... may be the county clerk himself.
Steve Weir of Contra Costa County, a lifetime resident of Concord and in a 35-year political career and 18-year relationship, wants to be the first to get married, a bit early, on June 17, when gay marriages in California will actually begin.
As a former Concord resident myself, I am well aware of Weir's name and life, and wish him the best of luck.
He also has the unenviable job of going through the petition signatures for the proposed constitutional ban on gay marriage (and also certified the county results of Proposition 22, back in 2000, which I had voted on in Concord). He is doing his best to ensure that there is not even any suspicion of conflict of interest.
The article below also describes Contra Costa County as "conservative - by Bay Area standards." I fully agree with that assessment; it actually has real Republican activity, but is still liberal compared to Southern California. In Concord, Weir served as city councilman and mayor for a long time - but had to stay in the closet the whole time (Concord once actually threw out its gay rights ordinance, thanks to a campaigner from neighboring Clayton).
AP via Yahoo!
31 May 2008
Another evening with Col. Ann Wright
I just spent another evening with Col. (Ret.) Ann Wright, who was speaking at Los Altos United Methodist Church in Long Beach to wrap up her Southern California tour. Here is how the evening went...
A singer-songwriter by the name of Kurt Hunter sang several songs, some his own, others Beatles numbers, to entertain the crowd and get people ready.
The audience awaits speeches by Raed Jarrar and Ann Wright.
Raed Jarrar, a half-Iraqi, half-Palestinian man born in Baghdad, has been in the US for three years, and speaks out about the plight of Iraqis under the US occupation (as well as under Saddam and other previous governments). He debunked many myths (including many that I had believed in myself, before tonight) about the Iraq War; for example, he compared blaming Iraq's current civil war on sectarian violence to describing the US Civil War as a conflict between Catholics and Protestants; in other words, completely untrue. He also described the current struggle as one between pro-US politicians and the majority of the people who are fed up with the occupation (and have no representation in the executive branch of the Iraqi government, despite having legislative majority); he further added that Iraq has not had a history of sectarian violence, and has resisted foreign occupation throughout its history. Even blaming Saddam's brutal rule on his Sunni background is wrong, he said, because his government included Shiites, Christians, and others, and he crushed anyone who opposed him, even fellow Sunnis. Most importantly, he stated that if Iraqis needed American help in keeping the violence down, they would openly say so.
I wanted to chat with Raed regarding Iraq being the next South Korea, according to the W Administration's wishes, and the prospects of pro-US Iraqi minority being admitted to the US in massive numbers (like the South Koreans and the Vietnamese) to hopefully tilt US politics in the Republicans' favor. But Raed was busy with other attendees...
Col. Wright spoke about various figures in the US, British, and Danish governments who courageously spoke out against the unjustifiable invasion of Iraq, with severe consequences. Basically, the intelligence information about the weapons of mass destruction never added up to a credible threat, and the war hinged on the W Administration's personal vendetta/reward for his buddies as well as the British and Danish governments' desire to score something big. Her US example was Justice Department attorney Jesselyn Radack (mentioned often at Democracy Cell Project), who was reprimanded and faced debarment for speaking out against torture. She also mentioned her recent 2-week trip to Japan, where she saw many peace activists fighting to preserve Japan's peace constitution against the ruling conservative Liberal Democrats' US-backed efforts to amend it.
Col. Wright also indicated that the FBI NCIC database has now been turned against peaceful protesters in a political vendetta, and has gotten her banned from Canada, which relies on the NCIC database to determine Americans' admissibility, as a result. She was nevertheless trying to enter Canada again, to speak in Vancouver this weekend for American servicemen who are in Canada to refuse to fight the war. I wish her luck.
I did speak with Col. Wright, who recognized me from Arlington West in Santa Monica last Sunday. I managed to bring up the W Administration's intent to turn Iraq into the next South Korea, and how the case of South Korea didn't turn out well for the US, complete with Reverend Moon's influence on US politics. Col. Wright agreed with me, and told me that she was supposed to go to Seoul with Cindy Sheehan and Medea Benjamin in November 2006 to fight a new US Army megabase and the two nations' secret free trade agreement, but had to cancel due to another engagement.
As Raed Jarrar chats with attendees in the back, Col. Wright autographs her book Dissent: Voices of Conscience.
I also caught up with Alicia, the new CODEPINK LA organizer, who thanked me for consistently showing up at CODEPINK's most recent events. I wish I could indeed show up consistently for all events, but that won't happen until I have my own space and some privacy. Until then, the best I can do is to offer the likes of Col. Wright, and other peace activists around me, moral support.
On the way home, I wrapped up the evening by ice skating at Anaheim Ice, the training facility for Anaheim Ducks of the NHL; it was refreshing to see instructors there teach how to do the Macarena while ice skating, and to wind things down to Mariah Carey's "Hero." This was my first ice skating session in Southern California in at least 15 years.
A singer-songwriter by the name of Kurt Hunter sang several songs, some his own, others Beatles numbers, to entertain the crowd and get people ready.
The audience awaits speeches by Raed Jarrar and Ann Wright.
Raed Jarrar, a half-Iraqi, half-Palestinian man born in Baghdad, has been in the US for three years, and speaks out about the plight of Iraqis under the US occupation (as well as under Saddam and other previous governments). He debunked many myths (including many that I had believed in myself, before tonight) about the Iraq War; for example, he compared blaming Iraq's current civil war on sectarian violence to describing the US Civil War as a conflict between Catholics and Protestants; in other words, completely untrue. He also described the current struggle as one between pro-US politicians and the majority of the people who are fed up with the occupation (and have no representation in the executive branch of the Iraqi government, despite having legislative majority); he further added that Iraq has not had a history of sectarian violence, and has resisted foreign occupation throughout its history. Even blaming Saddam's brutal rule on his Sunni background is wrong, he said, because his government included Shiites, Christians, and others, and he crushed anyone who opposed him, even fellow Sunnis. Most importantly, he stated that if Iraqis needed American help in keeping the violence down, they would openly say so.I wanted to chat with Raed regarding Iraq being the next South Korea, according to the W Administration's wishes, and the prospects of pro-US Iraqi minority being admitted to the US in massive numbers (like the South Koreans and the Vietnamese) to hopefully tilt US politics in the Republicans' favor. But Raed was busy with other attendees...
Col. Wright spoke about various figures in the US, British, and Danish governments who courageously spoke out against the unjustifiable invasion of Iraq, with severe consequences. Basically, the intelligence information about the weapons of mass destruction never added up to a credible threat, and the war hinged on the W Administration's personal vendetta/reward for his buddies as well as the British and Danish governments' desire to score something big. Her US example was Justice Department attorney Jesselyn Radack (mentioned often at Democracy Cell Project), who was reprimanded and faced debarment for speaking out against torture. She also mentioned her recent 2-week trip to Japan, where she saw many peace activists fighting to preserve Japan's peace constitution against the ruling conservative Liberal Democrats' US-backed efforts to amend it.Col. Wright also indicated that the FBI NCIC database has now been turned against peaceful protesters in a political vendetta, and has gotten her banned from Canada, which relies on the NCIC database to determine Americans' admissibility, as a result. She was nevertheless trying to enter Canada again, to speak in Vancouver this weekend for American servicemen who are in Canada to refuse to fight the war. I wish her luck.
I did speak with Col. Wright, who recognized me from Arlington West in Santa Monica last Sunday. I managed to bring up the W Administration's intent to turn Iraq into the next South Korea, and how the case of South Korea didn't turn out well for the US, complete with Reverend Moon's influence on US politics. Col. Wright agreed with me, and told me that she was supposed to go to Seoul with Cindy Sheehan and Medea Benjamin in November 2006 to fight a new US Army megabase and the two nations' secret free trade agreement, but had to cancel due to another engagement.
As Raed Jarrar chats with attendees in the back, Col. Wright autographs her book Dissent: Voices of Conscience.I also caught up with Alicia, the new CODEPINK LA organizer, who thanked me for consistently showing up at CODEPINK's most recent events. I wish I could indeed show up consistently for all events, but that won't happen until I have my own space and some privacy. Until then, the best I can do is to offer the likes of Col. Wright, and other peace activists around me, moral support.
On the way home, I wrapped up the evening by ice skating at Anaheim Ice, the training facility for Anaheim Ducks of the NHL; it was refreshing to see instructors there teach how to do the Macarena while ice skating, and to wind things down to Mariah Carey's "Hero." This was my first ice skating session in Southern California in at least 15 years.
29 May 2008
White Supremacist wants to be...
... the Superior Court Judge No. 125 of Los Angeles County.
Bill Johnson, whose hand-painted posters are all over Los Angeles County, turns out to go by the nom de plume of James O. Pace, the author of a 1985 proposed constitutional amendment to limit US citizenship to whites, and to deport all nonwhites (except for Native Americans, who will have to be evacuated to reservations). He previously ran for Congress in Wyoming as a Republican (to fill Dick Cheney's seat when Cheney became Secretary of Defense in 1989), and in Arizona as a Democrat in 2006, both times failing at the primary level; his platform didn't deviate too much from his 1985 work as Pace, and his campaign managers were linked to the KKK and other white supremacy groups.
He is identified as an "international corporate lawyer" on the June 3 ballot. He does have international experience in two of the right-wing extremists' favorite countries - Japan and South Korea, both of which have supported white supremacy in Europe and the US despite being nonwhite countries themselves.
Johnson's most recent work was as a campaign organizer to the Ron Paul presidential campaign, showing Paul's own true colors as a racist neoliberal. Paul has recently disassociated himself from Johnson, however.
I have already sent in my absentee ballot, and I didn't vote on this particular office, as most judicial votes have little for me to go by, aside from the name and the occupation. Had I found
this information earlier, however, I would've definitely cast a vote for Johnson's opponent, James Bianco, not a perfect candidate but vastly preferable to Johnson.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise (a newspaper for the legal community)
Bill Johnson, whose hand-painted posters are all over Los Angeles County, turns out to go by the nom de plume of James O. Pace, the author of a 1985 proposed constitutional amendment to limit US citizenship to whites, and to deport all nonwhites (except for Native Americans, who will have to be evacuated to reservations). He previously ran for Congress in Wyoming as a Republican (to fill Dick Cheney's seat when Cheney became Secretary of Defense in 1989), and in Arizona as a Democrat in 2006, both times failing at the primary level; his platform didn't deviate too much from his 1985 work as Pace, and his campaign managers were linked to the KKK and other white supremacy groups.
He is identified as an "international corporate lawyer" on the June 3 ballot. He does have international experience in two of the right-wing extremists' favorite countries - Japan and South Korea, both of which have supported white supremacy in Europe and the US despite being nonwhite countries themselves.
Johnson's most recent work was as a campaign organizer to the Ron Paul presidential campaign, showing Paul's own true colors as a racist neoliberal. Paul has recently disassociated himself from Johnson, however.
I have already sent in my absentee ballot, and I didn't vote on this particular office, as most judicial votes have little for me to go by, aside from the name and the occupation. Had I found
this information earlier, however, I would've definitely cast a vote for Johnson's opponent, James Bianco, not a perfect candidate but vastly preferable to Johnson.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise (a newspaper for the legal community)
No female bishops!
Or so says the United States Secretary of Faith, AKA Pope Benedict, AKA the BMW Pope.
All female bishops, as well as those who ordain them, will be excommunicated.
MSNBC
All female bishops, as well as those who ordain them, will be excommunicated.
MSNBC
25 May 2008
Arlington West
Arlington West is a memorial of thousands of crosses and other religious symbols, set up next to Santa Monica Pier every Sunday by Veterans for Peace, to commemorate the Iraq War dead. I was there this afternoon, to hear some speeches from leading peace activists marking the 6th Memorial Day since the war's start.
CODEPINK LA activists, led by co-founder Jodie Evans, drop this banner from the pier, over some of the crosses marking the dead American soldiers.
Colonel (Ret.) Ann Wright speaks out, on her decades of experience as a soldier and a diplomat before resigning to protest the Iraq War.
I later picked up her book Dissent: Voices of Conscience, and had it autographed. She was very pleased to know of my connections to Karen Bradley of Democracy Cell Project, as well as Gayle Brandeis of CODEPINK, both of whom she praised highly.
Actor Ed Asner delivers a fiery speech.
Some other speakers included Vietnam and Iraq War veterans, Jodie Evans of CODEPINK, and many more. Some speakers, including Dennis Kucinich, sent in remote audio greetings. I caught up with Jodie, as well as Medea Benjamin, who remembered me from her 2007 New Year's party back in San Francisco. The two also noted my connection to Karen and Gayle.
The event was broadcast live on KPFK-FM in Los Angeles.
CODEPINK will be dropping some banners nationwide, including in Los Angeles, and I will be taking part on I-10 in San Gabriel; Jodie gave me a banner and some instructions on how to proceed. I am glad to be doing my part to help bring awareness to the senselessness of the Iraq War, and to help end it and bring America (and the world economy) back on track. Looking forward to making the drop tomorrow morning.
CODEPINK LA activists, led by co-founder Jodie Evans, drop this banner from the pier, over some of the crosses marking the dead American soldiers.
Colonel (Ret.) Ann Wright speaks out, on her decades of experience as a soldier and a diplomat before resigning to protest the Iraq War.I later picked up her book Dissent: Voices of Conscience, and had it autographed. She was very pleased to know of my connections to Karen Bradley of Democracy Cell Project, as well as Gayle Brandeis of CODEPINK, both of whom she praised highly.
Actor Ed Asner delivers a fiery speech.Some other speakers included Vietnam and Iraq War veterans, Jodie Evans of CODEPINK, and many more. Some speakers, including Dennis Kucinich, sent in remote audio greetings. I caught up with Jodie, as well as Medea Benjamin, who remembered me from her 2007 New Year's party back in San Francisco. The two also noted my connection to Karen and Gayle.
The event was broadcast live on KPFK-FM in Los Angeles.
CODEPINK will be dropping some banners nationwide, including in Los Angeles, and I will be taking part on I-10 in San Gabriel; Jodie gave me a banner and some instructions on how to proceed. I am glad to be doing my part to help bring awareness to the senselessness of the Iraq War, and to help end it and bring America (and the world economy) back on track. Looking forward to making the drop tomorrow morning.
22 May 2008
Honda Accord
While random websurfing, I came across two places where some trivia and information on the Honda Accord could be found. Nice, since I drive a sixth generation model as my daily driver, and have fond memories of the third generation (due to its pop-up headlights) and the fourth generation (because many classmates in high school drove one). The current generation, introduced last fall, is the eighth.
Available in the US since 1976, the Accord was the first Japanese car to be built in the US, in 1982, and was exported back to Japan since 1988. I certainly remember quite a few 1993 model year "10th Anniversary" Accords - they marked the tenth anniversary of the US production. The car was named to inspire a state of accord between the car, the driver, and the road, according to trivia information.
I don't plan on buying another Accord though, because of Honda's conservatism and homophobia (as well as Honda owners' conservatism). The only Honda I will now consider is the Civic Hybrid (though given my line of work, I'm more likely to return to hated Ford and its Escape Hybrid SUV). Nevertheless, the Accord is a very nice car, despite abuse from my sister's ex, and an improper tuneup that decreased fuel efficiency significantly. At 105,000 miles it's doing very well otherwise.
How Stuff Works (history by model year)
MSN Autos (trivia)
Available in the US since 1976, the Accord was the first Japanese car to be built in the US, in 1982, and was exported back to Japan since 1988. I certainly remember quite a few 1993 model year "10th Anniversary" Accords - they marked the tenth anniversary of the US production. The car was named to inspire a state of accord between the car, the driver, and the road, according to trivia information.
I don't plan on buying another Accord though, because of Honda's conservatism and homophobia (as well as Honda owners' conservatism). The only Honda I will now consider is the Civic Hybrid (though given my line of work, I'm more likely to return to hated Ford and its Escape Hybrid SUV). Nevertheless, the Accord is a very nice car, despite abuse from my sister's ex, and an improper tuneup that decreased fuel efficiency significantly. At 105,000 miles it's doing very well otherwise.
How Stuff Works (history by model year)
MSN Autos (trivia)
21 May 2008
Pack even lighter - or pay even more!
First, United Airlines started charging $25 for a second checked bag, a policy all other major airlines have matched since.
Now, American Airlines wants to charge $15 for the FIRST checked bag as well.
Given that stringent security measures have made it practically impossible to travel with a carry-on bag alone (even makeup must be checked), this is going too far.
This is another way the needless Iraq War is destroying the American way of life; the resulting high oil prices are clobbering the airlines, saddling passengers with these ridiculous fees, and getting employees laid off. And it bears remembering that airlines (and other transportation carriers) are national security assets, and any government policy that results in weaker (or even worse, unsafe) airlines and disgruntled airline employees is a bad one.
MSN Money
Now, American Airlines wants to charge $15 for the FIRST checked bag as well.
Given that stringent security measures have made it practically impossible to travel with a carry-on bag alone (even makeup must be checked), this is going too far.
This is another way the needless Iraq War is destroying the American way of life; the resulting high oil prices are clobbering the airlines, saddling passengers with these ridiculous fees, and getting employees laid off. And it bears remembering that airlines (and other transportation carriers) are national security assets, and any government policy that results in weaker (or even worse, unsafe) airlines and disgruntled airline employees is a bad one.
MSN Money
19 May 2008
Full Text of Marriage Equality Ruling
Just found this at the California Supreme Court website, by way of Unitarian Universalist Association. This is the official decision from the 15th, overturning the state's gay marriage ban.
Court Info, California
Court Info, California
Drug Smuggling Claims Lives in Mexico
Many people are being killed just south of the border, as drug cartels keep up their fight for lucrative drug trade routes into the US. Police chiefs have been slain, and now four Americans have been found dead in Rosarito, a once-idyllic beach resort just south of Tijuana:
KTLK-AM
It's getting really bad. As much as I want to daytrip into Tijuana, something I haven't done in over a decade, it looks like I will have to hold off for a while longer.
KTLK-AM
It's getting really bad. As much as I want to daytrip into Tijuana, something I haven't done in over a decade, it looks like I will have to hold off for a while longer.
18 May 2008
Hundreds of Thousands killed by South Korea
During the Korean War, it was common knowledge that North Koreans would carry out mass executions of property owners and right-wing activists. My father's family fled the Communist-held areas precisely because it had some property.
What has been hidden very well, however, is South Korea's just-as-brutal execution of suspected leftists, many of them innocent illiterate peasants with no knowledge of Communism, who had been recruited into political prisoner camps - with incentives - just to fill government quotas, then executed when the North's forces were bearing down south.
A conservative estimate of the dead number at least 100,000, and most likely over twice that number may have been killed.
The US, which backed the brutal Syngman Rhee regime (Rhee was himself American), was ambivalent at best about these killings. Only when did relevant US documents become declassified after the Cold War did some of these atrocities start to see the light of day. The previous leftist government of South Korea have set up toothless commissions that are further looking into the issue, but the newly elected Moonie right-wing government wants to have none of it, saying that re-opening old wounds won't help (a sentiment very well shared in Koreatown USA).
I consider this issue to be at the same level of atrocity as Japan's well-publicized massacre of residents of Nanjing, China. The truth must be known, so that no similar acts of barbarism will ever be practiced anywhere in the world again. Also time for the US to re-assess its "alliance" with the Moonies in the South Korean government; as far as I am concerned, the "alliance" became null and void on the day Reverend Moon arrived on US shores and started wrecking American democracy.
AP via Yahoo!
What has been hidden very well, however, is South Korea's just-as-brutal execution of suspected leftists, many of them innocent illiterate peasants with no knowledge of Communism, who had been recruited into political prisoner camps - with incentives - just to fill government quotas, then executed when the North's forces were bearing down south.
A conservative estimate of the dead number at least 100,000, and most likely over twice that number may have been killed.
The US, which backed the brutal Syngman Rhee regime (Rhee was himself American), was ambivalent at best about these killings. Only when did relevant US documents become declassified after the Cold War did some of these atrocities start to see the light of day. The previous leftist government of South Korea have set up toothless commissions that are further looking into the issue, but the newly elected Moonie right-wing government wants to have none of it, saying that re-opening old wounds won't help (a sentiment very well shared in Koreatown USA).
I consider this issue to be at the same level of atrocity as Japan's well-publicized massacre of residents of Nanjing, China. The truth must be known, so that no similar acts of barbarism will ever be practiced anywhere in the world again. Also time for the US to re-assess its "alliance" with the Moonies in the South Korean government; as far as I am concerned, the "alliance" became null and void on the day Reverend Moon arrived on US shores and started wrecking American democracy.
AP via Yahoo!
17 May 2008
Margaret Cho
She was absolutely hilarious last night at Viejas Casino in Alpine, east of San Diego.
She was also very upbeat about the developments in California in the past week, including the legalization of gay marriage, one of her major causes.
Definitely worth the long drowsy drive to Alpine and back! And as fellow blogger DiAnne Grieser says, Margaret is a great counterbalance to Reverend Moon and all the other homophobic reactionary Korean-Americans.
Looking forward to another Margaret Cho routine in the future!
She was also very upbeat about the developments in California in the past week, including the legalization of gay marriage, one of her major causes.
Definitely worth the long drowsy drive to Alpine and back! And as fellow blogger DiAnne Grieser says, Margaret is a great counterbalance to Reverend Moon and all the other homophobic reactionary Korean-Americans.
Looking forward to another Margaret Cho routine in the future!
16 May 2008
Let's get married
One of my favorite lesbian couples, actresses Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi (the latter was Nelle Porter on Ally McBeal), will tie the knot on July 7th, and has a wedding registry at Crate & Barrel, in the wake of yesterday's legalization of gay marriage in California.
Congratulations - and lesbian power!
Just Jared
As there will be a huge rush of gay couples applying for marriage licenses over the next few weeks/months, straight couples are advised to get their marriage licenses now, before the crush starts. And gay couples will themselves want to get hitched now, to make sure that they will legally marry before the possible passage of the constitutional ban. County clerks all over California will be very busy this year, for sure.
One more thing: marriage licenses will now be gender-neutral, and will absolutely make no distinction between straight and gay relationships. This is good for the transgender community, as transpeople's legal gender may be in limbo, and gender-neutral marriage licenses are the only ones that will stand up to scrutiny in court.
Congratulations - and lesbian power!
Just Jared
As there will be a huge rush of gay couples applying for marriage licenses over the next few weeks/months, straight couples are advised to get their marriage licenses now, before the crush starts. And gay couples will themselves want to get hitched now, to make sure that they will legally marry before the possible passage of the constitutional ban. County clerks all over California will be very busy this year, for sure.
One more thing: marriage licenses will now be gender-neutral, and will absolutely make no distinction between straight and gay relationships. This is good for the transgender community, as transpeople's legal gender may be in limbo, and gender-neutral marriage licenses are the only ones that will stand up to scrutiny in court.
15 May 2008
Gay Marriage Legal in California
According to a state supreme court ruling issued this morning. In 30 days, marriage licenses will actually be issued to California same-sex couples. Proposition 22 from 2000 is now unconstitutional, and has been overturned for good.
SF Gate
However, it bears remembering that there is a constitutional ban on gay marriage that may be voted on in November, which, if passed, will override this ruling. And I expect strong support for it in the immigrant communities of Southern California.
Also worth remembering: gay marriage remains unrecognized under federal law, and these new gay marriages will not have any federal benefits.
SF Gate
However, it bears remembering that there is a constitutional ban on gay marriage that may be voted on in November, which, if passed, will override this ruling. And I expect strong support for it in the immigrant communities of Southern California.
Also worth remembering: gay marriage remains unrecognized under federal law, and these new gay marriages will not have any federal benefits.
Barack Obama and the town of Obama, Japan
An interesting article on the town of Obama, Japan, and its relationship with presidential candidate Barack Obama:
Reuters
And it looks like I have no choice but to support the Obama candidacy, even though I am still incensed about his homophobic advisors. The level of discourse coming out of the Hillary Clinton and John McCain camps is unacceptable, and Obama's promise of change may pretty much be the most needed thing in Washington, DC right now. Of course, making the decision is a bit easier when John Edwards, my original pick for the race, is now endorsing Obama.
Reuters
And it looks like I have no choice but to support the Obama candidacy, even though I am still incensed about his homophobic advisors. The level of discourse coming out of the Hillary Clinton and John McCain camps is unacceptable, and Obama's promise of change may pretty much be the most needed thing in Washington, DC right now. Of course, making the decision is a bit easier when John Edwards, my original pick for the race, is now endorsing Obama.
12 May 2008
Major disasters in Asia
Between a cyclone in Burma, and today's earthquake in China's Sichuan Province, at least 40,000 people have been killed, according to the reports.
I can't even fathom how horrible it must be - especially for the survivors who have lost their loved ones, and in case of Burma, are not getting the help they desperately need in order to survive, due to government restrictions on aid workers' entry into the country. The importance of a good, responsive government, working for the people as opposed to itself, cannot be emphasized enough.
The Sichuan quake appears to be 7.9 on the Richter scale, about what the 1906 San Francisco quake is estimated to have measured. This reminds me that it can happen to me anytime, too.
My thoughts are with the victims of these horrible disasters.
I can't even fathom how horrible it must be - especially for the survivors who have lost their loved ones, and in case of Burma, are not getting the help they desperately need in order to survive, due to government restrictions on aid workers' entry into the country. The importance of a good, responsive government, working for the people as opposed to itself, cannot be emphasized enough.
The Sichuan quake appears to be 7.9 on the Richter scale, about what the 1906 San Francisco quake is estimated to have measured. This reminds me that it can happen to me anytime, too.
My thoughts are with the victims of these horrible disasters.
06 May 2008
Indianapolis Update
I am currently in touch with Johnson Controls as it investigates what had happened to me in Indiana. I currently have an offer of a full refund (plus some travel reimbursement) and some apologies; even by its own standards, what happened in Indy was unacceptable.
I prefer not to discuss this matter further until everything is resolved.
I prefer not to discuss this matter further until everything is resolved.
01 May 2008
I've returned home
I've been fed up all day, and my family business could feel it. I was asked to cut the misery short and fly back to California on the next available flight, so I re-booked, checked out of the hotel, loitered at the Speedway without checking out its museum (I was in too foul a mood to ever get out of my car), before returning the car and checking in for the flights home. In the process, I boosted United Airlines' bottom line by another $280 - that's more than the original fare of $240.
I picked an itinerary involving a change of planes in Denver; this turned out to be a hassle, as Denver had a freak snowstorm today, and all flights from Denver, including the aircraft that came to Indy to pick me up and the one that brought me back to Los Angeles, had de-icing delays.
Even during the flights, I found it a challenge to contain my residual anger. I don't think I really calmed down until I started playing George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" (aptly, the theme music for the airline I was flying on) on my iPhone, right over the majestic Grand Canyon.
In any case, I am home, and couldn't be more relieved. From now on, I will find an alternate way to get the education I need in air conditioning controls.
I picked an itinerary involving a change of planes in Denver; this turned out to be a hassle, as Denver had a freak snowstorm today, and all flights from Denver, including the aircraft that came to Indy to pick me up and the one that brought me back to Los Angeles, had de-icing delays.
Even during the flights, I found it a challenge to contain my residual anger. I don't think I really calmed down until I started playing George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" (aptly, the theme music for the airline I was flying on) on my iPhone, right over the majestic Grand Canyon.
In any case, I am home, and couldn't be more relieved. From now on, I will find an alternate way to get the education I need in air conditioning controls.
Going back to "lunatic" California
I am unable to make up my mind, as to whether I return to Los Angeles tomorrow night, as scheduled, or return today, as my heart calls out.
Honestly, I have no interest in staying in the Hoosier State any longer. I don't even know if I want to go forward with any of my local sightseeing plans, which had been scheduled for tonight and tomorrow.
On the other hand, the airfare and ticket change fee will get me clobbered if I try to return home today. The fare will practically double, and the flight choices don't look great either. And I need to decide within the next hour or so, as my checkout deadline from the hotel for today approaches. Otherwise, I am stuck till tomorrow. It will be more cost-effective for me to stay as the hotel costs only $70 for an extra night, and 5 days of rental car is same as 6 days.
I will have to make my decision soon. Let's see how things unfold.
Honestly, I have no interest in staying in the Hoosier State any longer. I don't even know if I want to go forward with any of my local sightseeing plans, which had been scheduled for tonight and tomorrow.
On the other hand, the airfare and ticket change fee will get me clobbered if I try to return home today. The fare will practically double, and the flight choices don't look great either. And I need to decide within the next hour or so, as my checkout deadline from the hotel for today approaches. Otherwise, I am stuck till tomorrow. It will be more cost-effective for me to stay as the hotel costs only $70 for an extra night, and 5 days of rental car is same as 6 days.
I will have to make my decision soon. Let's see how things unfold.
Business Terminated in Indy
I am in no mood to repeat myself, so I will just copy-paste what I had posted to Democracy Cell Project:
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Update from Indianapolis...
My business trip here was to take an air conditioning controls class with Johnson Controls - the same company that probably made the seats in your car, among other things.
However, the class was an extremely biased environment, where California's environmentalism and gun control laws were dismissed as left wing lunatic ideas, among MANY other things.
When it came to the point this morning where families of victims commemorating the anniversaries of Virginia Tech massacre and other school shootings were dismissed as liberal pansies, and the Democrats were the source of ALL problems in this country, I decided that I had enough, and left.
The ringleader of this whole thing was the class instructor, visiting from Orange County, California.
There is another 1 1/2 days of business to do before I walk away with a certificate (what I came to Indy for), but I have no interest in a certificate from such a reactionary company. And I have no interest in working in such a reactionary field either.
It's very early morning back in California, but my family business has already been notified of my decision to discontinue the class, and is supportive of my decision. It's been left up to me as to whether I want to return home tomorrow, as scheduled, or today, as I feel like now. When I return home, we will brainstorm ways on how I will continue my education, but in any case, Johnson Controls will never be involved again.
And if you ever want me to install air conditioning controls for your building, rest assured that I will NEVER use or recommend Johnson Controls unless you specify it (as the military often does).