Monday, February 13, 2006

Cheney and Quail

No wonder America is in such dire straights!

First Bush couldn’t find his weapons of mass destruction. Then his administration’s hotshot Homeland Security Office couldn’t find FEMA, and FEMA couldn’t find any problems immediately AFTER Katrina struck, even though it was all over television.

But Cheney mistaking an old coot for a quail, and spraying him with buckshot completes the picture. Then the White House NOT informing (AGAIN) the media about it till the next day clearly shows what this Republican Administration thinks of the American People. Bush and his minions think we’re too stupid to notice! And to dumb to do anything about it.

Well, like many others, I’ve noticed all these things, and will notice them all the way to the voting booth next election.

Cheney supposedly didn't have a 'quail' hunting sticker appended to his Texas Hunting License, wonder if Texas issues a 'human' hunting sticker??? Wonder if Cheney donates the quail to someone that can’t even afford to buy chicken?

It must be nice for the President and Vice-President to engage in these expensive gentry type amusements in their ‘off’ time. I mean, if they were like the rest of us they’d be clipping coupons and perusing grocery store sale flyers…

Friday, February 10, 2006

San Diego Smoking Bans

Life: San Diego Smoking Bans

When I first awoke this morning, I heard KOGO radio reporting that there will soon be a law or ordinance prohibiting smoking at all bus and trolley stops! Then I tried to find something about it on the City of San Diego site, and couldn't.

What, the poor who can't afford private cars to smoke in, are going to be punished for being poor? Again?

No smoking in the parks and beaches is bad enough! But it's not something that directly affects me as my wheelchair won't go to most of those places anyway. (btw, has the city never heard of ashtrays??? The majority of smokers would use them if they were available! I mean WHY are there just trashcans and not the combination trashcans and ashtrays that large business favors?

How about a 'Padres' give away of small personal 'silent butlers' in place of a baseball hat night? Though I no longer pay to go to padre games because there's not a smoking section in the OUTSIDE stadium!)

What exactly IS the new proposed 'no smoking' law or ordinance at bus stops going to entail? How many feet from the posted sign may I smoke? Is someone going to go around the city and paint yellow stripes on sidewalks around the poles that hold the bus stop signs so smokers will know how far away to stand?

Who is gonna 'police' such a law, cause if I just got out of a non-smoking meeting, and off a non-smoking bus, I am going to light up! And if written a 'ticket' what will the fine be??? Am I going to be arrested for smoking on the sidewalk, when it’s legal to smoke? Is anyone familiar with the word Prohibition? Are Japanese and European tourists going to be ticketed equally? This is all just crazy…

I am often at the Old Town Transit Center. I note there are benches, trashcans, porta-potties for the drivers, an info center, a coke machine, bike lockers, BUT NO ASHTRAYS. Gee wonder why cigarette butts end up on the ground???

You know, it's a case of 'give them an inch'! Forty years ago, as a smoker, I was a front line ADVOCATE of the first non-smoking laws: banning smoking in movie theaters, grocery stores, and elevators. But I now think the fine people of California and specifically San Diego City and surrounding areas, have lost their minds.

It has come to the point as it is that I do not patronize places where I can not smoke, the very few businesses that have outside smoking areas get my money. And I AM going to smoke on the sidewalks, as there are very few places where I can smoke.

Two years from now is San Diego going to pass an ordinance against super-size meals??? Or eating while sitting on a bus bench? Or that children HAVE to exercise one hour per day?

I am really concerned about this and other personally intrusive 'unenforceable' laws. Instead of new laws, (more restrictive for the generally law abiding citizen), how about enforcing the laws currently ON the books, i.e. no littering, drunk in public, etc. We don’t NEED new laws, we need current laws enforced!

(PS I would gladly become a non-smoker, but I can not afford the monthly price of the nicotine substitutes, the inhalers or lozenges are NOT covered by MeidCare/MediCal, nor the state of CA NoButts Program!!! Go figure...)

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Eye Stuff

Well, today I had my eyes ‘done’! No not what you’d think. I had permanent ‘plugs’ inserted into my lacrimal glands, to help keep my eyes from drying out.

(I had a set of temporary ones put in about 6 weeks ago, and they worked great.)

So since this little, minor, in office procedure was scheduled, the eye doc and I decided the little growths I had around my eyelashes had to go. (And good riddance; they often caused intense itching and ingrown eyelashes!)

So today this was all done. There was minimal pain and discomfort. I can’t wash around my eyes for a couple of days, have to apply an antibiotic ointment 3 x day for five days, take Tylenol for discomfort, and watch for any signs of infection. And in a few days I’ll be all healed, and my poor ‘dry eyes’ will not cause nearly the problems they have during the past few years.

BUT, I just looked in the mirror; I have ‘black’ swollen eyes!!!! Owell, this too shall pass, and my baby blues will be in better shape than ever…