Uneforcable water restrictions

Starting June 1, the City of San Diego will impose water restrictions that mandate when and how we can water our landscape (we just finished ripping out our lawn and putting in drought tolerant landscaping, see the picture below). While I'm not sure how much of the restrictions apply to us since we have drip irrigation, I set our sprinkler timer to water as required by the restrictions.

The water restrictions still let us fill our pool (but not overfill it). Last time I checked, it takes a lot more water to fill a pool than to water a lawn (of course, a pool should only have to be filled once a week to offset the evaporation of water). The main problem with the restrictions are basically unenforceable. Are the police (the ones the city can't afford) going to stop fighting crime to issue citations for people watering their lawns? Who is going to remember when to water their lawns (odd numbered houses and even numbered houses water on different days).

We definitely have to do something about our water shortage, but these restrictions really aren't going to do a whole lot. Maybe the city and county should have thought about population growth in our desert before approving more housing units like they've done in the last few years. We're all going to pay for the mistakes of our politicians.

New California City

Last week I was reading in the paper that the local water authority released another $450,000 in consumer rebates; this was after the rebates for the entire month of May were allocated in the first 1.5 hours that they were available. (I had called the first day and tried to get a rebate for the new washing machine we need.) I quickly got online, applied for the rebate and presto, my rebate (up to $135) was allocated! I got the paperwork and discovered that I needed to send the paperwork to a new California city, Sacremento. You'd like that the government that administers this rebate could proofread its web pages.

Paperless in MacUpdate Promo!

Another bundle deal, another set of great apps! This time, however, Paperless (formerly ReceiptWallet), is part of the bundle. MacUpdate is offering a bunch of great apps. You've probably heard of most of them. This is the first time that one of my applications has been offered as part of a bundle.

I have a strange hobby of collecting software, so I'll probably bite on this deal despite owning a few in the collection. It's hard to go wrong for the price. If you decide to buy the bundle, click on the link on the right side of the page advertising the bundle to support my blog (running this blog isn't free :-)).

Honoring our nation's fallen

Lately, it seems that the only words I hear associated with Memorial Day are "happy" and "sale". The word happy definitely doesn't belong with Memorial Day if you actually look at what Memorial Day symbolizes. It is easy to forget the true meaning of Memorial Day when you hear phrases like "the unofficial beginning of summer". Today I spent the day with my parents and my son. When I arrived at my parents' place, I saw that my dad had his flag out at half staff and then at 11 am (he had the time wrong, but doesn't believe me), he raised it to full staff. (The United States Flag Code says to fly the flag at half staff until noon.)

While I don't support and haven't supported the wars of my generation, I do have great respect for those that serve and for those that have given their lives for our country. Memorial Day should once again be recognized for the day that it is, to honor those that have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country and should not be used as yet another excuse to have the day off and commercialize a holiday.