Random Musings of a Ramblin' Fool XXXIX

With the end of the month coming tonight at the witching hour I thought it about time to finish at a busy month on Eclectic Arcania with another edition of Random Musings of a Ramblin' Fool. I thank all you my readers for really starting to hit this blog fairly hard as we had nearly 7,000 hits over the last month which is a continued increase and a big step for us given how dead this blog had become during my hiatus from blogging late 2009 through early 2011.

Goodbye Adsense... Goodbye Blogspot?

I appreciate that some of you clicked on my ads here but apparently some of that behavior was not considered kosher enough for Google's lofty standards of commercial activity. Over a week ago they shut down my Adsense account. This is what they said:

 After reviewing our records, we've determined that your AdSense account
poses a risk of generating invalid activity. Because we have a
responsibility to protect our AdWords advertisers from inflated costs due
to invalid activity, we've found it necessary to disable your AdSense
account. Your outstanding balance and Google's share of the revenue will
both be fully refunded back to the affected advertisers.

Please understand that we need to take such steps to maintain the
effectiveness of Google's advertising system, particularly the
advertiser-publisher relationship. We understand the inconvenience that
this may cause you, and we thank you in advance for your understanding and
cooperation.

Of course never mind that I never clicked on any of my ads even once and never encouraged anybody else to do anything unethical. I will appeal this ruling next week but it will be to no avail undoubtedly. Apparently, the late Steve Jobs suggested Google was becoming Microsoft and I'm starting to think he was right about that. Given my long-term plans for this blog to become profitable I will eventually have to move it to another blog hosting site or perhaps even to my own website. Stay tuned!

Santa Ana Winds, Diablo Winds & Mono Winds

As I write my wind chimes are clanging loudly as katabatic winds rip the state of California from Dan to Beer-sheba. In NorCal we have damaging Diablo Winds doing their thing and as of tonight trees already trees have come down onto and blocked US101 in Sunnyvale, CA. In SoCal we have damaging Santa Ana Winds doing their thing and as of tonight the LAFD is announcing parking restrictions on narrow, winding roads in the hilly areas of their jurisdiction in the event fires break out and such roads are needed to be clear of parked cars so that fire apparatus can make access. In CenCal we are experiencing high winds from the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada all the way to the Central Coast where fires have already broken out on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley in Western Fresno County. In the Southern Sierra there are powerful Mono Winds raging through the passes and foothills of the west slope. This statewide event is being referred to by some meteorologists as a once-a-decade event. The concern is not only for wildfires but even direct damage from the wind blowing over vehicles or knocking down powerlines or ripping off roofs and such as well as indirect damage from downed trees and poles and such as well as damage from wildfire if such occur to a significant degree. Stay tuned!

Down The Home Stretch

The end of my Fall 2011 semester Cuesta College is within sight with finals week after next. I still have a shot at straight A's but will probably pick up a B or two which is still just fine given my level of focus this semester strayed with my working and blogging and general time management issues. These latter issues need to be better adjusted for the coming semester given my intention to go full-time. Stay Tuned!

Viva La Volvo!

I must say I am quickly falling in love with my 1994 Volvo 850 I purchased several weeks ago for a grand. The thing runs like a top and with two new tires recently purchased the thing is a dream to drive. I am so blessed by this "God Thing" that worked out so well and so unexpectedly following the death of my 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue that was given my as a gift last June but lasted all of about two and a half months before the tranny began to fail on me. My day trip to Fremont, CA, and back over the Thanksgiving holiday last week was its shake-down cruise and it passed with flying colors.

Santa Barbara Gem Faire This Weekend!

Guess where I shall be? My friend Dave has invited me to assist him in his Rocks & Relics booth this coming Friday through Sunday at the Earl Warren Showgrounds for this weekend's installment of Gem Faire. I hope to see some of you there. Certainly, I look forward to seeing the regulars there whom are perhaps Dave's most numerous and faithful "regulars" of any of the shows he does. I will be downwind of the Santa Ana Winds coming over the Santa Ynez Mountains so I should get a dose of Santa Ana Winds while I'm there Thursday through Friday this week.

My Latest Addiction

The Walking Dead on AMC has replaced BSG as my current television passion. The show is well-written, well-casted, well-acted, and well-executed all around to the point that if feels like a movie, not a TV show. It is based upon a graphic novel although it does not uber-closely abide by its original plot-line. Most of us when it comes to zombie apocalypse themes are biased about them by our experience with the George Romero movies starting in the late 60's and onwards which although very intense and fun and in some cases (like Night of the Living Dead) were trend-setting they relied more upon gore than this show does. This sets The Walking Dead apart given most other zombie movies abide by the Romero mold . This show is soulful and sentimental and intelligent and brings up moral questions without telling you what the answer should be and thus becoming preachy (something it shares with BSG). The first season of this show was comprised of only six episodes while the ongoing second season comprises 13 episodes with a third season having recently been ordered up by AMC quite fortunately. I give this movie the highest rating possible and strongly urge you to check it out.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee Death Anniversary

My maternal grandfather, the late Dr. J. Vernon McGee, whom I talked about last month HERE, died 23 years ago tomorrow morning (12/01/88). I found out during football practice for a C.I.F. Southern Section football game against Trabuco Hills High School later that week (we got blown out on their field) in the semifinals. It was during this time that my sanity was in full retreat as was my retreat from life in general. Aw, the memories!

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