Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Don't Be Fooled About Gas Prices - Remember November 2006

Well, as many readers know, I track gasoline prices in the Los Angeles area, and have for the past three years. This fourth of July weekend, the gas peaked to $4.71 per gallon for regular, the highest it has ever been.

The price has slowly dropped over the past couple of weeks, but then dropped almost 13 cents today, to $4.43 (down 28 cents). But, before anyone gets all excited, let's just go back in history, oh, say two years ago, just prior to the 2006 elections in November!

Gas was dropping like a thermometer under ice, to where it actually went down a whole dollar just before the November 2006 election. And, of course, Republicans and the Bush administration were taking credit for this so-called drop in price, and claimed (through all those liberal media outlets - cough, cough) that this was proof that the country was on an upswing, and that gasoline prices would continue to decline -- yippee!

Except, that wasn't true! The day after the election in November 2006, the price of gasoline started going up again. It had dropped to under $3.00 per gallon just prior to the election, and then it didn't take long for it to rise, and continue to rise, to the $4.71 it was on 7/4/08.

I pretty much anticipate the gas to drop, maybe even as much as $1.00 as it did prior to the November 2006 elections, only to rise again afterwards, and most likely, top $5.00 per gallon for regular by the end of this year.

Shake and Bake, er Quake

We shaked and quaked today. Nothing big for those of us that have been through the Sylmar quake in the early 1970's, the Whittier Narrows in 1987 and the Northridge shaker. Only a 5.4, which to me was nothing much to write home about.

But, what was very peculiar to me, was the fact that the management company of about 30 to 35 buildings in Koreatown here in Los Angeles, ordered their buildings evacuated! I was livid, and the last one to actually leave my building, only to see thousands upon thousands of people ON THE FUCKING SIDEWALKS AND STREETS in front of high rise office buildings!

Fortunately, I've contacted the Los Angeles Fire Prevention Bureau, and arranged for this particular management company to get a new training course in how to properly handle high rise buildings during/after an earthquake.

By the way, the local news indicated the only injuries in the local Los Angeles area (the epicenter was in Chino Hills, not in my area) were three individuals in the 3000 block of Wilshire Blvd. (my area) who were trampled by others that were "evacuating" their building.

Stupidity still amazes me.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

What Every President Should At Least, Know

What follows are 20 facts that I would like my president to know, offered to you, my perpetually disgruntled readers, in the form of a quiz. Give it a whirl. It's by definition a little idiosyncratic and not comprehensive, but I'd hope that most of us would agree that it'd be a good idea if the American president knew most of these things without having to be briefed on them. Sources are provided in the links embedded in the questions, but don't cheat. The answers are at the end.


I took the test, and didn't fare well, getting only 9 out of 20 right. Oh well. Still, it was interesting. Go visit the blog and take the test yourself.

Loss Of Life Insignificant To Larger Interests Of Money Industry

TAUNTON - The housing crunch has caused anguish and anxiety for millions of Americans. For Carlene Balderrama, a 53-year-old wife and mother, the pressure was apparently too much.

Police say that Balderrama fatally shot herself Tuesday afternoon, 90 minutes before her foreclosed home was scheduled to be sold at auction. Chief Raymond O'Berg said that Balderrama faxed a letter to her mortgage company at 2:30 p.m., saying that "by the time they foreclosed on the house today she'd be dead."

Sad, but really, the corporate interests that own the banking industry don't give a shit about things like this. They get their government taxpayer subsidies to bail them out, and the taxpayer gets squat. Or death.

Another Problem With The Majority Rules Of The Senate, Or, Here We Go Again

The political fight over high fuel prices produced little progress in Congress on Friday as Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to force a vote on legislation intended to curb what lawmakers consider excessive speculation in oil futures.

By a vote of 50 to 43, the Senate fell 10 votes short of the 60 needed to cut off debate on the speculation measure as Republicans demanded that they be allowed to offer amendments on lifting a ban on coastal oil drilling, expanding the use of nuclear power, removing oil from Western shale and other energy production proposals.

They key here, is the number 60. Remember when there was a time that a majority in the Senate was, oh, say 51 votes? Hmmmmm.

The only upside to this is the fact that this stupid game being played out since the Democrats took the majority of the Senate in 2006 will be over soon. The disgust with how congress has been working over the past 8 years is not lost on the American voter, and come November, look for even larger gains in the House as well as topping the 60 mark in the Senate so that it will be the end of this pretend filibuster era.

Fuck The Little People So Long As Oil Giants Make Kazillions

WASHINGTON - Republicans on Saturday blocked the Senate from considering a bill next week that would nearly double federal aid to help the poor pay heating and air-conditioning bills.

Although a dozen Senate Republicans support the measure, most voted with GOP leaders who would rather spend the time trumpeting their call to expand offshore oil drilling before Congress takes six weeks off for vacation and the presidential nominating conventions.

I'd laugh, truly, at the senselessness of this, but it breaks my heart to know that the Republicans in the Senate will play games with poor peoples' real lives, just to stay united on a talking point.

Well, props to the oil industry, that's all I can say.

[still scratching head]

Gee, Did I Forget My Loaded Weapon Today?

ATLANTA—Following the U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down a ban on handguns, gun opponents are fighting to preserve or expand gun-free zones, igniting battles over whether civilians should be allowed to carry loaded weapons to places such as airports, public parks and even the Magic Kingdom.

The same day a new law went into effect in Georgia allowing people who have obtained a legal license to carry loaded weapons into restaurants that sell liquor, state parks and public transit systems, Atlanta officials declared Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport off-limits, citing security concerns. Gun proponents immediately filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the decision.

You can't bring your bottles of water or finger nail files onto a plane, and they limit what you can bring to most amusement parks, but there are actually people out there that think it is just hunky dory to bring a loaded weapon into these places.

[scratching head]

Saturday, July 26, 2008

The Numbers Just Don't Lie

I find it interesting all the complaining over the Bush administration’s term in office of the so called "left" or "liberal" media, which any educated person knows does not exist. But, aside from that, and without arguing the merits of such ridiculous statements, let’s just take a step back and examine the breadth of influence of the news media, in general.

When you take into consideration the population of the United States, which according to the 2008 census is around 305 million people, the news organizations, television (network and cable) combined, along with the top print news groups, account for circulation and/or viewership of roughly 30 million (NBC-7.5 million; ABC-7.3 million; CBS-5.6 million; FOX-2 million; CNN 2.1 million; MSNBC-1.2 million; HCN (hispanic communication network)-395,000; CNBC, 274,000; WSJ-2 million; NYT-1 million; LAT-815,000; W.Post-635,000; W.Times, 95,000; AJC-318,000, Philly Inquirer-338,000 – figures can be Wikipedia checked for accuracy).

That’s less than 10 percent of the entire population of the United States. TEN PERCENT. That means that 90 percent of Americans do not get their news information from any of these media outlets, whether they be left leaning or right leaning.

To a certain extent, that scares me, because that means that 90 percent of the American population is making their minds up about events, based most likely on their local news and just their own feeling of what they believe to be common sense. Many, I am sure, are influenced by friends and neighbors that hold certain views and opinions as well.

But, the bottom line, and it is funny in my opinion, is that all the shouting and screaming on television, and all the bald face lying that goes on in the media, print or otherwise, is pretty much meaningless. None of these media outlets influence the vast majority of Americans, plain and simple.

The numbers simply do not lie.

UPDATE: Interesting tidbit:

But now there's additional evidence that casts doubt on the bias claims aimed -- with particular venom -- at three broadcast networks.

The Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University, where researchers have tracked network news content for two decades, found that ABC, NBC and CBS were tougher on Obama than on Republican John McCain during the first six weeks of the general-election campaign.

You read it right: tougher on the Democrat.

Monday, July 14, 2008

The Lion Man

I just watched a fabulous PBS special called the "Lion Man." Truly, truly amazing. Check out the website of Dr. Craig.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

"To Live And Die In L.A."

One of my top five favorite movies is "To Live And Die In L.A." I have never been able to find it until today, at Target, of all places.

I watched it tonight, and it was just as riveting as it was back in 1985 when I first became a fan.

Somehow, though, I am pretty sure Grissom would have solved this, and found Chance before he ended up dead. The irony of the fact that William Petersen had cult fans before he became famous on CSI does not escape me (grins), especially since I've spent most of my life, living and dying in L.A.

Of course, the Wang Chung songs work for me!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Tony Snow, Dead At 53

Tony Snow, a conservative writer and commentator who cheerfully sparred with reporters in the White House briefing room during a stint as President Bush's press secretary, died Saturday of colon cancer. He was 53.

[snip]

Robert Anthony Snow was born June 1, 1955, in Berea, Ky., and spent his childhood in the Cincinnati area. Survivors include his wife, Jill Ellen Walker, whom he married in 1987, and three children.



He was much too young to die. RIP, Tony.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Barack Obama Can Suck My Big Dildo

With Obama's vote on the FISA legislation today, he pretty much cemented the fact that I will stay home this coming November and not vote for a presidential candidate. I cannot, and will not, support someone who so brazenly discounts the basic civil liberties this country was founded upon, and which the Constitution of the United States stands for.

The country is in the tank, anyway. Not to mention the state of the world, which is very much in crisis mode. The sooner it all comes crashing down, the sooner sane people can start to build this world back up.

For now, I'm done with the presidential election, including any posts relating to it.

I will, however, continue to participate in the ActBlue netroots group that funds money to REAL Democrats, and helps fund critical races so that we can put out to pasture the FAKE Democrats (along with their Republican counterparts). It would be nice to have a legislative body that actually gave a shit about the Americans that elected it, to serve the Americans as it was designed to do. Unfortunately, it has become a corporate world, and ordinary citizens, millions and millions of them across the globe, are starving, homeless, under threat of violence from roving armies, gangs, thugs and politicians, and basically have no rights.

One could almost say ... the world is coming to an end. Soon, at your neighborhood theater.

Friday, July 04, 2008

It's The Fourth Of July, Yippeee


I hope everyone that had something to do today enjoyed themselves.


I was going to take my grandson, Zaire, to the Colliseum to watch to fireworks tonight, but two things happened. First, my office got an ex parte notice of a hearing that required I have to work this weekend (sigh), and second, Zaire's paternal grandmother wanted to take him to a fireworks presentation -- so I let him go with Grandma Pauline.


But, we did get tickets to see Wall-E tomorrow, yippee! And grandma got to pull out Zaire's first baby tooth today, at Mickey D's!