Doggie Diner on Sloat

Doggie Diner on Sloat Blvd. in San Francisco (Thanks Richard Floyd)

Meet Hitomi Yoshino – Another Cutie Japanese Girl

Hitomi Yoshino, another cutie from across the Pacific

One Senator’s Respone on PIPA

Dear Mr. Curmudgeon: I received your letter expressing opposition to the “Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act,” commonly known as the “PROTECT IP Act.”  I appreciate knowing your views on this matter. The “PROTECT IP Act” (S. 968) gives both copyright and trademark owners and the U.S. Department of Justice the authority to take action against websites that are “dedicated to infringing activities.”  These are websites that have “no significant use other than engaging in, enabling, or facilitating” copyright infringement, the sale of goods with a counterfeit trademark, or the evasion of technological measures designed to protect against copying. The bill does not violate First Amendment rights to free speech because copyright piracy is not speech. America’s copyright industry is an important economic engine, and I believe copyright owners should be able to prevent their works from being illegally duplicated and stolen.  The protection of intellectual property is particularly vital to California’s thriving film, music, and high-technology industries. I understand you have concerns about the “PROTECT IP Act.”  While I voted in favor of this bill when it was before the Senate Judiciary Committee, I have also been working with California high-technology businesses to improve the bill and to address the concerns of high-tech businesses, public interest groups and others.  I recognize the bill needs further changes to prevent it from imposing undue burdens on legitimate businesses and activities, and I will be working to make the improvements, either by working with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) or through amendments on the Senate floor. On May 26, 2011, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the “PROTECT IP Act” for consideration by the full Senate.  Please know I will keep your concerns and thoughts in mind should the Senate proceed to a vote on this legislation.  As you may be aware, Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX) has introduced similar legislation, the “Stop Online Piracy Act” (H.R. 3261), in the House of Representatives. Once again, thank you for sharing your views.  I hope you will continue to keep me informed on issues of importance to you.  If you have any additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3841. Wishing you a happy 2012. Sincerely yours,Dianne Feinstein United States Senator Further information about my position on issues of concern to California and the Nation are available at my website, Feinstein.senate.gov.  You can also receive electronic e-mail updates by subscribing to my e-mail list. Click here to sign up.  Feel free to checkout my YouTube Page.

Really, no comment is needed.

SEABEES

 

Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 and the 31st Seabee Readiness Group (SRG) helped to rescue a family involved in a car wreck on Highway 101 in Buellton, Calif., Jan. 12, 2012.

Equipment Operator 1st Class (SCW) Frankie Cruz, Construction Mechanic 2nd Class (SCW) Michael McCracken, and Equipment Operator Constructionman Clinton Roberts of NMCB 3 along with Construction Mechanic 2nd Class (SCW) Shawn Legg, Construction Mechanic 2nd Class (SCW) Benjamin Mead, and Construction Mechanic 3rd Class (SCW) James Winters from the 31SRG helped to rescue the family of the wrecked vehicle by operating a forklift to keep the car from sliding off the bridge while rescue crews extracted the family of three.

“As the fire department was cutting the car to get the family out, it kept on slipping over the bridge and faced a 100 foot fall,” said McCracken, the forklift operator. “I talked to the fire captain in charge and he was excited to hear that we had an extendable-boom forklift just 200 to 300 feet behind the wreck and he said to go get it.”

MORE here….

Radio in San Francisco in 1944

The Radio Log from the San Francisco Examiner 7 June 1944

USS Iowa (BB-61) at Richmond

USS Iowa at Richmond, California 2/24/11

It’s great that the Iowa is going to be a museum ship in Los Angeles, but I hope they are prepared to spend a lot of money to maintain this huge piece of steel.  It has been sitting in the Reserve Fleet for something like 20 years.  There is rust everywhere, the teak decks are a total mess.  There won’t be a crew of nearly 2,000 to scrape paint and keep the 1930′s technology working.  It’s very difficult to keep up a large ship with the handful of volunteers that typically sign up for such an adventure.

In addition, switches, relays, limit switches, electric motors, controllers, and other parts of this ship haven’t been manufactured for probably at least 60 years. A ship like this would tax the abilities of a fully equipped and operating shipyard.

I really hope it works out, but many other military museum ships are in dire financial straits.

Here’s some pictures of the Iowa.

From The North Coast Curmudgeon

Happy Holidays

(Thanks to Terry Gilliam for this 1968 animated Christmas card.)

Oops…..

Pretty Cool Stuff

Even if it is in French…..

Women In Uniform Around The World

Click on Image to Begin Your Tour