Kelulu and Jay Smith Trio at Bakersfield Jazz Workshop, Dec. 30, 2009
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Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Monday, December 07, 2009
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
BLOGSPOT HELP IS NON-EXISTENT
OK - so I'm always looking for things to write about, but, the easiest things seem to be about the stuff that annoys me.
And Blogger, or Blogspot, or whatever the hell they call themselves is REALLY annoying me now!!!!
I used to have Google ads on my site. Somehow they all disappeared.
I tried toi get them added again and found out I had to activate my blog with google again. So i did that.
Now, when I try to add adsense ads to my site, I have to modify my template. When I try to do that, I get a page that shows something called a "Monetize" button.
When I select that, it gives me options to add adsense ads to my site. So, I pick one, then I hit the preview button. Then I see how my page will look with the ad in it. Everything looks ok.
So then I hit "save" to save the changes, but, when I look at my blog, the damn ads aren't there.
WTF!!!!!!!!!
Who's in charge here. What the @$#%& is wrong?
No one seems to have an answer. The problem isn't addressed in any of the help forums, and my site continues to get hits but I'm missing out on the adsense traffic because I can't get the damn ads to work!!!!!
I'm getting an idea why my friends who used to use blogger moved elsewhere. It would be nice to be able to get some help!
And Blogger, or Blogspot, or whatever the hell they call themselves is REALLY annoying me now!!!!
I used to have Google ads on my site. Somehow they all disappeared.
I tried toi get them added again and found out I had to activate my blog with google again. So i did that.
Now, when I try to add adsense ads to my site, I have to modify my template. When I try to do that, I get a page that shows something called a "Monetize" button.
When I select that, it gives me options to add adsense ads to my site. So, I pick one, then I hit the preview button. Then I see how my page will look with the ad in it. Everything looks ok.
So then I hit "save" to save the changes, but, when I look at my blog, the damn ads aren't there.
WTF!!!!!!!!!
Who's in charge here. What the @$#%& is wrong?
No one seems to have an answer. The problem isn't addressed in any of the help forums, and my site continues to get hits but I'm missing out on the adsense traffic because I can't get the damn ads to work!!!!!
I'm getting an idea why my friends who used to use blogger moved elsewhere. It would be nice to be able to get some help!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
WHY DON'T MY ADSENSE ADS WORK?
OK, so I log onto my blogger acct, find out that none of my google ads are showing. So I monkey around a bit, log onto google, they say I need to authorize blogspot (gee, when did THAT happen - never had to do that before!!), so I do that anyway.
MY ADS STILL DON'T SHOW UP!!!!!
GEEZUZ - WHAT IS IT WITH YOU GEEKS!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? HOW COULD YOU SCREW UP SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS THIS??????
I've used the monetize site here several times to pick an ad, I use the preview button and the preview of the page works fine, but every time I save it and try to view the finished product, NO ADS!!!!!!!!!!!!
And the HELP function is totally useless - just directs you to a Google help forum with no answer to why this is happening.
MY ADS STILL DON'T SHOW UP!!!!!
GEEZUZ - WHAT IS IT WITH YOU GEEKS!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? HOW COULD YOU SCREW UP SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS THIS??????
I've used the monetize site here several times to pick an ad, I use the preview button and the preview of the page works fine, but every time I save it and try to view the finished product, NO ADS!!!!!!!!!!!!
And the HELP function is totally useless - just directs you to a Google help forum with no answer to why this is happening.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Do you want a side of rice with your rice?
Hmmm, it's been awhile since ol' Ace has had the energy to write about something that was kinda annoying. My GF has been bugging me about it for the last few weeks - "Why don't you write something again? Why don't you post? Why don't you do this, why don't you do that?" (If she's not careful, I'm gonna write about her whining about me not posting - hey, I guess I just did! Sorry baby - just kidding!)
Anyway, I do have something to write about. Last night, I was at a restaurant - won't name the joint, no reason to, I like the people there, but...
So, I'm at this place, a bar and grill, listening to some music. My GF is with me, and all of a sudden, she decides the diet she's on isn't a problem anymore. She tells me she's hungry and wants some food. So I say, "Ok, what do you want?"
She says, "I think I want a chicken salad, but, I don't want any of that creamy sauce/dressing or whatever on it. I'm hungry but, I still don't want to get fat."
I look at her and ask, "Chicken salad? You mean like tuna salad, or do you mean like a salad salad, with chunks of chicken on top of it?"
She says, "Yeah, I think so."
Geez, wtf does that mean? So I say, "Look, how about I grab a menu and you tell me which salad you want and what you don't want on it, ok?" She says fine, and off I go through the crowd to grab a menu.
So, I return with the menu, give it to her, she looks at it for a few minutes, then tells me she wants the BABY BACK PORK SPARERIBS, SLATHERED IN BARBECUE SAUCE !!!
What?!?!?!? What happened to the salad? What happened to the diet? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE I DON'T WANT TO GET FAT?!?!?!?
So I say, "OK, Honey, whatever you want!" I walk over to the bar, because none of the wait staff seems to think that walking by the customer's tables and asking them if they'd like anything to eat fits their job description, and try to flag down the bartender so that I can order my significant other some food.
While I'm waiting, I start looking over the menu myself. "Hey, some of this stuff looks pretty tasty."
So, when the bartender comes and asks me what I want, I order the spareribs for my gf, then I ask for the New Orleans Seafood Delight for myself, described as a spicy cajun style dish consisting of spicy grilled catfish filets, covered with a spicy, creamy, cajun style sauce of spicy grilled shrimp and spicy crawfish, all served on top of spicy rice with spicy, steamed veggies. (Hmmm - sounds spicy!) The menu says it comes with the salad bar and hushpuppies too.
The bartender takes my order, starts to ring it up on the computer, then says, "You know, you get a side with that too."
I said, " I do? A side? The menu doesn't mention any sides."
She says, "Yeah, you get a side with that, what would you like?"
So I say, "Well, gee, what are the sides?"
And she goes, now remember, I just ordered a dinner that says my fish and shrimp and crawfish will be served ON TOP OF RICE, WITH VEGGIES AND A SALAD, "You can pick a side of rice, baked potato, french fries, or veggies."
OMFG, are you kidding me? Why would I want to order a side of rice with a dish that already has rice. Or veggies with a dish that has veggies? I'm tempted to say, "I'd like a side of rice with my rice, and a side of veggies with my veggies," but, I don't.
I ask her, "Are you kidding? Why would you have a side of rice with a rice dish?"
She says, "No, I'm not kidding. What side would you want?"
The friend of the restaurant manager is standing next to me. I look at him. He looks at me and smiles, rolls his eyes, says, "Yeah, don't look at me, I don't understand it either."
I look at him again, I look at the bartender, I look at my GF. I look at the TV and Curb Your Enthusiasm happens to be on. I think, "Maybe I can sell this story to Larry David?"
I give up. I order a side of baked potato with chives.
I never did get my hushpuppies...
Anyway, I do have something to write about. Last night, I was at a restaurant - won't name the joint, no reason to, I like the people there, but...
So, I'm at this place, a bar and grill, listening to some music. My GF is with me, and all of a sudden, she decides the diet she's on isn't a problem anymore. She tells me she's hungry and wants some food. So I say, "Ok, what do you want?"
She says, "I think I want a chicken salad, but, I don't want any of that creamy sauce/dressing or whatever on it. I'm hungry but, I still don't want to get fat."
I look at her and ask, "Chicken salad? You mean like tuna salad, or do you mean like a salad salad, with chunks of chicken on top of it?"
She says, "Yeah, I think so."
Geez, wtf does that mean? So I say, "Look, how about I grab a menu and you tell me which salad you want and what you don't want on it, ok?" She says fine, and off I go through the crowd to grab a menu.
So, I return with the menu, give it to her, she looks at it for a few minutes, then tells me she wants the BABY BACK PORK SPARERIBS, SLATHERED IN BARBECUE SAUCE !!!
What?!?!?!? What happened to the salad? What happened to the diet? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE I DON'T WANT TO GET FAT?!?!?!?
So I say, "OK, Honey, whatever you want!" I walk over to the bar, because none of the wait staff seems to think that walking by the customer's tables and asking them if they'd like anything to eat fits their job description, and try to flag down the bartender so that I can order my significant other some food.
While I'm waiting, I start looking over the menu myself. "Hey, some of this stuff looks pretty tasty."
So, when the bartender comes and asks me what I want, I order the spareribs for my gf, then I ask for the New Orleans Seafood Delight for myself, described as a spicy cajun style dish consisting of spicy grilled catfish filets, covered with a spicy, creamy, cajun style sauce of spicy grilled shrimp and spicy crawfish, all served on top of spicy rice with spicy, steamed veggies. (Hmmm - sounds spicy!) The menu says it comes with the salad bar and hushpuppies too.
The bartender takes my order, starts to ring it up on the computer, then says, "You know, you get a side with that too."
I said, " I do? A side? The menu doesn't mention any sides."
She says, "Yeah, you get a side with that, what would you like?"
So I say, "Well, gee, what are the sides?"
And she goes, now remember, I just ordered a dinner that says my fish and shrimp and crawfish will be served ON TOP OF RICE, WITH VEGGIES AND A SALAD, "You can pick a side of rice, baked potato, french fries, or veggies."
OMFG, are you kidding me? Why would I want to order a side of rice with a dish that already has rice. Or veggies with a dish that has veggies? I'm tempted to say, "I'd like a side of rice with my rice, and a side of veggies with my veggies," but, I don't.
I ask her, "Are you kidding? Why would you have a side of rice with a rice dish?"
She says, "No, I'm not kidding. What side would you want?"
The friend of the restaurant manager is standing next to me. I look at him. He looks at me and smiles, rolls his eyes, says, "Yeah, don't look at me, I don't understand it either."
I look at him again, I look at the bartender, I look at my GF. I look at the TV and Curb Your Enthusiasm happens to be on. I think, "Maybe I can sell this story to Larry David?"
I give up. I order a side of baked potato with chives.
I never did get my hushpuppies...
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Monday, November 09, 2009
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Kama Ruby and Her Quartet - Live from the Metro Galleries, Bakersfield, CA, Oct. 29, 2009:
Metro Concert Series: A medley of excerpts from 4 tunes performed by Kama Ruby and Her Quartet, Oct. 29, 2009, at the Metro Galleries, Bakersfield, CA. Light My Fire, Hello It's Me, Little L, and Calling You (Theme fromBaghdad Cafe). Kama Ruby (vocals), Pat O'Connell (guitar), Ezekiel Victor (piano), Glen Fong (bass), Canaan McDuffie (drums)
Metro Concert Series: A medley of excerpts from 4 tunes performed by Kama Ruby and Her Quartet, Oct. 29, 2009, at the Metro Galleries, Bakersfield, CA. Light My Fire, Hello It's Me, Little L, and Calling You (Theme fromBaghdad Cafe). Kama Ruby (vocals), Pat O'Connell (guitar), Ezekiel Victor (piano), Glen Fong (bass), Canaan McDuffie (drums)
Thursday, August 27, 2009
The Dangers of Texting While Driving
One of the benefits of fukking off all day in retired life is that one comes across things that one might not come across if one is wasting one's time going to work every day!
This is one of those things.
IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING!!!!
Watch this with your kids, watch it with your spouse, watch it with your significant other!
Watch it by yourself....
This is a very disturbing but powerful video.
Watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGE8LzRaySk
This is one of those things.
IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING!!!!
Watch this with your kids, watch it with your spouse, watch it with your significant other!
Watch it by yourself....
This is a very disturbing but powerful video.
Watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGE8LzRaySk
Sunday, April 26, 2009
A Cockroach at Trader Joes
Well, this isn't exactly a pleasant story, but, it's true. Happened yesterday, April 25, 2009.
I'm at Trader Joes in Bakersfield, CA, looking to buy their organic mexican/peruvian de-caf morning blend coffee. That's all I want, but, they're out of it - all they have is the organic French roast de-caf, which I hate, but, I get that anyway. (Why de-caf? That's another story, let's just say that you don't want to see me on caffeine - not a pretty sight!)
So anyway, I figure I might as well pick up a few more things - some frozen seafood mix, some of those potato chips made from weird vegetables, some spicy peruvian chimmichurra rice, some TJ Almond clusters, etc., etc. All stuff that I don't really need, but, when you're in Trader Joes, you just can't help it. It's like COSTCO - you go in there for one thing and you end up buying half of the store.
Well, it's time to go. I try to get in line. The place is not too crowded, but, I still have to wait. I get in line behind one of those skin and bone, unhealthy as hell looking middle aged women who seem to be too concerned about watching what they eat to realize that they look like sickly, starved to death, wrinkled, anorexic invalids. Geez - what are they thinking? Eat some real food once in awhile why dontcha'? I don't care how much all-organic mineral makeup you brush on yourself - it ain't making you look good! You still look like an extra in a George E. Romero movie!!
I digress - excuse me. Finally, the woman in front gets her stuff scanned, pays for it, and moves her cart out to the parking lot. I move over, the check out clerk asks me, "How are you doing?" I say, "Fine." He asks me, "Did you find everything ok?" I say "Yeah," (even though I didn't find my coffee) and then he reaches into my cart to start scanning my stuff.
Before he scans the first item, he and I both notice a flash of motion on the check out counter. A little brownish red blur scurries past my TJ's organic bananas - IT'S A FRIGGING COCKROACH!!!!!!!!!!
Unfriggingbelievable!!!!!!!!! A cockroach right there on the frigging checkout counter!!! Right in front of the cash register!!!!
The clerk looks at me, looks at the cockroach, and grabs one of those TJ pamphlets that say what kind of wonderful and exotic things they've imported for us to buy, and smashes the cockroach right on the countertop.
"Geez," - I say. "Wow - I didn't put THAT in my cart!"
But he just keeps going on like nothing happened, almost pretending like it was never there, or that it's an everyday occurrence.
(Note to TJ's management - I don't think there's much of a market for TJ Cockroaches, not even if you, maybe, dipped them in belgian chocolate or deep fried them with spicy TJ Chipotle sauce!)
Hmmm - well, anyway, I get my stuff, walk away, look around, and realize no one besides the TJ's check out clerk and me knows what just happened. Maybe I should have jumped up and down and started screaming, "Cockroach, Cockroach!!!!!" at the top of my lungs.
But I didn't - it was almost a surreal moment.
However, I wonder what is going to happen now, as people read this post? Is someone going to call the Health Department? Are some people going to stop going to TJs? Are some people going to start asking for chocolate covered cockroaches?
I dunno - what do you think? As for me, Fresh Choice and Lassens are starting to look like they're worth the extra driving distance!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
World Builder - Watch This with Someone You Love
For those of you who know me, this hit way too close to home. It had me in tears at the end. Grab the persons you love and hold them tight...never stop telling them you love them.
Beautiful, beautiful job...
World Builder from Bruce Branit on Vimeo.
Beautiful, beautiful job...
World Builder from Bruce Branit on Vimeo.
Friday, March 06, 2009
American Express Gas Cards - What a Joke!
Ok, so I bought some American Express gift cards for Xmas presents in December, and learned I'd get a $15 gasoline gift card because I spent so much. Well, I forgot all about it when a few weeks ago, I get a letter in the mail from American Express and there it was - a new $15 American Express gasoline card, with a letter that said it can be used at any gasoline station that takes American Express, and, I have to present it to the cashier and not the card machine at the pump.
Fair enough.
So, one day, my girlfriend is off to get gas in her car. Me, the generous person that I am, give her my gas card and tell her to use it and save herself some money. So off she goes.
Several minutes later, she calls me and says "The gas station won't take the card." So I tell her to go to another station, she does, calls me back and says, "This place won't take it either - they say they don't take American Express."
Well gee, what's up with that? So, when I see her again, I give her some money for gas (for all her trouble) and take the card back. Several days go by and I remember the card again, so I go out to buy some gas. Same problem - no one takes it. I stopped at 4 stations - no luck at any of them. So I ask the guy at the last place if he knows any station that takes American Express, and he tells me, "Probably no one! American Express raised the price they charge for us to take their card to too high a price, everyone stopped accepting them!"
Geezuz, what now?
So, I look at my card and it has a website and an 800 number to call if you need to find out where the card will be accepted. Ok, I'll try that. So I go home, log on, type in the website. First thing it asks me is for my card number. Ok, I type that in. Then it asks me for a security code (4 numbers) on the front of the card. Ok - I can do that. I type it in, hit enter, and I get a message that says the numbers don't match what is in their files. I try this 3 more times - still no luck. WTF!!!!!!!
Geez, now what?
So I call up the 800 number, speak to a friendly asian sounding lady, explain the situation to her. She says ok, she can help me, and asks me for my card number. I give it to her. She asks for the security number, I give THAT to her. I wait a few minutes and then she says, "Sir, I'm sorry, but thse numbers don't match our records."
OMG - I'm in the Twilight Zone again!!!!
So I explain it to her all over again. She says ok, she'll assign me a new security code. I wait another 5 minutes. She gets back on the line and says "I reactivated your card with the new security number, but now it tells me that the card is expired."
Here we go again, GAWD, why do these things happen to me? I explain to her that the card can't be expired yet. She asks me what the expiration date is - I tell her it's two months from now, May 9, 2009. She says, "Oh, please hold on."
I wait another 5 minutes. Then she says, "I'm sorry Sir, I'll just have to issue you a new card - you can expect it in 7 to 10 business days. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
I told her "Yeah - you can tell me where in Bakersfield I can go to cash the gift card in!" To which she replies, and remember, SHE'S THE AMERICAN EXPRESS HELP DESK REPRESENTATIVE FOR THESE GAS CARDS!!!!, "I'm sorry sir, but, I need your card number and security code to access the website. Without that information I can't access the site either. You will just have to log in again after you receive your new card in 7 to 10 business days."
ARE YOU FRIGGING KIDDING ME?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
And people wonder why America's banking and credit industry is all screwed up!
Fair enough.
So, one day, my girlfriend is off to get gas in her car. Me, the generous person that I am, give her my gas card and tell her to use it and save herself some money. So off she goes.
Several minutes later, she calls me and says "The gas station won't take the card." So I tell her to go to another station, she does, calls me back and says, "This place won't take it either - they say they don't take American Express."
Well gee, what's up with that? So, when I see her again, I give her some money for gas (for all her trouble) and take the card back. Several days go by and I remember the card again, so I go out to buy some gas. Same problem - no one takes it. I stopped at 4 stations - no luck at any of them. So I ask the guy at the last place if he knows any station that takes American Express, and he tells me, "Probably no one! American Express raised the price they charge for us to take their card to too high a price, everyone stopped accepting them!"
Geezuz, what now?
So, I look at my card and it has a website and an 800 number to call if you need to find out where the card will be accepted. Ok, I'll try that. So I go home, log on, type in the website. First thing it asks me is for my card number. Ok, I type that in. Then it asks me for a security code (4 numbers) on the front of the card. Ok - I can do that. I type it in, hit enter, and I get a message that says the numbers don't match what is in their files. I try this 3 more times - still no luck. WTF!!!!!!!
Geez, now what?
So I call up the 800 number, speak to a friendly asian sounding lady, explain the situation to her. She says ok, she can help me, and asks me for my card number. I give it to her. She asks for the security number, I give THAT to her. I wait a few minutes and then she says, "Sir, I'm sorry, but thse numbers don't match our records."
OMG - I'm in the Twilight Zone again!!!!
So I explain it to her all over again. She says ok, she'll assign me a new security code. I wait another 5 minutes. She gets back on the line and says "I reactivated your card with the new security number, but now it tells me that the card is expired."
Here we go again, GAWD, why do these things happen to me? I explain to her that the card can't be expired yet. She asks me what the expiration date is - I tell her it's two months from now, May 9, 2009. She says, "Oh, please hold on."
I wait another 5 minutes. Then she says, "I'm sorry Sir, I'll just have to issue you a new card - you can expect it in 7 to 10 business days. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
I told her "Yeah - you can tell me where in Bakersfield I can go to cash the gift card in!" To which she replies, and remember, SHE'S THE AMERICAN EXPRESS HELP DESK REPRESENTATIVE FOR THESE GAS CARDS!!!!, "I'm sorry sir, but, I need your card number and security code to access the website. Without that information I can't access the site either. You will just have to log in again after you receive your new card in 7 to 10 business days."
ARE YOU FRIGGING KIDDING ME?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
And people wonder why America's banking and credit industry is all screwed up!
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