December 19, 2021

Panic in the US - COVID stress, social distrust, and crowd hysteria.

So - this afternoon, Laz, the older granddaughter, a neighbor and I went to see the latest Spiderman movie at a local mall. Lately, I've had to use a wheelchair when going out for any distance, so I typically stash it in an alcove near the steps and pull myself up the aisles to better seats we normally get.

As usual, we sit through all the credits. Everyone is in a great mood. Suddenly, as the lights come up, a couple guys start yelling "so we're all going to die?" And a parent comes running in yelling for their kid. Obviously some sort of chaos is going on. As I'm getting into my wheelie, the strobe lights come along with a canned evacuation alert. Out of the theater, a few people are running, the smell of burning popcorn and a light smoke is filling the air.

Apparently, this happened -
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/false-report-of-shooting-at-plaza-bonita-mall-causes-panic/2820383/

Now, both Laz and I are former military so we're taking things slow and careful so we could move safely. Other than the panic and popcorn burning, we don't see or hear anything out of place. Our main concern is keeping granddaughter calm. Our neighbor is totally confused, but stuck with us because we were alert but calm. Security was around, but they were doing a sweep rather than crowd control, as they should in a situation like this.
But the hysteria of the mindless crowd... Far more frightening than an actual situation reacting on pure emotion..Getting in their own way as well as in the way of first responders.
Three people were injured besides the original smash and grab criminal who started this whole sorry situation.

Haele

December 18, 2021

UCSD is offering a "Certificate in Cannabis"

https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/marijuana-classes-at-university-of-san-diego-offer-career-opportunity-for-job-seekers

Primarily focusing on Cannabis Healthcare policy and Cannabis Law. From reading the article, it's focused on the business side of Cannabis rather than actual uses or for Natural paths and prescribers.

Haele

December 9, 2021

Oddest thing just came from Amazon...

We just received two huge boxes from the Amazon fulfillment center addressed to our granddaughters who live with us.
Inside each box were two identical Baby Yodas. No paperwork, no receipt, no return info, no idea who sent it.

So we have four large identical toys that probably cost around $40/$50, we don't know who sent to our two grandkids, and they don't watch Star Wars, so it's not a family member - we think.

Could this be related to yesterday's AWS breakdown? These would have been ordered Monday at the latest.
Ah well, once we find out who sent these, Toys for Tots is going to get three Baby Yodas.

Or it could be a Chinese plot. Who knows?

Haele

November 25, 2021

Dang it, I've gotten addicted to Weee.com

Another $35 order of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese snacks.
Laz keeps saying "this is my favorite, I can eat this forever".

King Crab chips, Lay's Black Pepper Prime Rib Pringles type chips, Spicy Masala crisps, weird noodle cups and dim sum..

And lots of odd candies and cookies for the girls.
I think this is a way that international distribution warehouses get rid of their overstock that isn't being bought by Asian or Mexican bodegas. The boxes tend to come next day.
It's better than the international section of most grocery stores.

The reviews section for the products can be hilarious.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Haele

November 4, 2021

Pediatric COVID shots at Rady's Children's Hospital apparently come with

Stickers and Lego mini kits. This is in San Diego, BTW.
As one Reddit poster said "Damn, where was my Lego when I got my shot? Thanks a lot, Newsom..."

We will go out for ice cream after the granddaughter's shots next week.

Haele

October 6, 2021

One Bad Apple spoils the whole bunch is the saying.

Forget the Micheal Jackson song. I'm tired of organizations saying "well, it's just one bad Apple".

No, the saying indicates if you find one bad apple, you have to inspect the lot and quickly get rid of all the bad apples. Not excuse the obvious one and say all the rest are good.

The saying goes back to the Middle Ages, and basically compares the endeavour of either putting apples up for winter and/or making Apple Cider with any group effort - a wormy or rotting apple only takes a day or so to affect all the apples around it, and that infection expands like a zombie apocalypse.

If you have one bad actor in a group of people, s/he quickly taints the rest of the group and what they trying to accomplish along with any respect that group may be trying to gain.

Haele

September 27, 2021

California COVID test lab issues?

Apparently there is a backlog at one of the labs according to the county; it's going on day 5 with the grandkids and we still haven't heard anything back.
This can be dangerous if what they have is COVID instead of a bad sinus cold. We are already 5 days behind if so, and Grandy has a compromised immune system.

Haele

September 2, 2021

Texas is going to lose OB/GYNs and nurses.

This "bounty" on abortions goes back 4 years. That means that even should SB8 be used to coerce doctors and clinics/hospitals not to perform abortions now, but any yahoo grifter who wants to collect money will go after those doctors, nurses, midwives, and PAs who even "facilitated" or consoled a woman who later had an abortion procedure or spontaneous abortion in the past.
These medical professionals are not going to stick around to be hit with a civil lawsuit every month just because they got into women's health and were performing legitimate medical procedures for legitimate medical purposes.

Texas's maternal and pre-natal mortality rate is going to skyrocket. Because women's health procedures apparently figures less in the eyes of Texas legislators than common regulated animal health and fertility procedures.

Haele

August 1, 2021

Eviction disaster looming - Ideas on what to do?

I suspect FEMA might need to be activated to provide temporary housing, as HUD has never (to my knowledge) ever had to deal with a massive housing emergency as the moratorium expires and there's a huge amount of rental assistance not spent or disbursed for a variety of reasons - from states and localities unable or unwilling to make an effort to disburse funds, to eviction so as to raise rents or renters taking advantage of the moratorium to squat until they get kicked out.
This isn't the same as the efforts to reduce homelessness. This is a situation where there is a clear underlying cause, and it will immediately affect hundreds of thousands, if not over a million, Americans, and quickly, just as any natural disaster hitting a major city.

We all know the GQP is just salivating to bring up "Bidenvilles" at the mid-terms. Is there any group working on this immediate issue?

Haele

July 31, 2021

I want cake.

I want a slice of lemony (not really tangy, but with that light lemon freshness) 3- layered chiffon cake filled with raspberries and hand whipped cream. Powdered sugar with maybe some candied violets and lemon peel on top. Just like the one I made for a casual wedding 30 years ago off my Great-grandfather's 1910's recipe notes.

That or a large parfait glass filled with a tin roof sundae. Lots of hot fudge and fresh cranked vanilla ice cream.

Youngsters don't know how good special treats like those were back in the day. I was just considering treating the family, but my hands are beginning to fail me and the granddaughters are fighting us over dish-washing.
They just don't understand how good home made is when using fresh ingredients. "Let's go pick up instead..."
Like you can get a good Tin Roof sundae with real ice cream and non-plastic spray can whipped cream at Dairy Queen.

I hate growing old and getting arthritis...

Haele