"I have seldom felt helpless in my life. I hold to the hillbilly standard that there is no situation so hopeless that, through perseverance, I cannot make worse."
I'd say let them go if the land wasn't an important part of my West Coast secession plan: Baja, California, Oregon, Washington and B.C. One awesome new country and our economic fortunes would expand exponentially once we were no longer subsidizing leech red states.
"Those counties vote for Republicans who vow to cut taxes and spending -- and, of course, those counties also get more in state money than they contribute in taxes. That is, San Franciscans and people in Los Angeles are subsidizing with our tax dollars counties that elect people who don't want taxes.
Fine. Leave us. Without those counties, California would have a two-thirds Democratic majority in both houses, easy. The state would be able to raise taxes to balance the budget. California's credit rating would improve and the cost of bonds would drop. A Democrat could run for governor without pandering to the conservatives. Maybe we could even get rid of the death penalty.
South California would be an economic basket case -- but it would still be part of America, so the Democrats and sane people who are stuck living there would be able to move north without worrying about ICE. I'd even propose setting aside a state fund (maybe equal to some percentage of what California now spends subsidizing the tax haters) to help pay relocation expenses for low-income liberal refugees."
"Operating the telescope array costs about $1.5 million a year, according to The Associated Press.
SETI has other telescope arrays at its disposal, but the Allen Telescope Array is the biggest and, unlike other facilities, is dedicated to the institute's operations.
The shutdown comes after NASA announced that its space telescope Kepler had discovered 1,235 new possible planets, some of which were in the 'habitable zone,' where liquid water could exist.
'There is a huge irony that a time when we discover so many planets to look at, we don't have the operating funds to listen,' SETI Director Jill Tarter told Mercury News."
"SAN FRANCISCO – Billionaire financier George Soros has thrown his weight behind California's marijuana legalization measure with a $1 million donation a week before the vote. The contribution reported Tuesday by The Sacramento Bee is the single biggest donation from an individual other than Proposition 19's main sponsor, Oakland medical marijuana entrepreneur Richard Lee."
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Forward looking NorCal. Thank jeebus. I love the headlands.
"America is a free country. This doesn’t refer to its citizens exclusively, it also includes the nation as a whole. Europeans (Queers), Asians (Chinese) and the rest of the world (losers) are devoted to making certain concepts universal. As Americans, we shun that idea. We’re going to do whatever we want and the rest of the world can deal with it."
"Conservatives and Liberals are often at odds concerning past events and their accuracy. For instance, Liberals think that Bill Clinton was a successful president. Bill Clinton cheated on his wife and he is fat, so that cancels everything else out. As we go further back in time, liberal ideas become more outrageous."
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Damn right, Labor.
It really sucks that Obama and his asshole lackeys hate the Democratic base so much.
"The California Assembly voted 41 to 27 to ban single-use plastic grocery bags, and the bill is expected to pass the senate and get signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger. Should it pass, you'll have to bring reusable bags to the store or pay at least 5 cents apiece for recycled paper bags when getting your goods bagged."
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I'd be better off too if'n I gots to see two chicks kiss every day. I'll be here all week. Thank you. Thank you ladies and germs.
"In order to minimise surface area, he explained, a bubble forms an almost perfect hemisphere when it is in contact with a solid or liquid surface. When it pops, a two step process unfolds, creating a ring of smaller bubbles.
Until now, the exactly how that happened was not understood."
I met Leon (ChutneyMan) this Saturday at a local farmers market. I spent a good 30-45 minutes with Leon as he took me through several of his flavors on a plastic spoon. But the added bonus was the the conversation went from food to life back to food then more life.
A truly special experience. Check out his website. His sauces are devine. I purchased the Green Chili sauce which will be introduced to some pork soon and my northern doll bought some Hot Coconut Cilantro sauce that looks like a science experiment gone awry but tastes out of this world and a Sun dried Tomato and Mango chutney that we pasted on some artisan bread and top with some local made sharp white cheddar. Damn awesome.
Leon has prepared sauces for the Queen of England and the U.S. Open Golf Championship. He also supplies local celebrity chefs who he won't kiss and tell but I inferred one of them is on the Food Network and has some spiky white hair.
Buy some of his stuff. You won't be disappointed. I tasted at lease 10-15 of these sauces.
"Cocktails are mixed with great sincerity at Bourbon and Branch in San Francisco. Take the Clermont Affair, a marriage of pear-infused Old Overholt whiskey, a liqueur called Amaro Nonino, barrel-aged bitters and a house-made tincture of cloves."
"I loved the 50 State Strategy rhetorically, strategically, politically. The SPP was a godsend -- and electorally really effective (we retained a governorship, won a swing Congressional seat, and took over the majority in both houses of our legislative in the 4 years we had the SPP). I raised about $120,000 for the DNC on my good word that the SPP and the 50SS were crucial.
It is a goddam shame that Tim Kaine, David Axelrod, and Rahm Emmanuel, three guys who probably don't agree upon much, were able to all but kill off the SPP and 50SS."
"Therese Murray, the Senate president, has called for a commission to study whether Massachusetts, whose economy partly relies on its money management firms, should adopt the North Dakota model, which has been credited with helping that state escape the worst of the recession.
In Massachusetts, such a bank might, for example, replace the commercial institutions that now collect fees for managing the Commonwealth's revenues.
A new Massachusetts state bank could help unfreeze the still sluggish credit markets by lending funds to other banks, enabling them to make more small business loans, for exampl
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Crazy Mormon Conservative State = Fucking worst people in the world.
"The International Olympic Committee will investigate the actions of Canadian women's hockey players who celebrated their gold medal victory Thursday night by swigging beer and smoking cigars on the ice in Vancouver."
"On Thursday night at a DNC fundraising dinner in San Francisco, President Obama took a new analogy in addressing his critics. 'Another way of putting it is when, you know, I'm busy and [Speaker] Nancy [Pelosi]'s busy with our mop cleaning up somebody else's mess -- we don't want somebody sitting back saying, you're not holding the mop the right way.' Obama paused for applause. 'Why don't you grab a mop, why don't you help clean up.'
Obama continued riffing -- 'You're not mopping fast enough. That's a socialist mop' -- but sobered up quickly. 'Grab a mop -- let's get to work.'"
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The United States of America. Where the best ideas are always dismissed before even being considered.
"Ever wonder why the single most sensible, economical and democratic way to provide health care to every person in the US was never really mentioned in the rhetoric whirlwind of public options, opt-outs, co-ops, triggers and free market embracing?
Part of the reason why is that the media refused to mention it:
The media analysis group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) issued an action alert September 22 titled 'NYT Slams Single-Payer' that described lopsided reporting in a New York Times article about 'Medicare for all,' a form of a single-payer health care system. FAIR noted that the article, titled 'Medicare for All? ‘Crazy,’ ‘Socialized’ and Unlikely', laid out a list of arguments against single-payer while failing to include any balancing responses from the option's supporters."
"WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration will not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they conform to state laws, under new policy guidelines to be sent to federal prosecutors Monday.
Two Justice Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state laws.
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Reeaalllly, now. Did not know this, but damn good to know.
"A little noticed policy at two California airports allows properly qualified passengers to fly the friendly skies carrying up to a half pound of marijuana, news agencies revealed Friday.
'The policy [at Oakland International Airport] is spelled out in a three-page document quietly enacted last year by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office,' Mercury News reported. 'It states that if deputies determine someone is a qualified patient or primary caregiver as defined by California law and has eight ounces or less of the drug, he or she can keep it and board the plane.'"
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Just a matter of time.
How's about we really start pushing hemp growth to aid our farmers, too.
But, I guess once the hard stuff is legal, no road blocks will remain to growing the industrial stuff.
"New data from U.S. polling firm Gallup shows nearly half of Americans -- a record number -- are in support of legalizing and taxing marijuana for recreational use by adults."
"'What we have to do today is make a covenant, to slit our wrists, be blood brothers on this thing,' said Bachmann. 'This will not pass. We will do whatever it takes to make sure this doesn't pass.'"
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Your elite liberal media.
Here's my monthly "If you are watching any cable 'news' as your primary source of information, you are seriously being misinformed" statement.
"Bartiromo's response to this argument was a true head-scratcher. In a mocking tone, she pressed the congressman: 'How come you don't use it [Medicare]? You don't have it. How come you don't have it?'
Rep. Weiner, who turns 45 this week, tried to walk Bartiromo through it. 'Because I'm not 65.' But she was insistent. 'Yeah... c'mon!' she exclaimed, laughing incredulously."
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Damn Right! I've been waiting for more union head cracking.
"The AFL-CIO, America’s largest federation of labor unions representing over 11 million members, is digging its heels in and telling congressional Democrats they will not enjoy the union’s support unless a public insurance policy emerges from the current debate.
“The AFL-CIO’s incoming president, Richard Trumka, outlined ‘three absolute musts’ in any overhaul package: a public option, an employer mandate and no tax on employer-provided health benefits,” reported Politico.
“Asked if the union would work against any bill that did not hit those targets, Trumka told reporters during a briefing: ‘That means we won’t support the bill if it doesn’t have the public option.’”"
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Yeah, but we're a bunch of fucking hippies... with more money than god pumping through the city even during shitty times.
"The party included three hours of dancing, drinks and booths filled with items ranging from 'Cougar Kits' to 'Cougar kitty' T-shirts for $20 sold by Becky Aguilar of Mountain View, recently divorced and looking for fun, but not necessarily younger men, she said.
Miss Cougar America was selected by a vote of the men in attendance.
Watching from a distance was hotel guest Mark Friedman, 45, of Boston, in town for a wedding.
'I've never seen so many useless 20-year-olds in my life,' he said. 'This is a uniquely American phenomenon.'"
"South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford admitted to an extra-marital affair with an Argentinian woman Wednesday afternoon, at an eagerly-awaited press conference to explain his sudden disappearance last week.
Sanford also announced his resignation as chair of the Republican Governors’ Association.
“I’ve been unfaithful to my wife,” Sanford said in front of the cameras. “I developed a relastionship with … a dear, dear friend from Argentina. It began very innocently, as I suspect these things do. In the last year, it developed into something much more than that.”
“I spent the last five days of my life crying in Argentina,” Sanford said, explaining his break-up with his love interest.
As a consequence of his actions, “I hurt a lot of different folks,” Sanford said. He apologized to his family, to his staff, and to South Carolina voters, in that order.
Sanford asked the press to respect “a zone of privacy” for his family, saying that the work of rebuilding his family life is “not best dealt with through the prism of TV cameras and newspaper headlines.”"
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Oh, I get it. He was only against stimulus for his state, not... ok, clear now.
'"South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford spent more than $21,000 of taxpayers' money on international travel last year, at least part of which was spent on travel to Argentina -- where his mistress is located."
"WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A nationwide health insurance exchange that includes a Medicare-like government option could save $1.8 trillion more than if only private plans are offered, a prominent private U.S. health policy group said on Wednesday."
"(06-24) 10:56 PDT REDWOOD CITY -- A homeless man is on trial in San Mateo County on charges that he smacked a fellow transient in the face with a skateboard as the victim was engaged in a conversation about quantum physics, authorities said today."
"A Southern California man employed in the entertainment business is the fourth person verified by scientists to have an ultra-rare memory gift: He recalls in detail most days of his life, as well as the day and date of key public events, says Larry Cahill, who co-leads a project on people with super-memory."
"01-22) 11:30 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- Trees are dying faster than ever in the old-growth forests of California and the mountains of the West, a phenomenon scientists say is linked to rising regional temperatures and the destructive forces of early snowmelt, drought, forest fires and deadly insect infestations brought on by global warming."
"If, as the old saying goes, insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result each time, then the Athens-Clarke County government's insistence on continuing a legal battle aimed at denying a property tax exemption to local nonprofit Nu�i's Space is, well ... insane."
According to this part of the editorial, it seems Nuci's is within their legal rights to be exempt from a property tax so I'm not sure why the ACC Unified Government is pitching a bitch.
"In 2007, the facility's executive director applied for a property tax exemption under a relatively new addition to state law that exempts nonprofits from property taxes even if they operate like a business. That law was added to the books in 2006, after winning overwhelming approval - by a 68 percent to 32 percent margin - in a 2006 statewide referendum."
The conclusion of the editorial pretty much nails it:
"Yet, despite the unmitigated clarity of the state law, despite a court ruling, despite the assessment of a board of citizens, and despite the fact that the federal government has granted nonprofit status to Nuci's Space, the Athens-Clarke County government stubbornly insists there is some issue at stake, an issue of such overweening importance that it justifies a continuing crusade against a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping a group of people who make Athens the unique community it is.
It's time to stop the madness. The county Board of Assessors should drop this case - now."
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Here's a rebuttal editorial. Doesn't seem to hold much water, especially when author asks us to trust him and the tax board.
"Trust me, inspection of all will strengthen the entire system. In this case, the coming of the taxman should be a welcome sight."
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So do some civic duty today and send an email to the ACC. Be nice (This really stinks) but express your opinion on why the ACC would want to create such an unbelievable image issue for themselves.
"WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama's new administration ordered all federal agencies and departments on Tuesday to stop any pending regulations until they can be reviewed by incoming staff, halting last-minute Bush orders in their tracks."
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Front pages from around the world. My favorite is posted below the link.
And here's a real prayer. Rick Warren's was as awful as he is.
Rev. Lowery knocked it out of the park.
While I was thoroughly put off by the inclusion of Rick Warren, having Lowery follow him up was a clear contradiction. Obama is a smart guy even when he pisses me off a bit.
"Rev. Lowery's benediction, on the other hand, was surprisingly fiery, especially from the lips of an 87-year-old. Its wrapup was spine-tingling:
Help us then, now, Lord, to work for that day when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors, when every man and every woman shall sit under his or her own vine and fig tree, and none shall be afraid; when justice will roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.
Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get back, when brown can stick around -- (laughter) -- when yellow will be mellow -- (laughter) -- when the red man can get ahead, man -- (laughter) -- and when white will embrace what is right.
Let all those who do justice and love mercy say amen."
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A main vein street in San Francisco is named 'Bush' Street. Yesterday morning someone took Obama stickers and placed them over all of the street signs on Bush.
After living in a city where there is never a need to drive drunk, I'm now terrified to have even just one drink if I'm in another town and am driving a car.
The threat of a DUI abolishes any and all fun in places where mass transit doesn't exist or isn't necessarily viable.
Transit sans cars equals good economics for the spirits industry.
"President-Elect Barack Obama is under pressure from all sides to create exactly the right kind of economic stimulus package -- some want it green, some want it huge, some say it has to be both (a trillion dollars? ouch!). Early talk had the stimulus going to revamp and green US infrastructure. Better transportation and better energy transmission.
Now there's another argument in favor of improving transportation in the US -- beer:
Driving under the influence of alcohol is a very serious matter. But count me among those who enjoy a good brew or single malt from time to time, so I am not without sympathy for those who find it difficult to enjoy themselves in a world where options other than driving are limited."
Rank: 3 Workers who would like to move there: 9% Median household income: $68,023 Median home value: $766,985 Annual home price change: -5.5%
San Francisco is one of the most beautiful cities in the world (it's also one of the most expensive). It's a progressive city with a vibrant economy, a vibrant arts and cultural scene, and a busy seaport. The University of California, San Francisco is one of the nation's top medical colleges. The city has become a biotech and technology center like neighboring Silicon Valley. The city's top attributes, according to the survey, were the environment (climate, parks, natural features, etc.), entertainment options, residents' background, talents and perspectives, and professional/personal opportunities."
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Buh-bye. Get the fuck out. Let the door hit you in the ass and pretty much everywhere else on your way out.
"Israeli mortar shells struck outside a U.N. school where hundreds of Palestinians had sought refuge on Tuesday, killing at least 30 people — many of them children whose parents wailed in grief at a hospital filled with dead and wounded."
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Keep an eye on this kid. He's got the type of gumption that leads to great things.
If I was 6 years old and missed the bus, I'm hiding out in the woods all day building a fort.
"A state appeals court ruled Tuesday that a person who is voluntarily nude in the presence of another still has privacy rights against being secretly videotaped, in a decision that bolsters Wisconsin's video voyeur law."
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I'll bet you a bazillion dollars that the Sonoma, Mendocino and Humboldt coast will never, ever see a platform raised.
Imagine 100,000 personal watercraft off of these coastlines raising unheard of holy hell. It will make Greenpeace look like a flotilla of intertubes.
NorCal folks know how to stop some shit from going down... and they will most definitely prevent this from ever happening.
Bush is cute when he thinks the state of California will take any of his last minute bullshit.
"The federal government is taking steps that may open California's fabled coast to oil drilling in as few as three years, an action that could place dozens of platforms off the Sonoma, Mendocino and Humboldt coasts, and raises the specter of spills, air pollution and increased ship traffic into San Francisco Bay."
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Speaking of 'Fuck that guy'....
Should of been a Top 2000 list.
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Blogged about this previous. I love this guy and I hope he expands it across the U.S. or people take up similar causes virally.
"Today is the 75th anniversary of the end of America's 'noble experiment' - the prohibition of intoxicating liquor.
San Francisco celebrated the day 75 years ago by raising a glass or two, and the city will do it again today.
At exactly 2:31 p.m. on this day in 1933, word reached San Francisco that the 21st Amendment abolishing Prohibition had been ratified. The siren on the Ferry Building sounded, and a parade of 14 trucks loaded with legal liquor headed up Market Street to City Hall to present Mayor Angelo Rossi with California wine and a case of gin."
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I've driven by, but never walked out to where you can see the location. Apparently it was perfect this year.
"Some surfers called it the best Maverick's they'd ever seen. Some found their exuberance mixed with near-death experiences. Everyone agreed that whatever fate meets the annual Maverick's contest - an event facing a serious financial crisis - there couldn't be a better show than last weekend's at the famed spot near Half Moon Bay."
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The Tenderloin neighborhood in SF is.... well, colorful, to say the least.
This dude has hung a couple of streaming web cams from his window to catch all of the insanity. Late night/early morning viewing is the best time.
"TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Bent over or sitting at a table, gripping a ballpoint pen, marker or crayon, Frank Calloway spends his days turning visions from his youth into lively murals — and at 112 years old, the images of his childhood are a window to another time.
Drawn on sheets of butcher paper and sometimes stretching to more than 30 feet long, the works mostly show rural agricultural scenes, with buildings, trains and vehicles straight out of the early 20th century. And his colorful creations are gaining more attention in the art world.
"State Police arrested a man early Tuesday whose blood alcohol level allegedly was .491, more than six times the legal limit, which they believe is the highest ever recorded in Rhode Island for someone who wasn't dead.
The man, 34, was arrested after he drove into a highway message board on Interstate 95 in Providence, Maj. Steven O'Donnell said."
The past weekend kicked much ass. Went to see Stanley Clark, had lunch at my favorite Roman Restaurant, was taken to dinner at a fancy steakhouse, took a beautiful drive along the Valley of the Moon, another lunch at a Mexican joint who wood smoke their meats in the beautiful town of Sonoma, and finally a Picasso Ceramics exhibit. Thanks to my two dear friends for taking me along on the journey.
Life is a bitch, but she can be a really cool bitch sometimes.
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When you get that Obama smear email forwarded to you by a toothless cousin below is your ammo for response:
"At the Republican state convention, a booth hosted by Republicanmarket was selling a pin Saturday that says: If Obama is President will we still call it the White House."
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Jon Stewart kills the traditional media, or as I like to call them 'merchants of smear', on their fecal wiping. Must see TV:
"WASHINGTON - Democrat Barack Obama says he'll take no lectures from Republicans on who will keep America safer. GOP rival John McCain's campaign criticized Obama Tuesday for speaking approvingly of the successful prosecution of terrorists."
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Blame teh gays.
Hilarious.
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I hate the word 'synergy' with a white hot passion.
33. 'I once had a boss who said, 'You can't have your cake and eat it, so you have to step up to the plate and face the music.' It was in that moment I knew I had to resign before somebody got badly hurt by a pencil.'"
"Mukasey's quote that they had known that a call coming from a safe house in Afghanistan to the United States made the hair on my neck stand on end, because if Mukasey wasn't lying or tripping over his own words - and according to Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann - he just admitted criminal malfeasance on the part of the administration for what happened on 9/11!"
"WASHINGTON - For at least 16 months after the Sept. 11 terror attacks in 2001, the Bush administration believed that the Constitution's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures on U.S. soil didn't apply to its efforts to protect against terrorism."
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At first I thought this was an April Fools, but it turns out not so much. Hilarious. I love San Francisco.
"Looking to honor the forty-third President of the United States of America, George W. Bush, the recently formed Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco is looking to change the name of the Oceanside Wastewater Treatment Facility. It seems the group would like to rename the SF Zoo adjacent facility to the 'George W Bush Sewage Plant.'
Genius."
Here's the official website. Peaches Christ, Gender Illusionist, is on the board.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- A recent survey that found some Florida teens believe drinking a cap of bleach will prevent HIV and a shot of Mountain Dew will stop pregnancy has prompted lawmakers to push for an overhaul of sex education in the state.
The survey showed that Florida teens also believe that smoking marijuana will prevent a person from getting pregnant.
State lawmakers said the myths are spreading because of Florida's abstinence-only sex education, Local 6 reported."
