Been too long since I posted with news stories.

As my readers know, I have retired. I am adjusting to this new reality. The first week was a little unsettling; but, this was to be expected.

Los Angeles Daily News - As gas tax funds dwindle, California looks to test charging for miles traveled. I have been writing about this for years so my long time readers already knew this was coming.

Wired - Cloud Computing Can Make Any Old Beater a Connected Car. A small device can be added to any old car so that it can be tracked. Hmm, maybe the first two articles are connected. What do you think?

Yahoo - Hillary Clinton breaks silence on emails. Turns out Hillary Clinton has a personal phone and may have conducted some business on it. The tongue wagging and foolishness accompanying this fact is simply stupid. I am far from a Clinton supported; but, I did the exact same thing. While I usually carried two phones, a government phone and my personal phone, if the government phone was not working because the battery died, I would use my phone. Nothing mysterious about it. When I was off, if business came up I would also use my personal e-mail account. Salaried people, as I was, are always on call. We cannot complain about the government having access to all internet traffic and then turn around and seek to take it away from another. We cannot complain about the government and business having the ability to track our phone calls and then seek to do it to another. It is hypocritical.

The Huffington Post - Former NFL Player Craig James Compares Support of Gay Marriage To Satanism. One more imbecile speaks about things they don't understand. Why is it that people who claim to believe in freedom and individual rights seek to keep them from others? It is nobody's business what others do in the privacy of their home. I get vertigo. I am not afraid of heights under certain conditions, I love to fly; but, I cannot look out the side of certain buildings and do not like aerial trams. It is not a choice, or a lifestyle. It is a phobia. I used to wonder if homosexuality was a choice; but, I do not think it is. Whether by genetics or environmental factors, once someone is gay, they are pretty much gay. Me, I only like women and no matter how many gay people may be around me, it is not even a thought. Being gay is not contagious, that I know for a fact.

Final "news" story. Recently I read an article where one actress, Chloe Sevigny, said that another actress, Jennifer Lawrence, was annoying and crass. Now I don't usually write about this type of thing, gossip stuff. I was not really familiar with Ms. Lawrence or her work until the last few weeks, I knew her name but had not seen her in a movie. I was familiar with Ms. Sevigny and like her in film and television. Based on her statements, she is the crass one and lacking in manners. Ms. Lawrence is  a child of 25, Ms. Sevigny is 40. The two of them are not competing for roles. CBS News - Chloe Sevigny - Jennifer Lawrence is "annoying" "too crass".

My granddaughter had her first birthday party about a week ago. I attended it. My ex was there with her new boyfriend. I had reason to believe they would be there. The man did nothing to me, he is not the person she cheated on me with. I do not know what it was like for him, my guess was a bit uncomfortable and I had previously been told he was a little shy. I gave them their space; but, as the presents were being opened I found myself sitting near him and he decided to speak to me. Nothing special, just general chit chat. I certainly was not going to bad mouth her to him or treat him with disrespect. I have manners and so did he. The ex on the other hand saw us talking, came over and glared at me. I excused myself and left the table. It was pretty clear that she had not told him much about me, he thought I was an engineer. I am not, I am, was a strategist and negotiator primarily. I also wrote contracts, reports and grants. I prefer this type of writing.

I don't know what it must have been like for him. He knew she had been married for 24 years, he knew we had three daughters, he knew I had provided for her well and that her mother loves me. He also knows she will not talk about me with him. Of course he was curious. I can't blame him for that. I felt bad for him and was not going to add to the pressure. We all need to show a little more manners in this world. Something a lot of the news articles I posted tonight could have improved by.

Pimpernel