Government Shutdown . . .

As of this evening, some 800K federal employees will be returning to work real soon. I have to ask the President: what did you accomplish?

Mr. President, you shutdown 1/4 of our government and you keep lots of people from being paid, I have to ask: What did you accomplish?

I don't follow your twitter feed and I am only have what the media tells me and I am being told that you were schooled by a grandma. Yup, you petulant, little child, threw a tantrum and what did you get?

Nothing.

What did you do? You did damage to our National Parks. You denied people services that were legally supposed to be offered and you may have damaged the credit and financial lives of people those that happen to work for us, in government jobs. You also damaged the economy due to the negative output generated by the government - those days won't return and spending money to make up for that doesn't work - never has.

Mr. President,

I ask that you include in your next proposal of "border security" to include the following:

1. All businesses, of all sizes, must be a part of E-Verify.
2. Businesses that refuse to utilize E-Verify on their own, must be raided TODAY.
3. Begin with immigration enforcement in all households of those earning over 100K per year - you will find many employed in those homes as not having the proper employment papers.
4. Enforce verifications of the hotel/service industry. The food industry, farms and others, where we know illegal immigration is rampant.
5. Require foreign states to post a bond for everyone individual that wants to enter our country via a visa. We know that many are simply over-staying their visa. If the individual is not gone when the visa expires, that foreign state pays via the bond posted.
6. More money for inspections are borders and goods transport - as a country, we know that the vast majority of illegal goods enters through our ports uninspected. Having a wall will do nothing to stop illegal goods entering our country.
7. Spend money on more agents and equipment for border enforcement, along with drones, electronic sensors and cameras - much less expensive then a unmovable wall.

America doesn't need a wall if we have enforcement of our current laws and of those actions mentioned above.

Look at history - The great wall of china was meant to stop foreigners from enter China - it failed. Look at the Maginot Line in 1940, the Wehrmacht simply went around and over it.

Let's use American Technology, built by Americans, to protect Americans. If we build more barriers, who do you think is gonna build it? Americans? Are you kidding me?

Congestion Pricing coming to Los Angeles?

As per the CBS article here, the magic solution, is, as in other cities, to charge motorists for entry to the Downtown circle, congested areas, or along corridors that people are using.

I have advocated for some time now and I will encourage the people behind this endeavor that there are other avenues to to solve congestion. I will address a few here.

Parking.

Charge more for parking in the congested areas or in the downtown circle. Make it more expensive for users to go to the area and leave their vehicles there.

Transit.

Reduce the price of transit. Make it free. Yes, someone has to pay, but I will get to that in a moment. As we are building new modes of transit, namely light right, fast transit, such as the Orange Line and Wilshire Rapid options in Los Angeles, we should and must, add to these services through out the county. Right now, $1.75 is rather inexpensive to ride, but the service is questionable and the roads are tough. With Prop 6 having failed, our roads will improve and with Metro M & P money, we will be able to expand transit, fast, reliable to the entire county, extending out from the Downtown Circle.

It is always about money and we need to go after cities to pay for transit entering and passing through their cities. A viable transit system is good for one and all and having multiple options, we will allow for many people to take transit instead. Yes, I am talking about Southern California and I know that we are the car culture center of the world. Great, but with more people moving in, our roads are bad and remain so. Let's target those that work in the congested areas. You want to drive to downtown, pay for parking. This money will go to increasing capacity on transit.

Parking on the roadway, increase the price as well and that too, will go to increasing the money going to transit.

Freeways.

Go ahead and add Metro Express Lanes. But, now, any expansion needs to come from the users, not everyone else. Those that use it, should and must pay for it. Many people will never use it and as such, will not have to pay for it - either its creation nor its continued usage.

I have given you three ideas to get the conversation going. Congestion pricing is the easiest and what does that mean: we all pay when we don't have to. Let's use what we have now and make it work.

Please Mickey . . . HAN SHOT FIRST.

Open letter to Disney, the soon-to-be-owner of Fox Studios, the legal rights owner to Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope (well, due to technical issues, I believe LucasFilm will own the rights sometime in the next decade):

Once you own Star Wars, the ORIGINAL STAR WARS - you have the rights to remove one scene and one scene only or to restore the original cut that aired in 1977: HAN SOLO shoots Greedo. Han Shot First, He also did and still does! Disney: Please!!!

Loyal Fan of Star Wars and Loyal Fan of Disney.

Roger



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_shot_first

Aloha

It's been a while. Hope you are doing well. I am. I expect to share more in the very, very near future.

Showers and Flautelance

Why is that once you have showered, not during, but after, your body has this incessant urge to release its freight from its holding tank?

I imagine that this will be a topic that I will be visiting again, soon enough. I have decided to begin reviewing episodes of certain programs, i.e., Fear The Walking Dead, The Last Ship, the new Star Trek series and maybe another one. Over time, I will post old reviews here and get back up to speed. I may even post on the method to my madness.

I have a writing goal and it begins with regular reviews on a regular basis. I have to write again so . . .

YOU

         HAVE

                    BEEN

                              WARNED.

Waiting to say "no" . . .

I find myself at the corner of Overland and Venice, at a McDonald's and I cannot ignore the hustle and bustle around me. 

The traffic on the westside is terrible, I left home at 5:30 AM an arrived to my location at 7:07 AM - roughly 50 miles. I remember making similar trips in about 40 minutes but that is impossible in 2014. 

My deposition is today and it is but another step in this journey and I will be taking more steps over the next few years. 

Knowing that today, June 5, 2014 isfinally here, a calm has come over me. Today will pass, the calendar will turn the page and today will be another day for the books.

My relief is palpable, heck, I'm at a McDonald's for goodness sake! I should be at Carl's Jr., my customary place in similar circumstances. Alas, if I have money to spend, it will be McDonald's from here on - our debt to Ronald McDonald house must be repaid and paid forward. 

One hour still . . .

Thursday, June 5, 2014 will be the day that I get to say no to all of the questions and a start, a commencement to resolution in this endeavor. I worried and worried and now, I no longer have time to worry, simply: I only have to do. 

Today, I will get it done and move on. At this moment, I stand apart from the hustle and bustle around me, soon, I will return to that same and today will be a distant memory.

I thank you for reading. 

Chris Brown

Chris is now out of jail after having done his time for his last transgressions. Chris, ya did what was required of you, now, seek assistance for your anger issue and get better.

Your are a talented individual and now, you have the oppourtunity to get back to doing what you do best: entertaining us with your musical skill. 

You have the talent and I, for one, can't wait for you to return to your music making. I am a fan that wants to see you do well, I'm rooting for you. I say you deserve what you got, you paid society's price for your misdeeds and now do what you do best: music. 

Fair or not, you went to jail and you didn't act like a baby about it. I'm sorry you had to do time, but why did you? Many will never be happy at the "price" you paid, but you can't worry about those people. It is done. 

I'm rooting for you.

Good luck, dude, I'll be listening.