Long Beach Sucks!

Step In the Right Direction . . .

2006-06-20T06:56:00.000-07:00

Affordable housing advocates in Long Beach (this would include me) are in a celebratory mood!

Yes, after a little over three years, Long Beach finally passed a Housing Trust Fund. The HTF wasn’t everything I wanted, but politics, you don’t often do. I got enough of what I wanted that I’m happy with the results. To be anything less would be ungrateful. So, needless to say, I had a great week last week. And, to be honest I’m not sure things have entirely sunk in.

Last week the Long Beach City Council voted unanimously to approve the Housing Trust Fund, but with a major amendment to the original proposal. The City Council voted to allocate 50% of the Housing Trust Fund towards extremely-low income housing. This is a 30% increase from the original motion passed in October 2005

The Council voted to adopt the targeting recommended in the original staff proposal – 50/50 – 50% for extremely-low income, and 50% for above-moderate. Last October, the Council stunned and angered Housing Long Beach by voting to allocate 80% of the Housing Trust Fund for above-moderate income housing.

I owe a special thanks to Council Member Tonia Reyes-Uranga for seemingly reviving the staff proposal from the dead. The afternoon prior to the vote, I didn’t think this was a possibility. I also owe a special thanks also to Council Member Bonnie Lowenthal for her support throughout. She had the idea for a Housing Trust Fund in Long Beach. As long as the City Council votes for the ordinance one more time tomorrow night (upon what is known as the second reading), her dream will be fulfilled.

The Housing Trust Fund will have $500,000 allocated from the City’s Transient Occupancy Tax (Hotel/Motel Tax), and $3,000,000 (in installments) from Boeing's Douglas Park project. On the horizon is a condo-conversion fee that could generate up to $1,000,000 a year.

The City of Long Beach has taken a big step in the right direction by dedicating half of the Housing Trust Funds to our residents who find an affordable place to live, most out of reach. I would like to thank everybody who has been involved in this effort in some way, shape, or form! A special thanks, goes to my friend, Susanne Browne, for her tireless and heroic effort . . .

Kosher Ham

What Would Be Different . . .

2006-06-12T22:58:00.000-07:00

I’m often asked, “What would be different if Democrats were in control?”

Well, I could go on for a long time about that, but let me just point out one example here. I believe if Democrats were in charge that the genocide in Darfur would not be happening (to the degree that it is, if at all). I believe the passion, and the vigor that Democrats have shown, support the theory that the United States would have done more this point to stop the atrocities.

As Clarence Lusane states in his editorial, “The US response to Darfur has been one of immoral neglect.” He does note the fact that, “the United States has contributed $188 million to the U.N. World Food Program to help feed the people of Darfur.” Mr. Lusane also notes that, “any peace talks between the Bush administration and Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir's murderous regime have done little to stop the torture, rape and killing of innocent Sudanese people.”

If the Democrats were in charge, I believe they would be doing more. They would be doing the things that Mr. Lusane is calling upon the Bush Administration to do:

Pressure the Sudanese government to disarm the Janjaweed. The Janjaweed have killed between an estimated 200,000 and 400,000 over the last three years, and displaced millions.
Back stronger economic sanctions.
Increase support for the valiant but inadequate efforts of the African Union and support a serious effort to construct an international peacekeeping force that can get the job done.

To show where they stand on this issue, seven Democratic Members of the House of Representatives were arrested at the Embassy of Sudan, while protesting conditions in Dafur. This wasn’t the first time, as the month prior, five other Democrat’s were arrested in front of the embassy. If twelve people are willing to get arrested for something they believe in, then twelve people would be willing to make sure that our country plays a greater role in ending the genocide in Darfur.

Not that we should make this the number one issue, but this is where we should challenge the Bush Administration. Evangelical’s have been urging the President to do more, and while Evangelical’s might not support Democrats in even modest numbers, this would give them another reason to stay home.

Darfur is a weak spot for the Republicans. When we look back, people will ask, why didn’t we do more? Democrat’s should be asking why aren’t doing more now?

Kosher Ham

Congresswoman Linda Sanchez

2006-06-09T23:29:00.000-07:00

Speech at Fair Housing Foundation Reception, Long Beach, CA

4/3/2006

Thank you for inviting me to participate in today’s event. It is a pleasure to be here with you to celebrate the 38^th Anniversary of the Civil Right’s Act of 1968. I want to especially thank the Board of Directors of the Fair Housing Foundation. Your work covers a large chunk of the 39^th District and your service helps constituents in many of my cities, including: Paramount and Lynwood. Your service on this board and the work the staff does makes this foundation successful. I thank this foundation for its commitment and dedication to fair housing since 1964. It took a lot of courage to advocate for and build multi-ethnic communities at the time you started your efforts. And as we look to the future, there are new challenges that we face when it comes to realizing the dream of fair housing for all. But first, I would like to reflect a little bit on the topic of today’s celebration.

The Civil Rights Act of 1968.

Although the first series of civil rights acts passed in 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1968 made the promise of housing equality a reality. As you know, the 1968 Act prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, sex, handicap and family status. Back in 1968 these were TRULY radical ideas. Refusing to sell or rent a dwelling to any person because of his race, color, religion or national origin was completely commonplace. Restrictive covenants even prohibited selling to certain people. In addition, when you advertised the sale or rental housing unit you could indicate your preference based on race, color, religion, or national origin. The provisions contained in The Civil Rights Act of 1968 truly changed history in a very personal way for Americans.

Our lives and family histories are tied up and interconnected to the places we call ‘home’. That’s what makes housing so personal. No matter how far I travel or how much time I spend in Washington, one thing is true for me; Lakewood and California’s 39^th District are my home. Every time I turn down my street and see my house, I am thankful that it is my home. I am grateful that I won my own piece of the American Dream. That my family can gather together under my roof. The Civil Rights Act of 1968 ensured that as a Mexican American, I could purchase a home in whatever neighborhood I wanted to. The Act truly turned houses into homes for families across America. It was also the first time the federal government acknowledged its responsibility in giving every American a fair chance at owning a piece of the American Dream.

The 1968 Act was the first time that the government stepped up and provided real solutions to unfair housing practices. The Act gave us the legal tools to protect and ensure fair housing for all. As you know from working in this field, community based organizations, like yours, social service agencies and the government must remain vigilant and dedicated to fighting housing discrimination. Despite decades of civil right activism by your organization, and others, housing discrimination still persists.

Just the other day I was reading the LA Times and came across a very interesting article about housing discrimination. The article talked about how federal housing regulators are fielding more and more complaints about discriminatory ads. Currently, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Chicago Lawyer’s Committee is taking on the popular Internet site Craig’s List. As you may know, this web site is popular among young people when they look for housing. Yet the fair housing group compiled over 100 discriminatory ads over a 6 month period. According to the article, two of the most egregious ads stated: “No minorities.” And another read: “African-Americans and Arabians tend to clash with me so that won’t work out.” These are some of the most over examples but there are also more subtle forms of discrimination as well.

HUD and Lawyer’s Committee are arguing that the same standards of the fair housing act that we apply to print housing ads should be applied to Internet housing ads. To be fair to Craig’s List they have stated that they are concerned about these discriminatory housing ads. I think this case is a great example of the new challenges we face. New technologies, like the Internet have changed the way people search for housing, but the fair housing laws are still in the process of catching up. Often times, congressional action lags behind advances in technology. As more and more people are migrating to the Internet to find housing classifieds, it is imperative that we meet the new fair housing challenges head on.

Congress must reconcile Internet freedoms with fair housing rights and civil rights, and balance both interests. I know this is an issue that Congress will have to revisit soon. Let me tell you that under the current Republican Administration, I’m a bit afraid to tackle civil rights issues. I am currently working on the Reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act and I’m afraid we may lose ground where civil rights are concerned. We cannot afford to go backwards, so you have my commitment to fighting for civil rights and fair housing protections in Congress.

And I must conclude by saying, the work you do everyday celebrates the spirit of this civil rights act and inspires me. You are the warriors in the trenches, on the front line, delivering the promises of the American Dream to all families.

Thank you for your work! Again, thank you for inviting me to share this special day with you. Keep up the wonderful work!

Good Results . . .

2006-06-07T07:48:00.000-07:00

Some fine people were elected to the Long Beach City Council yesterday. Suja Lowenthal (pictured to the left), and Gerrie Schipske will some much needed perspective to the City Council. Both women are intelligent, and have the best for Long Beach set in their intentions.

I know both women. Suja is graceful, charming, and an excellent speaker. If she keeps playing her cards right, she'll have a long political future. I know I'm gushing a bit here, but I think she serves as a great role model for women.

Same goes for Gerrie Schipske. In the interest of disclosure, I'll let you know that I worked for Gerrie on two occasions. This win has been a long time coming, and I'm sure she'd tell you this win is for everybody that's ever served in the trenches with Gerrie. She's a good woman, and she'll make Long Beach proud.

Kosher Ham

In Case You Were Wondering . . .

2006-06-05T22:11:00.000-07:00

In Case You Were Wondering . . .

Mayor: Bob Foster. I seriously hope this guy wins. I’ve given a few reasons over the weeks, so I won’t repeat them again. This is an important you could cast at the local level. With the low turnout, you vote could have a big impact.

Governor: I’m voting for Phil Angelides. I’m willing to play the Democratic dupe one more time, and I’ll 100% behind him as we head towards the November election. But if he tanks it . . . next time I might be willing to vote for the guy who can afford to buyout the Democratic establishment . . . barring he comes along again.

Lieutenant Governor: I got a call from Al Gore telling me to vote for John Garamendi . . . and so it shall be.

Secretary of State: This was a tough one, as I don’t have an impression of either candidate . . . so in the ‘Battle of the Deborah’s” I’ve randomly chosen Deborah Ortiz . . . this is an important office for us to retake after Kevin Shelly tanked it for us.

Controller: Joe Dunn. Dude! He took down Enron!

Treasurer: Bill Lockyer.

Attorney General: No question . . . Jerry Brown.

Insurance Commissioner: John Kraft. Who’s John Kraft? He’s not Cruz Bustamante, who just further goes to show that term limits don’t work . . . these guys just find a way to keep bouncing around. I mean does Cruz Bustamante really want/need to be Insurance Commissioner? Really?

State Board of Equalization (4^th District): Judy Chu! Judy Chu! Judy Chu! Always standing with the people without having to be cajoled and prodded. Do not to vote for Jerome Horton under any circumstances . . . his is a political career that needs to end before it does any more damage.

US Senate: Martin Luther Church. I just haven’t been impressed with DiFi. I could start with vote for the Iraq War and go from there . . . but that’s I’ll I need to vote for MLC.

US Representative: I’m not thrilled with Juanita Millender-McDonald, but Peter Mathews is horrible.

State Assembly: Happily, I’ll be voting for Betty Karnette.

Judge (Office 122): Daniel Lowenthal.

Sheriff: Ray Leyva. He called and told me he was the only Democrat running for Sheriff.

Prop 81 & 82: Yes.

Kosher Ham

Walk The Line . . .

2006-06-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

I’m so tired of people sighting Arizona Senator John McCain as the ideal politician. Usually, his moderate conservatism, and his ‘straight talk’ style lead the dinner conversation (though not at my house) as to why he should be the 2008 presidential nominee for the Republican Party. I guess, in America, if you say you are a ‘straight talker’ enough times, the media will eventually eat it up like a piece of candy and repeat the term over and over. So, Mr. McCain is now known as a ‘straight talker’, though there’s much to suggest the only thing straight about John McCain is the pole that the Republican Party shoved up his ass and uses to control him.

This Washington Post editorial, which essentially amounts to a defense of Mr. McCain’s flip-flops, actually does a great job of illustrating those flip-flops for us.

Mr. McCain “accepted a speaking invitation from Jerry Falwell, the polarizing prince of the Christian right.” This is the same man that Mr. McCain once referred to as an ‘agent of intolerance’. I guess when you think you’re the front runner for the Republican nomination all that “agent of intolerance’ stuff goes out the window. Now, Mr. McCain thinks, “the ‘Christian Right’ has a major role to play in the Republican Party.” Remember that.

The Post’s David Ignatius, tells us that, “When he voted to make President Bush's tax cuts permanent, despite his own past warnings about the country's fiscal mess, budget balancers attacked him as a hypocrite.” Well, slap my ass and call me Nancy . . . How dare they!

McCain says, "I haven't changed. My record is the same on all issues, which is that of a conservative Republican. Not a liberal Republican, not a moderate Republican.” Conservative Republican . . . Remember that.

You really need to read the editorial, as Mr. Ignatius actually attempts to defend these actions, but before he does, he further opines, that Senator McCain, “has been one of the sharpest critics of the administration's strategy in Iraq, arguing loudly since 2003 that there weren't enough U.S. troops to stabilize the country. He voiced the generals' anger at Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld long before they went public with their dissent. But at the same time, McCain has backed President Bush and the basic U.S. mission in Iraq.”

So, at the end of the day, when it all matters, John McCain backed the President, and not the Generals, even though he knew the Generals were in the right. I guess John McCain lacks principle . . . I mean I’m not sure what Mr. Ignatius is trying to say here?

I’ll save you the trouble and tell you that what he’s saying is that to become the President, you have to lie. It doesn’t have to be that way . . . we don’t have to keep voting for flip-floppers like John McCain. Remember that.

Kosher Ham

A Good Man Indeed . . .

2006-05-31T18:38:00.000-07:00

I went to a conference last week for an organization that I’m on the Board of Directors for . . . Housing California. Naturally, the conference was on affordable housing. I’m not a big fan of conferences, but this conference was very good (and that has nothing to do with me being on the planning committee).

One of the highlights of the conference was hearing Andy Goodman speak to a general session of the conference. He spoke about the power of story telling, and along the way, told some amazing stories himself. I highly recommend checking out his website, which you can find at www.agoodmanonline.com. Mr. Goodman told illustrated to the audience how simply telling a story can be more powerful than any stats, numbers, or figures. People can relate to stories better than they can relate to stats. Based on my experience, Mr. Goodman speaks the gospel.

Mr. Goodman was the writer and co-producer the ABC-TV show "Dinosaurs". If you don’t remember the show, you’ll be interested to know the series was just released on DVD. If you’re like me, and were a fan of the show, you’ll be interested to know the series was just released on DVD.

Mr. Goodman helps non-profit organizations develop their message and their stories, so they can more effectively communicate with the public. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the resources on Mr. Goodman’s website.

Kosher Ham

Debtor Nation . . .

2006-05-27T21:17:00.000-07:00

The U.S. National Debt Clock is a great place to remind yourself the true cost of the Bush Administration. Amazing, when you think that Republican once touted 'balanced budgets' and were known for 'fiscal responsibility'. Of course, these things were never true, but if you say something often enough, people will believe it.

Kosher Ham

PS - On a side note, the City of Long Beach should really question the idea of bonding Community Development Block Grant funding. The federal government isn't a stable funding source. I know my Council Member, Patrick O'Donnell thinks it's a bad idea . . . I think I'd have to agree with him on this.

Does This Really Work . . .

2006-05-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

This website was passed my way a few weeks ago. Zillow.com offers ‘instant valuation and data for over 65,000,000 + homes”. In layman’s terms: they tell you how much your home is worth, with no string attached . . . you don’t even have to enter any personal information.

As I do not own a home, I don’t know if this is accurate at all . . . anybody care to share?

Kosher Ham

Pelosi-fied . . .

2006-05-25T06:48:00.000-07:00

Who does Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi think she is . . . and why does she suck?

That’s the question I pose to you. You may be asking in return . . . why would I even ask you that question in the first place. Shouldn’t Democrats support Democrats?

Well, mostly yes . . . but sometimes we have to root out own to preserve the values and longevity of the Party. I think the Party has incredible leaders, but Ms. Pelosi is currently failing to be a leader . . . so . . . she shouldn’t be Leader anymore.

My disgust started when I read she was teaming with House Speaker Dennis Hastert to decry the FBI seizing of Congressman William Jefferson’s records from his House Office. I don’t want to jump to conclusions . . . but . . . Mr. Jefferson appears to be less than scrupulous. So, I’m not sure we should protect him, rather we should dump him to show what are Party won’t stand for from our own Members.

While Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Hastert have certain valid points with regards to searches and seizures of the records of Members of Congress, I hate that they stand up more for Member’s right’s than they do our rights. Where is the bi-partisan effort, when we are spied on, and have our rights violated?

When I read the story that Ms. Pelosi was aligned with Mr. Hastert to protect Member’s of Congress . . . I just started to think something’s rotten in DC. So, I wasn’t surprised when the next article I clicked on was about how Mr. Hastert is now under investigation by the FBI for his involvement in a potential bribe scheme with Jack Abramoff.

Okay. Now I understand why he’s opposed to record’s being seized from the offices of Member’s of Congress . . . because he’s afraid he’ll be next.

But why Pelosi . . . who is she protecting?

Pray to whomever you pray to, that Democrats don’t get further caught up in this mess.

After defending the Party last week, they’re making me look like an ass (no pun intended). Again, there are good leaders within the Democratic Party . . . I’m just not sure if our Leader is such a leader.

Kosher Ham

Traveling Man . . .

2006-05-23T23:16:00.000-07:00

I’m currently at a Best Western in Sacramento.

I’m here for the Housing California Annual Conference.

I will be part of a panel tomorrow morning on condominium conversions.

I got here yesterday, and I go home tomorrow.

I don’t really ‘enjoy’ traveling for business. People at my work think I’m lucky. I wouldn’t exactly call myself lucky as I sit here by myself watching a load of crap on television.

But I do consider myself fortunate for being able to have the opportunity to be involved with this conference, and all the amazing people who are working to provide choices and opportunities for the many who don’t have any choices or opportunities when it comes to purchasing a home.

In addition to the many things I’ve learned at this conference, I did learn one thing in particular . . .

Apparently, if you stick me in a hotel room with nothing to do . . . I’ll actually sit through an entire episode of House . . . I’ll doubtfully check out the cantankerous doctor again.

Kosher Ham

Parting Shot . . .

2006-05-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

With a great deal of dignity, out-going Long Beach Mayor, Beverly O’Neill lashed out at President Bush yesterday. Picking up on a common theme, Ms. O’Neill criticized the President for not being, “open to the ideas of mayors.” I don’t know the particulars, but based on how open to ideas the President has been for the last five years . . . I’m going to have to support my Mayor here.

Referring to the Bush Administration as, “not being a full partner”, Ms. O’Neill charged the federal government with not investing in urban areas. This is where I’ll have to disagree with Ms. O’Neill.

Baghdad is an example of an urban area that has received substantial investment from the Bush Administration. Also, Kabul comes to mind as another urban are to be substantially invested in by the Bush Administration.

All kidding aside, Mayor O’Neill is well within her rights to charge that the federal government has neglected Long Beach. Since Bush has been President, Long Beach has moved from the 37^th poorest city in the nation to the 6^th poorest city in the nation.

Like Mayor O’Neill stated in her address, “The people in our communities are making real financial decisions as they deal with the ripple effect of this crisis in our country."

People aren’t going out to dinner as much, not taking as many trips, not seeing as many friends, not visiting family as often. Beyond that, some people are deciding between food, medicine, rent, and clothing.

Good for Mayor O’Neill for saying something about it. When people criticize her for being ‘middle of the road’ I’ll point this out to them.

Kosher Ham

The Liberal Media . . .

2006-05-19T06:55:00.000-07:00

In this Tom Hennessey column, he criticizes the Democratic Party, quite heavily, for failing to make ‘political hay’ out of Republican failures. That’s an easy charge to make, but, it’s not accurate, nor is it fair.

Mr. Hennessy’s first criticism of the Democrats is that they did not seize on a story of a student and teacher in North Carolina who had their first amendment rights shredded in front of their faces. As if this has been the only case of American freedoms being scotched by the Bush Administration. I’m sure if this incident happened in California the story would have gotten a lot more attention. Instead of slamming the Democratic Party, Mr. Hennessey should be questioning the ethics of Wal-Mart and the employee who turned the student into the police.

But, Mr. Hennessey is correct in once sense . . . it seems we hear more from the Republicans than we do from the Democrats. Well, there are some very basic reasons, and none of them have anything to do with the Democrats being “lethargic, languid, lifeless, leaden, [or] lackadaisical”.

For those of you not schooled in American politics, the Republican Party controls the US House of Representatives and US Senate by having a MAJORITY in BOTH houses of Congress. They have a majority on EVERY committee and EVERY sub-committee in Congress, and they Chair ALL of the Committees. Of course, it should go without saying that the Republican Party also controls EVERY facet of the Executive Branch – read: The President of the United States is a Republican. The MAJORITY of the Supreme Court Justices are also Republican. So, EVERY branch of the government is controlled by the Republicans – read: They have ALL the power and control. When you have ALL the power and control, one thing you can do is dominate the media.

Just check out these stats regarding the number of guest appearances by Democrats and Republicans on the Sunday morning talk shows. Elected Republican appearances far outweigh that of Elected Democrat appearances.

2001 R = 65.1% D = 34.9%

2002 R = 62.4% D = 37.6%

2003 R = 59.9% D = 40.2%

2004 R = 53.8% D = 46.2% (note: Presidential Election Year, so ‘equal time’ came into play)

2005 R = 61.6% D = 38.4%

So you can see from these numbers that you are far more likely to hear the Republican point of view over and over and over again . . . and the same goes for the radio talk shows which are overwhelmingly Conservative, and supporting a Republican point of view . . . it’s called the Elephant Echo Chamber. If you want to charge that Democrats haven’t established the institutions (media outlets, and think tanks) at the pace and level that Republicans have, that’s fine and fair. But to charge that Democrats don’t attempt to make ‘political hay’ is a ~~little~~ lot narrow.

So, the story shouldn’t be about what the Democrats aren’t doing, though that’s what Mr. Hennessy chose to dedicate his 543 word column to. Rather, Mr. Hennessy should be discussing the Republican failures (to be fair, he does from time-to-time). Instead, we’re offered up this gem, “For all the opportunities they have had, the Dems show no leadership, no initiative.”

I guess Mr. Hennessey has never heard Representative John Murtha, a one time supporter of the war, and decorated military veteran who is now calling for a withdrawal of US troops from Iraq by the end of the year. I guess Mr. Hennessy has never heard of Senator Russ Feingold, who made an effort to get the US Senate to censure President Bush for his abuse of power in spying on American citizens. He did that knowing that the Democrats were the minority in the Senate, and that his measure would not pass . . . that didn’t stop him from trying to do the right thing. When we look back on this situation, he will be considered one of the few heroes to emerge. While they may not be enough leadership for Mr. Hennessey, to say there is none, is just plain balderdash.

Since the Democrats do show leadership, and initiative with no power, it does beg the question: What the have Republicans done with the power that they posses? Mr. Hennessey readily admits that Iraq is a ‘mess’, the response to Hurricane Katrina was ‘botched’, that Republicans in Washington are part of a culture of corruption, Republicans have leaked national security documents and information, and that Donald Rumsfeld is incompetent. Personally, I think that’s a mild description of the total and complete failure of the Bush Administration and the Republican Congress. Mr. Hennessey doesn’t even mention the greatest legacy that Republicans will leave behind . . . the largest budget deficit ever laid on the American people. The Republicans have basically maxed out a platinum credit card by buying a bunch of shit we don’t need . . . except they won’t be paying the bill . . . we will.

Mr. Hennessey says, “Democrats or Republicans, neither of us can be terribly proud of our party these days.”

I disagree, my friends.

We most certainly have not yet achieved our goals, and we must admit, we have much work to do if we are to achieve those goals. Nevertheless, we have much to be proud of. We didn’t start this war, we didn’t screw up the Katrina response, we didn’t appoint Donald Rumsfeld (we’ve asked for him to resign), we didn’t run up the deficit (Clinton left them with a surplus), we didn’t create the policies, and appoint the leadership responsible for the international embarrassment called Abu Ghraib, and Democrats aren’t being indicted on a monthly basis for crimes which you and I cannot ignore.

So while, this isn’t the ‘golden age’ for Democrats, the only thing we should be hanging our heads about is that we don’t have the power to stop this madness. That could begin to change this November.

And if it did, what would we have to look forward to . . . According to the New York Times, if “Representative John Conyers Jr. of Michigan, the Democrat who would become chairman of the Judiciary Committee if his party recaptured the House” would call for “an inquiry into the possible impeachment of President Bush over the war in Iraq.” Or take the example of Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont. “Mr. Leahy vowed in a recent interview to subpoena top administration officials, if he got the chance, to answer more questions about their secret eavesdropping program and what he considers faulty prewar intelligence.”

Hopefully, the American people are tired of being urinated on by the Republican Party.

Kosher Ham

PS – I managed to write this without mentioning Randy ‘Duke’ Cunningham, Tom Delay, Scooter Libby, Jack Abramoff, and the mess at the CIA.

Albino Outrage . . .

2006-05-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

With all of the furor surrounding the release of Ron Howard’s ‘The Da Vinci Code’, you might have missed the piece about people with albinism who are upset by the portrayal of one of the films characters. One of the film’s main villains, Silas, is a person with albinism – or more commonly referred to as an albino. Here it should be noted, that the preferred terminology is ‘people with albinism’. I hope I don’t have to explain this to you.

According to this AP article, “Critics cite a long list of albinos cast as heavies by Hollywood: The dreadlocked twins in "The Matrix Reloaded," a powder-haired hit man in the Chevy Chase-Goldie Hawn crime romp "Foul Play," the pasty zombies in "The Omega Man," a sadistic killer in "Cold Mountain," even the wicked executioner in the fairy-tale comedy "The Princess Bride."”

In the article, Michael McGowan, an albino who heads the National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation said, "We understand that millions read it and when they go to the movie, they're going to want to see the albino monk-assassin," McGowan said. "It's the cumulative effect of having one evil albino character after another that was disturbing to me."

All I can say is if people that looked like me were constantly playing the villain in movies, I’d eventually get pissed too. I might even form an organization to raise awareness about the issue. Check out skinema.com . . . you may just get a different perspective on the situation.

I’m still gonna see the movie.

Kosher Ham

What’s Next . . .

2006-05-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

On Monday, President Bush announced that we’ll be sending 6,000 ‘troops’ to the border. Those quotations are for me, not the President. I call them ‘troops’ because that’s what we call them in Iraq. So, why should they be different now? Don’t get me wrong, I respect these men and women greatly. But, the President can’t have his cake and eat it too. He can’t say he’s not militarizing the border by sending the National Guard down there. I mean, that would be like saying that wherever the National Guard is located in Iraq isn’t actually a war zone.

So that gets everybody spinning Monday into Tuesday.

Yesterday, the Pentagon released video of American Airlines Flight 77 crashing into the Pentagon. So, everybody’s watching that yesterday into today.

So, I wonder what will happen today?

I suspect the Bush Administration will say/do anything to try and make you forget they’ve been illegally spying on you.

Kosher Ham

UPDATE - The DOW fell 200 points today, and Bush also singed tax cuts for the wealthy . . . please, please, please forget your being spied on.

Treat Your Mother Right Foo . . .

2006-05-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes, I know Mother's Day was yesterday, and it was well spent watching the LA Clippers win. My mom was sporting her Mother's Day gift, an autographed Elton Brand hat to the game, and so far the Clippers are undefeated with her wearing it to the games (1-0).

But, if you didn't get your mother anything, or didn't come up as clutch with a gift as I did . . . don't fret.

Just click the link below . . . and I'm sure you and your mom will be smilin' soon.

Treat Your Mother Right - Mr. T

Kosher Ham

More Ink . . .

2006-05-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

Last week, the Press-Telegram printed this editorial, slamming the Housing Trust Fund, and the City Council delaying, what would have been an ill-fated vote for the residents of Long Beach.

Here's my response, which was printed in today's Press-Telegram:

"The reason the Long Beach City Council delayed voting on the Housing Trust Fund is actually very simple, though the Press-Telegram tries to use the smoke-screen of "not enough cops or library hours" any time the City Council is about to spend money on something they don't agree with ["Delay in a housing vote," Editorial, May 5].

In this case, the council intends to join the growing list of California cities to establish a housing trust fund, and provide some relief in the area of housing to local residents who are being priced out of the market, and away from family members and jobs.

The Press-Telegram says they can't follow the logic of the City Council, so we thought we'd try to help, even though it may be in vain, as the Editorial Board continues to show a decided bias [bigotry] against building homes, condos and apartments that Long Beach residents can afford.

In fact, the only reason the P-T says Long Beach should provide funds for affordable housing is because it's the law. That really misses the point, and is a truly illogical statement. That would be like saying the only reason we shouldn't commit murder is because the law forbids the act. Obviously, that's a pretty narrow, dangerous and callous way of thinking.

While on the subject of logic, the council postponed the vote because the proposed ordinance contained a fallacy. The ordinance that the council was set to approve made the following claim: "The California Legislature has declared that there exists a severe shortage of housing affordable . . . [for] above moderate-income households."

That's simply not true. The state Legislature has never declared there to be a housing shortage for people who are living at the "above-moderate income" level. In addition to the fallacy, if Long Beach were to establish a housing trust fund with 80 percent of the funds going to the "above-moderate income" folks, the city of Long Beach would be shutting itself out of most state matching programs.

Given how small the fund is proposed to be, Long Beach needs to maximize any potential matching opportunities. With the delay, the City Council now has an opportunity to revisit the discussion of targeting the funds in the Housing Trust Fund.

Housing Long Beach believes that a greater portion should go to the "extremely-low income" people in our community. Doing so would not, as the Press-Telegram states, "increase the ratio" of poor people in our community." Long Beach is ranked sixth in poverty in the nation. In 2001, Long Beach was 27th, and it would be a mistake to blame this disturbing trend on the amount of affordable housing being built in Long Beach."

Other than changing the work 'bigotry' for 'bias' the editorial changes they made were minor, and made for a better read. The word bigotry means something -- and that's what I meant.

Kosher Ham

Don't Supersize, Just Modernize . . .

2006-05-11T23:18:00.000-07:00

If you read this space, than you know that a month or so ago I was clamoring on a bit about the need to improve the terminal at Long Beach Airport. The airport is a bit of a touchy subject in Long Beach . . . to say the least . . . although not quite as touchy as airport expansion is in is Mexico City.

I’ll simplistically sum it up as such: Side A, generally backed by business interests, including those who directly profit from airport business, desperately want the terminal improved. Side B believes that the only reason Side A wants the airport improved is so that eventually the number of commercial flights can be expanded beyond the current limit of 41. The expansion of the number of flights is something Side B is adamantly opposed to.

I think both sides have drawn such a hard line on their positions, that they are probably too entrenched to really figure out a meaningful solution.

I guess I’m of the opinion that the airport needs to be modernized. Just look at the picture. Is Long Beach a major leaguer or a minor leaguer? We have a minor league airport, and that what a lot of people see when they see Long Beach – the minor leagues.

I think we’re a major league city, and we deserve a major league airport. I hope all sides can come together and give Long Beach the quality looking airport we deserve. As it stands, ‘Terminal 4’ is a bungalow, just like my 6^th grade classroom. And, when you walk to the plane, make sure you follow the ‘walkway’, which is really just a bunch of scotch-taped arrows on the ground. Oh, and the kicker, you get to go on one of those 1970’s style stairways up to the plane . . . it’s kind of cool . . . but it’s time to modernize.

We don’t need a massive airport in Long Beach . . . but we do need a modern airport.

Kosher Ham

The Black Jew(fish) . . .

2006-05-10T23:10:00.000-07:00

I was out at lunch today on Pine Avenue in downtown Long Beach. The friend I was having lunch with happen to know the owner of the restaurant we were at, and wanted to introduce me to the owner. He thought, given the advocacy work I do, that it would be good for me to meet some business owners in hopes to develop some relationships. You see, the downtown business community is quite organized, and somewhat influential. In fact, they have an association called the Downtown Long Beach Associates. I know the Director, Kraig Kojian. He’s a good guy, whom I enjoy talking to, and he’s helped turn downtown Long Beach into a pretty cool place to hang out.

Unfortunately, my experience today on Pine was not so positive.

I was speaking with the owner of the restaurant, a white gentleman, about Long Beach, and I mentioned that one of the things I liked the most about the City is the diversity. Not knowing I’m African-American (I’m bi-racial, and it’s not obvious to all, clearly) he said, “Well, except for those people.”

So, I responded by saying, “‘Those’ people? What do you mean?”

He replied, “Well, you know, black people don’t like to work, and they all think they are entitled to things.”

You should’ve seen me. I was kind of shocked. So, I responded by saying, “Well, I’m black, and my father’s black, and in addition to disagreeing with you, I find your remarks personally and highly offensive.”

After trying to explain to the man how the word works, and that are things are not equal he finally said to me, “I didn’t know you were black, I thought you were a Jew.”

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

MYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

I am Jewish. Things went from bad to worse.

What a day.

Kosher Ham

If You Comply, The Lawsuit Won't Fly . . .

2006-05-09T22:43:00.000-07:00

This Press-Telegram editorial basically tells us that some lawyers ‘abuse’ the ADA by filing mass produced lawsuits, which they claim are ‘boilerplate’ lawsuits, meaning that they are virtually identical to each other. In the editorial they praise a group titled, 'Lawyer’s Against Lawsuit Abuse’, located in San Diego, which fights such ‘abuse’ of the ADA.

I’ll offer up some praise for Lawyer’s Against Lawsuit Abuse as well. When I visited their website, I found a multitude of resources for business owners. Apparently, and I know this is going to sounds crazy, but it you comply with the law, you’ll protect yourself against unwarranted lawsuits.

Here’s what you’ll find at Layer’s Against Lawsuit Abuse:

View a pictorial guide "The ADA Top 40" which shows the most common issues on properties which lead to ADA/access lawsuits. Many of these items cost less than $100 to resolve.
View our article "Some Inexpensive Ways to Reduce Your Risk of ADA/access lawsuits." We believe the average small business can reduce the risk of these lawsuits by 90% or more by spending less than $1,000, so what are you waiting for? Well, this rose a bit of a brow from me, as they instruct businesses might want to consider purchasing a video camera to deter lawsuits from people. Another idea, which they suggest, the better idea, is to hire a qualified access specialist, and bring the business into compliance with the law.
Download an ISA symbol (International Symbol of Accessibility) you can email to a Kinko's or other print shop and have them print a 36" x 36" template you can cut out and paint as part of your disabled parking area.
View our article "Ten Questions to Ask Any Prospective Lawyer".
View a simple explanation of why your property is probably not "grandfathered" or otherwise exempt from compliance with access laws for the disabled. This is a popular misconception, and many government officials and building inspectors have incorrectly stated that the "grandfathering" which applies to building codes also applies to these civil rights claims.
View our article "Who's Responsible for ADA Complinace-- Landlords or Tenants?" which has surprising information many landlords, tenants and attorneys have misunderstood about the unique issues of access lawsuits and renovations on commercial property.
View our article "The Top 10 Mistakes Which Lead to Lawsuits".

I guess these tools exist because despite what some might consider the ‘uncomfortable’ nature of how the lawsuits are sometimes filed, the lawsuits do have merit. But, as the website tells us, there are some easy ways to fix the problems for not a lot of cost.

Like I said yesterday . . . Education . . . and a willingness to comply with the law.

Kosher Ham

PS - Oh yeah . . . and civil rights and all that.

Grabbing Some Ink . . .

2006-05-08T23:31:00.000-07:00

So, I was walking through my office today, when one of my co-workers says, “Hey! Did you see your name in the paper this weekend?”

I replied, “It’s only Monday, too early in the week for bull shitting around.” But, low and behold, he pulls out the Sunday (May 7) edition of the Press-Telegram and shows me the front-page article about ADA violations in and around the Long Beach area. I had completely forgotten about this interview I did a couple of weeks ago.

The article is headlined, “Disputed ADA Lawsuits Target Small Businesses”. I guess, conversely, the article could have been titled, “Small Businesses Deny Civil Rights to People with Disabilities”, but that wouldn’t anymore fair than the first headline.

So, before I get into the part about me, the headline tells you the slant of this piece. The story isn’t about the lack of access that people with disabilities face on a regular basis. The story is about the lawsuits. I guess lawsuits are ‘sexier’ than the denial of civil rights.

Once you read on about the business owners complaining about the cost of providing equal access, the allegations that the man who filed the lawsuits only did so for the money, and people with disabilities who say that lawsuits are the best way to deal with such problem’s . . . you finally get to me.

Still, the thing that frustrates Josh Butler, chairman of the commission, is that there is merit to these suits in the first place.

"The ADA was passed in 1990, and (businesses) have had almost 16 years now to become compliant," Butler said. "It bothers me that there are businesses that aren't accessible."

Long Beach is home to thousands of disabled residents, Butler said. And while there is no way of knowing how many businesses are ADA-compliant, it's clear that many aren't.

The majority of the city's disabled population, he said, suffer in silence when they can't use a public bathroom, or open a door by themselves, or enter a store because there is no wheelchair ramp.

But business owners, large or small, are not the real victims here, disabled activists say. And, in most cases, the solutions are simple for those who take the time to know the law. In addition, tax breaks and grants are often available to offset the costs.

"I guess, ultimately, being in compliance becomes a win-win for everybody," Butler said.

The reason I said, wasn’t necessarily articulated in the article. You see, if a business is accessible to people with disabilities, than in my opinion, they are expanding their customer base, while at the same time following the law by providing access to people with disabilities. Thus, the ‘win-win’ situation comment.

I had done this interview a couple of weeks ago, and I felt I was very well prepared. I like the way I came across, even though that was only about a tenth of my interview with Wendy Thomas Russell. That’s good, because the article isn’t about me. Ms. Thomas Russell did a pretty good job on the piece, even with what I consider to be a little bit of a slant in the other direction. At one point in the interview she asked if I was ‘glad that these law suits were filed?”

I responded my saying I thought that was a bit of a loaded question. Why would I be glad? I think that’s when I offered up something about it being a shame that it was possible, and the lawsuits had merit. If the businesses had been accessible, the suits would have no merit . . . but . . . the business aren’t accessible . . . and so on and so forth.

The local Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Building Industry Association, and Restaurant Industry Association, should spend less time fighting to change access laws, and more time educating their consumers about the law, and the need to follow the ADA. I guess that would be too simple.

Education. That’s all it takes . . . and a willingness to comply with the law. For me, after spending almost my entire life growing up around the disabilities community, and now working professionally in the disabilities community, thinking about all kinds of access for people disabilities just becomes second nature . . . plus if it didn’t . . . my colleagues would kick my ass . . . and the people I know don’t need use of their arms, legs, or eyes to do it!

Kosher Ham

The Return Of Clipper Pride . . .

2006-05-05T23:46:00.000-07:00

Like I have time for two blogs, but what the hell? I’m going to make a second attempt to keep a blog on the Los Angeles Clippers. My family members and I are long time Clippers supporters, and we’re so proud of the way this season has gone. I new this was going to be the year at the beginning of the season, and my intention was to keep an on-going blog throughout the season. Of course, one thing led to another, and the blog dried up in January. Well, we’re in playoffs, in fact we’re in the second round of the playoffs for the fist time in Los Angeles Clippers history. I’m lucky to be seeing history in the making, and I’ll do my best to keep you posted . . . just check the ‘Clipper Pride’ link on the left.

Kosher Ham

PS - That's Clipper Nation pictured above.

Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire . . .

2006-05-04T23:33:00.000-07:00

Today, Donald Rumsfeld was asked some pretty direct questions about why he lied to American public about the existence of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons*. Of course, it was not a member of the media who asked the question, and more importantly, the subsequent ‘follow-up’ questions, and remarks.

CIA veteran, Ray McGovern, demanded to know why Mr. Rumsfeld lied by saying that he knew where the weapons were located in Iraq. If you want to see the video, and you really, really, really do . . . check it out at ThinkProgress.

Kosher Ham

* Using the term 'WMD' doesn't really have the same impact as the term 'nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons'.

A Scary Thought . . .

2006-05-03T19:47:00.000-07:00

Don't ask why, it's too long a story, but I was at VOLPAC, the Politial Action Committee run by Senator William Frist.

Here's what I learned: "By the end of his Presidency, the President will have appointed 1 out of every 3 of the 871 Federal judges in this nation. All of them mainstream conservatives and thoughtful minds who are committed to fairly interpreting the law, not acting as unelected policymakers."

I don't know about you, but I find that thought terrifying.

Kosher Ham

A Real Commitment . . .

2006-04-29T13:51:00.000-07:00

I read this article yesterday at www.washingtonpost.com, and it reminded me of why I voted for mayoral candidate Bob Foster in April, and will do so again on June 6, when the City of Long Beach holds run-off elections.

The Washington Post reported that after a Republican press event held at a gas station, at which they touted themselves as being committed to alternative energy sources, House Speaker, Dennis J. Hastert, who appeared to have walked to the station, left in a fuel-efficient vehicle, apparently headed for his office. But he went only a block or so before he got out and stepped into his pre-positioned gas-guzzling armored SUV to take him back to his office.

Mr. Hastert claimed that he rose in the armored SUV for security reasons. I’ll go ahead and give him the benefit of the doubt, but either way, when Bob Foster drives his fuel-efficient vehicle he’s gonna drive to where he actually intends to go, and not just around the corner.

Now, don’t confuse what I’m saying here. I’m not voting for Mr. Foster because he drives an fuel-efficient vehicle. I’m voting for him because he really drives it. Mr. Foster seems like a real person to me. He’s let us know where he stands on the issues, and he’s let us know who he is as a person. At this point, I have every reason to believe him, and plenty of reasons as to why I like what I hear. Bob Foster is for real.

I’m not saying that Frank Colonna is fake, but even the Press-Telegram couldn’t help but raise an eye-brow when he listed himself as an environmental specialist, a position he has not held since 1976. And, of course, who could forget Mr. Colonna’s use of public funds to pay for a bullet-proof window at his realty office.

I guess when it comes down to it, I see Bob Foster as the guy who will actually drive his energy efficient vehicle, and not get out get into an gas guzzling SUV when he’s out of public sight.

Like I said, I think he’s the real deal.

Kosher Ham

Who’s Watching Our City . . .

2006-04-19T23:59:00.000-07:00

Maybe Long Beach needs a website like www.watchourcity.com. I’m not saying things are corrupt here, but a website like this would sure serve as one hell of a check. The website concentrates on the political corruption in Huntington Park, but also seems to cover political corruption from across the spectrum, but mainly focusing on East Los Angeles County.

I’m sure it’s no secret that in small cities, Compton comes to mind, corruption can run amuck. But we should also be reminded, especially in light of the Dan Baker resignation, that corruption can occur in large cities as well. That’s why open government is so important.

Anyway, you should keep tabs on what’s going on in your local community. Who knows? Maybe you have a miniature version of Tom Delay running around your own neighborhood.

I posted a link to www.watchourcity.com on the left, check it when you can.

Kosher Ham

What You Need To Believe To Be A Republican . . .

2006-04-14T22:20:00.000-07:00

I don't know where this came from, but I'm glad it came my way . . . hat tip to the wife.

* Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.

* Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.

* Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

* The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.

* A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

* The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches, while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

* If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

* A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then demand their cooperation and money.

* Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health care to all Americans is socialism. HMOs and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.

* Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

* A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense, but a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.

* Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.

* The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving record is none of our business.

* Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.

* Supporting "Executive Privilege" for every Republican ever born, who will be born or who might be born( in perpetuity.)

* What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.

* Support for hunters who shoot their friends and blame them for wearing orange vests similar to those worn by the quail.

Kosher Ham

Governmental Rhinoplasty (Part 1) . . .

2006-04-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

The basic gist of this Press-Telegram editorial is that the Long Beach City Council is more concerned about banal ‘in-district’ issues, as opposed to important policy issues that affect the entire city. That’s not entirely new thought, and there are many instances that would cause me to agree with that basic gist, but I find their gist just a little oversimplified (well, maybe a lot oversimplified). But, what I don’t agree with is the other gist of the editorial: That a restructuring of City Hall would change the focus of the City Council.

Supposedly, a ‘dozen or so’ people are organizing a campaign to supposedly create a governmental structure that will supposedly restore leadership, and vision back to Long Beach. Also, supposedly changing the structure of government will put more focus on a city wide agenda, as opposed the aforementioned ‘in-district’ vision. I always find it interesting, and a bad idea, when ‘a dozen or so’ people decide to change the structure of government. Probably, if a governmental system is going to change, more than a dozen people should be involved in developing the options.

The group of ‘a dozen or so’ is calling themselves, “Citizens for a Better Long Beach”. I guess that’s the Orwellian name Long Beach’s business interests have chosen for themselves in attempt to get the public to more easily and readily digest their plan. I think they all should step back, and let the new Mayor (it will be Bob Foster, it’s just a matter of time) put his signature on the Office before we start blowing it up.

Like I said, when ‘a dozen or so’ people conspire to change a governmental body, I respond to that with a great deal of concern, and so should you. After all, don’t you at least wonder what this group thinks a ‘better’ Long Beach would look like?

Kosher Ham

What About Bob . . .

2006-04-11T08:15:00.000-07:00

It’s Election Day in Long Beach. A glorious day when less than 20% of Long Beach residents exercise their civic duty, and vote. I already voted via an absentee ballot.

I voted for Bob Foster. To borrow his campaign slogan, he is the better choice for Long Beach. I’m not pinning my hopes and dreams on Mr. Foster. I’m not sure the Office of the Mayor will oblige him the political power to fulfill his goals. But I am confident he will throw his opinion around a lot more, and that should make things interesting.

He’s also a Democrat. Now, being a Democrat means more than just disliking President Bush, as some people seem to think. I hope Mr. foster carries the values and principles of the Democratic Party to his office.

I also think of the major candidates, that Mr. Foster is most likely to give voice to those Long Beach residents who have none.

No doubt, I’ll be watching and reporting. After all, I want to see how far my $50 donation and my ‘Bob Foster’ yard sign go politically.

Good Luck, Bob.

Kosher Ham

PS - Bring back the moustache after you're elected.

The Leak Starts Here . . .

2006-04-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

When his father was President, the Oval Office was infamously know as the place where “the buck stops”. Now that George W. Bush is President, the Oval Office has famously become the place where “the leaks start.”

I think I’ve fucking heard it all from the Bush Administration.

Yesterday, in response to the President’s apparent involvement in leaking the name of a CIA agent (Valerie Plame) in attempt to destroy her husband, Ambassador Joe Wilson, for speaking out against the war, White House Press Secretary, Scott McClellan, said, “we will vigorously set the record straight when people are putting out misinformation or trying to suggest things that simply are not true.”

I think my eyes popped out of my head, like a cartoon character, when I heard that.

First, I can think of no other group of people who have spread misinformation, or suggested things that simply are not true, than the Bush Administration. The letters W-M-D come to mind, as do repeated suggestions of mushroom clouds, as well as . . . well the list could go on, but I’ll let the history books take care of that. Needless to say, I think the words, “bull shit” might have escaped my lips the moment I heard Mr. McClellan utter those words.

Second, those words beg the question: what does the Bush Administration considers ‘misinformation’ or things that ‘are not true’? I mean, after all, we’re talking about a group of people that doesn’t believe in global warming, or even dinosaurs. This is Administration that is in full support of intelligent design, and spies on its own citizens without warrant or reason. This is an Administration that even lied to our nation’s older people about the cost of Medicare.

But there’s one thing that this Administration that still gnaws at me the most.

This Administration sent our troops, our brave men and women, into combat wearing chemical weapons suits in over 100 degree weather, while all the while knowing, that Saddam Hussein did not possess any chemical weapons. That’s just sick.

But on top of the fact that this Administration wouldn’t know the truth if they got hit up-side the head with it, this Administration flouts the law to say the least. And, when you have a group of people with all the power, who are willing to flout the law to achieve their goals, and have a pretty liberal definition for misinformation . . . you should be afraid.

One day, you’ll wake up to find that you are the one being accused of spreading misinformation . . . and apparently . . . if the President considers you to being doing so . . . well . . . be prepared to face personal attacks, and have your career destroyed.

Only in America . . .

Kosher Ham

El Submarino Amarillo . . .

2006-04-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

You may be following the little competition between me and my barber? If not, when the ‘knock-out’ stages of the UEFA Champions League began, we each pegged 4 teams (out of a total of 16) that we thought would reach the semi-finals (the final four) of the competition.

My barber, Alonzo, had all four of the teams he picked eliminated in the first round (Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea). I had 3 of my teams advance past the first round, and now two of those three have advanced to the ‘final four’: Barcelona, and Villarreal.

Villarreal is the real story here. The club is located in Vila-real, a town of 48,000 people. The stadium, El Madrigal, holds 23,000 people. It is said, when the team is playing, the town is deserted, as half the city is at El Madrigal watching the game.

Needless to say, the residents are exuberant at the thought of their beloved Yellow Submarine reaching the finals of the most illustrious club football competition in the world. If Villarreal should reach the finals in Paris, at Stade de France, they would be only the second debutant to enter the competition to do so.

Such is the excitement for a team that has only been in the Spanish Fist Division (La Liga) since the 2000, that Father Guillermo, the priest of the Santa Sofia church, said he would ask for a celebratory mass at Notre Dame followed by a procession to the Stade de France - if the club reached the final. The 78-year-old, who attends matches wearing the club's bright yellow shirt and his dog collar, has the Champions League theme music as the ring tone on his mobile phone.

Maybe I’ll get into Sanctuary for another clip before the semi-finals and offer my barber a reprieve, and give him another chance to pick a couple of teams to reach the finals (and rub it in of course).

My picks . . . I’ll get back to you on that . . . but one of them is Villarreal!

Kosher Ham

One Step Closer To Sacramento . . .

2006-04-05T23:02:00.000-07:00

No, I’m not running for State Office. Last night my wife was watching American Idol, and she saw a commercial saying that jetBlue was going to start flying from Long Beach to Sacramento. I checked the website, and low and behold . . . it’s true!

This is great news for me. I have to fly to Sacramento with a bit of frequency. I always have to go to LAX, and for a day trip, that’s a real pain in the ass. Now, I can drive about 7 minutes from my home to the Long Beach Airport.

This also means that now Long Beach can host more things. I always have to go to Sacramento, Los Angeles, Oakland, or Orange County for statewide meetings, events, and conferences. This isn’t because these are wonderful cities for hosting events, it’s because these are places that you can fly to from Sacramento (there are a lot of organizations in Sacramento that have members throughout the state, Housing California, and the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers are just a couple*). If Long Beach hosted something in the past, this meant a lot of people had to fly into LAX, and travel down to Long Beach. Hardly as convenient as flying into the same city you are going to do business in.

This does of course, raise some another issue . . .

The Long Beach Airport needs a serious upgrade. In reality, we should be quite grateful that Jetblue operates out of Long Beach Airport. Of course, their here, because demand exists, so I’m sure they are grateful to us as well. Nonetheless, upgrading the ‘terminal’ would be of benefit to all involved. One of the ‘gates’ is actually a bungalow . . . like a big version of the one you went to school in. A nicer, more modern facility would make Long Beach look better in the eyes of all who travel to our city, and the airport would be a more suitable and professional environment for the carriers, and passengers alike.

The first time I went to the Long Beach Airport was sometime in the mid-90’s. I went to pick up my roommate at the time. The terminal was so small I drove past it twice because I didn’t think a building that small could possibly be an airport terminal.

I mean, I appreciate the airport’s quaintness and all, but something can be modern, and still quaint.

Kosher Ham

Extreme Home Maker Over, Complete . . .

2006-03-31T14:31:00.000-08:00

All finished!

Extreme Home Maker Over, Update . . .

2006-03-31T13:41:00.000-08:00

Almost finished.

Extreme Home Maker Over, Break 2 . . .

2006-03-31T11:42:00.000-08:00

Need more supplies.

Extreme Home Maker Over, Break 1 . . .

2006-03-31T10:45:00.000-08:00

The toughest part is over . . . I hope.

Extreme Home Maker Over, Part 1 . . .

2006-03-31T08:47:00.000-08:00

Tough weather . . . but I won't be stopped.

Condomania . . .

2006-03-30T07:27:00.000-08:00

While home prices have soared out reach for about 90% of Californians, housing developers and real estate developers are still hanging on to condominiums. Many parts of the state have already experienced a condominium craze (read: San Diego), but other parts of the state are still seeing a condo explosion, including Long Beach and Orange County.

This article from the Los Angeles Times, points us towards Orange County. Near Anaheim Stadium, there are plans to develop 9,500 new residences. 90% will be condos.

"Where does this put all the upwardly mobile business people, young couples and people that can't afford medium-range houses?" said Anaheim Councilwoman Lorri Galloway, who continued, "We have this master-planned urban community, but I don't want it to be exclusively for people who can afford market-rate housing. Then it becomes something that's unreachable for most people."

Officials with the Kennedy Commission, a nonprofit Orange County group that advocates low-cost housing, say they worry that the Platinum Triangle will become another Anaheim Hills, an upscale enclave in east Anaheim.

"You don't want to segregate the community in that fashion," said Cesar Covarrubias of the Kennedy Commission, "especially adjacent to all the service jobs in that area, with Angels Stadium, the Arrowhead Pond and Disneyland."

In 2004, the Kennedy Commission reported that 48% of the city's 175,000 jobs came from the low-wage service and retail sectors and that 57% of jobs in the city paid less than $16 an hour. The same report noted that a worker had to earn more than $23 an hour to afford the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Anaheim.

The development is expected to pass through the City Council despite the objections.

Part of the problem is that politicians are concerned about the short-term, rather than the long term. Most politicians, especially at the local level, and especially in Long Beach, are doubtfully concerned about where this City will be in 2025. Most politicians, especially at the local level, and especially in Long Beach, are more concerned about where Long Beach will be on the date of their next election.

No doubt, this ‘me first’ attitude will drag us all down in time . . . well everybody except ‘them’.

Kosher Ham

Housing First . . .

2006-03-29T07:33:00.000-08:00

I was invited by the City of Long Beach to join the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness Committee. The invitation, via e-mail, said something about my “enthusiasm” being an asset to their group. Earlier this year I had told myself, “no more commitments!”

So, naturally, next week I’ll be attending my first meeting of the group. I don’t really know the structure of the group, so I don’t know where I fit into the puzzle yet or how far along in the process they are. Nevertheless, I joined the Housing Subcommittee, as that’s a great interest of mine.

I also happen to be a believer that the way to end homelessness is by providing ‘housing first”. This is especially important when dealing with people who have a mental illness. This Steve Lopez article in the Los Angeles Times provides some great insight as to why ‘housing first’ is the best solution.

I know many of you will see ‘housing first’ as pretty obvious concept. I’d agree with you . . . seems pretty simple. Somehow, this concept has completely flown under the radar of Long Beach’s elected officials. The City of Long Beach’s Housing Action Plan (the five year plan on how affordable housing funds should be spent – some $72 million) doesn’t even include the Extremely Low Income (the people at the bottom of our economic spectrum – think of a family of four who earns about $16,000 a year). These folks are homeless, or at great risk for homelessness. Yet, the City of Long Beach doesn’t see the need to spend money on housing for these residents in their City who number in the tens of thousands.

I guess I’m not being entirely fair. Last year the City Council adopted a Housing Trust Fund. They put a measly $500,000 into it (hardly even the cost of an average priced home in Long Beach). Oh, and the kicker . . . they dedicated 80% of that money towards people earning 20% above the average income of the City! Basically, the people who need the most assistance in the area of housing are being provided the least assistance.

I’ve pointed these things out in public before, and intend to do so until there is a significant change in attitude. So, I guess, it’ll be this type of “enthusiasm” that I bring to the 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness Committee.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Kosher Ham

The Real State Of The Union . . .

2006-03-26T19:22:00.001-08:00

My uncle sent this to me, pretty funny stuff.

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/presaddress.html

The Freedom March . . .

2006-03-20T18:14:00.000-08:00

About 1 1/2 years ago, I made the following comments on my old blog site. I still stand by it. Iraq is like a bad car accident you wish you had never seen. I bolded the comments I'm most proud of, and ring true today, three years after the invasion of Iraq. Company . . . March . . .

Kosher Ham

PS - And Bush still reminds of a used car sales man, except he's still trying to sell a war that started three years ago.

Monday, September 20, 2004

Freedom Is On the March . . .

Those are the words of President Bush . . . “freedom is on the march” . . . he said those words when he accepted the Republican Party nomination for President, and he said it again yesterday . . . “freedom is on the march”.

Less than two weeks ago the 1,000 death mark was surpassed in Iraq, and sadly, this week, the 1,035 death mark was surpassed . . . freedom marches on.

The lack of planning for this war is on a level of irresponsibility that far surpasses the actions of any Administration to occupy the White House for the last thirty years.

By focusing on reconstruction, we can see how the situation in Iraq is volatile at best. When volatility is the best case scenario, as the July 2004 National Intelligence Estimate makes clear, it makes President Bush look like a used car salesman . . . in this case we’re stuck with a four year lease . . . and no guarantee. Throw on top of that: worn down tires, no gas, a broken windshield, missing headlights, and driver who insists on driving with his eyes closed, and no seat belt, you’ve got what the next four years would be like.

Without reconstructing Iraq’s infrastructure, we can’t win the peace and spread democracy – which I’m not sure you can do with a barrel of a gun anyway.

Kosher Ham

Paper Tiger . . .

2006-03-14T07:19:00.000-08:00

I was reading this article in Los Angeles Times, and I thought it was interesting. The article is a pretty generic story, probably generated by the books publisher, and the film's promoter. Anyway, the story hypes the release of the paper-back version of the Da Vinci Code.

I'm assuming this is the release of the paper-back version of the book - in the United States. Because, when I was in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in the summer of 2004, I purchased a paper-back copy of the book. It was one of the few books actually printed in English, and I heard of it, so it made natural sense to purchase the book for about $11. Oh, and if you think I found it in some small hole-in-the-wall book store . . . think again. I bought it at Wal-Mart*.

I've since lent my copy of the book out, so I can't verify who printed it. But, I did find out soon after I purchased the book, that it was not available in paper back. When I was reading the book on the plane back home, and women asked me where I got the book, and was stunned that I had a copy of the book in paper back.

I told her, "I guess cheap prescription drugs aren't the only thing you can get in Mexico."

Kosher Ham

* This was my one and only trip to a Wal-Mart anywhere in the world.

A Little Bit Country . . .

2006-03-10T20:51:00.000-08:00

When even country music stars are speaking out against President Bush, you know things are really bad. Of course Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are Democrats, but that doesn’t change the perception. I wonder if Mr. McGraw and Ms. Hill will be pilloried like the Dixie Chicks were band member, Natalie Maines stated, “"Just so you know, we're ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas."

And by pilloried I mean: In Kansas City, WDAF placed trashcans outside of its office building in which people could throw away their Dixie Chicks CDs. The station told The Tennessean that it received more than 800 emails from its listeners concerning the Chicks.

All three major country stations in Kansas City pulled the group from their play lists, despite their sold-out concert scheduled the following month.

The most drastic action occurred on March 15, when a crowd in Bossier City, La., watched a 33,000-pound tractor smash Dixie Chicks CDs and other Chick fan items. Children then stomped on the remaining rubble.

Let’s see if the media darlings, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are subject to the same treatment. I doubt it. If you missed what they said in regards to Bush’s performance in rebuilding the Gulf Coast. Here’s a link to the full article, and here are some tasty snippets:

Tim McGraw speaking on the role President Bush should be playing, "There's no reason why someone can't go down there who's supposed to be the leader of the free world … and say, 'I'm giving you a job to do and I'm not leaving here until it's done. And you're held accountable, and you're held accountable, and you're held accountable.”

Faith Hill on the whole situation, “It’s bullshit.”

More Faith, “"It is a huge, huge problem and it's embarrassing."

"I fear for our country if we can't handle our people [during] a natural disaster. And I can't stand to see it. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out point A to point B. . . . And they can't even skip from point A to point B.”

“It's just screwed up."

I just might go get their new hit single!

Kosher Ham

The Rich Get Richer . . .

2006-03-09T18:33:00.000-08:00

I must seriously be in the wrong line of work. According to Forbes magazine, the number of billionaires worldwide increased by 102 people in 2006 to 793, a record number, largely due to bullish global stock markets.

Their total net worth jumped 18 percent to $2.6 trillion.

With 371, the U.S. is the country with the most billionaires. The total worth of all U.S. billionaires combined is $1.1 trillion.

The US national debt is somewhere over $8 trillion. So, if we take the $1.1 trillion from the nation’s richest people, we reduce the debt by 1/8, and we only put 371 people on the street. Sure, it would cost localities a bit to pay for homeless services, but in terms of program cuts we could avoid, the net gain would be more than massive.

Now, that’s really getting some bang out of the US Dollar.

Kosher Ham

PS - The quickest way I'm going become a millionaire is to marry (sorry, honey) the woman on the left in the picture above. That's 22-year old Hind Hariri, the daughter of slain Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, and the youngest billionaire in the world.

The Upside To Civil War . . .

2006-03-05T00:12:00.000-08:00

Only FOX News Channel could come with such an absurd talking point. No doubt, priming their conservative viewers for what is apparently an eventuality now in Iraq. Trying to spin blood in the streets into something good is at minimum deplorable. If one were to take things a step further, one might argue that FOX News Channel is undermining our troops’ effort, and aiding the enemy.

Having a major American media outlet wax optimistic about the potential benefits of a civil war in Iraq could certainly be construed as having a negative impact. Maybe the insurgency would feel they are the brink of getting the civil war they want? Maybe they would feel even more justified in their actions? Doesn’t this send a conflicting message to our troops, who are working to avoid a civil war in Iraq?

I’m sure this would be viewed as an exaggeration on my part, but if a liberal media outlet were to make such a suggestion, or rather, do anything that could possible be perceived as aiding and abetting the enemy – the charge would be made.

That’s all. I just thought you might need a reminder of how sick Fox News Channel is.

Kosher Ham

Frank On The Run . . .

2006-03-03T21:53:00.000-08:00

The guy in the bottom left-hand corner of this picture (the man in the blue shirt standing above the guy on the cell phone), is Long Beach Mayoral Candidate, and 3^rd District Council Member, Frank Colonna. Now, obviously Mr. Colonna is not the drug suspect fleeing the airport. But still, you gotta find some humor in the picture, he caption the Press-Telegram chose, and the simple twist of fate that found Frank Colonna in the picture?

I will say with the Dan Baker/Mark Taylor hubbub surrounding the Bob Foster campaign for the first half of February, Mr. Colonna may very well have pushed himself into the run-off zone. That’s something I didn’t think was going to happen. I’ll still keep my money on Bob (literally), but Frank’s on the move.

Kosher Ham

Loose Lips, Sink Ships . . .

2006-02-28T21:08:00.000-08:00

“You sunk my battleship,” is what Suja Lowenthal would be saying right now if she were playing the classic game by Milton Bradley Co., Battleship. Luckily for Suja, she’s not playing Battleship, and her campaign for the council seat for the Second District hasn’t begun in earnest yet. When it does, I suggest keeping a tighter lid on things.

Until the Press-Telegram article appeared on February 25^th, the worst kept secret in Long Beach politics for the last two weeks was that Suja Lowenthal was going to drop out of the Long Beach Unified School District campaign in order to run for City Council. Last Wednesday, I even received an e-mail telling me that Ms. Lowenthal had decided to run for City Council and was opening a campaign office. I’m sure the e-mail was inadvertently scattered around town, or maybe it was a little balloon to gauge public opinion.

I already know the local media will have their knives out on Ms. Lowenthal’s decision to run for City Council (check out this LBReport editorial). More importantly, though, will be how the voters will react to Ms. Lowenthal’s decision to serve on the City Council with her mother-in-law, Bonnie Lowenthal, from the First District. It would be politically naïve to believe that at least a few voters won’t have their eye-brows raised. But, in a “first-past-the-post” election, a few voters with raised eyebrows might not matter.

Kosher Ham

The Best In Town . . .

2006-02-24T18:09:00.000-08:00

My favorite basketball team is the Los Angeles Clippers, and whoever is playing the Lakers. Tonight, the Clippers happen to be playing the Lakers. I happen to be going. It should be a great game. If you can’t make it, tune into KTLA Channel 5, at 7:30pm, and hear the best broadcast duo in the NBA, Ralph Lawler and Mike Smith.

Kosher Ham

PS – This will conclude the unintended ‘sports week’. Can’t say it won’t happen again, but next week I’ll be commenting on the apparent lack of ethics at the local, state, and federal levels of government.

One Fine Messi . . .

2006-02-22T23:04:00.000-08:00

If you don’t like soccer, stop reading.

If you do, Asier Del Horno (in blue, on the ground) deserved his red card. Leo Messi (in yellow, just been knocked for a loop) may have played-acted to draw a stronger reaction from the referee, but if he did, he learned from watching Chelsea’s own Arjen Robben's (in blue, finishing off Messi) play-acting get Liverpool goalie Pepe Reina sent off a couple of weeks ago.

Aside from Messi’s reaction to being bowled over by Del Horno, that tackle was just plain horrible. Del Horno looked like an NFL player trying wipe out a wide-receiver. Since when are tackles made that high in soccer?

Aside from that major flashpoint, it was a great game. The return leg to Barcelona in a couple of weeks will be a classic. Don’t miss it.

If you are following the wager between my barber and I, well, I would give myself the advantage at this point. 3 of his teams lost the first leg, the other tied. 2 of my teams won, 1 tied, and 1 lost.

I think I’ll be going in for a clip soon.

Kosher Ham

PS – All apologies for the super-cheeky title, but I just couldn’t resist. You’d think I work for The Sun or something . . . wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

Football Haven . . .

2006-02-21T10:24:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are wondering how I keep my hair so cool looking, I’ll let you in on my little secret. I get my hair cut at the “too cool for school” salon Sanctuary. My wife had been going there for a few years, and just before our wedding, she demanded I get a real haircut. It seems it was time for me to graduate from Supercuts . . . especially for the wedding.

So, I went in and got an amazing haircut from a really cool guy named Alonso (that’s him in the picture). He’s been cutting my hair ever since. It didn’t take long for us to realize we were both soccer fans. Now, every time I get my haircut I can look forward to arguing about soccer (sometimes literally, and if he didn’t have a pair of scissors and a razor at his ready, I wouldn’t back down on the quality of South American defenders so easily).

Today, the knock-out stages of the UEFA Champions League begin. The Champions League is the crème-de-la-crème of European Football competition, and possibly some of the greatest games in the world. Alonso and both chose four teams we thought would reach the semi-finals:

Alonso - Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Liverpool
Josh - Lyon, Villareal, Barcelona, Liverpool

Don’t worry . . . no money will change hands . . . just bragging rights. Of course, he’ll always be the guy with the razor.

Kosher Ham

Under The Banyan Tree . . .

2006-02-10T16:34:00.000-08:00

If you have nothing to do tonight, an you're not as tired as I am, go to diPiazza's. Tim Grobaty, of the Press-Telegram, tells us:

"Mike Watt, from San Pedro's legendary Minutemen, has, as one of his side projects, the super-ish group Banyan, which also includes percussionist Stephen Perkins, from Jane's Addiction; guitarist Nels Cline, currently of Wilco; trumpeteer Willie Waldman, who blows the horn for Snoop Dogg, when the need arises; and painter Norton Wisdom, on canvas.

Banyan plays tonight at 9:30 at diPiazza's Restaurant & Bar, 5205 Pacific Coast Highway."

I won't be seeing you there, though I must say, seeing Nels Cline might be worth the trip. Oddly, I've seen all these musicians perform before with other bands (I think even the dude on canvas, he'll be painting, not playing drums in case you wondering)

Kosher Ham

O' Danny Boy . . .

2006-02-09T16:47:00.000-08:00

"O Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen and down the mountainside
The summer's gone and all the roses falling
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide."

Frederick Edward Weatherly (from the song O' Danny Boy)

Kosher Ham

Bye-Bye Baker

2006-02-07T18:05:00.000-08:00

Dan Baker is out as Long Beach City Councilman from the 2nd District.

Kosher Ham

PS - Waaaaaaayyyyy more on this later

Bohemian Rhapsody . . .

2006-02-03T07:20:00.000-08:00

Does your City Council Member have a "gay owned and operated" hotel in

Costa Rica

? Long Beach City Council Member Dan Baker does. And to think, I thought this guy was boring.

www.seecentralamerica.com

I wonder if there is a discount for Long Beach residents?

Kosher Ham

PS - That is not Councilman Baker pictured above. That's "Brian" and the picture was taken from the Council Member's website.

[Update 8:35am] It should be noted that Councilman Baker is openly gay, and there's nothing wrong with owning a hotel.

Gogol, Elijah, Tegan, and Sara

2006-02-02T23:25:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday night my wife and I headed to Los Angeles, to the Wiltern Theater (I just can't bring myself to call it the Wiltern LG as it's now known). The headlining band was Cake, but if I'm being honest, I don't think I could name a Cake song to save my life. My wife says they are one of those bands that once you hear a song, you say to yourself, "Oh, that's Cake." So, if you're catching my drift, I wasn't really there to see Cake.

What turned me on to this gig were Tegan and Sara, the twenty-five year old identical Canadian twins. I had heard about Tegan and Sara when I was listening to KCRW, and heard Nic Harcourt mention their names. Sounded sort of interesting to me. A few days later I found Tegan and Sara again, when I was looking for the lyrics to the song "Walking with a Ghost". I had heard White Stripes play the song on KCRW earlier in the day. Much to my surprise, the song was originally written and performed by Tegan and Sara. So to complete the tri-fecta, I found out Tegan and Sara would be playing in LA real soon.

Fast forward to January 31, 2006 . . .

The drive up to the Wiltern was pretty easy, and we made it there just before 8:00, the stamped on the ticket stating when the show would begin. However, it seems as though show had already started, with a stand-up comedian, (who would serve as the evening's emcee) Jeff Mermin. He was pretty funny, and he got some good laughs out of us. He played a call he received from a Christian Conservative company selling Christian long-distance telephone service.

Next up was Gogol Bordello, self-described Gypsy Punk. There could be no better description. I'm a bit biased here, as I actually own a Gogol Bordello album. Gogol Bordello was loud, and outrageous, and in many ways reminded me of Frank Zappa. The lead singer even looked like Zappa. I had been anticipating hearing this band and seeing them live, and they didn't disappoint. I would suggest using ear plugs if you should go see Gogol Bordello, they are a very loud band.

While waiting for Tegan and Sara to come out, we had a star sighting. Standing in front of us for about 10 minutes, talking to a group of friends, was Elijah Wood. I was just spacing out, when my wife nudged me, and I said, "What?"

"Are you serious?" she replied. So, I looked a little harder, and there he was. Elijah was definitely having a good time, as he seemed to be pretty excited. I'm not sure who he was there to see, but if I was guessing, I would say Tegan and Sara.

Tegan and Sara are new, hip, and some fresh faces to rock. There songs are great, and their voices remind me a little bit of Steve Nicks at times. On this night, maybe my expectations were a little too high, but the performance just didn’t do it for me. I would like to see them on there own for a full show, instead of just the 45 minute set. There voices were really good, but the music was a little too loud, and kind of drowning them out a bit. Don’t worry, I’m still high on T&S, and plan on getting their album.

After the Tegan and Sara set, we decided to bail. We weren’t the only ones, but at the same time, there were people just entering the door. To each their own, and that’s what makes us special.

Kosher Ham

Highlight of the night: Having security open my lip balm to check for pills. I was flattered that he thought I was cool enough to try and sneak in drugs to the concert.

Lowlight of the night: Watching the usher scurry away Elijah Wood and his friends. I was having fun watching that scene.

A Million Little Pieces Of Crap . . .

2006-01-27T23:27:00.000-08:00

My only familiarity with James Frey’s memoir . . . err . . . novel . . . A Million Little Pieces is what my wife told me as she read it in between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Knowing that I was unlikely to ever pick up an Oprah Book of the Month Club selection, she offered me a blow-by-blow account of Mr. Frey’s harrowing addiction and recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. As she told me about the book, my thoughts ranged from “preposterous” to “ridiculous” to “I can’t believe this guy is still alive”. I never gave much thought to the truth, as I assumed it was account of Mr. Frey’s life. However, I did assume that there were many an exaggeration, some more obvious than others. Nonetheless, there is a story told by James Frey, and maybe readers and critics alike, should go back a read the story as a novel, and see what they come away with before placing Mr. Frey on the crucifix.

You see, I don’t really care whether Mr. Frey told the truth or not, and to be quite honest, I’m a little perplexed all the outrage. I’m the kind of person that’s a little more concerned about whether or not our elected representatives, including the President of the United States, are telling the truth. Their lies are much more harmful, and much more detrimental to our Nation than anything James Frey could possibly say. And for those of you who might say I’m minimizing the James Frey saga . . . I say “yes” . . . I am minimizing the situation.

Why was it ever maximized? Don’t we have more important things to attend to?

Kosher Ham

PS – Guess what? The movie Fargo is also not a true story as it claims to be. It was just a stylistic tool. Should we flay the Coen brothers?

Grabbing Hands . . .

2006-01-21T00:13:00.000-08:00

I was listening to Depeche Mode tonight, and I don’t know, but for some reason these lyrics made me think of the GOP:

The grabbing hands
Grab all they can
All for themselves
After all

Kosher Ham

Surprise, Surprise . . .

2006-01-18T22:43:00.000-08:00

From the Washington Post: The Bush administration appears to have violated the National Security Act by limiting its briefings about a warrantless domestic eavesdropping program to congressional leaders, according to a memo from Congress's research arm released yesterday.

The Congressional Research Service opinion said that the amended 1947 law requires President Bush to keep all members of the House and Senate intelligence committees "fully and currently informed" of such intelligence activities as the domestic surveillance effort.

The memo from national security specialist Alfred Cumming is the second report this month from CRS to question the legality of aspects of Bush's domestic spying program. A Jan. 6 report concluded that the administration's justifications for the program conflicted with current law.

Kosher Ham

Inside The Numbers . . .

2006-01-14T23:54:00.000-08:00

One thing that these numbers reveal is that, not surprisingly, most Long Beach homeowners are older. My guess is that an overwhelming majority of homeowners are over 40 years of age in Long Beach. A lot of the homes in Long Beach are located on the east side of the city. I’ve been there, I used to live there, and I have friends (over the age of 65) who live their now. I know a lot of those neighborhoods, and the people are great, and they are older.

Another thing that these numbers reveal is that Long Beach’s older population isn’t necessarily a wealthy population. In general, a lot of seniors live on retirement, also referred to as a ‘fixed-income’. This amount of money isn’t a lot, so it’s a good things that their houses are already paid off, because most fixed-incomes don’t afford mortgage payments. Also, part of my assumption is drawn from the 50% of our seniors who do claim a disability, and may be collecting SSI, or SSDI from the federal government. These sources of income are also paltry. Oh yeah . . . Long Beach is ranked 6^th in the nation in poverty . . . catch my drift here.

More needs to be done to help young people become homeowners. The housing stock is old, and turning apartments into ‘condominiums’ is a risky investment, and a poor way to ‘plan’ a community.

More needs to be done in the area of home modifications. Many seniors need minor fixes that would make their homes far more accessible to them, and to visitors as well. If indeed, Long Beach’s older population is not a wealthy population, than local government will need to develop an assistance program.

Home values don’t gauge the health of a community. I heard a council member last year state that his District was doing well because home values are so high. I guess his ego is an inflated as the home prices around here. The Los Angeles County area ranks as one the most overpriced housing markets in the country. And by overpriced, they mean the house isn’t worth what it’s being sold for.

All In The Numbers . . .

2006-01-13T23:24:00.000-08:00

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m an affordable housing advocate. I especially think it’s important for local governments to make sure that housing is being built that residents can actually afford. The idea for local representatives is to represent their current residents . . . not device plans to bring in new, and shall we say more wealthy residents.

Here are some things you might no know about Long Beach:

40% of Long Beach homeowners are over 55 years of age.
Over 25% of Long Beach homeowners are over 65 years of age.
50% of Long Beach’s older community has a disability.
In 2005, Long Beach was ranked 6^th in the nation in poverty.
Nearly 6000 Long Beach grandparents are raising their grandchildren.
More than 40% of the homes in Long Beach are over 50 years old – nearly 18% of those homes were built in 1930 or earlier.

I’ll get in to how these statistics relate to housing tomorrow.

Kosher Ham

They Say The Neon Lights Are Bright . . .

2006-01-12T23:24:00.000-08:00

When I was in high school, my parents took me to see Phantom of the Opera. As I kid I thought it was pretty cool for a musical. As an adult, I still enjoy the music. A pretty accessible score, and story, it's no wonder that this week Phantom of the Opera became the longest running show in Broadway history -- 18 years.

I don't see many Broadway plays, but I did happen to see one last weekend . . . more on that later . . . it's worth breaking the rule for.

Kosher Ham

Closing The Books . . .

2006-01-11T22:55:00.000-08:00

In case you missed the news, the Long Beach City Council chose not to place on the ballot a measure that would have increased funding to the libraries. Supporters hoped to use the money to restore library hours and programs, purchase more books and computers and increase child and adult literacy programs. All bad things.

So, rather than let the good people of Long Beach decide what to do, the City Council balked at placing the measure on the ballot. The main reason that was used was the the people wouldn't want to raise taxes on themselves twice in the same year. You see, later this year Long Beach residents will get to vote on raising taxes to pay for new cops. So, it was books versus cops in the end, and books don't have a powerful and influential union.

Kosher Ham

Vegas Baby . . .

2006-01-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

Off to Vegas.

Most likely I'll adhere to the "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" rule. See you when I get back.

Kosher Ham

Pardon The Interruption . . .

2006-01-05T07:35:00.000-08:00

I was out sick yesterday. Well, actually I went in for a couple of hours to take care of some things that are close to their deadline (look at me! you might actually think I got paid well). At 10, I went home for the day, and just took it easy.

I watched a soccer game, and thought of my Spurs Mad friend who probably went ballistic when Robbie Keane scored Tottenham’s second goal.

I watched a bit of the outcome to the horrible mining disaster. A lot of religion was evoked.

I cleaned up the place. Place. That's what I call my place . . . my places used to have names . . . The Bone Yard, The Maxi-Pad, but I've never come up with a name for this place . . . I'll have to work on that.

I actually watched a bit of the Rose Bowl as well. I'm not much a college football fan, but this was the BIG GAME, and what I saw, was pretty damn good. I don't like USC, but I like things from Texas even less.

I better get running to work. I'm feeling much better.

Kosher Ham

Portrait . . .

2006-01-03T22:27:00.000-08:00

A picture my wife drew of me . . . obviously she caught my good side.

Kosher Ham

If Only . . .

2006-01-02T21:17:00.000-08:00

Clean Slate . . .

2006-01-01T22:48:00.000-08:00

The first day of the New Year . . . doesn't really seem that much different than the day before.

Though, I suppose as we flip the calendar to the New Year, we can have a sense of optimism as we move ahead through the next twelve months . . . it will be what you make of it . . . so make it a good.

Kosher Ham

PS - Consider these my 'vacation' entries . . . more substance to come.

Happy New Year . . .

2005-12-31T21:17:00.000-08:00

Question For New Year's Eve . . .

2005-12-30T17:01:00.000-08:00

What are you doing for New Year's Eve?

I'm not doing anything fancy. I'm just going over to my friends' place here in Long Beach. Their building, and the building next door are hosting a big party . . . should be a lot fun. I'll be playing it safe and traveling by taxi.

I hope you have fun doing whatever you're going to do, and most of all be safe!

Kosher Ham

Links Continued . . .

2005-12-29T23:40:00.000-08:00

I don't go to Pine Ave. very often. If I do, it's usually for work related purposes. But, on occasion, I do venture down there for a little fun. My favorite restaurant is Alegrìa. Going there on a weekend night is the best time to go, as that's when you'll see dancing, and music. The food is great as well. Okay . . . enough plugging for Alegrìa.

Kosher Ham

The State Of The Nation . . .

2005-12-27T23:57:00.000-08:00

Check out the Daily Kos . . . if you haven't already that is.

Kosher Ham

Realidad Regresar . . .

2005-12-26T23:38:00.000-08:00

El New York Times:

After a respite following the election, more than 70 Iraqis have been killed in the last four days, including more than 20 killed Monday in a string of ambushes and car bombings.

Donde esta El Presidente?

My Present To You . . .

2005-12-25T15:33:00.000-08:00

. . . Barenaked Ladies.

Happy Hanukkah - Barenaked Ladies, "Hanukkah Blessing" (scroll down just a little bit . . . it's worth it!)

Merry Christmas - Barenaked Ladies, "Carol of the Bells"

Kosher Ham

From The Frontlines . . .

2005-12-24T20:55:00.000-08:00

The 'War on Christmas' is worse than I thought . . . I write this to you from a dark attic, where my wife's side of the family is secretly celebrating Christmas. Shhhhhhh . . .

Kosher Ham

PS - Dear Mr. O'Reilly, how could I ever doubt you.

Trick Question Of The Week . . .

2005-12-23T07:51:00.000-08:00

This is rhetorical because there is no “War on Christmas”. There’s no more a ‘War on Christmas’ than there are WMD in

Iraq

It doesn’t exist!

Our country is in a real war, and real troops won’t be spending the real holidays with their real families. Paraphrasing Nicolas Kristoff’s opinion piece in the New York Times, I’ll say, when there is a real war going on, people should re-consider the use of the word to describe disagreements about Christmas greetings.

There is plenty of Christmas spirit in the air, if you can’t find, don’t blame others . . . it’s time to look in the mirror and do a self-evaluation.

Don’t let the sales people at the mall make or break your Christmas season as they ring you up at the checkout stand. I hate going to the mall at this time of year. I usually have to wait on line so long just to check out that I couldn’t care if the cashier told be to shove mistletoe up my ass, I just want to get out of there.

I don’t know anybody that wants to celebrate Christmas and will not be able to. There’s no persecution, there is no need for secret Christmas handshakes, nobody has to keep a Christmas tree in their attic so the neighbors don’t see it, and somebody has got to be raking in a fortune on those Santa caps.

I can’t understand why folks like O’Reilly want to see a greater Christmas presence in American mall’s of all places. I thought they were opposed to the secularization of Christmas. If I were James Dobson I wouldn’t want the holiest day on my calendar associated with The Gap in anyway. But, that’s just me.

I’m Jewish anyway, so from my point of view it’s hard for me to see where Christmas spirit is being muted. Even cnn.com had a headline pronouncing, “Poll: More Americans prefer 'Merry Christmas' greeting”. According the article, “69 percent said they prefer "Merry Christmas" over "Happy holidays," which garnered 29 percent.”

Last I checked we didn’t gauge this country’s moral compass based on what mall cashiers have to say. If Bill O’Reilly wants to see more Christmas spirit, he should spend more time getting Christians to Church, and not worrying about what a mall cashier is going to say. For the first time since 1994, Christmas will fall on a Sunday . . . also known as the Lords Day. So, since Jesus’ birthday is on his special day of the week this year, you would think they would be flocking to church.

Not so, some of the nation's most prominent megachurches have decided not to hold worship services on the Sunday that coincides with Christmas Day.

But for the vast majority of the other churches, closing down on Christmas Sunday would be unthinkable. "I can't even imagine not observing Christmas in an Episcopal church," said Robert Williams, a spokesman for the Episcopal Church USA.

In many Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, known for their rich liturgical traditions, Christmas Day attracts far more worshippers than an average Sunday. "From the Catholic perspective, the whole purpose of the holiday is to celebrate it as a religious holiday in the company of the community, and for Catholics that means at Mass," said Robert J. Miller, director of research and planning in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Canceling worship on Christmas Day appears to be predominantly a megachurch phenomenon, sociologists of religion say.

"This attachment to a particular day on the calendar is just not something that megachurches have been known for," Nancy Ammerman, a sociologist of religion at Boston University, said. "They're known for being flexible and creative, and not for taking these traditions, seasons, dates and symbols really seriously.

All I can say is, celebrate the holidays the best you see fit, and send your thoughts and prayers to parts of the world that need it the most . . . and throw in an extra prayer for Bill O'Reilly

Happy Holiday,

Kosher Ham

PS – I guess I could’ve just said, “Mega-Churches Aiding ‘War on Christmas’ by refusing to hold mass on Christmas Day”, and that would’ve done the job . . . too bad I didn’t think of that until after I finished this.

Can't I Live While I'm Young . . .

2005-12-22T21:02:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine told me I needed a little culture in this space. So, a week ago I ventured into the Long Beach night to check out a bit of the scene in Long Beach. My wife and I made our way to Alex’s Bar, where we’d get to see the premier of the ‘Gong Show’ capped off with a friend of ours performing a fire hula-hooping show. I also wanted to prove to myself I’m still young, can party on a weeknight, and make it back to work the next morning.

Surely, my $26 would get through the evening, so, we left our place at about 10:30pm, deciding against stopping at an ATM machine first. Alex’s is just about a mile or so from our place, so it was nice to find a place that has live music just down the street. Though it looks small from the front, Alex’s is quite large inside, with a small stage, large bar, and some pretty cool tables and chairs. Some people looked like they were having too much fun the chairs with wheels, so we found ourselves a little nook on the far side of the bar, opposite the door. That’s one of my policies when I go out: get away from the door, for some reason people always congregate by the door, and the patrons of Alex’s were no different.

Ah, the patrons you ask? Mostly younger than me, but I didn’t feel old by any stretch of the imagination . . . I’m pretty ‘hip’ as they say. Also, I assume everybody is looking at me because I’m so good looking, not because I was the oldest dude in the joint. It was just a good old Thursday night in Long Beach, when the student population kicks off the un-official beginning to the weekend.

The ‘Gong Show’ was more like ‘Battle of the Bands’. Considering the cover charge was only $3, I thought the music was pretty decent, and since I really came to see the fire and friends, I saw the music as an added bonus. Basically, each band played until the crowds ‘chants’ of ‘GONG-GONG-GONG’ cued somebody to hit a gong, which cued the bands to stop. Only one band made it through all three songs, which was fine, because I just wanted to get to the fire.

Man, I sound like a pyromaniac!

So, we had a few drinks, and of course I lost track of my $26 and ended a few bucks shy of a final beer. Thanks to a friend, that problem was erased and the beer was flowing again!

Finally, the fire . . .

Imagine girls spinning in fluorescent glowing hula-hoops spinning around to dance music. Now add to that more girls spinning with fire-hoops, and balls connected to chains that are also on fire, and you have one hell of a wild show, and easily the best entertainment of the night. During their performance, Alex’s was the quietest I heard all-night, as people stood in wondered amazement. (My friend teaches this performance art, and as soon as the website is available, I'll put up a link)

Family, friends, live music, good drinks, fire, and hula-hoops . . . that’s Long Beach for you.

Kosher Ham

PS – I made it back to work the next morning . . . no problem.

PPS – Even though it might make you feel old listening to it, I thought the title was apropos nonetheless . . . so enjoy Alphaville’s ‘Forever Young’.

Discount Time . . .

2005-12-21T19:31:00.000-08:00

My Pop turned 55 today, and after testing me as to his age, he was quick to tell me he was eligible for senior discounts now. Knowing my Pop, he’ll take advantage of that at every turn.

To tell you the truth, I’m not even fazed by the fact that my father turned 55 today. The older I get, the younger both my parents seem to me. That’s a good thing, because while we still make that father/son connection, we now make a man-to-man connection as well.

I was thinking about my Pop this week. I was thinking back to all the good times we had, and I thought of this moment I wanted to share.

My father has taught special education for well over 20 years. During that time, he’s gone to various Southern California amusement parks with his students, almost all of whom were students with significant disabilities. On a few occasions I got to go ‘help’. Because most of the students in my Pop’s classes used wheelchairs, we got to go around to the back of the ride, since the lines weren’t accessible, and other patrons would probably get upset seeing our group pass by them (I’m just guessing on this).

So, around the back we’d go, where the attendants would stop the cart, and let my pop load the students on to the ride. That was the thrill, seeing my dad hoist these students onto the rides. They would be so excited! At that moment, he was Superman to me.

You still are my Superman! Happy Birthday!

Kosher Ham

PS - That's a picture of my family from a protest in Rancho Cucamonga. The date was February 14, 2004, and we were in front of Senator Jim Brulte's office. We were protesting potential cuts to In-Home Supportive Services. No cuts were made. Back row, L to R: Pop, Me. Front Row, L to R: Aunt Terri (behind the sign), Mom, Uncle Terry.

Study Sessions . . .

2005-12-20T22:32:00.000-08:00

If you are lucky as I am, than your job allows you to sit through Long Beach City Council Study Sessions!

So, today I sat in the Long Beach City Council Chambers as the City Council met for an information session – no actions would be taken . . . not that this is wholly different from other times the City Council meets. So, what are they studying, you ask?

Today’s Study Session is entitled: Possible Ballot Measures for the City of Long Beach. For those of you who don’t know, next year is a city-wide election in Long Beach. But, before we look at the potential ballot items, I think what’s more interesting, would be a look at how the City of Long Beach arrived at this point.

The City of Long Beach used tax payer dollars to conduct a public opinion poll to determine if there would be public support for a tax increase to pay for needed services. The information gleaned from the poll will guide Council Members as to whether or not tax payer’s dollars should be used to place any initiatives on 2006 ballots. I hope to never hear any of these Council Members say they don’t govern based on polls.

I know! Next time, the City Council should poll taxpayers to see if they think a poll is a good use of money! But, for shits and giggles, let’s just play along and pretend that we think it was a good idea to use tax payer’s dollars to conduct such a poll.

Now, I know at least one person who was polled, and he was not asked about the lack of affordable housing, one the biggest problems facing the city. So, not all the options were on the table in terms of what Long Beach residents might want to see tax payer’s dollars spent on, or what their biggest concerns are. This was more of cops versus books poll.

But, again, for shits and giggles, let’s just overlook that little flaw as well.

So, what does the poll tell us:

Long Beach residents think that the most important issue facing Long Beach is the need to improve its ability to respond quickly and effectively to a terrorist attack.
Funding the Municipal Band concert series is not very important to Long Beach residents. I bet some Council Members wish they had seen this poll earlier in the year when they had to decide this very issue – for the record they represented the minority opinion on this one, and we still have concerts in the park.
66% of the public would have to vote in favor of any of these initiatives in order for them to be approved. None of the proposals to use tax payer dollars to pay for increased police services received a 66% approval rating in the poll.
Only the ‘Library Parcel Tax’ received support from more than 66% of those polled. The Library Parcel Tax received support from 73% of those polled.
When it came to importance, public safety issues outweighed issues related to the library. However, the public clearly preferred the funding mechanism for increased library services over the funding mechanisms for increased cops. This is a subtle finding in the poll that the consultants tried to point out to Council Members, but it I think it largely seemed to fall on deaf ears.
My experience with ballot initiatives is that they only go down in approval rating, not up. Just ask Governor Schwarzenegger.

Some serious PR work would have to be done to get any of these initiatives passed. The City Council may be willing to place some of these measures on the ballot, but I would presume most of them will stay silent during the election (if they can). If these measures are going to pass, a Council Member or two is going to have to champion the cause. Today their biggest concern had to with going to the well twice. If voters are asked to support a library tax in April, will they be less inclined to support a cop tax in November?

Now, some Council Members clearly preferred cops to books. Some even hinted at not placing the library tax on the ballot because it would hurt the chances of the cop tax passing. I say, don’t take this out of the hands of the public.

What else do I think? First, if this City Council hadn’t dug us a $100 million dollar hole, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Instead we’d probably be reading at the library, feeling safe because we’re surrounded by cops patrolling the city.

Second, if raising the utility tax 1% will save the lives of Long Beach kids, than let’s do it. If raising taxes will keep our libraries open, and give our kids increased access to learning institutions, than let’s do it.

I don’t need a poll to tell me what’s in the best interest of Long Beach residents. I don’t need a poll to tell me what my morals and values are. Hopefully, the City Council will give Long Beach residents get a chance to decide if we want to invest in our community’s future.

Kosher Ham

Where Have All The Children Gone To Play . . .

2005-12-19T22:13:00.000-08:00

As some you may know, I’m an affordable housing advocate. When I talk to local elected officials (and let’s use the Long Beach City Council as an example), I hear from some of them, “local government shouldn’t be involved in housing.”*

Well, here’s one reason they should care a whole lot more.

According to the Long Beach Press-Telegram, the Long Beach Unified School District has shelved plans to build two new schools due to declining enrollment. A middle and a K-8 school that were to be built with local bond money no longer qualify for state matching funds because of a recent enrollment drop, said Carri Matsumoto, executive director of facilities development and planning.

The district had planned to build a middle school, at 1777 E. 20th St., and a K-8 school, at 3230 Hill St., using a $295-million local measure voters passed in 1999.

The state would have picked up half of the construction and property-acquisition costs if the district had qualified under state funding formulas based on enrollment projections, Ms. Matsumoto said. But the district no longer qualifies for K-8 matching funds because it has lost more than 4,000 students over the past two years.

Now . . . let’s try and think . . . what could be causing a decline in enrollment?

Could it be the lack of affordable housing? That’s what district officials told the Press-Telegram on December 1. According to the front page article, “the trend may be the result of rising home prices driving families to cheaper housing markets in the Inland Empire and other states.” And, as Ms. Matsumoto tells us, high school enrollment remains strong. This means that Long Beach’s young families that are the ones that are being forced out or can’t afford to move here.

It’s not just the kids, the impact is much greater. I couldn’t even begin to count the ways. But a couple of easy examples are that if a school isn’t built, that means nobody is going to be hired to build it – no construction jobs. Nobody will be hired to teach at the school – no new teaching jobs. I sure do hear the Long Beach City Council, and all the mayoral candidates talk about bringing more jobs to our city. I guess those jobs won’t be education.

Sure, affordable housing isn’t the only reason there is a decline in enrollment in the Long Beach Unified School District, but it’s a B-I-G reason.

So, the question really is, is the decline in enrollment a harbinger of other things to come . . . or in other words . . . is this the proverbial canary in the coal mine?

Kosher Ham

Plastic Babies . . .

2005-12-18T22:34:00.001-08:00

I couldn't possibly explain this to you, so it's best if you check out my friend’s blog for yourself.

www.languageincommon.blogspot.com or clink on "Language In Common" under "Friend's Links".

I’ve known this guy for a long time . . . in fact . . . he introduced me to my now wife. A former Long Beach guy, with a little Long Beach still in his heart . . . enjoy.

Kosher Ham

Don't Spy On Me . . .

2005-12-17T23:41:00.000-08:00

Remember the good old days when the only thing we had to fear, was fear itself? Well, it appears our President is so damned scared that he’s shredding our constitutional rights to pieces for no reason. Today, President Bush admitted to authorizing a secret eavesdropping program in the U.S. that operates without court warrants.

President Bush says, "Its purpose is to detect and prevent terrorist attacks against the United States, our friends and allies.” Arguing whether or not this is true is completely pointless.

It’s true. Eavesdropping on suspected terrorists could, and possibly may have prevented terrorist attacks.
It’s been this way before 9/11, and there was no need to begin operating without court warrants. The ability eavesdrop had nothing to do with preventing 9/11. Remember, two of the hijackers were listed in a San Diego phone book.
There was a process established to eavesdrop on American citizens, and it required getting a warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court. In its entire existence, since 1978, the FISA court has only twice (once in 1980 and once in 1997) refused a government request for electronic surveillance authority. The court’s goal is not to serve as a barrier, but rather, a check and balance.
Eavesdropping can begin prior to obtaining the warrant from the FISA court. This provision allows for emergency situations that can’t wait for the court to meet and grant the warrant. When this occurs, the warrant eventually sought from the FISA court would be to “continue” eavesdropping in an on-going investigation.

This news should not surprise anybody. I always say there’s a little truth behind all humor, and after all, this is the President who has jokingly said, “It would be easier if I was dictator" and, "There ought to be limits to freedom."

I’m not scared like the President . . . I’m scared of the President

Semi-Intriguing Question of the Week . . .

2005-12-16T08:12:00.000-08:00

Is King Kong a racist film?

Or another way of asking it . . .

Do King Kong movies bear racial subtext toward dark people?

Lot's of people think so. Type "King Kong racist" into Google, and you'll get 494,000 hits. Obviously the thought of King Kong being a racist film has been discussed since the original film was released in 1933. Peter Jackson's remake is stirring the question once again.

Now I haven't seen the new King Kong yet, and I haven't seen the others in awhile (which is why I'm copping out and not answering the question), but from what I understand, whether it is version from 1933, 1976 or 2005, the movie King Kong shows:

1-White people going to remote islands reminding us of the white slave traders going to Africa.
2-King Kong eats dark women but falls in love with a white blond woman.
3-The capture of King Kong is a reminder of these white slave traders capturing black Africans.
4-The transfer of King Kong to New York is a reminder of black slaves moved to the new world.
5-The exhibition of King Kong for profits is a reminder of slavery in cotton fields and other areas of commerce.
6-The revolt and subsequent destruction of King Kong, serves as a warning to the dark slaves that the light-skinned people will prevail.

What Say You?

Kosher Ham

Schmuck . . .

2005-12-15T19:53:00.000-08:00

The Mad Prophet from the Northeast is at it again. Last week, Connecticut Senator, Democrat Joseph Lieberman, stated, “"It's time for Democrats who distrust President Bush to acknowledge that he will be the commander in chief for three more critical years, and that in matters of war, we undermine presidential credibility at our nation's peril."

Like Representative Murtha asked, “What credibility?”

The fact that Senator Lieberman thinks that President Bush has credibility on any matter, strongly suggests that Mr. Lieberman is indeed from another planet. That fact that he would choose to chastise the Democratic Party for not supporting the President, means that Joseph Lieberman has become a Democrat in Name Only (we have a bunch of DINO’s around Long Beach, but more on that later).

In my opinion, there is no room for Mr. Lieberman in the Democratic Party. I’ve never been a Lieberman guy. I was disgusted when Al Gore chose Mr. Lieberman to be his running mate in the 2000 Presidential election. I also believe it was one of the many reasons Al Gore lost. Nobody was interested in a cup of “Joe-Mentum”

Maybe one reason he’s advocating for the Republicans is because he’s been doing it for a long time. Mr. Lieberman was one of the strongest proponents for war in Iraq, and a strong proponent to support President Bush.

In 2002, Mr. Lieberman had this to say: “I believe deeply that he (President Bush) is right about Iraq, and that our national security will be strengthened if members of both parties come together now to support the commander-in-chief and our military.”

There are several flaws in this statement.

President Bush was wrong about Iraq. We know there were never any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The supposed weapons of mass destruction claims came from liars, either for political reasons, or to stop being tortured in secret prisons.
The Iraq War has not made this nation safer. Our military is spread thin, and is not meeting its recruitment goals. Hurricane Katrina proved that the United States is not prepared to respond to natural disasters, let alone another terrorist attack. Don’t take my word for it, according to the 9/11 Commission the United States is no safer today from a terrorist attack than we were on September 11, 2001. The Bush Administration received failing grades in several areas. This should be unacceptable to Americans.
Why should both parties come together to support a liar. There are many examples that show the Bush Administration used evidence know to be false, in their fierce and rabid advocacy towards war.
You can support the troops, but not the commander-in-chief . . . even Tom Delay said so.

I’ve long held disdain for Joseph Lieberman, but his latest comments and the rumors circulating around him becoming the Secretary of Defense are beyond the pale. Senator Lieberman’s comments go a long way towards undermining the Democratic Party, and the minority voice in this county. To have one of our supposed “own” doing this to us is just plain disgusting. To their credit, Democratic Party leaders have had this to say:

Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.): "I've talked to Senator Lieberman, and unfortunately he is at a different place on Iraq than the majority of the American people."

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.): "I completely disagree . . . I believe that we have a responsibility to speak out if we think that the course of action that our country is on is not making the American people safer, making our military stronger and making the region more stable."

I’ll go a little bit further.

The Democratic Party should shove a cup of Joe-Mentum up Lieberman’s ass, and send over him over to the Republican Party where he’ll fit right in. Intolerance you say? Not so! I have complete tolerance for Senator Lieberman’s view points . . . I just think they belong in the Republican Party instead of the Democratic Party. Iraq is too big of an issue, with too much at stake for Joe Lieberman to go around shitting on brave Democrats who speak out against the Bush Administration, and patriotically demand accountability.

Of course, if he became a Republican we’d lose another Senate seat. But we have to ask ourselves if haven’t already lost it?

Goodbye Joe . . . thanks for nothing.

Kosher Ham

Muzak . . .

2005-12-14T23:29:00.000-08:00

I put some music links up on the side. Just a little bit of what I listen to from time to time.

KCRW is great, and one of the special things about living in Southern California. Of course, you can listen to it on-line or download a podcast, so I guess even if you don’t live around here you can still enjoy the music. Morning Become Eclectic is a classic program, and that’s where I learn about cool music in my constant effort to stay cool and hip. I think I’m doing a pretty good job. Obviously, the news is a welcome break from the monotony of cable news, and you can get a wide range of perspectives on the issues.

I hope you enjoy some of the links I put up -- have fun with The Hype Machine . . . I'm reluctant to share that one with you because it so awesome and powerful . . .

Kosher Ham

Talking Back . . .

2005-12-13T18:47:00.000-08:00

In the Long Beach Press-Telegram, they print anonymous comments from people presumably from our community. As the comments are anonymous, I suppose we really have no way of knowing how genuine the comments are. One thing that we do know is that the comments can often be absurd. Take this one for example:

We have over 2,000 dead men and women in Iraq in over two years of war, yet the Democrats and the news media criticize Bush for Iraq and never speak of the 9/11 or Pearl Harbor attacks that happened all in one day.

Absurd.

I'd love to send my comments in, but they might actually print them. You see, you can only have so many things printed in any given period of time. So, I'd rather not waste my comments on something so stupid. That's what I have this blog for.

My response:

Actually, one of this years keynote speakers at the Pearl Harbor Memorial in Pearl Harbor, HI was Democratic Senator Daniel Inouye, who witnessed the Pearl Harbor attack and served in World War II. As for your absurd comment regarding 9/11, there are currently at least nine Iraqi War Veterans vying to become the first soldiers of the post-9/11 military to be elected to the House of Representatives, according to party leaders. Eight of the nine are running as Democrats. Most went to the front lines from the Reserves or the National Guard. The Democrats have candidates who have first hand experience in fighting the war on terror, instead of a Vice-President who sought military deferments, and a President, who was virtually absent from the National Guard. Maybe you didn’t see the 9/11 Commission (which consists of Democrats and Republicans), just last week, come out and give the Bush Administration an F for acting to protect the United States from another terrorist attack. Next time you want to throw around a bunch of red-baiting lies to attack Democrats, at least have the guts to put your name on it (and for the love of the country, stop watching Fox News Channel).

Kosher Ham

Fracas in the Fifth . . .

2005-12-12T09:53:00.000-08:00

This morning, a website called www.dropoutjackie.com was brought to my attention. You gotta check this out. It's an open letter asking Council Member Kell to drop out of the race.

Now, for those of you who don't know, Jackie Kell is the current Council Member from the 5th Council District in Long Beach. She is nearing the end of her second term. There are terms limits in Long Beach. Technically, they restrict an office-holder from appearing on the ballot for an office they have held for two terms. So, Ms. Kell is running as a write-in candidate. This is apparently much to the ire of Gus Ceballos. Mr. Ceballos is the name registered for this domain name.

This is race is one of the heavyweights in next years municipal elections, and so far, it's living up to its expectations. I'm sure we'll hear more about this later . . . we'll see how long it takes the local press hounds to sniff this one out . . .

Kosher Ham

Richard Pryor Tribute Continued . . .

2005-12-11T15:29:00.000-08:00

If you want to laugh click the picture . . . if you are at work (or there are kids around) turn down your speakers.

Thanks For The Laughs . . .

2005-12-10T14:32:00.001-08:00

"Long Beach is no place to get busted. You call your friend, you say, 'Hey, I got busted. Come bail me out.' They say, 'Where you at, man?' You say, 'Long Beach, bro.' They say, 'You shit out of luck, man. No way I'm coming down there to bail you out.'"--Richard Pryor, "Live in Concert," 1979.

I was saddened today to learn of the passing of the great comedian Richard Pryor. Richard Pryor was probably one of the first stand-up comedians to make me laugh. I was pretty young, maybe 6-7, when I first heard his stand-up comedy routine from the film, Richard Pryor Live in Concert. This is one of the funniest performances ever – seriously.

As a youngster, the joke that I remember most was about how his Doberman Pinchers didn’t help stop a burglar from stealing from his house. He does an impersonation of his dogs actually directing the burglar as to where to good stuff is. As I kid, this was funny stuff. And, as a matter of fact, Richard Pryor gave this performance at The Terrace Theater, right here in Long Beach, California . . . how many of you knew that?

In the 1980’s I probably saw Stir Crazy more often than anything else, except for maybe The Toy. I will always choose to remember Richard Pryor as one of the first people to make me laugh.

Thanks for all the laughs, rest well.

Kosher Ham

PS – If you have any fond memory or a favorite movie of Richard Pryor's, please share them.

Getaway Day Question of the Week . . .

2005-12-09T07:38:00.000-08:00

Do you drink Long Beach tap water?

I do not . . . unless I'm not feeling well, can't find any bottled water, and I need to take some aspirin. I bathe in it, but that's where the relationship usually ends for me.

What about you?

Kosher Ham

Depressed Telegram . . .

2005-12-08T23:01:00.000-08:00

Long Beach has one local daily newspaper, the Long Beach Press-Telegram. Because it is the only daily newspaper in Long Beach, I feel compelled to put a link to it on the side of this page.

In terms of providing news, the PT is pretty decent. I mean, it's not even close to being in the same league as the Los Angeles Times, but there are some good local journalists who work there. But a lot of the material is from the newswire services, and you can find those articles reprinted in other Southern California newspapers.

A for the editorial board, well, I disagree with the editorial board about 9 out of every 10 times. Actually, I fundamentally disagree with them on just about every issue. Sometimes they'll call a spade a spade* . . . but that's pretty much like the pot calling the kettle black.

You should read it, if only to know what the only local daily newspaper in Long Beach is telling people to do. For example, they endorsed President George W. Bush a second time. Not even President Bush's hometown paper did that. The editorial page usually reads like something straight out of the Heritage Foundation or the Reason Foundation . . . pretty conservative stuff.

The anonymous speak out line is pretty cool, but I've never used it. Well, I've tried, but I've never been printed. I have had a few Letters to the Editor that have been printed, and I've had one full editorial run. So, for as much as I disagree with the Editorial Board of the only local daily newspaper in Long Beach, I can't say they don't print opposing view points, because they most certainly do . . . and I hope everyone, and I mean everyone . . . can appreciate that.

Kosher Ham

* Just to be clear, "Calling a spade a spade" is not a racist term . . . plus I'm black anyway.

The Long Beach Report . . .

2005-12-07T23:17:00.000-08:00

I'll take a little time here to point in the direction of an informative website that should be of at least some interest to many Long Beach residents. At www.lbreport.com you can find a variety of information about what's going on in and around Long Beach.

LB Report is a "media" website that offers great alternatives to the local print media.

I don't like everything they report on, such as car accidents and murders (I guess if it bleeds it leads). The website is certainly not afraid to point a glaring finger at City Hall actions, and everybody, and I mean everybody, should appreciate that. LB Report has provided in depth coverage of the LNG 'spectacle' in Long Beach, as well as the Redevelopment Agency showdown.

I got a chance to meet the editor (off the record), William Pearl, and let him know I appreciate his site. He seemed excited and enthusiastic about his work, and I look forward to viewing the continued development of his website. He never covered the Housing Trust Fund issue I was working on, but given the likely readership . . . maybe he was doing me a favor.

Kosher Ham

PS - You'll find a link on the left to LB Report - Check it out!

Another Thing . . .

2005-12-05T23:53:00.000-08:00

My rent keeps going up, but the place I live in is getting worse. The landlord has made no improvements in the last two years (at least). Yet he manages to find a way to continually raise the rent. When the rents are going up faster than the cost of living . . . somebody is getting greedy. I swear I feel like I'm in a movie sometimes: Once the landlord drove up in his new Lincoln Town Car to drop of our notice of rent increase . . . I figured the dealer didn't give him a very good financing option.

60% of Long Beach residents rent. Only 12% of Long Beach residents can afford to purchase a home in the City of Long Beach.

I’m willing to bet that most of that 12% already own a home.

Kosher Ham

Things That Suck About Renting #1

2005-12-03T23:54:00.000-08:00

I have to pay for parking. Yup, on top of my rent, I have to pay the City of Long Beach $30 a year to park my car on the street. So does my wife. So, it costs us each $5.00 a month to park our cars of the fucking street, right in front of our own damn duplex!

On top of that, we have to purchase an additional guest permit. On the off chance we should have company we wouldn't want them to get a ticket.

The part that really pisses me off is that I just got the bill to pay the $90. I got the bill on December 1, and the bill is due . . . December 10.

Thanks for the massive amount of time to pay this bill . . . is this going to be a permanent thing?

Kosher Ham

Does Long Beach Really Suck?

2005-12-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

Of course not . . .

I love Long Beach, and fans of the band Primus will no doubt get the facetiousness with which I've chosen to name by blog. However, there are things about Long Beach that do suck. In addition to some political and social commentary on a variety of issues, there will be a pretty heavy concentration of posts that discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of Long Beach.

I hope you enjoy, and please check back often . . . also . . . feel to post a comment . . .don't be shy.

Kosher Ham

Long Beach Sucks!

Step In the Right Direction . . .

What Would Be Different . . .

Congresswoman Linda Sanchez

Good Results . . .

In Case You Were Wondering . . .

Walk The Line . . .

A Good Man Indeed . . .

Debtor Nation . . .

Does This Really Work . . .

Pelosi-fied . . .

Traveling Man . . .

Parting Shot . . .

The Liberal Media . . .

Albino Outrage . . .

What’s Next . . .

Treat Your Mother Right Foo . . .

More Ink . . .

Don't Supersize, Just Modernize . . .

The Black Jew(fish) . . .

If You Comply, The Lawsuit Won't Fly . . .

Grabbing Some Ink . . .

The Return Of Clipper Pride . . .

Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire . . .

A Scary Thought . . .

A Real Commitment . . .

Who’s Watching Our City . . .

What You Need To Believe To Be A Republican . . .

Governmental Rhinoplasty (Part 1) . . .

What About Bob . . .

The Leak Starts Here . . .

El Submarino Amarillo . . .

One Step Closer To Sacramento . . .

Extreme Home Maker Over, Complete . . .

Extreme Home Maker Over, Update . . .

Extreme Home Maker Over, Break 2 . . .

Extreme Home Maker Over, Break 1 . . .

Extreme Home Maker Over, Part 1 . . .

Condomania . . .

Housing First . . .

The Real State Of The Union . . .

The Freedom March . . .

Paper Tiger . . .

A Little Bit Country . . .

The Rich Get Richer . . .

The Upside To Civil War . . .

Frank On The Run . . .

Loose Lips, Sink Ships . . .

The Best In Town . . .

One Fine Messi . . .

Football Haven . . .

Under The Banyan Tree . . .

O' Danny Boy . . .

Bye-Bye Baker

Bohemian Rhapsody . . .

Gogol, Elijah, Tegan, and Sara

A Million Little Pieces Of Crap . . .

Grabbing Hands . . .

Surprise, Surprise . . .

Inside The Numbers . . .

All In The Numbers . . .

They Say The Neon Lights Are Bright . . .

Closing The Books . . .

Vegas Baby . . .

Pardon The Interruption . . .

Portrait . . .

If Only . . .

Clean Slate . . .

Happy New Year . . .

Question For New Year's Eve . . .

Links Continued . . .

More Links . . .

The State Of The Nation . . .

Realidad Regresar . . .

My Present To You . . .

From The Frontlines . . .

Trick Question Of The Week . . .

Not so, some of the nation's most prominent megachurches have decided not to hold worship services on the Sunday that coincides with Christmas Day.

All I can say is, celebrate the holidays the best you see fit, and send your thoughts and prayers to parts of the world that need it the most . . . and throw in an extra prayer for Bill O'Reilly

Happy Holiday,