Last Stacey’s Bookstore Closed

I am staying in Fremont, California and I was looking forward to a trip across the bay to San Francisco to visit Stacey’s Bookstore, the most exciting independent book store I had ever been in. Unfortunately, the last time I positively remember being there was 1993, so I could not remember the address. I googled it, and promptly found this article of  January 9, 2009 announcing closure of the store in March 2009.

I am saddened and disappointed. I had talked about Stacey’s to many people over the years and tooted its horn. It had an amazing array of technical and medical books that you could find nowhere else, along with all the other standard fare of any chain bookstore. There are many computer graphics, robotics and programming books in boxes in my garage that I carried home from Stacey’s during frequent visits there in the early 1990-ies.

Evolution has struck again.

Reagan’s Dress Code in the Oval Office

When George W. Bush first became president, there was talk about how he was going to bring decorum and dignity back to the Oval Office. Word was that they didn’t like Clinton being there in jeans at T-shirt at times. Bush stated that Reagan never was in the Oval Office without wearing a coat and tie.

When I visited the Reagan Library a couple of months ago I was in the replica of Reagan’s Oval Office. The tour guide talked about how Reagan never entered the Oval Office without a coat and tie. I remembered the Bush story.

Then I walked back out into the exhibit area. There was a large wall of photographs, hundreds of them, chronicling Reagan’s years as president. And there was a photograph of Reagan, sitting at his desk in the Oval Office, surrounded by aides, reading and signing something, dressed in a light blue jogging suit.

California Expenditures for Corrections Department

There are over 170,000 prisones incarcerated in California.

It costs $49,000 a year to keep one inmate in prison. That means that our state spends $8.3 billion a year to keep prisoners locked up. A death row inmate costs $90,000 a year.

Supposedly  that’s more than the state spends on education.

We spend an average of $8,900 per student in public schools. This is well below some other states, like New York at $12,000.

What’s With Yellow Pages?

For many years now, every time the phone company leaves its bag of 10 pounds of yellow pages books in front of  my door – I think they do this yearly – I take that bag that contains two or three thick yellow phone books and carry it straight to my recycle garbage bin.

I cannot remember the last time I actually used a yellow pages phone book. It must have been around 1995 perhaps.

Advertisers, stop putting your money there. I do not even see your ads.

Phone companies, stop printing these crazy books. You’re killing massive trees, you are spending money for printing, binding and delivery, and you are getting no value whatsoever. Why don’t you create a hotline that we can call when we want a telephone book. We call, we hit 1 for white pages for our area, 2 for yellow pages for our area, and then you deliver the books we request overnnight to us. Only those of us who actually request books get them. I bet you will eliminate 95% of all telephone books that way.

Yellow pages are not even door stops anymore, they are recycling material, that’s all.

I got a kick out of Gitomer’s blurb on that subject. Go Jeffrey.

Obama’s Bow to Akihito

President Obama has attracted furious criticism and commentary for performing a deep bow when greeting Japanese Emperor Akihito.

This is not the first time a U.S. leader was in a difficult position. Protocol calls for diplomats to respect foreign traditions so they do not appear to be rude.

Here is how I would have handled it if I were the president:

I would have shaken Akihito’s hand and I would, by my sheer size, towered over him. I would have bowed my head slightly, just like I would bow when meeting the mayor of San Diego at a cocktail party, no less, no more.

This is what I would  have thought and projected:

Akihito, you may be the emperor of Japan and the last link of an ancient empire and monarchy. Your father was the emperor during World War II who gave the order to attack my country at Pearl Harbor in 1941. You got your title by inheritance and birthright. I earned mine. I am the president of the most powerful country with the largest economy in the world, and I was elected to be that country’s leader. I respect who you are, the traditions of your country and the position your country affords you. I respect you as a person. But I bow to nobody, and I have earned that right.

“Nice to meet you, Your Highness. You can call me Mr. President.”

Obama in China

The dumbing down of America is still being committed by our leaders on both sides of the isles of congress as well as by our media, on both sides of the spectrum. Here is a clip from MSNBC, where they expound on Obama’s visit to China.

Human rights concerns
One test of the line Obama is walking on China will be human rights, including religious freedom in the officially atheist nation. Aides said in advance that Obama would raise several human rights issues privately with Chinese leaders, including President Hu Jintao.

Does this sound like MSNBC is trying to tell us that being an atheist nation automatically implies that the nation is in violation of human rights? Are the two concepts, atheism and adhesion to human rights priniciples, mutually exclusive?

Talk to me about freedom of speech and human rights. Talk to me about persecution of people for their political views and human rights. But please don’t tell me that being an atheist nation is a bad thing.

We could use a little dose of secularism in our government to bring reason back into our decision making, and so could many other nations, including Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Israel, to name just a few.

Comparison of Health Care Services: Germany vs. U.S.

The U.S media makes out European health care systems to be socialistic systems, and socialism is definitely used as a derogatory term.

Let’s take a quick look at Germany’s system: Germany’s public insurance is largely financed by a 14.9% payroll tax, 7.9% of which is paid by the employees. Germany sets reimbursement rates for hospitals and drug companies; patients pay the difference between drug prices and reimbursement rates. General Practitioners earn about half their counterparts in the U.S. Not all German doctors accept the low public reimbursement.

However, look at the overall resulting statistics:

	Germany	U.S
Percentage of GDP spent on health care	10.4%	16%
Health care spending per capita	$3,588	$7,290
Average annual growth rate of real health care spending per capita 1997 – 2007	1.7%	3.4%
Out-of-pocket health care spending per capita	$470	$890
Per capita spending on health insurance	$191	$516
Per capita spending on drugs	$542	$878
Number of practicing doctors per 1,000	3.5	2.4
Average annual number of doctor visits	7.5	3.8
Average length of stay for acute care	7.8	5.5

*Source: Forbes Magazine, Sept 21, 2009, “Somewhat Socialized Medicine”

This looks to me like the Germans are getting a better deal for their money.

Colin Powell’s Rules

 
1. It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.
2. Get mad; then get over it.
3. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.
4. It can be done!
5. Be careful what you choose. You may get it.
6. Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.
7. You can’t make someone else’s choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours.
8. Check small things.
9. Share credit.
10. Remain calm. Be kind.
11. Have a vision. Be demanding.
12. Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers.
13. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.

Names Forever Used Up

Some names are forever used up. It is difficult to give a child those names in our society. They include, but I am sure are not limited to:

• Adolf
• Elvis
• Jesus
• Oprah
• Tiger
• Barack

Do you know any other names in this category?

Global Village

 

Fact: If you woke up this morning in good health and looking forward to a successful and productive week, you are luckier than 1 million people – who will not live through this week.

Review this PowerPoint slide show. Global Village

Thinking in terms of numbers, it appealed to me. The pictures are a bit syrupy at times, but otherwise the message is powerful.