Haiwee: politics, environment and the outdoors

Lapel Pin?

2008-04-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

Let me get this straight. Last night was probably the last chance to get Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton together for one of their "debates," the last chance to try to get them to differentiate their policy proposals. The country is mired in recession, with full-blown depression on the horizon. We're still in Iraq, an untenable occupation that is draining the public treasure and killing and maiming our soldiers. Our schools are failing, millions of people have no health insurance, the middle class is disappearing, we still don't have a coherent immigration policy, gas is almost four dollars a gallon, and almost none of the 9-11 commission's recommendations have been adopted.

There are any number of pressing issues upon which the voting public is clamoring for the opinions of both Obama and Clinton, yet the best the finest minds at ABC news can come up with is to focus on Barack Obama's fashion sense? Are you kidding me?

Let's leave aside the fact that flag etiquette suggests that "the flag should not be used as part of a costume or athletic uniform, except that a flag patch may be used on the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen and members of patriotic organizations." Instead, let's focus on the specious claim here: that, somehow, not wearing a flag on his lapel means Barack Obama isn't patriotic. All I can say is that if this is the best his opposition can come up with, Obama can go ahead and book his room at the White House.

Indeed, Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos -- pin-heads that they are -- wasted a good fifty minutes trying to play "gotcha" with Obama while a giddy Hillary grinned like the village idiot as she played spectator. It was last night, as I watched a once-proud network sink to the dark depths of tabloid journalism, I finally realized that what many pundits have been saying for years is really true: broadcast journalism (with the exception of Keith Olberman), is officially dead. Thank God for the internet.

Will Defection of Hillary Voters Hurt Obama?

2008-04-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

I'm on record as saying that whining Hillary supporters who vow never to vote for Barack Obama are guilty of cutting off their noses to spite their faces. Indeed, many have gone so far as to say they'd vote for John McCain if their "inevitable candidate" is denied the nomination. I've tried to convince these people that such sentiments amount to lunacy, that to prefer a third Bush term to Obama is the height of hubris and self-flogging.

I've worried that, should enough Hillary supporters jump ship, Obama could conceivably be denied in the general election, an historical disaster that could possibly foreshadow the eventual demise of our once great nation.

After some reflection, however, I'm not so worried anymore. My guess is that the percentage of self-avowed "Evangelical Christians" and "Core Conservatives" who stay at home rather than vote for McCain will far outstrip the percentage of stubborn Hillary supporters who defect to McCain. Republicans appear to be apathetic and lethargic this time around, and, as I have noted before, turnout will be the real story of the general election.

And why shouldn't Republicans be dispirited? The era of Republican rule has reached an ignominious and inglorious end: the economy in shambles, a result of "free market economics" run amok; an unpopular and disastrous war and occupation, based upon lies and with no end in sight; no real action on their "core" issues of gays, guns and abortion; the mortgage meltdown as a direct result of Republican-supported deregulation. The Republicans have had their chance, and it has been empirically proven their way doesn't work. Republicans are depressed, as well they should be. They've been repudiated by history, and they'll stay home in droves this time.

Obama and Hillary, on the other hand, have inspired record numbers of voters, including the elusive "younger voters," to vote during this primary season. Independents and even Republicans have crossed over to vote for both of them in large numbers. Despite the internecine battle between the two candidates, the Democrats remain inspired and invigorated.

So when you read these polls about Hillary supporters voting for McCain, or McCain gaining an advantage over "likely voters" in a contest against Obama, remember these polls are merely snapshots in time. Most of the Hillary supporters will come to their senses, and many of these so-called "likely Republican voters" won't be seen at the ballot box. Come November, folks will be thronging to the polls to vote for Democrats in numbers never seen before, while countless numbers of core Republican voters will be sitting this one out in shame.

Ho, Hum, Lakers Qualify For Postseason

2008-04-05T07:07:00.000-07:00

Has any professional sports franchise matched the L.A. Lakers record of success? In downing the Mavericks last night, the Lakers have now qualified for post season play a remarkable 55 times in 60 years. Including their Minnesota years they have won 16 league championships (better than once every four years) and 33 division championships (more than half).

I know, it seems as if every team in the NBA gets a playoff invite every year. But try telling that to the Clippers, the sad-sack co-tenant at the Staples Center. The Clippers only make it to the playoffs once in a blue moon, or when pigs fly, or whatever hackneyed cliche you want to use. Around here, however, the Lakers not making the playoffs qualifies as a "Man Bites Dog" story.

A couple of years ago, when Mitch Kupchak unceremoniously dumped Big Shaq for some blankets and trinkets, the locals were ready to go after Mitch with torches and pitchforks. Turns out Mitch actually knew what he was doing. Now the Lakers have the best player in the game -- still in his prime -- a smart, young big man in Pau Gasol and one of the best up-and-coming stars in the league in Andrew Bynum. Can you believe that, when Bynum finally gets back, Lamar Odom will be the third option on this team?

Yes, for Lakers fans, the salad days aren't just here again -- they've never left.

Hillary More Prepared to Be Commander in Chief

2008-03-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

Just look at some of the statements of past presidents:
Richard Nixon: "I am not a crook."
Ronald Reagan: "To the best of my knowledge, our government was not involved in this Iran-Contra business."
George H.W. Bush: "Read my lips: no new taxes."
Bill Clinton: "I did not have sex with that woman."
George W. Bush: err, time and space doesn't permit me to list all the half-truths, disseminations and flat-out lies emanating from the mouth of our most esteemed leader.

Presidents lying through their teeth to the American people has been so commonplace the last thirty years it almost seems a prerequisite for the job. In this light, Hillary's claims about being under sniper fire during her visit to Bosnia several years ago take on new meaning: she's merely a president in training, and a better trained and more believable liar than Obama, for sure.

McCain Says Sunni, Shiia "Best Friends"

2008-03-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

During his fact-finding mission to Iraq, John McCain was quoted that it was "common knowledge" that Sunni members of Al Qaeda routinely travel to Shiia Iran for training.

In a related story, scientists announced the stunning discovery that insects in fact like windshields and that elephant seals are secretly in love with killer whales.

Meanwhile, historians of ancient Rome have unearthed conclusive evidence that the Christians in fact loved the lions.

Five Years Later

2008-03-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

So today marks the fifth anniversary of our invasion of Iraq. Five years after we invaded -- for no apparent reason -- a sovereign nation that posed no threat to us whatsoever, we still find ourselves mired in the midst of a civil war of our own making. Five years later, and Iraq is no closer to any sort of political solution than it was the day we took down Saddam Hussein, the day our incompetent president declared "mission accomplished."

During those five years, nearly 4,000 American men and women have lost their lives in this futile, unnecessary war. Almost 300,000 of our citizens have applied for medical benefits as a result of injuries, both physical and mental, incurred during this war and occupation. As many as a million Iraqi citizens have lost their lives, and many millions more have become refugees as a result of our actions. Far from making the world "safe from terrorism" (in the words of George W. Bush), our occupation instead functions as a prime recruitment tool for those who would most like to do us harm.

As staggering as have been the human costs of this monumental foreign policy blunder, the economic costs to our nation are just as harmful. Because of this war, we have squandered the future of our children and grandchildren. Indeed, the national debt rung up -- by a self-described "conservative" administration -- is larger that the accumulated debt of all previous administrations combined. Seven years ago our nation's government operated with a surplus and boasted of a booming economy that was the envy of the world. Today, be are mired in a severe recession that threatens to become a full-blown depression, while our overwhelming and untenable national debt leaves us with few options.

So this is the legacy of George W. Bush and his war: we are now a broken country. Our military is broken, our economy is broken, the dollar is in the dumpster, and the Middle East is in shambles. And yet he and his minions have the audacity to declare this disaster, even today, was the right thing to do. That his policies have somehow made us safer, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. That the costs, both human and monetary, are worth the price. On this fifth anniversary of the worst foreign policy disaster in our nation's history, in the end I can only offer this: shame on you, George Bush. Shame on those who would continue to enable you. And shame on us for allowing you to do this to our nation.

An Inspiring Politician

2008-03-18T18:24:00.000-07:00

I was seven years old when Bobby Kennedy ran for president, back in 1968. I can remember, to this day, my Mom listening to Kennedy speak, and weeping. When I asked her why she was crying, why she was sad, she said "I'm not sad, I'm happy. This man is going to be a great president. He inspires me. He inspires us all. He makes me believe we not only can, but will be a greater America."

Until today, I've never truly understood her feelings that day. I wasn't old enough to have comprehended the hope and promise inherent in Bobby Kennedy's speeches. I wasn't old enough to have heard Martin Luther King tell us "I have a dream," nor did I get to hear John F. Kennedy tell us "Ask not what your country do for you, ask what you can do for your country," other than as quaint sound bytes that only reminded me of an America that at one time was not only inspiring, but boasted of inspiring leaders.

Today, in this time, we again have a leader who inspires, whose words today actually had me weeping in my car as I was on my way to work. Barack Obama is that man, and this, I believe, is his time.

And it wasn't just his message today, however powerful it was. It was his manner. This man, so capable of delivering powerful, soaring oratory, was somber and humble this morning, befitting his subject manner.

Barack Obama is the man of the moment, who again fills us with the promise of a greater America, an America that, in his words, is a "more perfect union." He is an inspiration to me. And those are words I would never have thought I could write.

More Random Thoughts On the Day's News

2008-03-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

Eliot Spitzer knew the Republicans were out to get him. He knew he had a target on his back. Anyone who even remotely knows of the attorney firing scandal knows the Bush administration has thoroughly and utterly politicized the Department of Justice, and that DOJ officials would do anything to get any prominent Democrat they could. Given these facts, one is left with one simple question: what the hell was Eliot Spitzer thinking?

So the Fed moved yesterday to bolster financial markets by agreeing to swap mortgage-backed securities for Treasury Notes to the tune of $200 billion, a move most experts agree will only stave of a full-fledged recession for a few months. Maybe I'm just cynical, but doesn't this just seem like an expensive election-year ploy to protect Republicans?

Some Democratic party officials have begun clamoring to have the disputed Michigan and Florida delegations seated at the party convention after all. What kind of message would this send? That playing by the rules is optional? Seating these delegations would effectively neuter the Democratic Party's ability to set a fair and sane primary season next time around. If Florida and Michigan get seated, I expect California to move its next presidential primary up to, say, December. That's December 2009.

Memo to advertisers: quit trying to ruin Easter for my little boy. The past week has seen my wife and I scrambling for the remote whenever an ad comes on extolling Target or Walmart as the best place to get goodies for my son's Easter Basket. Listen, jerks, at my house that's the Easter Bunny's job. What's next, an ad at Christmastime telling me to get my Santa presents at Toys 'r' Us? They only get to enjoy the magic of Easter and Christmas for a few years as it is -- don't blow it for them with your crass commercialism.

Hillary Rove Clinton

2008-03-07T17:22:00.000-08:00

When Clinton falsely accuses Obama of cozying up to the Canadians and implying his anti-NAFTA rhetoric is just posturing, that's unfair. When it's subsequently found out she herself is guilty of the act with which she has falsely charged Obama, that's Karl Rove territory.

When a Clinton candidate equates Obama's calls for Hillary to disclose her income tax returns with persecution on the scale of Ken Starr, that's Rove territory.

When Clinton hems and haws when asked if Obama is a Christian, that's unfair. When it's subsequently found out a Clinton staffer likely was the source of that Email making the rounds that accuses Obama of being a Muslim who will swear on the Koran and who doesn't even know the pledge of allegiance, that's Rove territory.

And when Hillary says the only two candidates still running qualified enough to run the country are herself and a Republican, that's Rove territory.

The Clintons appear to have graduated valedictorian from the Rove school of politics. Her scorched-earth campaign could possibly cripple Obama's general campaign this fall, and she apparently thinks that is alright.

All I can say is that Howard Dean better find a way to throw this detestable woman under the bus, and fast, or we could be looking at four more years of the Bush presidency. Shame on her, and shame on her husband.

An Open Letter To Hillary Clinton

2008-03-04T21:35:00.000-08:00

Dearest Hillary:
For the love of God and country, please call this off. I know you won three of the four contests tonight, but even the most deluded of your advisers can't possibly contend you actually won anything of substance tonight. At the end of the day (or week, in the case of Texas), you will probably have fallen further behind in the elected delegate count. Barack Obama has an insurmountable lead. Regardless of what you do, he will arrive at the convention with more elected delegates, more of the popular vote, and probably more pledged super delegates than you. He will be the nominee, no matter what happens from here on out.

The problem, Hillary, is that your "kitchen sink" negative campaign might very well sabotage Obama's chances for election come November. If you truly care about your country and your party, you must cease and desist now. To persist only reinforces the idea you are purposely hurting Obama so you can defeat McCain -- or whomever is the Republican candidate -- in 2012. This stinks of pure political opportunism of the worst sort: that you are more hungry for power than you are hungry for patriotism.

Hillary, the country may not be able to withstand another four years of the failed Bush presidency; and make no mistake, another four years of Bush is exactly what McCain promises. We must not squander this opportunity to take back our nation. Please stop attacking Barack Obama. Please stop comparing your "experience" with McCain's, a thinly veiled swipe at your erstwhile opponent. Bow out gracefully, while you still can, and save whatever dignity you still have. Do it for us. Please.

Is Racism Dying?

2008-03-02T12:01:00.001-08:00

In an opinion piece published in today's Los Angeles Times, Abigail and Stephan Thernstrom bring up an interesting yet rarely discussed aspect of this year's presidential race: the stunning support of white voters garnered by Barack Obama. I am on record as suggesting the Democrats would have been wise to nominate John Edwards because I feared too much institutional racism still existed to allow Obama to win the general election. This year's primary results show that, so far, I was wrong.

In state after state Obama has won large amounts of the white vote, remarkable considering he's running against a female candidate who has attracted large numbers of voters based solely upon gender. He's won over 40% of the white male vote in "blue" states such as New York and California as well as in "red" states such as Utah and Georgia. Were he running against a white man as opposed to a white women, it seems reasonable to assume he would be winning like amounts of white female voters as well.

What is at work here, I believe, is that the sheer passage of time is slowly erasing institutional racism in our country. Beginning with Brown v. Board of Education, the ruling that ended segregation in our schools, and continuing with the civil rights movement of the 60's, most young people today have grown up in schools and neighborhoods that are far more diverse than their mother's and father's.

Indeed, in my neighborhood are homeowners of African American, Hispanic, Asian and Middle Eastern decent. My son's school is similarly diverse. Many of his playmates are people of color. He wouldn't even comprehend racism, much less practice it, because he has grown up in an environment in which all races are both present and equal.

And it these younger, racially unpretentious people -- of all races -- who are flocking to the Obama candidacy in unprecedented numbers, tipping the scales in his direction. Today, I not only think Obama can win the general election, I believe he will. His rise is another positive sign that racism is slowly being bred out of our country -- and a sign that, however slowly, the civil rights movement worked.

More Random Thoughts On the Day's News

2008-02-18T19:27:00.000-08:00

Good God, the Clintons must be at rock bottom to accuse Barack Obama of plagiarism for using his signature line "Yes We Can" in his stump speech. This is such a mundane and familiar line in normal, everyday conversation that claiming someone should attribute it to someone else is just nonsensical. What, was Mr. Obama supposed to have referenced "The Little Engine Who Could?"

Meanwhile, here in Southern California, mistreatment of animals, including slaughtering for human consumption so-called "downed cows," has sparked the recall of millions of pounds of beef, most of it apparently already consumed by unsuspecting customers. These injured and/or diseased animals were stabbed by forklift tongs, kicked, had their eyes poked and were even water-boarded in an effort to get them to walk to the slaughterhouse, since FDA regulations prohibit adding meat from these "downed cows" to the human food supply.

There is a special place in hell reserved for the degenerates who perpetrated these atrocities. Cows may be among the dumbest creatures on this green earth, but no animal deserves to be treated like that.

This is just another, mind-numbing example of runaway corporatism fostered by decades of conservative, do-nothing government. In this case, the company was trying to squeeze every last dollar out of these cows; you see, dead meat is worth more if it's turned into hamburger rather than dog food or pig slop, which is what's supposed to happen to downed cows. And they've been able to get away with it because the FDA has been effectively neutered by Bush and Co. May a conservative Republican be the first person in this country to contract Mad Cow disease because downed cows have entered the food supply.

So the Lakers stole Pao Gasol and the Mavericks finally made the Jason Kidd deal work, but the best the Suns could do was acquire a fat, geriatric center, with a huge, guaranteed contract and who is year's past his prime? What, Wes Unseld was unavailable? In one, fell swoop the Shaq deal turns the Suns from the most exciting team in the NBA into another plodding, grind-it-out collection of underachievers.

Why Are There Libs Who Hate Clinton or Obama?

2008-02-13T13:25:00.000-08:00

If I hear one more "progressive" say they won't vote for Obama because of this, or Hillary because of that, I'm going to go screaming into the night. What planet are these yo-yo's living on, that they'd rather have another four years of Republican rule than one of the remaining Democrats because of what they perceive as some flaw in one or both of them?

Listen, people, we are almost done suffering through eight years of the worst presidential rule in our nation's history, and the Republican candidate is actually running on a platform of continuing that sad legacy. At this point, any Democrat is preferable to Grandpa McCain and his "straight off the cliff express."

Sure, there were at least four other Democrats running this year I'd prefer over what we've got left. But I got over it, and so should you. I've never particularly cared for Hillary, and considered her the least palatable of the entire bunch at the start. But you know what, if she wins the nomination -- even if she steals it at the convention -- she's got my vote, because I firmly believe another four years of this crap sends the country irreparably down the toilet.

Sure, Obama lacks "experience," whatever that lame term is supposed to mean. Hell, Bush had plenty of "experience," and look what that got us. And who says experience is necessary for this job anyway? Some of our best presidents (see Lincoln or Kennedy) came to the job with little practical experience. Besides, I think Obama is smart enough to do something Bush never quite mastered -- probably because he never attempted it: learn on the job.

And sure, Hillary voted for the war and won't apologize. So what. It's not her fault we were all lied into this mess, and hindsight is 20-20, as they say. The point is that she vows to get us out in short order, while McCain says we'll be there for another 100 years. (Which, of course, is impossible, because another five or ten years of this, much less 100, and we'll be a bankrupted hulk of a former super-power unable to finance a war with Guam, much less Iraq or Iran.)

The point, people, is get over yourselves. We've got to elect either Obama or Clinton, because if McCain wins this thing future historians will assuredly refer to the United States as "the shortest-reigning imperial power in world history," and your grandchildren will hate your guts. Do you want that to be your legacy?

Stick a Fork In Hillary -- She's Done

2008-02-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

Hillary Clinton's campaign is making a great show of being optimistic, of pointing towards March primaries in Texas and Ohio they think she can win, but it's time to face the music. Obama rolled over her tonight, winning by double-digit margins, and he'll roll over her again next week in Wisconsin. By the time Texas and Ohio come around, she'll need to win with sixty or sixty-five percent of the vote just to get back into the race, and that's not going to happen. The music has ended; this dance is over.

Personally, I think this is a good thing. By the time George W. Bush leaves office we will have had twenty years of rule by either a Bush or a Clinton. All the anguished Hillary supporters need to get over it and realize something about America: this is not a monarchy, people. It's time for some new blood.

The real question now is, does McCain stand a chance against Obama in November? The smart money is saying: when pigs fly. With McCain running as Bush-lite during this primary season in order to win the nomination, he can't possibly distance himself enough from the worst and most reviled president in history to win the general election. Unless Obama commits an unpardonable sin between now and November, we're going to make history by electing the first African-American president in history.

More Random Thoughts On the Day's News

2008-02-02T08:48:00.000-08:00

In just three years, Britney Spears has gone from pop star to laughing-stock to sympathetic figure worthy of our empathy. Has anyone not named Orenthal James ever fallen so far, so fast?

I'm guessing Celtics fans are pissed this morning. How, they must be wondering, could David Stern allow the Lakers to steal Pao Gasol and turn themselves into instant title favorites, what with a front line featuring three seven-footers and a back-court featuring the best player on the planet? Think anyone'd ever write this line: Lamar Odom is the fourth option on the Lakers?

Now that John Edwards is officially out, many of us are confronted with a frightening thought: the dude at the State of the Union uttering the phrase "Madam Speaker, I now introduce President of the United States, Hillary Clinton." Pray for Obama, people.

Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday, the unofficial national holiday for most of us. I'm telling you, any presidential contender who campaigns on a platform of "I'll make the Monday after Super Sunday a national day-off" gets my vote.

Can Obama Win?

2008-01-27T07:51:00.000-08:00

I'm on record as saying the Democrats would be wise to nominate John Edwards as their presidential candidate, for two simple reasons: I believe racism and sexism are alive and well in this country.

However, after witnessing Barack Obama's inspirational speech upon winning in South Carolina last night, I no longer think it impossible for him to overcome the latent racism running through our body politic like a bad strain of an STD. The reason for my change of heart is simple: Obama's sheer magnetism generates such a wellspring of support, particularly among young people, that an immense turnout in the general election could well trump the institutional racism in our country.

Let's look at the turnout in New Hampshire and South Carolina. One (New Hampshire) is a sometimes swing state that usually trends red. The other (South Carolina) is a solid red state that hasn't voted for the Democrats since Jimmy Carter won there in 1976.

John McCain won New Hampshire with 88,466 votes out of 233,381 cast for Republicans. Hillary Clinton won the Democratic side with 112,251 votes out of 284,104 cast. McCain won again in South Carolina with 147,283 out of 443,203 votes cast, while Obama ran away in the Democratic primary with 295,214 votes out of 532,468 cast.

While the vote totals of both Clinton and Obama are impressive, the numbers that stand out to me are the respective turnouts for all Republicans and all Democrats. In New Hampshire, 50,000 more people voted Democratic than Republican. In solidly red South Carolina, the Democrat's edge was even more pronounced, with almost 90,000 more votes than their Republican counterparts.

I think several factors are affecting turnout this year, and those factors will be even more evident in November.

First, Bush fatigue has energized Democrats to participate at levels not seen since the 60's. The feeling that our long national nightmare may finally be over is propelling people to the polls to vote Democrat, regardless who the nominee will be.

Second, the Republican base is depressed. The Bush Era has not gone well, the economy is in the dumpster, the war has been a disaster. Republicans are likely to stay home in droves come November, just like they have during the primary season -- particularly if McCain is the nominee.

Finally, Obama seems to be the "X" factor fueling Democratic turnout. His speeches are inspiring, and he seems to be giving younger voters reason for optimism. His message of "change" resonates among the populous.

If Obama is the nominee, these factors could well coalesce into a "perfect storm" of Democratic turnout that will overcome the latent racism I once feared would derail an Obama candidacy. So while I continue to support John Edwards, I am now cautiously optimistic about Obama's chances. How about John Edwards for Attorney General in a Barack Obama cabinet?

A Brokered Convention?

2008-01-16T12:51:00.000-08:00

With Mitt Romney pulling out a win yesterday in Michigan and Rudy poised to make off with Florida, it looks like we might still have a crowded field by Mega Tuesday, or Super Tuesday, or whatever lame name the media has come up with for the weirdness that passes for our system of nominating presidential candidates. It looks like no fewer than four Republican primary winners will still be standing on February 5th, the day umpteen states go to the polls to try and sort out this mess.

On the Democratic side, if John Edwards wins in Nevada and shows well in South Carolina we will have three viable candidates still in play on Whopper Mega Super Crazy Tuesday.

I used to feel the condensed primary season was an unholy mess. Conventional wisdom has it that it leaves the candidates little time to do the "hand-shaking" and "door to door" salesmanship the populous deserves. Moreover, the process doesn't properly "vett" the candidates the way it did in the old days, when the primary season was spread over several months.

Hogwash. A contracted primary schedule makes it more likely that lots of candidates will grab lots of delegates, but none of them enough to form a majority. That means brokered conventions, and that is manna from heaven to a political junkie like me.

I fully expect both conventions to feature illogical back-room deals, delicious backstabbing, heated floor arguments resulting in fisticuffs between Betty from St. Louis and Marge from Nashville, and interminable votes on into the night. Then, at the end of the day, the Dems will come out of left field with a Gore-Hillary ticket and the Repubs will come out of right with Jeb Bush teamed with Giuliani. Best of all, none of the media talking heads will be able to tell us exactly what happened, or why.

Then a Bloomberg-McCain ticket can jump into the fray and we'll have us a good, old-fashioned brawl of a general election. I can hardly wait. This could be the most entertaining election season of my lifetime. Remember, you read it here first.

Does the Governator Want to Shut Down

2008-01-13T10:30:00.000-08:00

California's State Park System?

After a long hiatus due to personal reasons, I'm back to blogging. I hope my old readers will return, and I hope any new readers will stay for my (hopefully) unique perspectives on politics, the environment and outdoor recreation.

Arnie "The Governator" Schwarzenegger, in a budget cutting move, recently announced the closure of 48 California state parks. Ostensibly, he is doing this because he can't bear to raise taxes on his Republican constituency. This illustrates a classic example of the prime difference between Republicans and Democrats: Republicans think only of themselves (and their pocket books) rather than the commons, while Democrats believe we're all in this together and should act accordingly.

Let's take a brief look at a representative example of the commons, from north to south, in which The Governator would shut out the good people of California:

Del Norte Redwoods State Park: One of the older units of the state park system, this park boasts of 50% native old-growth coastal redwood trees.

Clear Lake State Park: Clear Lake is the largest natural fresh-water lake in California and sports some of the best bass fishing in the entire United States. While closing the state park would by no means close the lake to public recreation, the state park does offer an inexpensive alternative to private facilities for Californians to enjoy this outstanding resource.

Armstrong Redwoods State Park: Protected from development since the 1870's and a state park since 1936, this park features the 310 foot Parson Jones tree as well as the 1400 year-old Colonel Armstrong tree.

Sutter's Fort State Park: Site of gold discovery in California that led to the great gold rush, this park's museum features exhibits of artifacts belonging to John Sutter, James Marshall and the Donner Party. The park is used extensively for educational purposes by students all over Central California; indeed, many schools base their entire State History curriculum around field trips to Sutter's Fort.

Tomales Bay State Park: Established in 1952 to protect what little beach-front property north of the Golden Gate that had yet to be developed, this park features the finest remaining virgin grove of native Bishop Pine in California.

Candlestick Point State Park: This popular urban San Francisco park features a fitness trail, two fishing piers and a community garden.

Portola Redwoods State Park: One of the tallest coastal redwoods (300 feet tall) in the Santa Cruz Mountains can be found here.

Great Valley Grasslands State Park: This park boasts on of the few intact samples of the Great Central Valley grasslands that once covered what is now the nation's breadbasket. The park is part of the Grasslands Ecological Area (GEA) that encompasses the largest block of contiguous wetlands left in California. Grasslands is home to several endangered endemic plant species and the site of spectacular springtime wildflower blooms.

Henry Coe State Park: This one is particularly irksome to me because it features the best hike-in bass fishing in the entire country. Hundreds of miles of trails and roads criss-cross this coastal range park, leading to old stock ponds miles from trail heads. These ponds are full of northern-strain largemouth bass. In a week-long hike there last spring my buddy John and I caught and released over 100 fish each, and in the entire week we saw only five other people, and one of them was a park ranger. This park is one of the most popular in the Bay Area; closing it would be unconscionable.

Fremont Peak State Park: This park offers outstanding views of nearby Monterey Bay and features an astronomical observatory with a 30-inch telescope that is open to the public on selected evenings.

Fort Ord Dunes State Park: This one is almost as bad as losing Coe. Closing Ord Dunes would short circuit plans to rehabilitate the former Army base, encompassing four miles of shoreline along over-developed Monterey Bay. Ord Dunes shows great promise as an outstanding example of native dunes near Monterey, one of the destination capitals of California.

Los Osos Oaks State Reserve: This park features centuries-old coast live oaks and five distinct plant communities. Most of the surrounding area was cleared of oak woodlands during the days of Mexican land grants.

Topanga State Park: Widely acknowledged as the largest wildlands in the world within the boundaries of a major city, this enclave in the Santa Monica Mountains north of downtown Los Angeles receives over 450,000 visitors per year. Neighboring Will Rogers State Park, which is also slated for closure, gets almost 250,000 visitors each year.

Picacho State Recreation Area: This park protects eight miles of the Lower Colorado River near Yuma and is home to bighorn sheep, wild burros and thousands of wintering waterfowl. Long a favorite of anglers and hunters, Picacho is a recreational oasis in the middle of the harsh Colorado Desert.

I could go on. Suffice it to say the California state park system has long been the envy of every other state. Crippling it to save a few dollars for rich Republicans is not only short-sighted, it's bad public policy. Our state parks generate millions of dollars in tax revenues by visitors not only from California, but by visitors from across the country. Once again our Governator is being penny wise but pound foolish.

Time To Go Hunt the Blue-headed Chickens

2007-11-05T13:49:00.000-08:00

Well, pheasant season is almost upon us here in California (the season opens this Saturday), so once again I'll find myself slogging through muddy alfalfa fields chasing the cursed blue-headed chickens this weekend.

It's sort of an annual trip for our group, trudging mile after mile in wet boots, made twice as heavy by the clay clinging to them, as we hope to get a shot or two at the wily creatures. And we'll have to explain to our dogs -- for the umpteenth time -- why we don't shoot at the hens they work so hard to flush.

Ah, but we'll have some extra entertainment along on this trip. One of my buddies is bringing a couple of "pheasant rookies" along. We'll spend Friday night around the campfire trying to explain it all to them. Then the next morning we'll laugh like fools when the exploding racket and the blur of a red and blue and brown rocket turns them to jello. There is just no way to describe to a man how unnerving it is to have a pheasant flush from beneath his feet. Good times, for sure.

Ebay Still Hates Guns . . . Kind Of

2007-11-02T16:39:00.000-07:00

A while back Ebay, in response to the carnage at Virginia Tech, made the boneheaded decision to cease the acceptance of any gun parts for auction on their site. Included were bullets and even empty shotgun hulls for reloading, torpedoing a little cottage industry of mine, as I was making a small fortune auctioning off, at obscene prices, the empty 28 gauge hulls I picked up for free at the local shooting range.

I recently sold my only 20 gauge shotgun, and in going through all the junk in my garage, found I had managed to accumulate a surprising amount of 20 gauge reloading materials. I began to wonder how I would dispose of them. At one time, I would have automatically thought: Ebay!, but with the ban I figured I'd have to put them on Craig's List or maybe Gunbroker.com.

What the hay, I decided to check out Ebay to see if maybe their ban had been reversed. What did I find? Empty hulls are, indeed, still banned. Much to my surprise, however, I found that shotshell wads are still being listed. So are bags of shot. Hell, even shotshell reloading presses are still being listed.

If guns are so immoral to the muckety mucks at Ebay, why do they allow the auction of wads, shot and even the machines used to make shotshells, but the empty hulls to finish the job are forbidden? Is this any way for them to take a moral stand, by only forbidding one component (a component that is perfectly legal to own and sell, by the way) out of the many needed to produce shotshells? Are they confused or just stupid? Or are they, maybe, really dumb like a fox?

Seems to me they have climbed on their soapbox to proclaim "We are anti gun," when what they really mean is they are only anti-gun when it can serve both their political and business purposes at once. After all, to be consistent they would have to prohibit all reloading components, but it would shave off some of their profits to do so. What hypocrites. Oh well, if anybody here reloads 20 gauge, there are some good deals right now on some discontinued Winchester wads over there right now.

Glenn Beck Is Right

2007-10-24T08:59:00.000-07:00

Or: The People of San Diego County Must Hate America -- They Still Support George Bush

By now most everybody has heard the quote from right-wing radio and TV host Glenn Beck: "I think there is a handful of people who hate America. Unfortunately for them, a lot of them are losing their homes in a forest fire today." Let's leave aside, for a moment, that only an asinine knucklehead would say something so hurtful and spiteful.

Instead, let's focus on Mr. Beck's ignorance of California's political road map. A vast majority of the homes lost in Southern California this week were in North San Diego County, a reliable bastion of Republicanism in this otherwise solidly blue state. Mr. Beck is, in effect, calling out his own people.

I would contend Beck has committed the grand-daddy of Freudian slips: It is Republicans who must hate America, because they continue to blindly support a president bent on destroying both the very civil liberties we have held sacred for over 200 years and the idea we should have a burgeoning middle class in America.

Moreover, it is the "we hate taxes" mindset of those Republicans that may have turned what should have been a mere disaster into an utter catastrophe. In their desire to keep taxes low, the good people of San Diego have succeeded in choking their government to the point it can't protect them. As Steve Lopez points out in his column today in the Los Angeles Times, the city of San Diego has just 975 firefighters for 330 square miles and 1.3 million residents. Contrast that with "liberal" San Francisco, which boasts 1,600 firefighters for 60 square miles and 850,000 residents.

Most firefighting analysts say these fires could have been mitigated had there simply been more manpower on hand at the outset. The people of San Diego may have done this to themselves. And the worst thing is that it will be folks like Glenn Beck who will shout loudest that, in this catastrophe, "the government has failed us," when in actuality it is the people who have failed their government.

Still, it is a testament to the good people of California that this is no Katrina. At the height of the wildfires over one million people had been evacuated from their homes. The evacuation was, in large part, orderly and calm, and the evacuees have been well taken care of. I'm no big fan of the Governator, but his leadership during this trying time has been exemplary. And my thoughts are with the good people who have lost their homes and businesses.

Iggygate Heats Up

2007-10-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

Or: Ellen DeGeneres Torpedoes Would-be Dog Savers' Careers

By now, almost everybody knows about the strange case of Iggy, the dog that comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres adopted and then passed along to her hair dresser's family. My only question about the whole affair is this: what did Marina Batkis and Vanessa Chekroun, proprietors of Mutts and Moms (the animal rescue operation that originally gave the dog to DeGeneres) hope to gain by yanking the dog away from an eleven year-old girl and her family?

One assumes they meant to flip the figurative finger at DeGeneres, apparently for being a "celebrity" who could "always get her way" because of her status. Yet one also can't escape the feeling that Batkis and Chekroun aren't the sharpest tools in the shed. After all, DeGeneres has a considerable soap-box on which to stand. Had they thought this through, Batkis and Chekroun surely should have understood that taking on DeGeneres in this manner could only result in career suicide.

Yet take on DeGeneres they did, and in an unthinking and unfeeling manner. Following this story I'm reminded of the classic T-shirt; you know, the one with the caption "The Last Great Act of Defiance." In this case Batkis and Chekroun are the mice, and Ellen DeGeneres is the eagle.

Mutts and Moms is dead. Batkis and Chekroun may as well pick up the want-ads and begin looking for new occupations. Ladies, Ellen just stuck a fork in you, and you are done. You look like jerks, and Ellen looks like a sympathetic figure who just tallied another notch in her belt. Nice work, Mutts and Moms.

Randon Thoughts On the Day's News

2007-10-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

All across the country today Neo-con heads are spinning -- a la Linda Blair in The Exorcist -- upon the news of Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Is now a good time to ask Mr. Gore to save us from the clutches of hell by, pretty please, running for president? I know this may seem a bit selfish, but, at this point Mr. Gore, your country needs you more than does the world.

There seems to be a lot of angst among the liberal blogosphere about the possibility of an "October Surprise" next year, perhaps another terrorist attack, in an effort to elect Republicans. Why would it occur to anyone that another attack will result in continued Republican rule? The Democrats need to repeat this mantra, early and often: It happened on their watch. It happened on their watch.

The Republicans were in control on 9-11, and they completely ignored the intelligence that we were about to be attacked. Call me crazy, but I think another attack will result in an immense Democratic landslide in 2008. Remember: it happened on their watch.

My vegetarian friends are feeling smug nowadays, what with the recent report that methane from the world's livestock are a major contributor to global warming. Personally, I don't think this report in any way validates the vegetarian lifestyle. After all, we as a species evolved largely as a result of our change from being an herbivore to an omnivore. Instead, I think the report merely validates a far more insidious fact: the world is dangerously over-populated, and we are rapidly beginning to exceed the earth's carrying capacity.

A Weekend In L.A.

2007-10-10T15:26:00.000-07:00

My son's flag football team had an 8:00 A.M. game last Saturday in Pasadena. Reasoning that waking him up at 5:00 to make it to the game on time probably wasn't a good idea (much less waking my wife at such a god-forsaken hour), we decided to spend the weekend at my father-in-law's condo in L.A.'s Westside District, which would shorten our drive to the game by at least a half hour.

My son's team lost on a last-second touchdown by Pasadena, ruining our hopes for an undefeated season. After the game, we drove back to the condo to unwind, and then made our way to Westwood Village to take in the shops. I remembered the Village from my younger days as a wonderfully eclectic mix of quirky and unique shops. Today, the Village has been completely corporatized. Instead of the one-of-a-kind eateries that once populated the area, you now have Quizno's and Subway and the ubiquitous Starbucks. About the only unique shop left in the Village is film director Kevin Smith's comic book shop, and it's about to close because Smith can't find someone to run it for him.

As an aside, my wife and I noticed a difference between the homeless people we saw in Westwood and those we see elsewhere: they are electronically outfitted better than we are. We saw one guy sporting a brand-new Ipod Nano, and another with a Blackberry. It begs the questions: how does a homeless person go about downloading music to his Ipod? Where does Verizon send his bill for his PDA? Also, every homeless person we saw was pushing his cans and bottles in identical black carts. Are these government issue? Does West L.A. have some sort of program to make sure its homeless are homogeneous?

Anyway, after our disappointing shopping experience we decided to take our son to see The Rock's new film, Game Plan, at the historic El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. What should have been a twenty minute trip from Westwood took an hour and fifteen minutes, thanks to an immense traffic jam on the Golden State Freeway.

As an outside salesman I drive for a living. I deal with Southern California traffic on a daily basis, so I'm largely immune to traffic rage. I accept traffic for what it is: a pain in the rear about which I really can't do anything. My wife, on the other hand, has a ten-minute commute along surface streets to an office building. She doesn't do traffic. About five minutes in she started with the "hurrumpfs," then the heavy sighs, and then proceeded to have a near melt-down as we inched along. It was not the most enjoyable trip I've ever endured.

Anyway, we finally made it to Hollywood, and all I can say is that, despite the creeping corporatization of the area, it is just as delightfully weird as ever. A couple hundred people were in front of the Kodak Theater, protesting the plight of the Burmese people. Interspersed with them were Spiderman, Cinderella, Darth Vader, an Imperial stormtrooper, Davy Jones, Willy Wonka, Edward Scissorhands, and no fewer than three Captain Jack Sparrows. Indeed, only a drunken, drug-addled Hunter S. Thompson was needed to complete the entire Johnny Depp filmography.

Here's a short review of Game Plan: If you have a six or seven year-old boy or girl, go see it. There's enough slapstick to keep the boys laughing, and it's cute enough to keep the girls smiling. In fact (and I never thought I would write this about any vehicle starring The Rock), it was not an altogether painful way to waste two hours on a Saturday afternoon.

Sunday, we made our way to the La Brea tar pits. My son's at an age that skeletons fascinate him, so the walk through the museum was enjoyable for all of us. We got to see the paleontologists pull a real sloth femur from Pit 91. Then, as we walked past one of the pits no longer being explored, we caught a bit of realism: a small sparrow vainly struggling to extricate itself from the bubbling asphalt. This was a bit much for the wife, who didn't exactly come here to see the tar pits in action. My son, on the other hand, was enthralled, and declared we needed to come back in a couple of weeks to "see if we can find the bird's skull." I told you, skeletons fascinate him.

So all in all, it was a successful excursion for the family, although by the end of the weekend my wife had had enough of L.A. We want to go back to take in the Natural History museum, but I think she needs a bit of L.A. detox before again venturing into the City of Angels.

Bush Vetoes S-CHIP Expansion

2007-10-03T13:39:00.000-07:00

So today President Bush vetoed the expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) recently passed by Congress. "I believe in private medicine," he said, "not the federal government running the health care system."

Great, he believes in a health care system that has caused millions of children to lose their coverage in the six-plus years he's been in power. He believes in a health care system in which insurance companies gobble up from twenty to forty percent of all revenues, as opposed to government-run health care that boasts less than five percent in administrative costs. He believes in a health care system in which even insured individuals are routinely denied needed treatments by their for-profit insurers.

Moreover, he believes the trillion dollars it will end up costing us for his disastrous and unnecessary foray into Iraq is just fine, but spending seven billion per year the next five years to ensure the health of the nation's children is somehow "reckless spending."

So much for "compassionate conservatism." Hell, so much for conservatism. After all, study after study has shown the costs to society for having so many children uninsured -- from increased emergency room visits to missed school days to declining productivity once they reach adulthood -- far outweigh the additional costs of providing them health care. Talk about being penny wise and pound foolish.

We can only hope the House finds the needed votes to override this mean-spirited veto. If not, look for this to be another in the long litany of issues in which Bush has effectively hoisted his party on its own petard. 2008 can't come soon enough.