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The Final Lesson Of Steve Jobs (That Nobody Is Talking About)

2011-10-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

There is no pie.

When you feel frozen in a moment, it can be impossible to see tomorrow or remember yesterday. This is the moment of Steve Jobs death and right now we are trapped by sadness, pride, admiration, and total lack of understanding for the untold lesson of an American genius.

What if I told you that Steve Jobs has given us the answer to the greatest political and economic questions of the day?

Today and tonight thousands of young (and many not so young) Americans believe themselves to be trapped in a box. Dare I say... 'a dogma'. They have gathered and will gather in larger numbers over the coming weeks to express anger, disenfranchisement, expletives, but most of all - delusion.

Q. Where is our wealth; what have you done with it?

A. Wealth is not static.

If you asked a protester sleeping tonight in Battery Park if wealthy people or corporations were taking too much of the pie - the universal answer would be 'Damn Right!'

The Jobs example: Damn wrong!

The same group would freely admit that their lives were changed for the positive by the genius of Steve Jobs. They would say that the hard earned or hard borrowed money that they spent on Apple products were for their betterment and that they would be worse off without them (we all would). They couldn't be more right.

That is the moment of truth - wealth is not static. Wealth is created and need not be taken from one to share with another. The creation of technology, efficiencies, and concept adds not to the individual but to all. Sound like a model for a Communist Utopia? Nope, just a plain utopia.

The amount of money and wealth in the United States of America is not static; it grows and sometimes it shrinks. But over time the amount of wealth of America has skyrocketed. Collective wealth is increased every time a new idea is put forth to save energy. Collective wealth is manifested every single time a new technology creates a synergy where none existed before. Collective wealth is generated every single time one additional person participates in the ultimate capitalistic venture of... demand meeting supply.

Steve Jobs made America and the world wealthier than it could have been without him. No person or company (including Microsoft) went without so Steve Jobs could have more . While we all went along for the ride, no person gave so he could take. This is the nature of all free market business; the result of innovation, the reality of competition, the risk of investment.

The enemy to innovation and the foil to wealth is corruption. But corruption cannot create wealth; it can only imprison it and destroy it. The Protesters believe they are called to action to right the wrongs of corporate abuse; after all, where is their piece of the pie?

There is no pie.

The call to tax one at a higher rate than another demands the corruption of thought that wealth is static. It demands and implies that the concept of real demand meeting actual supply can't possibly be fair. Certainly the omnipresent nature of greed must be righted by a third party; a third party that need not participate in any fair market for its own success or failure.

Steve Jobs added tremendous wealth to the human experience. Even after he was thrown from his own kitchen, he baked his own delicious pie and all 99% of us get to eat it.

We are the 99%. We can only be trapped by our own dogma.

Here's Why Perry/Christie Will Beat Obama/Biden 305 to 233 In The 2012 Electoral College

2011-07-21T23:30:00.000-07:00

Extra Extra - The 2012 Election Just Took Shape
Jul.22.2011. The Plastico.

People like maps - so lets get right on it. First immediately below is the 2008 Map that a Republican has to re-paint:

How Does the Perry Team Change the Minds of 10 Million Americans?

First off, Obama absolutely dominated McCain down the stretch of the 08' election. The map indicates a strong sweep in which Obama received 7 million more votes than any person in U.S. history.

How Does Perry Make that 2012 Map A Reality?

Take back the easy reds. Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia are red leaners that immediately swap 57 Electoral Votes. Virginia will be tough because huge increases in federal spending have made the northern part of state a quasi DC extension of government money grubbers . But while the DNC chose North Carolina for their convention they have no chance to hold it and it will prove a wasted opportunity to hold a crucial state such as Virginia, Ohio, Colorado, Wisconsin or even Nevada. The RNC chose Tampa and that will in part help win Florida back (which is a must). This leaves Perry down 236 to 302.
Indiana. 11 key electoral votes and Obama won the state in 08 despite 9 straight previous GOP wins. A key opportunity for Perry and a border state to Illinois. This leaves Perry down 247 to 291
Nevada. Just 6 EC votes but it will be highly contended. Harry Reid won re-election against the tide last November. However, Reid barely won against a Tea Party candidate that was rough on the eyes and on the campaign trail. Perry is a bit closer to Nevada's heart and he wont miss a chance to exploit the nations worst housing market. This leaves Perry down 253 to 285
Iowa and Colorado. Both difficult States to judge and both highly in play. Colorado had gone red 9 of 10 elections prior to 08'. Iowa is a true swing state but will be turned by the heavy primary work being done by Republicans who will have framed the '12 election into a shape that doesn't fit any picture of Barack Obama. This closes the gap to 270-268 in favor of B.O.
CHAOS. Tim Russert will roll over in his grave for missing the chance to put this scenario on the chalk board (but the truth is that if it's a tie - Perry wins). Nebraska has a split vote policy and McCain won 4/5ths of the state in '08. If Perry gets 5/5 of the red state... then the electoral college would be tied and The House of Representatives (As per the 12th Amendment) would elect Perry based on a likely GOP majority.
The Road to 305. Surely you must have noticed that New Jersey was still on the block. Enter Christie, who is finally able to hand NJ to the GOP. Ohio, also still on the table, is more likely to recant their 08' votes than Indiana or Virginia and they will. New Hampshire has been blue for 4 of the last 5 but Christie strikes again and his appeal should bring the 'Live Free or Die' state back in a year that will have long forgotten the hope and change of '08. Don't think that scenerio is reasonable? It is and it is exactly the 2004 Bush re-election map minus NM and plus NJ and NH.

The final story of 2012

Obama and Perry will circle Obama's home state of Illinois. But the fighting over Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan is a battlefield of Political death for Obama. The dirty secret is that a Perry/Christie team could lose all of those and still take the election 270-268 or 269-269 (hereafter dubbed the Perry tie). New Mexico might simply be forgotten by both candidates and we left it unchanged from '08.

Uh... OK-

We hear you, back that ass up J-Lo... How did we get here to begin with???

What happened to Romney vs. Bachman?

The news stories of July '11 will be just a mere headache in 16 months. Here is a short time-line on how it came to be:

August 2011: Rick Perry announces his candidacy and provides a certificate of live birth. Within days his poll numbers match or beat Romney and Bachman in Iowa.

February 2011: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada = Perry, Romney, Perry (or something close to that). Romney has essentially led the Republican Primary for the past 3 years but not in a way that a health care busting primary season would prefer and thus...it's Perry time to tell a patriotic story about his job creating, housing market fixing, deficit reducing future.

Why New Jersey Governor Chris Christie for VP?

Two main goals have to be met for the selection of a Vice President in a highly competitive effort to unseat a sitting President. Can a candidate be found who can both excite the base and appeal to swing voters to win key states. Tim Pawlenty, Scott Brown, Dave Petraeus, Michelle Bachman, John Huntsman, and Mike Pence get about 50-75% of that formula - only Chris Christie is a slam dunk on both. He wont accept a VP nomination if he thinks Perry can't win because he would smartly wait to run for President in 2016. So if Christie joins, it's a curtain call for Obama. Also, as Dick Cheney proved, you can be a little fat and ugly and still be VP. Christie would likely argue that he's not all that ugly.

Wont it be a liability to be 'another Governor from Texas'?

Perry has to win the Republican primary and then win the Electoral College. If he could boast his same resume while being the governor of Michigan or Ohio then he would be the ideal Obama buster. But being from Texas wont be the problem that Democrats will say it's going to be. When Obama talks about the jobs that actually were created, Perry can claim that half of them (yes half) were created in Texas under his Governorship. So Perry can take credit for a chunk of the good and yet still plaster Obama on stimulus, health care, debt, and the Californication of the country.

Being from Texas might make Democrats like him less, but all Perry needs is the strongest Republican base turnout since 2000 plus 53-55% of Independents and he will sweep his way to D.C. By no metric will Obama increase his 08' voter turnout and enthusiasm from Democrats, Independents, and young voters.

The Herman Cain effect might even help him narrow the 08' Black vote down from 96% to... well never-mind.

One last note on the Texas subject - Perry and W are not the closest of friends; in fact, Perry severed that relationship some time ago with some criticism that did not set well with the Bushy clan but will indeed sit well with voters in 2012.

What about this Secession thing?

True. Rick Perry did have some uncomfortable statements a while back concerning a states right or lack thereof to secede. However, 150 years after the Civil War this issue will probably fall flat with most voters as being simply irrelevant.

And for those still holding out hope that Caribou Barbie will enter the race and save the world... keep hope alive and send in your tea party dollars where she asks you to send them (she will be a fundraiser and not a candidate).

MIchael Jackson's 'Starlight'... The Original Thriller

2011-06-22T21:41:00.000-07:00

The Title Track of MJ's Best Album Wasn't Always Thriller - Check it out:

Thank you for stopping by The Plastico; Proof That LA Happened.

SURPRISE! Stanley Ann Dunham (Obama's Mother) Was Statutorily Raped By His Father

2011-04-27T12:35:00.000-07:00

Need Proof. Count Back The Months On The Recently Released Birth Cert.... (according to wikipedia - Obama's mother was born on NOV.29.1942 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Dunham) and our current Pres was born on Aug.04.1961.

But is it really statutory rape if they were married? In this case yes. It turns out that it is very likely that Barrack Hussein Obama Sr. was actually still legally married to another woman in Kenya. However, that issue aside - nobody denies that Ann Dunham and Barack Obama Sr. were 'married' 3 months after Ann became pregnant.

But... hang on... the Hawaii law for statutory rape is 16 and under- even when one of the couple is 5 or more years older as in the case of Obama's parents. You can review that law here: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2003/olrdata/jud/rpt/2003-r-0376.htm .

So if indeed our President was conceived in the State of Hawaii, as all indications show, then the conception of Barack Hussein Obama II (our President) may have been a legal act even if it would have been highly illegal in many other States.

Update: Had Ann Dunham been a bit younger... Obama Sr. could have hit the slammer for 20 years:

Hawaii
§ 707-730

First-degree sexual assault to knowingly engage in sexual penetration (1) with someone under age 14 or (2) with someone between age 14 and 16 when the offender is more than five years older.

An indeterminate term of 20 years in prison

Blake Griffin Hires Agent; Declares For NBA Draft

2011-04-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

Scouts Believe The First Year Power Forward Could Be A Top 5 Selection

Griffin Was Invited To Several NBA Sanctioned Events

Los Angeles (CHN) - Vinny Del Negro could only smile and shrug his shoulders Thursday morning after his star, 6' 10" Blake Griffin, officially announced that he would forgo his remaining contract and enter the 2011 NBA Draft.

"I think he's ready," said Del Negro who helped recruit the youngster from Oklahoma. "We have had NBA talent come through this franchise from time to time in the past but Blake is a cut above; I really think he can be successful at the next level," boasted Del Negro.

Griffin, who averaged a double double for the Clippers, says he's up for the challenge. "I'm excited, I mean, what can I say... everyone who has ever played for the Los Angeles Clippers has dreamed of playing in the NBA. For me, it's really happening - I am just going to go through the process and see where it takes me".

Scouts took notice of Griffin uncanny athleticism, size, and dunking ability; all unusual attributes for a Clipper Player of any age.

But critics remain. "We've seen it before," said former NBA Coach and 1992 Dream Team star Larry Bird. Bird continued, "Danny Manning, Bo Kimble, Michael Olowokandi... These guys all tried to jump from the Clippers to the NBA and it just never seems to happen. I would tell this Griffin kid to stay in school or go back to school and finish his contract; He may be the most talented Clipper of all time; but lets be realistic, this is the NBA".

Courtesy of:

2011. Christian Laettner Was Not Mentioned In This Story

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2011-03-09T23:05:00.000-08:00

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Buzz Kill: LA County Wants You To Take Ecstasy Safely

2011-02-07T18:05:00.000-08:00

Buzz Kill: LA County Wants You To Take Ecstasy Safely

LOS ANGELES (CBS) —The glow-stick industry may be buzzing over the latest public service announcement from Los Angeles County, but some say it amounts to an backhanded endorsement of illicit drug use.

Amid ongoing debate over safety and security measures at rave dance parties held at the Los Angeles Coliseum, county health officials have quietly launched a campaign to offer guidelines for safe use of MDMA, more popularly known as “ecstasy”.

Officials plan to distribute leaflets such as the one pictured below at upcoming events with tips on ways to avoid overdosing on what the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration classifies along with PCP and mescaline as a Schedule I narcotic.

LA County is set to debut this flyer on "Ecstasy: How To Minimize Potential Harms". (credit: LAWeekly.com)

The death of a 15-year-old girl and hundreds of injuries at the 14th annual Electric Daisy Carnival held in the publicly-owned Los Angeles Coliseum in June 2010 sparked a public backlash over the potential safety hazards of hosting upwards of 180,000 young people, but the Coliseum Commission says it intends to move ahead with the event this year.

Courtesy of CBS-LA

Valentine's Day Dinner Round-Up - You Still Have Time!

2011-01-28T13:16:00.000-08:00

If you have the balls to eat out on Valentines day...Well, you may as well do it right. Here our your Plastico approved options for 2011:

There are still a couple of weeks to secure your table of love for Valentine's Day, and plenty of local restaurants want to help you set the mood—after they set your table. One fine dining favorite is even offering a complete gourmet meal for two to take home and eat wherever you like. Heck, it's none of our business. XOXO

A.O.C. Wine Bar
8022 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
tel: 323-652-6259
www.aocwinebar.com

When: February 14, 2011
Price: $85 per person; choose five savory dishes per couple and one dessert each from extensive menu
Menu highlights: Chicken liver crostini with pancetta; duck confit, black rice, pomegranate, walnuts; root vegetables, burrata, aged balsamic; olive oil cake with chocolate, pistachios and candied ornge
The Romance: Suzanne Goin's market-driven small plates are ideal for sharing, and fork swapping.

Campanile
624 La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
tel: 323-938-1447
www.campanilerestaurant.com

When: February 14, 2011
Price: $75 per person; four courses
Menu highlights: Baked oysters, grilled prime rib, spinach ravioli, chocolate truffle cake
The Romance: Housed in a dramatic historic structure built in 1929, Campanile is classic L.A. glamor.

Drago Centro
525 South Flower Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071
www.dragocentro.com
tel:213-228-8998

The Romance: Nothing's sexier than a fifteen-foot high, glass-enclosed wine tower.
When: February 11, 12, 13, and 14, 2011
Price: $65 per person; five courses; $35 wine pairings
Menu highlights: Seared diver scallop, salsify, asparagus, blood orange; wild mushroom & truffle risotto; duo of beef, polenta, brussels sprouts; pavolva, passion fruit, strawberry, candied flowers
Extras: live entertainment on Friday and Saturday

La Cachette Bistro
1733 Ocean Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90401
tel: 310-434-9509
www.lacachettebistro.com

When: February 11, 12, 13, and 14, 2011
Price: $80 per person; five courses
Menu highlights: Organic egg and caviar with crème fraiche; hot atlantic oysters with champagne sauce; scallop carpaccio with black truffle and porcinis; white Pekin duck with cabernet sauce and braised red cabbage; homemade chocolate truffles to take home
The Romance: Chef Jean-Michel Metignier is calling this "Amour Tapas"—oh-la-la.

Lucques
8474 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood, CA 90069
tel: 323-655-6277
www.lucques.com

When: February 14, 2011
Price: $110 per person; four courses
Menu highlights: Parisian gnocchi with asparagus, english peas, green garlic and parmesan; grilled niman ranch club steak for two with potato purée. arugula, and horseradish cream; tarte au fromage with meyer lemon, blueberry compote and candied lemon
The Romance: A seat by the wood-burning fireplace turns up the heat.

Mélisse
1104 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401
tel:310-395-0881
www.melisse.com

When: February 12, 13, and 14, 2011
Price: $135 per person for three courses on Sat. and Sun.; $250 per person for four courses on Mon.
Menu highlights: "Hot and Cold Foie Gras," Artichoke, Mandarin and Lavendere; Main Lobster Bolognese, fresh capellini, truffle froth; filet of beef and braised cheek, crushed potatoes, morel mushrooms, Béarnaise, natural jus; Assorted Mélisse Dessert
The Romance: Tufted stools, a quiet room, and contemporary French cuisine as good looking as your date.

Napa Valley Grille
1100 Glendon Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
tel: 310-825-3322
www.napavalleygrille.com

When: February 14, 2011
Price: specials ranging from $6-$29
Menu highlights: Smoked chicken griddle cake, young garlic, sugar snap peas, pea tendrils; roasted diver scallop with spring carrot flan, saffron vinaigrette; goat cheese tart with black berries, white honey
The Romance: No prix fixe menu here—the Westwood Village spot is all about free love, letting couples choose-their-own culinary adventure.

Obika
10250 Santa Monica Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90067
tel: 310-556-2452
www.obikala.com

When: February 14, 2011
Price: $60 per couple, wine pairings for two $30; four courses
Menu highlights: Duo di salumi or duo vegetable fritti; duo di Mozzarella de Bufala with Truffles; Duo de Paste or Smoked Fish Duo, St. Valentine Dessert
The Romance: Dripping lumps of creamy mozzarella shipped straight from Italy to your mouths. Also tonight's "duos" menu is perfect for sharing.

Oliverio at Avalon Hotel
9400 W. Olympic Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
tel: 310-277-5221
www.avalonbeverlyhills.com

When: February 14, 2011
Price: $65 per person, wine pairings additional $35
Menu highlights: Chitarra pasta made with lobster, roasted tomatoes, and asparagus; spicy roasted chicken with escarole; chocolate buffet.
Extras: Dieting love birds can experience a lighter, small-plates menu (think salmon crudo).
The Romance: The all-chocolate dessert buffet is called Choco-Sutra (ooooooh!) and features triple chocolate truffle pizzettas to cinnamon and red chili-infused pot de crèmes.

Petrossian
321 North Robertson Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90048
tel: 310-271-0576
www.petrossian.com

When: February 11, 12, and 14, 2011
Price: $75 per person; four courses
Menu highlights: Kumamoto oyster, caviar, pink peppercorn, vodka; tenderloin, lardons, porcini, tarragon, truffle, Fresno chili; rainbow trout, haricot verts, almonds, parsley, lemon; white chocolate fondue
Extras: includes 30g Classic Transmontanus Caviar
The Romance: Um, it's caviar—along with the oyster it's one of the sea's most well-known aphrodisiacs.

Royal/T
8910 Washington Boulevard
Culver City, CA 90232
tel: 310-559-6300
www.royal-t.org

When: February 14, 2011
Price: Four-course prix fixe, $65 per person
Menu highlights: "Love Bites" sharable platter with coconut saffron shrimp, cilantro crab bites, and yogurt clouds; pomegranate lamb on basmati with royal cumin; creamy black lentils with spinach and roses.
Extras: complimentary glass of champagne
The Romance: For Valentine's Day, this Japanese "cosplay" maid café (some people are into that) transforms into a elegant venue for a sensual Indian meal crafted by chef Kaumudi Marathé of Un-Curry. Silk pillows anyone?

Saddle Peak Lodge
419 Cold Canyon Road
Calabasas, CA 91302
tel: 818-222-3888
www.saddlepeaklodge.com

When: February 12, 13, and 14, 2011
Price: $150 per person; four courses
Menu highlights: Kumamoto oysters poached in a champagne lemon verbena cream with herbs and American caviar; butter poached lobster "Thai style" sweet, salty, and spicy; Grilled New Zealand elk tenderloin with currants, arugula, sweet potato and celery root; banana bread pudding with huckleberries and vanilla ice cream
The Romance: Set the mood in log cabin with mounted deer heads, hunting gear, and other uber-masculine memorabilia lining the walls—plus a crackling fireplace.

Tavern
11648 San Vincente Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90049
tel: 310-806-6466
www.tavernla.com

When: February 14, 2011
Price: $85 per person; four courses
Menu highlights: Wild mushroom tart with young onions, gruyère and herb salad; herb-roasted rack of lamb with tapenade, arugula and artichoke-potato gratin; chocolate and gianduja cake with coffee and salted caramel ice cream.
Extras: The Larder is offering a take-home dinner complete with wine and candies with 48-hours notice!
The Romance: Gaze at the stars through the glass-roofed atrium and sip something sumptuous from the bar. Take a pastry from the larder for breakfast in bed tomorrow.

Viceroy Santa Monica
1819 Ocean Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90401
tel: 310-260-7511
www.viceroysantamonica.com

When: February 13, 14, 2011
Price: $95 per person; includes four-courses, champagne tasting, customized scrub
Menu highlights: Lobster with risotto, apple, shies, and kaffir lime broth; chocolate tartufo with salted hazelnuts.
The Romance: Dinner is served poolside. After the meal, couples go to a "scent tent" to play with aromatherapy oils and create a customized body scrub to take home.

Vu Restaurant
14160 Palawan Way
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
tel: 310-439-3032
www.vurestaurantmarinadelrey.com

When: February 14, 2011
Price: $120 per couple; $200 with beverages; seven courses
Menu highlights: Grilled cheese with toasted brioche, "midnight moon", tomato jam, micro basil; King Cole Duck, creamy goat cheese polenta, dried cherries, chocolate-red wine reduction; dark chocolate mousse, strawberry ice cream, rose gel, dusting of flowers
The Romance: Smack on the oh-so-scenic marina, Vu's molecular gastronomy menu is playful and full of whimsy.

Wilshire Restaurant
2454 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90403
tel: 310-586-1707
www.wilshirerestaurant.com

When: February 14, 2011
Price: full menu available ranging from $12-$45
Menu highlights: Kumamoto oysters dynamite; tahitian squash ravioli with brown butter, sage, parmesan, crispy kale, and hazelnuts; whole fried Thai snapper with soba noodles.
The Romance: The sprawling multi-tiered patio is studded with fire-pits to keep things hot.

GOOD LUCK!!!

LA's Catholic elementary schools to add 20 days to their calendar

2011-01-28T13:10:00.000-08:00

Amber Valencia works with children in her first-grade class at Nativity School.

Cardinal Roger Mahony announced that L.A. Catholic Schools will be the first in the State to adopt a 200-day School year. The announcement was made at Nativity School in Los Angeles.

Hoping to boost academic achievement among its elementary school students, the Los Angeles Archdiocese announced Thursday it will add 20 days to its school calendar, which will boost tuition by 10 percent next year.

The calendar change will affect 52,000 students at 210 Catholic elementary schools in Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and makes the system the first in the state to have a 200-day calendar. Read Full Article

So What The Hell Is Going On With Prop 13?

2011-01-24T17:05:00.000-08:00

The one thing that really annoys liberals in the State of California is that there is one tax category that we do not lead or nearly lead the nation in. Keep in mine that 'lead' means the worst rate for you. That category is 'Property Taxes'. If you are retired or you simply live in a home that's paid off, Proposition 13 and it's limits on taxes may be the only feather in your hat and may just be the only reason you are still sticking around a state with near 13% unemployment and little good news coming down the economic pike.

So when Jerry Brown immeidately took aim at massaging Prop 13, well, you can imagine the happiness from the left. But first - a wider view of the tax picture for the once 'Golden State':

'California's 2011 Business Tax Climate Ranks 49th' (Only New Jersey is worse)

'California's Top Individual Income Tax Rate Is 4th Highest in the Nation'

'California's Corporate Income Tax Rate is the Highest in the West'

'California's Sales Tax Rate Is Highest in the Nation'

'Property Tax Collections Slightly Below Average'

That last one is exactly what angers the left in California. So just how cheap are the property taxes in California? Well, we pay an average of $1,000.00 more than the average American on property taxes per capita. Aint that a bitch. So here is the lefts argument: We are cheating our schools because our tax burden per value of home comes out near the middle of the pack.

The left viewpoint is:

Are they right?

No.

What might you do to cling to the last manageable tax burden in the state?

In reality... probably nothing. But you can join this Facebook Group:

Best wishes.

SO CAL UNEMPLOYMENT JUMPS AGAIN....

2011-01-24T13:39:00.000-08:00

 The jobless rate in Los Angeles County hit a new record high of 13  percent in December, while the statewide rate ticked up to 12.5  percent. 

The county rate rose two-tenths of a percentage point from November to December. Meanwhile, December's showing means the state's monthly  jobless rate remained above 12 percent for all of 2010, even as the  national unemployment rate decreased in December to 9.4 percent. 

The report released Friday by the state Employment Development Department said the number of Californians holding jobs dropped 25,000 from November. The number of jobless Californians rose to nearly 2.27 million, an increase of 3,000 from November. Read More: DAILY BREEZE

DATABASE: City,

Publish Post

county jobless figures

Scott Baio Found Dead In El Segundo Apartment

2010-11-29T15:38:00.000-08:00

El Segundo, CA - Scott Baio is reportedly dead after being found in his apartment near El Segundo according to reports from the Hermosa Beach Fire Dept. An investigation has already begun because of the nature of Scott's body. Hermosa Beach Police refuse to comment on the investigation and refuse to confirm that it was Baio that they found in his apartment this afternoon. No details have been released as to cause of death. Baio was found unresponsive at 2pm this afternoon according neighbors who came to help after a frantic house-cleaner was heard yelling in the street.

Bloggers nationwide are speculating foul play because of a possible explosion (per NBC) and many months of death threats concerning Baio's political views according to US Magazine

In 2007, Baio married his longtime girlfriend Renee Sloan. In July 2007, he told E!: Entertainment Television's Ted Casablanca that they were expecting a baby girl in December. Initially pregnant with twins, Renee lost one of the babies at 11 weeks gestation.heir daughter, Bailey DeLuca Baio, was born in November 2007, 5 weeks premature. The family has started the Bailey Baio Angel Foundation to provide financial support to other families who are dealing with metabolic disorders.

Recently,Baio was also in the Emmy award winning comedy series Arrested Development as the madcap Bluth family's serious but overpaid lawyer, Bob Loblaw. He took over the role of the clan's legal counselor from former Happy Days co-star Henry Winkler in four episodes: "Forget Me Now", "Notapusy", "Mr. F", and "Making a Stand". In August 2006, Baio was formally invited by the AIA Actors Studio to discuss his professional experiences as a working director in television and movies. He talked about his own acting career plus his recent forays into writing, directing and producing.

Baio was the co-host of the VH1 reality show Confessions of a Teen Idol, in which former teen idols attempt to resurrect their careers.
In 2009 he played a cameo in the videoclip of the song Wrong Hole by DJ Lubel along with the artist, and young actress Taryn Southern.

Los Angeles County Morgue has not released any information confirming death or as to cause of death as of 4pm PST.

Santa Clarita Student Turns 22 Despite Slow Economy

2010-08-09T11:40:00.000-07:00

Changing Birth Certificate and Notifying Friends Just Too Difficult

Santa Clarita, CA (via CHN) - Twenty-one year old Arielle Korn had a difficult choice to make this past week as her 22nd birthday approached, have her regularly scheduled birthday or postpone it for 6 months to a year until the economy turned around.

"Its primarily about the gifts," said a disgruntled Korn. "Ive been monitoring GDP pretty closely and I suspect that investment on birthday gifts for me will be down 6-8% year over year," she added.

Korn, who believes that the July jobs report came at the worst moment possible has been carefully monitoring her friends spending habits on Facebook and determined that she will likely get 14 confirmations, 8 no shows, and 277 maybes for her upcoming birthday dinner at The Claim Jumper. "People realize that I want to eat for free; with White House Economic Adviser Christina Romer resigning yesterday... well, lets just say that is not the sort of birthday spending confidence that you need going into my birthday dinner," says Korn.

Ms. Korn ran a cost analysis benefit equation of changing her birthday to January 15th but the uncertainties of a double dip recession has Oppenheimer Fund Manager Skip Froberg nervous. "The idea that corporate profits alone can carry us into an increase in consumer birthday spending confidence isn't supported with the data," revealed Froberg. "Until we get 2-3 solid job reports in a row, birthday spending for Kamikaze shots and custom cakes with clever genitalia frosting designs are going to be depressed for another 2-3 quarters at minimum," concluded Froberg.

Korn's mother indicated via email that changing her birthday would create confusion among relatives and could result in a clusterfuck of missed payouts from Grandma Bata. My best advice, sayed Korn's mom - "Find a sugar daddy, even if it's just a one nighter... have you met Seth Champi?"

Article provided by:
The Comedy Hub Network (CHN). 2010
In The Now

A Lesson To Environmentalists: A Republican From Alaska?

2010-05-08T14:34:00.000-07:00

ANCHORAGE— He was Alaska's 2nd and 8th Governor, a self made millionaire, and the man who oversaw oil discoveries in Prudhoe Bay. He laid the groundwork for the huge trans-Alaska oil pipeline and later in life rallied against 'locking up' the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil drilling.

So why should today's political class and environmentalists take notice of this seemingly staunch Kansas born conservative? The answer: Walter Hickel was a pivotal force in America's 1960-70's environmental movement and has had more success protecting America's resources than any person at Greenpeace.

Seems a bit suspicious and it should. That may be why hard left Democratic Senators Walter Mondale and George McGovern joined the Sierra Club in heavy testimony against Hickel's 1969 nomination by President Nixon to serve as Secretary of the Interior; a post that would have him leave his Alaskan Governorship in mid-term.

Hickel (pictured, right, with Nixon in 1969) went to work immediately and built a resume that the Sierra Club could only dream of (that is - assuming the Sierra Club dreamt of tough but sensible regulation). He did so with an even hand that allowed domestic resources to be utilized while imposing strict safeguards on oil rigs. He backed a multitude of new laws that finally put liabilities directly on oil companies for on and off-shore drilling spills.

Hickel immediately imposed stringent cleanup regulations on oil companies and other water polluters after a Union Oil rig explosion off the coast of Santa Barbara created havoc just 5 days after he took office. He later fought to save the Everglades from being destroyed by developers and advocated for making Earth Day a national holiday. Sound like a Republican from Alaska?

The Secretary's term was cut short after being fired by Nixon following his criticism of the force being used against students and protesters during the Vietnam War.

But Hickel's mark had been made, he was part of an administration that founded the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) along with broad based clean air and water legislation. The Everglades was spared from plans that would have made it one of Americans largest population centers. The Big Cypress National Preserve was officially set aside by Nixon in 1972.

Back home in Alaska, Hickel would continue his deft handling of both industry and the environment; he won a second Governorship in 1990 (a full 24 years after his first).

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, eulogized Hickel as a visionary.

"A champion of the lands claims of Alaska's Native peoples, Wally left a lasting legacy for generations to follow," she said in a statement. "We've truly lost a giant figure whose leadership greatly influenced Alaska's birth, its present and its future."

A wave of "Oh!" and "Oh, my God" rippled through the audience when word of Hickel's passing was mentioned Saturday morning at the Alaska Democrats convention in Sitka. For all of his accomplishments Hickel somehow avoided partisan politics (perhaps entirely) as he helped build a legacy of protection, respect, and sustainable development in Alaska.

And what of that other famous Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin? Hickel was an early supporter which helped Palin to office. However, after the McCain Presidential run Hickel offered a wise warning, "Palin became the spokesperson for the divisive voices in American politics... she missed a golden opportunity to challenge the rest of the country to adopt the welcoming spirit of the Alaska Frontier and the message of mutual respect," he wrote.

The vision of Wally Hickel: a site for sore eyes that Americans beg to see again.

"I believe this administration finds itself today embracing a philosophy which appears to lack appropriate concern for the attitude of a great mass of Americans -- our young people,"- Walter Hickel, 1970 following the Kent State Massacre that left 4 students dead and 9 wounded.

How To Boycott Arizona (An Idiots Guide)

2010-04-27T07:34:00.000-07:00

Got Your Panties In A Bunch Over the Arizona Illegal Alien Law? Here's What To Do:

Several cities (including San Francisco) and and many groups including 'LA Opinion' (an editorial segment of the LA Times) are promoting a full scale boycott of Arizona. Let's have a quick look at exactly how dumb those groups are and what you can do to join them:

Arizona's #1 crop is lettuce. Stop eating salads unless it is certified 'Arizona free'. Since nearly all lettuce is picked by undocumented workers you will primarily be hurting illegals 1st and the farmers that hire them 2nd. These are exactly the people that the law is meant to constrict.

Beef Cattle and Dairy are Arizona's leading source of farm income. Cease beef eating and milk drinking wherever possible in order to deny Arizona of this income. Again, these segments are heavily dependent on undocumented workers so they will be the ones who are actually laid off and perhaps forced to return to Mexico, Latin America, or other countries of origin.

Stop your travel plans to Tuscon, Flagstaff, and Scottsdale. The Tourism income from resorts, hotels, and restaurants are a major source of revenue for the 'Grand Canyon State'. Just a quick disclaimer: Many of the folks who staff those businesses are undocumented. So, perhaps they wont exactly be living the J-Lo dream after they are laid off.

Copper is AZ's #1 most important mined product (they are the #1 state in copper production). Copper wire never shows state of origin but you can definitely call off all new electrical projects or repairs. Doing so would only impact your local electrician since copper pricing and sales are just as global as crude oil. (But you are welcome to sit in the dark).

A few other products such as space vehicles and guided missiles are designed and built in AZ. So be absolutely certain to avoid all space travel and geopolitical strife in your daily routine.

All in all the boycott should have a much larger affect on moving non-citizens out of Arizona then the law could ever accomplish. So... Boycott? Well, that sounds like the quickest way to bring about the means that Arizona is asking for.

UPDATE April 28, 2010:

Several other websites such as Gawker have begun publishing lists of companies that are based in Arizona. Again the concept is to punish the AZ economy so that the government will have to change its tune. Here is a partial list of companies: Best Western, Cold Stone Creamery, Discount Tire Co, Greyhound, PetSmart, PF Changs, Ramada, Sky Mall, U-Haul and the list goes on.

To boycott or not is the question. The answer: boycotting most of these companies will only hurt the local franchise owner and the people that are employed there. These are your neighbors and maybe even you. BTW, many of those companies are based in Phoenix, Tucson, and Scottsdale - three of the cities that are considering legislative action against the state because they don't share widespread support for the new law.

If you want to punish the supporters of the law then make sure to stop doing business with Jeb's Transmission repair shop in Yuma; it's just a few miles north of the border; Jeb is the guy sitting out front with a shotgun.

Idiots: Do as you will, ignorance is bliss.

The Plastico Blog. 2010. All Rights Reserved
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Finally A Great Reason To Raise Taxes In CA!!!

2010-04-06T22:57:00.000-07:00

Sacramento: California's three major public pension funds are collectively more than a half-trillion dollars underfunded if their projected investment earnings are adjusted downward to a "risk-free rate," a team of graduate students at Stanford University has calculated.

The report, conducted under the aegis of Stanford's Institute for Economic Policy Research,Arnold Schwarzenegger's case for an overhaul of the state's pension systems. bolsters Gov.

"The consequences are clear," Schwarzenegger said. "Increasingly large portions of state funding for programs Californians hold dear such as schools, parks and health care will be diverted to pay for this debt."

Schwarzenegger has proposed a broad pension overhaul, including shifting new employees to a new, lower-cost system and raising state employees' pension contributions. With opposition from public worker unions, his plan has gone nowhere.

CalPERS, CalSTRS and the UC retirement system now use a projected "discount rate" on their pension liabilities of 7.5 percent to 8 percent, the same rates as their projections of annual earnings on investments. Critics say those are too high in today's climate.

The Stanford team based its underfunding estimate on a "risk-free" discount rate of 4.14 percent, which results in higher projected liabilities than the systems now portray.

Small-business bankruptcies rise 81% in California

2009-12-22T14:18:00.000-08:00

With credit tight and consumers still pinching their pennies, many business owners find they can't go on.

By Nathan Olivarez-Giles

December 22, 2009

The Obama administration's new plan to give a boost to small businesses reflects continued trouble in that sector, which is facing new failures even as much of the nation's economy is stabilizing.

As credit lines have shrunk and consumers have cut back on spending, thousands of small businesses have closed their doors over the last year. The plight of struggling firms has been aggravated by the reluctance of banks to lend money, said Brian Headd, an economist at the Small Business Administration's office of advocacy.

"While bankruptcies are up, overall, small-business closures are up even more," Headd said.

California has been particularly hard hit. The latest data show small-business bankruptcies up 81% in the state for the 12 months ended Sept. 30, compared with the previous year. Filings nationwide were up 44%, according to the credit analysis firm Equifax Inc.

The actual number of small businesses in trouble is probably higher, experts said, because many owners file for personal bankruptcy rather than seek protection for the business.

Dennis McGoldrick, a bankruptcy lawyer in Torrance, said his clients are all stuck in similar situations -- capital is hard to come by, customers are tough to attract and debt is piling up."We can't keep up," McGoldrick said. "There's more people that want to come in every day than I can see."

Cecily McAlpine, who filed for bankruptcy protection for her Cold Stone Creamery franchise this spring, said the experience was humiliating but she had no choice. Receipts at the fledgling Compton ice cream shop plunged dramatically during the recession, and by late 2008 she was paying her employees out of her pocket.

"When the refrigerator died, that was it; I'd just had it," McAlpine said. "That was the day I broke. I just started throwing stuff away."

McAlpine recently withdrew her bankruptcy filing after selling all the store equipment and paying off her creditors. She is slowly paying off some back-rent and utility debt, and will officially dissolve her business in the next couple of weeks, she said.

"I still feel scarred and like a loser," she said. "Even though I'm not in it anymore, it's still there."

Recognizing the problems of business owners like McAlpine, the Obama administration has proposed using federal stimulus money to help funnel more loans to small businesses. The White House has also asked Congress to eliminate capital gains taxes for one year on new investments in small-business stock, and called for a new tax incentive to encourage small businesses to hire more employees.

On Dec. 14, Obama called a meeting of executives of Wells Fargo & Co., Citigroup Inc., Bank of America Corp. and nine other large banks, and told them that they owed it to the nation to make more loans to small businesses and help rebuild the economy.

In California, the need is great. Over the last year, the Los Angeles, Riverside/San Bernardino and Sacramento metropolitan areas have led the nation in small-business bankruptcy filings, said Tim Klein, a spokesman for Equifax.

About 19,000 small businesses filed for bankruptcy in California during the 12 months ended Sept. 2009, up from 10,500 the previous year.During September alone, 2,229 small businesses filed for protection, up from 1,503 filings in September 2008, the firm reported.

Kathleen March, a bankruptcy lawyer in Los Angeles, said she often pushes her clients to file for personal bankruptcy instead of a business filing because it's easier.
Many people also close down their businesses thinking that will solve their problems, only to find their companies' debt lives on, March said.

CEO's rate California 'Worst State To Conduct Business' for 4th Consecutive Year

2009-12-01T07:33:00.000-08:00

CEOs Select Best, Worst States for Job Growth and Business

chiefexecutive.net:

Texas, North Carolina, Florida Top List as Best States; California, New York, Michigan Are the Worst

As the nation’s unemployment figures continue to reach new heights, Chief Executive magazine's 2009 "Best & Worst States" survey took CEO's pulse on what the best and worst places for jobs and business growth are. For the fourth year in a row, CEOs rated Texas as the #1 state to do business and California as the worst.

Chief Executive's fifth annual survey asked 543 CEOs to evaluate their states on a broad range of issues, including proximity to resources, regulation, tax policies, education, quality of living and infrastructure. Providing additional insight to the evaluations, CEOs were also asked to grade each state based on the following criteria: 1) Taxation & Regulation, 2) Workforce Quality, and 3) Living Environment.

"Our survey, year-over-year proves that those states with the worst records continue to practice the same policies that alienate businesses," said JP Donlon, Editor-in-Chief of Chief Executive magazine. "As the nation’s economic problems continue to snowball and an increasing number of states experience budgetary problems, state governments ought to take a hard look at their taxation and unionization policies if they want to turn the page and attract new businesses and capital to their provinces."

Once again, this year, the same states that took the bottom five spots over the past few years preserved their rankings for the most part. For the fourth year in a row, California and New York were ranked the worst and second worst state to do business in, respectively. Michigan was ranked third from the bottom for the second year in a row. The only difference in the bottom five was a flip in the worst fourth and fifth states, as New Jersey took over Massachusetts as the fourth worst state.

Plaguing business growth and opportunities in these states are high business taxes exposed on business owners as well as a strongly unionized labor force. Coincidentally, all the bottom three states, California, New York and Michigan, also support some of the nation’s highest unemployment rates - 10.1 percent, 7.6 percent and 11.6 percent, respectively, as of January (most recent data available). This compares to a national average of 7.6 percent in the same month (national unemployment rate reached 8.1 percent in February).

Expressing the prevalent attitude among CEOs, one CEO said, "Michigan and California literally need to do a 180 if they are ever to become competitive again. California has huge advantages with its size, quality of work force, particularly in high tech, as well as the quality of life and climate advantages of the state. However, it is an absolute regulatory and tax disaster, as is Michigan."

As states put on an intense competition to attract business and investment in this tough economic environment, Chief Executive magazine's Best & Worst States survey experienced a flurry of activity in the top ranks with the entry of three new states into the top five: Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.

Texas maintained its #1 spot in the ranking for the fourth year in a row, as North Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee all jumped up in ranks, taking the #2, 3, 4 and 5 spots, respectively.

"Texas and the Carolinas are great for business," said one CEO. "South Carolina's Research Authority is exemplary in terms of creating new economic growth and Texas is strategically centered, has low taxes, and outstanding demographics."

As a testament to this statement, in contrast to much of the nation, in fiscal 2008, Texas' gross state product grew by 4.2 percent, compared to 1.9 percent for the national economy.

California Air Board (CARB) Takes Page Right Out of CRU/IPCC 'Climategate' Fiasco

2009-11-30T13:13:00.000-08:00

Huge Changes to California Diesel Regulations May Be Thrown Out Following the Admission of A Cover Up At the State Air Board.
The Bakersfield Californian | Friday, Nov 20 2009 07:31 PM

It's not the lie, it's the cover up that'll get you.

How many times does this wisdom have to be pounded into the heads of bureaucrats?

The scandal over how a lead researcher behind California's new diesel truck rules lied about his credentials continues to grow.

At Thursday's California Air Resources Board meeting, one of the board members said the legitimacy of the rule is in question because of the lie and subsequent cover up and asked for a legal opinion on what should be done next.

The problem started with Hien Tran, the lead author of the report on which the new diesel rules were based, who lied about having a Ph.D. degree in statistics from U.C. Davis.

Though the lie was brought to some CARB bureaucrats' attention well before the vote on the draconian rules last December, it was kept "in house" until I and an editorial writer for the San Diego Union Tribune got wind of it and started hammering on it early last spring.

Turns out, not all the board members, who voted on the rules based on Tran's report, were told of his lies.

But some were -- and kept mum.

The issue was brought to the full board's attention at its September meeting in Diamond Bar by regular citizens.

At the time, board member John Telles, a medical doctor, was quite upset, saying, "This is the first time I've actually been apprised that there was fraud in the organization here.

"In my world, if an article was published by somebody who didn't have a Ph.D. and said he had a Ph.D., the whole thing would be nixed...I just find it incredible."

Well, he did some of his own digging and at this week's meeting he asked that CARB's legal counsel issue an opinion on what more should be done.

Telles also laid out a stunning chronology that revealed many CARB muckey-mucks, including chair Mary Nichols, knew about the lie before the vote and never said anything.

Tran's lie was first brought up by Dr. Stan Young in November 2008 to the California Secretary of the Environmental Protection Agency, who sent Young a letter dated Nov. 4, 2008, assuring him of Tran's credentials.

Then on Dec. 3 and 4, 2008, UCLA professor Jim Enstrom contacted three CARB board members telling them of Tran's indiscretion.

One of those board members, who I've reported was John Balmes, asked CARB staffers to investigate.

By Dec. 10, Tran had confessed. Those in the know included Nichols, Balmes and at least five other top CARB members.

The vote on the diesel rules using Tran's report was the next day, Dec. 11, 2008 and the full board wasn't told.

Even after the cat was out of the bag at last September's meeting, Telles said, "Staff never mentioned that they had this information prior to the vote."

Based on all that, Telles said, the legitimacy of the vote is in question as well as the legitimacy of the truck rule "and CARB itself."

"How we handle this reflects on the future credibility of CARB."

da Vinci Coming Soon - Wont Have Time For Autographs....

2009-11-10T11:14:00.000-08:00

Leonardo da Vinci drawings coming to L.A.

November 10, 2009 | 11:36 am

It's not often that artwork by Leonardo da Vinci makes the journey to Los Angeles. But in December, three drawings by the Renaissance master will go on display at L.A.'s Italian Cultural Institute along with a video installation by Bill Viola.

Leonardo's "The Angel in the Flesh," pictured, dates from around 1515 and was produced by the artist in Amboise, France. It depicts a smiling, androgynous figure in the process of lifting its right arm in salutation. This marks the first time that "Angel" will be shown in the U.S., according to Francesca Valente, who is organizing the exhibition.

Also part of the show are two sketches from Leonardo's "The Theatre Sheet," which is believed to have been created around 1506 to 1508. The two fragments are figure studies for a stage set of Angelo Poliziano’s "Orpheus." The drawings come from "The Mind of Leonardo," a recent exhibition at the National Museum of Palazzo Venezia in Rome.

Video artist Viola will present his 2002 work "The Last Angel" as part of the show. The installation features slow-motion imagery of an angelic figure in water, accompanied by an original soundtrack. Viola is scheduled to appear in person on Dec. 2 to present his work in a discussion with author Carlo Pedretti, who is a Leonardo scholar and UCLA Professor Emeritus.

The exhibition will run Dec. 2-12.

-- David Ng, Plastico Contributer

Big Surprise - CA Budget Still Far From Solvent....

2009-11-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger estimated Monday that California's budget will fall out of balance by $5 billion to $7 billion this fiscal year, on top of a $7.4 billion gap already projected for 2010-11.

If true, state leaders would confront at least a $12.4 billion to $14.4 billion problem when Schwarzenegger releases his budget in January. California currently has an $84.6 billion general fund budget.

The Republican governor spoke with The Fresno Bee editorial board Monday after signing a bill placing a water bond on the November 2010 ballot.

He emphasized deep spending cuts as a budget solution but did not mention tax increases. Schwarzenegger and legislators agreed to cuts to education and social services, as well as temporary tax hikes, in two budget deals earlier this year.

"We are not out of the woods yet. ... The key thing is, we have to go and still make cuts and still rein in the spending," Schwarzenegger said. "It will be tougher because I think the low-hanging fruits and the medium-hanging fruits are all gone. I think that now we are going to the high-hanging fruits, and very tough decisions still have to be made."

The state is $1 billion behind in tax revenues through the first three months of the 2009-10 fiscal year. Courts also have blocked some cuts in the current budget, such as in-home care reductions.

Besides the struggling economy, a major budget problem is that state leaders relied on risky assumptions – which may never come to fruition – in bridging a $60 billion, two-year budget deficit this year.

Schwarzenegger also discussed a wide range of other topics:

• Lieutenant governor pick: A replacement for Democrat John Garamendi, who was elected to Congress last week, will come within two weeks, Schwarzenegger said. "There's no urgency," he said.

He said he wants a lieutenant governor "who will follow through with the plan I set out. ... Right now the system doesn't work to have a lieutenant governor from the opposite party."

Schwarzenegger said Sen. Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto, who was seated next to him at the meeting, was "absolutely" on his short list.

A Republican – especially one intending to run again – may have a tough time winning confirmation in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

• Tax commission recommendations: Schwarzenegger said lawmakers should immediately debate the tax system changes recommended by a task force "rather than go on trips all over the world which they will do in November ... and say, 'Let's make a commitment, we're going to go and stay here until Christmas and then let this be a great Christmas vacation because we have accomplished one more important thing.' "

• Pension changes: Schwarzenegger made a pitch for a plan to devise a less lucrative pension system for future public employees. "We have to get serious about rolling back the pensions to the 1999 level for new employees," he said, noting that the state's general fund will have to take on an increasing responsibility to pay pension costs. "Eventually, the $1.5 billion (a year) that's being paid now will go up to $11 to $13 billion a year."

Labor Day In California... A Dan Walters Update...

2009-09-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

Published: Monday, Sep. 7, 2009 - 12:00 am

This is not a celebratory Labor Day for California's workers, and that includes government employees who believed that labor contracts and civil service rules gave them bulletproof job protection.

California is mired in one of its worst economic recessions, with unemployment approaching 12 percent and likely to rise higher, but even those with jobs are often pinched by wage freezes and reductions, furloughs and cuts in fringe benefits.

The jobless rate is twice as high as it was a year ago, the California Budget Project points out, and the recession has wiped out the state's employment gains in the last four years. The 57.5 percent of working-age adults who have jobs is the lowest rate in three decades, reflecting both the recession and the ever-growing retiree cohort.

The fact that California has been hit extraordinarily hard has sparked an intense, even bitter, public debate about whether the state has crippled itself for the long term and will not see a return to prosperity even when the rest of the nation recovers.

Conservatives point to the state's high taxes and penchant for regulatory overkill as making it what one state commission called a "job-killing machine." But liberals contend that allowing the state's infrastructure, schools and colleges to erode by reducing spending has made California less innovative and attractive to investment.

The debate rages on the airwaves and in legislative chambers; just last week, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed, for the third time, legislation that would allow the United Farm Workers union to organize with "card checks" rather than elections.

Even public worker unions are finding the going tough in these recessionary times. Furloughs have become common. The once-impregnable California Correctional Peace Officers Association is losing a battle against sharp cuts in prison spending. The California Teachers Association has been unable to block deep school reductions. Last month, trustees of the giant Los Angeles Unified School District, defying its teachers union, voted to massively expand charter schools.

As the 2009 legislative session comes to a close, unions are engaged on several fronts. While the Service Employees International tries to win ratification of a state worker contract that would limit furloughs, local government unions are pushing a late-blooming bill to make municipal bankruptcy (such as Vallejo's) more difficult and other labor groups are trying to raise long-frozen benefits for injured workers.

The California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation has proposed a tuneup in the system that would, it says, save as much as $1.4 billion a year in employer costs, largely by overturning a decision by the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board that undermined some of the 2004 reforms that cut costs sharply.

Labor's price for enactment of the new reforms, in whole or in part, would be a boost in benefits for injured workers.

Has Somebody Started To Smell A Bit????

2009-08-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

Birthday burial set for Michael Jackson

Associated Press

Posted: August 18, 2009

LOS ANGELES -- The King of Pop will be buried on what would have been his 51st birthday, a spokesman for Michael Jackson's family said today.

Jackson will be buried at a private ceremony at Forest Lawn-Glendale on Aug. 29, spokesman Ken Sunshine said in a statement. Guests will be limited to family and close friends, Sunshine said.

"The Jackson family once again wishes to express its gratitude to Michael's fans around the world for their support during these difficult times," the statement said.

Details about the ceremony and the whereabouts of Jackson's body have been tightly guarded. The announcement came a day after the New York Daily News reported comments by Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, that his son would be buried on what would have been his birthday.

Sunshine said Jackson will be buried on the Holly Terrace at the cemetery's Great Mausoleum. The cemetery's Web site describes the mausoleum as featuring replicas of works by Michelangelo. It also features a stained glass recreation of Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper."

The cemetery is in the city of Glendale, which is about 8 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. It is a different location from the Hollywood Hills cemetery where Jackson's family was seen gathering days after his death on June 25.

Think We Are Bad Off? Michigan Wants Our Prisoners!

2009-08-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

California: No prisoners headed to Michigan

By KATHY BARKS HOFFMAN
Associated Press Writer

Published: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009 - 10:37 am

LANSING, Mich. -- California officials have sent a letter to Michigan's corrections director saying thanks but no thanks on using Michigan prisons to house its inmates.

Michigan still is asking for states that might be interested in using soon-to-be-closed prisons in Standish and Muskegon. Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm says housing other states' prisoners will let the state keep hundreds of jobs.

California officials evaluated both prisons. But they said in a letter sent Monday that the proposed per diem rate that Michigan would charge is "significantly higher" than the rates currently paid to contract for other out-of-state beds.

Pennsylvania also is considering using the Michigan prisons, and the administration of President Barack Obama is looking at housing Guantanamo detainees in Standish.

Sacramento and Washington Choose Minnows over People..

2009-07-24T13:51:00.000-07:00

Central California's San Joaquin Valley; oft' referred to as 'The Breadbasket of the World', has been drying up thanks to a new interpretation by the Obama Administration regarding water reclamation.

Long story short; a delta built for irrigating the valley's rich soil has been now completely confiscated by environmentally concerned politicians so that water from the delta can run out to the sea. The decision this year to stop the pumps because of a mild drought is largely based on new findings that claim Orca whales eventually benefit from the Delta Smelt Minnow that populate the irrigation water in the delta.

It would be hard to imagine a worse time for CA to pursue a policy that kills thousands of jobs and cripples a significant portion of the valley that is responsible for a whopping 25% of the nations Ag production.

Please take a good look Mr. President....

2009-07-10T12:46:00.000-07:00

Or as they say in Hawaii - extend a warm and firm Mahalo.....

(We interrupt regular our regular LA broadcast to bring you the latest from the G8 Conference in Italy.....)

Courtesy of The Comedy Hub (CHN):

Barack Obama Was Caught Checking Out Booty Today....

Likewise for French buddy Nicolas Sarkozy...

L'Aquila, Italy- Seems like they both had time to take a good look. Maybe they are not used to seeing curly hair... on a 16 YEAR OLD BRAZILIAN GIRL??

But none of this was all that bad until a reporter at The Associated Press did a blow up of the pic (below) and found that Barack was indeed contemplating a second stimulus package...

Although the moment passed quickly, the pair were about to get an opportunity to discuss their day....

The two were in deep conversation the next day discussing how they both had learned their respective lessons; but Holy Cow; that's just not fair...

But(t), American's still have no choice to concede that this guy would have been no better.....

Join the Facebook Group: "I too would have looked at this 16 year old Brazilian's Ass" click here:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=127502020490

Don't worry he's not a pedophile

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Budget Crisis Got You Down? Smoke a J dude.

2009-07-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

Attitudes change; pot dispensaries multiply

By Gina Kim
gkim@sacbee.com

Published: Thursday, Jul. 9, 2009 - 12:00 am | Page 1A

With a hard-line stance against marijuana crumbling at almost every level of government, advocates of the drug are pushing beyond legality for societal acceptance.

There are about 30 medical marijuana dispensaries in Sacramento that distribute cannabis to patients with conditions ranging from cancer to anorexia who have a letter from their doctor. According to those in the business, half have opened in the last six months, a result of the Obama administration vowing not to prosecute dispensaries if they're abiding by state laws.

The rapid growth has prompted dispensary operators and local activists to call city officials, asking for more oversight, even if it results in extra taxes or regulations. For some, it's an effort to curb skyrocketing competition. Many hope oversight will unmask a business they say should be as normal as a Rite-Aid.

"It would legitimize us in a big way," said Cody Bass, co-director of Capitol Wellness Collective in midtown. "And it would keep out a lot of different elements we don't want involved – we don't want any Joe Schmoe selling marijuana to a 16-year-old kid just to make rent that month."

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in May that it's time for California to study whether to legalize and tax marijuana for recreational use.

A national marijuana advocacy group launched an ad campaign Wednesday in California's major television markets proposing that as a solution to the state's budget crisis. Some stations have said they will not air the 30-second ad, in which Fair Oaks resident Nadene Herndon contends that taxes could help offset cuts faced by schools, health care and police.

More: http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2011888.html?mi_rss=Capitol%20and%20California

Just now From CHN: Joe Jackson Wins Custody; Debuts "Jackson 3"

2009-07-07T16:12:00.000-07:00

Trio to 'Honor' Michael's Upcoming London Tour Dates
by: Mandy Westgate , CHN Hollywood Minute, 10:45 AM PST

LOS ANGELES: A high stakes custody battle between Jackson's parents and Debbie Rowe has finally been resolved out of court according to a Jackson family representative. The three children (Prince Michael, 12; Paris Michael Katherine, 11; and Prince Michael II (blanket), 7) have been with their grandparents since Michael's death on June 25th.

Joe and Katherine Jackson want to raise the children with 'love and guidance'. Additionally, they have disclosed that each child will receive a $7.00 per week allowance which is equivalent to what Michael made when he was their age, albeit after 3 platinum singles and several years of 'whippins'.

Early feedback from America's newest pop group has varied widely. Their sound so far is likened to both Hansen and Alvin and The Chipmunks. Simon, one of three lead vocalists from the aforementioned animated group, was asked about the comparison to the 'Jackson 3' by CHN and replied "Bull Fucking-Shit" in a sped-up baritone voice.

Jermaine Jackson has already gone public with his anger that he has not been asked to perform in the group; telling multiple sources that Blanket's back-up vocals are atrocious.

"It's unclear if these kids will need to be disciplined the same way I unmercifully beat their father and the others" said Joe Jackson to a handful of reporters just hours after the King of Pop had been laid to rest. "I think it's different for each child; my 9 children all needed harsh systematic beatings, various types of sexual abuse, and lifelong battles with me over proceeds from their artistic work as minors".

"We can only pray that these three respond in much the same way", concluded Joe with a sheepish smile as he lightly stroked a giant wooden paddle behind his back.

AEG Live, Michael's promoter for the pending tour, has stated that refunds are clearly not necessary now that the 'Jackson 3' will be available for the entirety of the London concert series. "We wont be charging ticket holders any additional money for getting two more Jackson's than originally planned" stated AEG on their website.

Final details of the custody agreement are not expected to be made public. Speculation from a close friend of Debbie Rowe's revealed that a deal was likely struck allowing Rowe to take all proceeds from an upcoming interview between Diane Sawyer and Bubbles the Chimp. Also, a 25 million dollar payout was made to Rowe.

Rowe, pictured right in a black shirt which portrays three wolves howling to the moon not unlike three motherless children, might be seizing her final opportunity to sell or profit from the two children that she crapped out under contract in 1997 and 1998 respectively.

Rowe's attorney, did not entirely agree; "When Joe and Katherine Jackson die we will get one more shot at a payday; we just want what's best for the children" said Almli, as she winked at her driver to close the bullet proof windows of her Mercedez-Benz Maybach which was being towed by a separate Maybach so that the sound of the motor could not be heard in her Maybach.

Schwarzenegger explores non-conventional options to close CA Budget

2009-06-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

Two Year Budget Crisis Leaves Governor and State Legislature with Few Viable Options
by: Rachelle Vicente-Dias CHN Political Team. 3:45 PM PST

Sacramento, CA:
Following last months rejection of several revenue increasing ballot measures, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger gave his staff one clear goal: find ways to save the state money and fast.

CHN has obtained an email from an anonymous staffer who helped narrow the list down to the 20 following proposals that are on currently on the Governor's desk and awaiting approval:

1. Considering an offer by Long John Silver's to buy naming rights to the state itself for 22.5 million.
2. Tax Free Cigarettes to be sold to spotted owls in exchange for access to valuable old growth forests
3. No cop Thursdays.
4. The four guys that stand around while one guy works on all California road and transportation projects will be cut to just four guys standing around.
5. Salary laden public school administrative jobs will be entirely eliminated; no change expected to test scores.
6. "Prevailing Wage" labor rates to be dropped from all State projects in favor of "whatever rate that Mexican will do it for".
7. San Diego beaches to be loaded and shipped to Missouri in exchange for "Show Me State" motto; expected value of revenues are described as 'sentimental' .
8. Will temporarily allow USC football team to play in the NFL.
9. Asks California poultry farmers to look really, really hard for a 'golden goose'.
10. Yosemite National Park to be dynamited/burned (savings to budget still unclear)
11. Formal review to determine cost effectiveness of fire trucks vs. the 'bucket system'
12. Find out what happened with that check that was supposed to come from the Nigerian Oil Minister's cousin.
13. Order Coast Guard to carefully search for additional islands... warns that he is already aware of Baja California.
14. Asks Cal Berkley economists to get him an honest assessment of the value of ocean water.
15. Announce a 2nd gold rush. Details TBA.
16. Remaster 'Conan The Barbarian' to Blu-Ray. Donate all proceeds to the ailing Department of Sanitation which has been over-run with discarded vhs, laser-disc, and dvds from Schwarzenegger films for over 25 years.
17. DMV workers to write parking tickets during 'enhanced' 2 hour lunch break.
18. Post office employees encouraged to 'Give a Damn' (even though this is a federal obligation the staff felt it should be included).
19. Expand 'Gas Tax' to include farting.
20. Or forget ideas 1-19 and solve the states fiscal crisis by having the 600,000 incarcerated illegal immigrants replace the 600,000 non-incarcerated illegal immigrants who currently provide for the States Agricultural labor.

Gary Condit supposedly off 'The Hook'... An Illegal Immigrant killed Chandra Levy...

2009-04-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

Suspect formally charged in Levy death

By Michael Doyle, Plastico Blog Extern

Published: Thursday, Apr. 23, 2009 - 12:00 am | Page 3A

WASHINGTON – Police on Wednesday formally charged Ingmar Guandique with the 2001 murder of Chandra Levy.

In a brief appearance, the Salvadoran immigrant was charged, booked, photographed and fingerprinted before being returned to a downtown Washington, D.C., jail cell. He's to be presented with first-degree murder charges in D.C. Superior Court this afternoon, nearly eight years after Levy's disappearance crushed her Modesto family and captivated a nation.

No Levy family member or representative was present during Guandique's hourlong initial processing or at the subsequent booking.

"I don't really need to know every little detail," Dr. Robert Levy, Chandra's father, said in a telephone interview Wednesday.

Levy added that he isn't sure if he or his wife, Susan, will travel from their home in California's San Joaquin Valley to observe how the man accused of murdering their daughter fares in court.

Still, the enduring fascination with Levy's murder and the circumstances surrounding it were apparent Wednesday afternoon. More than a dozen television camera crews, still photographers and print reporters clustered outside police offices awaiting Guandique's arrival.

Monday night, U.S. marshals had quietly delivered Guandique from a federal prison in Southern California, where he's serving a 10-year sentence for attacking two women in Washington's Rock Creek Park. That is the same park where Levy's skeletal remains were found in May 2002.

The three Washington detectives who painstakingly built the circumstantial murder case against him – Anthony Brigidini, Todd Williams and Emilio Martinez – escorted Guandique from the D.C. jail to the department's Violent Crimes Branch headquarters.

Clad in an orange jumpsuit, white socks and blue slippers, and with his hands and legs shackled, the 27-year-old Guandique shuffled in the detectives' grip from the unmarked car to the police office door. His arms looked bare, but the gang-related words Mara Salvatrucha appeared to be tattooed prominently around his neck.

Also known as MS-13, Mara Salvatrucha is a violent gang that began in Los Angeles. Guandique did not have any known gang tattoos when he was sentenced to prison in early 2002.

Now, Guandique has a short beard, and a police detective said his hair had grown out, obscuring a portrait of a devil said to be tattooed on top of his head. He glared briefly at reporters Wednesday but mostly kept his head down and did not respond to several questions asked in Spanish.

An illegal immigrant, Guandique is not known to be conversant in English. Wednesday afternoon, during his initial processing, he had his Miranda rights read to him in Spanish.

Prosecutors say Guandique attacked Levy in Rock Creek Park on May 1, 2001. A former federal Bureau of Prisons intern, Levy had apparently gone to the park for a jog. At the time, as subsequent developments revealed, she was involved in a relationship with then-Congressman Gary Condit. Police never considered Condit a suspect, but the relationship, once it became public, drew notoriety to Levy's disappearance and brought an end to Condit's long political career.

Though police lack DNA evidence, they have several witnesses who say Guandique confessed to the killing while incarcerated.

"As early as 2002, Guandique had discussed the murder of Chandra Levy with a witness," one police affidavit states.

Nobody Suspects That Pot Will Be Present When.....

2009-04-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

Thousands Gather in Santa Monica Mountains for 12-Hour Movie about the National Parks

(Zach Behrens/LAist)

"We're not a travelogue, we're not a nature fim, we're not a recomendation on which lodge to stay in. It's the story how this place got started," a zealous Ken Burns said of his upcoming twelve hour documentary on the National Parks. He and his crew have spent what many dream about: six years of traveling the country from National Park to National Park exploring some of the country's most beautiful and historically and culturally significant places.

"We've been curious how our country ticks and for 30 years we made films trying to figure out who these strange and complicated people are who like to call themselves Americans," explained Burns, whose film repertoire includes documentaries on the Civil War, Baseball, Jazz and most recently, World War II. "One of the ways we reveal ourselves is in relationship to the land... There's nothing that reveals more of us than this best of all ideas that was to set aside land not just for rich folks but everybody and for all time. That's what National Parks are."

Going To Coachella? Start Listening.....NOW:

2009-04-12T17:53:00.000-07:00

Brought to you by: The Plastico Blog in conjunction with this illegal music player. 2010 All Rights Ignored.

Nicholas James Adenhart (August 24, 1986 – April 9, 2009)

2009-04-09T11:37:00.001-07:00

"He had his whole life ahead of him. He's only 22, he's still a kid. He was a great kid, he was funny, he was very popular in the clubhouse and off the field. People loved him."

-Torii Hunter

Bynum's Return Eminent... Should He Start in The Playoffs??

2009-04-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

Lakers' Bynum says he hopes tonight is the night
By Elliott Teaford, Staff Writer
Updated: 04/08/2009 11:07:57 PM PDT

Officially, the Lakers declined to say whether Andrew Bynum would play tonight against the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center.

Unofficially, two Lakers insiders gave conflicting statements when asked about Bynum's participation.

"Oh, yeah, he's playing," one said Wednesday afternoon.

"No, Andrew told me he will not play," another said. "Maybe on Sunday."

Bynum, who has been sidelined since Jan. 31 because of a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee, said he hoped to play tonight. He said he wanted to play against the Nuggets, and that he was ready to play.

"I think (tonight) is possible," he said.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said a decision hadn't been made and probably wouldn't be made until this morning. Jackson

GO INSIDE THE LAKERS:
For the best around-the-clock coverage of the Lakers, visit our Inside the Lakers blog.
certainly made it sound as if Bynum would play unless he suffered a setback in the form of pain or swelling in his knee.

"He feels pretty good," Jackson said. "We're pleased with his progress. I don't know how much more he can get out of the activity level he's doing right now. He's got to get to playing here pretty soon."

Bynum certainly looked as if he was ready to play again during a scrimmage Wednesday. Matched against fellow 7-footer DJ Mbenga, Bynum moved freely. The only hint of his injury was the heavy black brace on his right knee.

Bynum checked Mbenga in the low post on one possession, then sprinted to the other end after the shot missed the mark. Bynum caught a pass from a teammate and banked home a jump shot.

"I want
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to get out there and play," he said after the workout ended. "I feel like I'm ready to get out there and get as much game experienced as I can. I'm ready to play (tonight). I want to get out there and do well."

If he doesn't play tonight, there will be three more chances for Bynum to play before the playoffs begin. The Lakers play the Trail Blazers on Friday in Portland before returning home to play Memphis on Sunday and Utah on Tuesday.

Bynum has been sidelined for 32 games since teammate Kobe Bryant tumbled into his leg after missing a driving layup late in the first half of the Lakers' victory Jan. 31 over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Last season, Bynum suffered a left kneecap injury Jan.13 against Memphis and did not return to the active roster. He underwent surgery in May and missed the playoffs, including the NBA Finals.

Great expectations

Jackson said he was undecided on whether to start Bynum or play him in a reserve role when he does return to the active roster. Jackson isn't concerned about Bynum meshing with his teammates, however.

"I think he has the ability ... to feel his way along," Jackson said. "We expect a little hitch in our game, but it may not be that at all. He may just go back in there (and play well). We'll see how it goes."

Just One Angel Fan Dead So Far In 2009

2009-04-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

Man in fight at Angel Stadium dies
Comment Email Print Share
Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- A man involved in a fight at Angel Stadium on Opening Day has died.

Police said Brian Powers, 27, of Buena Park, Calif., died Wednesday at a hospital. No arrests have been made.

Angels spokesman Tim Mead said the fight occurred Monday night shortly after the game between the Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics. Witnesses told police the man was fighting with someone when a third person came from behind and punched the victim in the head. The man fell and hit his head on a concrete step near a stairwell.

Police are unsure what led to the fight and who started it.

The Most Important Dead Person In California That You Never Heard Of...

2009-04-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

Cotton king James G. Boswell II dies

Daily News Wire Services

Posted: 04/07/2009 09:23:40 AM PDT

PASADENA - Cotton king James G. Boswell II, who grew his family holdings into California's first agribusiness giant, has died of natural causes at his Indian Wells home. He was 86.

Boswell, who died Friday, will be memorialized April 22 during a 1 p.m. service at the Corcoran High School Memorial Stadium.

He inherited the reins of the J.G. Boswell Co., which has dominated California cotton growing for generations, when he was 29 after the death of his uncle, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Over the next 50 years, he more than tripled the size of his family farm in Corcoran, while his labs developed better seeds and cotton gins -- a model that would earn him a reputation for creating the template for modern agribusinesses, according to The Times. MORE

Ceccioni's To Run Sea Bass Special Throughout Lent

2009-03-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

Chilean Sea Bass will be available throughout Lent at Ceccionis. Please call ahead for reservations:

8764 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles 90069

An Update has been posted on supplies following the unexpected earthquake in Chile : Click here

1992 'Dream Team' Wants Christian Laettner Removed From Roster

2009-02-17T08:58:00.000-08:00

Possible Move May Help Ignite Fire Under A Slowing Chris Mullin
by: Mandy Westgate, Barcelona Games Bureau, 6:30 PM EST

U.S. Olympic Training Center, Denver: Often called the greatest basketball team ever assembled the 1992 U.S. Olympic 'Dream Team' is about to shed one of it's 12 players amid growing concern over the teams depth and shot-blocking ability.

"I think we have had plenty of time to review the breadth of Christian's NBA career in addition to what he added to our 1992 gold medal run in Barcelona... I would classify those contributions as nauseating", said Co-Captain Larry Bird.

Other team members also made public comments; "For me it's simple, I just hate white people" said an forthcoming Charles Barkley. He continued, "We already have Bird, Stockton, and Mullin... aint that enough".

"He did an excellent job in practice of prepping David Robinson and Karl Malone for the type of slow, white, incapable defense that we would eventually see from Croatia and Lithuania - I mean it's kind of hard for Patrick Ewing to pretend he is Danko Cveticanin or Aluydas Pazdrazdis", informed Clyde Drexler.

"I've never heard of him", said a confused Michael Jordan as he joined John Stockton for a pre-practice warm-up on the stationary bikes.

"The decision to shake up the team was a difficult one", said Larry Wilkens, who was recently promoted to head coach of the 92' squad after the passing of Chuck Daly. "We did a secret ballot of all 19 members of the roster including coaches to see if we should go through with the tough decision of cutting Laettner". He continued, "The results were clear: 18 for removal and one vote for 'not sure'. We think the 'not sure' vote may have been Laettner".

Laettner's .864 free throw percentage in 1997 with the Atlanta Hawks placed him in the top 20 of free throw shooters for that season; one small accomplishment to offset the torture he administered to home fans of the 6 teams he played for over 13 mediocre seasons .

Possible replacements for Laettner include Dominique Wilkins, Shawn Kemp, and a 9 year old Dwight Howard.

David Stern recently requested that all highlights and inspirational videos from the Barcelona games be modified so that Laettner's likeness is no longer associated with the team. NBA film editor Mark Warner said that "easiest job I ever had, I didn't have to change a thing".

*** The Comedy Hub Network ***

Latest Release / CHN Archives

Facebook Group Offers Final Condolences To The State of California

2009-02-15T14:14:00.000-08:00

Just a sign of the times as current and former residents chime in to the group: "R.I.P. California, The Golden Goose is dead" (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=45786958095).

So far, 425 some odd Facebook users have joined to bid the state farewell and reminisce about better times.

It remains unclear if the official eulogy will be given immediately after passage of the new budget or if it will simply be mailed to California taxpayers with the list of new taxes.

SAC BEE: Schwarzenegger; State Democrats may have kidnapped/murdered Republican Senator..

2009-02-15T14:05:00.000-08:00

Developing...

http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/capitolalertlatest/019637.html

February 15, 2009

Maldonado goes missing

Update: Senate staff said Maldonado was located in his Senate office and returned to the floor. He had not left the building.

Kevin Yamamura reports: Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, a potential 27th vote for the state budget in his house, broke the Senate's lockdown on Sunday morning by leaving the Capitol.

Sergeants could not locate him, and his car was not in the Capitol garage.

Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders had begun courting Maldonado when fellow Republican Sen. Dave Cox said he refused to support the budget plan.

Posted by Amy Chance

Mr. Mortgage Warns: We Haven't Learned Anything...

2008-12-28T02:10:00.000-08:00

Low Mortgage Rates to Spur New Wave of Defaults

Posted on December 26th, 2008 in Daily Mortgage/Housing News - The Real Story, Mr Mortgage's Personal Opinions/Research

Talk about unintended consequences. The following is significant insight from the street level. This is especially important for those of you thinking that these low mortgage rates will lead housing and the consumer to the Promised Land.

Everyone wants to refinance right now - that’s a fact. Home owners and loan officers around the nation have not been this exited in years over the low rates. Purchases are far and few in between and require solid relationships, so most loan officers love a good refi boom - they are the easy pickens (until now). The media are actually quoting mortgage rates non-stop, which is a complete story in and of itself.

Loan officers and banks are very busy taking loan applications, as reflected in the faulty MBA loan application survey data (Mr Mortgage story out next week). Loan approval times at some banks is at three to four weeks making for a two month start to finish process. Fall-out will be extreme over the near-term as brokers and borrowers switch banks three and four times trying to get the lowest rate available. Trying to hedge this chaotic mess is a mortgage secondary marketing manager’s worst nightmare and can lead to significant losses.

Along side of being one of the biggest consumer ‘bait and switches’ of all time, this drop in rates should set the stage for a significant leg-up in mortgage loan defaults and leg down in house values and consumer / homeowner sentiment.

In my opinion, the government artificially pushing rates down this quickly not only will cost the originators plenty but quickens the pace at which the Alt-A, Jumbo Prime, and ‘Prime’ implosions could begin in earnest.

Click Here for the full article

LA Times: Top 15 California Destinations

2008-12-27T14:02:00.000-08:00

For whatever it's worth here is what LA Times writer Christopher Reynolds believes to be the "not-so-obvious but oh-so-essential sites" within "our" "Golden' State". (I add quotation to 'our' and 'Golden State' for comedic effect and parodic inflection)... (maybe even some angry sarcasm).

1. NATIONAL STEINBECK CENTER Salinas, Monterey County
2. THE COLD SPRING TAVERN San Marcos Pass, Santa Barbara County
3. CORONADO BEACH, WITH GRUNION RUNNING Coronado, San Diego County
4. SANDPIPER GOLF CLUB Santa Barbara County
5. HIDDEN VALLEY Joshua Tree National Park, Riverside& San Bernardino counties
6. THOUSAND ISLAND LAKE Ansel Adams Wilderness, Inyo National Forest
7. SEA RANCH Sonoma County
8. TOMALES BAY Marin County
9. MONTANA DE ORO STATE PARK San Luis Obispo County
10. LITTLE PETROGLYPH CANYON Naval Air Station - China Lake, Kern County
11. THE BATHS AT ESALEN Big Sur, Monterey County
12. CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY 46 San Luis Obispo County
13. GENERAL GRANT TREE Kings Canyon National Park, Tulare County
14. THE INN ON MT. ADA Santa Catalina Island, Los Angeles County
15. DRAKESBAD GUEST RANCH Lassen Volcanic National Park, Plumas County

(Take a moment to appreciate the fact that I have collected these links for you so you dont have to click through 15 separate pages on LATIMES.com just to see the friggin list.)

Obama flashes Tits To Curry Favor At Pentagon Meet and Greet

2008-12-22T20:08:00.000-08:00

(Some Fun from our friends at the Comedy Hub):

Transition Meeting With Top Military Officials Ends in Truth or Dare Fiasco.
by: Kaylee Strut, Comedy Hub Political Analist. 6:15 PM EST

In what seemed to be standard procedure, President-Elect Barack Obama sat down with transition advisers, State Department Leaders, and numerous 4 Star Generals to discuss the possible surge of troops into Afghanistan rumored to begin just after the Inauguration.

The three hour meeting was all but complete when Obama reportedly challenged Deputy Secretary John Negroponte and his staff to a game of 5 on 5 basketball. Negraponte is said to have promised to make the President Elect regret the offer according to an un-named source.

Although the two sides never took the court the situation escalated rather quickly into a literal pissing contest with Under Secretary of Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky out-distancing VP elect Joe Biden 13 feet to 11. No comments have been made about rumors of other challenges such as: "oops the closet light went out" and "just the tip to see how it feels".

As promised, (the losing team captain) Obama complied with a truth or dare test of and shaved his chest prior to completing 4 sets x 25 fingertip pushups all while chanting "Praise Alah". Finally he completed the dare by walking topless through the building lobby and out to the street where photographers had been called in to capture the historic/breasty moment .

At no time was Obama to remove his sunglasses or tuck in the drawstring on his shorts; both points of contention for the future Chief of Staff Rahm Emanual .

"I think we made some progress today" Negroponte told reporters after the urine, shaving cream, and KY jelly was cleaned from the 3rd floor meeting room outside of his office. "We found out what kind of nerve this guy has, so far I like how things feel... let's be honest this is mostly a 'feel' game when it's all said and done."

The safest place in the world: The Santa Monica Stairs

2008-12-15T17:29:00.000-08:00

So, how do you define the safest place in the world?

I say it would be the mythical combination of a place where no crime exists along with an unnecessary and overwhelming police presence. We all realize that those two things would never occur at the same place for a plethora of reasons; it would be like someone trying to attack the Pentagon with a handful of civilians aboard a passenger jet.

In fact it just so happens that such a place does exist and it's right here in LA. The Plastico reports that there is no place in the world that is better patrolled than the ultra safe block of 4th avenue between San Vicente and Adelaide in Santa Monica, CA. This particular block is very very small. In fact, it has a total length of about 425'.

By now you have lots of questions as to why the police would have any active presence on this particular block made up of multi million dollar estates. Let me take it from the top:

This particular area has two sets of stairs that are treasured by folks who enjoy outdoor exercise. One set is concrete, the other is wood; both are a very difficult climb (if you can do 10 sets you are in good shape). Long story short - hot girls work out there and they work out there often. They can be found wearing sports bras and a light layer of glistening sweat. I have been keeping close tabs on this very fact for some years now. While I admit to working out and catching a nice view at the stairs I also admit to not taking a government paycheck while I do it.

So here is the rub: Just about every male city worker in Santa Monica drives back and forth through this neighborhood all day long so that they can see some tail. The endless parade of taxpayer funded vehicles and personnel frequenting the stairs include but are not limited to:

Animal Control
Santa Monica Parking Enforcement (on days with no posted parking restrictions)
LAPD
Santa Monica Police
Los Angeles County Sheriffs

Santa Monica City Maintenance (just about every kind of truck you can think of)

To top off the list just today I spotted this Santa Monica Police K9 unit (pictured left) as it cruised through; I guess you have to give a dog a bone every now and again.

The reality is that since before Christ folks have been exercising in this area. For just as long, your tax dollars have gone to State and City workers that spend remarkable amounts of time driving by in circles and parking nearby to enjoy the view.

But now it's actually official. The Santa Monica Police now have a full time presence at the stairs. Shift after shift we now pay an armed officer hang out and tell people they cannot stretch or do sit ups on the 4th street median. City code says that the median is for walking and jogging only. If you are handicapped and wheelchair bound you may not wheel yourself across the median that you pay tax dollars to maintain. Suck on that invalids!

If you think I'm kidding, you are wrong. Here are the signs that prohibit you from stopping to adjust your socks, kiss your child or to help someone who has just suffered a heart attack because they could not legally stop to rest during their run:

The sign pictured left is new; four of them were installed this week

So how much are taxpayers spending to patrol this 20' wide x 425' piece of grass median? Hard to say but you can price in a full time officer with patrol car for all daylight hours to start. The officer on duty today said that he figured it would just be a two week stint; after a recent meeting he was told it will be indefinite. I suppose that the other city workers who circle throughout the day probably wouldn't be doing anything else anyway so that cost is moot. Certainly the least they could do is get out of their vehicles and do a set of stairs.

For the record (and we always hate the record), it seems that all 'median planting strips are for walking and jogging only' in Santa Monica according to a 1970 code. But can't we all agree that we would rather have every officer spending his or her time targeting serious crimes like not having a front license plate or for using a hand-held cell phone? Also for the record - the Santa Monica Police will not return calls to comment on this story; other city workers have been quoted as saying "(insert chauvinistic whistle sounds; repeat as needed)".

So What if We Had Just Listened To Mark Hanson (Mr. Mortgage)

2008-12-05T07:50:00.000-08:00

It seems as if the news cycle is running about a year behind on just how deep and wide the credit crisis is. When the final story is written (if any of us survive to write it) we will take a look back at the folks that got it all dead wrong and run after them in angry crowd format with sticks and torches. So be it. But we will also eventually identify the people that had it dead right from the get go. One man that identified and warned about the sub-prime crisis early on in plain language was Mark Hanson, or "Mr. Mortgage" as he is oft referred to within inner circles.

Mark Hanson's discussions are so valuable for West Coast Real Estate that we felt it necessary to track him here at The Plastico full time with an RSS Feed on the right side of the page. You can stay literate on the housing market just by following his articles.

If you are a buyer or seller of real estate in California you need to hold your nose and read Mark's latest article where he takes a moment to rip the CA. Association of Realtors a new a**hole.

CA Association of Realtors Needs a Math Class…Perhaps Ethics as Well

Posted on September 29th, 2008 in Daily Mortgage/Housing News - The Real Story, Mr Mortgage's Personal Opinions/Research

In their latest attempt to paint a picture of the glass totally full of Cristal Champagne, CAR released a August home sales report on Thursday that made it seem as though the state had no housing-related issues whatsoever. This is exactly why I always scream ‘YOU CAN’T BELIEVE THE HEADLINES!

“Sales are now 85 percent above the monthly trough for this cycle, which occurred in October 2007, and for the first time this year are ahead of 2007 in year-to-date terms,” said C.A.R. President William E. Brown”.

I think CAR either needs a math class or should not be allowed to ever put out another press release. I have no idea what they are even saying here…

“The statewide sales figure represents what the total number of homes sold during 2008 would be if sales maintained the August pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales”

“Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled 490,850 in August at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local REALTOR® associations statewide. Statewide home resale activity increased 56.7 percent from the revised 313,310 sales pace recorded in August 2007. Sales in August 2008 increased 1.8 percent compared with the previous month.”

This would not bother me so much if three days before I didn’t put out a very well-researched August CA Home Sales Report saying:

“August was not good for the CA real estate market. Just one month after pom-pom’s were flying over how well the market did in July and bottoms were again being called across the board yet again, August, a peak sales month, delivered another blow. Total sales were off, organic sales were off, foreclosure-related sales rose, defaults rose and prices tumbled.”

The facts are that in August 2008 37,988 new and resale properties sold according to DataQuick. Last August, there were 33,429. There was an increase but nowhere near the 85% quoted above or the 56.7% quoted below. The sad part is in August 2005, 73,285 homes sold. Yes, there was an increase year over year from August 2007 to 2008, which could be viewed as encouraging. However, the number of ‘organic’ sales in August 2008 were only 21,172, as foreclosure-related sales made up 46.9% of the total sales. In August 2007, foreclosure-related sales were negligible. Therefore, in my book real home sales fell sharply from August 2007 to August 2008, less inventory was absorbed, prices tumbled, which is the most destructive and the foreclosure market remains the real estate market at least for now. Nice try guys.

A Whole Bunch of Reasons to Avoid the Santa Monica Pier

2008-12-03T22:52:00.000-08:00

A Guide For Santa Monica Pier Virgins

Santa Monica, CA - Living in and around West LA all of us sort of get into a groove of places that we go and places that we go...not. I wasn't sure why I had avoided the Santa Monica Pier for so long, but I had. In fact, I had not set foot on it for at least 10 years. So last Monday afternoon I took a walk. A good ole-fashioned walk on the Pier... and I sure wish I hadn't.

The most recognizable sight in Santa Monica is the famous and oft pictured sign at the entrance to the pier. Commonly thought to be the official end of historic Route 66... It isn't.

Route 66 actually actually ends a block away at Santa Monica Blvd. and Ocean Ave. You can view the Will Rogers Highway Dedication Plaque at Palisades Park if you are so inclined. But lets stay on track: So I took a walk on the pier...

Reader Safety Alert: The pier itself (the Planks and the nails/spikes that hold them) are old, warped, and often in shocking disrepair. Wearing sandals should net you at least one stubbed tow before you are able to escape. As I tripped along the aging and un-maintained surface I could not help but to think about all of those brand new parking enforcement vehicles that are absolutely everywhere in Santa Monica... or the cost of the full time police patrol at 4th and San Vicente where an armed officer is paid to tell you not to stretch in the grass median (it's for walking and jogging only; duh).

Back to the pier. After opening a small wound on my left foot I kept a close eye out for those little 18" x 18" plywood patch boards that seem to be meant to close gaps between broken planks but actually result in a far greater tripping hazard than anything they might cover. Maybe they would serve a reasonable purpose if the installation technique had included using enough screws to hold them securely in place.

The first thing you might see on the pier itself is the Bubba Gump Shrimp Restaurant which I believe is legally required to be on every pier in America. Try not to think of the last time you ate at one, just think happy thoughts about Forest Gump and the late Bubba.

Once you get passed the fine dining at Bubba Gump you will be happy to find lots of fast food that is simply impossible to find anywhere else: Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Coffee Bean are appetizers until you find the overpriced fried seafood joints that change their cooking grease at least once per leap year. About midway across the pier you may find yourself in need of a pit stop. You are in luck because not a dime was spared on some temporary bathrooms (pictured below).
.

The picture also provides a good example of the type of folks that have time to hang out on the pier. Please note the latest style; are they shorts that are too long or pants that are too short? They shall henceforth be called: "shants".

The main attraction is just ahead on your left. No, it's not the gimmick roller coaster or the trapeze lessons; it's the remote controlled boats! This is your chance to pay $2.00 for the opportunity to control a boat that moves very very slowly inside of a smallish bathtub/jacuzzi. The best among us are able to navigate their boat into well identified docking station that happens to be an exact replica of a normal sized miniature remote control boat dock.

As you approach the end of the pier you will see a Police/first aide station and the final eatery. After you dress your foot wounds you just might be hungry enough to view the overpriced menu at Mariasol Cocina Mexicana.

It seems you have reached the end, but if you're lucky, you will go about 10 steps too far and find yourself having a look at the local anglers and the days 'take'. This is where another Pier rule sets in: If you walk to the end of any pier in America you will see a skate fish that has been caught and is slowly suffocating and bleeding out through its chopped off tail. Here is a photo of the one that graced the pier for me and the fine 'shant' wearing gentleman who caught it...

When you catch your skate here is a youtube video showing you how to clean and prepare the fish for cooking.

So why would anyone ever set foot on the Santa Monica Pier?

Well it wasn't clear at all, not until I saw one final thing that reminded me what all piers are meant to be. The pier is, in all her glory, just a place to sit with the one you love - it just might be the one you chose to grow old with and to watch one more sunset.

If you still insist on going, I wont stop you (I just don't have the time). So here is some info that may help you navigate through the fray:

Official web site — directory with links to the arcade, the aquarium, and history
Pacific Park — information about the rides, attractions, and food court on the pier
Twilight Dance Series — free concerts that run on the pier from June - September
Santa Monica "Drive-In" at the pier — free films at the pier in Aug. - September
Taste of Santa Monica — September 14th (THIS SUNDAY) event featuring Santa Monica restaurants. This year: $40.00 - to stuff your face for 4 hours. Take a look and take your own first aid kit. Cheers.

LA RENTERS: No Worries, You Only Pay 5th Highest Rates

2008-11-04T09:06:00.000-08:00

Most And Least Expensive U.S. Cities For Renters
Francesca Levy 09.23.08, 6:00 AM ET. Forbes.com

California house-hunters are squeezed. As credit tightens and the economy softens, many would-be buyers in San Jose, San Francisco and Los Angeles can't find or, in some cases, afford a mortgage.

But in areas like these, where housing prices have dropped precipitously, increased demand has driven up rents. Renters in San Jose pay a whopping $1,314 a month; for those just north in San Francisco, that number dips to $1,210; and in Los Angeles, it's a relative bargain at $1,101.

Elsewhere, such as in Cleveland and Pittsburgh, housing is still a relative bargain, but it may not feel that way to residents whose low earning power and poor job prospects have contributed to the weakening rents. There, monthly lessees pay $678 and $608, respectively. MORE

Angels back out of Freeway Series Deal...

2008-10-06T23:01:00.000-07:00

The Dodgers did their part and more with a 3-0 sweep of the loveable Cubbies. The Angels did nothing more than play generally bad baseball against a Boston team that out-pitched and out-defended them.

Who is to blame if you could blame just one guy?
Howie Kendrick

That's right - I know that he is young but he sucked crap all series. At the plate he was 2 for 17 with 2 singles and 7 k's. He had no walks. He left about 3000 runners on base but most importantly he mishandled a possible double play ball tonight that cost the Angels a run. Had he just got the lead runner on the play the Angels would have likely won on Torii Hunter's 2-run single in the 8th inning.

One man played great ball all series: Mark Texiera. Great with the glove and awesome at the plate. Hint to Arte Moreno: SIGN MARK TEXIERA!!!!!!!!!!!

Why we have no choice but to pass the "Paulson Plan"

2008-09-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

The bailout package presented to Congress, which Congress defeated on Monday in order to punish America and the world at large, is absolutely essential to all of us. Let me explain the dire and urgent need for the plan to pass when it comes to re-vote this Wednesday.

The Problem:
We will deal with some of the culprits pictured above later. As of right now, banks across the country have stopped lending money to just about everyone.

Why?
Every financial institution in America is attempting to hoard cash to battle huge runs by their large account holders (especially those who have more than the FDIC insured 100K). Having unsuitable cash holdings has already shredded: Bear Stearns, Lehman Bros, WAMU, Wachovia, Merryl Lynch, AIG, Indy Mac, Fannie Mae, Freddy Mac, and more. Local and Regional Banks are all at risk of FDIC takeover as runs continue on their cash assets.

How the plan will help:
The 700 billion dollars can be used to create a transparent market to buy mortgage assets that have no current market and no current buyers. Private and Institutional investors have given up trying to buy mortgage assets originated in the past 5 years, therefore nobody knows how much danger banks are in that hold those mortgages because they can't be accurately valued (It takes a market to set a price).

How it screws up your perfect little life:
RIGHT NOW small and large business can not get loans needed to buy seed for farm, inventory for retail, or personal loans of all types - like the one you need so you can send Betty Sue to diesel mechanic school. The Christmas retail season will be met with pink slips instead of product in stores. The credit crunch will force huge layoffs in huge numbers because business in America and around the world will seize up along with their credit. Then the real pain will begin as demand for everything disappears along with your job. This will badly hurt every person in America from unborn (or un-aborted) fetuses to illegal immigrants to Wall Street CEO's.

The misconception: "This is just 700 billion for Wall Street Fat Cats" - Joe Sixpack.
The plan does not bail out Wall Street. Trust me - they have been in pain all year. This plan should cost taxpayers nothing and will return a profit if handled with basic care. This plan will help stop foreclosures as the Federal Gov buys distressed assets and holds them until they appreciate in a few years. This plan allows taxpayers to actually dupe Wall Street into buying these assets back in the future at higher prices then the current bargain value. Joe Sixpack can turn a profit and he can do it with money taken from rich people who pay nearly all of the taxes to the Federal Gov. to begin with. That is the briefest I can do it. Now- stick with The Plastico for updates, more importantly don't eat at Baja Fresh anymore because they keep shrinking their freaking burritos and cutting them in half is not fooling me whatsoever. Seriously, this looks like a bloated taquito.

Best In The Bigs...

2008-09-28T23:31:00.000-07:00

Angels clinch home field and will play Red Sox in playoffs Wednesday.

Though the Angels have lost nine straight postseason games to the Red Sox, they are 8-1 against Boston this season.

That the Angels are 11-4 since clinching the division on Sept.10, is a statement in itself. John Lackey will take the hill to open the playoffs, he will be opposed by Red Sox righthander Jon Lester.

Jon Lester, LHP (0-0, -.--)
Red Sox

John Lackey, RHP (0-0, -.--)
Angels

Scouting Report:

Angels: Lackey allowed a career-worst 10 runs over 2 2/3 innings against the Rangers on Friday in what was supposed to be a final tuneup before his Game 1 start against the Red Sox on Wednesday. But it wasn't indicative of the way the big right-hander has been throwing this season and was just a bad start in an otherwise meaningless game. Lackey, who is 3-6 with a 5.54 ERA against Boston in his career, appeared to turn it around against the Red Sox this season. He went 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA against Boston and carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning at Fenway Park on July 29. It will be interesting to see what version of Lackey shows up on Wednesday at Angel Stadium.

Friday, October 3

Angel Stadium of Anaheim | 6:30 PM PT

Daisuke Matsuzaka, RHP (0-0, -.--)

Red Sox

Ervin Santana, RHP (0-0, -.--)
Angels

Click Here to Buy Angels Playoff Tickets

Just for kicks - Here are the debate reports that we are aware of...

2008-09-27T01:03:00.000-07:00

CBS News: Obama won 39%, McCain won 25%, Draw 36%

Insider Advantage: Obama won 42%, McCain won 41%, Undecided: 17%

CNN: Obama "did better" 51%, McCain "did better" 38%{{{{DRUDGE POLL}}}} WHO WON THE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE?... MCCAIN

65%

131,270

OBAMA

32%

65,203

NEITHER

2%

4,565

Total Votes: 201,038

For those who get all of their news from The Plastico

2008-09-25T23:33:00.000-07:00

#1 USC lost to Oregon State Thursday night.

Washington Mutual was seized by the Federal Government and assets of value sold to JP Morgan in a sweetheart deal (JPM already stole Bear Stearns). All deposits and all accounts at WAMU are safe and accessible through JP Morgan - unlike the Indy Mac situation.

The proposed 700 Billion Dollar "bailout plan" is stalled and will likely jolt markets lower... BTW - w/out this plan we are much closer to a depression. ;-{

The Lexus Gauntlet will be kicked off FRI night as the #5 USC and #4 UCLA women's volleyball teams meet at the Galin Center

Dodgers clinch the West further cementing my claim that a freeway series is all but inevitable

The Office premiered Thursday Night to a lukewarm response by me

AP: Gardena wants to be sag free

2008-09-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

Gardena council weighs ban on saggy pants

The Associated Press

Article Last Updated: 09/24/2008 12:38:22 AM PDT

GARDENA - A city in Southern California is considering a proposal to ban saggy pants. The Gardena City Council debated the ordinance Tuesday night before deciding to postpone the vote.

Patty Yanaga, a recording secretary from the city clerk's office, says some council members felt the ordinance was too broad and unstructured and wanted more time to reach a consensus.

Councilman Steve Bradford argues that wearing pants that hang below the waist and expose skin or underwear is indecent exposure. Critics of the proposal say they are concerned about law enforcement playing fashion police.

Several cities across the country have passed similar ordinances, but not without controversy. For example, last week a judge in Florida declared Riviera Beach's ban on saggy pants as unconstitutional. The order was issued after a 17-year-old was held in jail overnight because police spotted his boxer shorts.

The Plastico staff has uncovered several other area proposals:

1. The Brentwood City Council is considering banning yuppies.

2. Beverly Hills is considering banning dogs that fit into purses.

3. Malibu is close to reaching a deal that will tax surfing at $85.00 per hour.

4. Pasadena will soon ask all Armenian residents to leave town; replacing them systematically with Turks.

5. Hermosa Beach is ready to consider an all out ban on 'hot chicks'.

6. Santa Monica Council members will finalize a deal to ban Eurpean Tourists sometime this week.

7. Venice is drawing up plans to ban 'crazies'.

8. The County of Los Angeles is considering not being absorbed by the Nation of Mexico; although this is an unsubstantiated rumor.

9. The Inland Empire is unified in an attempt to outlaw being not liked by the rest of LA

10. Antonio Villaragosa wants executive authority to silence his critics in the media.

Egg finally follows the chicken....

2008-09-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

New law outlaws text messages while driving

The Associated Press

Article Last Updated: 09/24/2008 05:41:58 PM PDT

SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a law making it illegal to read or send text messages while driving in California.

The bill by Sen. Joe Simitian imposes a $20 fine for a first offense and $50 for repeat offenders using any electronic devices to read or send messages, starting next year.

Schwarzenegger says the law he signed Wednesday encourages drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.

What happens when the Federal Government spends @ 1 Trillion in a week..

2008-09-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

You get inflation and a weaker dollar. So, guess what else happens to dollar based commodities....

Crude Oil prices rose far more in one day then just about anyone ever could have imagined. Really. The price per barrel for October Contracts actually hit $130.00 for a brief moment. Crude was trading in the low 90's just days ago.

Prices should open much lower tomorrow; many believe today's gains were the result of a "short squeeze" on expiring October contracts, but prices could make another run soon. The Gas Map at the bottom of the page will likely change in a not fun way. The Plastico staff recommends that you fill your tank today just to get a small reprieve before your next fill up. Good Luck.

File Under: Mumblings of a Freeway Series...

2008-09-21T20:23:00.001-07:00

Top 10 Reasons A "Freeway Series" will happen this year:

10. The Dodgers pitchers have come alive and they are ready for the NL Playoffs. Chad Billingsley (2.64) and Derek Lowe (2.83) both have ERAs under 3.00 in the second half, and Hiroki Kuroda's is 3.43

9. Jeff Kent, thought to be out for the season, will be back for the playoffs. Even if you hate him, he can help the Dodgers with experience and a knack for RBI.

8. The Dodgers are 16-5 over their past 21 and that is spicy hot. Joe Torre has the team peaking just in time.

7. The Angels have a ton of pitching and will have lots of different ways to beat just about anyone that is trying to take away the home field advantage that they are about to wrap up this week.

6. "TEX". The addition of Mark Texiera supplied the Angels with the extra bat they have needed for years; they can now score enough runs to go all the way.

5. The Dodgers finish against the Giants and Pads - two very weak teams. They might even get a chance to rest some folks before the playoffs start.

4. Mike Scioscia, Dodger traitor, has been resting key personnel for 3 weeks and still keeps winning.

3. K-ROD is sitting on a MLB record 60 saves and may get a few more. The Angels can hold a lead and they want to use K-Rods's arm up before he walks away from the Angels next year for more money.

2. Joe Torre has critics to prove wrong. Joe Torre will bring his best down the stretch; Torre's best is very very good.

1. MANNY, MANNY, MANNY

BTW: Angels in 6... Reserve your spot on Interstate 5 now.
Here's a tip - The best local baseball websites are
(they are linked on The Plastico essential link list):

Jon Weisman's Dodger Thoughts

Rev. Halofan's Halos Heaven

Rob McMillin's 6-4-2 -- an Angels/Dodgers double play blog

Q2 08 Executive Job Market Trends For LA (www.theladders.com)

2008-09-20T23:52:00.000-07:00

REGIONAL JOB MARKET COMPETITION

Compares the number of active job seekers to number of $100k+ positions available in this location....... 6:1

REGIONAL EMPLOYMENT INTEREST

Compares non-resident job seekers and local job seekers who are vying for $100k+ positions in this same market....... 102

TOP COMPANIES HIRING

The companies in this location who post the most $100k+ positions on TheLadders.com.

1. Walt Disney Company
2. FOX Entertainment
3. Deloitte
4. TNG Global
5. Western Digital

MOST DESIRED COMPANIES

The companies in this location for which TheLadders.com members most want to work.

1. Campaigners, Inc.
2. Panasonic
3. Jones Lang LaSalle
4. MGA Entertainment
5. FOX Entertainment

Forbes: LA is 4th Most Stressful US City

2008-09-19T22:52:00.000-07:00

According to a recent article by Forbes Magazine the most stressful cities to live in are

1. Chicago
2. NY
3. Detroit
4. LOS ANGELES:

The article pretty much sucks and is rather non-sensical but you can read it in full here. In fact, every reason given for why Chicago ranks #1 would be more so attributable to Los Angeles. Me thinks they gave us a positive bump because we have more fake boobs to play with.

Still no plans this weekend? Don't forget Street Scene.

2008-09-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

Latest News from San Diego: The Black Crows will not play because of a band members illness.

San Diego Street Scene was launched in 1984 in a one-block area of Downtown, San Diego. This year, founder Rob Hagey has teamed with Casbah's Tim Mays to reinvent the festival as it returns to its roots in Downtown San Diego - returning from south-eastern venues such as Cricket Amphitheater. Most of the bands in this year's lineup got their start in San Diego at the Casbah or at other local venues; e.g. the band X played the very first Street Scene and will be returning this year.

A new culinary dimension has been added to Street Scene this year, as some of San Diego's premier restaurants are offering up their best food and beverages (many vegan-friendly). All items for sale at Street Scene are available for cash only.

A limited number of one-day tickets are on sale now for $65.00, and two-day tickets are available at the special price of $95.00, but these are selling out very fast. For updates, transportation, parking and other facts, please visit Street-Scene.com.

Here is the lineup from Streetscene.com

Ok - It might really be over now...

2008-09-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

Leaders say final budget deal reached

By Dan Smith and Kevin Yamaura -

Last Updated 5:54 pm PDT Thursday, September 18, 2008

Legislative leaders said today that they have reached a deal on the long overdue state budget that will satisfy demands made by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Republican governor has said he would veto the $104.3 billion plan lawmakers passed this week. He demanded that a proposed rainy day fund to help the state though bad economic times be tightened to prevent its balance from being depleted in good times.

And he said lawmakers must remove a maneuver, worth $1.6 billion, that would have increased the amount of withholding tax paid by personal income taxpayers.

Republican leaders and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata emerged from a meeting this afternoon saying they had agreed to the governor's demands.

How Does A Dead Man Make 35 Phone Calls To Loved Ones?

2008-09-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

We have the answer and it is very hard to admit. Rescue workers say that Chuck Peck died instantly in the first car of the Metro Link Train last Friday afternoon in Chatsworth; they finally found his remains at @4:30 AM Saturday morning. The collision killed 25 and injured 130. So why did Chuck's family frantically try to update rescue workers that Chuck was still alive in the wreckage throughout the night ? That may be because they received about 35 phone calls from Chuck's phone (that was never found) to several different family members. The last call came at 3:28 AM; just one hour before his remains were found and 11 hours after his call that he was about to arrive at his stop.

The story may not be fit to print in the LA Times -but you can read it here - Chuck Peck was alive and slowly dieing for a long time in that crushed train car; although he was unable to speak he apparently could speed dial. Rescue workers did the honorable thing (there is no doubt) when they told the family that he died instantly. The reality is that there was no way to get to Chuck or to save his life and we honor the workers that did everything in their power to make it otherwise. Those are the cold hard facts. Just for posterity, let us all be sick to our stomachs one more time that the lives of every person on the Metro Link Train could have been saved with virtually any type of redundant safety protection.

So, lets get ready to pay the estimated 1 billion dollars to victims, families, and attorneys; can you imagine the state of the art system upgrades that the such money would have bought had it been used pro-actively.

But first, more importantly, let us say in unison: Chuck we are sorry that we always wait for total disaster to strike before we deal with simple common sense problems. We are so sorry that you were just one stop away from getting picked up by your fiancee; we know that you said goodbye when your final call went to her just one hour before they could get to you through the wreckage. We are so sorry.

The story that was 'fit to print' can be read at the Daily Breeze:
http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_10483232?source=rss

The Governor Grows A Spine - Turns Down Budget.

2008-09-16T22:23:00.000-07:00

“NO”

Schwarzenegger to veto California budget, a first in modern times

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he will veto a state budget passed after a 78-day stalemate, setting up a historic showdown with the Legislature.

As the San Francisco Chronicle explains, the proposed budget sought to close a $17 billion deficit for the fiscal year that began July 1 without new taxes, a demand by Republicans. It did so by requiring all taxpayers to make earlier and larger tax payments to the state government.

Schwarzenegger, a Republican, made the announcement this afternoon. The veto will mark the first time in modern history that a California governor has rejected a state spending plan. The Democrat-controlled Legislature has said it is prepared to override a veto.

Yesterday, about 12 hours before the last vote was taken at 2 a.m. today, the governor sent Assembly and Senate leaders a letter threatening the veto

"I have been very clear this entire year that I would be unable to sign a budget without meaningful budget reform," the governor wrote, stressing that spending cuts were needed.

State Treasurer Bill Lockyer, a Democrat, also assailed the budget plan, saying this morning that it "gives gimmicks a bad name."

"It's banana republic financing," Lockyer said. The spending plan relies on "phony money and phony estimates."

Update at 7 p.m. ET: "When they send me the budget, I will veto it," Schwarzenegger said at a Capitol news conference, the Los Angeles Times reports. "If my veto is overriden," he said, " ... hundreds of bills will be vetoed."