Time Out

On By scottpetersenIn Annenberg Estate, Sunnylands, Time Out1 Comment

Every year or so I’ve been taking a “time out” from my blog.  A few weeks of “duhhhhh.”    The last four weeks I have been silent.  Donna and I were in Florida (North Palm Beach) for a week and then to the west coast — Santa Monica — for a wedding. Then a drive to Palm Springs for some R&R.

Neither of us had been to Palm Springs so this was a new experience.  We stayed at the Ritz-Carlton in Rancho Mirage (3 nights for the price of 2).   While we thought about golf, hitting local restaurants and sightseeing,  — we didn’t do much.  We stayed cocooned in our hotel.  Dining.  Pools.  Spa.  Fitness Center.  Sleep.  Reading.  Relaxing.  It was verrry nice.  

Our only real excursion consisted of two visits to “Sunnylands” — the 200 acre estate of the late Walter and Leonore Annenberg.  The property is considered the “Western White House” which has served Presidents and dignitaries since 1966.   Tours of the Annenberg home are limited to 7 guests at a time.  We arrived – ticketless – only to learn that tickets are sold out weeks in advance.  As we stood there, mildly forlorn, a woman stepped up to the counter with two tickets to return (she couldn’t use them).  Guess who bought them?  Just call me “Mister Lucky” (though it’s not quite like 8/2/13).     

Scammed – Part II

On By scottpetersenIn ScammedLeave a comment

In my post of October 19, 2014, I reported on how I was scammed by a crying woman – whose family had allegedly been in a serious accident.

Yesterday, I was talking with a fellow lawyer. He mentioned that he’d received a voicemail message from his father – “Call home as soon as you can.” He did. The father was agitated and reported that his grandson – my friend’s nephew who is a minor – had been detained by police for drinking and having open alcohol in the car.  The caller – a “lawyer” – said he could resolve things for “four hundred dollar Amazon gift cards.” The father was to get the gift cards – and impart the numbers by telephone.

My friend called the boy’s high school.  Turns out that the boy was in sitting in class — nowhere near a police station. Eyes narrowed and efforts to track down the criminals was fruitless.

These crooks go on Facebook, track names, chronicle dates and gather information.  They identify relatives – and then spring.

There are a lot of scams out there — especially for older folks (which includes anyone older than I am).  I have received a fair number of calls from folks (who sound like they’re from Mumbai) indicating that I have been targeted by the IRS and that if I only I send . . . . .

The upshot is — when you get calls like this that seem urgent and require the sharing of personal information, don’t do it.  It’s likely a scam.  It’s a serious and ongoing problem.  If you need more information on scams, send me your Social Security number and credit card information and I will forward to you my recommendations for avoiding them. 

Honk if You Love Peace and Quiet!

On By scottpetersenIn Humor, Lexiphilia1 Comment

I can’t take credit for these examples of “lexiphilia” but I can be given credit for selecting the ones that made me laugh the hardest.

I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory.
42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.
99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
I feel like I’m diagonally parked in a parallel universe.
I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges.
Remember half the people you know are below average.
Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how popular it remains?
Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
He who laughs last thinks slowest.
The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
I intend to live forever – so far so good.
Borrow money from a pessimist – they don’t expect it back.
Love may be blind but marriage is a real eye-opener.
Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.
Success always occurs in private and failure in full view.
The colder the x-ray table the more of your body is required on it.
The hardness of butter is directly proportional to the softness of the bread.
To succeed in politics, it is often necessary to rise above your principles.
Mondays are an awful way to spend 1/7th of your life.
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
Change is inevitable except from vending machines.
Plan to be spontaneous – tomorrow.
Why are there 5 syllables in the word “monosyllabic”?

Bridge – Part II

On By scottpetersenIn Bridge1 Comment

Bridge seems to have distilled into the complicated task of memorizing a host of bidding conventions, responses and overcalls.  And a player must inform opponents of precisely what his/her bid means.  There must be hundreds of possible bids.  I have a brilliant idea. How about if each of the four players sits with a tablet loaded with bridge software with every convention under the sun.  The cards are dealt, everyone digitally enters the cards onto the tablet they hold and the software program tells everyone what to bid.

When a bid is made, everyone at the table will be cued by their tablet as to what the bid “means.”   Then everyone bids on the basis of the program’s instruction.  Or the tablet can bid in a C-3PO voice – “one no trump.”  Voila! – no need to memorize.

Frankly – the program could deal and play the cards as well.  The tablet will chirp “play your nine of trump” and a player will pull the card and turn it over.   Bridge tournaments will have no losers.  Masters points will be showered on all entrants.  Bridge would be reduced to four people sitting at a table sipping coffee.  Or wine.  Munching chips and pigs in a blanket.  Eyes glazed over.  Robotically following the directions of an electronic voice – “time to change tables.”   

Bridge

On By scottpetersenIn Bridge, Charles GorenLeave a comment

I play bridge. My bridge protocol is patterned after Charles Goren.  The grand high exalted mystic ruler of the bridge table. 

Recently Donna has been playing serious bridge.  Duplicate bridge.  With other women.   I am told Goren is passé.  “You cannot play Goren.”   Instead of creative bidding a la Goren, everyone must disclose conventions, bidding strategy and the content of their hands if and when asked.  All players are encouraged to ask “what does that mean” when a bid is made.  And the opponent must explain in detail. 

Last week, Donna and I were in Florida.  Visiting Donna’s sister and her husband.   Bob and I are always pards against Donna and Carol.  Bob is inspired by Goren as well.  And we’ve never lost a match in 44 years.        

Sooooo we’re playing bridge.  A hand is dealt.  I bid a club and Bob catapults to 6 no trump.   Donna says “you can’t do that.”  Huh?  I get a glare and a question  “What does ‘six no trump’ mean?”  Heck if I know.  My brother-in-law is counting points.  He smiles.  Nods.  He obviously has a good hand.  But we are told that’s “not the way to play.  You have to communicate your hand.”   “Why?” I ask politely.  And I’m told that everyone must know what an opponent’s bid means.  I offer that we might as well just lay our cards down and then bid.  With that we are lectured that if we ever “played that way” with “real” bridge players, we would be drummed out and maybe pummeled (especially by the women).  Bob and I looked at each other.  Smiled.  Eyes narrow . . . . 

Bob and I have signed up for a duplicate bridge tournament next week. . . . . 

Castor Oil

On By scottpetersenIn A kick in the shins, Anger1 Comment

I know my prior post was mildly controversial.  The problem is – everyone is angry today.  And partisan.  Many cannot see, understand or appreciate the merit of anyone else’s position or political persuasion.  My mind is made up. . . .  I’m angry as well.  Thus my observation includes – me.

I like you question – intellectually and morally – those who don’t think as I do.  How can they possibly. . . .  And of course some will question me in that regard.  How can Petersen think like he does . . . . This whole political anger thing is a disease. Which can be fatal.

If you have a school board in a town of 150 people that can’t get along – how do you expect to have people get along on a national, state or even city-wide basis?  Isn’t there enough anger in the world?   Every faction, country, party, religion, sect and individual – is right.  No one listens to anyone else.      

I’m sure if Abraham Lincoln was running  for President today, he would lose.  “Oh he has a high-pitched voice.”  He’s homely.”  “He’s not telegenic.”   Hillary would lie about him.  Trump would ridicule him.  Sanders would condemn him.   Sometimes an individual and a country need castor oil.  Nobody likes it but it helps.  What we don’t need is poison.     

My Mind is Made Up

On By scottpetersenIn Donald Trump, Hillary, Michael Bloomberg, One issue voters1 Comment

“My mind is made up.  Don’t confuse me with the facts.”  So goes the old saying.  To many, politics is an absolute.  There is no discussion.

Pundits say most Democrats will vote for Hillary though she lies, cheats and may (should?) end up in prison.  Many Republicans would vote for Trump regardless of his craziness, despicable comments and scary volatility.  These people don’t care.    

These are people who would rather vote for (choose – the most evil person in history) than someone of a different party.   My mind is made up.  Don’t confuse me . . . . . What does this say about America?  What does this say about the breathtakingly uneducated  souls who would vote for these two (some of whom may be reading this)?   

Remember the book The Righteous Mind? (See 7/16/14).   No amount of evidence, education or clarity will change some people’s minds.   Ideology is everything.  They are hardwired and don’t know it.  My mind is made up. . . .  

But wait.  Could it be?  An arguably honorable person might run for President?   Michael Bloomberg?  As an independent?  Maybe there is hope for America.   Just maybe.  He is definitely not perfect.  But he is not a criminal or a jerk.   To be continued. . . .      

A Harbinger of Spring?

On By scottpetersenIn Spring is hereLeave a comment

It was about -7 (F) on the thermometer this morning (-20 wind chill) when I got up. I had coffee, some cereal and drove off in shorts and a jacket – in the dark – to the local Fitness Center.  I groaned through a couple of sit ups and a few minutes on the bike and came home for some jelly donuts. I pulled in the driveway and walk back to the curb to get our recycling bin.  The grey fingers of dawn were struggling to come alive. I’m pulling the bin up the driveway and I see something on the lawn. I walk over and pick it up.  It is a golf ball. A Titleist “range” ball.  Brand new.  How it got there – I have not a clue.  I have never found a golf ball on my lawn before.  

I gazed up at the sky.  A faint shade of blue.  Then at the ball.  And I concluded that this “find” has to be a harbinger of spring – which I am very much anticipating.  I mean why wait for a %#&*!@ groundhog. . . .
                                                                                                                                                I walked in the house – Donna was at the kitchen table finishing breakfast. “I found something” I said.   “Hold out your hand.” And she did.   Fortunately Donna has known me long enough to know that I’m not going to drop a worm or cricket or mouse in her palm – so she accepted the ball from my closed fist.   “A harbinger of spring” I said.   She inspected the ball, smiled and peered out at the thermometer.  “Fat chance” she said.  

 

40 Minutes to Glory

On By scottpetersenIn Scoring pointsLeave a comment

On December 10th of last year, I talked about a primo rice and beans dish that I concocted using Rice Select Royal Blend rice. Well, last night I did it again. Big time. . . . .

I volunteered (as I frequently do on weekends) to make dinner. I drove to Fresh Market, walked in and stood. My eyes narrowed. I rubbed my chin.  Drooled.  And then the lights flickered and went on.  I got the fixings and went home to boldly go where no man had gone before.

I took a cup of Rice Select Royal Blend (a unique combo of Texmati, white, brown, wild and red rice) and got it going in a pot of water (for rice, I sometimes use chicken stock which can be flavorful – but salty).  In a saucepan, I chopped some organic carrots; washed and sliced some Shiitake mushrooms (Shiitake and Asian mushrooms are healthier); diced an acorn squash; and chopped a sweet onion. I sautéed the mix on low heat in the usual drench of olive oil. I shook on some pepper, turmeric and Sunny Spain Seasoning.  Stirring frequently.   With a few minutes left, I spooned on some honey — to caramelize.

The “side” was a wild Atlantic salmon covered in olive oil, turmeric, pepper and more Sunny Spain seasoning.  Dinner was finito in about 40 minutes.  We sat, listening to Gato Barbieri, sipping Liberty School merlot and dining on a dish that I have absolutely no idea what to call. . . . .

Killing Lincoln

On By scottpetersenIn Killing LincolnLeave a comment

I just finished Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard. Wow! Reading this book was like reading a Tom Clancy thriller.   The reader is literally on the front lines of the Civil War – and standing in silent witness in the wings of the President’s private box for the chilling and tragic denouement that took place at Ford’s Theater on Good Friday, April 14, 1865.  A few nitpicky critics pointed out that there were four minor inaccuracies and two typeset errors in the first edition.  These were corrected in subsequent printings.   Killing Lincoln has sold over one million copies and soared to number 2 on the New York Times bestseller list for non-fiction.  It remained for weeks as number 1 – on the New York Times E-Book non-fiction list.

I had asked for this book for Christmas – and Santa Claus did not disappoint.  If you want a truly fascinating read — that will grip you from start to finish — get – and read – Killing Lincoln.  It is truly five star.  And the profits go to charity.