers encountered turkeys for the first time in the early 1500s, they incorrectly identified the birds as a type of guineafowl.
Since this group of birds were thought to come from Turkey, the North American bird was dubbed 'turkey fowl'.
This later became shortened to 'turkey' and entered the vernacular. The English navigator William Strickland, who introduced the turkey into England in 1550, was granted a coat of arms (left) which included a "turkey-cock in his pride proper".
The official record of his crest in the archives of the College of Arms is said to be the oldest surviving European drawing of a turkey.
(In Portuguese the translation of turkey is 'peru'. The exotic birds taken back to 16th century Portugal had come from there, you see.)
The Presidential reprieve
Eating turkey is actually more associated with Thanksgiving than it is Christmas in the States with over 50 million turkeys served up every year in the US.
'Go in peace, not in pieces': President Obama - watched by his daughers Sasha and Malia - pardons a lucky turkey Photo: Getty Images
Every year, though, the POTUS ‘pardons’ at least one turkey. This year, Jihad Douglas, chairman of the National Turkey Federation introduced a pair of turkeys at the Willard Inter Continental Hotel ahead of their 'pardon' by President Obama at the White House.
The names of the main turkey and his alternate were announced at the annual White House ceremony.
Jihad Douglas, chairman of the National Turkey Federation introduces 'Honest and 'Abe' at the Willard Inter Continental Hotel ahead of their 'pardon' by US President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington, DC. Both turkeys will reside at their new home, Morven Park in Leesburg, Virginia Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images
The public presentation of two prize turkeys to the commander-in-chief in the lead-up to Thanksgiving had been a time-honoured photo op since the 1940s.
But on Nov 17, 1989 - 200 years after George Washington's proclamation (see above) - President George H.W. Bush formalised the tradition when he pardoned a 50-pound turkey in the White House Rose Garden.
“Let me assure you," Bush said to the 30 schoolchildren present. "This fine turkey will not end up on anyone’s dinner table, not this guy. He’s granted a presidential pardon as of right now.”
The presidential turkey pardon has remained an annual Thanksgiving ritual ever since.
Here is a look back at the history of the presidential turkey pardon.
Trains, planes and automobiles: some stats
The 12-day Thanksgiving period between from Nov 20 to Dec 1 will likely see over 25 million travelling to destinations worldwide according to trade organisation Airlines for America (A4A).
The projected number of 25.3 million is three per cent higher than the estimated 24.5 million passengers who made the journey in 2014.
That equates to approximately 65,000 people per day on top of average passengers for a total of 2.7 million people per day.
The title of this section of course refers to the best film ever on the subject.
Steve Martin and John Candy in their pomp
Can I celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK?
According the 2011 census there were 177,185 Americans living in England and Wales so it’s becoming increasingly fashionable for restaurants and pop-ups to host Thanksgiving meals.
Also a lot Yanks will be coming to the UK on vacation so they will need to be fed. Here is our round-up of the 13 best places to go enjoy a Thanksgiving feast in the UK.
Does Britain have an equivalent?
Yes, it's called Harvest Day, although it's a lot less of a big deal. While we usually take a few non-perishables down to our local church and enter our autumn vegetables in competitions, Thanksgiving in North America is a much more plentiful and extravagent affair.
A prize-winning pumpkin at The London Harvest Festival at Lindley Hall, Westminster. The little pumpkin on the right is Henry Watkins (Getty)
Does the UK care about Thanksgiving?
Yes, sort of in a commercial sense, although we maybe don't realise it. Black Friday first arrived in the UK five years ago when Amazon thought it would try its luck bringing the American shopping sensation to a new market.
In 2013, Asda, which is owned by American retail giant Walmart, participated in UK's version of Black Friday, and last year most major UK retailers including John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Argos and even British Airways jumped on board.
And with that, any remaining English decorum flew out the window. Shoppers trampled over each other in their rush to enter stores and police were called to break up fights as consumers grappled over discounted televisions and behaved "like animals".
Wednesday November 25, 2015
It seems I am frequently being reminded of, probably the most valuable lesson I have ever been expsoed to, the value of silence, simply keeping ones mouth shut. Oh, I wonder, what would my life have been and where would I be if I had actually learned this truth when it was first given to me; or even within a quarter of a century of my first exposure. Of course I do not actually remember whom it was that first imparted this little bit of wisdom on me but I think it was my mother at a very early age, like perhaps five or six. I do however specifically remember an incident in I think the first grade where a wise old school worker gave me this wonderful advice. Damn, it took over 70 years to fully penetrate my brain. Silence truly is golden. I think I have it now. It is my hope that some younger person(s) take the time to read this and perhaps utilize this little bit so very valuable advise and it can be simply put as "keep your mouth shut"!
I am sure you will guess that there is much more to this story and of course you will be correct as there is much more. Still, if this lesson or advise is to be taken seriously as it well should and in fact will be taken VERY seriously by me; how can I find a way to tell the story then becomes the challenge. Perhaps I can't but I have it under submission and even if I can't divulge all I shall seek other ways of getting the message delivered.
Monday November 23, 2015
Back to work today; may as well as I have not acomplished anything with the computer and website problems.
Oh, both Arroyo Grande and Nipomo advanced in the CIF playoffs. Nipomo defeated Twenty Nine Palms at home a last-second field goal by Juan Eguiluz lifts Titans to 17-14 win over Twentypalms at home. The Nipomo Titans football team has a neutral playoff game vs. Linfield Christian on Saturday, November 28 @ 6p. (Temecula, CA).
The Arroyo Grande Eagles football team has a home playoff game vs. Thousand Oaks on Friday, November 27 @ 7p. The Eagles defeated Antelope Valley in Lancaster, Ca. Friday night (Nov. 20) 41 - 0.
Sunday November 22, 2015
Friday and Saturday got away from me as I was very occupied and also today so far is quite busy.
At home I finished the sod install on Saturday morning. Then had some business to do in SLO and it just stayed busy all day. I did finally get to the gym on Saturday evening. I talked with Alan a bit there and then on home. Failed to take Bennie for a walk but we sill be doing one this morning.
Design work for the site is still delayed and perhaps later today I can do a little bit in that arena.
Thursday November 19, 2015
Miracle of sorts but someway I managed to get an update online. I was beginning to think I was doomed to another editing program. I am not real happy with DreamWeaver any longer as Adobe in my opinion has totally trashed this program.
So My idea of getting a bunch of brick layed today slipped totally away and although I was able to acomplish a little in the yard and patio it was far below my expectations and need. Tomorrow I will try again.
I will see if I can still upload to the website and try to get a little design work done tonight.
I will mention it here that I am having a terrible time with adware and malicious browser infections; I have something in chrome (although I have uninstalled it three times) that keeps doing a redirect anytime I click the mouse or actually make any type of selection and it (this virus/adware/blaah) also downloads some program called Treasure Find or something like that. It is a real pain in the backside.
I have verified that my FTP has transfered successfully at least four times today; I did have to go no the Gate.com website to get some info about my account(s) and I had to change a password but now it appears okay.>
Of course I am not happy with my layout but it has been two months since I worked on that at all. I will be changing the page layout as soon as I have the time and a good idea. I am sure I will go back to the column design of some sort. I do miss my old page a little (of course I could always go back to it as I have all the code and necessarys) but I am striving for something that is mutually appealling as a functional site and I will try to incorporate a site that is open to user participation. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome you can send me an email at the following link or as you choose @ cortezcate@gmail.com.
Wednesday November 18, 2015
Actually could repeat what I said back on 09/30/15 but that is a month an over half gone by already.
I really have a lot to report but I will not be getting to it tonight as it is already late and I have a bunch of bricks to lay tomorrow. Today it did get more of the lawn area ready for more sod that is supposed to be available on Friday at Home Depot. This all has to do with the major (it really shouldn'd have become a major project but none the less it did) lawn and fence project here at home. So for now I will be stopping and try to see if I can get the web site updated...
Wednesday September 30, 2015
There goes another month and this year is now beginning to get really short.
No news to report today just making an appearance.
Friday August 28, 2015
I am preparing to offer a bunch of my plumbing items for sale and will have a list posted here by early next week.
A 4-year-old boy died in Las Vegas after a relative left him locked in a car as temperatures neared 100 degrees Thursday night, officials said.
Such a tragedy that cannot be justified in any way; it is so heart-breaking. Las Vegas Child
Wednesday August 26, 2015
I can keep saying the same thing each time although of course something has happened and it is just that I do not immediately recall exactly when and or what.
Even though I am fairly certain no-one knows or cares what I say here and I understand that so far it is not much for sure; I will continue to make occasional entries in the effort of stimulating some idea of creating something useful.
Monday August 24, 2015
Not much has changed since the last note. Having a lot of trouble with the machines right now and I will get it all sorted soon.
It seems I tire too quickly and that is not a good thing in any respect that I am aware of.
I will continue to think I can do it all but there is no proof of that at this time. Hope everyone has a super good week and continuing onward into the far future.
Tuesday August 18, 2015
Slow progress continues on all fronts of my endeavors. I am also involved with AutoCAD Architecture relearning processes and that too is very slow; One big problem is my involvement with the Yard Remodel Project at 556 Bakeman which is necessitated mostly by the ongoing drought. Perhaps by weekend I may be able to make some progress on all fronts.
Drought related is the massive Forrest fires throughout the West United States. Yesterday or Monday evening on Cuesta Grade near San Luis Obispo a vehicle is thought to have started a fast spreading brush fire and it could easily become catastrophic with many homes in the potential path(s).
Sunday August 16, 2015
Once again I apologize for not keeping at least up to date even though the content and site are still a mess.
I have made little progress with the CSS3 or Dreamweaver wholly and also I have been trying to gain a little recovery in AutoCAD Architecture. So far the results are weak.
Ahead the decisions of hosting and content are still on top of the priority list. Perhaps very soon I can say what direction(s) has been selected.
Monday August 3, 2015
The content here is just a bit late and too, incomplete, but here it is for today at least. Much has been going on in my little world and I will not attempt to divulge it here and now, perhaps later, but I must admit I have not progressed far in the quest to regain a level of competence for this web site.
Thursday July 16, 2015
I have managed to update some files but I am not able to synchronize the server with local and because of that I will continue to modify local files attempting to pare them down. While DW shows that I am connected to the web I always have doubts and this entry may let me know if I am as of this entry which is actually on 7/15/15 at about 21:35.
Surprised me but I did upload the above and if this is seen "Ta-DA" then I am still connected. 21:39: I checked on CFS (I am working on HP519) and all of this current info other than the paragraph I am currently writing and I will try to upload it too in a few minutes...of course I will edit most or all of this out a little later I hope. ctz 21:42:
All the above made it quickly so I will try to explain why I am suspicious. I am working tonight with he router on and broadcasting (not sure that is the correct phraseology) and that is something that was not happening often or at all before; actually I only know that it did one or maybe two times before and by that I am referring to the FTP connection with the browser operational. All other times I have uploaded material I have had to take the router out of the network and hook "Charter 556" directly to a computer. These connections are made with the PIA operational and I am connected to Silicon Valley I think 104.156.228.199 to implement a VPN I think. There is much I do not yet know about the PIA & VPN and the Router included. I have much to learn and I have clearly exhibited how weak I am at this process. Now to explain a bit further I read that one could accidentally hook up on an FTP routing merely by chance but it is more or less random if the router settings are not specifically set for what one is trying to do and this is as to ports and connections etc. 21:58:
Now it has failed one upload as I added the time (21:58) resaved and uploaded but that is not showing when I open the website. I will see if this last paragraph shows but then I will be doing other work and not trying these uploads for testing until much later this evening. ctz 22:03:
Wednesday July 15, 2015
Not going to say much; I am just using this as a marker for right now... I still have a lot of repair work to do on the site.
July 14, 2015
Two full weeks of July, jeez -- much to fast, gone already. Is it the way we let our mind work or do we have any control over how quickly time goes by? If anyone knows I would sure like to try and adapt.
Finally I was able to get a start on the domain upgrade but still a long way to go. I will keep trying and-hope that I can get a little more efficient.
July 10, 2015
Yeah, I know, I am very slow getting this site running properly and I apologize for that. I am making some headway; but, by stretching, I am able to understand that a reasonable mind may have some difficulty accepting such a hypotheses. I feel doubly bad because OI actually knew much of what I am relearning now some time in the past but with me if I do not use it for awhile it has a way of slipping away. Strangely too, the light bulb seldom lights, it is much like a total relearning process...not good for me. My very weak defense is that I am, well you-know, from Arkansas.
Wednesday July 1, 2015
Progress is very slow with getting this domain organized.
I most likely will not be placing anything of substance here for a few days but will try to use just a little wit if I can possibly find some...to spare.
Monday June 29, 2015
Anyone that happen to be following this presentation (such that it is) will I am sure wonder/question, WTF, - actually I do too.
I have been having problems from more than one angle and I suppose the truth then is that I have not been diligent enough to bring this to a presentable level. Hopefully in the near future I will find a solution and change that.
So, just to weakly alibi, I have been having trouble too with my router and being able to connect to my FTP server through the router consistently. I have discovered that merely by accident on occasion the connection may be made and lead one to think their problem solved but it is not. I will not try to explain it here but later I will give links to anyone who may be interested. I know that statement or thought is quite vain as anyone who might be reading anything I write here can easily find the same thing quickly on the net as it has evolved and that any effort I make is actually just a repetition for purposes of my own which I am not able to easily explain.
I am also trying to get under my hat the rules on tags and which tags no longer require a closing tag, or perhaps never did they.
I had one course in XML and that syntax was quite strict in requiring closing tags whereas it appears that HTML5 is very liberal. On top of that (conceptually) I have discovered it is the specific browser's programmed (purposely or not) interpretation of various code that determines how that browser will interpret any specific code and the display of same code can vary a good bit between these specific browsers. This is of course my mere understanding and as with many of my thoughts could be ass backwards. Or not.
It is in that vein that I ask the reader of any of my ramblings to believe me that I am well aware that I am no intellectual giant and in fact my struggle for the correct words might convey a spurious presentation BUT it is never my intent to do so. Often I do not know for sure if I have chosen wisely my words.
It is not too likely that all of this rambling today will ever go Online but who knows.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
I doubt you will believe it but yesterday was June 1, 2015 and we are trucking through this year at an unbelievable pace at least to my reckoning. I have not got a handle on the website yet and neither have I refreshed my memory much on the use of Dreamweaver; where oh where has my mind gone... Oh well there is nothing I know of that I can do but to keep pushing forward even though the pusher is not what it once was. I spoke with Jim a couple of hours ago and he laid over three-hundred bricks in his patio today. Made me envious as I have my front lawn all torn up and the sod stripped out and did nothing with it Sunday and Monday and now Tuesday. When Jim has a job to do he is always balls out on it; me, I always let it sit and revert back to planning a lot. Seriously, I have no clue what I actually want to do in the front but hopefully something comes to me soon. As in a plan!
Having said that I do have to edit a couple of items in this site to try to figure out what all is not working and how to fix it...good luck...):
Friday, May 29, 2015
This is a little early as I missed an entry for the 28th and did not get to work here as early as I had hoped that I would. So just a few tidbits for the 29th of May. I noticed this is the birth date of President Kennedy and Bob Hope too; amazingly Bob Hope lived to celebrate 100 years on this date 2003.
Oh, here is a little thing we posted back in 2008. How much could I have saved had I really followed these suggestions?
December 20, 2008
A little about the OIL CRISIS and what we CAN DO
KEEP YOUR CAR PARKED MORE!
I think something like this is worth thinking about and the more friends we prompt the better chance we all have....and can you think of anything negative that this could cause (leaving the car parked) ???
Ran across the following article at (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ -- for those who want more) and it prompted me about a few peeves I have...
Don't you just hate the way prices come down so slow and grudgingly? really tick's me off! but what can you do about it? Well believe it or not we (WE) can do something and this article surely lends strong credence to that thought.
Try to imagine all the "side benefits" we get (each of us) when we drive less miles....
- More $ in pocket
- Less chance of accident and that equals BIG $$ +
- Car lasts longer---
- May get more done at home ??
- LESS STRESS
- less chance of being victim of road rage
- More time to talk on cell phone (Legally!!!)
- HOW many can you think of?
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
I don't have anything important to say except that I did enjoy the Memorial Day Service on the Pismo Beach Pier. Jim and I have been going to these services for several years now, they have one for both Veterans Day which is now back on November 11th and on Memorial Day always a Monday...(as per the law). It is rewarding that there are many good people who make sure these events take place.
Monday, May 25, Memorial Day 2015;
Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day) is observed to honor all US military personnel who have died during all wars and military actions in which the United States has been involved.
From 1868 until 1970 (103 years) it was observed on May 30. In 1971 the Uniform Monday Holiday Act went into effect and since that year Memorial Day has been the last Monday in the month of May. The late US Senator from Hawaii, Daniel Inouye (September 7, 1924 - December 17, 2012), had introduced a bill in the Senate repeatedly to restore Memorial Day to its original date of May 30, just like Veterans Day was restored from the last Monday in October to it original date of November 11. The bill to restore Memorial Day has not been passed, yet.
Memorial Day is a day set aside to honor veterans that gave their lives while serving in
the United States Military.
And gave their life is key. In my opinion this day of remembering should be on a specific day and it (in my opinion) should return to the date that sufficed for 103 years that being the 30th of May as Senator Inouye had so gallantly fought to have restored.
So, many say, well I want to have a three day holiday and go to the beach or somewhere that is waiting to take my money. To that I say fine take a day off anytime you wish and make it a three day holiday take two days if you wish. That though is the problem we face on many issues in our country today and that is that the commercial lobbyist have influenced the legislatures to the degree that they tend to dehumanize for the sake of big business making the extra dollar(s).
May 15, 2015
Just recently was able to correct the link in the button above (BOUHS Pic's) and that should work now. I have been experiencing problems because I neglected the site for a long period of time. I do intend to improve it and make a bunch of changes soon.
The more English oddities in the section below I will leave here for now but I will eliminate most of the other 'daily' entries; I am always fascinated with the words and grammar and I know so very little about it. I sure am not a writer and I certainly realize many of my shortcomings so what I do will not be right a lot of the time but I will do the best I can...Oh, yeah, one thing, I love using semi-colons (;) and i will and I know that they will not be properly used, but i just like em.
The web itself,is of course ever rapidly changing, has changed a bit since I last published (so to speak) here. The sites I visited and read daily have all changed or gone away. So I will be looking for new stuff to plagiarize, I have never had an original thought; I am fairly certain (and I know/think that was not a proper use of the (;)) everything I ever think someone else before me also thought, aye. So what you going do? when I think of it I will give credit to the plagiarizer I plagiarize from okay.
I want to eventually turn this site into something for everyone and I am thinking of an organization that could be effective in calling for leadership responsibility; this will be a tough nut and is rather lofty at the moment so any ideas will be gratefully received
Sunday February 10, 2013...
More English language oddities
but the plural of ox became oxen not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice;
yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men,
why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I spoke of my foot and show you my feet,
and I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?
Then one may be that, and three would be those,
yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
and the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
but though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
but imagine the feminine, she, shis and shim.
Quote: "Being intelligent is not a felony. But most societies evaluate it as at least a misdemeanor." — Lazarus Long in Time Enough For Love by Robert Heinlein
Republican Party
Quote: "The term 'serious actor' is kind of an oxymoron, isn't it? Like 'Republican party' or 'airplane food.'" — Johnny Depp
Quote: "The French girls can wear them if they want to, but I still don't approve of them on American girls." — BeBe Shopp, Miss America 1948
July 1 is missing from archives I think.... If I only knew what the archives are I might be able to resolve this little blip...but alas as so often is the case --- I don't know ----.... Darn, I actually found the archives links and most of them work save a couple that I will look into and fix or move real soon (thats my plan but not a guarantee)
Saturday February 9, 2013...
Top 10 English language oddities
1. “Bookkeeper” is the only word that has three consecutive doubled letters.
2. The two longest words with only one of the six vowels including y are the 15-letter defenselessness and respectlessness.
3. “Forty” is the only number which has its letters in alphabetical order. “One” is the only number with its letters in reverse alphabetical order.
4. The superlatively long word honorificabilitudinitatibus (27 letters) alternates consonants and vowels.
5. Antidisestablishmentarianism listed in the Oxford English Dictionary, was considered the longest English word for quite a long time, but today the medical term pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is usually considered to have the title, despite the fact that it was coined to provide an answer to the question ‘What is the longest English word?’.
6. “The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick” is said to be the toughest tongue twister in English.
7. There is only one common word in English that has five vowels in a row: queueing.
8. The two longest words with only one of the six vowels including y are the 15-letter defenselessness and respectlessness.
9. “Asthma” and “isthmi” are the only six-letter words that begin and end with a vowel and have no other vowels between.
10 “Rhythms” is the longest English word without the normal vowels, a, e, i, o, or u.
Source: listverse.com
Tuesday July 10, 2012: All those fireworks!...
This was/is the day the big Malware virus is supposed to deny internet hookups to 67,000 internet users by changing the DNS id...
WHY THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IS HARD TO LEARN
- The bandage is wound around the wound.
- The farm is used to produce produce.
- The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
- We must polish the Polish furniture.
- He could lead if he would get the lead out.
- The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert .
Saturday June 30, 2012: tick tock!...
Often I mention here that one has to be very aware that all you read on the internet is not reliable information. The following is a good example of what I refer to. I became painfully aware of the unreliability of the internet articles and such early on, near 20 years back, in my internet experience. If you want to see the article about the RIAA suing for $73 TRILLION click on the yesterdays link above and it is dated Friday June 22, 2012.
We missed Sunday somehow!
Friday June 22, 2012: tick tock!...
Today is the Brea-Olinda Union High School Class of 1957 reunion at Carbon Canyon Park in Brea, Ca.
Often I mention here that one has to be very aware that all you read on the internet is not reliable information. The following is a good example of what I refer to. I became painfully aware of the unreliability of the internet articles and such early on, near 20 years back, in my internet experience.
Where The Story Came From
In May 2012 Stuff.co.nz’s Pat Pilcher claimed the RIAA was suing Limewire for $72 trillion. Two days later an article about this showed up on NME’s website, written by an anonymous reporter. The story has since been taken down, so far as I can tell.
It was a fantastic story – the RIAA suing Limewire for $72 trillion – more money than exists on earth. Too bad it was fake. A year-old post taken out of context somehow convinced the Internet that tiny Limewire (remember them?) was being sued for all of earth’s money. Sites like Lifehacker, Business Insider and The Onion’s AV Club all reported it as fact. Even CBS News briefly featured the story before deleting it.
I’m not trying to blame these news organizations, however. It’s not hard to see why this story spread quickly. It includes everything the Internet loves – absurdly large numbers, the music industry being out of touch with reality and a handy conclusion – copyright holders can’t be trusted. But again – it’s not true. No one was ever sued for $72 trillion. Ever.
You can’t believe everything you read on the Internet, particularly if it’s something you want to believe as badly as this story. Come to think of it, especially if it’s something you want to believe as badly as this story. It’s been a while since all of this happened – the story “broke” in late May. But there’s a lesson here about how news spreads in the Internet age, and how it’s important to question things and find reliable sources before repeating something.
Monday June 18, 2012: I don't have a clue what to do to slow it down but June is half gone already!
I am leaving this thing up one more day and will add some content in a little while.
I came upon a website that may be interesting to some; it is called ATS for Above Top Secret. I came upon that site while exploring EG&G they being a very high level contractor for the Atomic Energy Commission and the Military as well as other government agencies; also they have a lot of presence within Area 51. That (Area 51) being a highly written about and speculative top secret site North of Las Vegas, Nevada. Apparently URS now owns EG&G and URS is quite a story too. A good summary for EG&G can be drawn from this Wikipedia entry but remember not to take Wikipedia (or any unverified source of) information as gospel because anyone can enter and or edit information there; however the information posted on Wikipedia has been subject to some scrunity and most likely is at least close to accurate but still not good enough to be put forth as absolute fact.
None the less it is a good start just please know that the internet is not the best source of information overall. (good information is available on the internet but in order to VERIFY one would be wise to document and verify; often a difficult task.) Please understand that I am voicing my opinion based on my experiences and observations searching and researching on the web.
Monday May 28, 2012: MEMORIAL DAY
Memorial Day Ceremony
Pismo Beach Pier Monday, May 28, 2012 11:00 am The guest speaker will be General Michael Carns, former Vice Chief of Staff of the US Air Force. The ceremony will include a presentation of colors, MIA/POW Honors, a presentation of wreath, and a reading of the "Unknown Soldier".
Jim and I attended the ceremony; it was very well orchestrated and the speaker, Gen. Carns, delivered an appropriate tribute. Also present was congresswoman Lois Capps who gave a short speech and she paid tribute to Robert and Cheryl Tolan of Arroyo Grande who have organized "Welcome Home Military Heros". The purpose of which is to make sure any returning service person is greeted and thanked when they touch ground near home for the service they have given; be the "welcome home" greeting/group at an airport or train station and perhaps even a bus station. I do not know how they know when the service person is arriving but hopefully there is a connection to the military administration that helps co-ordinate this effort. I will try to post more information regarding all this as soon as I can learn.
The following information is for those who may be interested in learning more; Welcome Home Military Heros and the phone numbers for the Tolan's are 805-441-0221 for Cheryl; 805-441-062 for Robert. Email Cheryl@welcomehomemilitaryheros.org .
Hold over Saturday May 26, 2012; Friday May 25, 2012 previously posted (the list below) on Saturday July 17, 2010:
Interesting that the # 16. item is in todays "Quote" and attributed to Martha Garahm whom I know not. If you are curious you can find out about her here
While I was stumbling around on the internet I came across this little
list of things that an individual named Mr. Dave Barry is credited with writing and assembling.
In the interim I copied the list then tried to find how to properly give
credit and get permission to post on my site. I discovered that Mr. Barry
has apparently written the article with the same heading but different
things (he has learned) in the list and changed the order; there is more
than one list with the same heading and I can certainly understand that. At any rate let us give Mr. Barry
credit as the penman of this list and I may remove it tomorrow....
No time to edit yet...Strawberry Festival in Arroyo Grande!
|
|
by Dave Barry |
Monday July 26, 2010:
BP may be axing CEO shortly according to the rumor mill;
U.S. Markets a little wobbly starting but appear to be on the upswing at 0716 PDT the Dow sitting at 10,490 +65 ish.
Friday July 16, 2010:
Market Down Big
The Dow is down 200 points 3 hours into the session (1230 EDT) and there is not much to reason for blame; but what to heck the market finds reason in strange places.
BP was (unexplainable to my reasoning) up sharply yesterday after announcing they had the cap on the well and had stopped the spillage at least for the time being; still a lot of unanswered questions and innuendo surround the mystery that is created by the lack of intelligent answers.
They are talking (maybe, who knows from the reliability of the media and the performers) about testing the well to see if it will hold in the event that it has to be shut in; duh? what does it matter they have acknowledged long ago that the relief wells being drilled are the only sure way to plug the well and that is entirely understandable if you know anything about what may have happened down the well...
BUT what they are fearing from the pressure tests is that more will be revealed about the irresponsible way the well was engineered and even if their failures are to be there is no good reason to take the chance of rupturing the formation and the unlikely but possible opening of a separate fracture to the sea floor which most likely could never be alleviated.
They have the cap in position and should be capturing any oil they can (because this in theory should be further exhausting some of the pressure on the zone as it will not last forever unless it is some undefined new discovery of infinite energy) from the new well head in place.
Hey guys if a hurricane comes it is going to come and wherever you are at that time cannot be changed so there is no need to waste any time on useless tests that only tell you a little and could be more harmful to the zone or the upper well area as well.
It would be far more sensible to leave one of the vents open letting a little oil spill in case of a hurricane rather than take a chance on an irreparable event possibly happening as a result of closing in the well. Still we should all understand that there is some reason BP has these doubts and that is not being revealed and may never be revealed. Else there would be no concern over the potential of having to close the newly installed wellhead. The relief wells still must be implemented in order to successfully plug the well... Give me a break; tell the truth for a couple of days....
Some folks born on this day.....
Cortez Cate, born on November 7, 1938
Archives: Prior information posted to this page:
(Currently the 2010 archive pages will not load -- Older pages 'may' be available.)
- July 1-15, 2010
- June 16-30,2010
- June 1-15,2010
- March 2010
- Dec 2008---Nov 2007
- April_2007_Oct_2007
- March - June 2007; ---
- March 2007;
- Page 1 Jan-Feb 2006; --
- Page 2 Mar-July 2006;--
- Page 3 Aug Sept 2006;--
- Page 4 May 9, 2005; --
- Page 5 May 2005 - Jan 2006;
This page was updated on 03-Mar-16This page was updated on 19-Jan-16 email: cortezcate@gmail.com -->