Fighting Piracy on the Sea

Wouldn't it be more cost efficient to have about 12 marines on every cargo ship in the area where there are pirates instead of having navel ships patrolling the area? We are burning fuel and manpower that could be used elsewhere. When pirates come to board the ship we just blow them away. After a while they might get a clue that it's not a good thing.

Why Build High Speed Rail That Nobody Will Ride

California, why are you building high speed rail in the middle of nowhere? You are destined for failure.

If I were in charge I would have started with either a San Diego to Los Angeles run or a Sacramento to San Francisco run. That way you would be guaranteed ridership from commuters. Can you imagine if you could live in the Sacramento area, where the cost of living is less, and work in the bay area where wages are higher. Also imagine if you could get to work in under an hour. Once you build those two links and prove that it will be profitable then you can work on connecting San Fransisco and Los Angeles. You will then have a high speed rail system connecting north and south.

I just don't get your current dirction.

Pops

Open Letter to the City of West Sacramento

You guys are really missing the boat by not having the District of Pudong China as a Sister City. Like West Sacramento, Pudong is across the river from a larger city with an identity. Unlike Pudong, West Sacramento has not done much to improve it's identity.

What you see above is Shanghai and the Bund area below the river and Pudong above the river. Once Shanghai and the Bund were considered one of the top cities in the world with New York, London and Paris. Pudong was just an industrial area on the other side of the river. Now when you look at pictures of Shanghai you usually are looking at Pudong from the Shanghai side like below.

How did they do it? First you need and iconic structure. They did it with the Pearl Tower you see above. The tower is mainly a television transmission tower but it also has an observation deck and tours of the tower. Next they developed the waterfront and added architecture with a wow factor. You need to do this by stealing business from the Sacramento side. Sacramento is slow to act. Take this opportunity to improve your waterfront and grab business.

Why not talk to Pudong and learn from them. Now is the time.

Happy Erikson Day, or Happy Columbus Day, or Whatever

 

Leif Erikson

“In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue”. Most Americans know this saying as it is taught in grade school. Most Americans also know when Columbus Day is as it is a holiday. And most Americans understand that Columbus discovered America.

This Monday, Oct. 14^th, is Columbus Day. Last Wednesday, Oct. 9^th, was Leif Erikson Day. What, who is Leif Erikson? Well, Leif Erikson actually was the first European to set foot in North America almost 500 years before Columbus.

It doesn’t matter to Pops who gets credit as Pops is both Danish and Italian. Either way Pops can say his ancestors discovered America.

Pops has a few ideas –

1.     Let them share the honor. In the modern era of hyphenated names why not have an Erikson-Columbus Day.

2.     Since Erikson landed in Newfoundland let him have Canada and Columbus the USA.

3.     Pops has been to Limon, Costa Rica and saw a statue of Columbus lauding the fact that he landed in Central America on one of his voyages. Give Columbus Central America and Erikson North America.

4.     Or, better yet, give the honor to the explorer and immigrant that was brave enough to walk across the frozen sea between Russia and Alaska to first step foot on North America.

But then, what would we call it …

Pops may not always have all the answers but Pops wants you to ponder the question.

This blog will be dedicated to the wisdom of Pops. Pops will share his wisdom on any subject. If you don't find what you are looking for just ask.