Staying Away from The Computer

Sometimes it is too scary to turn on the computer. The majority of my information comes from the Internet and that is where the problem lies. There is Halloween candy in the stores and even last night was spooky. My night light reading lamp had just been turned on when it went off and the room went dark. I reached behind me to jiggle the bulb and it responded with light then seconds later darkest. The only light in the room was the full moon shining through the blinds and the extinguished street lights left the street very black. The park across the street must be on a different grid as the park remained lit. Folks up and down the street were wandering around with flashlights and I returned inside using my IPhone as a light source while finding some candles and matches. The little wooden matches kept breaking while I was striking them in the dark but finally my candle was ignited and the IPhone stopped serving as a torch. The lights remained out for several hours and the dog must have sensed something was wrong as she ventured into my room very she is not allowed.
My radio stations are mostly turned to jazz or classical and the announcers don't comment much on Alaskan hockey moms. I have never heard a plug for the NRA on KUSC or what Sarah Palin's favorite Mozart is there. KPFK has lots of news but finding agreement with Amy Goodwin could get you arrested. Actually finding someone on my block here in the depths of large pickup trucks and SUV's that could tell you what Pacifica Radio is would be one hell of a shock. Our house does not have cable or satellite anymore and the bandwidth provided my an ancient antenna on the brick chimney seems to select a frequency occupied by a Spanish speaking station or one of those countless court show. Actually I did listen to some of the Democratic Convention on the radio while driving back from my boat but passed on the Republican Convention speaking a week later. It is a little confusion to me that God could get one of his hurricanes scheduled at the same time the GOP was getting ready to endorse his platform. Would it not be easier to give the hurricanes biblical names in the first place. The Democrats kept shouting "No more Bush" or some similar slogan while later the Republicans promised a change from The Bush Doctrine to the Palin's version of it whatever that is. Introducing her as veep became an early Halloween for us scary freaks. Halloween right after Labor Day is GOP Marketing at its best. Not hearing her acceptance speech but reading the reviews brings out the significant changes the GOP plans. For example the selection of George W. former speech writer as Palin's new writers denotes change. Matthew Scully inclusion of Westbrook Pegler may pass as a heartland quote but Scully left out Pegler regards for Robert Kennedy which might give better insight to Pegler's hate. Scully can't be 100 percent bad as he did author The Dominion a book that defends animals from corporate greed. This makes for strange bed fellows as doesn't the Veep to Be allow the hunting of wolfs from helicopters or personally hunting moose from the saddle of a quad. The picture of her sitting on a couch that is draped with a former Alaskan bear now only a skin conversing with Scully about the corporate evils of whale blubber does seem a possibility. A future episode of the X-Files starting Palin and Scully. Now that is scary.

Had a great time entering my boat in the F.E.A.R. Regatta at our marina (Holiday Harbor). Usually my sailing is single handed but I was able to recruit a young couple to help me with the race (they will not do that again).
Sailboat ownership does often result in a problem in recruiting crew members to actually go sailing (it is easier to get good news from the IRS than a return call from family members when sailing is mentioned). After the sailing there was a great gathering of sailors to enjoy the food, beverage and conversation and the retelling of close calls, starboard tacks and man-over-board (actually men over board). The start was at one O'clock close to Long Beach then tacking back west then out into the Pacific past the light house then downwind to a marker then back to Hurricane Gulch. No shortage of wind and whitecaps, large ships to dodge, barges, and a least a few container ships arriving or departing. Imagine the Indy 500 with a few railroad crossing, bridge openings, school buses and rain to perk up the drivers.

After taking the boat out the captain always replies on his vast crew to swab, flake, and stow. Since my second mate, the dog refuses to sail not alone trying racing, the boat sat and waited until Sunday morning before being returned ship shape. Morning are always better to fold and stow sails as the afternoon winds, even in the slip, can make sail handling a real pain in the ass. The majority of sailboats that are on my dock have furling equipment with myself as an exception. Much is too be said about the ease of self-furling but what would I do with all those bags of sails?