Most of the time, traveling around the world as an American has been positive.  People are curious about the USA, our lifestyle, our professional sports, and our democracy.  I generally stay out of politics and religious conversations with strangers. But in the last three plus years, the response is markedly different.  Still respectful, they wonder what is wrong with us.  Case in point:

When my travel buddy, Mr. Mike wore his “Not my President” T shirt (in about a dozen languages) in Hanoi, we were the stars of the show.  All of the foreign travelers wanted a photo taken with him and his T shirt!
Even in business meetings in foreign countries, friends have said that “off the record” comments by their hosts are totally unexpected.  Most of the comments ask what is wrong with us.  Including many obscenities!!

My answer?  This is what a free (maybe) and democratic election can bring.  Anyone can run.

Bottom line:  It is a total embarrassment.  My next trip is planned for Nov. 5.  I hope I can answer their questions in a completely different way.  Foreigners look up to us, and expect more.  Just give me the America I can be proud of again.

 We have a problem here in California!

The president stuck by his longstanding argument that if more is done to clear forests of dead trees, leaves, and other debris, wildfires could be virtually eliminated.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom agreed that more should be done to manage the forests, but pointed out that 57% of California’s 33 million acres of forest is owned by the federal government and just 3% is owned by the state. 

Newsom also asked the president to “respect” differences of opinion on climate change, which scientists say is worsening the US’s record-breaking fires, which come amid historic drought and heat.  

So, this seems like the student pointing out an egregious error by the “teacher”, no?

“It’ll start getting cooler, you just watch,” Trump replied.   Was he talking about the upcoming winter, or the long-term trend that directly conflicts with his smug “opinion”?

I would imagine that only homes and businesses owned by Democrats were burned to the ground.  That only Republicans cleared the ground around their homes, which is his lame solution to the problem?

From Katie Couric:  As firefighters faced drier, more unpredictable conditions on the West Coast, President Trump and rival Joe Biden dueled over climate change’s role in fueling historic wildfires on Monday. In a visit to California, the president expressed skepticism over climate change, placing blame on forest mismanagement. (Fact-check: Climate change is a contributing factor to the recent blazes, per experts.) From across the U.S., Biden called him a “climate arsonist,” and warned Americans they wouldn’t be safe under a second Trump administration.

I can tell you, first hand, that homes are destroyed, people and animals are displaced, and panic and desperation is off the charts.  These people need our help!  Forget the politics and divisiveness for just a few weeks.

If you donate on my FB page, a dear friend will match all donations!!! Thank you.

I can’t wait for Nov. 3!!!

City Lights in San Francisco, Powell’s in Portland, and The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles are my favorite bookstores.  I am sure each of you have one as well.  I hate the demise of bookstores, and still try to buy as many as I can through Barnes and Noble, as well as local stores wherever I might visit. 

Check out this post on AFAR – https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-best-independent-bookstores-in-california?utm_medium=email&utm_source=sshare

Speaking of books:  One of the only countries to come out unscathed by the digital era’s death blow to the printed word, Portugal is a country that still loves books. In these atmospheric, utterly charming bookshops and libraries, you can spend an hour–or two or three–remembering that the power of the written word is made all the more exquisite by the tactical experience of a book. Spending time with Portugal’s rich literary history can help you steal some insights into Portuguese culture: its seafaring past, its Jewish history, its classic romantic tragedies, and its affinity for political subversion. These spots, made for bookworms, also boast some of the country’s most stunning views, its best local drinks, and–like any good book–tons of potential for adventure.

I believe our bookstores characterize our people and culture about as well as any other indicator.  Some will tell you our society is defined by its educational institutions, yet still others say it is our churches, bars, cultural venues, and recreational facilities.

So, what is it about books?  Some people prefer electronic readers.  Some prefer podcasts.  I still prefer hard copy.

I carry at least two or three books when I travel:  a light reading, John Grisham type of book, a heavier, more thoughtful book like Dostoyevsky or Ishiguro, and a travel guide or two.  I tend not to rely on electronics, since it eats up my battery.  I need the GPS when things get somewhat confused, like Uncle Leo.

Informal trading of books is quite common on my trips as well.  I can trade with the hotel, a travel friend, or a book exchange.  The only danger is that I might end up with a book that I have read before!!  No harm, no foul!

In some third world countries, finding a book in English is a HUGE problem.  But the best option is to find a used bookstore, invariably beset with many old “dime” novels in English.  You might find treasures like Saroyan or Hemingway, or “dime novels” like  Danielle Steele or Clive Cussler.

Whatever you do, just be prepared.  Reading really helps to pass the time, and who knows?  You might learn something, like a new word, or an old word, used differently.

Books tend also to encourage conversation with strangers.  Quite often, a stranger inquires about the book I am reading.  Or, I might do the same.  Heck, that is how I met a “fat” guy named Bob on a flight to DC.  Bob turned out to be the actor, Robert Duvall.  

Never under estimate the power of the written word!

I did not realize this:  An astonishing 4 percent of the world’s cheese ends up stolen, making it the world’s most stolen food (via Time). If the global percentage holds true in the United States, then that makes 4 percent of roughly 12.7 billion pounds annually (via Agricultural Marketing Resource Center), or 508 million pounds of stolen cheese. How heavy is that, exactly? If the weight of an average car is roughly 4,000 pounds (via the Environmental Protection Agency), then cheese thieves steal the equivalent of 127,000 cars worth a year. Suffice to say, it’s a lot. 

Read More: https://www.mashed.com/219606/the-real-reason-cheese-is-the-most-stolen-food-in-the-world/?utm_campaign=clip

I can understand why cheese is stolen from grocery stores.  It is expensive, small enough to place in a pocket or purse, and nutritious.  I don’t think I have ever stolen any cheese, from a store.  But I once attended a large welcome reception.  Upon leaving, my frat brothers and I discovered a HUGE wheel of cheese, untouched.  So, we brought it back to the fraternity house and had cheese for a semester.

In my working days, the two most stolen items were razor blades and Preparation H.  What  a strange combination!  Blades are expensive, and again, small enough to hide in a pocket or purse.  Most are locked up now at retailers, and often have an anti-theft sticker as well.  Even today, razor blades remain numero uno.

But (pun not intended), Preparation H is stolen, but not for the obvious reason.  It was once considered a great wrinkle remover, before it was reformulated several years ago.  Women were stealing it faster than condoms being stolen by teenagers in heat!
Retail, in general:

1. Designer Clothing 
2. Denim Pants 
3. Razors 
4. Infant Formula 
5. Designer Handbags 
6. Laundry Detergent 
7. Cigarettes 
8. High-end Liquor 
9. Jewelry 
10. Teeth Whitening Strips 

I think this tells you quite a bit about our society.  Material things still matter, more than personal hygiene!
So, if you steal, please go for personal hygiene.  Deodorant and body washes may rise to numero uno on the list!

The numbers are rather staggering.  I appreciate the island culture being so cautious.  Perhaps all states could learn something from them.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority says visitor arrivals to the islands in July fell by almost 98% compared with the same month last year.

A report released Thursday says 22,562 visitors arrived by air last month, compared with 995,210 travelers who arrived in Hawaii in July 2019.

Most of the visitors last month were from the U.S. mainland, and only about 2,100 were from international locations.

For the first seven months of the year, arrivals plummeted nearly 65%.

All arriving visitors are subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine, a measure that for months seemed to keep the coronavirus at bay in Hawaii.

But now, after the local economy began to reopen and restrictions eased earlier this summer, Hawaii is seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases, spurring yet another round of stay-at-home orders and business closures.

We have dear friends there who were temporarily laid off from their tourism related jobs.  We have other friends On Kauai who were not affected.  In either case, a state that depends on tourism must address this pandemic is a more aggressive manner.  Kudos to them!

We have a trip planned for February.  But with the pandemic, we plan to visit only Kauai, and skip our normal jaunts to Honolulu to see friends, and to Maui for its usual splendor.

Meanwhile, according to USA Today:  

Tourists and travelers are beginning to return to Las Vegas, but mostly by highway and well below pre-coronavirus pandemic levels, according to airport and convention authority reports released Thursday.

McCarran International Airport said it handled 1.6 million arriving or departing passengers in July, down nearly two-thirds from the same month a year ago but up 56% from a million people in June.

Highway travel to Las Vegas approached the levels of summer 2019, reaching 90% of the total a year ago, according to the regional Convention and Visitors Authority. Traffic jams are again common on Interstate 15 when weekend visitors head home to Southern California.

I usually hit Vegas about twice a year.  We have dear friends there, and we love to visit them.  We go, not to gamble, but to visit, and perhaps some outdoor activities.  Our friends who live there are now in California for the summer.

Whatever you do, please keep in mind that Hawaii and Vegas need our tourist dollars, once we get a vaccine, and return to a semi-normal travel routine.

From the Washington Post:

Japan has the world’s oldest population, with an average age of 47 and a life expectancy of more than 81 years. More than 28 percent of its people are over the age of 65, ahead of Italy in second place with 23 percent, and compared with 16 percent of Americans.

But Japan has recorded 1,225 deaths from covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, compared with nearly 180,000 in the United States. In Japan, 14 percent of the deaths were in eldercare facilities. That is compared with more than 40 percent in the United States, despite a lower proportion of U.S. seniors living in nursing homes.

The disasters that unfolded in nursing homes in the United States and Western Europe during the pandemic have exposed the neglect and underfunding that have bedeviled elderly care in much of the West. Japan’s more positive experience may offer important lessons for the entire industry as it reviews policies and protocols for the next possible world health crisis.

The contrast is partly because Japan reacted more quickly than Western nations to developments in nearby China, and swiftly tightened controls on staff and visitors at its eldercare homes, said Reiko Hayashi, deputy director general of the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.

Looking briefly at Japan’s demographics:  Population is 126,476,000.  The fertility rate is only 1.4, but a rate of 2.1 is needed to actively replace itself without immigration.  Life expectancy is 85 years (88.1 for females, 81.9 for males).  Median age is 48.4, quite old for a modern economy.

But culture also appeared to play an important role: Experts point to a higher priority given to elderly care within society, stronger measures already in place at care homes to prevent infections and high standards of hygiene.

I can point with great admiration to my cousins.  One situation, where my elderly Aunt was confined to a memory care home.  My cousins brought her back home since they were not allowed to visit, and she was not lucid enough for Facetime or Zoom.

In another, my cousins removed my two Aunts from Fairwinds, and placed them in a private care home.  At Fairwinds, they were isolated in their own rooms, meals were brought to them, and all group activities were eliminated.  In the private care home, they could watch television together, eat their meals in the same room, and enjoy some freedom (in their bubble) outside of their own bedroom.

I am so proud of my cousins (Chrissie, Nate, Kenny, Gayle) for doing this.  Yes, they can afford both the time and financial resources to do this.  But they decided to honor their mothers by making their lives better.  And I believe our culture and upbringing resulted in doing what is best for my Aunts.

The pandemic has brought out the best in some people, like my cousins.

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My first question is:  Do you think global warming might have a role in the plethora of fires here in California?

California wildfires: Heading into the historical heart of its wildfire season, California already has set a record for acreage burned, as well as its second, third, and fourth biggest fires ever. Precious parkland is among the charred lands. The AP reports that new wildfires are ravaging bone-dry land during heat waves; locals, disrupted by the pandemic, are now contending with emergency airlifts and power outages.

I am headed over to a Red Cross temporary shelter at Clovis North High School today.  If you can find it in your heart, please feel free to donate cash or food to your local Red Cross.  Or better yet, volunteer your time.  We need you now.

Thank you for all the people displaced by the fires.

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Being from California, you have no doubt experienced my bias toward California wines.  No doubt, I like Napa, Sonoma, Central Coast, Lodi, and Central Valley wines.   But you know I have experienced wines in other places, like Mendoza (Argentina), Bordeaux (France), Champagne, Willamette Valley (Oregon), central Washington, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Romania, Stellenbosch (South Africa), Chile, among others.

But looking at the totality of wines and vineyards yields a different look at wine.  Only 18.3 million acres of vineyards on the globe (for wine and table grapes) according to the new 2019 statistical report just out from the OIV (International Organization of Vine and Wine). Just 5 countries represent 50% of all the vineyards in the world: Spain with 13% of global vineyards; followed by China (12%), France (11%), Italy (9%), and Turkey (6%). World vineyard acreage has been on a decline since 2003.  Where is the U.S.?  The U.S. is fourth in the world.

The fun begins

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With the recent wild fires here in California, the wine production numbers could be radically altered.  This will either change the types of wines we drink, or raise the prices since Orange man imposed tariffs on French wines.  My suggestion for you is to stock up now on the wines currently in the store.  And you can always buy wine from areas least affected by the fires.

Exactly 4613 wineries (and 5900 growers) are currently operating in California. The state accounts for 43% of all the wineries in the U.S. but 80% of the wine produced. Admittedly, the California wine industry is the most mature in the country—the number of wineries in the state has grown by only 27% since 2015. By comparison, Texas and Michigan, in the Top 10 most wineries per state, have grown their numbers by 84% and 80% respectively. California’s dominance of the U.S. market makes it the fourth largest wine producer in the world.  

And:  September is California Wine Month, the state’s annual harvest celebration. Each year, wineries, grape growers and regional associations across the state host special events and tastings, and 2020 will be no exception. However, due to COVID-19 concerns, this year’s festivities will take the form of virtual wine tastings and tours, live-streamed auctions, digital cooking demonstrations, special wine discounts and the first-ever virtual grape stomp. California Wines has also created a Harvest 2020 Playlist on Spotify to help put wine lovers in a harvest state of mind, wherever they happen to live.

First, some history:  Historically, an enoteca was a wine library; a place where bottles of wine were displayed. Today, the word enoteca is also used to indicate a wine bar where a curated collection of wines is available for tasting. The most famous enoteca in Italy is the Enoteca Italiana in Siena which was once a de Medici fortress.
Cooperage is the general term for containers used to store wine. Small barrels, large wooden casks, and stainless steel tanks are the most common kinds of cooperage, but containers made from concrete, fiberglass, and glass are also employed . In California, one of the newest forms of cooperage are concrete eggs which have been used by high end wineries for a decade.  How many of you remember the cute place on Union Street, named The Cooperage??

The name Burgundy dates back to the 6^th century when a barbaric, wandering Germanic tribe known as Burgondes established a settlement in central France after the fall of the Roman Empire. They called the region Burgundia. However, even before the region was named, grapes grew in Burgundy. The area’s first documented vineyard was planted in the village of Meursault in the first century A.D.

One is the number of drinks that the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommends as the maximum daily alcohol consumption for men. The National Association of Wine Retailers (NAWR) is challenging the federal report, as it cuts the prior recommendation of 2 drinks (in place for 30 years) in half. The NAWR believes the report represents an anti-alcohol agenda—not a conclusion based on scientific evidence. Its fear is that once published, these guidelines will lead to restrictive legislation.  I guess I failed??

So, please make sure you have either a designated driver or Uber nearby.

And the wazzoo to Champagne, France for dumping their grapes.  Poor champagne growers don’t want to make champagne this year since it would lower prices.  Seems people are drinking less of their stuff during the pandemic.  Here in California, farmers must bring their crops to market, since they have crop loans and other benchmarks for financing.  So, cry not for those inglorious and greedy growers in Champagne.