Finally! Come see what happened after the LAFD was on the scene of Sunday’s fire!

Tomorrw is a red-letter day for me. I will pay $4.00 for a gallon of gas for the first time ever. To fill my 16-gallon tank will cost me around $64.00.

Meanwhile, everyone’s all up in arms about the tremendous profits that Chevron and the other big oil companies are raking in while the rest of us bleed as we tank up. When the company execs show up before Congress for their routine excoriation, what do the senators expect them to do or say? I suspect that without coming right out and saying it, they want big oil to use some of their profits to offset a substantial cut in gasoline prices. But the oil companies have a fiduciary responsibility to its shareholders to maximize profitability at every opportunity. Bottom line: the shareholders are much more important to big oil than its own customers. And in a free market, capitalist society, I don’t blame them one bit. I’d do the same thing in their position.

So what’s the solution? Reduce consumption, lower demand, increase stockpiles, and the price will come down like magic. Drive 55, easy on the accelerator, check the tires, all these things will really make a difference.

For those of you living in communities that are served by the Ralph’s grocery chain (mostly Southern California), here’s a great way for you to painlessly support my artistic endeavors with the Hollywood Master Chorale. HMC is participating in Ralph’s Community Contributions Program. Once you sign up for the program, every time you shop at Ralph’s, the Chorale will receive a percentage of your total – nothing is added to your bill, and it counts for most items (alcohol, milk, tobacco, lottery etc. don’t count) . For the last quarter, the Chorale got $300 from the Ralph’s program.

Here’s all you have to do:

• If you don’t have one already, get a Ralph’s Club Card.
• Register your card in the program by going here and clicking the PARTICIPANT button.
• Use 90143 in the NPO number field, and put ALL the numbers that appear on the back of your Ralph’s Club card (even any tiny ones off to the side of the barcode) in the Customer Number field. Fill out the rest of the information and click ‘Submit’. That’s all there is to it!

Admittedly, we’re not talking about a lot of money here – if you spend $200 a month, we’ll get 1% of that, or $2. But that’s $2 more than we would have had otherwise. Many thanks!

Just after I woke up this morning I heard some rather big bangs that immediately reminded me of sounds that I heard years ago when I was living in San Francisco – when a house down the street was on fire. Sure enough, there was a roiling column of thick black smoke rising from the carport of the complex right next door. It wasn’t long before the LAPD was banging on doors to get everyone out of OUR complex as well. My network access is down (fire?) so I’m posting by phone – pics and video soon!

UPDATE: I was out of my apartment for only an hour or so, and didn’t really need to leave at all, as it turns out. It was pretty stinky for a day or so, but now all is as sweet-smelling as the San Fernando Valley ever is. I WILL post the evidence tonight!

From the ‘I-thought-I-had-heard-it-all-but-it-turns-out-I-hadn’t’ file, Hillary told an editorial board in South Dakota today that she’s still in the race because Barry Obama might get assasinated like Bobby Kennedy did in 1968. I mean, it’s not even June yet – it could happen, and she wants to be ready to take over!

Jonathan Martins Blog: Hillary cites RFK assassination in explaining why shes still in race – Politico.com

I just had a rather interesting conversation with a visitor to this website via the Plugoo chat client on the sidebar to the right. A check of the log reveals that my guest was in Vienna Austria.

[emil] hello
me: Hi
[emil] i am a cheater i didn´t read the book The Historian by e.kostova
[emil] but i need for my exams tomorow a complete summary
[emil] can you help me?
[emil]

At least he was being honest about cheating. He was searching Google for “the best summary of the historian by elizabeth kostova” and my review showed up on the fourth page of returns.

me: Hm – what would you learn if I did? That cheating is okay? What do you want to know? It’s been a while since I read it.
[emil] i need a site where i can find a complete summary but i think you don´t know any site eader or?
me: You might try Amazon.com – they have a long list of reviews that may contain enough information about the book to get you started.
[emil] how does the book end?
me: As I recall, the heroine and her father manage to track Dracula to a crypt in the castle – he escapes mysteriously – sort of an anticlimactic ending in my opinion.
[emil] thank you very much for your time
me: Good luck!
[emil] thx
[emil] have a nice evening
[emil] by

I don’t think I helped him very much – not sure if I got the ending right or not – I do remember the ending as being completely preposterous. Oh, well – don’t forget, Emil – you get what you pay for. Read the assignment next time!

Okay, wives of the world – let’s see how you would measure up if it were 1939 again:

Hmm – funny, but the husband chart is nowhere to be found. Sorry.

My $600 economic stimulus incentive has dropped into my checking account today, and it was right on time.

If your social security number’s last two numbers are 75 or less and your last tax refund was a direct deposit to your bank, you, too, should have received your money by today. SSNs ending in 76-99 will receive it by May 14.

For non-direct-depositors, the checks will start arriving after that. You can find out more details at the IRS website.

Yes, it’s that time of year again, when I mark a deeper entry into my second half-century.

I don’t feel older…except when I get sick, for some reason. Twice so far this year I have been nailed to the bed for several days at a time with some kind of flu-like illness. I’m never down for more than a day or so, but sadly that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Maybe it’s just a bad coincidence, because I’m making a concerted effort at improving my health – eating better (and I have lost some more weight), but still have to work on the exercise part.

No complaints, no regrets…at least none that I can do anything about now. Onward and upward!